Speaker pulls up health minister over shortage of government doctors

Bangalore, Oct 24: Shortage of doctors in government hospitals incurred the wrath of Speaker Kagodu Thimmappa on Thursday.

Thimmappa summoned Health and Family Welfare Minister U?T?Khader and Principal?Secretary of the department N Sivasailam and took them to task for the delay in recruitment of doctors.

Thimmappa has been quite vocal on the state of affairs in government hospitals and had pulled up Khader at least twice on the floor of the Legislative Assembly during the legislature session when the issue was raised by members.

On Thursday, Khader was once again at the receiving end, with Thimmappa telling him that the shortage of doctors was causing untold miseries to patients and that he should complete the process of recruitment at the earliest.

Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Thimmappa said there were several factors that had led to shortage of doctors in government hospitals.

Disparity in salaries of doctors compared to that paid to faculty in medical colleges, handing over the process of appointment to the Karnataka Public Service Commission (KPSC)?were among the reasons.

Thimmappa said the department should take up direct recruitment through merit instead of going through the KPSC.

When Sivasailam intervened stating that the process of recruitment of 1,700 MBBS?doctors and 250 specialists was on the cards, Thimmappa sought to know whether the proposal had been sent to the finance department.

The speaker also sought to know why the process of recruitment had not been expedited.The Speaker also sought ernest efforts to streamline administration. œUnless you put your heart at work nothing will change, he remarked.

Thimmappa had recently hit the headlines for lashing out at the Siddaramaiah government stating that there was no transparency in the administration.

There was laxity on the part of government in responding to the grievances of the public, he had stated.

On his part, Khader said he had met the Speaker to seek his guidance and suggestions. The government will complete the recruitment of doctors and also group'C' and'D'?employees soon.

A?proposal had also been sent to the finance department to increase the salaries of doctors. To a query on government doctors threatening to resign en masse on October 27 over wage disparity and irregular payment of salaries, Khader expressed confidence of resolving the issue.

The government, however, will not be deterred by the threat of resignation, he added.The government doctors have gone on strike, four times in a row.

If the situation continues to remain the same, they have threatened to give mass resignation to the CM?on Oct 27.

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QR-code tips power Mangaluru's major drug bust: 25 arrested in 2 weeks

News Network

December 16,2025

Mangaluru, Dec 16: The Mangaluru City police have significantly escalated their campaign against drug trafficking, arresting 25 individuals and booking 12 cases under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act between November 30 and December 13. The crackdown resulted in the seizure of a substantial quantity of illicit substances, including 685.6 grams of MDMA and 1.5 kg of ganja.

The success of this recent drive has been significantly boosted by the city’s innovative, QR code-based anonymous reporting system.

"The anonymous reporting system has received an encouraging response. Several recent arrests were made based on inputs received through this system, helping police tighten the noose around drug peddlers," said the City Police Commissioner.

The latest arrests contribute to a robust year-to-date record, underscoring the police's relentless commitment to combating the drug menace.

Up to December 14 this year, the police have registered a total of 107 cases of drug peddling, leading to the arrest of 219 peddlers. Furthermore, they have booked 562 cases of drug consumption, resulting in the arrest of 671 individuals.

The scale of the seizure for the year reflects the magnitude of the problem being tackled: police have seized 320.6 kg of ganja worth ₹88.7 lakh and 1.4 kg of MDMA valued at ₹1.2 crore. Other significant seizures include hydro-weed ganja worth ₹94.7 lakh and cocaine worth ₹1.9 lakh, among others.

The Commissioner emphasized a policy of rigorous enforcement: "We ensure that peddlers are caught red-handed so that they cannot later dispute the case or claim innocence."

To counter the rising trend of substance abuse among youth, the Mangaluru City police have rolled out uniform guidelines for random drug testing across educational institutions.

As part of the drive, tests were conducted in approximately 100 institutions, screening an estimated 5,500 to 6,000 students in the first phase. 20 students tested positive for drug consumption during the initial screening.

Students who tested positive have been provided counselling and are scheduled for re-testing in the second quarter. The testing will also be expanded to students not covered in the first phase. In a move to ensure strict implementation, police personnel were deployed in mufti in some institutions. Reiterating a zero-tolerance stance, the Commissioner confirmed that random testing will continue, and colleges have also been instructed to conduct drug tests at the time of admission to deter substance abuse from an early stage.

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