Archives for June 2021

Bengaluru: Karnataka reported less than 5,000 new COVID-19 cases and 120 deaths on Sunday, taking the total caseload to 28.06 lakh and the toll to 33,883.

The day also saw 8,456 discharges, continuing to outnumber fresh cases, taking the total number of recoveries in the state so far to 26,45,735.

Out of the 4,517 new cases, 933 were from Bengaluru Urban, as the city saw 1,902 discharges and 12 deaths.

The total number of active cases in the state is now 1,26,813.

While the positivity rate stood at 2.58 per cent, the Case Fatality Rate (CFR) was 2.65 per cent.

Out of the 120 deaths reported on Sunday, 17 were from Mysuru, Bengaluru Urban and Ballari (12), Dakshina Kannada and Dharwad (11), Mandya (8) and Davangere (7),followed by others.

Among the districts where the new cases were reported, Bengaluru Urban accounted for 933, Mysuru 545, Dakshina Kannada 525, Hassan 346, while the rest were scattered in other districts.

Bengaluru Urban district headed the list of positive cases, with a total of 12,05,259, followed by Mysuru 1,62,083 and Tumakuru 1,13,685.

Among discharges too, Bengaluru Urban was on top with 11,18,531, followed by Mysuru 1,52,541 and Tumakuru 1,09,145.

Cumulatively a total of 3,27,39,539 samples have been tested in the state so far, out of which 1,74,521 were done on Sunday alone.

Mumbai: Shiv Sena MLA Pratap Sarnaik, who is under the Enforcement Directorate’s scanner for alleged money laundering, has written a letter to Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray appealing to him to reconcile with the BJP “before it is too late”.

In the letter dated June 10, Sarnaik said even though the alliance with the BJP has broken, personal and harmonious relations between leaders of the ‘yuti’ (Shiv Sena-BJP) remain.

“It is better to reconcile before it is too late,” the MLA said in the letter.

Notably, the Sena forged an alliance with the NCP and Congress and formed the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government in Maharashtra in 2019 after the Uddhav Thackeray-led party fell out with the BJP.

In November last year, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) raided premises linked to Sarnaik in Maharashtra in connection with a money laundering case being probed against a security service provider company and others.

The Shiv Sena had called the raids a “political vendetta” and said the Maharashtra government or its leaders will not surrender to pressure from anyone.

Noting that municipal corporation polls are due soon in several Maharashtra cities, including Mumbai, Sarnaik in his letter to the CM said, “I believe fighting a war like Arjun, instead of sacrificing oneself like Abhimanyu or Karna. This is the reason that I have been fighting my legal battle for the last seven months alone without getting any help from our leaders or our government .”

Sarnaik, who is an MLA from neighbouring Thane district, also alleged that the Congress and NCP were creating divisions in the Shiv Sena ranks.

“It is better to join hands with Prime Minister Narendra Modi again as Shiv Sainiks feel that would save the Sena leaders like me, Anil Parab and Ravindra Waikar from problems,” he said.

Notably, former BJP MP Kirit Somaiya had accused the three Sena leaders of indulging in corrupt practices.

Sarnaik, in his letter, did not name Somaiya, but said a leader “who has become a ‘former MP’ because of the Sena” is maligning the party.

Sarnaik also claimed that Shiv Sena MLAs feel only the work of Congress and NCP legislators is being done and not of those from his party.

“Shiv Sena MLAs wonder whether the MVA has been formed, by breaking the alliance with the BJP, to help the Congress and NCP grow,” he said.

Sarnaik also said in the letter that while CM Thackeray was focusing only on COVID-19 eradication, the Congress was talking of going alone in next elections and the NCP was busy “breaking” Shiv Sena workers and inducting them into the Sharad Pawar-led party.

Meanwhile, reacting to Sarnaik’s letter, Somaiya said the Sena MLA seems to be worried about jail now and so, he has asked CM Thackeray to join hands with PM Modi and the BJP.

“All corrupt leaders of the Shiv Sena – Pratap Sarnaik, Anil Parab, Ravindra Waikar – will have to be in jail,” the BJP leader said in a statement.

Somaiya also said he had lodged a complaint at a police station in Thane about Sarnaik “missing” for last 100 days.

