No easing Covid rules for anyone: Minister

Protection of health and life of people govt’s top priority, says Ashok.

Shyam Sundar Vattam | NT

Bengaluru: The State government cannot change the Corona rules to impress anyone. Protection of health and the life of people has to be the priority of the government, said Revenue Minister R.Ashoka.

With this, the minister has indirectly ruled out any intention of abolishing the weekend and night curfew as demanded by the hoteliers association. Talking to reporters here on Monday, the minister clarified that the government did not have the intention of imposing lockdown or extending the existing night curfew and weekend curfew. But it was only interested in protecting the health and life of the common people for which it had implemented tough rules.

“We need to follow the guidelines issued by the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the Union Government to check the spread of Corona. Accordingly, we have imposed night curfew and weekend curfew in the entire State”.

Asked about the Hotel Owners’ Association’s appeal for the withdrawal o f night curfew and weekend curfew, Ashok said it was not possible to impose or revoke rules for the benefit of some people . The government’s endeavor was to protect people’s precious lives. Those who talk about tough Corona rules would question the government in case of a spike in positive cases. Keeping this in view, the government had taken tough measures, he added.

Dubbing the Mekedatu Padayatra by the Congress as a ‘failed yatra’, the BJP leader said Congress leaders have dug up a mountain to catch a rat. The yatra was not intended for people’s welfare but happened due to the shadow boxing among Congress leaders. Many leaders who had participated in the padayatra have tested positive. Several of them were not ready to undergo the RTPCR test, he said.

Ashok said currently the Mekedatu project case was pending before the Supreme Court. Such inter-state issues cannot be solved through agitations. The State government would make it clear to the apex court that the project was purely a drinking water work and would implement the same. Karnataka’s case had received a jolt due to the padayatra by Congress leaders. The leaders of the grand old party have supplied documents to the Tamil Nadu Government to effectively present its case before the SC, he claimed.