JOIN USKarnataka forms Covid-19 crack team for Bengaluru as cases continue to spike
In a new game plan to tame Covid-19, the Cabinet on Thursday decided to form a ministerial team to manage the pandemic in each of the eight municipal zones in Bengaluru, the state capital where cases have been rising rapidly.
There are seven ministers from Bengaluru in Yediyurappa’s Cabinet who along with CM’s political secretary SR Vishwanath will manage the Covid-19 affairs in the east, west, south, Rajarajeshwari Nagar, Bommanahalli, Mahadevapura, Dasarahalli and Yelahanka municipal zones.
Deputy Chief Minister C N Ashwath Narayan is placed in charge of the west zone, Revenue Minister R Ashoka of south, Primary & Secondary Education Minister S Suresh Kumar in Bommanahalli, Housing Minister V Somanna for east, Cooperation Minister S T Somashekhar in Rajarajeshwari Nagar, Urban Development Minister BA Basavaraja at Mahadevapura, Food & Civil Supplies Minister K Gopalaiah in Dasarahalli and Vishwanath in Yelahanka.
The government also appointed senior IAS officers in each of the eight zones to “monitor, review and take immediate decisions” on effectively controlling the spread of Covid-19 in the city.
On Thursday, Karnataka reported 2,228 new Covid-19 cases of which 1,373 are in Bengaluru Urban. With this, the state has 17,782 active cases with the city district alone home to 10,870 of them. This is the highest single day spike so far for both Karnataka and Bengaluru.
“The chief minister has appointed the ministers to each zone where they will be in-charge of taking steps to control the Covid-19 pandemic,” Law Minister JC Madhuswamy said, briefing reporters after the Cabinet meeting.
“Coronavirus is now (spreading) deeply. We discussed that and the steps that are needed. It was decided to increase the number of beds with high-flow oxygen facilities in taluk and district hospitals, do more tests and deliver the results faster,” Madhuswamy said.
The Cabinet approved spending Rs 207 crore to provide “medical gas pipeline with high-flow oxygen” and emergency beds alongside other infrastructure at taluk and district hospitals. The Cabinet also approved Rs 81.99 crore spent by the health department on purchasing medical equipment at public health centres.
The Cabinet approved the promulgation of an ordinance that will increase the government’s contingency fund limit to Rs 500 crore. “Currently, we’re allowed to spend only Rs 80 crore from the contingency fund. But because of Covid-19, we’ve had to provide immediate financial aid to several communities whose livelihood was affected. So, as a one-time measure, the limit of the fund will be increased to Rs 500 crore through an ordinance,” Madhuswamy explained.