#kerala bus accident today

[pakadbharat]

केरल टूरिस्ट बस हादसा पलक्कड़ जिला की घटना

केरल टूरिस्ट बस हादसा पलक्कड़ जिला की घटना

bus accident in kerala ksrtc bus accident केरल के टूरिस्ट बस  KSRTC में  दुर्घटनाग्रस्त हो गई । 9 लोगों की मौत हो गई मृतकों में 5 विद्यार्थी थे यह बस प्राइवेट बस थी। सूचना केरल के रोड ट्रांसपोर्ट मंत्री एंटोनी राजू के द्वारा बताया गया। Road Accident in Kerala: केरल के पलक्कड़ जिले के वडक्कनचेरी में गुरुवार (6 अक्टूबर 2022) को केएसआरटीसी की एक बस के टूरिस्ट बस से टकरा जाने से 9 लोगों की मौत हो गयी…

[online-journalist]

Top Kerala news developments today

The Kerala state conference of the Communist Party of India (CPI) begins today. Party state secretary Kanam Rajendran will inaugurate a public meeting at the Putharikandam maidan in Thiruvananthapuram.

Employees affiliated to the Transport Democratic Federation (TDF), the INTUC union in the KSRTC, will strike work from tomorrow against the 12-hour single duty system.

3. Seminar on ‘Modi: Vision and Mission’ at Kozhikode. B. Ashok, secretary, Agriculture Department; George V Antony, Regional Director, Institute of Directors; and Deepak L.aswani, chairman, FICCI, Kerala to speak.

4. Justice K. Chandru is scheduled to inaugurate a seminar organised by the CPI(M) on ‘India’s Federalism and the Governor’s position’.

5. One person was killed on the spot, and many others were injured in a midnight accident when a KSRTC bus and a car collided head-on near Meenangadi in Wayanad.

[penhive]

A Collection of Drabble

Twist

I have an adulterous relationship with her. She is carrying now—my baby. I am a sadist. Hail Marquis De Sade! I want her husband to die in an accident so that I can live and ecstasy her.

 Strange

I was traveling in the bus. On the front of the bus were images of Gods. There was one of infant Jesus and Mother Mary. To my surprise, adjunct to it was an image of a Hindu God. Yes, religion is so strange and surprising.

She

I met her on the bus. She was in her mid 50’s, buxom, big boobed and wearing a white Sari with yellow linings. My body shivered with sex. I had an uncontrollable erection. Her forehead was smeared with vermillion making her all the more erotic. Yes, what a sexy encounter.

A Tale

Sometimes it’s brown, sometimes yellowish…sometimes it comes out with a spluttering sound; sometimes there are huge chunks, sometimes cinder pieces, sometimes it flows like milk. Yes! What I am I talking about ….Oh Shit!  

 God Dies

Can you imagine or fathom that? Yes! God dies! When the floods pillaged the temple, God was over thrown and there God lay covered with grime. What a nasty bitter end to God.

 Airport

I was in Trivandrum airport on the 14th of August. The airport was splayed with huge ribbons hanging across the ceiling, colored saffron, white and green. I was taken aback. Then slowly light dawned upon me that it was India’s independence.

Dream Journal

Early morning I had a strange dream. I can’t interpret its meaning. I dreamed of a search made by the police. In the dream they are extracting fleshy pieces of beef and searching for human remains. In the end of the dream, they find pieces of human meat. Then I woke up.

Quixaphor

Quixaphor is a new figure of speech coined from Metaphor and Quixote. An example of a Quixaphor is Dicktionary coined from Dick and Dictionary. Another example is Sexicon coined from Sex and Lexicon. Dicktonary is a metaphoric dissemination of sperm. Sexicon is excess of amorousness.

 Purse

I was trying to filch money from my wife’s bag. To my ironic surprise, there was only one sanitary napkin.

 Death

After the dastardly floods in Kerala, God was floating grotesque with its already gigantic belly swollen all the more…It was God, yes, it had a trunk.

 Amazing Grace

This is what happened in my life. I used to read horoscopes. One day they would say: things are not going in your favor and on other days they would proudly proclaim: this is your lucky day: you are going to get a windfall. To my ironic fate nothing of the things they said was true. Today I read the Bible and prayed sincerely to my Lord Christ. I got a small windfall as a starter. Yes, taste and see that the Lord is good.

Comic

An old man in my village passed away. All his sons and daughters in the US came to attend the funeral. In the obituary column: they put their credentials and their residence: thus we have: Sarah Seattle, Johnny Texas: Ruben California. I smiled in comic irony.

Borges

Borges is my all time favorite writer. In a dream I saw him writing a book. To my surprise: the pen was a claw and all the letters in the book were fangs. In the dream, Borges was gently squeezing my neck with his claws.

God

More than anything on this earth: I value my name being written in the book of life. Write it boldly and with capital fonts. Oh God, make it a pleasant writing.

Time

You lie still like a Serpent. Then you crawl around slithering all the way and then you seize your prey.

The Phallus

Call yourself: God …!  You sleep most of the time. When awake, you last for minutes and then die.

Advert

I was in the airport and was using a trolley to move my suitcase and to my irony I gazed at its handle. On it was stuck an advert. Kerala’s Communist govt. moving ahead all the way to success, 2 years completed. I gazed at the ad and smiled at Marx.

Imagination

From my chair on the flight, I moved to the restroom. At its entrance, I was greeted by smiling, pretty airhostess. I could see the outline of her svelte legs through her stockings. I admired the away her hips flowed like a Greek urn. Adrenalin raced inside me. I thought of pulling her inside and raping her. Alas, it was all imagination.  

[newseedailynews]

WORLD NEWS SUPERFAST

India News - Big terrorist conspiracy foiled in J&K - According to information received by World News superfast, on the second anniversary of the Pulwama attack, the security forces foiled a major conspiracy of terror attack. 

Security forces recovered about 6 kg improvised explosive device (IED) from Jammu bus stand on Sunday. According to the police, the Pakistan-backed terrorist organization Al Badr conspired to blast the second anniversary of the Pulvaama attack.

This time the blast was to be held in Jammu

According to information received by the World News superfast, a person named Sohail in this case came to plant an IED on the instructions of Al Badr. He had to place explosives at one of the Raghunath temple, bus stand, railway station and Lakhdata Bazar. After that he was about to flee from Srinagar to flight.

5 day remand towards Bengaluru

Greta Thanberg's account on the farmers' movement has received important information from Activist Disha Ravi, arrested in the Share Toolkit case. According to the Delhi Police, Disha itself created the toolkit by creating a Google Dock and circulated it. For this, he formed a WhatsApp group. She was also involved in drafting this toolkit. 

Police said that Disha added many information to the toolkit and edited it and went viral on social media. He edited the toolkit and shared it with Greta Thunberg. The Delhi court has sent him to the custody of the special cell for 5 days.

LPG becomes expensive for the second time in February

According to the information received by the World News superfast, people suffering from rising prices of diesel and petrol have received another blow. The government has directly increased the price of LPG gas cylinder by Rs 50. After this, the price of 14.2 kg domestic gas cylinder in Delhi will be Rs 769. 

The increased prices have come into force from 12 pm on Sunday night. Gas cylinder prices have been raised for the second time in February. Earlier, on February 4, the non-subsidized cylinder became expensive by Rs 25. Now 10 days later, on February 14, its price has been increased by 50 rupees. This means that so far in the month of February, the price of domestic cylinders has increased by Rs 75.

12 bodies found on Sunday in Tapovan (Forest Era)

According to information received by World News superfast, 12 bodies were found on Sunday, the eighth day of the rescue operation in Tapovan, Chamoli. 5 more bodies were recovered from NTPC tunnel, while 6 bodies were also found from Raini village. 

At the same time, a corpse (human organ) was found from Rudraprayag. So far, 50 bodies have been found after the accident. In the evening, another body was found inside the tunnel, which was trying to remove it. The rescue team said that we still hope to rescue those trapped in the tunnel. In this tunnel, 32 workers are feared trapped.

CM of Gujarat fainted on stage

According to information received by World News superfast, Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani fainted while giving a speech on stage on Sunday. He reached Nizampura in Vadodara to campaign for the civic elections. The Chief Minister fell round at the meeting held here. After this, his further schedule was canceled. 

The doctors gave Rupani the first aid on the stage itself. After this he himself descended down the stairs. After treatment, he left for Ahmedabad. This was Rupani's third rally of the day. He reached Nizampura after holding election meetings in Tarsali and Karelibagh. According to doctors, Rupani's condition is fine. He fainted due to low blood pressure.

Rakesh Tikait lashed on the government again

According to information received by the World News superfast, Sunday was the 81st day of the peasant movement. At the Mahapanchayat in Karnal, Haryana, Rakesh Tikait, leader of the Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU), attacked the central government. He said, 'Right now the soldiers and farmers have raised the slogan of return of law, we have not raised the slogan of return to the throne. 

Whatever the government, we will talk about the policy for farmers. Here, Haryana Agriculture Minister JP Dalal has given a controversial statement. He said that if the farmers were at home, would they not have died? Will not even 200 people die in 6 months? Farmers have died due to their will.

India's weight is heavy in Chennai Test

According to information received by World News superfast, the second match of the 4-Test series between India and England is being played in Chennai. On the second day, Team India scored 329 runs in the first innings. Rohit Sharma scored 161 runs. In response, England team could not even match Rohit's score and was reduced to 134 runs. However, with a faltering innings, the English team saved the follow-on. 

