RNI NO.
: DELENG/2005/15351
MILLENNIUMPOST.IN
PUBLISHED FROM DELHI | KOLKATA
City: Pg 3
HC denies pre-arrest bail to Kalra in
case of hoarding O2 concentrators
Quick News
PETROL, DIESEL PRICES RISE
AGAIN, REACH RECORD HIGHS
NEW DELHI: Petrol and diesel prices on Fri-
day touched record high levels across the coun-
try after rates were increased for the fourth time
this week. Petrol price was hiked by 29 paise per
litre and diesel by 34 paise a litre, according to a
price notification by state-owned fuel retailers.
The increase propelled rates in Delhi to climb
to an all-time high of Rs 92.34 a litre for petrol
and Rs 82.95 per litre for diesel.
Rates had already crossed the Rs 100-mark in
several cities in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and
Maharashtra and with the latest increase, prices
in Mumbai too were inching towards that level.
A litre of petrol in Mumbai now comes for
Rs 98.65 and diesel is priced at Rs 90.11 per litre.
This was the fourth increase in prices this week
and eighth hike since May 4. MPOST
CYCLONE TAUKTAE MAY
REACH GUJ COAST ON MAY 18
AHMEDABAD: The depression formed over
Lakshadweep in the Arabian Sea would turn
into a cyclonic storm in the next 24 hours and
reach near the Gujarat coast on the morning of
May 18, officials said on Friday.
Meanwhile, the National Disaster Response
Force (NDRF) has earmarked 53 teams to
tackle possible after- effects of the cyclone.
These teams are being deployed in the coastal
regions of Kerala, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu,
Gujarat and Maharashtra, a top NDRF official
has earlier said. See P6
Large number of COVID cases
being reported from rural areas
LS Speaker Om Birla
In today’s
paper
...
City
289 DEATHS & 8,506 CASES3
Nation
RS 1.35L CR DISBURSED SO FAR 
Edit
5
A REMARKABLE GESTURE! 7 CM Arvind Kejriwal says cases down,
International
K P OLI SWORN IN AS NEPAL PM AGAIN 8
Business
RUPEE UP 13 PAISE AT 73.29 AGAINST $ 10
Sport
MAN U LOSE TO LIVERPOOL 11
GOA
13 more COVID-19
patients die at GMCH;
toll 75 in four days
MPOST BUREAU
PANAJI: Thirteen more
COVID-19 patients died
at the Goa Medical Col-
lege and Hospital (GMCH)
in the early hours of Friday,
a senior health department offi-
cial said, taking to 75 the number of
people who have succumbed at the govern-
ment-run facility here in the last four days.
The horror at the GMCH is continuing
even as the Goa bench of the Bombay High
Court is hearing petitions related to deaths
during the “dark hours” at the premier hospital.
While the state government has not
revealed the exact cause of recent deaths at
the GMCH, it has told the HC that there were
“logistic issues” related to supply of medical
oxygen to patients.
On Thursday, Advocate General Devidas
Pangam had told a bench of Justices Nitin
Sambre and Mahesh Sonak that there were
logistical issues involved in maneuvering the
tractor which carries the trolleys of oxygen
and in connecting the cylinders to the mani-
fold (group of large gas cylinders).”
The senior official confirmed that 13 more
patients, admitted in various COVID-19wards
in the GMCH, died during the wee hours of
Friday.
The number of patients who have died
during the “dark hours (between 2 am and 6
am) at the hospital has touched 75 in the last
four days.
As per state government statistics, 26
patients had died at the GMCH during the
wee hours of Tuesday, followed by 21 on
Wednesday, 15 on Thursday and 13 on Fri-
day (total 75).
VOL.16, ISSUE 134 | Saturday, 15 May, 2021 | New Delhi | Pages 12 | Rs 3.00
Sputnik V launched in India,
to cost Rs 995 per dose
18,04,29,261
people
vaccinated
so far
A transgender beneficiary recieves COVID- 19 vaccine dose, during a vaccination drive organised by All
Assam Transgender Association, in Guwahati, on Friday
Centre to supply 192 lakh doses of Covishield and Covaxin to states/UTs from May 16-31
OUR CORRESPONDENT
HYDERABAD: Dr Reddy’s Lab-
oratories on Friday soft-launched
imported COVID-19 vaccine
Sputnik V, with DeepakSapra,
a senior executive of the drug-
maker, taking the first shot here.
The vaccine is priced at Rs 948,
with five per cent GST per dose
(retail price of Rs 995.40).
The first consignment of
imported doses of the Sputnik
V vaccine from Russian Direct
Investment Fund (RDIF) landed
in India on May 1, and received
regulatory clearance from the
Central Drugs Laboratory, M V
Ramana, CEO of Branded Mar-
kets (India and emerging Mar-
kets), Dr Reddy’s, told a press
conference.
“The current prices are based
on the imported price that we had
‘Will support families that lost Virus rapidly spreading in rural areas,
earning members to virus’ govt working in war-footing mode: PM
positivity down but battle not won yet
OUR CORRESPONDENT
NEW DELHI: Chief Minis-
ter Arvind Kejriwal on Friday
announced that Delhi had finally
reported daily cases below 10,000
for the first time since the brutal
fourth wave of the pandemic in
the city began and that the city’s
positivity rate had gone down to
12 per cent.
But on a sombre note, the CM
acknowledged, “The last few days
have gone in despair. Despite several
efforts, we could not save our people
of Delhi,” and announced that the
Delhi government will be provid-
ing financial and economic support
to all families in the city that lost
an earning member to COVID-19.
“Some families had to face the
deaths of more than one person. I
pray to God to provide peace to all
these souls. All those families who
UP CM orders patrolling by SDRF, PAC after
another 14 bodies found floating in Ganga
Six unidentified bodies were found in Chandauli district and another eight bodies were found in Varanasi district
LUCKNOW: In a bid to stop peo-
ple from disposing of bodies in
rivers, Uttar Pradesh Chief Min-
ister Yogi Adityanath on Friday
ordered patrolling by the SDRF
and PAC. The CM’s directions
have come as a number of bodies
were found floating in the Ganga
recently, triggering suspicion that
the abandoned corpses could be
those of COVID-19 patients.
Days after dozens of dead bod-
ies found floating in river Ganga
in eastern districts of Ghazipur,
and Ballia, six unidentified bod-
ies were found floating in the river
in Chandauli district and another
eight bodies were found in the
river in the neighbouring Vara-
nasi on Thursday.
More than 100 corpses that
have washed up on the banks of
the river Ganges in recent days
Nation: Pg 6
‘Tauktae likely to intensify into
very severe cyclonic storm’
Highlights
»»First dose of Sputnik V
administerd in India
»»Dr Rdddy’s expecting to get
36 million doses from RDIF
over the couple of months
»»Sputnik V needs to be stored
at -18 degrees centigrade
from RDIF and we are in discus-
sions with various State govern-
ments, though quantities have not
been fixed...We are in discussions
with RDIF and we have a com-
mitment of, over the couple of
months, 36 million doses that we
are expecting to get from RDIF.
I don’thave a very clear month-
wise plan to share,” Ramana told
reporters.
Justifying the price, the offi-
Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal
have lost an earning member will be
helped by the government,” he said.
The CM spoke of elderly cou-
ples losing earning children and chil-
dren losing both parents and said
that these two groups of people need
the most support and urged all resi-
dents to take care of them in these
times. He said, “The 2-crore people
of Delhi, we are a family. In these
times of despair, we need to help each
other. On the occasion of the festival
of Eid, I pray for the health and hap-
piness of all.” Continued on P4
More than 300 bodies found buried near Ganga in Shivrajpur, Kanpur, on Friday
suggest the situation is equally
dire villages in the country. In
Unnao district dozens of people
have been buried in shallow sandy
graves by the river, AFP reported
Film: Pg 12
‘Not the kind of person
who lives in fear’
Vaccine purchase should
be centralised, distribution
decentralised: Rahul Gandhi
NEW DELHI: Congress leader Rahul
Gandhi on Friday hit out at the govern-
ment’s vaccine policy, saying it is com-
pounding problems and demanded that
the vaccine purchase should be central-
ised and distribution decentralised.
“GOI’s vaccine policy is compounding
the problem. Vaccine purchase should be
centralised and distribution decentral-
ised. India cannot afford this,” he said
on Twitter.
The Congress has been demanding
free vaccination for all and has criticised
the government’s vaccine policy, saying it
is discriminatory. MPOST
PTI
»»The 191.99 lakh doses
include 162.5 lakh
rently used in the vaccination
programme across the country -
are priced at Rs 1,200 and Rs 600
Covishield doses and per dose respectively to private
29.49 lakh Covaxin doses
hospitals.
»»10,796 oxygen By mid-June, Dr Reddy’s
concentrators, 12,269 expects stocks for commercial sales
O2 cylinders, 4.2 L from RDIF and the company is in
discussions with a couple of State
Remdesivir vials delivered governments and the Centre for
to states: Govt supply of the vaccine, he added.
cial said it was done based on its
“Local manufacturing is
expected to give us the vac-
landing price and other expenses cine for commercial usage from
involved in bringing it to people. July timeframe.. after that it will
He said the price may come steadily ramp up over the next few
down once local manufacturing
starts.
months,” he said.
On launching the product,
RDIF has tie-ups with six
Indian drug firms to manufac-
Sapra said the company would
initially be looking tentatively at
ture the vaccine.
The two vaccines- Covaxin by
Bharat Biotech and Serum Insti-
35 cities where cold chain facili-
ties are available for launching the
product and span out based on the
tute’s Covishield-- which are cur- infrastructure.  Continued on P4
Prime Minister says can feel the pain of Covid-affected
OUR CORRESPONDENT
NEW DELHI: Prime Min-
ister Narendra Modi on Fri-
day expressed confidence that
the country will win the bat-
tle against Coronovirus, which
he described as an “invisible
enemy” and “multi-coloured”
in nature.
“After 100 years, such a ter-
rible pandemic is testing the PM Narendra Modi releases the
world at every step. In front of 8th installment of financial benefit
us, we have an invisible enemy,
under PM-KISAN scheme
which is in multiform. We have
lost close ones to this enemy, ing obstacles in resources in the
the Coronavirus,” Modi said.
He emphathised with the
fight against the second wave of
corona,” he said.
pain of the countrymen who
have lost dear ones recently in
Every government depart-
ment, armed forces and scien-
the COVID battle. “The pain tists are working day and night
that many people have gone to fight against COVID-19, he
through, I have felt the same said.
pain. I am feeling the same.” “India is not a country to
“We are fighting with all lose courage. Neither India,
our might... We are overcom- nor Indians will lose courage.
PTI
on Friday. Locals say there is not Uttar Pradesh government also
enough wood for funeral pyres insists it has a “relentless and
meaning they are forced to leave aggressive campaign to trace, test
bodies in the river, but officials and treat Covid patients”.
dispute there is a shortage. The Meanwhile, the CM ordered
REGD. NO.: DL(S)-01/3420/2018-20
No Half Truths
Covid kills 4,000
people in 24 hours
India adds 3.43 lakh new COVID-19 cases
A health worker collects swab sample in Jammu, on Friday
OUR CORRESPONDENT
NEW DELHI: With 3,43,144
people testing positive for
Coronavirus in a day, India’s
COVID-19 tally of cases
climbed to 2,40,46,809, while
the death toll rose to 2,62,317
with 4,000 fresh fatalities.
The active cases have
reduced to 37,04,893 com-
prising 15.41 per cent of the
total infections. The national
COVID-19 recovery rate has
improved to 83.50 per cent.
The number of people who
have recuperated from the
disease surged to 2,00,79,599,
while the case fatality rate was
recorded at 1.09 per cent, the
data stated.
According to the ICMR,
31,13,24,100 samples have
been tested up to May 13 with
18,75,515 samples being tested
on Thursday.
Meanwhile, the cumula-
tive number of COVID-19
vaccine doses administered
in the country has crossed 18
crore on Friday. The cumula-
tive number of COVID-19 vac-
cine doses administered in the
country stands at 18,04,29,261
according to the 8 pm provi-
We will fight and we will win,”
Modi emphasised.
He said the Coronavirus
pandemic is rapidly spreading
in rural areas, and urged citi-
zens to take precautions, wear
masks and maintain social dis-
tance to check spread disease
that has claimed at least 2.6
lakh lives.
The government, he said,
is working on “war footing”
to control the second wave of
infections and is setting up
PTI
new hospitals and oxygen gen-
erating plants while augment-
ing supplies of medicines and
vaccines.
He asked states to crack
down on black marketing of
medicines and other essential
items.
“I want to warn you about
corona. This pandemic is
spreading fast in rural villages.
 Continued on P4
the State Disaster Response Force
(SDRF) and the Provincial Armed
Constabulary (PAC) to patrol riv-
ers and ensure that no bodies are
disposed of in rivers.
He said in areas on banks of
rivers, committees including vil-
lage development officers and vil-
lage heads should be formed to
ensure that no one dumps bod-
ies in rivers.
“All those who died deserve
cremation with respect. The state
government has already sanc-
tioned funds for performing the
last rites,” the CM said.
“No one should be allowed
to dispose of bodies in rivers due
to religious traditions,” the CM
added, stressing that if need be, a
fine may be imposed at the local
level to prevent it.
 Continued on P4
PTI
COVID-19 pandemic
to be ‘far more deadly’
this year, warns WHO
GENEVA: World health
experts issued a grim warn-
ing Friday that the second
year of COVID-19 was set
to be “far more deadly”.
“We’re on track for the
second year of this pan-
demic to be far more deadly
than the first,” said the World
Health Organization’s direc-
tor-general Tedros Adha-
nom Ghebreyesus.
The pandemic has killed
at least 3,346,813 people
worldwide since the virus
first emerged in late 2019,
according to an AFP tally
of official data. AGENCIES
sional report.
The ministry said 3,25,071
beneficiaries in the age group
of 18-44 years received their
first dose of COVID vaccine
on Thursday and cumulatively
42,55,362 across 32 states and
union territories since the start
of the third phase of the vacci-
nation drive.
GANGWAR IN
CHITRAKOOT JAIL
3 prisoners,
including
Mukhtar’s aid,
killed in clash
MPOST BUREAU
CHITRAKOOT (UP):
Three prisoners were shot
dead in a clash at Ragauli
district jail here on Friday,
police said.
One of them died in an
exchange of fire with jail offi-
cials after he shot dead the
other two prisoners, jailor S
P Tripathi said.
The deceased inmates
have been identified as Anshu
Dixit, Merazuddin alias
Meraj Ali and Mukeem Kala,
officials said in Lucknow.
“Dixit shot dead Ali and
Kala, and held some of the
other prisoners at gunpoint
and threatened to kill them.
He was later killed in the
exchange of fire with police,”
IG, Chitrakoot Range, K Saty-
anarain said.
Taking note of the inci-
dent, Uttar Pradesh Chief
Minister Yogi Adityanath
said a joint team of Divisional
Commissioner D K SIngh
and IG, Chitrakoot and DIG
(prison) Sanjeev Tripathi will
submit a report in this regard.
Asked how weapons
reached inside the jail, the
IG said, “The matter is being
investigated.
He said all the three
inmates were hardcore crim-
inals and had a number of
criminal cases pending
against them.
However, Ragauli dis-
trict jailor S P Tripathi ear-
lier in the day said Dixit had
snatched the service revolver
of a jail staff when the official
intervened in the argument
between the inmates.
According to sources,
Kala, a resident of Shamli,
was involved in a number
of cases of murder, dacoity
and extortion cases, whereas
Ali was an active member of
gangster-turned-politician
Mukhtar Ansari’s gang.
 Continued on P4
2 mp City millenniumpost
SATURDAY, 15 MAY, 2021 | NEW DELHI

‘NOW, WE HAVE TO COLLECTIVELY WORK TO ORGANISE THE AVAILABILITY OF VACCINES’

Delhi govt will educate and raise
children orphaned by Covid: CM
OUR CORRESPONDENT
NEW DELHI: Even as Covid-
19 cases in the Capital seemed
to be coming down again,
Chief Minister Arvind Kejri-
wal on Friday took a moment
to remember the ones who
had fallen to the virus and also
acknowledged that despite sev-
eral efforts many people had
succumbed to the disease.
While announcing aid to
families who had lost an earn-
ing member to the virus, the
chief minister took special note
of children in the city who had
tragically lost both their par-
ents to Covid-19. CM Kejriwal
said that the Delhi govern-
ment will bear all education
and upbringing costs of all such
children.
“I went to tell such kids that
I can understand their grief
but not to worry, you are not
orphans, I am there for you.
No child will have to leave
their education in between.
Education will be provided to
every child. The government
will take the responsibility for
their maintenance,” the CM
said.
While asking all Delhiites
to take special care of such
children around them and of
elderly people who had lost
their supporting children,
the CM said, “We will pro-
vide financial assistance to
such families, but such chil-
dren and old people need love
at this point in time. They need
empathy. It is my request to all
the neighbors and the relatives
of such families to take care of
them. These families are fac-
ing great challenges. Give them
love.”
The CM also said, “There
have been many such old peo-
ple who had young children
who used to earn and then
their homes could be run.
Now those earning children
are no longer alive. I want to
tell all such old people that you
have lost your kids and I feel
extremely sorry for that. But
not to worry, this son of yours
is alive.”
But even as the CM went on
to announce that Delhi’s Covid
numbers were starting to come
down, he said, “If we do not
take precautions, then the cases
Cabinet OKs free ration
for 72L in May and June
Rs 5,000 aid for auto and taxi drivers
OUR CORRESPONDENT about it the Helpline num-
Highlights NEW DELHI: After sev-
ber 1967 and other grievance
redressal portals including
»»While announcing aid to families who had lost an earning eral reports showed that Del- PGMS, the government state-
member to the virus, the Chief Minister took special note hi’s ration beneficiaries were ment added. Hussain is also
unable to access free ration known to have directed senior
of children in the city who had tragically lost both their under the NFSA scheme for officers to conduct surprise
parents to Covid-19 the first four weeks of the recent checks at FPS to keep an eye
lockdown imposed to curb the on whether the process is being
»»There have been many such old people who had young second wave of the pandemic, undertaken as per the rules.
children who used to earn and then their homes could be the Delhi government has now According to the new
run. Now those earning children are no longer alive. I want ordered that free NFSA ration
‘Soon, this amount directives from the Food and
to tell all such old people that you have lost your kids and will be provided to the city’s will reach your bank Civil Supplies Department,
some 72 lakh beneficiaries for accounts. I hope the decision will benefit about
I feel extremely sorry for that. But not to worry, this son of the months of May and June 17,78,632 households covering
yours is alive, says CM Arvind Kejriwal this year. this will bring you 72,77,995 beneficiaries which
»»He said everyone came together to solve the oxygen crisis Food and Civil Supplies some relief in these include 68,732 Antodya Anna
Minister Imran Hussain on Yojna (AAY) households having
and this should happen similarly for vaccines Friday made the announce- pandemic times’ 2,81,006 beneficiaries.
ment and said that he had held In addition to this, the Delhi
will increase again. There is no Court and the Centre for their a high-level meeting to review ruling Aam Aadmi Party over Cabinet on Friday also approved
guarantee that they will remain help during the city’s oxygen the process of free distribution no access to free ration in the the proposal to provide Rs 5,000
low. Delhi may face problems crisis and stressed the need for of ration in Delhi. A statement first few weeks of the lockdown financial assistance to auto and
again. Therefore by no means, avoiding politics over vaccines. from his department said that that began on April 20. taxi drivers in the city. The
we can let loose. The lockdown He said everyone came Hussain had directed officers to In case beneficiaries face any proposal will also cover aid to
has to be adhered to strictly together to solve the oxygen ensure that ration distribution is problem in receiving ration free e-rickshaw owners and permit
and should employ all the ways crisis and this should happen carried out in a smooth, conve- of cost at Fair Price Shops (FPS), holders of para-transit vehicles,
to ensure protection from the similarly for vaccines. “We are nient and transparent manner. they may contact officers of the according to a statement by Kai-
Coronavirus.” losing lives due to COVID, The statement added that F&S Department for immediate lash Gahlot on Twitter.
Later in the day when the people are sad and in pain, the Delhi Cabinet had approved redressal, the Delhi government Chief Minister Arvind Kejri-
CM was visiting the 500-bed- because they are losing their this decision in the larger pub- said, adding that beneficiaries wal also tweeted about the Cabi-
ded ICU facility next to the loved ones... Now, we have to lic interest of the people in can also file complaints with net nod to the proposal, saying,
LNJP hospital, he thanked collectively work to organise light of the Covid-19 induced their respective Assistant Com- “Soon, this amount will reach
all frontline workers and also the availability of vaccines for lockdown. missioner, Food Supplies Offi- your bank accounts. I hope this
took a moment to thank the Delhi so that all the people are The Delhi BJP had recently cer or Food Supplies Inspector. will bring you some relief in
Supreme Court, Delhi High vaccinated in Delhi.” launched an attack against the They may also complain these pandemic times.”

IYC chief, E Delhi MP, AAP MLA Those ready for 2nd 391 illegal public gatherings held
under scanner over Covid relief dose of Covaxin not during surge, most marriages
getting slots: Atishi
OUR CORRESPONDENT
NEW DELHI: Crime Branch
of Delhi Police on Friday ques-
tioned Indian Youth Congress
president Srinivas BV on pro-
curement of life saving mate-
rial, including medicines,
oxygen cylinders.
As per Delhi Police, the
questioning was being done
following a Delhi High Court
order. The court on May 4 had
directed police to examine
instances of politicians alleg-
edly procuring and distribut-
ing Remdesivir in the national
capital and take steps for lodg-
ing of FIR in case of offence.
Sources claimed that police
sought details from where he
procured all these oxygen cyl-
inders, medicines.
As per IYC chief the police-
men wanted to know how did
he get the relief material to dis-
tribute among the people. “I
said I was helping people to
save their lives and we have an
entire team of hundreds of vol-
unteers at IYC (Indian Youth
Congress) that was working
round the clock to arrange
material and provide it to peo-
Delhi Crime Branch official at
IYC HQ to conduct investigation
on alleged illegal distribution of
medicines, on Friday  PTI
ple,” he said.
An official from Delhi
Police said they are just follow-
ing the High Court order and
will reach out to those people
who are required for further
investigation.
“If helping someone in need
is now a crime, I will commit it
again and again. To my mind
it’s a far greater crime to silently
watch and do nothing while
people die desperately search-
ing for medicine and gasp-
ing for air,” tweeted Congress
leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra.
Police have also reached
out to BJP leaders, including
East Delhi MP Gautam Gamb-
hir and Delhi unit spokesper-
son Harish Khurana regarding
the distribution of relief mate-
rial. Police have sought details
like from where medicines like
Fabiflu was procured.
Meanwhile, Aam Aadmi
Party MLA Dilip Pandey and
Delhi Congress vice presi-
dent Ali Mehdi have also been
approached by police in fol-
lowing the high court direc-
tive. Mehdi through his Twitter
handles account said he has
submitted his response to a
Crime Branch officer.
Pandey had earlier tweeted,
“Helping someone has become
a crime under Modi’s reign. Me
and my entire family are deal-
ing with Covid at this time
but the Crime Branch came to
ask me why I have been help-
ing people. I will help those
affected not once, but a thou-
sand times, even if Modi-Amit
Shah hang me to death.”
OUR CORRESPONDENT
NEW DELHI: Delhi has
administered over 43.67 lakh
doses of coronavirus vaccine,
out of which 10 lakh people
have received both the doses,
AAP MLA Atishi said on Friday.
While issuing the vaccina-
tion bulletin, she said about
1,23,188 doses were adminis-
tered on May 13, out of which
51,091 doses were given to the
18-44 age group and 72,097
doses to those aged above 45.
“Until yesterday evening,
Delhi has administered a total
of 43,67,243 doses. Nearly 10
lakh people out of these have
received both their shots and
are fully vaccinated.
“Thus, evidently, Delhi is
ramping up its vaccination
programme at a very high
speed. The reason behind the
decreased inoculations of those
between 18-44 is the shortage
of vaccines, especially Covaxin,
the stock of which has ended.
Hence, the 140 centres admin-
istering Covaxin have been tem-
porarily closed down,” she said.
For 45-plus and healthcare
or frontline workers, Covax-
in’s stock is left for three days
and Covishield’s stock only for
two days.
She added that for the 18-44
age group, Covaxin stock has
finished, and Covishield’s stock
is available for only eight days.
Atishi said that people who
had already taken their first dose
of Covaxin and are ready to
take the second shot cannot
get jabbed due to unavailabil-
ity of vaccines.
“We are hoping that the
Centre will supply a sufficient
stock of vaccines at the earli-
est. We all are aware of the fact
that Delhi has been one of the
most severely affected states and
is still grappling with the virus.
A sigh of relief is that the second
wave is witnessing a declining
trend. However, an impend-
ing third wave can be stopped
only through mass vaccination,”
she said.
OUR CORRESPONDENT
NEW DELHI: More than
60,000 challans were issued by
Delhi Police in the last 24 days
for violating COVID-19 norms.
The data given by Delhi Police
revealed that from April 19 to
May 13, about 51,878 challans
were issued for not wearing
face masks whereas 8,223 chal-
lans for not maintaining social
distancing, 391 challans were
issued for large public gather-
ings, congregations including
marriage functions. FIRs were registered and more drives should be carried out at
“57 challans for spitting in than Rs 11 crore fine was all police stations.
public places, 65 for consump- imposed from violators. Under According to police, they
tion of liquior, tobacco in public 65 DP Act-2,04,673 challans, have deployed several teams for
places,” data shows. According under 66 DP Act-14,446 chal- the prosecution of violations of
to police, in April and May, they lans were done. “6,125 challans Covid guidelines. Apart from
have witnessed that people were were issued under section 188 this, the city police said given
running for oxygen, admission of IPC,” the official said. prevailing circumstances with
to hospitals or to purchase med- Chinmoy Biswal, PRO the rapid spread of COVID-19
icines. “We did not challenge (Delhi Police) said they will cases, being frontline workers, it
those who have genuine rea- request people to follow lock- is imperative on all personnel to
sons but there were cases people down guidelines. “We are taking discharge their duties on a mis-
roam on the streets without any strict action against violators,” sion and yet take all precautions
reasons and we have challaned he said. to remain safe from the virus.
them,” the official said. Delhi Police Commissioner As per the order, the force was
The data further shows had directed the officers that told to avoid any official gath-
that about 4,536 people were given a spike of COVID-19 ering by resorting to video con-
arrested for violations, 5,174 cases, intensive prosecution ferencing instead.

