New Delhi: India’s COVID-19 caseload went past 66 lakh, while the number of people who have recuperated from the disease surged to 55,86,703 pushing the recovery rate to 84.34 percent, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Monday.

The total coronavirus cases mounted to 66,23,815 with 74,442 people testing positive for the infection in a day, while the death toll climbed to 1,02,685 with the virus claiming 903 lives in a span of 24 hours, the data updated at 8 am showed.

There are 9,34,427 active cases of coronavirus infection in the country which comprises 14.11 percent of the total caseload, the data stated.

The COVID-19 case fatality was recorded at 1.55 percent.

India’s COVID-19 tally had crossed the 20-lakh mark on August 7, 30 lakh on August 23 and 40 lakh on September 5 . It went past 50 lakh on September 16 and crossed 60 lakh on September 28.

According to the ICMR, a cumulative total of 7,99,82,394 samples have been tested up to October 4 with 9,89,860 samples being tested on Sunday.

Kolkata: A local BJP leader in West Bengal was shot dead on Sunday by two bike-borne assailants near Titagarh in North 24 Parganas district, police said.

The duo opened fire at Manish Sukla, a local councillor, on B T Road in the evening, following which he was taken to a private hospital, where he was declared brought dead, they said.

The BJP leadership blamed the Trinamool Congress for the incident, but the ruling party has rubbished the accusation.

“It is shameful that the TMC has now started politics of annihilation of political opponents. We don’t have any faith in local police as this happened in front of the police station. We want a CBI inquiry,” BJP national general secretary Kailash Vijayvargiya said.

BJP MP Arjun Singh also held the TMC responsible for Shukla’s “killing” and claimed that shots were fired at him from a carbine.

Shukla, who switched over to the saffron party last year, was considered to be close to Singh.

Senior TMC leader Nirmal Ghosh said the incident was a result of infighting within the BJP and allegations against his party were baseless.

A huge police contingent was rushed to the spot after Shukla was gunned down around 9.30 pm.

“We have started an investigation and will look at all possible angles,” a senior police officer said.

The BJP has called a 12-hour bandh in Barrackpore area on Monday in protest against the incident.

Meanwhile, Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar expressed concern over the law and order situation in the state and summoned the Additional Chief Secretary, Home, and the DGP on Monday morning.

New Delhi: BJP Maharashtra Vice-President Chitra Kishor on Sunday took to her Twitter handle to slam UP Police personnel who allegedly manhandled senior Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi while she was protesting over the Hathras rape case.

Priyanka Gandhi was allegedly manhandled by the police during the protest. Chitra on Sunday took note of the incident and wrote “How did the male police have the courage to put their hands on the clothes of a female leader! If women are coming forward in support, every police officer should remember not to cross the line.”

She also urged UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath who she asserted believes in Indian culture to take action against the police

The decision to go on strike was taken during an online or virtual National Convention of Workers on October 2, 2020, as per a declaration adopted by ten central unions and their associates.

NEW DELHI: Trade unions on Friday gave a call for a nationwide strike on November 26 to protest against the government policies.

“The Convention calls upon all the working people, whether unionised or not, affiliated or independent, whether from organised sector or unorganised sector, to intensify the united struggle against the anti-people, anti-worker, anti-farmer and anti-national policies of the government and make the call for a countrywide general strike on 26th November 2020 a total success,” it said. 

The National Convention Of Workers organised online jointly by the Central Trade Unions and independent Federations/Associations for the first time amid the pandemic.

While all indicators pointed to economy drastically slowing down due to lack of demand, the government continued to steer its policies in the name of “ease of doing business”, aggravating widespread impoverishment and deepening the crisis further, the unions alleged.

The convention called upon the working class to organise joint state/ district/ industry/sectoral level conventions, physically wherever possible, online otherwise, before the end of October 2020; to conduct an extensive campaign on the adverse impact of the labour codes on the workers down to the grassroots level up to mid-November and for the one-day countrywide general strike on November 26, 2020.

“Let it be known that this One Day Strike is in preparation for more intense, more tenacious and longer struggles that lie ahead,” it added.

