NEWS

To combat the spread of Omicron variant, the BS Bommai-led Karnataka government has reimposed stringent precautions in the state, especially across the border districts like Dakshina Kannada, Madikeri, Chamarajanagar, and Mysuru. Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai hinted at implementing more restrictions to reduce the spread of the strain. "Instructions have been given to increase the number of tests per day. The Health Minister will be holding a meeting with officials and experts, the outcome of which will be shared with me, following which we may take certain decisions keeping in view the current circumstances," Bommai stated.

Karnataka Health Minister K Sudhakar would chair a with the officers of his department, from the Principal Secretary to the Primary Health Centre level doctors, and might take a decision on imposing further curbs. Members of the Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) on COVID-19 would also take part in the meeting.

The Kerala government on Tuesday announced its decision to approach the Supreme Court over the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) new guidelines that prohibit cooperatives societies from operating banking services, said state co-operation minister T N Vasavan. The state government is also planning to talk to other opposition-ruled states such as Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal to have a coordinated approach on the issue. The state government has asked finance minister KN Balagopal and TN Vasavan to co-ordinate with other non-BJP ruled state governments, he added.

Vasavan announced this while starting a statewide agitation against the latest regulatory RBI measures to rein in primary co-operative societies and banks and the Union government’s “indifferent attitude” towards developmental projects.

The Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM) - joint platform of protesting farmers - on Monday called the repeal of the farm laws a “historic victory” but questioned the passage of the Bill without debate, saying it could have brought into focus their pending demands, including legal guarantee on minimum support price (MSP).

While the SKM, an umbrella body of 40 farmer unions, will discuss the future course of action on December 4, a section of farmer groups of Punjab said they are in favour of ending the agitation at the Delhi border sites. The group of 32 unions from Punjab held a meeting at the Singhu border on Monday.

The Morcha also questioned the government's claims made in the 'statement of objects and reasons' accompanying the repeal Bill where agriculture minister Narendra Singh Tomar sought to justify the Centre's move to enact the laws in 2020 and enlisted reasons behind the repeal in current circumstances.

Expressing support for Africa, which has been rattled by the discovery of Covid-19 variant Omicron, the government on Monday announced it had cleared all orders placed so far by the UN-backed Covax programme for supplies of Covishield vaccines, including to African countries like Malawi, Ethiopia, Zambia, Mozambique, Guinea and Lesotho.

The government expressed solidarity in a statement with countries, particularly in Africa, that have so far been affected by Omicron. India’s announcement followed China’s pledge the same day to supply a billion vaccine doses to Africa. The MEA said in a statement that India had also cleared supplies of Covaxin to Botswana. “Any new requirement projected either bilaterally or through Covax will be considered expeditiously,” it said.