274 children across Gurugram: Thousands queue up at drive-in City Briefs

CCIs tested positive vaccine centre that had 200 doses in stock
this year, 80 active
ABHAY SINGH
NEW DELHI: Since the begin-
ning of the year, about 274 chil-
dren living in the city’s childcare
institutions have tested positive
for Covid-19, of which 80 are
still active and 194 have recov-
ered, with Delhi government
officials claiming that they have
focused on early testing and iso-
lation to locate infections before
they could spread.
Sources told Millennium
Post that as of May 13, more
than 2,900 children were liv-
ing across 26 government-run
GNIDA STARTS OXYGEN CENTRE AT
ISHAN AYURVEDIC HOSP IN GR NOIDAPIYUSH OHRIE
CCIs wherever such infrastruc-
ture was available.”
She added their focus has
been to minimise the interface
of outsiders including even
outsourced staff from service
providers inside CCIs so that
the risk to children is minimal.
“More than 65 per cent of care-
givers over the age group of 45
years in government-run CCIs
got vaccinated once the drive
started,” she said.The official
further said any new child even
without any symptoms is kept
under close medical care and
monitored on a day-to-day basis
GURUGRAM: The urgency and des-
peration among Gurugram residents to
receive COVID-19 vaccination was evi-
dent as thousands of vehicles lined up for
receiving a limited number of 200 doses
in Gurugram.
Conducted as a part of an experimen-
tal trial, the Gurugram District Admin-
istration tied up with DLF City Mall and
Park Hospital for providing people with
200 of second dose vaccines who are 45
and above. With vaccination shortage also
leaving many of the elder residents hassled,
many began lining up to receive vaccina-
tion despite knowing that they may not be
among those lucky few who will be able
NEIGHBOURS HAIL WILL TO LIVE
to get a jab.
Even as the entire process of peo-
ple receiving jabs in their car began at
10:30 am, most of the people had begun
queuing up as early as 6 am so that they
were fortunate people who get the sec-
ond dose of Covishield vaccine that was
to be given.
Almost all 200 people who were able to
receive a second dose of vaccination waited
for more than four hours for an entire pro-
cess that lasted for 10 to 15 minutes.
“I was able to get my first dose of vac-
cine in a private hospital following which I
had to really struggle. The moment I came
to know this drive through vaccination
process was happening I just rushed for
it. I came over as early as 6:15 am so that I
would not miss out”, said Madan Aggarwal,
one of the recipients of COVID-19 vaccine.
Dr. Virender Yadav Chief Medical Offi-
cer, Gurugram said, “If in the coming days
we will able to increase our stock of doses.”
NOIDA: Aiming to extend the oxygen facility to
home isolated Covid patients and ensure no black
marketing, the Greater Noida Industrial Develop-
ment Authority (GNIDA) has been running four oxygen
cylinder refilling centres to cover various residential
blocks and apartment societies of the city. Further to
meet the increasing demand of Covid beds with oxy-
gen support, the authority, on Friday, has started an
oxygen Centre at Ishan Ayurvedic hospital in Greater
Noida. GNIDA, Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Na-
rendra Bhooshan informed that the new facility will
have ten beds with oxygen support. “Covid positive
patients with oxygen saturation level between 90 to
96 will be kept at the new facility with oxygen sup-
port. The facility is free of cost and if the condition
of patient seems to get worsen and the oxygen level

96-year-old Delhi woman beats COVID

and 75 NGO-run CCIs in the
city, with a majority of the chil-
dren (2,100) living in NGO-run
CCIs. The sources quoted above
added that of the active cases
among the children in these
institutes, 17 children are admit-
ted to COVID care centres, 62
children are in isolation inside
their CCIs, and one was sent to
the hospital.
Rashmi Singh, Special Secre-
tary and Director Social Welfare,
Women and Child Develop-
ment Dept, (Delhi Government)
said “In this current context
of the pandemic, we at WCD
devised a mechanism of setting
up dedicated quarantine facili-
ties separately for boys and girls
apart from allowing facilities
of isolation centre to be run in
for early treatment in case any
symptoms develop.
Those found symptomatic,
either new entrant or amongst
existing residents, are imme-
diately tested and kept in strict
isolation till the outcome of the
report. “If found positive, chil-
dren are shifted to designated
hospital, Covid care facility from
the CCIs for further medical
treatment,” the official said.
When an official was asked
how they plan to tackle the oxy-
gen emergency, they said CCIs
have been tied up with hospitals
and also have received oxygen
cylinders, oxygen concentrators,
oximeters (all under medical
supervision) from CSR part-
ners and some philanthropic
foundations.
NEW DELHI: Pushpa Sharma
is the new talk of the town in
Delhi’s Shahdara area where
her neighbours are amazed by
the grit of the woman, who has
recovered from COVID-19 at
the age of 96 years.
Her family members, who
too were down with the deadly
virus, credit her “willpower”
and the “positive atmosphere”
at their home for her recovery
at a time when the second wave
of the COVID-19 pandemic has
hit the country hard.
Sharma, who lives with
her son Arun Kumar (67) and
daughter-in-law Meena (64) in
Naveen Shahdara, tested posi-
tive for the infection on April
18, but was under treatment at
home, and doctors confirmed
her recovery on May 9 following
tests, her grandson Kunal (35)
said. He said it was almost a fort-
night of challenging times for
the whole family but ‘Chaai ji’
— as Sharma is fondly addressed
by everyone in the family and
neighbourhood — has finally
recovered from the severe infec-
tion and looks good.
“The second wave was
already there and the condi-
tion in Delhi hospitals did not
look good either. The scarcity of
resources was known to every-
one. So, we decided to keep her
at home only and consulted doc-
tors,” Kunal said.
However, the family’s chal-
lenges were amplified as Shar-
ma’s son, a businessman, and
her daughter-in-law, a retired
government official, were also
down with the infection. The
wheelchair-bound nonagenar-
ian’s grandson Kunal, a pilot
with a commercial airline, and
his wife were also indisposed
because of the coronavirus.
“She (Sharma) was not much
aware of the severity of her con-
dition but would moan because
of pain, fever and weakness.
But my father made sure that
we had a positive ambiance at
home along with medicines.
He did this notwithstanding
the fact that he and my mother,
too were down with the infec-
tion,” he added.
Her CRP (C-reactive pro-
tein) test report showed the
level of infection at a high of
82 on April 27 and a normal
of four on May 9 after which
she was declared COVID-free
by doctors, who also reviewed
her other reports pertaining
to treatment of the infection,
Kunal said.  PTI
drops below 90, they will be immediately transferred
to higher medical facility,” the CEO said.
COVID-19: NDMC LAUNCHES
TELE-CONSULTATION PROGRAM
NEW DELHI: The New Delhi Municipal Council has
launched “NDMC Employees Telecommunication relief
and Assistance (NETRA)” — to provide Telemedicine/
Tele-consultations to its employees and their families
members who are infected with COVID-19 and have
been advised to stay under home isolation. This will be
managed by NDMC’s Medical Services and Information
Technology Departments. A team of dedicated doctors
and specialists, including paediatricians, anaesthetists,
and other medical experts have been roped in for the
initiative and will consult with patients on telephone calls
and provide prescriptions via WhatsApp and SMS.

Although every possible care and caution has been taken to avoid errors or omissions, this publication is being sold on the condition and understanding that information given in this publication is merely for reference and must not be taken as having authority of or binding in any way on the writers, editors,
publishers, and printers and sellers who do not owe any responsibility for any damage or loss to any person, a purchaser of this publication or not for the result of any action taken on the basis of this work. All disputes are subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of competent court and forums in Delhi/New Delhi only

Printed and Published by Jaiyendra Kumar Sharma on behalf of Front Row Media Pvt. Ltd. and printed at The Indian Express Pvt. Ltd., A-8, Sector-7, Noida-201 301 (U.P.) and published from First Floor, Pratap Bhawan, 5 Bahadur Shah Zafar Marg,
New Delhi 110 002. Editor: Durbar Ganguly. Email: durbarganguly@gmail.com, Tel. No. 011-47777500
millenniumpost
NEW DELHI | SATURDAY, 15 MAY, 2021
COVID ICU FACILITY ATTACHED TO LNJP TO START OPERATIONS TODAY, SAYS CM KEJRIWAL
289 deaths & 8,506 cases in Capital
OUR CORRESPONDENT
NEW DELHI: Delhi reported
8,506 new coronavirus cases,
the lowest in over a month, with
a positivity rate of 12.40 per
cent, while 289 more people
succumbed to the infection,
the Health Department said
on Friday.
However, Chief Minis-
ter Arvind Kejriwal said ICU
beds in hospitals in the city were
still full.
The less number of fresh
cases can also be attributed
to a smaller number of tests
— 68,575 — conducted on
Thursday.
At 12.40 per cent, the posi-
tivity rate is the lowest since
April 11 when it stood at 9.4 per
cent. The number of new infec-
tions is the lowest since April 10
when 7,897 people were diag-
nosed with the disease, accord-
ing to government data.
In a virtual press conference,
Kejriwal said the number of new
infections reduced to around
Head of DU’s
Pol Science
Dept Veena At DU, over 30 scholars and teaching staff have succumbed to the virus
Kukreja dies NEW DELHI: From Delhi teachers.
NIKITA JAIN
at Delhi hosp University, teachers and stu- savings are depleted, the req- colleague at Kirori Mal College, ing it, he was quite successful approved. We also had a meet-
University to Aligarh Muslim more lives are lost, before all league. “My friend and former priate processes of multiply- staff have already been
OUR CORRESPONDENT
NEW DELHI: Head of Delhi
University’s Political Science
Department Veena Kukreja,
who was undergoing treatment
for COVID-19 at a hospital
here, died in the early hours of
Friday after suffering a cardiac
arrest. She was 64.
Kukreja’s colleagues con-
doled her demise while her
department held a virtual
prayer meeting in her memory.
Professor Bipin Tiwary,
Kukreja’s colleague from the
department said she was
admitted to Saroj Hospital in
Rohini on April 24 after she
tested positive for coronavirus.
She was recovering well and
had been moved out of the ICU
to the COVID ward.
“I was in constant touch
with her and I used to call her
at 6-6.30 pm every day. I was
monitoring things like whether
her bed is clean, washroom is
okay and whether she is being
looked after. Yesterday also I
spoke to her and she seemed
quite jovial and was on the road
to recovery. But around 2.30
am her BP and pulse dropped
and she passed away,” he said.
Tiwary said he was very
close to Kukreja and her
demise was a personal loss to
him. Kukreja is survived by
her elder sister, aged 72, and
a nephew.
Kukreja would have turned
65 in August. She had been
heading Delhi University’s
Political Science Department
for the last three years.
According to her resume,
Kukreja’s work ‘Contemporary
Pakistan (2003)’ had been rec-
ommended for the course on
South Asia at Syracuse Univer-
sity, New York.
HC denies pre-arrest bail to Kalra in Kejriwal govt ‘failed’ City Briefs
case of hoarding O2 concentrators in oxygen storage & MAX TEMP SETTLES AT 37.9 DEGREES C
‘The court is persuaded by the trial court order’
ARNABJIT SUR
NEW DELHI: The Delhi High
Court on Friday refused to grant
interim protection from arrest
to absconding restaurateur
Navneet Kalra, who was booked
by the Delhi Police for alleg-
edly indulging in hoarding and
blackmarketing of 7,000 faulty
oxygen concentrators at three
upscale restaurants in the city.
A single-judge bench of
Justice Subramonium Prasad,
which presided over the hearing
in the case on a holiday after an
urgent application challenging
a trial court’s order dismissing
Kalra’s anticipatory bail plea
was moved before the High
Court on Thursday, said that
the court is persuaded by the
trial court order which rejected
Kalra’s application and is “not
inclined” to give any protec-
tion to the accused at this stage.
During the hearing, senior
advocate Abhishek Manu Sing-
8,500 from a high of around
28,000 cases and that the posi-
tivity rate dipped to around 12
per cent from a high of 36 per
cent on April 22.
“In the past 10 days, 3,000
beds have become empty, how-
ever, ICU beds are still full,” he
added.
Delhi had reported 10,489
cases on Thursday, 13,287 cases
on Wednesday, 12,481 on Tues-
Calls for Covid care at varsities grow louder
institution for the university
“We are already late. Before of his friend and former col- practical knowledge of appro- sures to help the kin of the
dents from universities are
mourning the loss of their col-
leagues and professors as the
second wave hit the national
Capital and other states hard.
At University of Delhi more
than 30 scholars and teach-
ing staff have died due to the
pandemic.
Keeping that is mind
the teachers from DU have
requested the administration to
turn he Vallabhbhai Patel Chest
Institute or VPCI, housed in
the university campus, to be
turned into Covid dedicated
Delhi riots accused gets interim
bail to celebrate Eid with family
ARNABJIT SUR
NEW DELHI: Observing that
the festival Eid is “meant to be a
time of joy and blessing for the
entire Muslim community” and
it is a very important time in
Islam which allows families and
communities to come together,
a Delhi court on Wednesday
granted a 15-day interim bail
to a Delhi riots accused who
moved a plea on grounds of
celebrating the festival with his
family.
Additional Sessions Judge
Vinod Yadav in his order noted
that the applicant, one Gulfam,
deserves interim relief in the
matter and also keeping in view
that he has been in judicial cus-
tody for more than a year now.
“...Eid is meant to be a time
of joy and blessing for the entire
Muslim community. Eid festi-
val is very important time in
Islam and allows families, loved
ones and communities to come
together and celebrate/enjoy
hvi, on behalf of Kalra, argued
that Delhi Police officers have
been visiting and questioning
Kalra’s relatives and stated that
the police are influenced by the
media and it is not their job
to do so.
“They are visiting the house
of the brother-in-law of the
accused. His father-in-law is
separately being paid courtesy
calls...the job of the police is
not this...it is influenced by the
press. Today morning SI (sub-
inspector) goes there and Mr.
(SV) Raju is now asking for
time,” Singhvi submitted.
Additional Solicitor Gen-
day, 12,651 on Monday, 13,336
on Sunday, 17,364 on Saturday,
19,832 on last Friday, 19,133 on
last Thursday, 20,960 on last
Wednesday and 19,953 last
Tuesday.
The positivity rate was 14.24
per cent on Thursday, 17 per
cent on Wednesday, 17.8 per
cent on Tuesday, 19.10 per cent
on Monday, 21.67 per cent on
Sunday and 23.34 per cent on
Meanwhile, a professor prestigious DSE. With his acute days indeed, but we are tak-
writes about the departure understanding of money, with ing all precautions and mea-
uisite permission and help
must be given. Our pulmonary
experts may be lacking strength
in numbers and we may have
lesser nurses and paramedics
but when everyday, our friends
and colleagues are dying due
to COVID, is expecting that
Vallabhbhai Patel Chest Insti-
tute (VPCI) be converted into
a dedicated Covid Centre so
unreasonable? When will the
people in power take these per-
tinent decisions?” Delhi Uni-
versity Teachers Association
Rajib Ray said.
‘Eid is meant to be a time of joy and
blessing for the entire Muslim community.
Eid festival is very important time in
Islam and allows families, loved ones
and communities to come together and
celebrate/enjoy everyday blessings’
everyday blessings,” ASJ Yadav
observed in his order.
Keeping in view the follow-
ing facts, Gulfam alias VIP was
admitted to an interim bail of 15
days from the date of his release
from the jail on furnishing a per-
sonal bond of Rs. 20,000 with
one surety of the like amount
to the satisfaction of the court.
Gulfam’s lawyer, advocate
Salim Malik, argued that the
accused has been in judicial cus-
tody in the matter since March
16 last year. Besides the cur-
rent case, the lawyer alleged
that his client has been falsely
implicated by the investigating
agency in seven other cases of
eral SV Raju argued at the out-
set that the prosecution wanted
time till Tuesday to collect evi-
dence in the matter as facts of
alleged “shell companies” related
to Kalra have surfaced. ASG
Raju further submitted that he
is at the same time opposing an
interim relief from arrest to the
accused businessman.
Pertaining to adjourning the
matter to Tuesday, ASG Raju
told the court that “heavens will
not fall” if the matter is posted
for next week. He said that the
matter was not “special” and
Kalra is not “someone mighty”
whose anticipatory bail hear-
COVID-19
DELHI AVAILABILITY
COUNT
ACTIVE CASES
71,794
DEATH TOLL
20,907
Saturday.
On April 22, a positivity rate
of 36.2 per cent, the highest so
far, was recorded.
There were 308 deaths
on Thursday, 300 deaths on
Wednesday, 347 on Tuesday, 319
on Monday, 273 deaths on Sun-
day and 332 deaths on Saturday.
Earlier in the day, Chief
Minister Arvind Kejriwal said
a makeshift COVID-19 facil-
Dr. SC Garg is no more. After a
long struggle against Covid he
merged into the divine,” writes
Professor Inder Mohan Kapa-
thy, sharing some photos with
his friend.
“Dr. SC Garg’s life is a les-
son. It teaches us the extraor-
dinary power the ordinary
possesses. Born into a poor
farmer family in Uchh village
near Karnal, with small land
holding, by his grit, inborn
intelligence and determina-
tion he made huge progress
in life. Also did his PhD from
riots where he has already been
granted bail.
Hence, advocate Malik
sought a 15-day interim bail
on behalf of Gulfam, so that he
can celebrate Eid with his family
members, as he has been in judi-
cial custody for almost a year
now. However, the prosecution
in the case opposed the interim
bail application, claiming that
the applicant is an accused in
several riots cases and that the
current case pertains to sustain-
ing serious gunshot injuries by
one Ajay Goswami at the hands
of a riotous mob on February 25
and section 307 IPC was also
invoked in the matter.
ing should be heard on a court
holiday.
Justice Prasad however
pointed out that the case was
heard yesterday so as to not
impede the investigation. “...the
issue is to grant you anticipatory
bail and impede investigation...
the whole point of hearing the
case yesterday was to avoid the
question of temporarily imped-
ing the investigation,” the court
remarked. During the course of
the hearing, Singhvi submitted
that since there was no price cap
on imported medical items that
were earlier fixed by the govern-
ment, hence his client cannot be
punished for selling that equip-
ment to the customers.
The counsel further argued
that out of the total equipment
imported, around 7,000 of them,
some of them were sold to police
officers while some were also
donated to Covid-care centres.
The matter will next be heard
on May 18.
COVID BED
ICU OXYGEN
526 6,298
ity attached to the Lok Nayak
Jai Prakash Narayan Hospital
will start operations on Satur-
day with 250 ICU beds.
Kejriwal inspected the facil-
ity at Ramlila ground on Friday
and thanked the doctors, engi-
neers, and workers who set up
500 ICU beds in just 15 days.
He said 250 ICU beds will
start on Saturday, and the
remaining will become opera-
in terms of material wealth,”
he said.
At AMU, 18 professors
have lost their lives, however
the students and professors
say number is high. Speaking
to Millennium Post, universi-
ty’s PRO Omar Peerzada said
that rumours on high num-
ber of deaths among teach-
ing and non-teaching staff is
false, as the list also includes
names of retired professors.
“We condole the death of the
teaching and non-teaching staff
due to covid-19, these are sad
Muslim devotees greet each other on the occassion of Eid al-Fitr, marking the end of the fasting month of Ramadan, near Jama Masjid, on Friday  PTI
distribution, says BJP
OUR CORRESPONDENT
NEW DELHI: The BJP on Fri-
day alleged that the “criminal
liability” for the death of many
patients in two Delhi hospitals
due to lack of oxygen falls on
Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal,
saying his government “failed”
in proper distribution and stor-
age of the life-saving gas.
Citing a report by the
Petroleum and Explosives
Safety Organisation (PESO),
a central agency, BJP spokes-
person Sambit Patra said the
Delhi government on a few
occasions returned the liquid
medical oxygen supplied to the
national capital because it had
no storage capacity and even
asked neighbouring states like
Haryana and Uttar Pradesh to
keep the additional quota in
reserve.
All this while Kejriwal and
his deputy Manish Sisodia kept
blaming the Centre and other
tional by Monday.
Another 500 ICU beds have
already become operational at
a COVID care facility attached
to the Guru Tegh Bahadur
Hospital. A total of 200 ICU
beds are being prepared at the
Radha Soami COVID facility
in Chhatarpur, according to a
statement.
This means that a total of
1,200 ICU beds will become
operational in Delhi in the next
one or two days, he said.
The chief minister said the
COVID situation in Delhi is
improving, and as a result lesser
beds are getting occupied in
hospitals. “However, ICU beds
are still full. This means that the
system still has serious patients.
So, we need more ICU beds. I
am sure that these 1,200 ICU
beds will provide relief to the
people of Delhi,” he said.
Kejriwal thanked the
Supreme Court, Delhi High
Court, and the central govern-
ment for providing oxygen to
Delhi.
ing with the education minis-
ter and chief minster regarding
this, while the university is reg-
ularly following all the proto-
cols,” he said.
Shadaab Khan, a 58-year-
old doctor and head of the
medicine department. Shakil
Ahmed Samdani, 59, Dean
at the Faculty of Law. Khalid
Bin Yusuf, 60, noted Sanskrit
scholar and the first Indian
Muslim to earn a PhD in the
Rigveda are some of the pro-
fessors who have lost their lives
due to covid-19.
EID MUBARAK!
states for the oxygen crisis and
accused the central government
of meting out “step-motherly”
treatment to the city, Patra said,
adding that it was the chief min-
ister who treated his own people
in a “step-motherly” way.
“The way you work has been
exposed today.... The (oxygen)
crisis could have been averted
and managed. I am sorry to
tell Arvind Kejriwal that the
crisis was grossly misman-
aged by you. I hope you and
Sisodia will answer and apolo-
gise too. Your work have been
all about spreading confusion,”
Patra said at a virtual press
conference.
Citing one incident, the BJP
leader said Linde plant in Farid-
abad was expected to supply
120 MT liquid medical oxy-
gen to Delhi on May 9 but the
local government sent 74 MT
back due to non-availability of
storage space or less demand
in Delhi.
City mp 3
Ex-AAP MLA Jarnail
Singh dies of COVID
OUR CORRESPONDENT
NEW DELHI: Former AAP
MLA Jarnail Singh passed away
here on Friday due to COVID-
related complications, his fam-
ily said. He was 48.
Singh was admitted in the
Rajiv Gandhi Super Speciality
Hospital for the past 12-13 days,
his brother Karnail said.
“His High-resolution CT
(HRCT) of the chest score was
14/25 which was a little above ‘His High-resolution
moderate in terms of infection. CT (HRCT) of the
But then his condition deterio-
chest score was
rated”, Karnail said.
Chief Minister Arvind
Kejriwal and his deputy Man-
14/25 which was
ish Sisodia condoled the demise a little above
of Jarnail Singh. moderate in terms
“Deeply saddened by the
untimely demise of former of infection. But
Delhi MLA Sh Jarnail Singh ji. then his condition
May God bless his soul. He will
always be fondly remembered
deteriorated’
for his contributions to society,”
Kejriwal said in a tweet. him as its West Delhi candidate,
Sisodia remembered Singh but he was defeated by the BJP’s
as someone who fought for jus- Parvesh Singh Verma.
tice for the victims of 1984 anti- However, in 2015, he con-
Sikh riots. tested from the Rajouri Gar-
“The news about the demise den Assembly seat in 2015 and
of Jarnail Singh, a former col-
league in Delhi Assembly is
defeated then sitting MLA Man-
jinder Singh Sirsa.
extremely sad. A voice which But his term as an MLA was
fought for justice for the vic- brief. In 2015-16, when the AAP
tims of 1984 genocide has left was making buzz in Punjab,
us,” he said in a tweet in Hindi. he was deputed to the state for
In 2009, during his stint as party work. In the 2017 assem-
a journalist, Singh also flung bly polls, he was fielded from
his shoe towards then Union Lambi seat against then Punjab
home minister P Chidambaram chief minister Parkash Singh
in protest against his remarks
on the clean chit to Congress
Badal, a battle which he lost.
“Arvind (Kejriwal) had vis-
leaders in the 1984 anti-Sikh ited my place and requested
riots case. my mother to let me contest
He was sacked by his organ- against Badal, Jarnail Singh
isation for the act, following would often say. The electoral
which he started a Reverse loss, however, relegated him in
Osmosis (RO) company for sus- the party circles.
tenance and continued working In August last year, the AAP
for the families of the victims of suspended him after a picture
1984 anti-Sikh riots. with objectionable comments
When the newly formed against Hindu gods was posted
Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) from his Facebook account.
assured justice to the victims He deleted the post after fac-
of the 1984 anti-Sikh riots, he ing backlash on social media,
joined it and became the Sikh and claimed that the image was
face of the political party. mistakenly published by his son
In 2014, the party fielded during an online class.
NEW DELHI: The maximum temperature in Delhi on
Friday settled at 37.9 degrees Celsius, a notch below
the season’’s normal, the MeT Department said. Ac-
cording to the weather department, the minimum tem-
perature settled at 23 degrees Celsius in the national
capital. The humidity oscillated between 74 to 36
percentage, they said. The weather office has forecast
a partly cloudy sky with possibility of very light rain
and drizzle for Saturday.
‘DUTWF INACTIVE FOR QUITE SOME TIME’
NEW DELHI: The University of Delhi on Friday said that
due to the inactivity of the Delhi University Teachers
Welfare Fund (DUTWF) the teaching and non-teaching
staff members at the university could not get help. “The
teaching and non-teaching staff members in the De-
partments, Colleges, Centers and Institutes of University
of Delhi are suffering in terms of human loss and critical
illness in the wake of Covid-19 pandemic. DUTWF was
not operational for quite some time, as a consequence
teachers or subscribers did not get financial or medical
assistance under the relevant provisions of the fund. The
SB Account of DUTWF was also not active and because
of which the subscriptions of the members collected by
the Colleges, Departments and Centers was not getting
transferred,” it said.
4 mp Nation millenniumpost
SATURDAY, 15 MAY, 2021 | NEW DELHI

