<p>Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa on Friday asked Primary & Secondary Education Minister S Suresh Kumar to be the government’s spokesperson on the COVID-19 crisis management effort, a move that is seen as keeping too many cooks from spoiling the broth. </p>.<p>At a high-level meeting to review measures on COVID-19 containment, Yediyurappa is said to have taken exception to his Cabinet colleagues making multiple, and often contradictory statements, leading to confusion. </p>.<p><a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/national/coronavirus-news-live-updates-tamil-nadu-reports-102-new-cases-indias-tally-crosses-2500-mark-817763.html">Follow live updates on coronavirus</a></p>.<p>“The CM has directed Suresh Kumar to be the only one to brief the media on COVID-19 going forward,” a source from the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) confirmed. Accordingly, Kumar will brief the media on Friday evening. </p>.<p>Kumar, who represents Rajajinagar in Bengaluru, was the one who briefed the press on Cabinet decisions for the most part when the BJP was in power earlier (2008-13). </p>.<p>Yediyurappa was forced to appoint Kumar as the government’s spokesman because lack of coordination had become evident in disbursing information related to COVID-19. </p>.<p>Initially, it was apparent that Health & Family Welfare Minister B Sriramulu and Medical Education Minister K Sudhakar had issues with coordination - both used to brief the press, dishing out contradictory numbers. The CM had to intervene by making Sudhakar responsible for COVID-19 affairs in Bengaluru, while Sriramulu would look at the rest of Karnataka. </p>.<p>The latest example of ministers being out of sync is the Tablighi Jamaat convention - Sriramulu’s numbers would be different from Sudhakar’s, with Home Minister Basavaraj Bommai citing fresh figures altogether. </p>.<p>The CM is also said to have asked ministers to refrain from appearing on news channels for panel discussions on COVID-19. </p>.<p>In other decisions, the CM asked officials to place orders for 2 lakh personal protective equipment (PPE) in addition to 1 lakh PPEs already ordered. It was also decided that 15 lakh construction labourers will get Rs 2,000, as against Rs 1,000 approved earlier. </p>
<p>Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa on Friday asked Primary & Secondary Education Minister S Suresh Kumar to be the government’s spokesperson on the COVID-19 crisis management effort, a move that is seen as keeping too many cooks from spoiling the broth. </p>.<p>At a high-level meeting to review measures on COVID-19 containment, Yediyurappa is said to have taken exception to his Cabinet colleagues making multiple, and often contradictory statements, leading to confusion. </p>.<p><a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/national/coronavirus-news-live-updates-tamil-nadu-reports-102-new-cases-indias-tally-crosses-2500-mark-817763.html">Follow live updates on coronavirus</a></p>.<p>“The CM has directed Suresh Kumar to be the only one to brief the media on COVID-19 going forward,” a source from the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) confirmed. Accordingly, Kumar will brief the media on Friday evening. </p>.<p>Kumar, who represents Rajajinagar in Bengaluru, was the one who briefed the press on Cabinet decisions for the most part when the BJP was in power earlier (2008-13). </p>.<p>Yediyurappa was forced to appoint Kumar as the government’s spokesman because lack of coordination had become evident in disbursing information related to COVID-19. </p>.<p>Initially, it was apparent that Health & Family Welfare Minister B Sriramulu and Medical Education Minister K Sudhakar had issues with coordination - both used to brief the press, dishing out contradictory numbers. The CM had to intervene by making Sudhakar responsible for COVID-19 affairs in Bengaluru, while Sriramulu would look at the rest of Karnataka. </p>.<p>The latest example of ministers being out of sync is the Tablighi Jamaat convention - Sriramulu’s numbers would be different from Sudhakar’s, with Home Minister Basavaraj Bommai citing fresh figures altogether. </p>.<p>The CM is also said to have asked ministers to refrain from appearing on news channels for panel discussions on COVID-19. </p>.<p>In other decisions, the CM asked officials to place orders for 2 lakh personal protective equipment (PPE) in addition to 1 lakh PPEs already ordered. It was also decided that 15 lakh construction labourers will get Rs 2,000, as against Rs 1,000 approved earlier. </p>
