HD Kumaraswamy slams govt for pushing Karnataka's Ramanagara district into red zone

Bengaluru: Former chief minister HD Kumaraswamy on Friday slammed the state government for turning Ramanagara district into a “red” zone with five Covid-19 positive cases, and thereby making it ineligible to resume industrial operations. “I called the chief minister and home minister, and pleaded with them not to transfer the people arrested for disturbances in Padarayanapura to the Ramanagara jail, but they ignored my requests and went ahead with their plans. Now, five of these people have tested positive, and Ramanagara has lost its status as “green zone,” the JD(S) leader told ET.

Green zones enjoy a host of exemptions in the guidelines issued by the Union and state governments including resumption of some industrial activities. “First day, they brought 49 people to Ramanagara jail, and another 72 on the second day. Five among them have tested positive, raising fears among the people here,” Kumaraswamy said.

“The people of the district are angry with the government,” the former chief minister said, and described the government’s decision to first shift the accused persons to Ramanagara and, later back to Bengaluru, as height of stupidity.

The JD(S) leader represents Channapattana and his wife, Anita Kumaraswamy represents Ramanagara, in the Legislative Assembly.

“Ours was among the districts that was in the green zone with a host of relaxations. But with the latest mess-up by the government, the two prominent industrial areas at Bidadi and Harohalli, are unable to resume operations, and thousands of workers have been left stranded,” Kumaraswamy said.

State’s Covid-19 spokesperson S Suresh Kumar, when asked at the evening media-briefing on the Covid-19 situation, said it was the decision of the Prisons department to first shift the accused persons to Ramanagara jail, and the government does not interfere with matters related to prison administration. However, all those persons arrested for vandalism at Padarayanapura on Sunday night, along with a few others lodged there, have been shifted to the Haj Bhavan in Bengaluru, and quarantined, he added.