Recoveries cross daily cases, ACTIVE CASES NEAR 2L MARK IN STATE

Tamil Nadu govt imposes

over 2 crore recovered so far more lockdown curbs
‘It outnumbers India’s daily new Covid cases for 3rd time in last 4 days’ CHENNAI: More curbs, includ-
ing a two-hour cut in duration
for functioning of vegetable
and provision stores, would
OUR CORRESPONDENT healthcare workers (HCWs) be implemented from May 15
who have taken the first dose across Tamil Nadu, Chief Min-
INDIA CORONA WATCH
Situation
NEW DELHI: India’s daily as on and 66,04,549 HCWs who ister M K Stalin announced on
COVID-19 recoveries have May 14, have taken the second dose, Friday.
outnumbered the daily new State / UT-wise position ( Change over the previous day ) 2021 1,43,22,390 FLWs who have Effective May 17, e-regis-
1-10,000
cases, taking the total recover- Active
10,001-1,00,000
Active cases Recovered Deaths Confirmed cases received the first dose, 81,16,153 tration shall be compulsory for
ies to over two crore, the Union Cases 1,00,001-5,00,000 Karnataka 5,93,098 896 14,74,678 34,057 20,712 344 20,88,488 35,297 FLWs who have received the inter and intra district travel and
Health Ministry said on Friday. 5,00,000+ Maharashtra 5,35,704 -12,803 46,54,731 54,535 78,857 850 52,69,292 42,582 second dose and 39,26,334 ben- registration is also mandatory
This is the third time in the Kerala 4,39,268 6,125 16,05,471 33,733 6,150 97 20,50,889 39,955 eficiaries in the 18-45 years age for those arriving from abroad
last four days that recoveries Rajasthan 2,11,889 2,779 6,03,319 12,929 6,317 159 8,21,525 15,867 group who have taken the first and other states, he said.
have outnumbered daily cases. Uttar Pradesh 2,04,658 -1,957 13,59,676 19,425 16,646 277 15,80,980 17,745 dose. A two-week lockdown from
India’s cumulative recov- Andhra Pradesh 2,01,042 3,672 11,56,666 18,638 9,077 89 13,66,785 22,399
Besides, 5,66,09,783 and May 10 is being implemented in
Tamil Nadu 1,83,772 14,99,485 30,621
eries have surpassed 2 crore 11,037 12,98,945 19,287 16,768 297
85,39,763 beneficiaries aged 45 Tamil Nadu and a meet of lead-
(2,00,79,599) with 3,44,776
West Bengal
Gujarat
1,30,213
1,22,847
1,529
-4,636
9,30,886
5,93,666
19,181
15,269
12,857
8,840
129
109
10,73,956
7,25,353
20,839
10,742
to 60 years have been adminis- ers of all legislature parties on On Friday, 31,892 fresh virus cases
patients recuperating in a day. Chhattisgarh 1,19,450 -3,348 7,61,592 12,274 11,289 195 8,92,331 9,121 tered the first and second dose Thursday decided to intensify were reported while the active
“It outnumbers India’s daily respectively, while 5,42,42,792 restrictions.
new COVID cases for the third Confirmed cases
Madhya Pradesh
Haryana
1,08,116
1,03,140
-1,812
-3,918
5,93,752
5,55,650
10,157
16,041
6,753
6,238
74
163
7,08,621
6,65,028
8,419
12,286 and 1,73,18,693 beneficiaries Citing data on virus spread, caseload stood at 1,95,339
time in the last four days,” the 2,40,46,809 Bihar 96,278 -3,346 5,30,314 11,008 3,593 90 6,30,185 7,752 of more than 60 years old have with over 30,000 fresh cases
ministry said, adding ten states ( 3,43,144) Odisha 91,701 1,965 4,82,345 8,665 2,251 19 5,76,297 10,649 taken the first and second dose. everyday and active cases get- shall be permitted to function. allowed to function till noon,
account for 71.16 per cent of Punjab 79,950 -13 3,84,702 8,237 11,297 186 4,75,949 8,410 The ministry said 4,40,706 ting close to the two-lakh mark, Online ordering and deliv- would not be allowed to func-
the new recoveries. A total of Recovered Uttarakhand 78,304 1,222 1,89,261 5,783 4,245 122 2,71,810 7,127 beneficiaries in the age group Stalin said the new restrictions ery -e-commerce firms- services tion from Saturday. Night cur-
3,43,144 new coronavirus infec- 2,00,79,599 Delhi 77,717 -5,008 12,74,140 15,189 20,618 308 13,72,475 10,489 of 18-44 years have received (from 4 am on Saturday till 4 can operate between (6 am to 10 few (from 10 pm to 4 am) and
tions were registered in a day. ( 3,44,776) Telangana 56,917 -2,216 4,56,620 6,876 2,867 33 5,16,404 4,693 their first dose of COVID vac- am on May 24) would be imple- am and between 2 pm and 6 pm) Sunday lockdown restrictions
Maharashtra has reported Jammu & Kashmir 52,848 1,306 1,77,948 2,995 2,967 55 2,33,763 4,356
cine in the last 24 hours and mented due to 'unavoidable to deliver essential commodi- would also continue, he said.
Deaths Jharkhand 48,468 -1,999 2,53,490 6,882 108 3,06,248 4,991
the highest daily new cases at 4,290
cumulatively 39,26,334 across reasons.' ties including groceries, fish In view of overcrowding,
2,62,317 Assam 43,491 1,174 2,70,079 4,219 1,984 75 3,15,554 5,468
42,582. It is followed by Kerala Himachal Pradesh 40,008 1,054 1,08,534 3,820 2,131 63 1,50,673 4,937
32 states and UTs since the start On Friday, 31,892 fresh and meat. The CM appealed to Stalin directed authorities to
with 39,955 while Karnataka ( 4,000)
Goa 32,953 162 95,240 2,266 1,937 63 1,30,130 2,491 of phase-3 of vaccination drive. virus cases were reported people buy essential items like temporarily shift fish and meat
reported 35,297 new cases. Active cases Puducherry 16,568 1,006 61,336 912 1,069 24 78,973 1,942 More than 20 lakh vaccina- while the active caseload stood vegetables only in their neigh- stalls from their current loca-
The cumulative tests con- 37,04,893 Chandigarh 8,441 -87 44,343 837 609 10 53,393 760 tion doses were administered in at 1,95,339. Such fresh curbs bourhood and not venture to far tions to various places (like spa-
ducted in the country for detec- Manipur 5,569 297 31,491 253 536 10 37,596 560 a span of 24 hours. were following consultations away places. Those who attempt cious open grounds) so that
( -5,632)
tion of COVID-19 stands over Tripura 4,034 350 35,146 200 426 2 39,606 552 As on Day-118 of the vacci- with top officials and medical shall be stopped by authori- crowding could be avoided.
31 crore, and the cumulative Total samples tested Meghalaya 3,726 345 17,582 228 268 18 21,576 591 nation drive (May 13), 20,27,162 experts, he said. ties, he said. ATMs, fuel pumps, The CM appealed to the peo-
positivity rate has also margin- 31,13,24,100 Nagaland 3,551 254 13,528 100 177 12 17,256 366 vaccine doses were given. Across Outlets selling vegetables, medical shops (both allopathic ple to extend their full coop-
ally increased to 7.72 per cent. ( 18,75,515)
Sikkim 2,946 80 7,485 142 192 9 10,623 231 18,624 sessions, 10,34,304 ben- fish and meat, and provision and Indian systems of medicine) eration to the government to
However, the daily positivity Arunachal Pradesh 2,167 73 18,871 180 72 3 21,110 256 eficiaries were vaccinated for stores would be allowed to be would be open as usual. tackle the pandemic. "The virus
rate slightly declined to 20.08 Total vaccine Mizoram 2,150 117 6,204 84 23 -- 8,377 201
the first dose and 9,92,858 ben- open only till 10 am as against Tea shops, pavement shops spread can be contained only if
Ladakh 1,547 -- 14,208 106 3 15,916 109
per cent, the ministry said. doses administered
Lakshadweep 1,092
161
193
eficiaries received their second the current practice of noon, selling vegetables, flowers people fully follow the lockdown
India’s total active caseload 17,92,98,584 72 3,290 119 13 2 4,395
dose of vaccine. he said ,adding no other shops and fruits, which were earlier norms."  AGENCIES
DNH / Daman & Diu 1,056 -4 8,197 111 4 -- 9,257 107
has decreased to 37,04,893 and ( 20,27,162) The Centre also said that

Coronavirus cases surge, Kerala

now comprises 15.41 per cent of
the country’s total cases.
A net decline of 5,632 cases
has been recorded in the active
caseload in a span of 24 hours.
The National Mortality Rate
currently stands at 1.09 per cent,
the ministry said.
‘Delivered 7,900 tonnes Kangra: Man forced to carry body
A&N Islands
Source: Ministry of Health and Family Welfare & ICMR
A total of 4,000 deaths were
reported in a span of 24 hours.
Ten states account for 72.70
per cent of the new deaths.
Maharashtra saw the maximum
casualties (850). Karnataka fol-
214 --
Figures are subject to further reconciliation
lows with 344 daily deaths.
The cumulative number
of COVID-19 vaccine doses
administered in the country
is nearing 18 crore, the min-
istry said.
6,213 38 83 2 6,510
KBK Infographics
A total of 17,92,98,584 vac-
cine doses have been admin-
istered through 26,02,435
sessions, according to the pro-
visional report till 7 am.
These include 96,18,127
40
cumulatively, 9,294 oxygen
concentrators; 11,835 oxygen
cylinders; 19 oxygen genera-
tion plants; 6,439 ventilators/
Bi PAP and nearly 4.22 L Rem-
desivir vials have been deliv-
extends lockdown till May 23
ered or dispatched through
road and air. THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: announced 'triple lockdown' of COVID-19.That is a good
The Kerala government on Fri- in four districts-- Thiruvanan- sign," Vijayan said. At present
day announced that the total
lockdown being enforced in
thapuram, Ernakulam, Thrissur
and Malappuram--from May 16
the South Indian states, includ-
ing Kerala, are witnessing a mas-

LMO to 12 states so far’ of Covid +ve mother on shoulders

NEW DELHI: Railways has
delivered nearly 7,900 tonnes of
liquid medical oxygen (LMO) in
nearly 500 tankers to 12 states
across the country since April
19, the national transporter said
on Friday.
Oxygen Express trains have
been delivering nearly 800
tonnes of LMO daily across
the country over the last few
days, it said.
Oxygen Expresses started
their LMO deliveries on April
19, when empty tankers from
Mumbai started for Vijaywada
to be loaded with 126 tonnes of
liquid medical oxygen.
Crisscrossing the country,
Indian Railways is picking up
oxygen from places like Hapa
and Mundra in the West and
Rourkela, Durgapur, Tatana-
gar, Angul in the East and then
delivering it to States of Uttara-
khand, Karnataka, Maharashtra,
MP, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil
Nadu, Haryana, Telangana,
Punjab, Kerala, Delhi and UP
in complex operational route
planning scenarios, the Rail-
ways said in a statement.
The average speed of these
critical trains is above 55 kmph
in most cases over long dis-
tances, it said. Running on high
priority Green Corridor', oper-
ational teams of various zones
are working round the clock in
most challenging circumstances
to ensure that oxygen reaches
in fastest possible time frame.
Technical stoppages have
been reduced to one minute
for crew changes over differ-
ent sections, the statement said.
It said first Oxygen Expresses
for Andhra Pradesh and Ker-
ala are on their way with 40
tonnes and 118 tonnes of
oxygen relief.  AGENCIES
OUR CORRESPONDENT
SHIMLA: In a case which can
trigger shocks, and alone anger,
a young person, in his 30s, was
compelled to carry the body of
his mother, who died after being
tested positive for Covid-19 on
his shoulders for her last rites
because nobody helped him.
The heartbreaking pictures
of ill-fated Vir Singh have come
to light from Kangra in Him-
achal Pradesh. The district
administration was prompt to
respond saying that the local
panchayat, which was supposed
to alert officials did not inform
in time and later it was too late
to help the bereaved family.
As per Vir Singh, who him-
self works at a private clinic, his
mother was tested positive on
May 12 at Government Medi-
cal College, Tanda (Kangra) but
he was not given admission at
the Covid case ward informing
him that no beds were available.
As a result, he brought her
back for home isolation even
though her condition was
critical. She died on May 13
in the early hours. His night-
mare, however, started after the
death of a woman, who also
happened to be a village up
Pradhan earlier at Bhangwar.
Villagers and relatives refused
to come ahead and lend a shoul-
der as she had died of Covid-
19. They fear that the virus will
spread to their families if they
come closer to the body.
An effort to arrange a trac-
tor-trolley also did not work for
Vir Singh though his relatives
and local Pradhan did manage
to provide some PPE kits.
Not waiting for anyone else,
Vir Singh lifted the body of his
mother on his shoulders and
walked towards the cremation
ground as his wife and a one
and half year old daughter also
followed with material to per-
form the last rites.
The pictures of Vir Singh
went viral on social media later.
Deputy Commissioner Kangra
Rakesh Prajapati confirmed the
incident and termed it shocking.
He said the Pradhan Suram
Singh—who was himself a
Covid patient, could not per-
sonally go but he did help in
arranging the firewood to lit the
pyre as some villagers had also
reached there by then.
Prajapati he has passed the
orders that to all administra-
tive officers to remain pres-
ent at cremations of the Covid
patients to ensure help to the
family and carrying out rituals
as per protocol.
In another incident at
Hamirpur, local Congress MLA
Inder Dutt Lakhanpal, his son
and private secretary performed
the last rites of a person, who
died of Coronavirus, as all other
family members were also tested
positive. None of the villagers
had come forward to help.
Meanwhile, Chief Min-
ister Jai Ram Thakur said he
was pained to learn about such
things happening in the Covid
crisis and thus he has directed
all DCs to see that cremations of
the persons who died of Covid
were done properly following
all protocols.
the state from May 8 to May 16
will be extended till May 23 to
contain the massive spread of
COVID-19.
The decision to extend the
lockdown was taken in view of
high test positivity rates in dis-
tricts, Chief Minister Pinarayi
Vijayan said. The state is cur-
rently under a 9-day complete
shutdown as part of its efforts
to bring down the daily casel-
oad of infected persons.
Addressing a press con-
ference here, Vijayan also
UTTARAKHAND GLACIAL DISASTER
One body recovered from Tapovan
tunnel, death toll rises to 83
GOPESHWAR: More than
three months after the glacial
disaster in Chamoli district of
Uttarkhand, one more body was
recovered on Friday from Tapo-
van tunnel taking the death toll
in the tragedy to 83.
Rescue teams recovered the
body from the tunnel at NTPC's
Tapovan-Vishnugad hydel proj-
to bring down the rising num-
ber of cases.
Such strong measures will
help contain the massive spread
of virus in these districts, he
said. Vijayan said it will take
some more days to know about
the positive impact of the lock-
down measures in checking the
spread of coronavirus.
"Experts have said the
month of May is very crucial
for Kerala.Lockdown measures
have helped the north Indian
states to containsecond wave
ect on Friday, Chamoli district
disaster management officer N
K Joshi said.
The body has not been iden-
tified yet, he added.
An avalanche on Febru-
ary 7 had caused large-scale
damage to the project besides
totally demolishing the Rishi-
ganga hydel project at Raini
sive spread of virus.After May,
these states may face a situation
as being witnessed in the north
Indian states, he said.
"If utmost care is taken in the
month of May, we will be able to
bring down the death rate. To
ease the burden on people due
to the lockdown measures, the
government has adopted certain
measures including the distri-
bution of foodkits and timely
distribution of social security
pension," the Chief Minister
said.  AGENCIES
village in the district.
With the latest recovery,
83 bodies and 36 human body
parts out of a total of 204 people
missing have been recovered so
far from different places hit by
the disaster, Joshi said. Forty-
nine bodies have been identi-
fied while 121 people are still
missing, the officer said. A GENCIES

From Page 1 vials received as global aid were deliv-

ered or dispatched through road and air
acknowledging that ICU beds are still
full.
to various states and union territories “This means the number of serious
great defence against coronavirus and
said so far 18 crore doses have been
given in the country.
ous efforts to enable more and more
countrymen to get vaccinated at a rapid
pace,” he said.
father, mother, brother and sister. What
has transpired shakes you to your core.
He had said.

Sputnik V from April to May 13. The major con-

launched
Sputnik V needs to be stored at -18
degrees centigrade, Sapra said.
Meanwhile, the Union health minis-
try said on Friday that a total of 191.99
lakh doses of COVID-19 vaccines —
Covishield and Covaxin — will be sup-
plied to states/UTs free of cost from May
16 to May 31.
The delivery schedule for the alloca-
tion will be shared in advance. States/
UTs have been requested to direct the
officials concerned to ensure rational
and judicious utilisation of allocated
signments received on May 12/13 from
Indonesia, Luxembourg, Oman, South
Korea, the UK, USISPF, Finland and
Greece include oxygen concentrators
(1,506), oxygen cylinders (434) and ven-
tilators/BiPAP/CPAP (58).
Cumulatively, 10,796 oxygen con-
centrators, 12,269 oxygen cylinders, 19
oxygen generation plants, 6,497 venti-
lators or Bi PAP; about 4.2 lakh Rem-
desivir vials have been delivered or
dispatched through road and air from
April 27 to May 13, the ministry said.
CM Kejriwal
While announcing the numbers on
patients has not declined much. Even
now the ICU beds in the hospitals of
Delhi are almost full. Your government
is also working in this direction. Around
1,200 new ICU beds have been prepared
and are now ready to be utilised by
today or tomorrow. This will bring great
relief to the people of Delhi,” the chief
minister announced.
He added that this flattening of the
curve was possible only because the
people of Delhi made the lockdown
work and followed rules. But he said the
“battle is not won yet” and said precau-
tions and preparations are the only way
forward to erase Coronavirus entirely.
Virus rapidly
Both the centre and states are mak-
ing continuous efforts to get all vacci-
nated at a rapid pace, he said, and urged
people to get vaccinated when their
turn comes. Highlighting steps taken to
boost essential medicines and oxygen
supplies across the country, the Prime
Minister said that COVID hospitals and
oxygen plants using the latest technol-
ogy are being set up in different parts of
the country.
“Special rails are engaged in sup-
plying oxygen to different parts of the
country. Oxygen tankers and drivers are
working without pause. Be it doctors,
nursing staff, sanitation workers, lab
technicians, ambulance drivers, sample
collectors — all are working 24 hours to
save each individual,” he added.
Further, Modi said free vaccination
is being done in government hospitals
across the country. “So, whenever your
turn comes, do get vaccinated.”
Modi also said that the government
has started free foodgrain distribution
to 80 crore poor beneficiaries under the
Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna
Yojana (PMGKAY) for two months --
May and June.
“I urge states to ensure there is no
problem in distribution of free grains to
the poor,” he added.
UP CM orders
“The rivers get polluted due to bod-
ies of human beings and animals. The
Two more bodies found lying on the
banks of the Ganga were cremated by
the Ballia district administration, after a
video of a few stray dogs dragging and
mauling the corpses went viral on social
media. Fefna SHO Sanjay Tripathi said
he got the information about the corpses
on Thursday afternoon, following which
a team of Sub Divisional Magistrate
(SDM) Rajesh Yadav reached Sagarpali
village and cremated the bodies.
It appears that the bodies were left in
the river by family members after com-
pleting rituals, he said. According to
Ballia residents, at least 52 bodies were
seen floating at the Ujiyar, Kulhadia and
Bharauli ghats in the Narahi area.
However, the district authorities
did not tell the exact number of bodies