The team needed 130 runs to save the follow-on. By the end of the second day, Team India scored 54 after losing 1 wicket in the second innings. In this context, it took a 249-run lead over England. At the moment, Rohit Sharma (25) and Cheteshwar Pujara (7) are unbeaten.

Modi handed over 118 Arjun tanks to army

According to information received by World News superfast, Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Tamil Nadu and Kerala on Sunday. In Chennai, he handed over 118 Hitech Arjun tanks (MK-1A) to the army. During this, Army Chief MM Narwane was also present. This tank has been built by DRDO at a cost of 8400 crores. 

After this the Prime Minister reached Kerala. Here he dedicated BPCL's Rs 6,000 crore propylene derivatives petrochemicals complex to the nation in Kochi. Modi also paid tribute to the soldiers who were martyred in the Pulwama attack in Tamil Nadu.

Rahul said - CAA will not apply

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi went to Assam on Sunday. He used the slogan Hum Do-Hamare, in Sivasagar district, while taunting Modi-Shah. Rahul and the rest of the Congress leaders appeared on stage wearing a "No CAA" scotch. We have put a cross on it. No matter what it means, CAA will not. Let us hear our two, anything will happen but there will not be a CAA here. ' Exactly one week ago Narendra Modi also visited Assam.

Expander

Fastag required on toll from today

According to information received by the World News superfast, from today i.e. Monday, Fastag will become mandatory in the whole country. Fastag will be required in all types of vehicles except two wheelers and tractors. If the car is not fastened, then double toll tax or penalty will have to be paid. From April 1, the government is also going to make fastag mandatory to buy third party insurance. 

In such a situation, for those vehicles that do not cross the toll plaza, it will be necessary to take fastag. There are currently over 2.54 crore Fastag users in the country. Fastag accounts for 80% of the total toll collection. NHAI has set a target of 100% cashless tax collection at toll plazas across the country.

Positive news

Million rupees a month earnings from startup

Delhi-based Divya Rajput has done more than 20 years of work in the education sector. She has also worked in the Ministry of Corporate Affairs. Right now Divya is running an eco friendly startup with four of her friends. 

Where they are selling almost everything they need everyday. Just three months ago these people launched their online platform. Up to 200 orders are coming in every month and business up to one lakh rupees is being done. Along with this, more than 200 women are being directly and indirectly connected with them, making their own living.

Earthquake for the second consecutive day in Japan

The earthquake was felt for the second consecutive day in Fukushima province of Japan on Sunday. According to the Meteorological Agency, its intensity was 5.2. The agency said that there was an earthquake at around 4.15 pm. 

Its center was 50 km deep from the ground. A tsunami warning has not been issued after the earthquake. Fukushima also experienced a magnitude 7.3 earthquake on Saturday night. 140 people were injured in it. Its tremors were felt as far as Tokyo. At the same time, the electricity supply of 9.50 lakh houses of the country was stopped.

Actress Dia Mirza's wedding today

According to information received by World News superfast, actress Dia Mirza is going to tie the knot with businessman Vaibhav Rekhi on 15 February. She had a pre-wedding bash on Saturday. The ceremony and wedding function will involve only close family members and close friends. 

The two have been dating each other for a long time. Vaibhav is a Mumbai-based businessman and lives in the Pali Hill area of ​​Bandra. According to reports, Vaibhav's first wife was Yoga and lifestyle coach Sunaina Rekhi and they also have a daughter.

What's more in the headlines

After the introduction of the Corona vaccine in the country, the number of people who lost their lives has reached 27. However, the government has claimed that these deaths have nothing to do with vaccination.

So far, about 1000 cases of new variants of Corona have been reported in 44 US states. The highest number of 981 cases are from the new strain of Corona found in Britain.

from WORLD NEWS SUPERFAST - LATEST BREAKING NEWS https://ift.tt/3ppAfJ8

[brajeshupadhyay]

