K'taka to screen rail passengers arriving from Kerala: Bommai

New Delhi/Bengaluru, July 30 With a possible third wave of the Covid-19 pandemic looming large, Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai said on Friday that the state government would start screening passengers arriving to the state in trains from Kerala.

Prior to meeting Defence Minister Rajnath Singh in New Delhi, Bommai told reporters that the state is gearing up to face the threat a possible third Covid wave.

"With Covid cases rising in the neighbouring state, I have given necessary instructions to the deputy commissioners of the districts which share borders with Kerala. The DCs of Kodagu, Chamarajanagar, Udupi and Dakshina Kannada were already alerted that they must test passengers arriving from Kerala by bus or via air. Now we have decided to screen all passengers arriving from Kerala by train as well," he said.

The Chief Minister added that not only the bordering districts which share boundaries with Kerala, but all the districts which share boundary with these districts, such as Chikkamagluru, Hassan, Shivamogga, Mysuru and Mandya, will be under surveillance to keep a check on the rise in Covid cases.

"I have directed Chief Secretary P. Ravi Kumar to convene a meeting of all the deputy commissioners to form strategies to keep a check on Covid spread," Bommai said.

The Chief Minister also indicated that he would have a brief idea about how his Cabinet formation will shape up only after meeting BJP national President J.P. Nadda.

"First I will seek blessings from Rajnath Singh, Home Minister Amith Shah and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. I am yet to fix an appointment with Nadda, but our meeting is likely to take place on Friday evening," he said.