doses and minimise vaccine wastage, it
said.
The 191.99 lakh doses include 162.5
lakh Covishield doses and 29.49 lakh
Covaxin doses.
In the previous fortnight, that is 1
May-May 15, 2021, a total quantum of
more than 1.7 crore vaccine doses has
been made available by the Centre to
states/UTs, free of charge.
In addition, more than 4.39 crore
doses were made available for direct
procurement by the states as well as pri-
vate hospitals in the month of May, the
ministry said.
The ministry also said that a total
of 10,796 oxygen concentrators, 12,269
oxygen cylinders, 19 oxygen generation
plants and about 4.2 lakh Remdesivir
Friday, in a precautionary tone, the CM
said that Delhi had reported some 8,500
new infections in the last 24 hours,
down from around 28,000 during the
peak and that the city’s infection rate for
24 hours had fallen from 36 per cent on
April 22 to 12 per cent on Friday (May
14).
The CM said, ”This means that fewer
people are falling ill in Delhi. The num-
ber of people admitted to the hospitals
has also reduced. In the past 10 days,
the number of patients in hospitals of
Delhi has reduced by more than 3,000
patients.”
He said this meant that 3,000 beds
had been emptied during this time.
“Now, there is no problem being
faced to get beds in hospitals,” he said,
spreading
“Every government is taking efforts
to stop this. Awareness about this
among rural people and cooperation
of the panchayat institutes are equally
important
“You have never disappointed the
nation. We hope this time too, to pro-
tect yourself and family from COVID,
all necessary precautions are taken.
Wearing mask properly and regularly is
important,” Modi said.
The PM was speaking at the release
of the 8th installment of financial benefit
under the PM-KISAN scheme via video
conference here.
Modi stressed that vaccines are a
Modi further said the government
and pharma sector have boosted pro-
duction of essential medicines and even
importing from abroad.
On hoarding and black marketing of
essential medicines, the Prime Minis-
ter said in the current tough time, some
people are engaged in hoarding and
black marketing of medicines and essen-
tial items.
“I urge states to take strict action
against such people. This is against
humanity,” he said.
On the vaccination programme,
Modi said this vaccine will give us a pro-
tective cover against coronavirus, reduc-
ing the risk of serious illness.
“The centre and all the state govern-
ments together, are making continu-
government is also running a special
campaign for the cleaning of rivers.
Home, urban and rural development
departments should make a policy to
prevent it,” he added.
The government has been under
fire from the opposition over the issue
recently.
Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi
Vadra on Thursday demanded a judicial
probe headed by High Court judge into
it, saying what is happening is inhuman
and criminal.
Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh
Yadav too had said the UP government
must be held accountable for “failing” its
people badly.
“Bodies found floating in the Ganga
are not statistics, they’re someone’s
found there. AGENCIES
Gangwar in
Chitrakoot Jail
Dixit, a resident of Sitapur, was a
contract killer who had worked for
gangster Munna Bajrangi in the past,
they said.
Ali was shifted to Chitrakoot on
March 20 from Varanasi jail, while
Kala came to the jail on May 7 from
Saharanpur.
Dixit had been lodged in the jail
since December 8, 2019, officials said.
The situation inside the jail is now
under control, they added.
millenniumpost
NEW DELHI | SATURDAY, 15 MAY, 2021
`1.35L cr disbursed so far
under PM-KISAN scheme
‘Govt buying more wheat, paddy at MSP to boost farmers’ income’
OUR CORRESPONDENT
NEW DELHI: Prime Minis-
ter Narendra Modi on Friday
said the Centre has trans-
ferred around Rs 1,35,000
crore so far under the PM-
KISAN scheme with the pay-
ment of eighth instalment on
Friday and is also procuring
higher quantity of paddy and
wheat at MSP to boost farm-
ers’ income.
Out of the total amount
disbursed since the launch of
the scheme in February 2019,
Modi said around Rs 60,000
crore has been transferred dur-
ing the COVID-19 pandemic,
which is helping farmers in
these difficult times.
The Prime Minister on Fri-
day released the eighth instal-
ment of Rs 20,667 crore to more
than 9.5 crore farmers under
the Pradhan Mantri Kisan
Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN)
scheme via video-conference.
Under the scheme, which
became effective from Decem-
ber 2018, the Centre provides
‘Black fungus claims 52 lives in Maha’ Over 14.05L anganwadi workers now
MUMBAI: As many as 52 peo-
ple have died due to Mucor-
mycosis, a rare but dangerous
fungal infection, in Maharash-
tra since the COVID-19 out-
break last year, a senior health
department official said on
Friday.
Mucormycosis, also known
as black fungus, became a
much talked about subject
after some recovering and
recovered coronavirus patients
were found infected with
the disease, whose symptoms
include headache, fever, pain
under the eyes, nasal or sinus
congestion and partial loss of
vision.
As many as 52 people in
Maharashtra have died due
to the Mucormycosis disease
since the COVID-19 outbreak
last year. All of them were
Maha CM Thackeray urges sugar
cooperatives to produce oxygen ‘Congress MPs, legislators in K'taka to use LAD fund’
MUMBAI: Maharashtra Chief
Minister Uddhav Thackeray on
Friday urged the sugar coopera-
tive industry to produce oxygen,
much needed for hospitals treat-
ing COVID-19 patients.
He was speaking after
attending the virtual inaugu-
ration of an oxygen production
plant of Dharashiv Sugar Coop-
erative in Osmanabad district.
The sugar cooperative is the
first in the state to start oxygen
production, an official release
said. Thackeray said the state
needs to become self- sufficient
in oxygen production to beat
the second wave of COVID-19.
"Our production capacity is
1,200 metric tons (per day)while
the demand is 1,700 metric tons.
Goa Congress to file
criminal case against
state’s CM, health min
OUR CORRESPONDENT
NEW DELHI: Upping its ante
against the BJP-ruled Goa gov-
ernment over the deaths of
patients at Goa Medical College
& Hospital due to lack of oxy-
gen during the past two weeks,
Goa Congress president Girish
Chodankar has on Friday said
that the party would file a crim-
inal complaint against Chief
Minister Pramod Sawant and
Health Minister Viswajit Rane.
As per the official press
statement, Chodankar said
that the candid admission by
Goa’s BJP government before
the High Court of Bombay
at Goa that there is a sub-
stantial deficit of Oxygen
supply shows that it is irrespon-
sible and insensitive. He also
added that the state is run by
incompetent and defective
Chief Minister and Health
Minister.
Chodankar further said that
patients dying due to insuffi-
cient supply of oxygen are noth-
Rs 6,000 per year to eligible
farmers in three equal instal-
ments of Rs 2,000.
Addressing the event,
Modi said farmers have per-
formed their duties even
during this COVID-19 pan-
demic and helped the country
achieve a record production
of foodgrains and horticulture
crops.
He said the PM-KISAN
scheme was launched to help
farmers, especially small and
marginal ones, in meeting their
input costs.
The Prime Minister said
around 10 crore farmers have
received the 8th instalment.
“To West Bengal farmers,
the benefit has begun to reach
for the first time. Today, lakhs
of farmers in West Bengal have
got their first instalment. Grad-
ually when the names of farm-
ers are sent to the Centre, the
number of beneficiaries will
increase,” he added.
Overall, around 11 crore
farmers have received around
Rs 1,35,000 crore under the
on Poshan tracker app, says Irani
COVID-19 survivors, but suc-
cumbed to the black fungus
infection, the official told PTI.
For the first time, the state
health department has com-
piled a list of deaths caused
by black fungus," said the offi-
cial who spoke on condition of
anonymity.
On Wednesday, Maha-
rashtra health minister Rajesh
Tope had said there were 1,500
cases of black fungus in the
state, which is in the throes
of a severe second wave of
COVID-19.
Rising Mucormycosis cases,
whose treatment requires a
multidisciplinary approach, is
expected to put a further bur-
den on the state's healthcare
infrastructure which is already
under a strain.
The state will float a tender
FOR PROCUREMENT OF VACCINES
Maharashtra Chief Minister
Uddhav Thackeray
If we produce 3,000 metric tons
of oxygen, we will be self-suffi-
cient," he was quoted as saying.
Municipal corporations are
trying to ramp up their oxygen
production and sugar coopera-
tives should also follow the suit,
he said. Union minister Nitin
Gadkari, who also
ing but cold-blooded murder
of COVID patients by CM and
health minister. “If health min-
ister admits on camera that he
was aware that patients were
dying between 2-6 am on a
daily basis and that the death
toll in Goa would be around
200-300 per day, why did
he not act upon it and ensure
that such a calamity is averted.
What action had the CM
and health minister specifi-
cally taken to stop COVID
deaths regularly between 2
am and 6 am?” Chodankar
questioned.
The Goa Congress presi-
dent also said that the Con-
gress party is going to file a
criminal complaint against
both for culpable homicide.
“What the duo - Pramod
Sawant and Vishwajit Rane -
has committed is more hor-
rific than genocide. They
overlooked these deaths on a
regular interval and deserve
treatment only fit for crimi-
nals,” he alleged.
PM Narendra Modi speaks while
releasing the 8th installment
of minimum financial benefit
in New Delhi  PIC/PTI
PM-KISAN scheme so far,
Modi said, adding that about
Rs 60,000 crore has been trans-
ferred during the COVID-19
pandemic.
“PM-KISAN is benefitting
small and marginal farmers.
In these difficult times, this
money is helping these farmers
a lot. So far under the scheme,
about 11 crore farmers have got
Rs 1.35 lakh crore in their bank
accounts. There are no middle-
to procure one lakh Amphoter-
icin-B anti-fungal injections to
treat Mucormycosis patients,
Tope had said a couple of days
back. Meanwhile, four cases of
Mucormycosis, a rare but dan-
gerous fungal infection now
affecting coronavirus patients,
have been reported in Damoh
district of Madhya Pradesh in
the last two days, a health offi-
cial said on Friday.
Four patients with com-
plaints of black fungus infec-
tion approached us. These are
confirmed cases of black fun-
gus, Dr Rakesh Rai, an oph-
thalmologist with the district
hospital, said.
These patients have been
sent to Nagpur, Jabalpur, Bho-
pal and Indore for treatment,
he said. District chief medical
and health officer Dr Sangeeta
participated in thr virtual
function, said having their own
oxygen plants should be made
mandatory for hospitals with
more than 50 beds. Meanwhile,
the Maharashtra government on
Friday extended the time period
for ex-gratia assistance of Rs 50
lakh to its staffers succumbing
to COVID-19. MPOST
men,” Modi said.
The government is con-
tinuously making efforts to
ensure benefits to farmers
reach directly at a faster pace,
the Prime Minister added.
“Despite COVID-19 chal-
lenges, record foodgrains and
horticulture products have
been grown. The government
has also procured record rice
and wheat at minimum sup-
port price from farmers. New
record procurements are being
set, first rice and now wheat,”
Modi said.
Talking about procurement
operations, he said the cen-
tre has purchased 10 per cent
more wheat so far this year at
MSP and added that around Rs
58,000 crore payment has been
made to farmers directly.
“I am happy that lakhs
of farmers from Punjab and
Haryana for the first time are
connected with DBT (direct
benefit transfer)...,” Modi said
adding that Rs 18,000 crore in
Punjab and Rs 9,000 crore in
Haryana have been deposited
Trivedi said that Amphotericin
B 50 mg injection is needed to
treat the black fungus injec-
tion, which is not available in
Damoh right now.
Further more, the Maha-
rashtra government on Friday
issued a resolution approving
the payment of Rs 1 crore as
advance to the Railways for fer-
rying oxygen-laden tankers to
the state from other parts of the
country amid the COVID-19
pandemic.
As per the govern-
ment resolution, the state
executive committee had
approved the payment of the
advance amount on May 6, as
transportation of tankers
through railways would con-
tinue for several more days in
view of the oxygen shortage in
the state. AGENCIES
OUR CORRESPONDENT
BENGALURU: The Con-
gress' Karnataka unit on Fri-
day announced that the party
MPs, MLAs and MLCs will use
their Local Area Development
fund to the tune of Rs 100 crore
for procuring vaccines.
"The government has miser-
ably failed to protect the people
into farmers’ accounts.
He also mentioned that
farmers of Punjab and Hary-
ana are sharing their experi-
ences on social media about
how they feel to see money in
their bank accounts.
Thousands of farm-
ers, especially from Punjab,
Haryana and Uttar Pradesh,
are protesting at the borders
of the national capital since
November-end.
They are seeking repeal of
three new laws and a legal guar-
antee to the MSP.
Modi said the government
is continuously working to
provide new solutions in agri-
culture. “Promoting organic
farming is one such effort. Cost
of production is less, good price
one fetches in the market.”
Within 5 km radius of the
two sides of the Ganga, organic
farming is being promoted so
that chemicals used in farm-
ing do not enter into the river.
Organic farm products under
the brand Namami Ganga is
being promoted, he said.
OUR CORRESPONDENT
NEW DELHI: Over 14.05
lakh anganwadi workers have
downloaded Poshan, the
Women and Child Develop-
ment Ministry's app to track
nutrition delivery services
which was launched in March
this year, WCD Minister
Smriti Irani said on Thursday.
The app, launched to
strengthen and bring trans-
parency in nutrition delivery
services, was developed as a
governance tool for real-time
monitoring of nutritional out-
comes and it will be vital in
improving maternal and child
health.
and vaccinate people. Hence,
the MPs, MLAs and MLCs of
the Congress, who are 95 in
number have decided to donate
at least Rs one crore each to pro-
cure vaccines," former Chief
Minister Siddaramaiah, who
is also the Congress legislative
party leader, said at a press con-
ference here.
According to him, a total of
Nation
Cong attacks government
over vaccine shortage
OUR CORRESPONDENT
NEW DELHI: Hitting out at
the Centre over vaccine short-
age in the country, the Con-
gress leader Rahul Gandhi
on Friday demanded that the
vaccine purchase should be
centralised and distribution
decentralised as the govern-
ment’s vaccine policy is com-
pounding the problems.
“GOI’s vaccine policy is
compounding the problem.
Vaccine purchase should
be centralised and distri-
bution decentralised. India
cannot afford this,” he said in a
tweet. The Congress has been
demanding free vaccination
for all and has criticised the
government’s vaccine policy,
saying it is discriminatory.
Later in the day, Con-
gress leader Shaktisinh Gohil
attacked the government led
by Prime Minister Narendra
Modi for ‘creating’ shortage of
vaccine by allowing the export
of the vaccine instead of vac-
cinating every citizen of the
country.
Cornering the Centre for
not considering the recom-
mendations of Parliamentary
Standing Committee report
on vaccination, the Congress
leader said, “The Department
WCD Minister Smriti Irani
"POSHAN tracker gives a
360-degree view and tracking
of the anganwadi centre, nutri-
tion service deliveries and
complete beneficiary man-
agement for pregnant women,
lactating mothers and chil-
dren. Real-time update of
Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah
Rs 100 crore will be given by
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi
Related Standing Committee
of the Parliament had in its
October 16, 2020 meeting sug-
gested increasing the produc-
tion of vaccine and subsidising
the vaccine cost for the weaker
sections of the country, espe-
cially in rural and urban slum
areas.”
“The Panel had also sug-
gested the government to
ensure every citizen of the
country get vaccinated, but
the government didn’t con-
sider the recommendations of
the Parliamentary Committee.
If the Centre would have fol-
lowed the panel’s suggestions,
the situation would have been
different now,” he said.
Congress also reiterated
its previous demand of doing
away with the required 28 per
beneficiaries on the defined
indictors will enable timely
interventions.
"Since the launch of
POSHAN Tracker, over 14.05
lakh anganwadi workers have
downloaded the app, over 7.08
crore beneficiaries have been
on boarded on the app, over
1.24 crore take home ration
(THR) have been monitored,
68.79 lakh hot cooked meals
(HCM) have been tracked,"
Irani said in a series of tweets.
The app has the provision
to generate automated alerts
and efficient audit of the deliv-
ery system by documenting
real-time attendance of bene-
ficiaries and duty bearers and
Congress leaders of Karnataka
for the purpose. The Congress
stalwart said, "This is an unprec-
edented decision in the history
of Karnataka."
Meanwhile, inoculation
of people in the age group
45 and above in Gujarat was
halted for three days from Fri-
day following a revision in the
COVID-19 vaccination sched-
mp 5
GOI’s vaccine policy
is compounding
problem. Vaccine
purchase should
be centralised
and distribution
decentralised. India
cannot afford this,
says Rahul
cent GST levied on medical
supplies for corona and on
ambulance rides and urged the
Prime Minister to vaccinate 60
per cent of the population
The party also reminded
the Centre about the pre-poll
promise of delivering free vac-
cines against Covid-19 they
made in Bihar and asked why
the responsibility of procuring
vaccines has now been left to
the states.
“In the Bihar elections,
you (the Prime Minister)
and the finance minister had
declared that free vaccines
would be available, was it a
jumla?” Gohil said, adding,
“Why are you putting the bur-
den on the states today? Why
are you blaming your sins on
the states?”
effective training feedback
mechanism in place.
Developed by MoWCD,
the Poshan tracker app
enables real-time monitoring
and tracking of all anganwadi
centres (AWC), anganwadi
workers (AWWs) and
beneficiaries.
It provides a 360-degree
view of the activities of
AWCs, AWWs and complete
beneficiary management for
pregnant women, lactating
mothers, children, adolescent
girls and adolescent boys.
The application can be down-
loaded easily on devices with
Android 6 and above operat-
ing system.
ule after the Centre’s decision to
increase the gap between two
doses of Covishield, the state
government said. However,
during these three days, vac-
cination will continue for peo-
ple in the age group of 18 to 44
years who have already regis-
tered themselves and received
SMSes, said a state government
release.
6 mp Nation millenniumpost
SATURDAY, 15 MAY, 2021 | NEW DELHI

‘Tauktae likely to intensify into Centre moves SC for review

very severe cyclonic storm’
Monsoon to make early arrival over Kerala, says IMD
OUR CORRESPONDENT
NEW DELHI: The depression
in the Arabian Sea is likely to
intensify into a “very severe
cyclonic storm” on May 17 and
cross the Gujarat coast a day
later, the India Meteorologi-
cal Department (IMD) said
on Friday.
The weather condition has
intensified into a deep depres-
sion. It is very likely to further
intensify into cyclonic storm
‘Tauktae’ by Saturday morn-
ing. It is very likely to intensify
further into a severe cyclonic
storm by Saturday night.
From May 16-19, it is very
likely to intensify into a “very
severe cyclonic storm” with a
wind speed of 150-160 kilo-
metres per hour gusting up to
175 kmph, Cyclone Warning
Division of the IMD said. It is
likely to reach Gujarat coast by
the morning of May 18.
The IMD has alerted the
state along the western coast.
It said the Lakshadweep
Islands will receive heavy to
very heavy rainfall at isolated
places on May 15 and heavy
falls at isolated places on May
16. Heavy to very heavy falls
are expected at a few places
on May 15 and heavy to very
heavy falls at isolated places on
May 16-17.
The ghat districts of Tamil
Nadu are expected to witness
light to moderate rainfall at
many places with heavy to
very heavy falls and extremely
heavy falls at isolated places
are very likely on May 14 and
A family try to wade through their flooded house due to heavy rain in
Kochi on Friday 
15.
Karnataka (coastal and
adjoining ghat districts) are
likely to receive light to mod-
erate rainfall at most places
with heavy to very heavy falls
at a few paces with extremely
heavy falls at isolated places on
May 15 and heavy falls at iso-
lated places on May 16.
Konkan and Goa are
expected to receive heavy to
very heavy falls on May 15-16.
The coastal districts of Sau-
rashtra in Gujarat are likely to
receive rainfall from May 16
and heavy to very heavy falls
are expected on May 17. Heavy
to very heavy falls at a few
PIC/PTI
places, extremely heavy falls
at isolated places over Saura-
shtra and Kutch are likely on
May 18, the IMD said.
Meanwhile. the southwest
monsoon is likely to arrive
over Kerala on May 31, a day
earlier than its normal onset
date, the India Meteorologi-
cal Department (IMD) said
on Friday.
The normal onset date of
monsoon over Kerala is June 1.
“This year, the onset of the
southwest monsoon over Ker-
ala is likely to be on May 31st
with a model error of plus or
minus 4 days,” the IMD said.
In the Indian monsoon
of verdict denuding states of
power to declare SEBC
NEW DELHI: The Cen- of the President to notify a 342A and the other provisions
tre has moved the Supreme particular caste as SEBC and inserted by the 102nd Con-
Court seeking review of the power of Parliament to change stitution amendment would
May 5 majority verdict which the list. denude the states of their
Highlights held that 102nd Constitution
amendment took away the
The petition for review of
judgement which was filed
power to identify and declare
SEBC.
»»Lakshadweep Islands will receive heavy to very heavy power of state governments to on Thursday has sought open The Centre further said that
rainfall at isolated places on May 15 and heavy falls at declare Socially and Education- court hearing in the matter and the finding and observations
isolated places on May 16 ally Backward Classes (SEBC) also stay of the majority ver- made in the majority verdict
for grant of quota in jobs and dict on the limited aspect of be stayed so that the powers of
»»The ghat districts of Tamil Nadu are expected to witness admissions. the amendment, till the plea the states to identify the SEBC,
light to moderate rainfall at many places with heavy to The Centre has maintained is decided. which always existed is not
very heavy falls and extremely heavy falls at isolated that the amendment did not The Centre in its plea has taken away in the absence of
places are very likely on May 14 and 15 take away the power of the said that majority verdict had any express provision to that
state governments to identify upheld the validity of Arti- effect in the Constitution.
»»As a cyclone is expected to form over the Arabian Sea, and declare SEBC and the two cle 342A but in doing so, the Justice S Ravindra Bhat had
the cross-equatorial south westerlies have temporarily provisions which were inserted bench has interpreted that the written 132-page long verdict
strengthened over the Arabian Sea did not violated the federal provision denudes the states and Justices L Nageswara Rao
structure. from exercising the power and Hemant Gupta, in their
region, initial monsoon rains (May 30) and 2018 (May 29). A five-judge Constitution which they undoubtedly have separate judgements, con-
are experienced over south In 2016 and 2019, monsoon bench headed by Justcie Ashok for identifying and declaring curred with Justice Bhat and
Andaman Sea and the mon- made an arrival over Kerala Bhushan had unanimously set SEBC in their respective states. his reasoning in holding that
soon winds then advance on June 8, seven days after its aside Maharashtra law grant- The majority verdict was states have lost their power to
north-westwards across the normal onset date. ing quota to Marathas and had rendered by Justices L Nag- identify SEBC under their ter-
Bay of Bengal. The southwest monsoon, refused to refer 1992 Mandal eswara Rao, Hemant Gupta ritory after 102nd Constitu-
According to the new nor- which brings nearly 75 per verdict putting a cap of 50 per and S Ravindra Bhat, while the tional amendment.
mal dates of monsoon onset or cent of rainfall to the coun- cent on reservation to a larger minority verdict was of Justice Writing the majority judge-
progress, the southwest mon- try, is expected to be normal bench. Ashok Bhushan and S Abdul ment on this aspect, Justice
soon advances over the Anda- this year, the IMD said in the The bench in its 3:2 major- Nazeer, who said that under the Bhat had said, By introduction
man Sea around May 22. first Long Range Forecast for ity verdict had ruled that constitution amendment both of Articles 366 (26C) and 342A
As a cyclone is expected the southwest monsoon 2021 102nd Constitution amend- Centre and States have power through the 102nd Constitu-
to form over the Arabian Sea, last month. ment, which also led to setting to declare and identify SEBC. tion, the President alone, to the
the cross-equatorial south The Long Period Average up of National Commission It is submitted that the exclusion of all other author-
westerlies have temporarily (LPA) will be 98 per cent with for Backward Classes (NCBC), minority of two judges includ- ities, is empowered to iden-
strengthened over the Ara- an error margin of plus and gives exclusive power to the ing presiding judge, has tify SEBCs and include them
bian Sea. minus 5 per cent. Centre to identify and declare expressly held that Article 342A in a list to be published under
The cross-equatorial flow Rainfall in Odisha, SEBC as only President can does not have in any manner Article 342A (1), which shall
is very likely to strengthen and Jharkhand, eastern Uttar notify the list. deprive States of their power be deemed to include SEBCs in
deepen over the Bay of Ben- Pradesh, Assam and Megha- All the five judges of the and jurisdiction and compe- relation to each state and union
gal from May 20 and a sus- laya is likely to be below nor- bench, however, had held the tence to identify and declare territory for the purposes of the
tained rainfall activity is likely mal, but normal or above amendment as valid and said it the socially and educationally Constitution.
over the south Bay of Bengal normal in the rest of the coun- did not affect the federal polity backward classes, which is the The states can, through
and Andaman Nicobar Islands try, he said while releasing the or violate the basic structure of correct interpretation of Article their existing mechanisms, or
from May 21. first Long Range Forecast for the Constitution. 342A of the Constitution, the even statutory commissions,
Hence, the monsoon the four-month rainfall period The 102nd Constitu- plea has said. can only make suggestions to
advance over Andaman and from June to September. tion amendment Act of 2018 The review plea sought the President or the Commis-
Nicobar Islands is very likely The LPA, the average of inserted Articles 338B, which direction of the top court for sion, for inclusion, exclusion or
around May 21. the season’s rainfall across the deals with the structure, duties staying the finding and obser- modification of castes or com-
In the last five years, mon- country from 1961-2010, is 88 and powers of the NCBC, and vations made in the majority munities in the SEBC list, Jus-
soon arrived early in 2017 centimetres. 342A which deals with power verdict to the extent that Article tice Bhat had opined. MPOST

Platform to determine
impact of vaccines to
be established soon
NEW DELHI: A national
tracking platform will be
established soon to determine
the impact of the jabs against
COVID-19 and the break-
through infections that are
likely to occur among those
with complete and partial
immunisation, official sources
said. The recommendation of
the National Technical Advi-
sory Group on Immunisation
(NTAGI) to establish such a
platform has been accepted
by the National Expert Group
on Vaccine Administration
for COVID-19 and the Union
Health Ministry, they said.
“The COVID-19 Work-
ing Group which is part of
NTAGI has strongly recom-
mended to urgently establish a
national vaccine tracking plat-
form to determine the impact
of the COVID vaccine(s) and
the breakthrough infections
that are likely to occur among
those with complete and par-
tial immunisation,” said Dr N
K Arora, the INCLEN Trust
chairperson who heads the
COVID-19 Working Group.
The vaccine tracker will be
particularly important to moni-
tor the impact of increasing the
dosing schedule of Covishield,
he said, as the government on
Thursday accepted the work-
ing group’s recommendation to
extend the gap between the two
doses of the Covishield vaccine
from 6-8 weeks to 12-16 weeks.
The current data harmon-
isation work of the Indian
Council of Medical Research
(ICMR) and other agencies can
be leveraged to set up this facil-
ity for review of ground realities
on real-time basis, the NTAGI
has recommended.
The government panel
has also recommended that
pregnant women may be
offered the choice to take any
of the COVID-19 vaccines
and that lactating women
can be inoculated any time
after delivery. AGENCIES
J&K: BSF
recovers AK-
47 rifle, pistol
dropped by
Pak drone
NEW DELHI: The BSF on Fri-
day recovered an AK-47 rifle,
a pistol and some ammunition
dropped by a Pakistani drone
from the border belt of Samba
district in Jammu and Kashmir,
officials said.
The arms and ammunition
cache was found wrapped in
a yellow-coloured polythene
and lying on the ground, they
said.
The recoveries included one
AK-47 rifle, one 9mm pistol,
one pistol magazine, 15 bullet
rounds and a wooden frame
used to support the payload of
the drone, they said.
The drone is suspected to
have flown back into the Paki-
stani territory after it dropped
the consignment, officials said.
The Border Security Force
guards the India-Pakistan
International Border. MPOST
No decision yet on Four die after car Cop found
pending class 12
plunges into canal road, family
board exams: CBSE in Uttar Pradesh says he was
NEW DELHI: The Central
Board of Secondary Education
(CBSE) said on Friday that it
has not taken any decision yet
on class 12 board exams even
as a section of students and
parents have been demanding
cancellation of exams in view
of the COVID-19 pandemic
situation. "It is clarified that no
such decision (cancellation of
exams) has been taken regard-
ing class 12 board examination,
as being speculated. Any deci-
sion taken in this matter will
be officially communicated to
the public," a senior CBSE offi-
cial said.
The official was responding
to a question about possibility
of cancellation of class 12 board
exams following demands by
section of students and parents
who have expressed concern
over the COVID-19 pandemic
situation.
The board had on April 14
announced cancellation of class
dead on
10 exams and postponed class
12 exams in view of surge in
COVID-19 cases. The decision
was taken at a high-level meet-
ing chaired by Prime Minister
Narendra Modi.
The exams, which are
usually conducted in Febru-
ary-March every year were
scheduled to be held from May
4. "The class 12 exams have
been postponed and a review of
the situation will be done after
June 1. Students will be given at
least a 15-day notice before the
exams are conducted," a board
official had then said.
The CBSE had earlier this
month announced the marking
policy for class 10 board exams.
According to the policy,
while 20 marks for each subject
will be for internal assessment
as every year, 80 marks will be
calculated on basis of the stu-
dents' performance in various
tests or exams throughout the
year. AGENCIES
OUR CORRESPONDENT
LAKHIMPUR KHERI
(UP): Four people, includ-
ing a man and his three-
year-old son, drowned after
their car plunged into a
canal here, police said on Fri-
day, adding two others man-
aged to escape.
The incident took place
on Thursday in the Sharda
barrage in the Phoolbehar
area, nearly 15 km away from
Lakhimpur.
The victims, Ajay (25), his
son Priyanshu (3) and their
relatives Deepak (25) and Lalit
Verma (30), were returning
home to their village, Ramua-
pur Sikatiha, after attending a
Tilak ceremony in the district’s
Dhaurahra area.
The driver of the car, Sumit
Yadav, was feared drowned,
police said, adding rescue
operations were on.
The driver of the
car, Sumit Yadav,
was feared
drowned, police
said, adding rescue
operations were on
Two youths, Sanjay and
Tarun, were able to escape,
they said.
According to police, the
car lost control during a sharp
turn and broke through the
railings.
Kheri Superintendent of
Police (SP) Vijay Dhull, who
visited the spot and reviewed
the rescue and relief opera-
tions, said bodies were fished
out and were sent for post-
mortem while divers were in
action to locate the missing
person.
murdered
JANJGIR: A 32-year-old
policeman was found dead on
a road with a snapped power
cable around his neck in
Chhattisgarh's Janjgir-Champa
district, police said on Friday.
His family alleged foul play
and accused the police of trying
to make it look like an accident.
Constable Pushpraj Singh,
posted at the Sakti police sta-
tion, died on Thursday night
after getting entangled in a bro-
ken power transmission cable
when he was riding a two-
wheeler, said a police official.
As per the preliminary
information, on Thursday
night Singh, who was absent
from duty since April 30, took
the moped of his colleague
Gaurishankar Ram, telling him
that he would return in a short
while, the official said.