11:17 (IST) Coronavirus Outbreak Latest Update   Turning crisis into opportunity: Sitharaman Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman begins by quoting Prime Minister Narendra Modi, says 'turning crisis for India into an opportunity'. 10:41 (IST) Coronavirus Outbreak Latest Update   Nirmala Sitharaman to begin press conference soon   Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman is set to address a press conference at 11 am today to speak on the roadmap laid out to move towards an 'Aatmanirbhar' India. Sitharaman on Saturday said that the Central government will introduce competition, transparency and private sector participation in the coal sector and infrastructure development of Rs 50,000 crore. 10:23 (IST) Coronavirus in Madhya Pradesh Latest Update Migrant worker, 3 others killed after being crushed by truck A migrant worker, his wife and two others, who were returning to Indore from Maharashtra, were killed after being crushed by a tanker truck in Madhya Pradesh's Barwani. Similar incidents in which migrant workers have died while on their way to their native villages were reported from the state earleir in May. 10:03 (IST) Coronavirus in West Bengal Latest Update 32 migrant workers injured after bus meets accident A bus carrying migrant workers met with an accident near Dhupguri in Jalpaiguri district. 32 migrant labourers in the bus were injured and were taken to the district hospital for treatment. This incident comes a day after a truck carrying migrant workers met with an accident in Uttar Pradesh's Auraiya, killing 24 labourers. 10:00 (IST) Coronavirus Outbreak Latest Update Shramik trains ferry 2.39 lakh migrants back home The Indian Railways has ferried 2,39 lakh migrants to their native states in 167 Shramik trains so far. These trains were started by the railways on 1 May after it came to light that migrant workers were walking hundreds of kilometers to reach their villages amid the coronavirus lockdown. 09:54 (IST) Coronavirus in Rajasthan Latest Update Rajasthan records 70 fresh cases The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Rajasthan rose to 5,030 and the toll stood at 128, after the state reported 70 fresh cases and two deaths within a day. 09:50 (IST) Coronavirus Outbreak Latest Update India reports highest ever spike in cases; tally at 90,927 India reported the highest ever spike of 4,987 coronavirus cases in the last 24 hours. The total cases now stand at 90,927, including 2,872 deaths and 34,109 recoveries. Additionally, 120 deaths were reported in the last 24 hours. 09:38 (IST) Coronavirus in Kerala Latest Update Tourism sector suffers loss of Rs 15,000 crore Kerala has incurred a loss of Rs 15,000 crore in tourism sector, state minister Kadakampally Surendran said. The state is now planning to bring a rejuvenation package to make up for these losses. 09:35 (IST) Coronavirus Outbreak Latest Update Nirmala Sitharaman to address press at 11 am Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will address a press conference at 11 am today to talk on the roadmap laid out to move towards an 'Aatmanirbhar' India. This is the fifth press conference she will be addressing ever since Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced a Rs 20 lakh crore economic stimulus package last week. 09:29 (IST) Coronavirus in Goa Latest Update Woman travelling in special train tests positive in Goa A woman, who travelled to Goa in Delhi-Thiruvananthapuram Rajdhani train on Saturday, has tested positive for coronavirus Goa was earlier declared a green zone but has reported 16 coronavirus cases since 13 May. 09:20 (IST) Coronavirus in Assam Latest Update Special train passengers reach Guwahati; cases in Assam at 95 A special train carrying passengers from New Delhi Railway Station reached Guwahati Railway Station on Saturday and continues its journey to Dibrugarh. All passengers deboarding at Guwahati were screened on arrival at the railway station. Assam health minister Himanta Biswa Sarma had said last week that everyone arriving aboard these trains in the state will have to undergo a mandatory 14-day institutional quarantine, adding that it will be “impossible to test thousands of passengers”. Assam: A special train carrying passengers from New Delhi Railway Station reached Guwahati Railway Station yesterday. The train is enroute to Dibrugarh. All passengers were screened on their arrival at the railway station, as per guidelines by the govt. pic.twitter.com/kv0fxeEh7L — ANI (@ANI) May 16, 2020 09:15 (IST) Coronavirus in Bihar Latest Update Test report of man, who had died after returning from Maharashtra, turns out positive The test report of one person, who passed away on 15 May in Bihar's Khagaria, turned out to be positive for COVID-19. The deceased had returned from Maharashtra on 13 May and his wife has also tested positive for COVID-19. The toll in Bihar now stands at eight. 08:59 (IST) Coronavirus in Punjab Latest Update 1,257 of 1,946 cases cured in Punjab As many as 1,257 persons tested positive for coronavirus have been cured, of which 952 were discharged on Saturday, the Punjab government announced. Most of these patients were Sikh pilgrims who had returned from Maharashtra's Nanded. The state has reported 1,946 cases so far. 50,613 persons have been tested so far,out of which 46,028 are found negative, the government said. 08:52 (IST) Coronavirus in Madhya Pradesh Latest Update 92 tested positive in Indore, total at 2,470 The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Indore district rose to 2,470 after 92 persons were tested positive on Saturday. The toll now stands at 100. 07:48 (IST) Coronavirus in Jharkhand Latest Update Stone-pelting in Hindpiri as locals accuse CRPF jawan of attacking local leader Police was roped into action in Jharkhand's Hindpiri area, current a COVID-19 red zone, after disturbance erupted as locals accused a CRPf jawan of beating a local leader. A crowd gathered and stone-pelting was reported, according to ANI. Adequate force was deployed in the area and the situation was brought under control. 07:42 (IST) Coronavirus in Maharashtra Latest Update Train carries 1,222 passengers from Panvel to Jaipur A train departed on Saturday evening from Panvel for Jaipur, carrying 1,222 passengers. Passengers from Raigad, Navi Mumbai and Kurla were brought to the Panvel railwaysstation from local police stations by concerned authorities. 07:40 (IST) Coronavirus in Assam Latest Updates Two tested positive in Guwahati, total cases at 94 Two persons were tested positive in Guwahati and one in Sonitpur, taking the total number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Assam to 94. 41 persons in the state have recovered, where two deaths have been reported so far. Nirmala Sitharaman on Economic Package LATEST Updates: 'Need to now build an Aatma Nirbhar Bharat', said Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Sunday, while addressing a press conference on the final tranche of the economic package, revisits Narendra Modi's speech on Tuesday. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman is set to address a press conference at 11 am today to speak on the roadmap laid out to move towards an 'Aatmanirbhar' India. Sitharaman on Saturday said that the Central government will introduce competition, transparency and private sector participation in the coal sector and infrastructure development of Rs 50,000 crore. India reported the highest ever spike of 4,987 coronavirus cases in the last 24 hours. Meanwhile, a woman, who travelled to Goa in Delhi-Thiruvananthapuram Rajdhani train on Saturday, has tested positive for coronavirus, taking the new infections in the state to 10. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will address a press conference at 11 am today to talk on the roadmap laid out to move towards an 'Aatmanirbhar' India. Meanwhile, the number of confirmed cases stood at 90,927 on Sunday. India crossed the 85,000 mark in number of COVID-19 cases on Saturday, becoming the 11th worst-affected country in the world. The Union Health Ministry reported a rise of 3,970 infections and 103 deaths due to the novel coronavirus in the last 24 hours since Friday 8 am. The total number of cases has climbed to 85,940 while number of deaths due to COVID-19 has risen to 2,752, the ministry said. With 53,035 active cases, India is the eighth largest in terms of active cases after the US, Russia, Brazil, France, Italy, Spain and Peru. More than 30,000 patients have recovered so far, data showed. However, a PTI tally of figures announced by states and Union territories, as of 9.15 pm put the total number of confirmed cases in the country at 90,326, deaths at 2,790 and recoveries at over 33,500. Globally, more than 45.6 lakh people are reported to have been infected by the novel coronavirus while 3,06,221 have died, according to a Reuters tally. Infections have been reported in more than 210 countries and territories since the first cases were identified in China in December 2019. COVID-19 cases from states In India, Maharashtra remained the worst affected state with its COVID-19 tally crossing the 30,000-mark on Saturday with 1,606 new cases and 67 more fatalities taking its death toll to 1,135. Gujarat, the second worst-affected state, crossed the 10,000-mark on Saturday with 1,057 new patients being found positive for coronavirus including 709 "super spreaders" in Ahmedabad. Gujarat now has 10,989 cases with 625 deaths, while Tamil Nadu's overall tally has risen to 10,585. The major worry, however, is a new phase of coronavirus infections in states like Kerala and Goa, which had become virtually free of new infections, have begun reporting new cases while the numbers have started rising rapidly in places like Odisha, Bihar and Assam too in the last few days. Click here to follow LIVE Updates on coronavirus Most of the new cases across states are being linked to the influx of people from other states or other countries in special trains, flights and buses. In Odisha, 65 people tested positive during the day, taking its total to 737, and officials said most of these cases are among people who had returned from other states. Ganjam in south Odisha now accounts for the highest number of cases in the state at 277 and most of these people have returned from Gujarat and other states. In Kerala, 11 people tested positive for COVID-19, including four from Thrissur district, three from Kozhikode and two each from Palakkad and Malappuram. All of them had come from outside the state -- seven from abroad and two each from Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra. Nearly 57,000 people are under observation in the state at present, out of which about 3,000 came to the state through airports, nearly 800 from sea ports, over 1,000 through train and over 50,320 via road. In Tripura also, 11 people, including seven BSF jawans, tested positive on Saturday. Bihar recorded 46 new cases, including in Patna which now has 105 cases. The number of cases in Bihar has risen sharply since the beginning of the month, mainly because of migrants returning to their native places in large numbers by special trains in addition to other modes of transport. According to the state health department, 427 of returnees since 4 May have tested positive for COVID-9. Most of them had come from Delhi, Gujarat and Maharashtra. Five cities account for over 50% COVID-19 cases The high concentration of COVID-19 in urban clusters is another major cause of worry with five cities -- Mumbai, Delhi, Ahmedabad, Chennai and Pune -- as of Saturday accounting for over 50 percent of total infections with close to 46,000 cases. These five also account for over half of the nationwide death toll of close to nearly 2,800 so far. On Saturday, Delhi reported 438 new cases, taking its tally to 9,333, while its death toll rose to 129. Delhi is the third worst hit among the major urban centres after Mumbai and Ahmedabad, which reported 884 and 973 new cases, respectively. The COVID-19 case count in Ahmedabad has now risen to 8,144, while its toll has grown to 493. Mumbai's tally of confirmed COVID-19 cases has risen to 18,396, while its death toll due to the pandemic is now 696 with 41 new deaths. Chennai also saw its tally rising to 6,261. Among other major urban centres, Pune, Surat and Indore have also been reporting large numbers of cases. 35 migrants killed in road accidents At least 35 migrant workers were killed and many more were injured in road accidents during the day in Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh while trying to return to their native places. Most of them had hitched rides in trucks while a couple was in an autorickshaw for a journey running into hundreds of kilometers. Lakhs of migrant workers in different parts of the country had begun walking back to their native places after being rendered jobless, and many of them homeless too, due to the nationwide lockdown announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 24 March. While special trains are being run now by the government and some states have also arranged for buses to take them back to their homes, not all places are said to be connected by these trains and large numbers of people remain on roads. FM announces fourth tranche of measures; Opposition slams it The government in the meantime unveiled a slew of structural reforms in eight sectors -- coal, minerals, defence production, civil aviation sector, power distribution companies in Union Territories, space sector and atomic energy sector -- in the fourth tranche of the Rs 20-lakh-crore economic stimulus package with an aim to boost growth and create jobs. Some of the measures, announced by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Saturday, included opening of space sector for private players, commercial mining of coal, raising FDI limit in defence sector through automatic route from 49 percent to 74 percent, privatisation of power discoms in the Union Territories, offering more airports on a PPP model as well as boosting private sector investment in social infrastructure projects through revamped viability gap funding scheme of Rs 8,100 crore. Modi said the measures announced by Sitharaman will create many business opportunities and contribute to the country's economic transformation. Leading industry body Assocham said these measures would give "new wings to India" and demonopolise core sectors. Left parties, however, accused the government of using the COVID-19 pandemic to "impose the agenda of the rich" and privatise public assets. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said cash assistance should be given to the poor and vulnerable sections who are in dire need of money due to the lockdown. The third phase of the nationwide lockdown is scheduled to end on Sunday and there are expectations that the fourth phase beginning Monday may give significant relaxations for various economic activities even as a complete exit is unlikely given the continuous rise in the number of COVID-19 cases. Several states have already said they want the lockdown restrictions to continue further. However, on Saturday Punjab become the first to extend it till 31 May but without curfew restrictions. Haryana deputy chief minister Dushyant Chautala supported restarting of domestic flights as well as opening of schools and universities, as he stressed on resumption of normal life while dealing with COVID-19. His state reported 33 new cases, including 14 in Gurgaon on the outskirts of the national capital. With inputs from PTI

http://sansaartimes.blogspot.com/2020/05/nirmala-sitharaman-on-economic-package_17.html

[amritaworldorg]

“Sometimes good things fall apart so that better things can fall together”

This was the first sentence Shreya Siddanagowder wrote in her notebook a year after her double-hand transplant from Amrita Hospital in Kochi. Today, her handwriting almost matches her original, but what has left doctors surprised is how the colour of Shreya’s hands, which once belonged to a 20-year-old man from Kerala until his death in August 9, 2017, had changed to match the rest of her skin tone.

Back in September 2016, while travelling from her hometown in Pune to Manipal Institute of Technology in Karnataka, Shreya met with a bus accident that forced the amputation of both hands.

A year later, she visited the AIMS in Kochi as it was the only centre in Asia that had conducted a series of successful hand transplants. And at the time, there were over 200 enquiries by amputees, some from as far as Afghanistan, Malaysia and Bangladesh. Shreya says she met an Afghan national who was waiting for a donor since a year.

Hand donations are rare, because few families are willing to donate limbs fearing disfiguration of the body even though a prosthetic limb is fitted to the donor’s body.

“The transplant coordinator said it could take months for a donor to come. We returned to our hotel without any hope. An hour later, the hospital called us back for urgent blood tests,” Shreya was quoted saying.  Miraculously, the doctors found a donor for her on the same day. Sachin, a B. Com student had been declared brain dead that day and his family had agreed to donate his organs including his hands. And, as Shreya’s blood type was compatible with Sachin, she underwent the double-hand transplant. It took over 13 hours and a team of 20 surgeons and 16 Anesthesia specialists to successfully attach the hand to Shreya’s body.

After that, for a year-and-a-half, Shreya underwent intensive physiotherapy in Kochi. The peripheral nerves took time to develop, and sensation grew by 1-2 mm every day. “The hand felt heavy, it was bulky initially,” she said.

