Bengaluru, Jul 12 (IANS): Karnataka Medical Education Minister K. Sudhakar on Saturday inaugurated a biosafety level two dedicated Covid and Virology lab in Chikkaballapura.

"The state-of-the-art lab is temperature controlled and complete clean air lab with fully automated machine for autolysis with RNA extraction," said an official.

It has contamination free passage for samples through ultra violet pass boxes without the need for room to room human movement.

Bio-medical waste disposal from the lab is also carried through contamination free ISO - 8 classification process, the official said.

Later, Sudhakar, the in-charge Minister for Chikkaballapura district distributed battery operated rickshaws to 12 unemployed youth under the Pradhan Mantri Khanij Ksetra Kalyan Yojana.

Costing Rs 1.5 lakh per unit, the battery rickshaws have a range of 75 km when charged for 3 - 8 hours.

The Minister also inaugurated a couple of parks at municipal layout and IDMST in Chikkaballapura and distributed land titles for free plots to 29 sanitation workers (pourakarmikas).

He also gave away scholarships worth Rs 8.47 lakh to SC and ST students.