By:The Indian Express

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Former Health Minister KK Shailaja has been chosen for the prestigious Central European University (CEU) Open Society Prize. She has been selected for the award in recognition of her commitment to public health services.

Open Society Prize, the highest civilian recognition by the university, is annually awarded to persons of exceptional distinction who serve the ideals of an open society. Past recipients of the award include eminent scientific philosopher Karl Popper, former United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan, Czech President and playwright Vaklav Howell and well-known economist Joseph Stiglitz. In 2020, Nobel Laureate Svetlana Alexeyevich received the Open Society Prize.

The award was announced during the virtual convocation of the University in Vienna on Friday. “The Open Society Prize is awarded this year to an extraordinary public servant from the developing world. As minister of public health in the Indian state of Kerala during the Covid-19 pandemic, KK Shailaja Teacher and the dedicated staff of the public health service demonstrated to the world that determined leadership, community-based public health and effective communication can save lives.

Her example will inspire young women to enter public service, and Kerala’s record in containing the epidemic gives hope to nations in the developing world. By awarding CEU’s highest award to Shailaja Teacher, the university honours a public servant and female leader for her commitment to public health services, the bedrock of every open society,” said CEU president Michael Ignatieff.

Responding to the award, KK Shailaja said she’s honoured to be placed alongside distinguished people who have made an important contribution to an open society. Shailaja said the world is grappling with a crisis of unprecedented scale, and recalled how Kerala set up a system to fight the pandemic.

“When we decided a strategy for battling the pandemic in Kerala, we know that it had to be centred on securing the government’s commitment and accountability to the people, as well as by working in synergy with the civil society. The state adopted an approach to systematically increase the capacity and resilience of the state’s public health system to prepare for effectively responding to other crises in future too,” she said.    

She narrated how the state put in place a system to address the crisis, right when reports started coming about a potential virus spreading in Wuhan. Shailaja said world leaders should rise to global challenges and work out new constructive solutions to build an equitable society. “As you step out into the world, this is an opportunity for each one of you to change the world and write history. Find that leader in you,” she said addressing the graduates who passed out from the University.

Kochi/New Delhi: The Lakshadweep administration, which has been facing widespread protests from the islands’ people over some of its policies, has mooted a proposal to shift its legal jurisdiction from the Kerala High Court to the Karnataka High Court, officials said.

The proposal was initiated by the administration after several litigations were moved before the Kerala High Court against the decisions taken by the islands’ new administrator Praful Khoda Patel.

These decisions included revising standard operating procedures for Covid appropriate behaviour, introduction of the “goonda act” and demolishing hutments of fishermen for widening of roads.

Patel, who is the administrator of Daman and Diu, was given the additional charge of the Union Territory of Lakshadweep in the first week of December last year, when the former administrator Dineshwar Sharma died after a brief illness.

This year, as many as 23 applications, including 11 writ petitions, have been filed against the administrator of Lakshadweep and also against the alleged high-handedness of either the police or the local government of the islands.

However, for reasons best known to the island’s administration, which is under the spotlight over its handling of these issues, it has made a proposal for shifting its legal jurisdiction from the high court of Kerala to Karnataka.

Efforts to seek comments from the advisor of the administrator, A Anbarasu, and Collector of Lakshadweep S Asker Ali did not fructify.

Mails to their official e-mails and WhatsApp messages did not elicit any response to a question asking the rationale behind mooting of the proposal for shifting of legal jurisdiction.

The jurisdiction of a high court can be shifted only through an act of Parliament, according to the law.

“Parliament may by law constitute a high court for a Union Territory or declare any court in any such territory to be a high court for all or any of the purposes of this Constitution,” according to Article 241 of the Constitution.

Section 4 of the same article mentions that “nothing in this article derogates from the power of Parliament to extend or exclude the jurisdiction of a high court for a state to, or from, any Union Territory or part thereof”.

Talking to PTI over phone, Lok Sabha member Mohammed Faizal P P said, “This was his (Patel) first attempt to shift the judicial jurisdiction from Kerala to Karnataka.”

“Why was he so particular to transfer it… it’s totally a misappropriation of the post. The mother tongue of the people on these islands is Malayalam,” he said.