Nation Briefs
The incident took place

Six, including 5 Sikkim to go for week-long near a liquor shop. The area
had had rainfall accompanied
by strong winds which had

children, drown in total lockdown from Monday

caused a power cable to snap,
he said.
UP: FIR ORDERED AGAINST The security guard of the

pond in Ludhiana Milk booths to be open from 7 am to 11 am

QUACK OVER WOMAN’S DEATH
NOIDA (UP): The Gautam Buddh Nagar adminis-
tration in Uttar Pradesh ordered lodging of an FIR
against a quack following the death of a 32-year-old OUR CORRESPONDENT
woman, officials said. The woman from Jewar area of
the district was unwell and administered 15 bottles of LUDHIANA: Five children
glucose by the quack after which her condition dete- and a migrant worker died
riorated further, the officials said. “She was eventually after drowning in a pond in
Mangarh village, about 20
brought to the community health centre (CHC) in Jewar
kms from here, on Friday,
in an e-rickshaw where doctors found that she was al-
ready dead. The doctors also found that the ‘Bengali’
police said.
Police said that one of the
quack had got 15 bottles of glucose administered to children entered the pond to
the woman without getting her tested for COVID-19,” take a bath and he slipped.
officer Rakesh Singh Chauhan said. When the other four boys,
who were standing outside,
SEPTUAGENARIAN COVID PATIENT saw him drown they jumped
into the pond in a bid to
HANGS SELF IN HOSPITAL WARD rescue him.
HAVERI (KARNATAKA): A 70-year-old COVID-19 Seeing the children drown,
patient died by suicide in the special ward for the a 22-year-old migrant worker,
virus patients at the district hospital here, police said who was standing near the
on Friday. CCTV footage, which went viral, showed pond, also entered inside to
the man taking the extreme step after everyone else rescue them. However, he also
lost his life.
in the ward went to sleep, the police said. The man Joint Commissioner of
from the Lamani tribe from Ranebennuru had tested Police Deepak Parikh said that
positive for COVID-19 on May 3 and was admitted all the six bodies have been
to a local hospital, a senior police officer said. On taken out.
developing complications, he was shifted to Haveri The children, all migrants,
District Hospital on May 5, the officer said. This morn- who lost their lives, were
between the age 4 to 10 years,
ing, he was found hanging near the door of the ward, he added.
he said. Meanwhile, express-
ing deep shock over the
Police said that
one of the children
entered the pond
to take a bath and
he slipped. When
the other four boys,
who were standing
outside, saw him
drown they jumped
into the pond in a
bid to rescue him
incident, Punjab Chief Min-
ister Amarinder Singh
announced an ex-gratia of Rs
50,000 to the families of each
of the five children as well as
the man.
The chief minister extended
his heartfelt sympathies to
the bereaved migrant fami-
lies, and directed the district
authorities to offer all pos-
sible support to them in
this hour of grief, an official
statement said.
OUR CORRESPONDENT
GANGTOK: The Sikkim gov-
ernment on Friday decided to
clamp a complete lockdown
across the tiny Himalayan state
from May 17 to 24 keeping in
mind the surge in cases even
during the ongoing partial
lockdown.
A Home Department noti-
fication said that ration shops,
private commercial eatabli-
ahments, state government
offices, institutions, gymnasi-
ums, markets and factories will
be closed during these seven
days.
Milk booths will remain
open from 7 am to 11 am.
Units engaged in manu-
facturing medicines, medical
equipment, oxygen and allied
sectors will be open, while
vehicles carrying vegetables,
food items and other essential
commodities will be allowed
to move.
However, in case of medical
emergencies, commercial and
private vehicles will be allowed
to operate after getting permis-
sion from the authorities.
Lockdown-like restrictions were
imposed in Sikkim from May
6 and that will be in effect till
May 16
Vaccination will also be car-
ried out at different locations
within the state.
Lockdown-like restrictions
were imposed in Sikkim from
May 6 and that will be in effect
till May 16.
However, during a review of
the situation on Friday, it was
found that the average posi-
tivity rate of the virus in the
state has continued to be more
than 20 per cent in the last few
weeks, an official said.
So, the government felt
that there is an urgent need to
impose stricter restrictions in
No congregation
will be allowed,
according to the
government order.
Violation of the
lockdown rules
will attract penal
action
the movement of people within
the state, the official said.
Central government offices
will operate with the orders
issued by the Government of
India.
No congregation will be
allowed, according to the gov-
ernment order. Violation of
the lockdown rules will attract
penal action, it said.
During the partial lock-
down, all public gatherings
such as weddings were not
allowed while special per-
mits for funerals and other
emergencies were pro-
vided by the respective Block
Development Officers and
SDMs.
liquor shop alerted the police
after spotting Singh lying
unconscious. He was declared
dead at a hospital.
"A short postmortem
revealed that he died of car-
dio- respiratory arrest. Detailed
autopsy report is yet to arrive,
the police official said.
The district collector
ordered a magisterial probe on
the Superintendent of Police's
request in view of the sensitiv-
ity of the matter, he said.
Singh, a native of Mungeli
district, had courted contro-
versy many times because of his
social media posts about senior
police officials.
He had been sacked thrice
for allegedly taking bribe,
remaining absent from duty
for a long period and other acts
of indiscipline and suspended
six times. However, his termi-
nation was revoked each time,
the official said.
He shot to fame last year
after donating one year's salary
to the Chief Minister's Relief
Fund during the coronavirus
crisis.
Singhs father Sitaram
Singh alleged that his son was
murdered as he was trying to
expose corruption in the police
department. AGENCIES
millenniumpost
NEW DELHI | SATURDAY, 15 MAY, 2021 Editorial mp 7
EDITORIAL Opportunity in adversity?
A remarkable gesture! Amid the collapsed public health infrastructure, certain elements have found

I
n an exceptional gesture of racial solidarity, Holly-
wood star Tom Cruise returned his three Golden Globe
ways to garner undue advantage — often at the cost of people’s suffering

T
Awards adding further weight to the backlash that
HFPA, the organising body of the award, has been facing he way the Indian
since February. Cruise’s name is a significant addition to the health infrastructure
prominent list including names of recipients like Mark Ruf- has responded to
falo and Scarlett Johanssen who parted with the prestigious the second wave has
honour. Ruffalo would even go on to say that he “cannot feel VK BAHUGUNA raised several questions over
proud or happy about being a recipient of this award”. It is also the role of administrators in
heartening to see big players like Motion Pictures, Amazon a populous country like ours.
Prime, Netflix and Even NBC disassociating themselves from The current health scenario
the organizing body. A Los Angeles-based journalist had laid also questions our morality.
the foundation of HFPA in 1943 with the motive to dissemi- Even before India attained
nate Hollywood news to the rest of the world in an organised freedom, Swami Vivekanan-
manner, but now it is in news for all bad reasons. The protest da’s most-admired speech on
against the 78-year-old premier award in the arena of film September 11, 1891 at the first
and television and its boycott was triggered at the award cer- Parliament of World’s Religion
emony this year towards February end when the hosts Tina in Chicago reflected the val-
Fey and Amy Poehler highlighted that HFPA has been devoid ues of oneness of humanity,
of a single Black member since the past two decades. The jury reflecting thereby the kindness,
consists of 90 member journalists coming from 55 coun- tolerance, rightful way of liv-
tries across the world. Meher Tatna was the last Indian-origin ing life, and supreme morality.
journalist to be appointed as a member of the body in 2002. The pandemic has shattered
The membership process of the body, based on the sponsor- these values to pieces and the
ship by existing members, is said to be very opaque and inac- At a time when degeneration of our civiliza-
cessible to many journalists, leading to a lack of diversity. tional values has reached its
So, what is the reason that the award that should make any our country nadir in the way some people
recipient proud is on the receiving end of protests? The main is in such a have been behaving in this dif-
reason, as said above, is the harbouring of racial inequal- ficult time. The leaders of the
ity within the organisation. Nothing could be more satisfy- critical situation, country must take note of this
ing when the celebrities considered as faraway fantasies stand and when all before we are labeled as a hyp-
up for the cause that is related to such a deep-rooted industry ocritical nation in the world.
and societal problem. The non-proportionate composition of
citizens should Black marketers and hoard-
the jury member may be a subject matter concerning just one have come ers exist in every society across
organisation but the cause for which the Hollywood celeb- together to fight the world and India is no
rities are acting is symbolic of a broader social malaise. The exception to this. These trends
fight against racism has gained new momentum in the United this dreaded were earlier seen only in food
States lately as a counter-reaction to the intensified actions of disease, some items like onions and vegeta-
the forces perpetuating the racial supremacy in the country bles but rarely in the field of
over the last couple of years. The fight of American society greedy people medicine. Such activities are
at its all levels is reassuring and indicative of the fact that the are using the rising with uncanny feroc-
country is well-prepared to weed out the undue legacy. The ity with the spread of private
bastion put on the cultural front by the Hollywood stars, live- opportunity hospitals across India and the
streaming platforms and broadcasting companies have forced to mint money declining public health infra-
HFPA to bend on knees. The journalist body had come with structure. Private hospitals
reforms on May 6 including restructuring of membership — the most often claim that they are com-
composition, establishing oversight mechanisms and, and despicable act paratively less costly than hos-
adding posts specifically to address the diversity issue. While pitals in western countries, but
NBC has refused to broadcast the Golden Globe Awards Cer- they fail to take into account
emony in 2022 as whatever changes the body will make will the low average income of indi-
take time for realization. Warner Media also boycotted HFPA viduals in India. There are no
as it found that the proposed reforms are ‘insufficient’. Simi- monitoring criteria for these
lar is the case with Amazon and Netflix who have stalled their hospitals in India. These hire
association with HFPA. This persistent resistance indicates the doctors on a package that
that the concerns raised by the stakeholders of the indus- depends upon their poten-
try were not merely acts of tokenism. They are rather meant tial to bring back revenue for
to bring about concrete changes and are successfully doing the hospitals which further
so. They have evaluated the concessions and when they felt form the basis for perks and
more needs to be done, they stuck their demands. There have promotions. This is a vicious
also been allegations that some of the jury members were cycle as the character of the
given undue financial privileges including hotel stays and profession is fixed more on
all. Further, Scarlett Johansson made allegations around sex-
ist remarks made by the jury members. It is clear that HFPA
is plagued with certain rots within its functional system that
it. It suddenly vanished from
the market and the trade was
taken over by a cartel of phar-
macy dealers, street hoodlums
and hospital staff. The injec-
tion, originally costing Rs
2,000, was being sold to the
desperate relatives of patients
at Rs 40,000. This has been
the situation all over India.
The modus operandi is to tell
the patient’s relatives to pro-
cure from the touts hovering
around hospitals. What is most
painful to the conscience of the
nation is that soon the gangs
of people started producing
fake Remdesivir injections
by mixing salt in the glucose
water and selling these at Rs
40,000 in Delhi and other cit-
ies. A gang was recently busted
by the Gujarat and Madhya
Pradesh police, which had so
far sold more than one lakh
fake Remdesivir injections in
India. Even the owners of big
hospitals were involved in the
racket. Now with the spread of
Black fungus, suddenly its drug
has vanished from the market.
At a time when our country
is in such a critical situation,
and when all citizens should
have come together to fight this
dreaded disease, some greedy
Even as people are facing extreme suffering, hoarders and black people are using the oppor-
marketers are taking humanity to a new low tunity to mint money — the
most despicable act. These sav-
earnings rather than serving sole aim is to earn money at the age vultures have shamed even
patients. The lure of money cost of suffering patients; even the thugs of the British period
prompts young doctors to give the relatives of dead patients and have sullied the name of
costly treatment to patients to are forced to clear hugely Indian culture.
enhance the revenue of their inflated bills before the bod- Now the question is how
hospitals. ies are handed over. The pri- such miscreants are mush-
The doctors are supposed vate healthcare infrastructure, rooming in the country. The
to be wedded to the ethics of in some cases during this pan- answer lies in our poor health
the Hippocratic Oath. This demic, has been taken over by infrastructure coupled with
requires every new physician the anti-social elements. Take lack of surveillance by the reg-
to swear, by several healing the case of Remdesivir — an ulatory authorities and negli-
gods, to uphold specific ethical antiviral injection used for the gence of health administrators.
standards and desist from del- treatment of Covid patients. The problem is further com-
eterious and mischievous prac- Though this drug’s efficacy in pounded by our huge popu-
tices. Today these lofty ideals reducing the mortality rate lation which is difficult to
are given a go by many physi- among patients has not been manage with scanty resources.
cians and hospital owners. The proven, there is surprisingly The health administrators have
hospitals are often owned by a mad rush among patients as not taken timely action or have
wealthy businessmen whose well as the hospitals to procure lacked common sense for bol-
stering the health infrastruc-
ture with adequate amounts
of vaccines, oxygen, ventila-
tors and beds. The national
task force on Covid should
have foreseen the vaccine
requirement and increased
the production through timely
financial assistance. No action
was taken by state govern-
ments to monitor the stocks of
the medicines and the spread
of black marketers and pri-
vate hospitals. Malpractices
like private hospitals asking the
patient to arrange the injection
are throwing them onto the
laps of black marketers with
authorities acting as silent
spectators.
The Central, as well as
state governments, should
increase the flow of funds for
creating sound health infra-
structure in the districts. All
government hospitals should
establish oxygen plants and
critical care facilities, and the
private hospitals must, in the
next few months, be asked to
establish oxygen plants failing
which their licenses should be
cancelled. The Central Gov-
ernment must enact a compre-
hensive health infrastructure
and supervision Act to control
the operations of private hospi-
tals with dos and don’ts and fix
the rate of treatments.
This adversity should be
converted by policymakers
into an opportunity to create a
better health infrastructure for
our deserving citizens. In this
dark period, we should emu-
late an old social worker of
Maharashtra, one 85-year-old
Narayanrao Dabhadkar who
took discharge from the hos-
pital, against medical advice,
to vacate his bed for a young
Covid patient. The old man
died after three days. It proves
that humanity still exists. Let
us also use this pandemic to
rid our country of emerging
negative elements.
Views expressed are personal

Mess of the jab

need to be fixed. What the firm stand by involved actors in the
protest suggests is that such malpractices within the indus-
try, racial inequity, in particular, are not acceptable. The spirit
of solidarity will certainly trickle down in society and spread
across other industries. These happenings in the lanes of
Hollywood should inspire global institutions as well.
Perhaps even the Indian film industry could also take lessons
to ensure that the country’s rich diversity is well-represented

With India facing an acute vaccine shortage, crores of people

in the Industry!

may have to wait three months for their first shot

DearEditor
T
PRESSING DEMANDS he cruellest joke urgency like there is now to
being played on us is fight an audacious virus within
The letter sent to the Central Government by nine SHUTAPA PAUL people urging us to months! The lack of a vaccine-
major opposition parties in the country urged the PM get vaccinated. We focussed government task force
to take measures immediately in order to ameliorate the are so ready for the jab, but was a gaping hole in policy.
deteriorating condition of people who are going through pray tell, where is it? India is Found exposed and knee-deep
the toughest of times due to this raging pandemic. They facing an acute vaccine short- in the Covid crisis, the onus
have rightly demanded the free supply of vaccines, stopping age, rendering the largest vac- was quickly shifted to the state
the Central Vista project for the time being and repealing cination drive in the world also governments, who have only
the farm laws in the larger interest of our ‘kisan’ brothers. the slowest. The sluggish pace now floated global tenders for
They have also urged the Central Government to utilise of vaccination is reducing in vaccines.
the unaccounted PM Cares fund to purchase the requisite numbers rather than increas- For the believers of the
number of oxygen cylinders and provide free rations to the ing as we face the full thrust government, here’s a ques-
needy people. Those who are financially weak are actually of the second Covid wave. A tion: even if there was such
going through an ordeal in this critical time. All care must series of unfortunate events, little preparation for the sec-
lack of foresight, and planning ond wave of Covid-19, surely,
be paid by the ruling government to ensure that they don’t
lie at the core of this colossal the plans were already afoot
have to pay for getting vaccinated. The black marketing of incompetence, and there are to vaccinate the Indian pop-
Covid vaccines must be immediately checked. It is quite many players at fault here, ulation, so how do we find
annoying to see that even under such precarious situations We often heard whose ineptitude is being ourselves in this abyss? We
where the life of every single individual is at greater borne by the citizens of this are hankering for open slots
risk, our Central Government is busy executing certain of India’s success once-great nation. on CoWin to get vaccinated,
unnecessary projects like the completion of the Central Vista of the Pulse Polio If we are lucky, then after almost always greeted by the
project which consumes a massive amount of the taxpayers’ three months can one in four red ‘booked’ sign. There are
money in its implementation. This unnecessary and ill- Immunization of us hope to receive the first no answers yet on what hap-
timed project does not hold ground to be executed at this Programme. vaccine dose; that’s likely to pens to the population that
critical juncture. Hopefully, our PM would not turn a deaf happen in August as per news can’t register online.
ear to the demands of all these parties which he has been Not a mean reports. Going by current As per reports, almost 9.5
ignoring over a significant period of time. The country needs feat, but it was production numbers, we may crore people are awaiting their
a judicious approach and sensible moves from every single carried out over well be facing a third wave second dose. There is frustra-
person and those who are occupying the topmost posts, with almost eight crore Indi- That same vaccine diplomacy that fed our government’s hubris is now its Achilles’ heel tion, disappointment, and fear
their responsibilities are even greater in terms of facing and years; there ans not having the protection of the virus getting us before
combating this unprecedented pandemic situation. was no urgency proffered by a single vaccine same vaccine diplomacy that ernment. Our blind reliance waned, and they withdrew we can even give ourselves the
dose. Till now only three per fed our government’s hubris on one major vaccine maker, their application. What pre- armour of the vaccine. A clue-
— IFTEKHAR AHMED, KOLKATA via email like there is cent of our teeming multi- is now its Achilles’ heel as Serum Institute of India (SII), vented the government from less central administration
millenniumpost.in now to fight an tudes have full vaccine protec- India now begs for aid, oxy- is also greatly to blame. No allowing foreign manufactur- now embarks on a campaign
tion. Since the early days, we gen, medical supplies, and yes, doubt that SII boasts of huge ers to produce, supply, and to right the narrative, own the
Log on to write letters to the editor or send them to
audacious virus had known that there would even vaccines. production facilities but the even manufacture vaccines in news, and pass the buck onto
letter2editor.mp@gmail.com. You can also send your comments to The Editor, within months! be a shortage of vaccines but The US and UK learnt from task at hand, of vaccinat- India? Some Opposition par- the states while squarely blam-
Millennium Post, Pratap Bhawan, 5 Bahadur Shah Zafar Marg, New Delhi 110 002 instead of focussing on ramp- the human loss caused by the ing the entire country, was a ties had made the suggestion ing them for all screw-ups. A
ing up production, allowing first wave in 2020, and their challenging and arduous one. long ago. But political distrust flurry of so-called ‘positive
other companies to also man- single-minded focus was on To strengthen production, runs deep in today’s clime and news’ has commenced even
ufacture vaccines, or inviting getting most of their popula- more monies were needed; their suggestion was summar- as the losses of loved ones,

Tweet of the day foreign vaccine companies, in

Best wishes on the auspicious occasion
of Eid-ul-Fitr. Praying for everyone’s good
health and well-being. Powered by our
collective efforts, may we overcome the
global pandemic and work towards
furthering human welfare. Eid Mubarak!
a philanthropic move, India
started exporting vaccines.
Till April, when the vaccine
export was suddenly stopped,
India had exported 66 million
doses to 95 countries. Our gov-
ernment’s short-sightedness
allowed them to forget that
NARENDRA MODI charity begins at home, the
@Narendramodi price is now being paid with
thousands of Indian lives. That
tions inoculated. Such was the
aggressive vaccine production,
that the US apparently has vac-
cines in excess. By compari-
son, we not only have vaccine
shortage, we also have a super-
virus on steroids infecting,
often fatally, the populace. So
many things went wrong, top-
most among them is vaccine-
makers setting the vaccine
policy, rather than the gov-
the government played a vir-
tually silent role in planning
for this. The other manu-
facturer, Bharat Biotech, a
smaller player compared to SII,
couldn’t have been expected to
pick up the slack either.
According to news reports,
Pfizer had applied for emer-
gency-use approval way back
in December 2020, but after an
inordinate delay, their patience
ily chucked out.
We wanted to be ‘Atmanirb-
har’ and tom-tom our achieve-
ments. No harm there as long as
the verbal hyperboles had been
backed by actual on-ground
actions and achievements.
We often heard of India’s suc-
cess of the Pulse Polio Immu-
nization Programme. Not a
mean feat, but it was carried
out over years; there was no
friends, and acquaintances
mount up, dead bodies float
without dignity in the Ganges
or given surreptitious burials
in unmarked graves. You can
rest assured that at least one
machinery of the government
is functioning seamlessly —
the PR department.
The writer is an author and
media entrepreneur. Views
expressed are personal
8 mp World millenniumpost
SATURDAY, 15 MAY, 2021 | NEW DELHI

