
Adequate safeguards for U.T. poll officials sought
The Hindu
Staff express their concerns to CEO
The Puducherry Unified Ministerial Staff Association has called for adequate safeguards for election officials in the wake of several polling personnel testing positive for COVID-19 and some in a critical condition battling for life. In a memorandum to the Chief Electoral Officer, the association said it was pained to learn that officials deployed in various offices of the Returning Officer had been affected by COVID-19 and some had died. It noted that S. Adimoulame, Joint Director, Economics and Statistics, deputed as Assistant Returning Officer in RO-VIII, had died on April 25. Apart from this, many officials who got COVID-19 were in a critical condition — one such official was Ananda Balane, assistant, Chief Secretariat, Puducherry, deputed to RO-VIII for election duty. The official’s condition was very critical, the association said. He has been undergoing treatment at a private hospital in Chennai since April 11.
Lingayat Panchamasali seer Basava Jaya Mrutynjaya Swami’s open support and call for protest in favour of expelled BJP leader Basanagouda R. Patil Yatnal has not gone down well with the Akhila Bharat Lingayat Panchamsali Samaj Trust, which has resolved to meet in a week to decide its future course of action.

A Cabinet sub-committee has been announced to look into the future of the Bangalore-Mysuru Infrastructure Corridor (BMIC) project being executed by the Nandi Infrastructure Corridor Enterprise (NICE). The sub-committee, that is yet to be formed, will look into allegations of excess land being acquired, sale of land and other issues, and would explore whether the road project should be continued or not. The report is expected in two to three months.