“One should not forget the name of the high court is Kerala and Lakshadweep High Court. This proposal was conceived during his first visit to the islands,” Faizal said and asked was there a need for this and how could he justify the proposal.

Faizal said there have been 36 administrators before Patel and no one had this kind of an idea.

“However, if this proposal will see any light of the day, we will oppose it tooth and nail on the floor of Parliament as well as with the judiciary,” the Lok Sabha member from Nationalist Congress Party said.

He said the Save Lakshadweep Front (SLF) has been making appeals to the Centre for changing the administrator at the earliest.

“The SLF is a non-violent people’s movement which has been requesting the central leadership to change Patel with someone who can be people’s administrator,” he added.

Legal experts from Lakshadweep said that Malayalam is the spoken as well as the written language both in Kerala and Lakshadweep and, therefore, the process could be streamlined.

Shifting of the jurisdiction of the high court will change the entire judicial system of the islands as all the judicial officers are sent from the Kerala High Court because of the common language and script.

Prominent lawyer from Lakshadweep, C N Noorul Hidya, said that she had heard about the issue of changing jurisdiction.

“But that is not the right move. How can they change the jurisdiction when we share the bond of language and the court documents are accepted in Malayalam language only,” Hidya told PTI over phone from Lakshadweep.

She said that most of the people will be opposing any such move as that would virtually lead them to denial of justice.

“One has to understand that the high court in Kerala is just 400 kms away whereas that of Karnataka is over 1,000 kms with no direct connectivity as well,” Hidya said.

Legal experts also opined that changing of high court would also mean extra-burden on the exchequer as all the cases, at present under trial, would have to be heard again afresh.

New Delhi: The Centre has told the Supreme Court that ex-gratia compensation of Rs 4 lakh cannot be paid to the families of those who have died of COVID-19 as it is beyond fiscal affordability and the finances of central and state governments are under severe strain.

In an affidavit filed before the top court, the Ministry of Home Affairs said the Centre submitted that it has by ways of “Minimum Standard Relief”, under section 12 of the Disaster Management Act, 2005, taken several steps providing for substantial and speedy measures by way of increase in health, infrastructure, ensuring food safety to every citizen.

“The prayer of the petitioner for payment of ex-gratia to all deceased persons due to COVID-19 is beyond the fiscal affordability of the state governments. Already the finances of state governments and the central government are under severe strain due to the reduction in tax revenues and increase in health expenses on account of the pandemic.

“Thus, utilisation of scarce resources for giving ex-gratia may have unfortunate consequences of affecting the pandemic response and health expenditure in other aspects and hence cause more damage than good. It is an unfortunate but important fact that the resources of the governments have limits and any additional burden through ex-gratia will reduce the funds available for other health and welfare schemes,” the affidavit filed by the Centre said.

It further submitted that under the Disaster Management Act, 2005, Section 12, it is the “National Authority” which is empowered to recommend guidelines for the minimum standards of relief, including ex-gratia assistance and this is the function entrusted to the authority by the law passed by the Parliament.

“It is well settled through numerous judgements of the Supreme Court that this is a matter which should be performed by the authority, to whom it has been entrusted and not one where the Court will substitute its own judgement for the decision to be taken by the Executive.

“Any attempt to second guess may create unintended and unfortunate constitutional and administrative ramifications. It may also be noted that the term ‘ex-gratia’ itself connotes that the amount is not based on legal entitlement,” the affidavit stated.

The Centre told the apex court that it is wrong to state that the help can be provided only through ex-gratia assistance as “it would be a rather pedantic and narrow approach”.

“A broader approach, which involves health interventions, social protection, and economic recovery for the affected communities, would be a more prudent, responsible, and sustainable approach. Globally, the governments in other countries too have followed this approach, and have announced interventions that provide fiscal stimulus. Government of India has followed a similar approach,” it said.

Earlier, on June 11 , the Centre had told the top court that issues raised in the pleas, seeking directions for ex-gratia compensation of Rs 4,00,000 to the families of those who have died of COVID-19, are genuine and are under consideration of the government.