One of the first changes was reduction in weight as the extra fat slowly dissolved to match her leaner upper limb. However, in the last 3-4 months, Shreya’s mother Suma noticed that her fingers were becoming leaner. “I see her hand every day. The fingers have become like a woman’s; the wrist is smaller. These are remarkable changes,” she was quoted saying.

Dr Subramania Iyer, head of plastic and reconstructive surgery at Amrita hospital said that they never anticipated such changes. “This is our first case of male-to- female hand transplant. We can only guess that female hormones have led to the change but assessing the exact cause is difficult,” he added. As Shreya’s hand started matching her skin tone, doctors were surprised as no scientific evidence exists to record changes in skin tone or shape of the hand.

Back in Kochi, surgeons are continuously researching how the colour of Shreya’s hands have changed to match the rest of her skin tone.

Plastic surgeon Dr  Mohit Sharma , who was part of the team that conducted the transplant for Shreya, says there is limited research in inter-gender hand transplants.

“There was one female-to-male hand transplant in the West. But there has been no scientific research into what happens after that. In a year or so, the lymphatic channel between the donor’s hand and the host’s body opens up completely to allow flow of fluids. It is possible the Melanin-producing cells slowly replaced the donor’s cells. And that led to the change,” he says.

Melanin is a pigment that is responsible for skin colour. The more Melanin, the darker the skin colour, and doctors believe Shreya’s body produces less Melanin.

“I don’t know how the transformation occurred. But it feels like my own hands now. The skin colour was very dark after the transplant, not that it was ever my concern, but now it matches my tone,” Shreya was quoted saying.  While her finger muscles are yet to function fully, the 21-year-old still leads a normal social life. Meanwhile, she is also pursuing BA in Economics and writes her exams with her own hand.

Pune Woman Undergoes First Male-to-Female Double-Hand Transplant in Amrita Hospital “Sometimes good things fall apart so that better things can fall together” This was the first sentence Shreya Siddanagowder wrote in her notebook a year…

[todaybharatnews]

via Today Bharat nbsp; A volvo bus of the Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (SRTC), which was heading from Bengaluru to Ernakulam in Kerala, met with an accident in Tamil Nadursquo;s Tirupur district in the early hours of Thursday. Nineteen people, including the driver of the bus, died in the accident, while several have been injured. The incident took place around 3.15 am in Tirupur's Avinashi when a lorry rammed into the Kerala RTC bus. According to initial reports, the lorry hit the median and the container it was carrying detached and fell on the bus. The bus has been completely damaged in the accident, especially the right side of the vehicle. Tirupur Superintendent of Police confirmed that more than 17 bodies have been recovered and 22 people are injured. According to the officer, two or three people were still stuck in the bus and rescue operations were on. Most of the deceased were from Kerala, including Thrissur, Palakkad and Ernakulam districts. The Kerala RTC bus left Bengaluru at 8 pm on Wednesday and was supposed to reach Ernakulam at 7 am on Thursday. "There were 48 passengers on the bus. Twenty-five were travelling to Thrissur, others to Ernakulam and Palakkad. Conductor of the bus died. Those who are injured are in critical condition," Thajudheen, District Transport Officer, Ernakulam, Kerala RTC, said. The Tirupur Collector said that the accident took place early morning. "The container, which hit the bus, was carrying tiles. Recovered bodies have been sent for postmortem. About 17 to 18 bodies have been recovered, the final number is yet to be determined," said Tirupur Collector. Speaking to TNM, Mahesh, state general secretary of Kerala RTC employees union, who is at the Avinashi hospital, said, "The postmortem procedures haven't started yet. No relatives have reached yet. Transport Commissioner and other few Kerala RTC employees are here. We are informing the families." Kerala Transport Minister AK Saseendran told Manorama News channel that the passengers who have been injured have been rushed to the hospital. A detailed report on what caused the accident is being sought from the Kerala RTC Chairman and the Managing Director, he said. A helpline number in Palakkad mdash; 9495099910 mdash; has been set up. According to the Tirupur Collector, private vehicles were arranged to take passengers to the hospitals in Avinashi and Coimbatore. The driver of the container lorry is reportedly absconding. nbsp;

[charmingdarlinguniverse]

“The comfort of having a friend may be taken away, but not that of having had one”.

The kind of friend everyone should have!

It has been a month since I lost you, Sap, and not a single day has gone by without your thoughts. Even today I am not sure if it all happened for real or if it is just a bad dream that I am yet to be woken up from.

We meet so many people throughout our life and only few will come close to our heart while many remain strangers or just as accomplices. I want to share some of the memories about you through this…hopefully not sad but cherishing the good times we have had because I continue to believe that you are part of my life still irrespective of where you are. Many might talk or have somewhat similar experiences or stories to tell when they talk about you. But I consider myself close to you for having spent so much time doing all the things we did together.

Those who are close to me already know about you Sap. And those who don’t know much, they can all identify you from most of the pictures I share online. So those who do not know her much, here is a short introduction of who she was.

Where it all began:

I met Sapna 16 years ago at Digital EC office. Though I don’t recall the exact first interaction, one incident has remained fresh in my memory. After a conference call with my manager and some heated conversation, I walked out of the room with tears. I was new in the team and barely knew anyone, Sapna walked to me and extended a friendly comfort without any hesitation…She consoled me and made me feel better within few minutes. She was my senior and I had an assumption that she is very strict, and rude. So I had maintained my distance with her even after that incident. I was scared to be lenient and didn’t want to take her friendship for granted. It took couple of years to understand her and get close to her. As much as she appears strong, brazen, and aggressive once you get to know her, you will realize she is very sensitive, funny, caring, sweet, and a great friend.

We were probably the only Kannada speaking folks in the team and would get warning from the manager for making noise at work. Wherever Sap (as we fondly called her) was, there was always laughter echoing there. She had no inhibitions towards friendships. She treated everyone with utmost love, and care in her own way. Everyone knew her and she was the most favourite person in the office. It was her and Reva, who gave me my nick name Vids and ever since most of my friends know me as Vids.

When we had team outing or parties or celebrations, she would join hands with me in conducting or participating in it by making it more joyous. She was not a singer but would always sing a song so heartily that none can stop cheering for her. Her love for motorbikes was amusing to me…especially she didn’t even know how to ride a bicycle. I had told her many times I can teach her both bicycle and scooty, but she had declined the offer. She had told me, “Vids, imagine without that I roam so much. If I start driving, then god save people.”

Do it all before its time

No one had patience like her…she would change 2 buses, travel long distances just to play shuttle for an hour with friends for months. If you have invited her (or at times even intimated) she would be there for the wedding or any celebration you have.

Through the years, struggles and hardships of life, I and Sapna got much closer and she was like my sister, friend, partner in crime, and at times a kid that I had to manage. Sapna was a live wire, always enthusiastic, adventurous, doing things that no one could dare to.

“If I can sum her up, she was full of life, love and laughter”.

She would bake a cake and celebrate our birthdays at her home, volunteer first always for any social cause, lend a shoulder as a good friend at our difficult times, be a cheerleader and make us all be happy when around her. I have been with her on her many birthdays, however one that I fondly remember is her 40th birthday. We celebrated it in Kerala while we were on a trip with her and my family.

I will be indebted to her generosity on so many occasions. For my milestone birthday, my only desire was to travel to Ladakh. It would not have happened if it wasn’t for her. Knowing I was losing my job and tight on finances, she and Vij offered to pay for the expenses as she didn’t want me to miss knowing it was me who had initiated that trip.

She stood by my side when I was going through the most difficult of my times. She would always call me and ask me to come home when I was fighting with depression. She was like a big sister who cared for my welfare and advice on certain things without making me feel bad. I can quote so many instances that I have shared with her that are special to me. Now looking back at all those makes me realize why I took this long to tell her how much she meant to me. Sap, I am sorry I couldn’t tell you earlier.

When I met with the accident last year, she came running and would frequently visit me home through my recovery days. She was not big on going to temples or believing in the prayers, in fact as far as I knew her, she wouldn’t even light the lamp. But she went to Anantha Padmanabha temple in Mangaluru and prayed for my fast recovery. She came home and told me, “Vids, I went to temple and prayed…Just for YOU”. Probably it was her prayer that I was back on my feet much earlier than expected. She had kept all the pictures of my feet through the recovery process.

Whenever she would get bored or if she had not traveled anywhere for some time, she would call me and tell, we should plan something. I remember clearly, when she was 8 months pregnant with Aditri, she was bored and wanted to come to my home for a night out. I picked her up on my bike from bus stop, she, Reva and I spent the day at my home and next day I dropped her back. I got scolding from both her mom and mine because we were crazy to do that while she was in her last trimester. She owed me one weekend stay and Goa trip. I had booked twice in the last 2 months but she had cancelled on me quoting some reason. We were supposed to go visit another friend in Goa end of May or June.

“Sap, this is not fair. You owe me the holiday you promised!”

I introduced her to marathons, Youth for Seva and treks too. Though I never trekked with her, it was my talks and plans that inspired her to go on them. Despite the fact that she kept herself busy round the clock, she never let it impact her family time or her responsibilities. She was not a typical mother that we all grew up with. She would treat her kids at times like friends and she would become a kid among them. I remember once she sent me a picture of Aditri crying under the sofa as she couldn’t get out. I was laughing and telling Sap that instead of taking the daughter out you are taking a picture. She would dress them up and take lot of pictures. While Srishti is so much like Anand, Aditri is like Sap. I so wish them strength to bear her absence and move on to be great kids. Anand and Sap were match made in heaven, though they were poles apart as individuals, they shared a great chemistry and understood each other. He let her be the person she was meant to be. She once told me that she doesn’t need to visit temple because Anand is her god and everything for her. As long as he is there she doesn’t need to worry about anything. I am sorry Anand, I cannot even imagine what you are going through. I can only pray to god to give you strength to bear her loss and be there for the kids.