Palestinians flee as Israeli K P Oli sworn in as Nepal

Prime Minister again
artillery pounds northern Gaza
The death toll has risen to 119, including 31 children and 19 women,
with 830 wounded in Gaza. Seven people have been killed in Israel
GAZA CITY: Palestinian fam-
ilies grabbed their children and
belongings and fled neigh-
borhoods on the outskirts of
Gaza City on Friday as Israel
unleashed heavy artillery fire
at what it said was a large net-
work of militant tunnels ahead
of a possible ground invasion.
Israel has massed troops
along the border and called
up 9,000 reservists as fight-
ing intensifies with the Islamic
militant group Hamas, which
controls the Gaza Strip. Pales-
tinian militants have fired some
1,800 rockets, and the Israeli
military has launched more
than 600 airstrikes, toppling at
least three high-rise apartment
buildings, and has shelled some
areas with tanks stationed near
the frontier.
As Israel and Hamas
plunged closer to all-out war
despite international efforts at a
cease-fire, communal violence
in Israel erupted for a fourth
night. Jewish and Arab mobs
clashed in the flashpoint town
of Lod, even after Israel dis-
patched additional security
forces.
The Gaza Health Minis-
try says the toll from the fight-
ing has risen to 119 killed,
including 31 children and 19
women, with 830 wounded.
The Hamas and Islamic Jihad
militant groups have confirmed
20 deaths in their ranks, though
Israel says that number is much
Palestinians inspect their destroyed houses following overnight Israeli airstrikes in town of Beit Hanoun, northern Gaza Strip, Friday 
to wait until the morning, said
Hedaia Maarouf, who fled
with her extended family of 19
people, including 13 children.
We were terrified for our chil-
dren, who were screaming and
shaking."
In the northern Gaza Strip,
Rafat Tanani, his pregnant
wife and four children were
killed after an Israeli warplane
reduced a building to rubble,
residents said. It was a mas-
to minimize collateral dam-
age and civilian casualties, he
said. Unlike our very elaborate
efforts to clear civilian areas
before we strike high-rise or
large buildings inside Gaza,
that wasn't feasible this time."
The strikes came after
Egyptian mediators rushed to
Israel for cease-fire talks that
showed no signs of progress.
Egypt, Qatar and the United
Nations were leading the truce
more than 400 fell short or mis-
fired, according to the military.
The rockets have brought
life in parts of southern Israel
to a standstill, and several bar-
rages have targeted the seaside
metropolis of Tel Aviv, some
70 kilometers (45 miles) away
from Gaza.
Prime Minister Benjamin
Netanyahu vowed to continue
the operation, saying in a video
statement that Israel would
PTI
international criticism for civil-
ian casualties during three pre-
vious wars in Gaza, which is
home to more than 2 million
Palestinians. It says Hamas is
responsible for endangering
civilians by placing military
infrastructure in civilian areas
and launching rockets from
them.
Hamas showed no signs of
backing down. It fired its most
powerful rocket, the Ayyash,
KATHMANDU: K P Sharma
Oli, heading a minority govern-
ment, was sworn in as Nepal's
Prime Minister on Friday, four
days after the embattled leader
lost a crucial vote of confidence
in Parliament.
President Bidya Devi Bhan-
dari administered the oath of
office and secrecy to Oli as the
prime minister at a scaled-
down ceremony at Shital
Niwas, the presidential palace.
The 69-year-old Chairman
of the Communist Party of
Nepal-(Unified Marxist Lenin-
ist) was reappointed as prime
minister by the president in his
capacity as leader of the largest
political party in Nepal's House
of Representatives.
Oli will head a minor-
ity government as he does
not enjoy a majority in Par-
liament after losing the vote
of confidence on Monday. He
was reappointed to the post on
Thursday night as the Oppo-
sition parties failed to secure
majority seats in Parliament to
form a new government.
Oli will now have to take a
vote of confidence at the House
within 30 days, failing which,
an attempt to form a govern-
ment under Article 76 (5) of the
Constitution would be initiated
by the President.
The ministers of Oli's Cabi-
net were also sworn in during
the ceremony.
During the oath-taking cer-
emony, Prime Minister Oli and
Deputy Prime Minister Ishwar
Pokharel did not mention the
word God though President
Bhandari had mentioned it.
I will take oath in the name
of the country and the peo-
K P Sharma Oli 
Oli previously
served as prime
minister from
October 11, 2015
to August 3, 2016
and again from
February 15, 2018
to May 13, 2021
ple, Oli said, while President
Bhandari had mentioned God,
country and the people.
All the ministers and minis-
ters of state from the old Cabi-
net have been included in the
new Cabinet.
Pradeep Gyawali has been
reappointed as Foreign Min-
ister while Ram Bahadur
Thapa and Bishnu Poudyal
were appointed as ministers
for Home and Finance. The
oath-taking ceremony was kept
brief keeping in mind the rag-
ing COVID-19 pandemic in
the country.
Vice President Nanda
Bahadur Pun and Supreme
Court Chief Justice Cholendra
PTI
Shumsher Rana were among
the distinguished personalities
who attended the ceremony.
There are 22 ministers and
three ministers of state in the
new Cabinet.
Oli previously served as
prime minister from October
11, 2015 to August 3, 2016 and
again from February 15, 2018
to May 13, 2021.
Earlier, the president had
asked the Opposition parties
to come up with the support
of majority lawmakers to form
a new government by 9 pm on
Thursday after Oli lost the vote
of confidence in the House on
Monday.
Until Thursday, Nepali
Congress president Sher Baha-
dur Deuba, who got backing
from CPN-Maoist Centre
chairman Pushpakamal Dahal
"Prachanda" was hopeful to get
sufficient votes in the House
to stake his claim as the next
Prime Minister.
But as Madhav Kumar
Nepal took a U-turn after his
last-minute meeting with Oli,
Deuba's dream to become
the next Prime Minister was
shattered.  AGENCIES

Afghan police: Kabul mosque

higher. Seven people have been sacre, said Sadallah Tanani, efforts. extract a very heavy price from nearly 200 kilometers (120
killed in Israel, including a a relative. My feelings are The fighting broke out late Hamas. miles) into southern Israel on
6-year-old boy and a soldier. indescribable." Monday when Hamas fired a In Washington, U.S. Presi- Thursday.
Palestinians living outside Lt. Col. Jonathan Con- long-range rocket at Jerusalem dent Joe Biden said he spoke The rocket landed in the

bombing kills 12 worshippers

Gaza City, near the north-
ern and eastern frontiers with
Israel, fled the intense artillery
bombardment Friday. Families
arrived at the U.N.-run schools
in the city in pick-up trucks,
on donkeys and by foot, haul-
ing pillows and pans, blankets
and bread.
We were planning to leave
our homes at night, but Israeli
jets bombarded us so we had
ricus, a military spokesman,
said tanks stationed near the
border fired 50 rounds. It was
part of a large operation that
also involved airstrikes and
was aimed at destroying tun-
nels beneath Gaza City used
by militants to evade surveil-
lance and airstrikes, which the
military refers to as the Metro.
As always, the aim is to
strike military targets and
in support of Palestinian pro-
tests there against the polic-
ing of a flashpoint holy site and
efforts by Jewish settlers to evict
dozens of Palestinian families
from their homes.
Since then, Israel has
attacked hundreds of targets
in Gaza, causing earth-shaking
explosions across densely pop-
ulated areas. Of the 1,800 rock-
ets Gaza militants have fired,
with Netanyahu about calming
the fighting but also backed the
Israeli leader by saying there
has not been a significant
overreaction.
He said the goal now is to
get to a point where there is a
significant reduction in attacks,
particularly rocket attacks.
He called the effort a work in
progress.
Israel has come under heavy
open desert but briefly dis-
rupted flight traffic at the
southern Ramon airport.
Hamas has also launched two
drones that Israel said it quickly
shot down.
Hamas military spokesman
Abu Obeida said the group was
not afraid of a ground inva-
sion, which would be a chance
to increase our catch of Israeli
soldiers.  AGENCIES
KABUL: A bomb ripped
through a mosque in northern
Kabul during Friday prayers
killing 12 worshippers, Afghan
police said.
Spokesman Ferdaws Fara-
marz said the mosque's imam,
Mofti Naiman, was among the
dead. Another 15 people were

Fully vaccinated people not

Himachal Pradesh wounded.
JAL SHAKTI VIBHAG The bomb exploded as
PRESS NOTICE prayers had begun. No one

required to wear masks: CDC

The Executive Engineer, Jal Shakti Shimla Rural Division at Suni,
Distt. Shimla, H.P. invites tender on behalf of Governor of Himachal
Pradesh from approved eligible contractors for the following
work(s) through e-tendering process:-
Job 1 Providing Household connection LWSS in GWSS Basantpur WASHINGTON DC: In the
Kalvi Nadukhar Gharat Nallah under Jal Shakti Sub Division Suni, biggest indication that the
Distt Shimla HP (SH:- C/O Water Treatment Plant (Under JJM). United States is fast returning
Estt. Cost. Rs. 92,85,866/-, E/money Rs. 1,25,360/-, Time 1 year, to pre-pandemic life, the Cen-
cost of form Rs. 800/-. ters for Disease Control and
Job.2 Improvement of LIS Kotla Bhajol in GP Kotla Sub Tehsil Dhami
Distt Shimla HP (SH:- L/J of GI pipe line). Estt. Cost. Rs. 7,15,973/-, Prevention (CDC) has said
E/money Rs. 14,500/-, Time 3 months, cost of form Rs. 250/-. fully vaccinated people are no
Last date of submission of tender 21/05/2021 upto 11.00 AM . longer required to wear masks.
The tender documents and other detailed conditions can be The recommendation holds
obtained from the website www.hptenders.gov.in true for both indoors and out-
No 0725/2021-2022 doors, the CDC said.
(HIM SUCHNA AVAM JAN SAMPARK) Following the announce-
ment on Thursday, President
Joe Biden and Vice President
Kamala Harris appeared before
reporters at the Rose Garden of
the White House without wear-
ing masks.
"I think it's a great mile-
stone. A great day. It's been
made possible by the extraordi-
nary success we've had in vac-
cinating so many Americans so
quickly," Biden said.
Referring to the latest CDC
guidelines, Biden said fully vac-
cinated people are at a very,
very low risk of contracting
COVID-19.
Therefore, if you've been
fully vaccinated, you no lon-
ger need to wear a mask. But
if you've not been vaccinated,
or if you've been getting a two-
shot vaccine and you've only
had your first shot but not your
second, or you haven't waited
the full two weeks after your
second shot, you still need to
wear a mask," the President
said.
Vice President Kamala Harris
and President Joe Biden smile
and walk off after speaking
about updated guidance on mask
mandates PTI
He said 250 million vac-
cine shots have been given in
114 days.
"We are seeing the results.
Cases are down in 49 of 50
states. New York Times has
reported that hospitalisations
are the lowest they've been
since April of 2020, over a year
ago, right after the start of the
pandemic. Deaths are down 80
per cent and also at their low-
est level since April of 2020,"
Biden said.
He said that the virus tragi-
cally rages in other countries.
"In less than four months,
we've gone from 5.5 per cent to
nearly 60 per cent of the adults
in America with at least one
shot in their arm. We've gone
from stagnation to an economy
that is growing faster than it has
in nearly 40 years. We've gone
from an anemic job creation,
to a record for job creation for
a new administration," Biden
added.
In its latest guidelines, the
CDC said fully vaccinated
people can resume activities
without wearing a mask or
physically distancing, except
where required by federal, state,
local, tribal, or territorial laws,
rules, and regulations, includ-
ing local business and work-
place guidance.
Those travelling within
the United States need not get
tested before or after travel or
self-quarantine after travel.
The CDC said the vaccines
are effective at preventing the
COVID-19 disease, especially
severe illness and death. The
vaccines reduce the risk of
people spreading COVID-19,
it said.
The guidance applies to
COVID-19 vaccines currently
authorised for emergency use
by the US Food and Drug
Administration Pfizer-BioN-
Tech, Moderna, and Johnson
and Johnson (J&J)/Janssen
COVID-19 vaccines. It can
also be applied to COVID-19
vaccines that have been autho-
rised for emergency use by the
World Health Organization.
This includes AstraZeneca/
Oxford, the CDC said.  AGENCIES
claimed responsibility for the
bombing, but initial police
investigations suggest the Imam
may have been the target, Fara-
marz said.
An image circulating on
social media showed three
bodies lying on the floor of the
mosque, which showed minor
damage.
The explosion comes on
the second day of a three-day
ceasefire announced by the
warring Taliban and Afghan
government. The pause was
for the Islamic festival Eid-al-
Fitr, which follows the fasting
Surge tests, vax measures Oz resumes
as B1.617.2 Covid variant repatriation
spreads rapidly in UK
LONDON: The case numbers
related to the B1.617.2 variant west of England, with some in
of COVID-19, first identified
in India, have more than dou-
bled within a week in the UK,
resulting in further surge test-
ing and enhanced vaccine mea-
sures to be deployed in parts of
the country where the strain is
beginning to spread increas-
ingly rapidly.
Public Health England
(PHE) said on Thursday that
its latest analysis shows the
number of cases of the highly
transmissible variant first
detected in Maharashtra has
risen from 520 last week to
1,313 cases this week.
Afghan journalist take photos and film inside a mosque after a bomb
explosion in Shakar Dara district of Kabul, Afghanistan, Friday  PTI
month of Ramadan. Until now The relentless violence
many of the attacks in the capital comes as the U.S. and allied
have been claimed by the local NATO forces continue with
Islamic State affiliate, but both their final withdrawal from
the Taliban and government Afghanistan after nearly 20
blame each other. years of war. Just this week
The most recent attack last the last of the US troops left
week killed over 90 people, southern Kandahar Air Base,
many of them pupils leaving a while some NATO troops still
girls' school when a powerful remained. At the war's peak
car bomb exploded. The Tali- more than 30,000 US troops
ban denied involvement and were stationed in Kandahar,
condemned the attack. the Taliban heartland.  AGENCIES
flights
from India
Most cases are in the north-
London, and additional mea-
sures are being put in place MELBOURNE: The repatria-
to "rapidly break chains of tion flights facilitated by the
transmission". Australian government for
UK Health Secretary its stranded citizens in India
Matt Hancock said the health resumed from Friday, accord-
authorities are monitoring the ing to foreign minister Marise
situation very carefully and Payne. Payne said that a flight on
will not hesitate to take fur- Friday departed from Sydney to
ther action if necessary, indi- pick up Australian passengers in
cating that the roadmap to New Delhi before arriving back
lifting all lockdown measures in Darwin on Saturday.
from June 21 may have to be It has also carried life-saving
reassessed. oxygen equipment to India to
This data demonstrates why support its COVID-19 response,
our swift and decisive measures she said. Payne said the passen-
are in place.  AGENCIES gers would have to undergo a
strict quarantine to make sure

