Karnataka CM asks top district officials to work from taluks to check COVID-19

Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa on Tuesday directed district authorities including the Deputy Commissioners and Superintendents of Police to camp at taluk centres and work towards curbing the spread of COVID-19. Calling for strengthening of vigilance mechanism on those in home quarantine at ward and village level, he said, FIR should be booked against those violating quarantine norms.

Yediyurappa held a videoconference with DCs, ZP CEOs and SPs of Kalaburagi, Vijayapura, Udupi, Yadgir, Raichur and Belagavi districts that have seen spike in cases. Asking DCs, ZP CEOs and SPs to divide taluks of respective district among themselves and camp there to supervise the control of COVID-19 from there, the Chief Minister said all precautions should be ensured before easing the lockdown restrictions on June 8 and the guidelines issued by the central government has to be followed.

Pointing out that COVID-19 cases were increasing in the state because of returnees from Maharashtra, he asked officials to take all necessary measures to check it, his office said in a release. Instructing district administrations to be vigilant about those under home quarantine, Yediyurappa said, police department should appoint a constable near the house of those under home quarantine, also at gram pancyat level task force has to be constituted for surveillance.

Noting that booth level teams should be asked to submit reports regarding this on a daily basis, he said, adding "at every village and ward (in cities) vigilance committees have to be set up and they have to work efficiently. If home quarantine is violated FIR has to be registered."

Asking border districts to be extra vigilant at the borders aimed at controlling unauthorized entries in to the state, Yediyurappa said, bodies should not be allowed to be brought into the state at any cost. He also instructed to conduct the SSLC (class 10) and PUC (class 12) that have been scheduled later this month smoothly. Home Minister Basavaraj Bommai, Revenue Minister R Ashoka, Chief Secretary T M Vijay Bhaskar among others were present at the meeting.