Sap was a great host. I used to tease her that your home is like a dharmachathra…there is always someone visiting. I have never heard or seen her make faces or feel angry or frustrated over it. She would invite everyone home and cook for them. While she would cook so much, she wouldn’t normally wait for them to eat together…Since she would eat in small portions, as soon as she would cook, she would eat and then feed the guests. She was always experimenting in the kitchen and would tell me about the dish whenever she tried something new.

To me she was a superwoman, who managed everything – her family, friends, career, interests, and hobbies without any trouble. She was an epitome of enthusiasm and her love for living life to the fullest is always admired by many.

Thank you isn’t enough for the memories

If I have to write about all the things we did together or the memories I have of her, it will run into hundreds of pages. We have been on umpteen trips together, done tons of shopping, roamed entire Jayanagar like thousands of times, seen so many movies together, and had many night outs. The bench in Jayanagar 4th block where we would wait for each other, the max trial room, Shri Sagar chaats, Central Inox, and many more will remind me of her always. Whenever we have travelled together, she has never taken a single picture, she would always ask me to take it and her usual dialogue if the scenery behind is good would be “Vids, ನನಗೆ ಈ ವ್ಯೂ ನಲ್ಲಿ ಒಂದು, ಆ ವ್ಯೂ ನಲ್ಲಿ ಒಂದು ಪಿಕ್ ಬೇಕು”.

She was such an integral part of my life. Her ability to make friends from any age group, make an impact to people she interacts with, extend support to anyone in need and be a giver will not be an easy skill and attitude to learn or adapt to. Even to date, her ability to remember everyone’s birthdays amazes me. Not just wishing that person but she used to remind others in the group to wish too.

The group meets, lunches/dinners would not be same anymore without her. She was the link that connected all the dots. I will never be able to understand all her acronyms. She had a huge list of them which included NAB, NTKB, TMK, and many more. Most of her statements would start with “nim ajji”. No group gathering is fun without her. She was so jovial and positive that she could take any kind of joke on her and still smile. In any group we are, she used to be the common friend. I have known her school, college and other friends who are now my friends too. She was great at making and keeping friendships.

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I have seen very few people who are as welcoming, caring, and giving as she was. She has taken me along to her relatives houses, in-laws place, cousin’s weddings, cousin’s kids birthday parties, etc…you name it and I have been there with her. ಬಸವನ ಹಿಂದೆ ಇರೋ ಬಾಲ ತರಹ ನಾನು ಅವಳ ಹಿಂದೆ.

She is a kid not just by looks, but by heart too. She couldn’t stay idle for one day. Wanted to be active doing something or the other. She feared being confined to a place. In the last few months, I got to see her weakness, struggle, fight to handle the stress, fears that were gripping her mind and yet she never stopped smiling or let go of that “I can do it” attitude. The ways she used to call me “Vids”, and her laugh echoes in my ears still. I can never forget her antics. I lost a part of me with her :(.

“Happy people view themselves in a positive light and engage in positive self-talk. They are often their own biggest cheerleader.” This saying suits Sap very much.

Lessons

This is not the first death I have seen in life, however it is the one that has left me shaken and broken in ways I cannot explain. If there is anything her death has taught me, it is to:

Make the best of life every day, like there is literally no tomorrow.

Impact lives of anyone around us…we never will carry anything in the end but the love of those people. All that we have earned materialistic will not bring us back…the people who loved us will keep us alive in their memories for as long as they live.

Not be afraid to try something without any inhibitions…be it dancing, learning a new skill, or doing something adventurous.

The only rules you have to follow is the ones you have set for yourself.

Age is just a number and you should feel as young as you want to and not as old as they say.

Give, help, and share…because there is no other happiness than helping someone in need.

Laugh…It is the best medicine one can have.

Value and respect relations…you may not speak everyday but once in a while call that friend and just say hello.

Enjoy the simple pleasures…Eat that dessert, watch a movie, go for a walk, spend a night out with friends laughing and chatting, and just live.

Take it all in your stride…Ups and downs, good and bad are all part of life, and we should take it positively, learn from it and move on.

Spread cheer…people might forget what you gave them, will not forget how you made them feel.

Sapna has thousands of friends who will continue to keep her alive by cherishing the memories. She has touched so many lives, impacted so many of us in one or the other way. My goal is to have at least one such friend who will miss me when I am gone, someone who will shed a tear or two and that person can only be earned through love, compassion, help and being humane…not by money, attitude or anything else.

Sap, you may have gone and made heaven a better place, but I will miss you always and losing you has made me lose a part of myself. For everything you used to ask me if I would join you and just this once, you missed asking me.

I will forever regret for the fact that I couldn’t be there in person on your last journey, and to bid good bye. I believe we will meet again in some world and then I will fight with you for leaving us this early. And just because I never got to say bye to you, you will continue to live on as you were. I will only remember the good times we had, the laughs we shared, and the times we spent doing what we loved. I will cherish my memories with you for as long as I live and you will continue to live on with me in my heart.

“Memories could be told but not shared.”

Sap, please give me the strength to move on without losing you, and teach me to laugh like you would no matter what.

I miss you and I will always love you Sap! Thank you for being my bestie.

PS: I used to pester her so much to wear a saree but she would always decline. This was the only time I saw her in a saree and I had told her “now I can die peacefully”. God had other plans…

A tale of two friends - Cherishing some memories with my bestie - Sapna Shetty. "The comfort of having a friend may be taken away, but not that of having had one".

[wionews]

Tamil Nadu hikes bus fares after six years

After over six years, Tamil Nadu government today hiked the fares of buses under State-run transport corporations and private entities approximately by 20 to 54.54 per cent, saying it was inevitable.

Significantly, the government also announced a fund for accident compensation and prevention, besides a panel to go into restructuring of bus fares in future.

Effective from tomorrow, the fare has been hiked for buses across categories viz moffusil, city, ordinary, express, deluxe, bypass-non-stop, ultra deluxe, airconditioned and Volvo modes, an official release said.

While the minimum hike is in the ordinary category, where the fare of Rs 5 for 10 km would now be Rs 6 (20 per cent hike), the highest is in Volvo buses, where the fare of Rs 33 for 30 km will now go up to Rs 51 (54.54 per cent hike).

In town buses, the fare has been hiked from a minimum of Rs 3 to Rs 5 and the maximum from Rs 12 to Rs 19.

The government cited a host of factors for the hike, including an increase in fuel price and maintenance, annual increment in salaries, pension and purchase of new buses to increase efficiency.

Defending the hike, it said the last time fares were increased was on November 18, 2011, when diesel cost Rs 43.10, whereas the price now was Rs 65.83.

The government also cited data to claim that the fares, despite the increase, was lesser than in neighbouring states, including Andhra Pradesh.

A recent interim direction of the Madras High Court in a transport-related petition was also cited to support the decision to effect a hike in fares.

The government quoted the interim order as saying, "data furnished in the supporting affidavit shows that the present bus fare is inadequate to meet, even the operational cost."

The court had also said, "with the existing funds and resources, maintenance cost, debt, loss and such other economic factors ...the need to revise bus fare, appears to be inevitable, though it may cause inconvenience."

The government said that since 2000 to date, Karnataka had hiked the fare 16 times, while Andhra Pradesh and Kerala had done so eight times.

In the past seven years, the Tamil Nadu government gave Rs 12,059.17 crore subsidy to State-run transport corporations to help them tackle the fund crunch.

These corporations have so far incurred a recurring loss of Rs 20,488 crore, the government said.

"Though the increase in fare was avoided so far, it is now inevitable so as to tackle the fund crunch and to continue to give the people a good transport service," the release said.

In a significant step, the government said an integrated 'Accident prevention, compensation and toll fee fund' would be set up, under which speed governors would be installed in long-distance express buses as part of accident prevention efforts.

Private transport entities will be permitted to establish similar funds.

Unlike neighbouring states, the fare in Tamil Nadu presently does not cover insurance and toll fee components.

Henceforth, the fare will cover an integrated component of accident insurance and toll fee as well, it said.

From a minimum of Rs 1 (up to Rs 25 fare) a maximum of Rs 10 will be levied (for fares above Rs 501) for this purpose.

Defending its decision, the government said since timely compensation for accidents was not provided, as many as 652 State-run transport corporation buses were under court attachment proceedings. Also, the state transport corporations spent an average of Rs 12 crore per month towards toll fee.

A new accident compensation fund will ensure that victims (or their kin in case of death) would be provided compensation ranging between Rs 2.5 to Rs five lakh immediately, it said.

For those injured, it would be between Rs 10,000 to Rs two lakh depending upon the nature of injuries and duration of hospitalisation. For those who suffer permanent disability or head injury, the compensation will be Rs five lakh, it said.

The government said restructuring of fares in future would be done by a committee of senior government officials based on a computation involving indices covering fuel price hike, changes in maintenance and repair cost and increment in salaries.

There are eight State-run transport corporations in Tamil Nadu with 22,509 buses, employing 1,40,615 personnel.