China Mars rover to land between Sat and Wed

The mission is the first attempt at a soft landing on Mars by a Chinese spacecraft
BEIJING: China says its Mars
probe and accompanying rover
are expected to land on the red
planet sometime between Sat-
urday and Wednesday Beijing
time.
The China National Space
Administration said in a brief
notice that the Tianwen-1
probe has collected a large
amount of scientific data since
entering Mars orbit on Feb.
10 and the window for set-
ting down on an icy area of the
planet known as Utopia Plani-
tia was determined by current
flying conditions.
Named after the Chinese
god of fire, Zhurong, the rover
will stay in the lander for diag-
nostics tests for several days
before rolling down a ramp
to begin exploring for signs
of life.
The mission is the first
attempt at a soft landing on
Mars by a Chinese spacecraft.
Only the United States has
successfully landed and oper-
ated a spacecraft on Mars nine
times, beginning with the twin
Vikings in 1976 and, most
recently, with the Perseverance
rover in February.
China will attempt to
become the second.
The Perseverance rover and
a tiny helicopter are currently
exploring Mars.
NASA expects the rover to
collect its first sample in July
for return to Earth in a decade.
China this year launched
the initial module of a perma-
nent space station, although the
uncontrolled return to Earth of
the launch rocket drew some
criticism.
The launch of the Tianhe, or
Heavenly Harmony, module is
the first of 11 missions to build
and provision the station and
send up a three-person crew by
the end of next year. China also
recently brought back lunar
samples, the first by any coun-
try's space program since the
1970s, and also landed a probe
and rover on the moon's less
explored far side.  AGENCIES
they are not carrying the variant
of the Coronavirus first identi-
fied in India.
These passengers will quar-
antine at the Centre for National
Resilience at Howard Springs in
the Northern Territory, she said,
adding all passengers would
undergo PCR and Rapid Anti-
gen Testing before they travel.
This would be the first
flight after the Australian gov-
ernment imposed a temporary
ban recently with a threat of
criminal sanctions, including
five years in jail and fines of
up to 66,000 Australian dollars
for people who try to return
from India.  AGENCIES
millenniumpost
NEW DELHI | SATURDAY, 15 MAY, 2021
Exports rise to $30.63 bn in
April, imports rise to $45.72 bn
Trade deficit widened to $15.1 billion, as per Commerce Ministry data.
Country’s Merchandise exports stood at $10.36 billion in April 2020
OUR CORRESPONDENT
NEW DELHI: India’s exports
in April jumped nearly three-
fold to $30.63 billion on
account of healthy growth in
sectors like gems and jewellery
and engineering, even as the
trade deficit widened to $15.1
billion, as per Commerce Min-
istry data released on Friday.
The country’s merchandise
exports stood at a lowly $10.36
billion in April 2020, hit by the
COVID-19 lockdown. Trade
deficit in that month was $6.76
billion.
Imports too rose over
three-fold to $45.72 billion last
month as against $17.12 billion
in April 2020.
In percentage terms,
exports and imports grew by a
record 195.72 per cent and 167
per cent respectively, mainly
due to the low base effect.
Exports in April last year
had plunged by a record 60.28
per cent due to the pandemic-
induced nationwide lockdown.
In March this year, exports
grew by 60.29 per cent to
$34.45 billion. In April 2021, oil
imports stood at $10.8 billion
as compared to $4.66 billion in
Go Airlines Goyal, USTR discus measures to
files draft enhance Covid vaccine production
papers for
`3.6K cr IPO Industry
NEW DELHI: Commerce and and South Africa submitted a tion of undisclosed information
Minister Piyush Goyal proposal suggesting a waiver or trade secrets. “The meeting
on Friday held discussions with for all World Trade Organiza- focused on increasing vaccine
NEW DELHI: Go Airlines,
which has rebranded itself as
‘Go First’, has filed preliminary
papers for an initial share sale
worth Rs 3,600 crore and the
proceeds will be mainly used
to repay dues amid the aviation
industry facing strong head-
winds due to the coronavirus
pandemic.
After taking to the skies 15
years ago, the Wadia group-
promoted budget carrier
-- which has ambitious expan-
sion plans -- is looking to mop
up the amount through issu-
ance of fresh equity shares. It
also has plans to raise up to Rs
1,500 crore by way of a pre-IPO
placement.
Once the shares get listed,
Go Airlines (India) Ltd will be
the third operational sched-
uled carrier after SpiceJet and
IndiGo to trade on Indian
bourses. In a release on Friday,
Go Airlines said it has filed a
draft red herring prospectus
(DRHP) for an initial public
offer (IPO) to raise up to Rs
3,600 crore through issuance
of fresh equity shares.
“We expect competi-
tive conditions in our indus-
try to intensify further as new
entrants emerge and as existing
competitors seek to extend their
operations and flight frequen-
cies over routes that we oper-
ate,” as per the DRHP.  PTI
Clear pending Customs, drawback refund
claims by month-end: CBIC asks officers
CBIC also asked field offices to coordinate this refund drive with the major
trade and industry associations, especially those that cater to exporters
NEW DELHI: The CBIC has
asked field offices to clear all
pending refunds of customs and
drawback claims by month-end.
The Central Board of Indi-
rect Taxes and Customs (CBIC),
the apex decision making body
in customs matters, has issued
an instruction to all customs
Principal Chief Commission-
ers that a ‘Special Refund and
Drawback Disposal Drive’ will
be conducted with the objec-
tive of priority processing and
disposal of all pending refund
and drawback claims.
However, all such refunds
would have to be considered on
merit following legal provisions.
This Special Drive shall be
in place from 15th May 2021
to 31st May 2021. It is expected
that during this period all
refund and drawback claims
that are pending as on 14th May
2021 shall be disposed, it said.
Business mp 9
RBI fixes Gold bond issue
price at `4,777 per gram
Bond will open for subscription for five days from May 17
MUMBAI: The issue price for
Sovereign Gold Bond Scheme
2021-22, which will open for
subscription for five days from
May 17, has been fixed at Rs
4,777 per gram, the Reserve
Bank of India said on Friday.
iron and steel. The government has decided
India's Merchandise Trade Highlights Briefing reporters, Com- to issue the bonds in six tranches
50 »»In percentage terms, merce Secretary Anup Wad- from May 2021 to September
45.72
US $ Billion
exports and imports grew hawan said India’s export 2021. The RBI will issue the
41.99
40.54
performance continues to be bonds on behalf of the Gov-
39.59
48.38
Imports by a record 195.72%
40 impressive in April and the eco- ernment of India.
and 167% respectively,
33.39
nomic recovery is also visible “The nominal value of the
33.63
30.63 mainly due to the low The Sovereign Gold Bond Scheme 2021-
31.02
30.50
in the rising imports. “Foreign bond based on the simple aver-
28.48
base effect trade is recovering in a bal- age closing price for gold of 999 22 Series-I or first tranche will be open for
34.45
30
anced manner,” he said, adding purity of the last three business
21.32
22.86
»»In April 2021, oil imports “we are confident that we can days of the week preceding the subscription from May 17, 2021 to May
27.56
27.45
27.56
27.17
17.12
stood at $10.8 billion as reach $400 billion in this year.” subscription period...works out 21, 2021, and bonds will be issued on
24.93
23.77
20
23.57
22.84
compared to $4.66 billion Asked about any possi- to Rs 4,777 per gram of gold,”
22.03
May 25
19.24
in the corresponding ble impact on shipments due the RBI said.
10 month last year, the data to COVID-related restric- The government, in consul-
Exports
showed tions being imposed by cer- tation with the RBI, has decided tion of India Limited (SHCIL), exit option after 5th year to be
10.36
tain states, he said, “I do not to offer a discount of Rs 50 per designated post offices, and rec- exercised on the next interest
0 »»Non-oil imports during the see any major impact on gram less than the nominal ognised stock exchanges viz., payment dates.
April May June July Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar April month under review rose our exports.” value to those investors applying National Stock Exchange of Minimum permissible
to $34.85 billion from Federation of Indian Export online and the payment against India Limited and Bombay investment is 1 gram of gold.
2020 2021
$12.46 billion earlier Organisations (FIEO) Presi- the application is made through Stock Exchange Limited. The maximum limit of subscrip-
Source: Ministry of Commerce & Industry KBK Infographics
dent Sharad Kumar Saraf said digital mode. Price of bond is fixed in tion is 4 kg for individual, 4 kg
products and chemicals. that the need of the hour is “For such investors, the issue Indian rupees on the basis of for HUF and 20 Kg for trusts
Gold imports surged to $6.12 billion Gold imports surged to to soon notify the RoDTEP price of gold bond will be Rs simple average of closing price and similar entities per fiscal
during the month under review as against $6.12 billion during the month (Remission of Duties and Taxes 4,727 per gram of gold,” the RBI of gold of 999 purity, published (April-March). The Know-your-
under review as against $2.83 on Export Products) rates to said. The Sovereign Gold Bond by the India Bullion and Jewel- customer (KYC) norms will be
$2.83 million in April 2020 million in April 2020. remove uncertainty from the Scheme 2021-22 Series-I or first lers Association Limited for the the same as that for purchase of
Major commodity groups minds of the trade and indus- tranche will be open for sub- last three working days of the physical gold.
the corresponding month last which have recorded positive which showed positive growth try, thereby helping in further scription from May 17, 2021 to week preceding the subscrip- The scheme was launched in
year, the data showed. growth in April include gems in imports in April 2021 over forging new contracts with May 21, 2021, and bonds will be tion period. November 2015 with an objec-
Non-oil imports during the and jewellery, jute, pharma- the corresponding month of overseas buyers. issued on May 25. The bonds will be denomi- tive to reduce the demand for
month under review rose to ceuticals, carpet, handicrafts, last year include electronic Service exports are esti- The bonds will be sold nated in multiples of gram(s) physical gold and shift a part
$34.85 billion from $12.46 bil- leather, electronic goods, oil goods, transport equipment, mated at $21.17 billion in through banks (except Small of gold with a basic unit of 1 of the domestic savings -- used
lion earlier. meals, cashew, engineering, minerals, machinery, textile April, while imports stood at Finance Banks and Payment gram. The tenor of the bond will for the purchase of gold -- into
Major export commodities petroleum products, marine yarn fabric, vegetable oil and $13 billion. Banks), Stock Holding Corpora- be for a period of 8 years with financial savings.  PTI
RoDTEP rates likely to be announced
in two weeks, says DGFT Amit Yadav
NEW DELHI: Rates for the a view to give a boost to the delay would have implications from India Scheme (MEIS), the
tax refund scheme for export- country’s outbound shipments. for future exports. DGFT said it is working with
US Trade Representative Kath- tion (WTO) members on the availability in an inclusive and ers — Remission of Duties and The scheme was implemented The rates have to be notified the Department of Revenue on
erine Tai on increasing vaccine implementation of certain pro- equitable manner to combat Taxes on Exported Products for all goods, with effect from by the Department of Com- the issue.
availability in an equitable man- visions of the TRIPS Agreement the global pandemic caused by (RoDTEP) — are expected to January 1. merce, which would be based “We have proposed to the
ner to combat the COVID-19 in relation to the prevention, Covid-19,” the statement said. be announced in the coming “My sense is that in the com- on the recommendation of a revenue department that if
pandemic. containment or treatment of The minister mentioned two weeks, a senior official said ing two weeks, we would be in a committee chaired by G K Pil- the MEIS scrips can be issued,
India’s proposal on waiver COVID-19. that the supply chains for the on Friday. position to have an announce- lai, former commerce and home which can be encashable a year
of certain TRIPS provisions to The agreement on Trade- vaccine manufacturers must Director General of Foreign ment of the rates for RoDTEP,” secretary. after... something (on these
increase global vaccine pro- Related Aspects of Intellectual be kept open and unbridled as Trade (DGFT) Amit Yadav said he said at a PHDCCI webinar. Yadav said due to the lines) we are working on,” he
duction in order to take on the Property Rights or TRIPS came the entire world is in dire need it is working with the finance Apex exporters’ body the COVID-19 pandemic, there said.
challenge of vaccinating the into effect in January 1995. It of vaccines. “Both sides agreed ministry on the scheme. Federation of Indian Export has been an impact on both The MEIS ended in Decem-
poorest of the poor and save is a multilateral agreement on to work towards the common Last year, the government Organisations (FIEO) has time tax collections and expenditure ber last year, but there are issues
lives was also discussed, an offi- intellectual property (IP) rights resolve of increasing vaccine approved the RoDTEP scheme and again asked the government and there is also the challenge about exports which happened
cial statement said. such as copyright, industrial availability and saving lives,” it for reimbursement of taxes to announce the rates for differ- of revenue. under the scheme during 2019-
In October 2020, India designs, patents and protec- added.  PTI and duties to exporters, with ent sectors under the scheme as On the Merchandise Export 20 and 2020-21.  PTI
‘Number of IDs on decline; PSUs
GOVERNMENT OF WEST BENGAL
RECRUITMENT NOTICE
mainly responsible for reduction’
NEW TOWN KOLKATA
DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY
is going to engage retired
WBCS(Exe.) officer/Class-I
officer/UDA/LDA bellow
NEW DELHI: The total num- “This reduction can mainly NIFTY 500 had 133 fewer IDs 62 yrs. from the State govt.
ber of independent directors be attributed to the reduction in 2020 compared to the earlier employees on contractual
basis. Last date of submitting
(IDs) has decreased in 2020 as in the number of IDs in PSU year, the report said, adding, application on 21/05/2021.
compared to 2019 and 2018, companies. The other reason there were 72 PSU companies For other details, please visit
and the reduction is mainly for the decrease in IDs has been as a part of the NIFTY 500 in our website at www.nkdamar
on account non-appointment churn in the companies form- both 2019 and 2020. PSUs in the org.
of directors on boards of state- ing part of NIFTY 500 over this NIFTY 500 companies needed CEO
owned entities, according to period,” it said. to appoint around 141 indepen- New Town Kolkata
a report. The outgoing companies in dent directors to their board to Development Authority
The total number of IDs the NIFTY 500 in 2020 when be in compliance with the list-
reduced to 2,249 in 2020 as compared to 2019 had 208 ing guidelines of Securities and GOVERNMENT OF WEST BENGAL
against 2,396 in 2019 and 2,494 IDs on their boards while the Exchange Board of India (Sebi) WRI & DD e-NIT
in the previous year, said the incoming companies had 188 as on December, 2020. Executive Engineer (A-M) Chinsurah (A-M)
report by Institutional Investor ID, whereas when compared On December 31, 2020, 14 Division, WRDD invited e-tender for Rejunavation
ICA- T5768(3)/2021 of WTA including supply of all related materials &
Advisory Services India Limited to 2018, the outgoing compa- per cent (70 companies) were Energisation works at 1 Nos Major RLI Schemes
ICA- 791(7)/2021
(IiAS) based on the study of the nies in 2020 had 395 IDs on non-compliant with board com- GOVERNMENT OF WEST BENGAL under core sector Prog. 2020-21 in Hooghly
District, vide eNlT No-47(2nd call), of 2020-21
board composition of NIFTY their boards while the incoming position norms. Out of these Tender Notice Tender ID 2021_WRDD_331304_1, , Estimated
500 companies as on Decem- companies had 331 IDs, it said. 70 companies, 55 companies Memo No. -MED /HLY value Rs 95,80,195.00 and last date of dropping
ber 31, 2020. The PSUs forming part of were PSUs.  PTI /45/ 1D-186/21, Dated- 29.05.2021, Intending bidders are requested to visit
the web site: http//wbtenders.gov.in
10.05.2021. Tender Ref. No.-
Sd/-
02 / EE MED HOOGHLY DIV. Executive Engineer(A-M),
/2020-21 (2nd Call). Tender Chinsurah (A-M) Division,
Id: - 2021_MAD_331011 _1
to 6, Dated- 10.05.2021. ICA- T5744(3)/2021
Name of work: - Annual
Maintenance & Fencing Work ICA- T5735(3)/2021
of different Canals within
Tarakeswar Municipality,
Bhadreswar Municipality,
Hooghly-Chinsurah ICA- T5775(4)/2021
Municipality and Serampore
Municipality under Hooghly
District under the jurisdiction
The CBIC also asked field grand success, the CBIC added. payment of tax due to mistake of Hooghly Division, M. E.
offices to coordinate this refund AMRG & Associates or inadvertence, Excess bal- Directorate, Department of UD
drive with the major trade and Senior Partner Rajat Mohan ance in Electronic Cash Led- & MA, Govt of West Bengal.
industry associations, especially said this special drive for pro- ger, refund of ITC on account https://wbtenders.gov.in
Sd/- Executive Engineer
those that cater to exporters, for cessing refund claims by cus- of export under Bond/ LUT, Hooghly Division, M. E. Dte.
their assistance, including sub- toms authority only, needs to Inverted duty structure, refunds ICA- T5742(3)/2021
mission of required documents. be extended to local GST offi- available to diplomats and
It, however, said that though cers also. embassies. ICA- T5756(3)/2021
the decision to process pending In this Special refund drive, Thereby as of now benefit
ICA- T5758(3)/2021
refund claims has been taken the customs authority is not of this drive would be limited
with a view to provide imme- empowered to process refunds to select exporters only, Mohan
diate relief to the taxpayers, arising on account of Excess added.  PTI
officers would have to do due
diligence before granting the
refunds and drawback. GOVERNMENT OF WEST BENGAL
For facilitation of export- On behalf of the Governor of West Bengal, Sealed Tender is invited by
ers, all communication should the Member Secretary & Chief Medical Officer of Health, DH&FWS,
be done over email, wherever Jhargram, Pin-721507 for the Construction of Mortuary chamber Room
the email id of the applicant is at Jhargram District Hospital Campus, Jhargram. Tenders are hereby
invited from resourceful, eligible agency having experience in similar
available. nature of works.
It is urged that in these diffi- Technical & Financial Bid Submission Closing Date:
cult times all officers concerned NIT No.- DH&FWS/JGM(Engr)/2021-22/02, 21/05/2021 at 03:30 PM
make special efforts to liquidate For Detail, Please visit the website https://www.wbhealth.gov.in
the pending refund and draw- Sd/- EE,
Chief Medical Officer of Health, Jhargram
back claims by May 31, 2021, ICA- T5750(2)/2021 ICA- T5764(2)/2021 ICA- T5779(3)/2021
and make the Special Drive a ICA- T5752(3)/2021 ICA- T5732(3)/2021
10 mp
Vaccinate insurance cos &
bank staff on priority: FinMin
Raising issues of instances of manhandling, the letter also asked state
admin to ensure easy movement of officials for discharge of duty
OUR CORRESPONDENT
NEW DELHI: The finance min-
istry on Friday asked state gov-
ernments to accord priority to
employees of banks and insur-
ance companies for COVID-
19 vaccination, saying they are
exposed to high risks during
these difficult times.
Department of Financial
Services Secretary Debasish
Panda, in a letter addressed to
chief secretaries of states and
union territories, said states
should consider a special dis-
pensation for vaccination of
staff of banks, insurance com-
panies, business correspon-
dents, payment systems and
other financial services provid-
ers on priority.
Tagging the letter, Panda
in a tweet said, “Kudos to our
Bankers, Insurers, Payment Ser-
vice Providers, Bank Mitras for
ensuring uninterrupted delivery
of banking and financial services
to people in need during these
challenging times.”
He also mentioned that
many of these employees have
succumbed to COVID-19.
“All state/UT governments
are requested to instruct local
authorities to provide them
necessary help and support in
ensuring delivery of banking
and financial services. Vacci-
nating them on priority will
QR must on RT-PCR ADB commits $3.92 bn loan to India in 2020 Forex reserves up by
report from May 22
NEW DELHI: People flying
out of India from May 22 are
required to have a QR code
linking to their original RT-
PCR reports.
The new requirement has
arise due to a significant surge
in number of false/forged nega-
tive reports being furnished for
air travel.
Air India Express tweeted
Friday: “Attention passengers
boarding international flights
From India; Effective May 22,
2021, passengers carrying neg-
ative RT-PCR report as per the
requirement of their destina-
tion country, must ensure that
the report has a QR code link-
ing to the original report.”
Netherlands had on April
26 decided to suspend India
Power Grid Corporation raises Ant leapfrogs banks to top China fund sale rankings
`2,736 crore via InvIT OFS
NEW DELHI: State-run Power
Grid Corporation of India Ltd
(PGCIL) on Friday said it has
received Rs 2,736.02 crore
through sale of 27.41 crore units
in the PowerGrid Infrastruc-
ture Investment Trust (PGIn-
vIT) offer for sale. Earlier in the
day, the units issued by PGInvIT
were listed on NSE and BSE.
PGCIL has created the PGInvIT
to monetise its assets.
The initial portfolio of assets
in the InvIT comprises five spe-
cial purpose vehicles (SPVs)
-- PowerGrid Vizag Transmis-
sion Ltd (PVTL), PowerGrid
Kala Amb Transmission Ltd
(PKATL), PowerGrid Parli
Transmission Ltd (PPTL),
PowerGrid Warora Transmis-
Price hike in anti-Covid medical supplies due to import of raw materials: China
Giving details of the materials procured by India recently, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying said in April, China exported
to India over 26,000 ventilators and Oxygen concentrators, over 15,000 monitors and nearly 3,800 tonnes of medicine materials and drugs
BEIJING: China on Friday
said the prices of some of the
COVID-19 medical supplies
like oxygen concentrators
being procured by Indian com-
panies from Chinese manu-
facturers have gone up as they
had to import raw materials
to meet the excess demand
from India.
Responding to a question
from the official media here
on India’s Consul General in
Hong Kong Priyanka Chau-
han’s recent remarks calling on
China to stop surging prices of
medical supplies to India, Chi-
nese Foreign Ministry spokes-
Business
Tagging the letter, Department of Financial
Services Secretary Debasish Panda
tweeted, ‘Kudos to our Bankers, Insurers,
Payment Service Providers, Bank Mitras for
ensuring uninterrupted delivery of banking
and financial services to people in need
during these challenging times’
mitigate their high exposure state law enforcement author-
to risk in delivery of public ser- ities even during permitted
vice,” he said. banking hours, accompanied
Raising the issues of some by threats. While bank employ-
instances of manhandling by ees are already braving risks
state law enforcement authori- to their health and need to be
ties during local lockdowns, the assured about their safety, these
letter also asked state adminis- incidents end up demoralising
tration to ensure easy movement them...and disruption in ser-
of officials for discharge of duty. vices,” it said.
“Likewise, offices of banks This becomes impediment
and branches have occasionally to account holders access to
been ordered to shut down by funds in their hours of needs,
$1.444 bn to $589.465 bn
NEW DELHI: The Asian
ADB also granted Development Bank on Friday
said it has committed a record
$3.92 billion in sovereign
loans for 13 projects to India
in 2020, including $1.8 billion
in COVID-19 related projects
to support the government’s
pandemic response.
As part of the pandemic sup-
port to India, the Manila-head-
quartered multilateral agency
flights as “the epidemiologi- said it has provided emergency
cal situation on the ground (in assistance to contain the disease
India) is very serious…” The and establish social protection
Netherlands Embassy in India measures for relief to the poor
tweeted Friday that the “ban and other vulnerable groups.
on passenger flights from India ADB also approved financ-
has been extended until June ing to help the government
1, 2021.” improve equitable access to
Some categories of trav- comprehensive primary health
ellers are exempt from this care in urban areas.
flight ban rule, including This is ADB’s highest-ever
healthcare workers and Dutch annual lending commitment
nationals.  AGENCIES to India since the start of its
China Merchants
sion Ltd (PWTL) and Power- by way of Offer for Sale (OFS).
Grid Jabalpur Transmission Ltd PGCIL received an amount
(PJTL). of Rs 2736.02 crore (net of
PGCIL, under the process of STT) against the OFS, it stated.
monetisation of assets through Earlier this month, the ini-
the InvIT, has transferred 74 per tial public offer of PowerGrid
cent of its shareholding to the Infrastructure Investment
PGInvIT, it said in a BSE filing. Trust was subscribed 4.83
In lieu of consideration of times. Price range for the offer
shareholding so transferred, was at Rs 99-100 per unit.
units were allotted by PGIn- PGInvIT closed the trade
vIT to PGCIL. Out of the total with a premium of 3 per cent
410,650,900 units allotted to on Friday against its issue price
PGCIL, 136,500,100 units (15 of Rs 100.
per cent of total units of PGIn- InvITs are instruments on
vIT outstanding post issue, to be the pattern of mutual funds
locked-in from the date of list- and are designed to pool small
ing of units pursuant to InvIT sums of money from a num-
Regulations) were retained ber of investors to invest in
by PGCIL. The remaining assets that give cash flow over
27,41,50,800 units were sold a period of time.  PTI
person Hua Chunying told a that they had to import raw
media briefing that China has materials to meet the excess
been encouraging its compa- demand from India.
nies to meet India’s procure- Just taking oxygen con-
ment to meet the country’s centrators as an example, the
surge in Coronavirus cases. demand in India has soared
Soaring prices of medi- by several times in just a short
cal supplies like oxygen con- period of time and the raw
centrators and disruption of materials are also in shortage,
cargo flights to India are slow- Hua said.
ing arrivals of medical goods, The Indian side has also
Chauhan said this week. raised their demand through
On price increases, espe- different channels, which has
cially of the oxygen concen- led to excessive demand in the
trators, the Chinese foreign market and driven up prices
ministry spokesperson said because the Chinese manufac-
that the feedback from the Chi- turers have to import some of
nese manufacturers suggests the raw materials from other
Highlights
»»Offices of banks
and branches have
occasionally been
ordered to shut down by
state law enforcement
authorities even during
permitted banking hours,
accompanied by threats
»»While bank employees
are already braving risks
to their health and need
to be assured about their
safety, these incidents end
up demoralising them
»»Out of total strength of
13.5 lakh employees in
the banking sector, about
600 deaths due to Covid
were recorded last year,
as per IBA
disbursement of DBT pay-
ments, extension of credit to
mitigate disruption to business,
etc which should otherwise be
uninterrupted and seamless,
it said.
Panda also asked the chief
secretaries to instruct dis-
trict administration and local
authorities to cooperate with
bank and financial services
employees, provide adequate
security to them and not impede
lending operations in 1986, it
said, adding it has also com-
mitted $356.1 million through
its non-sovereign operations to
India, including three COVID-
19 support projects.
Going forward, ADB stands
ready to provide additional
resources to address India’s
many COVID-19 related chal-
lenges, including funds to
expedite the country’s ongo-
ing vaccination programme
and build the health system’s
SHANGHAI: Alibaba affiliate
Ant Group became China’s larg-
est seller of non-money-market
mutual funds in the first quarter,
industry data showed, disrupting
a market dominated by banks
despite a regulatory crackdown.
Ant and Alibaba are being
targeted by Beijing’s anti-
monopoly campaign. Regula-
tors have urged Ant to reduce
the size of Yu’ebao, China’s big-
gest money market fund man-
aged by Ant-controlled mutual
fund house Tianhong, Reuters
reported. Outstanding non-
money-market mutual funds
sold by Ant’s fund sales arm
were worth 890.1 billion yuan
($138.23 billion) at the end of
the first quarter of 2021, accord-
ing to data released late Thurs-
day by the Asset Management
Association of China (AMAC).
Chinese Foreign Ministry
spokesperson Hua Chunying
countries, she said.
About Chauhan’s call for
increasing cargo flights, Hua
did not give a direct reply but
expressed Beijing’s commit-
ment to keep the industrial
their functioning or movement.
Welcoming the move, All
India Bank Employees Asso-
ciation general secretary C H
Vekatachlam said priority Vac-
cination is very important.
Vekatachlam demanded
that the Department of Finan-
cial Services can also give some
minimum uniform guidelines
on working of banks.
It is to be noted that the Par-
liamentary Standing Committee
on Home Affairs on Manage-
ment of COVID-19 pandemic
and related issues, in its 229th
report, appreciated the efforts
and pain taken by the bank-
ing sector for providing unin-
terrupted service during the
COVID-19 outbreak and con-
sequent lockdown.
The Committee placed on
record the good work done by
them and has also recognised
them as Covid warriors.
Last month, the Department
of Financial Services requested
the health and home minis-
tries for issuing instructions
for enabling COVID-19 vacci-
nation of employees of banks
and those involved in the bank-
ing activities.
Out of total strength of 13.5
lakh employees in the banking
sector, about 600 deaths due to
COVID-19 were recorded last
year, as per the Indian Banks’
Association (IBA) data.
funds to support
the West Bengal
government’s
fiscal
consolidation
programme
resilience against future shocks,
with supplementary support to
protect small businesses, and
underpin education and social
protection, said Takeo Konishi,
Country Director for ADB in
India. It further said throughout
2020, ADB continued its regular
assistance to energy, transport,
urban development, and public
sector management in India.
As per the ADB’s release,
among the new projects com-
mitted in 2020 include $500
China Merchants Bank took
the second spot at 707.9 billion
yuan, followed by Industrial and
Commercial Bank of China, the
country’s biggest lender.
It was the first such ranking
released by AMAC, highlight-
ing the rapidly growing clout of
independent fund advisers that
sell funds via mobile apps and
supply chains open.
China is committed to
smooth global industrial and
supply chains and hopes that
all parties can work together to
ensure stability of global indus-
trial and supply chains instead
of disrupting the openness
and stability of these chains
for political purposes, she said.
We have faced similar prob-
lems before. We hope all parties
can work together to ensure
openness and stability of the
supply chains, Hua said.
The cargo flight disruptions
were amplified by the decision
by Sichuan Airlines to sus-
Markets end flat, BSE rises
slightly; Nifty below 14,700
OUR CORRESPONDENT
MUMBAI: The BSE Sensex
eked out marginal gains on
Friday after two sessions of
deep declines as investors
scooped up Asian Paints, RIL
and FMCG stocks amid a
rebounding trend in overseas
markets.
A recovering rupee also
propped up the market,
though the COVID-19 situa-
tion and pace of vaccination
weighed on investor senti-
ment, traders said.
The BSE benchmark swung
between gains and losses dur-
ing the session, before finally
finishing 41.75 points or 0.09
per cent higher at 48,732.55.
However, the broader NSE
Nifty slipped 18.70 points or
0.13 per cent to 14,677.80.
Asian Paints was the top
performer among the Sensex
components, rallying 8.51 per
cent, after the company on
Wednesday reported an 81.13
per cent jump in consolidated
net profit to Rs 869.89 crore for
the March quarter.
ITC, Nestle India, L&T,
HUL, PowerGrid and Reli-
ance Industries were among
the other winners.
On the other hand,
IndusInd Bank, M&M, Dr
Reddy’s, SBI, NTPC and
ONGC led the losers’ chart,
dropping up to 2.82 per cent.
Out of the 30 Sensex com-
panies, 20 finished in the red.
During the holiday-
truncated week, the Sensex
slumped 473.92 points or
0.96 per cent, while the Nifty
declined 145.35 points or 0.98
million to build a high-speed
82-kilometre Delhi-Meerut
Regional Rapid Transit sys-
tem corridor; energy sector
loans to strengthen distribu-
tion network in Maharash-
tra, Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh,
and Meghalaya and to build a
120-megawatt hydroelectric
power plant in Assam.
In the urban sector, ADB
approved loans for sustainable
urban development in second-
ary and smaller towns in Raj-
asthan and Madhya Pradesh.
ADB also granted funds
to support the West Bengal
government’s fiscal consoli-
dation programme. Through
its project readiness financ-
ing, ADB committed funds to
provide Tripura and Himachal
Pradesh with capacity develop-
ment support for planning and
designing.  PTI
Bank took the second
spot at 707.9 billion
yuan, followed
by Industrial and
Commercial Bank of
China, the country’s
biggest lender
the internet, by-passing bank
outlets.
“It’s.. about the strength of
big-tech-company-backed IFAs
(independent fund advisers),
how far they have reached, how
deep their client base is and how
adaptive they are to the market
trends,” said Ivan Shi, director at
Z-Ben Advisors, a consultancy.
pend all its 11 cargo flights for
15 days from April 26, citing
the coronavirus the situation
in India.
Though the state-run air-
line said it is reviewing its plans
to restore the flights, it is yet
to do so.
According to freight for-
warders in Shanghai, Sichuan
Airlines has announced plans
to restore three of its freight
flights from Chongqing and
Xian to Delhi from May 17.
We are concerned about the
epidemic situation in India and
we feel for what the Indian peo-
ple are going through. China
SATURDAY, 15 MAY, 2021 | NEW DELHI
NSE NIFTY
Intra-day on May 14, 2021
Open/ High:
14,749.40
Previous close:
14,696.50
Low:
14,591.90
9am 10 11 12 1pm 2 3
Rupee up 13 paise at
73.29 against dollar
MUMBAI: The Indian rupee
strengthened by 13 paise to
end at 73.29 (provisional)
against the US dollar on Fri-
day, tracking weaker Ameri-
can currency in the overseas
market.
At the interbank forex
market, the local unit opened
at 73.41 against the greenback
and witnessed an intra-day
high of 73.22 and a low of
73.41.
It finally ended at 73.29
against the American cur-
rency, registering a rise of
per cent.
Sectorally, BSE FMCG,
capital goods and consumer
durables ended on a positive
note, while metal, realty, utili-
ties and auto indices lost up to
3.61 per cent.
MUMBAI: The country’s
foreign exchange reserves
increased by $1.444 billion to
$589.465 billion in the week
ended May 7, 2021, RBI data
showed.
In the previous week ended
April 30, 2021, the reserves
had risen by $3.913 billion to
$588.02 billion.
The reserves had touched
a lifetime high of $590.185 bil-
lion in the week ended January
29, 2021.
During the reporting week
ended May 7, 2021, the increase
in reserves was on account of a
rise in foreign currency assets
(FCA), a major component of
the overall reserves.
FCA rose by $434 million to
$546.493 billion in the report-
ing week, the Reserve Bank
“It also speaks to how much
service and tool development
different tech companies have
put into their IFA platforms.”
Ant (Hangzhou) Funds Sales
Co’s main distribution chan-
nel is Ant’s ubiquitous payment
platform Alipay. Shi said Ant’s
top rankings could also reflect
lower risk appetite as investors
is one of the first countries to
offer help and support help to
India, Hua said.
She said the Chinese gov-
ernment has been guiding and
encouraging the Chinese com-
panies to facilitate India’s pro-
curing epidemic prevention
materials.
Many Chinese companies
and NGOs are providing help
to India in their own ways. To
my knowledge, the relevant
Chinese authorities have pro-
vided assistance in customs
clearance and transport for
India to bring materials from
China to India, Hua said.
millenniumpost
BSE SENSEX
Intra-day on May 14, 2021
Open/High:
-18.70 48,898.93 41.75
(-0.13%) (0.09%)
Previous close:
48,690.80
Close:
Close: 48,732.55
Low:
14,677.80
48,473.43
4 9am 10 11 12 1pm 2 3 4
KBK Infographics
13 paise over its previous
closing.
On Wednesday, the rupee
had settled at 73.42 against
the American currency.
Meanwhile, the dol-
lar index, which gauges the
greenback’s strength against
a basket of six currencies, fell
0.23 per cent to 90.54. For-
eign institutional investors
were net sellers in the capi-
tal market on Wednesday as
they offloaded shares worth
Rs 1,260.59 crore, as per
exchange data.  MPOST
Broader BSE midcap and
smallcap indices skidded as
much as 1.18 per cent.
Meanwhile, international
oil benchmark Brent crude
was trading 0.92 per cent
higher at $67.67 per barrel.
of India’s (RBI) weekly data
showed.
Expressed in dollar terms,
the foreign currency assets
include the effect of apprecia-
tion or depreciation of non-US
units like the euro, pound and
yen held in the foreign exchange
reserves.
Gold reserves surged by
$1.016 billion to $36.48 billion
in the reporting week, the data
showed.
The special drawing rights
(SDRs) with the International
Monetary Fund (IMF) were
down by $4 million to $1.503
billion.
The country’s reserve posi-
tion with the IMF declined by
$1 million to $4.989 billion in
the reporting week, the data
showed.  PTI
shift away from equities funds
to fixed-income products, which
are popular on Alipay.
“If you log into the Alipay
app, a lot of the products they
are promoting are short-term
bond funds, fixed income prod-
ucts. That’s a very quick response
to market trends, so that’s going
to catch a lot of outflows from
equity products.”
According to AMAC’s rank-
ing, Shanghai Tiantian Fund
Distribution ranked fifth dur-
ing the first quarter, while other
tech-driven sales platforms,
including Tencent’s fund sales
unit and Baidu’s Du Xiaoman
Fund Sales, far lagged Ant.
Revenues at Ant’s fund sales
company more than tripled to
6.01 billion yuan in 2020 from
a year earlier, public disclosures
showed.  AGENCIES
Giving details of the materi-
als procured by India recently,
she said in April, China
exported to India over 26,000
ventilators and Oxygen con-
centrators, over 15,000 moni-
tors and nearly 3,800 tonnes of
medicine materials and drugs.
Chinese companies have
received orders from India for
more than 70,000 oxygen con-
centrators and are stepping up
their production for early deliv-
ery, she said.
In addition, India has a
strong demand for raw and
auxiliary materials for vaccine
production.  PTI
millenniumpost
NEW DELHI | SATURDAY, 15 MAY, 2021
Neetu David's selection panel, CAC
members Lal, Naik under scanner
Raman was removed by Lal and Naik's CAC, which reinstated Ramesh
Powar, who was removed from the same post in 2018
NEW DELHI: Former opener
WV Raman's unceremonious
ouster from the Indian women's
team head coach's position has
opened a can of worms with
both the Madan Lal-headed
Cricket Advisory Committee
and Neetu David-led selection
panel coming under the scan-
ner of BCCI bigwigs.
Raman, who successfully
coached the women's team to
T20 World Cup final in Aus-
tralia and is widely acknowl-
edged as one of the best Indian
coaches, was removed by Lal
and Naik's CAC, which rein-
stated Ramesh Powar, who was
removed from the same post
in 2018.
Is Madan Lal's committee
illegal as per Lodha norms?
"Maddi paaji (that's how
Madan Lal is addressed in
Indian cricket fraternity) cel-
ebrated his 70th birthday on
March 20, 2021. The BCCI, in
its appeal to Supreme Court
against some of the reforms,
doesn't ask for roll-back of age-
cap of 70 years. So how come
Madan Lal was allowed to sit in
CAC meeting?," a senior mem-
ber asked.
While the BCCI has no
intention of using its veto to
Hopefully if IPL gets Alves and
rescheduled, I will be Silva back for with win to reach Italian Open semis gets maiden
able to go again: Archer Brazil in WC
LONDON: England speed-
ster Jofra Archer, who made
a successful return to cricket
from an injury lay-off, said
he is hopeful of returning to
India for the now-suspended
IPL if it is rescheduled later
in the year.
The 26-year-old had
missed the IPL due to an elbow
injury that he sustained during
England's tour of India.
After recovering from the
injury, Archer turned out for
Sussex in a County Champi-
onship game against Kent on
Thursday and finished with
figures of 2 for 29 from his 13
overs.
"If I did go to India, I prob-
ably would have come home
early anyway. Hopefully, if
it (IPL) does get resched-
uled for this year, I will be
able to go again," said Archer
on Sussex Cricket YouTube
channel.
"It was a hard decision not
to go to India, it was really
Hussey tests
COVID-19
negative,
Wriddhiman
+ve again
NEW DELHI: Chennai Super
Kings batting coach Michael
Hussey has recovered from
COVID-19, paving the way
for his return to Australia on
Sunday but Sunrisers Hyder-
abad's Wriddhiman Saha has
received conflicting results in
two Coronavirus tests, prolong-
ing his isolation.
Saha, who has been named
in India's squad for the World
Test Championship final and the
subsequent Test series against
England, is hoping to join the
squad's bio-bubble in Mumbai
on May 25. His inclusion is sub-
ject to fitness. Both Hussey and
Saha had first tested positive
during the now suspended IPL.
"Hussey has returned with
negative RT-PCR results and
has recovered well. We haven't
yet decided when he is going to
fly back and which route he will
take -- Maldives or Australia,"
CSK CEO Kashi Viswanathan
said on Friday. Save Hussey, the
other Australians, including
current players, commentators,
coaches and support staff, in the
IPL took a detour to Maldives
where they have quarantined
and will be flying back to Aus-
tralia by Sunday.  AGENCIES
Madan Lal
over-rule Lal and Naik, the
board's top officials are unable
to wrap their heads around as
to what led to recommendation
of Raman's removal.
Sulakshana Naik's role in
CAC meetings
Former India player Sulak-
shana is the younger sister
of Mumbai Cricket Associa-
tion secretary Sanjay Naik.
She has so far attended three
CAC meetings for various
appointments.
Someone who is abreast
with how the eight interviews
were conducted said that it felt
as if Naik had made up her
Nadal ends losing streak against Zverev Indrani Roy
Jofra Archer
unpredictable, I could have
gone but I don't know how
many games I would have
played."
The IPL was indefinitely
suspended last Tuesday after
multiple COVID cases inside
the bio-bubble.
Archer, who had picked up
20 wickets for his IPL team
Rajasthan Royals last season,
said: "Rajasthan Royals and
England supported me in my
decision. You obviously built
a good relationship as I have
been with the Royals for the
last three years.”  AGENCIES
Atlético can clinch Spanish league
title with win if Madrid stumble
Atlético lead Real Madrid by 2 points with two matches remaining and
will win the title if it beat Osasuna and Madrid fail to win at Bilbao
BARCELONA: With a little
help from their hated local
rivals, Atlético Madrid can
clinch its first Spanish league
title in seven years on Sunday.
Atlético leads defending
champion Real Madrid by
two points with two matches
remaining and will win the
title if it beats Osasuna at home
and Madrid fails to win at Ath-
letic Bilbao.
Any other combination of
results will send it to the final
round, and possibly bring
Barcelona back into the mix.
Atletico visits Valladolid and
Madrid hosts Villarreal on the
final weekend. Madrid holds
the head-to-head tiebreaker
if they finish even on points.
Atlético protected its lead
on Wednesday by beating Real
Sociedad 2-1 with goals from
forwards Yannick Carrasco
and Ángel Correa. Madrid
kept pace on Thursday with a
4-1 victory at Granada.
“I didn’t watch Atlético’s
game yesterday. Everyone is
focused on their own thing,”
Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut
Courtois said after beating
Granada.
RAMAN EFFECT
mind that Raman had to be
removed for just one bad series,
despite knowing fully well that
selection was not in his hands
and it was done by her ex-team-
mate, Neetu David's panel.
"One surprising question
that Raman was asked was how
can he claim credit for women's
team reaching T20 final as this
is a team that was prepared by
Ramesh Powar," the source said.
The line of questioning,
according to the official, was
clear that the platform was set
for Powar to be reinstated.
"Even if we presume that
Ramesh and Mithali Raj had
India
qualifying
SAO PAULO: Veteran defend-
ers Dani Alves and Thiago Silva
were brought back into the Bra-
zil squad on Friday for next
month's World Cup qualifying
matches against Ecuador and
Paraguay.
Brazil coach Tite said the
38-year-old Alves and the
36-year-old Silva were called
up because they are athletes
who happen to play soccer.
Alves, a former Barcelona
right back, is one of the key
players for Sao Paulo, while
Silva has reached the Champi-
ons League final with Chelsea.
Brazil leads the South
American qualifying group
with four wins from four
matches, two points ahead of
Argentina.
The 10 South American
teams had been scheduled
to play matches in March,
but they were postponed
because of the Coronavirus
pandemic.  AGENCIES
“Atletico feel confident
because they’ve won. We have
to focus on what we do our-
selves and win our games,”
Courtois said. “There’s another
final coming up against Ath-
letic this Sunday and after the
game we’ll look at the Atlético
result.”
Before joining Madrid
via a stint at Chelsea, Cour-
tois helped Atlético win its last
league title in 2014. Since then,
Barcelona and Madrid have
returned to divvying up the
titles between them.
Midfielder Koke Resurrec-
ción and defender José Gimé-
nez are the only holdouts from
that championship team seven
years ago. Koke made his 500th
appearance for Atlético against
Sociedad.
“The only thing that mat-
ters is the work I have put in
all these years and have to keep
going,” Koke said about his
milestone. “(But) I care about
the team, not what I achieve
individually, and I hope that
we can have the perfect finish
to the season by winning the
league title.”
The field to win the most
problems back then and it
wasn't good enough ground
to remove Ramesh, does two
wrongs make a right," he
questioned.
"If you go by the argu-
ment Sulakshana gave during
Raman's 45-minute presenta-
tion, by that logic, Ramesh is
inheriting a team that Raman
prepared," he countered.
Did Raman and Neetu
David have a fall-out during
SA selection?
The PTI has confirmed
from multiple sources that
Raman had red-flagged the
kind of squad that David, Arati
Vaidya, Renu Margrate, Mithu
Mukherjee and V Kalpana
picked for the South Africa
series, for which teen batting
sensation Shafali Verma was
not picked for the ODIs and
senior pacer Shikha Pandey was
inexplicably dropped.
While both David and
Raman couldn't be contacted
for corroboration, it is under-
stood that the BCCI nowadays
records all selection meetings.
The just-removed coach didn't
approve the changes.
"Do you know what kind
of logic was given for drop-
ping Shikha and Shafali? It
ROME: Rafael Nadal ended a
run of three straight losses to
Alexander Zverev with a con-
vincing 6-3, 6-4 win over the
German to reach the Italian
Open semifinals on Friday.
Zverev beat Nadal in straight
sets at the same stage in Madrid
a week ago and their latest meet-
ing was also one-sided.
Nadal raced to 4-0 in the
first set and saved all eight break
points he faced in the second.
"I played more solid than
Madrid. Conditions are differ-
ent," Nadal said, alluding to the
fact that the high-altitude of the
Spanish capital allowed Zverev
to dominate more with his serve.
"Here are little bit more nor-
mal conditions. I was able to
control a little bit more."
Nadal, aiming for a record-
extending 10th Rome title, will
next face big-serving American
Reilly Opelka, who reached his
first Masters semifinals by edg-
ing Argentine qualifier Federico
Delbonis 7-5, 7-6 (2).
In the women's tournament,
top-ranked Ash Barty retired
tightly contested league in
years was essentially reduced
to two after both Barcelona
and Sevilla failed to keep pace.
Sevilla was always a long
shot, but the team really fell
out of touch after only one win
in its last three games. It is six
points back, and Atlético holds
the tiebreaker over Sevilla.
But Barcelona had put itself
right in the thick of things after
going 19 matches without a
loss, only for its defense to let it
down over the past month. The
team has conceded seven goals
in its last four games, including
a loss and back-to-back draws.
Barcelona’s hugely dis-
appointing 3-3 draw against
Levante in a match it led both
2-0 and 3-2 on Tuesday left it
four points behind Atlético.
The team, which hosts Celta
Vigo on Sunday, would need
both Atlético and Madrid to
fall apart to pull off a remark-
able comeback.
Ronald Koeman’s future at
Barcelona could depend on the
outcome.
“Coaches are always under
scrutiny, but I understand that
there are questions (about me)
is beyond comprehension," a
peeved senior official said.
The selectors said that
Pandey was unfit because she
hasn't worked hard on train-
ing during lockdown and was
"overweight".
"But when they were asked
to prove their point, they
couldn't simply do it," the offi-
cial alleged.
In the case of Shafali, her
fielding was questioned and put
forth as the reason for her non-
selection in the ODI team.
"If Raman had a counter-
question that if Shafali's field-
ing is a problem for 50-over
cricket, then it is bigger prob-
lem in T20 format where it is
more important. Then how is
she being selected in T20 for-
mat," the official asked.
The selection of leg-spin-
ner C Prathyusha and left arm
seamer Monica Patel has also
been questioned as they didn't
look ready for the rigours of
international cricket.
Prathyusha gave 60 odd
runs in 8 overs in one of the
games.
"How did Monica get
selected over Shikha Pandey?"
is a question that is being
asked.  AGENCIES
Spain's Rafael Nadal returns the ball to Germany's Alexander Zverev
during their quarter-final match at the Italian Open tennis tournament,
in Rome, Friday 
from her rainy quarterfinal
against 17-year-old American
Coco Gauff while leading 6-4,
2-1 due to a right arm injury.
Gauff 's opponent in her
first clay-court semifinal will be
French Open champion Iga Swi-
atek or two-time Rome cham-
pion Elina Svitolina.
In the other half of the draw,
2019 Rome champion Karo-
lina Pliskova rallied past 2017
after our second half (against
Levante),” Koeman said after
the draw. “We must keep
going. We have to prepare for
next season.”
The big question for Bar-
celona is if the Copa del Rey
title it won last month will be
enough to convince Lionel
Messi to stay when his con-
tract expires in a few weeks.
Madrid will be without
midfielder Toni Kroos for the
game at Bilbao after the club
said he was in isolation after
being in close contact with a
person with COVID-19.
Kroos has tested negative,
Madrid said.
Kroos has been a key player
for Zidane this season. The
German international leads
his team with 10 assists.
Two games will have the
first fans back in the stands for
a top-tier match in Spain since
the start of the pandemic 14
months ago.
Health authorities
announced this week that
fans could return in a lim-
ited number to matches in
regions with low rates of
Coronavirus.  AGENCIES
Sport mp 11
Protests outside, struggles
inside: Man U lose to Liverpool
MANCHESTER: The beefed-
up defense outside Old Trafford
was more robust than Man-
chester United's on the pitch
inside.
While United supporters
again protested against the
owning Glazer family facing
riot police and new steel barri-
ers to guard the entrances the
game against Liverpool went
ahead as planned after being
called off 11 days earlier when
some fans were able to storm
the pitch.
United might have wished
it hadn't, losing 4-2 for its first
home defeat against its fiercest
rival since J rgen Klopp took
charge of Liverpool six years
ago after Roberto Firmino
scored twice.
Not only was this Unit-
ed's third game since Sunday
with this rearranged fixture
squeezed into the week but the
players had to get to the sta-
dium much earlier than usual
after being unable to leave their
hotel on May 2 due to the pro-
tests at Old Trafford.
"The players handled the
situation well," United man-
ager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer said.
"None of them have been
complaining. They have got on
with it. The preparations have
been different. We're not going
to make an excuse of that."
He also downplayed the
sloppy defensive display, which
was more demoralizing than
impactful given United has a
four-point cushion in second
place with two games remain-
ing. "Football would be really
boring if no one made a mis-
PTI
French Open winner Jelena
Ostapenko 4-6, 7-5, 7-6 (1) and
will play Petra Martic.
Martic eliminated Jessica
Pegula 7-5, 6-4 for her biggest
result since recently hiring for-
mer French Open champion
Francesca Schiavone as her
coach.
The only real moment of
concern for Nadal came when
he tripped over the service line
Manchester United fans let off flares and hold a banner as they protest
against the Glazer family, the American owners of Manchester United,
before their English Premier League soccer match against Liverpool at
Old Trafford stadium in Manchester, England 
take," Solskjaer said.
"You try to eradicate them
and work on them."
For Liverpool, which was
playing its first game since its
reign as champion was offi-
cially ended by Manches-
ter City, the win means the
reset target of just making the
Champions League is still a
possibility. With three games
remaining, Liverpool is four
points behind fourth-place
Chelsea with a game in hand.
"I like the timing. We
needed it tonight the most,"
Klopp said of finally winning
at United. "We always play to
win, we just didn't see it often
this season."
While United is unbeaten
on the road, this was a sixth loss
of the Premier League season at
a home that will have the fans
back inside next week for the
first time since before the pan-
while running down a drop shot
when he was serving for the
first set.
The crowd of about 2,500 let
out a collective gasp as Nadal
tumbled onto the clay and rolled
over onto his back wincing in
apparent pain.
After putting Nadal's reply
away for an easy winner the
Spaniard still managed to get the
ball over the net Zverev hopped
over the net to check on the
20-time Grand Slam champion.
Nadal got up, though, dusted
himself off and served out the
set with his back and even head-
band still covered in clay.
"Some lines are higher than
the rest of court, so when you
touch the line it's dangerous,"
Nadal said. Zverev, the 2017
Rome champion and Madrid
winner last weekend, had
numerous opportunities to
recover from an early break in
the second set but Nadal stepped
up his game each time and
closed it out on his first match
point with a perfectly executed
serve-and-volley.  AGENCIES
PTI
demic in March 2020. Never
before in the Premier League
has United conceded as many
as 27 home goals in a season.
It was a Liverpool defender,
though, who helped United go
ahead when Nat Phillips acci-
dentally helped to divert the
shot from Fernandes into the
net. "We started quite slow,"
Philips said.
"We knew, despite the
things that were happening at
the start, we had an extra gear.
So I didn't feel too worried."
But from a corner,
Mohamed Salah's blocked shot
was not cleared and a follow-up
effort from Phillips was flicked
in by Diogo Jota in the 34th
minute.
"It was only a matter of time
because we turned it around,"
Philips said, "got ourselves
together and started to play
the way we should do." AGENCIES
call-up
NEW DELHI: Rookie wick-
etkeeper-batter Indrani Roy
from Jharkhand was rewarded
with maiden Test and ODI call-
up for India's tour of England
next month but senior left-arm
spinner Rajeshwari Gayakwad
missed out as she is recovering
from COVID-19.
The 29-year-old Gayakwad
is also nursing an injury.
The Neetu David led selec-
tion panel made a course correc-
tion with teen batting sensation
Shafali Verma and seasoned
pacer Shikha Pandey making
it to all three squads after their
South Africa home series snubs.
"This time Neetu and her col-
leagues didn't go for any outra-
geous experiments. Shafali and
Shikha were two of the earliest
names listed in all three squads.
There was one Swetha Verma of
UP whose name was discussed
but it was found that she hasn't
even scored 200 runs in a sea-
son," a source said.  AGENCIES
12 mp Entertainment millenniumpost
SATURDAY, 15 MAY, 2021 | NEW DELHI

