Archives for May 2020

Raipur: A Chhattisgarh Armed Force (CAF) personnel allegedly opened fire at his colleagues in Narayanpur district of the state, killing two of them on the spot and injuring another one, police said on Saturday.

The incident took place on Friday night in a camp of the CAF’s 9th battalion at Aamdai Ghati under Chhotedongar police station limits, located around 350 km from capital Raipur, inspector general of police (Bastar range) Sundarraj P.

“Assistant platoon commander Ghanshyam Kumeti opened fire from his AK-47 rifle, killing two personnel and injuring another, following some dispute with them,” he said.

Platoon commander Bindeshwar Sahani and head constable Rameshwar Sahu were killed in the incident, while another platoon commander Lachhuram Premi sustained injuries, he said.

Kumeti has been arrested, the senior official said, adding that the injured man was airlifted to Raipur and was undergoing treatment at a private hospital, he said.

The personnel involved in the incident belonged to ‘B’ company of CAF’s 9th battalion, he added.

New Delhi: The death toll due to COVID-19 rose to 4,971 and the number of cases climbed to 1,73,763 in the country registering a record single day spike of 265 deaths and 7,964 cases till Saturday 8 am, according to the Union Health Ministry.

The number of active COVID-19 cases stood at 86,422 while 82,369 people have recovered and one patient has migrated, it said. In the last 24 hours, 11,264 patients have recovered.

“Thus, around 47.40 per cent patients have recovered so far,” a senior health ministry official said. The total confirmed cases includes foreigners.

Of the 265 deaths reported since Friday morning, 116 were in Maharashtra, 82 in Delhi, 20 in Gujarat, 13 in Madhya Pradesh, nine in Tamil Nadu, seven in West Bengal, four each in Telangana and Rajasthan, two in Punjab and one each in Chhattisgarh, Jammu and Kashmir, Andhra Pradesh, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Kerala, Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh.

Of the total 4,971 fatalities, Maharashtra tops the tally with 2,098 deaths followed by Gujarat (980), Delhi (398,) Madhya Pradesh (334), West Bengal (302), Uttar Pradesh (198), Rajasthan (184), Tamil Nadu (154), Telangana (71) and Andhra Pradesh (60).

The death toll reached 48 in Karnataka, 42 in Punjab, 28 in Jammu and Kashmir, 19 in Haryana, 15 in Bihar, eight in Kerala, and seven in Odisha.

Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand and Uttarakhand have registered five COVID-19 fatalities while Chandigarh and Assam have recorded four deaths each so far.

Meghalaya and Chhattisgarh have reported one COVID-19 fatality each, according to the ministry data. According to the ministry’s website, more than 70 per cent of the deaths are due to comorbidities.

PM IN OPEN LETTER TO COUNTRYMEN ON FIRST ANNIV OF HIS SECOND TERM

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi marked the first anniversary of his second term on Saturday by writing an open letter to his countrymen, asserting that India has started traversing on the path to “victory” in its long battle against COVID-19 while acknowledging “tremendous suffering” of migrant workers among others.

In normal circumstances, he would have been in people’s midst but the present conditions, a reference to the nationwide lockdown due to coronavirus, do not permit that, he said, explaining the reason for his writing the letter.

He said his government has taken “historic” decisions and the nation progressed rapidly in the last one year, even as he acknowledged that there is a lot that needs to be done and many challenges and problems face the country.

“I am working day and night. There could be deficiencies in me but there is nothing that our country lacks,” Modi said, adding, “I believe in you, your strength and your abilities even more than I believe in myself.”

He said India has surprised the world with its unity and resolve in the fight against coronavirus, and there is a firm belief that it will also set an example in economic revival.

Talking of the people’s sufferings, he said in a crisis of this magnitude, it can certainly not be claimed that no one suffered any inconvenience or discomfort.

“Our labourers, migrant workers, artisans and craftsmen in small scale industries, hawkers and such fellow countrymen have undergone tremendous suffering. We are working in a united and determined way to alleviate their troubles,” he said.

Modi asked people to take care to ensure that inconveniences that they are facing do not turn into disasters.

It is very important for every Indian to follow all rules and guidelines, he said, adding people have displayed patience so far and should continue to do so.

“This is one of the important reasons for India being safer and in a better state than many other countries. This is a long battle but we have started traversing on the path of victory, and victory is our collective resolve,” he said.

Referring to the post-COVID world, the prime minister said there is a widespread debate on how the economies of various countries, including India’s, will recover.

“However, given the way India has surprised the world with its unity and resolve in the fight against coronavirus, there is a firm belief that we will also set an example in economic revival,” Modi asserted.

Pitching for self-reliance, he said it is the “need of the hour.”

“We have to move forward based on our own abilities, in our own way, and there is only one way to do it – Aatmanirbhar Bharat or self-reliant India,” he said.

The recent Rs 20 lakh crore package given for Aatmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan is a major step in this direction, he said. He had announced the package in his recent address to the nation.

