Parallel road being created by the gram panchayat to avoid toll payment at Hejmady NH tollgate in Udupi district.
UDUPI: A resolution adopted by the Hejmady gram panchayat has forced the National Highway tollgate authorities to allow free movement for all cars and buses to the village.
When the contractor – Navayuga Udupi Tollway Private Limited (NUTPL), stopped the free movement of all vehicles on the Hejmady NH tollgate, the 21-member gram panchayat headed by president Pranesh Hejmadi resolved to build a new parallel road to the village and thereby avoid toll payment.
Accordingly, a new road parallel to the National Highway was built on March 30, so that all vehicles to Hejmady and Kodi villages can move without entering the tollgate. Soon after the development, the toll contractors agreed to allow free movement of all vehicles registered in the name of Hejmady villagers.
Testing targets for each district were increased based on recommendations of the state’s Covid-19 technical advisory committee
BENGALURU: With the state setting its sights on a minimum one lakh Covid-19 tests a day, results of many suspected Covid-19 patients are pending across districts. Swab samples are piling up in laboratories and sources say the backlog is to the tune of 20,000 a day.
Data TOI collated from daily bulletins issued by eight district administrations showed that 11,997 test results were pending as of Wednesday (March 31). Not all districts mention the number of samples yet to be tested in their bulletins.
Bagalkot topped the list with 3,897 samples awaiting tests, while Kalaburagi was not far behind with 3,261 results pending. Samples were also pending in Vijayapura (1,777), Yadgir (1,602), Bidar (800), Dharwad (403), Shivamogga (200) and Gadag (57).
Police reached the spot a few minutes after the incident (Photo for representative purpose only)
MANGALURU: A mob in Melanthabettu of Belthangady taluk assaulted two men on Wednesday believing them to be cattle thieves, according to the police, which rescued the victims. Police arrested five people in connection with the incident.
The victims, identified as Abdul Rahim and Musthafa, residents of Kupetti in Belthangady sustained grievous injuries and are undergoing treatment at a private hospital in Mangaluru. The police have arrested Rajesh Bhat, Rakesh Bhat, Guruprasad, Lokesh and Chidanand for the assault, while few others are yet to be arrested.
Representative image
BENGALURU: The central government should ideally relinquish control over Covid-19 vaccine distribution and introduce teh drug on the open market, believes Dr MK Sudarshan, head of the state’s Covid-19 technical advisory committee.
Dr Sudarshan said based on a prescription, anyone who is above 18 years of age must be allowed to receive the vaccine.
“The time has come to remove control and restrictions over availability and use of Covid-19 vaccines in the country,” Dr Sudarshan said. “This is because Covid-19 infections are spiraling again in many states, but the pace of vaccination is slow for various reasons. Vaccination is certainly one way to protect oneself against the disease.”