Workers of Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation (TNSTC) owing allegiance to 17 trade unions, including those affiliated to DMK and Left parties, had gone strike on January 4 after failure of talks with the government on wage revision.

While unions wanted a 2.57 times hike, the government offered only 2.44, resulting in a stalemate.

The strike severely crippled public sector bus services, causing immense hardship to the public, including office-goers in cities though the government tried to maintain services by roping in temporary drivers and private buses.

The AIADMK backed union, besides some others, had not participated in the protests.

The unions had called off the strike on January 11 after the Madras High Court appointed an arbitrator to settle their wage dispute with the government.��  

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[khabarsamay]

Surat gets Best City Bus Services Award

Surat Municipal Corporation has been chosen for the ‘Best City Bus Services Award’ by the Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs for succeeding in attracting 87% of the private vehicle and auto rickshaw users to use city buses. Mysore's Public Bicycle Sharing has won the ‘Best Non-Motorised Transport’ Award while Kochi (Kerala) has been chosen for the ‘Best Urban Transport Initiative’ Award for completing its Metro Rail Project in a quick time besides integrating the metro with other modes of transport. The Awards for the ‘Best Urban Transport Practices’ were announced by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs today on the concluding day of the three day Urban Mobility Conference –cum-Exhibition at Hyderabad. The Awards will be presented to the winning cities in the Valedictory Session later in the day. H-TRIMS of Hyderabad, the Traffic Integrated Management initiative has been chosen for the ‘Commendable Initiative Award’  under ‘Best Intelligent Transport Project’ category. Chittor has been chosen for the ‘Commendable Initiative Award’ for the city police’s initiative for improving road safety. Surat city with a population of about 45 lakhs was heavily dependent on three-wheelers and private vehicles till 2014 when Bus Rapid Transport System (BRTS) and city buses were made operational.  At present, 275 city buses are operational in the city on 28 routes with fares ranging from a minimum of Rs.4.00 to a maximum of Rs.22. With 95% of arrivals and departures on time, 87% of those using private vehicles and auto rickshaws have now shifted to city buses minimizing environmental and social adversity issues. Single ticketing system, Integration of city buses with feeder systems, Intelligent Transit Management are in place. The tourism city of Mysore launched its Public Bicycle Sharing in June this year with 425 bicycles and 45 docking stations. More than 6,400 members have been registered till last month. Fares are as low as Rs.5.00 for up to two hours of use. PBS resulted in improved last mile connectivity besides converting short distance vehicular trips to cycle trips, which are eco-friendly. Fastest constructed Metro Rail Project of Kochi has been chosen as the ‘Best City in Urban Transport Initiative’ category for its innovative features including implementation in integration with  Water Transport. Kochi Metro also introduced ‘Rupay’ based transit card. Hyderabad has about 39 lakh registered vehicles on its roads with 600 more added every day and vehicle density of 723/km, the second highest in the country but traffic management was being done with the 20-year-old signal network which does not function if power supply stopped. H-TRIMS was introduced in 2012 to provide round the clock, no break in service signalling at all the 221 junctions and remotely controlled. H-TRIMS also enables automatic adjustment of signal timings based on traffic flows, pedestrian controlled signals and SMS based alerts to the citizens. This initiative brought down waiting time at traffic junctions by over 33%. H-TRIMS initiative has been commenced under the ‘Best Intelligent Transport System’ category. Pune has won the Best Performer Award in this category. Chittoor in Andhra Pradesh, the district headquarters has won the ‘Commendable Initiative’ Award for the initiative of the City Police aimed at reducing the accidents and fatalities. Under this Education, Engineering and Enforcement initiative, Community Police Officers and students are roped in for creating awareness about road accidents and measures to be taken to prevent the same. Over 1.76 lakh drivers and riders have been administered an oath, speed breakers and rumble strips erected to regulate speeds and 259 roadside villages have been sensitised. Chittore police introduced ‘no helmet-no petrol’ policy for two-wheelers. Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, has won the Best Performer Award in this category. Other Award Winners are: Madhya Pradesh: Commendable Urban Mass Transit Initiative for implementing Cluster-Based BusTransit System Bhopal: Commendable Initiative for introducing Public Bicycle Sharing Noida and Greater Noida: Commendable City Bus Service Project initiative Andaman: Commendable Initiative for introducing Special Bus Services for women Lucknow  Metro Rail Project: Commendable Urban Mass Transit Initiative Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs announces these awards to promote Best Practices in Urban Transport and are presented at the annual Urban Mobility India Conference. Read the full article

[ideasandinnovations-blog]

LONDON: Six men and two women including Indians were killed in a major accident when their mini bus got crushed between two trucks on a highway in southern England. The crash occurred on the southbound M1 highway at Newport Pagnell in Buckinghamshire on Saturday.

“We are extending all possible assistance to those affected by this tragedy,” the Indian High Commission in London said.

The two truck drivers arrested from the scene of the accident were charged with causing death by dangerous driving. Thames Valley Police said 31-year-old Ryszard Masierak and 51-year-old David Wagstaff have been charged with eight counts of causing death by dangerous driving.

Mr Masierak, also accused of careless driving under the influence of alcohol, has been remanded in custody to appear at High Wycombe Magistrates’ Court today. Mr Wagstaff, charged with dangerous driving, has been bailed to appear at Milton Keynes Magistrates’ Court on September 11.

“The charges are in connection with a collision shortly before 3.15 am yesterday in which six men and two women died. Four people who were injured and taken to hospital remain in serious conditions,” Thames Valley Police said in a statement.

The British police are yet to release details of those killed in the crash. The driver of the minibus has been identified as India-born Cyriac Joseph. The 52-year-old father of two, originally from Kerala and based in the UK for 15 years, was described as “lovely and generous” by friends.

The others in his minibus were tourists from Chennai who had reportedly hired the vehicle along with a family based in Nottingham to travel to London, from where they had plans to go on a tour of Europe.

A five-year-old girl, a woman and a man are being treated in the hospital with life-threatening injuries, while another woman has serious injuries. South Central Ambulance Service said those injured in the collision were taken to hospitals in Milton Keynes, Coventry and Birmingham.

Pictures from the crash site show extensive damage to the vehicles involved, including a FedEx vehicle and another belonging to AIM Logistics. Ismail Elmagdoub, director of AIM Logistics, based in Evesham, Worcestershire, said, “We would like to express our deepest sympathy to the families who have lost loved ones and also those whom have been injured at this very sad time.”

[theangrymallu-blog]

Traffic chronicles

I love traffic . Believe it or not , i love getting stalled in a blockade or red lights. It is amusing for me to see the frustrations , impatience and the anger typical to any such situations. It is actually a refreshing time for me in these hefty traffic when actually i am getting stopped . I have been an average driver ever since i started driving some 13 years ago when i was barely legal . Not much have changed in my style , i mean the driving side, yes now i know there is lever next to the steering called indicator . My profession takes me to places across the globe and was amazed to realize how good we Indians are behind the wheels . The huge cities like London and Barcelona can’t boast of a traffic blockade ,  from what i experienced, that you typically encounter in a place like Trivandrum. Way to go countrymen.

There people actually follows the rules . There was a taxi driver in Valencia , who stopped at a red light while we were enroute City centre . Whats so unusual for a guy like me is that , there was not even a single car or bike or any human for that matter present in that junction . Still he waits to get the green light.

This incident happened last year in Limassol , Cyprus. I was getting back home that evening . My flight was scheduled at 7:30 PM local time , from Larnaca(LCA) , some 80  KM from Limassol. The taxi was waiting for me from 4:30 , but i could not finish off my formalities till 5:45 . The driver took off straight into the evening traffic . Cars moving slowly,just like a flock of sheep ,all in a single lane to get into the highway .Seriously ? There is another lane and why the hell is he not hitting that ? Why no one is even honking ? In between he stopped at a few zebra lanes and in one case just for a man with a cycle ! You must be kidding ...I asked him to hurry only to realize that he don’t know English . Showed him the flight timing and he simply nodded the head showing his watch . God knows ........

By the time we hit the highway , it is quarter past 6 . I called home and said i may not show up tomorrow , as expected . My first child is all set to pop out  and i was desperate to get home. The driver was all sedative in his driving and wanted to tell him to hit the gas. Then i glance upon the speedo , it is above 120 !!! Still no jerk and feels like doing just 60 .The traffic was bare minimum , even by the Trivandrum standards . 

An hour later i was sitting on my flight home calculating how he managed to get me here on time ! Had it been in India , i would be still sitting in the car listening to the honking music . Can you imagine going to Trivandrum airport at 5:45 in the evening from Kollam and oh yeah , you have an hour before your gate closes . I can tell you at 6:45 you will be some where near Kallambalam . Congrats , you can go back home. There was this one time when i had a flight at 4 am from Mumbai and this hotel asked me to leave as early as 1:30 am , just to cover a ten mile drive in the wee hours and this old Greek guy drove 80 km in less than an hour, with no honking, stopping at the lights and following the lane . An average driver will for sure takes a minimum 2 hours to cover the 80 KM in a place like Kerala . If not more .

This whatsapp forwarded message truly depict the Indian drivers

In India driving is like a war and in war you don’t give clues to your enemies which way you are heading to

So today , i decided to conduct an experiment by actually following the traffic rules and regulations . Keep the lane , stop for people to cross, no honking and no speeding.

9:15 AM VSSC Veli Gate

Drove past the speed bump straight to Pound kadavu jn . Stopped at the Junction and wait till traffic clear . Honk Honk ....the contract carrier of VSSC on my tails ...