“This initiative will usher in a new era of opportunities for every Indian, be it our farmers, workers, small entrepreneurs or youth associated with start ups,” Modi pointed out.

Due to the pandemic this is certainly a time of crisis, he said, adding that for Indians this is also a time for a firm resolve.

“We must always remember that the present and future of 130 crore will never be dictated by an adversity. We will decide our present and our future. We will move ahead on the path of progress and victory will be ours,” he said.

Referring to an ancient saying, the prime minister said that if people have action and duty on one hand, then success is assured on the other hand.

He said as Parliament’s productivity increased, breaking records, several key legislations were passed.

As a result of the policies and decisions of the government, Modi said the rural-urban gap is shrinking.

“For the first time, the number of rural Indians using internet is 10 per cent more than the number of urban Indians,” he pointed out.

Recalling his return to power in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls with a bigger mandate, he said this day last year began a “golden chapter” in the history of Indian democracy, as it was after several decades that people of voted back a full term government with a full majority.

Modi and his Cabinet had taken oath on this day last year.

He said the people of India voted not merely for continuity but also with the dream of taking India to new heights and making it a global leader.

The decisions taken in the last one year are directed at fulfilling this dream, he said.

Noting that some of the decisions taken by his government were widely discussed and remain etched in public discourse, Modi asserted the nullification of Article 370 furthered the spirit of “national unity and integration”.

“The Ram Mandir judgment, delivered unanimously by the honourable Supreme Court of India, brought an amicable end to a debate persisting for centuries. The barbaric practice of triple talaq has been confined to the dustbin of history. Amendment to the Citizenship Act was an expression of India’s compassion and spirit of inclusiveness,” he said.

People feel involved and integrated in the development trajectory of the nation, and the light of ‘Jan Shakti’ and ‘Rashtra Shakti’ has ignited the entire nation.

“Powered by the mantra of ‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas’, India is marching forward in all spheres,” he said.

Actor Sonu Sood on Friday came to the rescue of 167 migrants stuck in Kerala by arranging a special chartered flight to help them reach their home in Odisha.

The group, comprising 147 women and 20 men, was airlifted by an Air Asia chartered flight from Kochi to the Biju Patnaik International Airport in Bhubaneswar.

“When I decided to come forward in support of these migrant workers who have been stranded, all that I had in my mind was how I can help reunite them with their families and homes,” Sonu said in a statement.

The Bollywood star thanked the national carrier for its “immediate response and interest in supporting this endeavor”.

“AirAsia India has been very appreciative that this Umeed Ki Udan may be the first flight for many of them. The Allstars of AirAsia who have been part of this journey have been true COVID warriors and have done everything possible to make the guests onboard comfortable,” Sonu added.

Anup Manjeshwar, Head, Sales & Distribution, AirAsia India, hailed the actor for starting the noble cause of helping the migrants.

“Mr. Sood’s compassion and empathy with the plight of migrant workers has been inspiring and it has been a pleasure working with him to facilitate this fantastic initiative and give wings to the dreams of 147 women and 20 men who work with a clothing and stitching firm on today’s flight,” he added.

Rajya Sabha MP Amar Patnaik took to Twitter to thank Sood for his “noble efforts”.

“@SonuSood Ji, your helping the Odia girls to return safely from Kerala is commendable. Kudos to your noble efforts. It’s incredible to see how you are helping the needy reach their homes safely. More strength to you,” Patnaik wrote on Twitter.

Amid the nationwide lockdown, the Odia women, most of whom were engaged in stitching and embroidery work in the textile sector in Kerala, had been trying to return for the last several weeks and finally, their plight was posted by someone on Twitter which led to Sood’s help.

Initially, it was proposed to bring back the young women by bus or train but Sood offered to send them in a special plane, said an airline official.

The special flight carrying them from Kochi airport landed at Bhubaneswar airport on Friday, said an official.

“We are extremely thankful to Sonu Sood for making arrangements for our return to Odisha. We will be able to meet our family members after so many months,” said one of the migrants.

As all the returnees hailed from Kendrapara, the state government had made adequate arrangements for their journey to the coastal district.

Kendrapara Collector Samarth Verma told PTI that the district administration had sent four buses to pick up the women from the Bhubaneswar airport. The returnees were offered food, water, and other necessities and traveled to Kendrapara by maintaining social distancing.

All of them have been placed in institutional quarantine. They will be under mandatory quarantine for seven days at the government-run facilities at the district headquarters town, he said.

Thereafter, they will have to be under home quarantine for another seven days, Verma added.

Sonu and his friend Neeti Goel have won hearts with their ‘Ghar Bhejo’ initiative.

The actor facilitated several buses for workers stuck in Mumbai due to the coronavirus-forced nationwide lockdown. The actor has transported workers to far off states such as Karnataka, Bihar, Jharkhand, and UP.

Recently, he launched a toll-free helpline to help migrants reaching their homes.