On May 24, the top court had sought the Centre’s reply on two petitions seeking ex-gratia compensation of Rs four lakh to the families of those who have died of COVID-19 and had said that there should be a uniform policy for issuing death certificates to those succumbing to the virus.

The court had also asked the Centre to place before it the ICMR guidelines on death certificates for COVID-19 victims, saying there should be a uniform policy for issuing such documents.

The counsel appearing for the Centre had on May 24 sought time to obtain instructions and bring all relevant materials regarding the scheme under Section 12(iii) of the Disaster Management Act, 2005 as well as the letter dated April 8, 2015, issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs with regard to compensation.

The apex court is hearing two separate pleas seeking directions to the Centre and the states to provide Rs 4 lakh compensation to the families of coronavirus victims as provisioned under the act, and a uniform policy for issuing death certificates.

Advocate Gaurav Kumar Bansal, one of the petitioners in the matter, had argued that under section 12(iii) of the Disaster Management Act, 2005, every family whose member died due to disaster is entitled for ex-gratia compensation of Rs 4 lakh.

He had argued that since COVID-19 has been declared as a disaster and as per the order dated April 8, 2015, every family whose member dies due to disaster is entitled for ex-gratia compensation of Rs 4 lakh.

The counsel, appearing for another petitioner Reepak Kansal, had argued that a large number of deaths were taking place due to COVID-19 and death certificates need to be issued, as only after that the affected family members can claim compensation under section 12 (iii) of the Act.

In his plea, Kansal has said that states should be directed to fulfil their obligation to take care of victims of COVID-19 and also their family members.

Agartala: Three people were allegedly lynched in the Khowai district of Tripura on suspicion of cattle theft in the early hours of Sunday, police said.

Villagers of Namanjoypara spotted a mini-truck heading towards Agartala, carrying five cattle, around 4.30 am, Superintendent of Police Kiran Kumar said.

They chased it and managed to stop the vehicle near North Maharanipur village, he said.

The villagers started thrashing the three people on the mini-truck with “lethal weapons”, and lynched two of them, while the other managed to flee, he said.

The mob got hold of the other person at Mungiakami, a tribal hamlet near North Maharanipur, and he was lynched there, the officer added.

Police reached the two locations immediately and took them first to a nearby hospital and then to the Agartala Government Medical College where the attending doctors declared that they were brought dead, Kumar said.

A case was registered and an investigation is underway, he said.

No arrests were made yet, police said.

Those killed were identified as Jayed Hossain (30), Billal Miah (28) and Saiful Islam (18), all residents of Sonamura subdivision in the Sepahijala district, they said.

Jaipur: A local Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) leader has been arrested for his alleged involvement in the lynching of Rakbar alias Akbar Khan on suspicion of cattle smuggling in Rajasthan’s Alwar district in 2018, police said on Sunday.

This is the fifth arrest made by the Ramgarh Police in the case.

Police had filed a charge sheet against four accused — Paramjeet Singh, Naresh Sharma, Vijay Kumar and Dharmendra Yadav — in 2019. Final arguments in the case are yet to be heard by the court.

Alwar SP Tejaswini Gautam said VHP leader Naval Kishore Sharma was arrested three-four days ago by the Ramgarh Police and the case was being investigated by an ASP-rank officer.

Rakbar and his friend Aslam were beaten up severely by a group of people on suspicion of cow smuggling in Ramgarh on July 20, 2018.

Rakbar’s family had accused Naval Kishore Sharma, the chief of Gau Raksha cell in Ramgarh, of leading a mob to beat him to death.

ASP (Rural) Shriman Meena, the investigating officer in the case, said the VHP leader was arrested on Thursday under IPC sections 302 (murder), 304 (culpable homicide) and others.

Naval Kishore Sharma has been taken under 10-day police remand, he said.

Special Public Prosecutor Ashok Kumar Sharma said Naval Kishore Sharma’s telephonic conversations were being examined for a long time after which his arrest was made.

He said the VHP leader gave an impression that he was helping the police in the case, but he was a part of the criminal conspiracy.

Rakbar and Aslam had allegedly purchased cows from Ladpura village and were taking them to their village in Haryana through a forested area near Lalawandi village when they were attacked by the accused.

Aslam had managed to escape, but Rakbar succumbed to injuries in a hospital.