9:18 AM Station Kadavu Railway gate

Pandemonium there , the gate was just opened . There are a million bikes , cars , rickshaws and a couple of trucks all trying to squeeze out of the 5 road junction . Stopped the car at the left side to accommodate the incoming passage . Those from my behind squeezed through the gap stalling the traffic. Waited till the rush settles , five minutes later  the gate closed again . Bikes and rickshaws still pouring to the right side of the two lane road.

9:25 AM Kulathur Bypass JN

Cops managing the traffic , so the usual dramas not persistent . Head towards Kazhakootam , keeping the left lane . Rickshaw on the right lane . A three wheeler goods carriage on the left lane .  Put the right indicator for lane change  and made the first honking. Rickshaw not pulling over . By now the left lane was occupied by many cars , started honking and went past the rickshaw through left side . Me still trailing behind the rickshaw on the right lane . Lane change again .

9:30 AM Technopark JN

Traffic towards Park stopped by the wardens . Bikes went past me without stopping ! Cars on the two lanes on left towards Park and some even half on the right lane . Blockade and honking.

9:40 AM Kazhakoottam JN

Right indicator on and stopped before the Junction . A cop managing the duty .

9:43 AM LNCPE road Jn

People waiting near the zebra lane to cross . Stopped . Total confusion. No one crossed and honking from my behind. Gestured them to cross , but no one stopped on the other lane.

9:45 AM University Gate

Traffic stopped by warden . Bikes went past through left between the people crossing the zebra lane.

9:47 AM Karyavattom Jn

Usually there will be a cop there managing the flow, but not today . Bikes everywhere - left , right and centre. A bus ahead stopped  stalling the whole traffic .  People crossing everywhere . Waited for the people to cross. Honking from behind. Didn’t move . Honking honking. Once everyone crossed, drove ahead. A KL02 Ford Icon went past me all honking and giving me a furious look, i smiled

9:50 AM Z section near Asian breads

A KSRTC scared the shit out of me , overtaking a car , with lights blinking and honking straight into me . Bikes on the left .

9:55 AM At my parking lot

I realized how difficult it is actually to drive here following the rules. Infact you are putting yourself and others in trouble by following the rules. See for example , i am stopping the car for people to cross and gesturing them to go ahead . Those who are driving on the other lane or even those  behind me may not stop , causing an accident. So don’t stop. People here have an unusual ability to judge the speed of the incoming cars and will cross the road with impeccable perfections , unless interrupted by the helmet-less two wheelers who are way beyond any computational analysis . Remember the game Crossy Roads ! They are made after us.

Second thing is , here people do follow the lanes - the right most lane . Everyone is obsessed with that lane - bikes, trucks, cars , rickshaws and even construction vehicles . Once occupied , that lane is for their exclusive use  , others damn .

Yellow lights means racing mode on .

Green light - clear out niggas

Red light- Should i really stop , yeah if there is a camera,  no one cares otherwise .

Another thing that only an Indian driver can do is driving behind those trucks and buses with no brake lights whatsoever . They can judge whether the crap ahead , name it a bus or a truck for that matters, is going to stop .

Night driving is fun in India . Your aim is to petrify of zombify those on the opposite lanes using anything like a floodlight , for example. Diming lights is a loser thing . If some one is flashing lights, make sure that you return the gesture .Sure we have Gods in the dashboard who will take care of the matters.

Indicators are for kids. It is just an accessory which we rarely use.

A car with a hazard lights on in a junction , no worries,  he is telling that he want to go straight . For us Indians , no emergency is an emergency unless there is a honking involved. Giving way for an ambulance is an optional thing and once you gave the clearance make sure that you don’t hit the bikes tailing the ambulance , they are all the relatives .

So you still think Indian drivers are bad ?

[dennonthemove]

Day 30

Day 30 Friday, January 13

Another milestone … Day 30.

Today, for the first time, I found myself wishing I was home–my own bed and washing machine. Yes, those are the only two reasons I could come up with … a familiar bed and a washing machine … and no mosquitoes.

My feet and ankles are just one red welt.

No, I’m not wearing socks and shoes. Yes, I left my boots somewhere along the way … on purpose. I had to lighten my load somewhere. And everyone wears sandals/flip flops around here. It’s very rare to see an actual pair of shoes.

It’s not a matter of conforming to the customs of the locals in wearing sandals. It’s a matter of the custom of removing your shoes before entering a home, temple, business, etc. The ease of footwear removal is key!!! It has to happen ALL THE TIME!!! My boots were the least practical piece of clothing I brought on this trip–the biggest hassle. Even my Chacos take time in undoing/doing the straps. ACK!!!

The mornings and the evenings are the worst times for mosquitoes, of course. Only “mad dogs and Englishmen go out in the mid-day sun.” Even local shop owners take a “siesta” during the mid-afternoon. Shops will then stay open until 10:00 at night–or later.

In fact, after dinner (knowing I still needed another bag), I went to a shop where I’d found the bags I wanted–and they were still open. The shopkeeper was actually flirting with this pretty young German girl–probably the only reason he was still open. And, his business partner was outside on the phone and ushered me right in when he saw a potential buyer–even at 10:30 at night.

I had a great conversation with the girl and the guy. I made a few jokes. We laughed. I made my purchase. He was a happy seller (and probably got lucky). Everyone ended the night on a good note.

*************** Day 30.1

The day started off well, too … if not just a little uncertain.

As mentioned in yesterday’s notes, I’d made arrangements the previous evening to go see some of the artwork of one of the waiters at Le Space, Karuna. I was to meet him a 10 and go to the home of the cafe’s owner (the sick one in Paris).

Also, Sara had made arrangements to meet Mallika and Pasha and Fiona at one of the local theatre spaces, Indianostrum, to go over the Fitzmaurice “sequence.” Since Mallika and Pasha were running late, Sara, Fiona and I were going to meet for a quick coffee. I suggested meeting at Baker Street bakery. Since it was sort of halfway between where they’re staying and where I’m staying.

I was right on time, but Fiona and Sara never showed.

Sara said they’d rode up and down the street but could never find it. It’s a very odd place–and the sign is not easy to spot if you don’t know what you’re looking for. For one thing, the lettering is a light brown/golden writing on a white background. So, it’s not going to pop! Secondly, it’s a French bakery, in the heart of an Indian thoroughfare, with a silhouette of Sherlock Holmes on it’s signage … remember, it’s Baker Street. It just doesn’t jump out and scream, “Coffee Shop!”

Since my appointment was at 10, I had my cup of coffee and croissant and scootered to make my meeting.

Karuna was there waiting for e outside of Le Space and we rode to this home about one kilometer away. It was really easy to get to.

Once there, K showed me several of his drawings. He’s mostly into watercolors and pen/ink drawings. His work is good, but I think he’ll get better with time. Some of this work didn’t do much for me, but there was one charcoal piece of a face (I assumed it was a self-portrait) which was quite good. So, in support of budding artists, I bought it.

He was a little disappointed when I didn’t stay for coffee, but more people showed up at the house and I was feeling a little out-of-my-comfort-zone. So, I offered my apologies and got back on my scooter and drove back to the French Quarter of town where the theatre was.

Obviously, my art purchase didn’t take as much time as I thought it would, so I made it back before Sara was even halfway through the “sequence.” It was a great session and I was able to assist Sara, comfortably, with the private Fitzmaurice session. It was a great workout.

Afterwards, they took us to the paper factory on the edge of downtown. Unfortunately, as it was holiday, the production of paper was not operating, so we didn’t actually get to see them make the paper. But, the shop was open and full of very inexpensive paper products–making the trip totally worthwhile to purchase a few more gift for the folks back home!!!

Reminds me, gotta find a post office!

Lunchtime … again, more Indian food. When is it going to end!?!?!?!?!

More shopping. When is it going to end?!?!?!?!?!?!

It’s really a challenge when you first look at the price tag and see figures in the hundreds and thousands … and then take out your trusty phone calculator and realize 2500 rupees is less than $50.

I’ve done all my Christmas shopping for this year and next!

Met up with Stephen and Karine, again, quite by accident–three times during the afternoon. They’re heading to Chennai later today for an early morning flight out. (Fiona and Rick leave Saturday evening–F. flying back to Australia and R. taking a night bus to Kerala. Sara and I will take an early morning taxi to Chennai on Sunday.) Before going separate ways to clean up before meeting again for cocktails and dinner, we made appointments for full-body massages for Saturday afternoon at an ayurvedic treatment center–will give full report afterwards.

**************

Day 30.1

Got back to the Blue Mango in the late afternoon and one of the ladies was busy washing dishes in the kitchen. I asked if it was ok if I washed up a few clothes and hung them on the line in the back. She said it was ok and asked if she could do the wash for me. Although tempted, I said I could do it myself, and she said she’d hang them up for me. But, when I finished, she wasn’t around, so I hung them up myself.

I’m not totally helpless.

This, though, is one of the reasons I miss my washing machine–and will never, ever take it for granted! Doing clothes by hand isn’t a big deal, but you just never know how clean those clothes are getting.

Although I didn’t bring a towel–had one ready to pack, but chose otherwise–I did bring a washcloth.

Good idea!

A white one.

Bad idea!

Am seriously considering throwing it away before I leave. But, I’m so curious about just how close I can return it to its former color, I may just have to take it home with me.

