BENGALURU: A day after the Union Government issued guidelines to be followed during the extended lockdown and classified three districts in the state as ‘Red Zones’, the Karnataka Government has decided to appeal to the Centre to revise the zoning. At the same time, it has directed the district Deputy Commissioners to allow economic activities to restart outside containment areas.
Primary and Secondary Education Minister S Suresh Kumar said the State Government will write to the Centre seeking revision of the zoning as it feels that Bengaluru Rural, which has been classified as a Red Zone, deserves to be in the Green Zone while Mysuru, which is also in the Red Zone, can be in the Orange Zone.
More stringent restrictions have been put in place in the Red Zones to contain the spread of the coronavirus. While Bengaluru Rural had reported six positive cases, all have been discharged after treatment and there are no active cases in the district now. Mysuru district had reported 88 positive cases, but has a high recovery rate too.
The district now has 24 active cases as 64 of those who had tested positive have been discharged after treatment, Suresh Kumar pointed out. Revenue Minister R Ashoka too said they will appeal to the Union Government to drop Bengaluru Rural district from the list of COVID-19 Red Zones as there are no fresh cases of coronavirus infections there.
“Presently, there are no cases of COVID-19 in Bengaluru Rural district,’’ he said. Ashoka was part of a high-level meeting chaired by Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa on Saturday. The State Government is also keen to allow economic activities in Bengaluru Urban district, which is classified as a Red Zone. “Bengaluru has a population of more than one crore, which equals many districts put together. Just because there are some cases, the whole of Bengaluru cannot be considered as a Red Zone. Instead, Bengaluru can be divided into five divisions and the area where the number of cases are more (10-km radius) be considered as a Red Zone,” Ashoka told TNSE.
DCs instructed to allow economic activities
“WE can take up economic activities at least in some parts of Bengaluru instead of shutting down the entire city. We have suggested this to the authorities and have told them to write to the Union Government,” Minister R Ashoka said. Meanwhile, Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa, who held a video conference with Deputy Commissioners on Saturday, directed them to allow economic activities that are permitted by the Central Government outside the containment zones.
The staff of IT/BT firms, who are permitted, can work from offices while construction activities too will restart from Monday. There are around 70,000 migrant labourers who are employed in building construction at 414 locations in Bengaluru. Minister Suresh Kumar directed CREDAI to take up construction work from Monday.
With this, the real estate sector is expected to pick up pace. Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike Commissioner BH Anil Kumar told The New Sunday Express that all construction activities can start, provided there are men and material on site. Cement, steel, electric, sanitaryware, plumbing accessories shops, along with neighbourhood shops, are allowed to open. Grocery stores, chemist stores and bakeries are already functioning. However, he said markets and shopping malls cannot open.
BACK TO WORK FOR GOVT STAFF Karnataka Chief Secretary TM Vijaya Bhaskar on Saturday issued a circular which states that Group A, B, C and D grade employees in the departments which are providing essential services have to attend office. In other departments which come under non-essential services, 33 per cent staff can work on any given day. However, in the other districts, all the staff in all department have to work starting May 4