The unions which were part of this convention are INTUC, AITUC, HMS, CITU, AIUTUC, TUCC,  SEWA, AICCTU, LPF, UTUC and independent federations and associations. 

Popularly known as the people’s doctor in Pulivendula, Gangi Reddy has been ill for some time and was undergoing treatment at a private hospital in Hyderabad.

VIJAYAWADA: Noted doctor EC Gangi Reddy passed away on Saturday in Hyderabad while undergoing treatment for illness.  

The 72-year-old was the father-in-law of Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy. 

Popularly known as the people’s doctor in Pulivenudla, Gangi Reddy has been ill for some time and was undergoing treatment at a private hospital in Hyderabad.

His body is being brought to Pulivendula.

Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy and his wife Bharathi Reddy will be leaving for Pulivendula.

It will facilitate the movement of armed forces and infantry combat vehicles to the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in Ladakh besides boosting the tourism and winter sports in the region.

CHANDIGARH: Prime Minister Narendra Modi, today, inaugurated the 9.02-kilometre long Atal Tunnel, the longest highway tunnel in the world built at an altitude of 3,000 meters (10,00 feet) which will reduce the distance between Manali and Keylong by going through Lahaul-Spiti in 46 km.

It will facilitate the movement of armed forces and infantry combat vehicles to the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in Ladakh besides boosting the tourism and winter sports in the region.

The tunnel was built in the Pir Panjal Range of the Himalayas at an altitude of 3,000 metres from the mean sea level using drill and blast NATM (New Austria Tunnelling Method) techniques by the Border Roads Organisation at a cost of about Rs 4,000 crore and will remain open throughout the year.

Without the tunnel the valley remained cut off for about six months every year amid heavy snowfall.

The tunnel will reduce the distance on road between Manali and Leh by 46 km and the travel time by about four to five hours.

Some three thousand cars and 1,500 trucks will pass through tunnel daily who’s overhead clearance is 5.525 metres and is horse-shoe shaped.

Its not just Leh that will be connected all-year round but also Lahul-Spiti the tribal district of the Himachal Pradesh.

There is an emergency exit at every 500 meters, a broadcasting system with CCTV cameras at every 250 meters, an automatic detection system, fire hydrant at every 60 meters, a telephone at every 150 meters, and air quality monitoring system at every one kilometre of the tunnel. 

The construction of the tunnel began in 2010 as the foundation stone was laid by then UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi on June 28 that year.

After the Geological Survey of India had given the green signal for the tunnel in 2,000 and in 2002 the then Prime Minsiter Atal Bihari Vajpayee gave the go ahead.

The feasibility study for the tunnel was first done in 1990.

Prime Minister Modi reached Manali earlier today, where he was accompanied by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Chief of Defence staff Bipin Rawat Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Jairam Thakur, Minister of State for Finance Anurag Singh Thakur and the DG BRO Lt Gen Harpal Singh at the inauguration ceremony.

After inauguration, PM Modi walked around the tunnel.

The South Portal of the tunnel is twenty five km from Manali at an altitude of 3,060 metres, while North Portal is near village Teling, Sissu in Lahaul Valley at an altitude of 3,071 Metres.

Amid country-wide outrage over the incident, UP CM Yogi Adityanath had on Wednesday formed a three-member SIT which was instructed to submit its report by October 14.

HATHRAS: The Special Investigation Team (SIT) has completed its probe into the death of a 19-year-old Dalit woman after an alleged gangrape, a Hathras administration official said on Saturday.

The administration has also lifted restrictions on the media’s entry into the village, a day after outsiders, including politicians, were barred from meeting the victim’s family due to the ongoing SIT probe, the official said.

“Only the entry of media has been allowed into the village of the victim as the probe of the SIT has completed,” Joint Magistrate Prem Prakash Meena told reporters.

He also refuted allegations that the administration had confined the victim’s family and confiscated their phones.

Amid country-wide outrage over the incident, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath had on Wednesday formed a three-member SIT which was instructed to submit its report by October 14, according to officials.

The Hathras administration had on Thursday clamped prohibitory orders under CrPC section 144, which bars assembly of more than four people, in the district where political parties had reached and staged protest to demand justice for the young woman, who died earlier this week, a fortnight after her alleged gangrape here.