‘Not the kind of person Salman Khan’s ‘Radhe’

scores 2.4 on IMDb
who lives in fear’
Rakul Preet Singh credits her success for
not feeling scared of losing stardom

B ollywood actor Rakul Preet Singh,

who is one of the busiest actors in
the Hindi film industry, credits her
success to her ability to not cower down or
be scared of losing stardom.
“Ultimately it boils down to when peo-
ple start appreciating your work. That is
what you work for. That one smile you
bring on someone’s face or when they come
and say ‘we loved that film of yours’, that
just makes you so happy,” says Rakul.
Singh adds, “I’m not the kind of person
who lives in fear. I came with nothing and
I always see the brighter side that I got the
opportunity where so many people want
to do films. I got the opportunity and I’m

living my dream!”
The ‘De De Pyaar De’ star
shares that she constantly
thinks of ‘hoping to
entertain and to try doing
different kinds of work’
Rakul has a long line-up of films over
the next months. Currently, she awaits the
release of the OTT film ‘Sardar Ka Grand-
son’, co-starring Arjun Kapoor. She has
‘Mayday’ coming up, with Amitabh Bach-
chan and the film’s actor-director Ajay
Devgn. In ‘Attack’, she shares screen space
with John Abraham. She also has ‘Thank
God’ with Ajay Devgn and Sidharth Mal-
hotra, Kamal Haasan’s ‘Indian 2’ and the
Ayushmann Khurrana-starrer ‘Doctor G’.
“There is so much love from the audi-
ence and the constant thought is to just
S
alman Khan’s recently
released ‘Radhe:
Your Most Wanted
Bhai’ did not fare well on
‘IMDb’. A Prabhudeva
directorial, the film is
an action drama that
sees Khan assuming
the role of a cop once
again after ‘Dabangg
3’.
keep doing work, hoping to entertain and Even many die-
to try doing different kinds of work,” she hard fans of the Bol-
shares. lywood superstar
Rakul mentions, “For me, what is were not pleased
important is a permutation and com- with how the film
bination. Sometimes you choose a film turned out. The film
because you love the story and you want to became one of the
be a part of the message of the film or the lowest-rated movies on
entire setup of the film itself. Some- ‘IMDb’ featuring Salman
times you go by your character and the Khan with a score of 2.4,
script. Sometimes you go by the actor and though ‘Race 3’ remains the
director.” AGENCIES lowest-rated Salman Khan-
A trend on ‘Twitter’
from the netizens
called for a boycott
of the actor’s
latest release
starrer with a rating of 1.9.
Every fan of Salman Khan
was hugely excited about
‘Radhe’ like they are with any
Salman project, but soon the
film became a target for jokes.
Stand-up comic Abijit Gan-
guly tweeted, “Any vaccine for
‘Radhe’?”
The film had earlier crashed
the servers of ‘Zee5’. Not only
that, but a trend on ‘Twitter’
from the netizens called for a
boycott of the film.
A series of tweets show-
cased that some viewers did not
like the use of the name ‘Radhe’
in the title for religious rea-
sons. Another series of tweets
consisted of people who had
been calling for a boycott of
Bollywood as a whole. Some
fans of Sushant Singh Rajput
also called for the boycott
of Salman and Disha-starrer
film.
Despite Salman’s appeal to
his fans to prevent piracy ahead
of ‘Radhe’, his latest Eid out-
ing was leaked on piracy sites
within hours of its release. It is
now available on the internet in
HD quality on ‘Telegram’ and
‘Tamilrockers’.
‘Radhe’ also stars Disha
Patani, Jackie Shroff and Ran-
deep Hooda. AGENCIES

Subodh Chopra dies post Woman who swayed to a hit Bollywood

COVID-19 complications
S ubodh Chopra, the
dialogue writer of
films like the Emraan
Hashmi and Mallika Sher-
awat-starrer ‘Murder’ and
the Irrfan Khan-led ‘Rog’
breathed his last at 11:30
am on May 14. He was 49.
Subodh’s younger
brother Shanky revealed
that the dialogue writer
had recovered from
COVID-19.
“Subodh had tested
negative the previous week
on May 8, but his condition
took a turn for the worse
on May 10. His oxygen
levels suddenly dropped
and I made arrangements
for a cylinder at home. He
was feeling very exhausted
and his blood pressure
had risen as well. On the
morning of May 14, his
condition deteriorated fur-
ther and I admitted him to
The late dialogue
writer had written
lines for Bollywood
films such as
‘Murder’ and ‘Rog’
the ‘Lifeline Hospital’ in
Malad. However, he passed
away after a cardiac arrest.
These were all complica-
tions that came after he
got COVID-19 free,” said
Shanky.
Shanky further revealed
that Subodh was extremely
keen to direct a Hindi film.
“He had directed a
Malayalam film ‘Vasudha’
and he was extremely
talented,” the brother
mentioned.
The brothers were close
and lived together. AGENCIES
song died due to COVID-19
A 30-year-old woman in an oxygen
mask inside a COVID-19 emer-
gency ward in Delhi, who swayed
to a hit Bollywood song with a smile on
her face, had recently become viral and
won the hearts of the netizens. Her doc-
tor, Dr Monika Langeh, had appealed for
prayers to help her come through, but
the woman breathed her last on May 13.
“I am very sorry. We lost the brave
girl,” the doctor tweeted in her post.
She added, “Her family is mourning
and they did not take any help from any-
one despite what we offered them. I am
not in the state to talk about this at the
moment as I was emotionally connected
with her. I need some time.”
At first, the woman did not get a hos-
pital bed. She was later shifted to an ICU
ward where her condition was not serious.
In her previous post, Dr Langeh had
shared a video of the woman who waved
to the camera and swayed to the tunes of
‘Love You Zindagi’ from the Alia Bhatt-
starrer ‘Dear Zindagi’. The doctor had
said that a ‘little kid’ was waiting for that
woman at home.
Dr Monika Langeh had
shared a video of the
woman who waved to the
camera and swayed to the
tunes of ‘Love You Zindagi’
As the netizens came across the devas-
tating news, the doctor’s post drew an out-
pouring of grief and shock on the social
media platform.
A user was disturbed after having seen
the woman’s amazing spirit in the video.
Another user offered condolences to the
family and sent a word of praise to Dr
Langeh.
Bollywood actor Sonu Sood also
mourned her demise and said, “This is
so sad. She never would have imagined
that she will not be able to see her fam-
ily again. Life is so unfair. So many lives
which deserved to live are lost. No matter
how normal our life becomes but we will
never be able to come out of this phase.”
 AGENCIES

Aditya diverts ‘YRF 50’ celebration ‘TFATWS’ tops Nielsen’s

budget for COVID-19 relief
‘YRF’ will also start a new initiative that will see their
foundation provide cooked meals to the frontline workers
A ditya Chopra gave the
entire budget of ‘Yash
Raj Films’ (YRF) 50
years celebration to aid
the industry and daily-
wage earners at a time when
the country is battling with
the deadly second wave of
COVID-19.
‘YRF’ completed 50 years
in 2020 and Chopra had
plans to celebrate the mile-
stone event globally. But as the
second wave of the pandemic
shut down the film industry
once again, he chose to give
the ‘YRF 50’ budget for the
cause.
The production pow-
erhouse would also start a
new initiative that will see
their foundation provide
cooked meals to thousands of
frontline workers in Goreg-
aon and also feed people at
quarantine centres in And-
heri, from the YRF Studios’
kitchen.
The recent decision fol-
lowed Chopra’s launching the
‘Yash Chopra Saathi Initiative’
the previous week, which aims
at providing financial support
to thousands of film industry
workers.
“ ‘YRF’ will not be celebrat-
ing its 50th year even if things
return to normalcy later, as
Aditya Chopra has decided
to divert this entire fund for
The ‘Yash Raj
Foundation’ will
oversee direct
benefit transfers of
Rs 5000 to women
and senior citizens in
the industry
COVID-19 relief work. He
is clear that the funds need
to be used on an urgent basis
to restart the industry first,
as it has been hit the hardest
because of the virus,” stated a
trade source.
The source added that
Aditya only wants to concen-
trate on helping the indus-
try and the fraternity that has
been a support system to YRF
for the last 50 years too.
As part of the initiative,
the ‘Yash Raj Foundation’ will
oversee direct benefit trans-
fers of Rs 5000 to women and
senior citizens in the industry
as well as distribute ration kits
to workers for a family of four
for one month through their
NGO partner ‘Youth Feed
India’. AGENCIES
streaming charts
The ‘Disney+’ series beat out Amazon Prime
Video’s ‘Them’ and Netflix’s ‘The Circle’
‘Flag-Smashers’.
Daniel Brühl’s Baron Zemo
positive critical response. It
scored 87 percent on ‘Rotten
Captain America’s legacy with
its globetrotting intrigue,
‘T
and the new Captain America Tomatoes’. The critical con- mature social
he Falcon and the (played by Wyatt sensus read, “Packed commentary and
Winter Soldier’, the Russell) are also with blockbuster the sparky rap-
second ‘Disney+ there to com- action and deft port between
MCU’ series after ‘WandaVi- plicate the character beats, Fal- stars Anthony
sion’, topped Nielsen’s stream- situation. con and the Win- Mackie and
ing charts in the original series The show ter Soldier proves Sebastian Stan.”
categories from April 12 to received a themselves worthy of  AGENCIES
April 18 as per ‘The Hollywood
Reporter’. It beat out Amazon
Prime Video’s ‘Them’ and Net-
flix’s ‘The Circle’ to achieve this
feat.
855 million minutes of Fal-
con and Winter Soldier were
viewed during the week, as
opposed to Them’s 670 million
and The Circle’s 443 million.
‘The Falcon and the Winter
Soldier’, created by Malcolm
Spellman and directed by Kari
Skogland, turned out as the
only second ‘Disney+’ series to
claim the first spot in Nielsen’s
rankings.
Set after the events of
‘Avengers: Endgame’, Falcon
and Winter Soldier has Sam
Wilson (Anthony Mackie)
and Bucky Barnes (Sebas-
tian Stan) teaming up to deal
with the anarchist group