HK Patil flays CM for his faith in the corrupt ministers

January 23, 2012

Udupi, January 23: Congress leader and former minister H K Patil has criticized Chief Minister D V Sadananda Gowda for his 'close association with corrupt ministers and corrupt people'

Mr Patil who visited the city to take the opinions of party leaders and workers on selecting a unanimous candidate from Congress for the impending Udupi-Chikmagalur Lok Sabha bi-elections, opined that CM had been exaggerating minister of his cabinet Murugesh Nirani, who had been involved in a 10,000 acre denotification scam, by keeping him close to him.

“CM has confidence in the corrupts. People closely watch his moves and deals with the corrupts and teach BJP a lesson in the next elections”, Patil said.

“Congress government in the state supplied up to 30 KGs of rice at Rs 3 per KG. But today the BJP government is providing only up to 16 KGs of rice per family. The government did not take children below the age of 12 into consideration while deciding the BPL families and its requirements. This is an injustice done to the poor. Likewise during the SM Krishna's period government had built upto 10 lakh houses for the poor. But today BJP government, though publicised to build 40 houses in each of the grama panchayaths, failed utterly to fulfill its promises.

HK Patil said that though Congress lost most of the bi elections including Bellary, Congress prospects had been improved in the state. On the other hand BJP even lost its deposit in Bellary elections. As per the feedback they received from workers and party leaders, Congress' fortunes had bridghtened in the state. Replying to reporters he said that names of Jayaprakash Hegde, who lost the last elections by a small margin, Vinay Kumar Sorake, Taradevi, BL Shankar and Hariprasad have been refered by the party workers for the forhcoming bi-elections to the Udupi-Chikmagalur parliamentary seat and they would submit a report to the KPCC by Tuesday.

Speaking on the occassion KPCC observer VR Sudarshan alleged the BJP government in the state of hiding the contributions and grants of the Congress led Central government for political reasons. “Out of the total state budgetary allocation of Rs 38,000 crores, Rs 23,000 crores had been a grant from the central government. PM's Grameena Sadak Yojana had been central government programme with 100 percent grants from the center, Indira Avaz Yojana with 75 per cent grants from the center, Rajeev Gandhi Rural Electrification programme with 90 per cents grants from the center. But the state government had been partial in publicising the programmes”, he said.

KPCC has decided to bring out a booklet with facts and figures on the same and will also form district and block level monitoring committees to oversee the implementation of UPA flagship programmes.

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Respiratory illnesses rise in Karnataka’s capital as air quality deteriorates

News Network

February 5,2026

Bengaluru: As air quality continues to worsen across several parts of the city, hospitals in Bengaluru are reporting a steady rise in patients suffering from respiratory illnesses such as asthma, bronchitis and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), health officials and doctors said.

Data from the Suvarna Arogya Suraksha Trust (SAST) shows that 3,891 patients received treatment for respiratory ailments between April and November 2024. The figure rose to 4,187 during the same period in 2025.

Private hospitals, too, are witnessing a 10–15 per cent year-on-year increase in such cases.

While doctors caution that the rise cannot be attributed solely to air pollution, a significant number of patients are non-smokers with no prior history of respiratory disease.

“Nearly 70 per cent of the patients we see are non-smokers with no previous respiratory issues. When other causes are ruled out, air pollution emerges as the most likely factor,” said Dr Manjunath PH, consultant interventional pulmonologist at a hospital in Kengeri.

Doctors noted that patient footfall spikes during the winter months and around Deepavali, when air quality typically worsens.

“There is a clear correlation between poor air quality and the rise in cases. People commonly present with persistent cough, breathlessness and irritation of the respiratory tract, indicating the impact of polluted air on their health,” said Dr Sheetal Chaurasia, consultant in pulmonary medicine at a private hospital in Whitefield.

Dr Chaurasia added that respiratory tract infections are also on the rise.

“Poor air quality leads to chronic airway inflammation, making the airways more vulnerable to infections. We are seeing an increase in both upper and lower respiratory tract infections,” she said.

Patients with pre-existing respiratory conditions remain the worst affected.

“For those already diagnosed with respiratory illnesses, deteriorating air quality significantly worsens the condition. Both the frequency and severity of attacks increase sharply,” said Dr Vandana P, a pulmonologist at a hospital on Bannerghatta Road.

Doctors also flagged a worrying trend of rising respiratory problems among younger adults and children.

To reduce exposure, they advised people to wear masks while travelling on two-wheelers or autos and ensure adequate ventilation at home to minimise indoor air pollution.

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