Do not vote for a Party which does not allow Parliament to function'

March 14, 2012

Mangalore, March14: AICC Secretary Shantaram Naik has appealed to the voters of Udupi-Chikmangalur Lok Sabha constituency not to vote for a party which does not allow Parliament to function.

Addressing a press conference in Udupi on wednesday, Mr Naik said that a vote for BJP in Parliamentary elections , is a vote thrown in the waste paper basket as, BJP has , shown by their recent conduct , that they have no faith in Parliamentary democracy which is why they are stalling Parliament on the slightest pretext.

Mr Naik said that during every session hundreds of crores of rupees are lost due to BJP, whose members stop the proceedings of both Houses of Parliament, due to which, a number of bills do not get passed and, important debates , Call Attentions and more importantly, daily Quetion Hour are sacrificed.

Mr Naik said, peoples' vote should go to that party which has respect for Parliament and, therefore, the obvious choice is Congress and its candidate , Jayprakash Hegde.

Mr Naik said that Central Government is keen on reducing unemployment and that is the reason the Government aims to provide skill training to 85 lakh people during 2012-13 and 800 lakh people during the 12th Plan.

President of India in her address on Monday to both Houses of Parliament has said that the Government will set up 1500 new Industrial Training Institutes and 5000 Skill Development Centres under Public Private Partnership, at an estimated cost of 13,000 crore.

Mr Naik said that a legislation on Whistle Blower is likely to be passed in Parliament which will give security to anyone bringing illegalities and acts of corruptions in government departments.

A bill to give statutory recognition to Citizens Charter will also become law during the session, Mr Naik said.

Mr Naik said that an amendment to the Land Acquisition Act which is also likely to passed during the forthcoming budget session will have an human approach towards land acquisition , by making an assessment of social impact before a land is acquired, and that , no land will be acquired for private companies except in very rare cases.

A new law on Benami transactions is likely to be passed to prevent people from buying land ,plots ,houses etc in the name of their relatives and servants to avoid clutches of law, Mr Naik said.

Mr Naik said that priority in jobs will be given to land losers , plot to build houses in case of those who loose their dwelling houses, besides the monetary compensation and alternate agricultural land in case of acquisition of land under cultivation, are some of the features of the new bill and the new Land Acquisition Policy.

Mr Naik said that the Lokpal Bill per se does not contain any provisions pertaining to corruption but is the Prevention of Corruption Act 1988, which is the law dealing with corruption , and that, this law was enacted during Rajiv Gandhi's Prime Ministership.

Mr Naik said that even the Lokpal, that will be constituted if the bill is passed during the forthcoming budget session, will be using the law enacted by Rajiv Gandhi.

Mr Naik said that Karnataka Lok Ayukta is also using the law enacted by Rajiv Gandhi.

Central Government is setting up a National Council for Senior Citizens as a broad-based participatory forum for this important segment of the population, Mr Naik said.

This will give a statutory Forum to Senior Citizens to address the issues affacting them, Mr Naik said.

Mr Naik said that the Central Government is working on a comprehensive fertilizer monitoring system which would present information on fertilizer availability to the farmers through SMS, internet and telephone.

President of India in her address, Mr Naik said has decided to revive eight urea units of Fertilizer Corporation of India and Hindustan Fertilizer Corporation to create an extra installed capacity of 9 million tons of urea.

Government is aiming to achieve self-sufficiency in urea production in the next five years, Mr Naik said.

Mr Naik said that Shri Jayprakash Hegde is a studious man and he is the best choice to represent Udupi-Chikmangalur Lok Sabha Constituency.

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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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