At least I have (somewhat) clean clothes to wear back on the plane. Everything else can wait until I can run them through the washer a few times.

Lesson learned–the biggest downside to traveling with just carry-on luggage, the choices in attire are severely limiting. Day 30, there is no longer variety.

*************

Day 30.2

Met again at Le Space before dinner. Karine and Stephen had already left for Chennai, so it was just Fiona, Sara, Rick and myself.

Mojitos are still quite good–though extremely slow in getting to the table.

Tonight, the music was good jazz.

Definitely a place you want to come back to.

Saw my young artist friend, again.

Dinner was at Satsanga–French and Indian cuisine–just down the road. Seems to be on the bus-tour itinerary because large tables had been reserved for tourists.

Not particularly memorable–but, I made the very conscious decision for no Indian tonight. I had fish and chips. Definitely not memorable.

But the company, as expected, was fantastic!

[brajeshupadhyay]

10:23 (IST) Coronavirus in Madhya Pradesh Latest Update Migrant worker, 3 others killed after being crushed by truck A migrant worker, his wife and two others, who were returning to Indore from Maharashtra, were killed after being crushed by a tanker truck in Madhya Pradesh's Barwani. Similar incidents in which migrant workers have died while on their way to their native villages were reported from the state earleir in May. 10:03 (IST) Coronavirus in West Bengal Latest Update 32 migrant workers injured after bus meets accident A bus carrying migrant workers met with an accident near Dhupguri in Jalpaiguri district. 32 migrant labourers in the bus were injured and were taken to the district hospital for treatment. This incident comes a day after a truck carrying migrant workers met with an accident in Uttar Pradesh's Auraiya, killing 24 labourers. 10:00 (IST) Coronavirus Outbreak Latest Update Shramik trains ferry 2.39 lakh migrants back home The Indian Railways has ferried 2,39 lakh migrants to their native states in 167 Shramik trains so far. These trains were started by the railways on 1 May after it came to light that migrant workers were walking hundreds of kilometers to reach their villages amid the coronavirus lockdown. 09:54 (IST) Coronavirus in Rajasthan Latest Update Rajasthan records 70 fresh cases The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Rajasthan rose to 5,030 and the toll stood at 128, after the state reported 70 fresh cases and two deaths within a day. 09:50 (IST) Coronavirus Outbreak Latest Update India reports highest ever spike in cases; tally at 90,927 India reported the highest ever spike of 4,987 coronavirus cases in the last 24 hours. The total cases now stand at 90,927, including 2,872 deaths and 34,109 recoveries. Additionally, 120 deaths were reported in the last 24 hours. 09:38 (IST) Coronavirus in Kerala Latest Update Tourism sector suffers loss of Rs 15,000 crore Kerala has incurred a loss of Rs 15,000 crore in tourism sector, state minister Kadakampally Surendran said. The state is now planning to bring a rejuvenation package to make up for these losses. 09:35 (IST) Coronavirus Outbreak Latest Update Nirmala Sitharaman to address press at 11 am Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will address a press conference at 11 am today to talk on the roadmap laid out to move towards an 'Aatmanirbhar' India. This is the fifth press conference she will be addressing ever since Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced a Rs 20 lakh crore economic stimulus package last week. 09:29 (IST) Coronavirus in Goa Latest Update Woman travelling in special train tests positive in Goa A woman, who travelled to Goa in Delhi-Thiruvananthapuram Rajdhani train on Saturday, has tested positive for coronavirus Goa was earlier declared a green zone but has reported 16 coronavirus cases since 13 May. 09:20 (IST) Coronavirus in Assam Latest Update Special train passengers reach Guwahati; cases in Assam at 95 A special train carrying passengers from New Delhi Railway Station reached Guwahati Railway Station on Saturday and continues its journey to Dibrugarh. All passengers deboarding at Guwahati were screened on arrival at the railway station. Assam health minister Himanta Biswa Sarma had said last week that everyone arriving aboard these trains in the state will have to undergo a mandatory 14-day institutional quarantine, adding that it will be “impossible to test thousands of passengers”. Assam: A special train carrying passengers from New Delhi Railway Station reached Guwahati Railway Station yesterday. The train is enroute to Dibrugarh. All passengers were screened on their arrival at the railway station, as per guidelines by the govt. pic.twitter.com/kv0fxeEh7L — ANI (@ANI) May 16, 2020 09:15 (IST) Coronavirus in Bihar Latest Update Test report of man, who had died after returning from Maharashtra, turns out positive The test report of one person, who passed away on 15 May in Bihar's Khagaria, turned out to be positive for COVID-19. The deceased had returned from Maharashtra on 13 May and his wife has also tested positive for COVID-19. The toll in Bihar now stands at eight. 08:59 (IST) Coronavirus in Punjab Latest Update 1,257 of 1,946 cases cured in Punjab As many as 1,257 persons tested positive for coronavirus have been cured, of which 952 were discharged on Saturday, the Punjab government announced. Most of these patients were Sikh pilgrims who had returned from Maharashtra's Nanded. The state has reported 1,946 cases so far. 50,613 persons have been tested so far,out of which 46,028 are found negative, the government said. 08:52 (IST) Coronavirus in Madhya Pradesh Latest Update 92 tested positive in Indore, total at 2,470 The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Indore district rose to 2,470 after 92 persons were tested positive on Saturday. The toll now stands at 100. 07:48 (IST) Coronavirus in Jharkhand Latest Update Stone-pelting in Hindpiri as locals accuse CRPF jawan of attacking local leader Police was roped into action in Jharkhand's Hindpiri area, current a COVID-19 red zone, after disturbance erupted as locals accused a CRPf jawan of beating a local leader. A crowd gathered and stone-pelting was reported, according to ANI. Adequate force was deployed in the area and the situation was brought under control. 07:42 (IST) Coronavirus in Maharashtra Latest Update Train carries 1,222 passengers from Panvel to Jaipur A train departed on Saturday evening from Panvel for Jaipur, carrying 1,222 passengers. Passengers from Raigad, Navi Mumbai and Kurla were brought to the Panvel railwaysstation from local police stations by concerned authorities. 07:40 (IST) Coronavirus in Assam Latest Updates Two tested positive in Guwahati, total cases at 94 Two persons were tested positive in Guwahati and one in Sonitpur, taking the total number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Assam to 94. 41 persons in the state have recovered, where two deaths have been reported so far. Coronavirus Outbreak LATEST Updates: India reported the highest ever spike of 4,987 coronavirus cases in the last 24 hours. Meanwhile, a woman, who travelled to Goa in Delhi-Thiruvananthapuram Rajdhani train on Saturday, has tested positive for coronavirus, taking the new infections in the state to 10. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will address a press conference at 11 am today to talk on the roadmap laid out to move towards an 'Aatmanirbhar' India. Meanwhile, the number of confirmed cases stood at 90,927 on Sunday. India crossed the 85,000 mark in number of COVID-19 cases on Saturday, becoming the 11th worst-affected country in the world. The Union Health Ministry reported a rise of 3,970 infections and 103 deaths due to the novel coronavirus in the last 24 hours since Friday 8 am. The total number of cases has climbed to 85,940 while number of deaths due to COVID-19 has risen to 2,752, the ministry said. With 53,035 active cases, India is the eighth largest in terms of active cases after the US, Russia, Brazil, France, Italy, Spain and Peru. More than 30,000 patients have recovered so far, data showed. Migrant workers from other states desperate to return to their homes walk through rail tracks. AP However, a PTI tally of figures announced by states and Union territories, as of 9.15 pm put the total number of confirmed cases in the country at 90,326, deaths at 2,790 and recoveries at over 33,500. Globally, more than 45.6 lakh people are reported to have been infected by the novel coronavirus while 3,06,221 have died, according to a Reuters tally. Infections have been reported in more than 210 countries and territories since the first cases were identified in China in December 2019. COVID-19 cases from states In India, Maharashtra remained the worst affected state with its COVID-19 tally crossing the 30,000-mark on Saturday with 1,606 new cases and 67 more fatalities taking its death toll to 1,135. Gujarat, the second worst-affected state, crossed the 10,000-mark on Saturday with 1,057 new patients being found positive for coronavirus including 709 "super spreaders" in Ahmedabad. Gujarat now has 10,989 cases with 625 deaths, while Tamil Nadu's overall tally has risen to 10,585. The major worry, however, is a new phase of coronavirus infections in states like Kerala and Goa, which had become virtually free of new infections, have begun reporting new cases while the numbers have started rising rapidly in places like Odisha, Bihar and Assam too in the last few days. Click here to follow LIVE Updates on coronavirus Most of the new cases across states are being linked to the influx of people from other states or other countries in special trains, flights and buses. In Odisha, 65 people tested positive during the day, taking its total to 737, and officials said most of these cases are among people who had returned from other states. Ganjam in south Odisha now accounts for the highest number of cases in the state at 277 and most of these people have returned from Gujarat and other states. In Kerala, 11 people tested positive for COVID-19, including four from Thrissur district, three from Kozhikode and two each from Palakkad and Malappuram. All of them had come from outside the state -- seven from abroad and two each from Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra. Nearly 57,000 people are under observation in the state at present, out of which about 3,000 came to the state through airports, nearly 800 from sea ports, over 1,000 through train and over 50,320 via road. In Tripura also, 11 people, including seven BSF jawans, tested positive on Saturday. Bihar recorded 46 new cases, including in Patna which now has 105 cases. The number of cases in Bihar has risen sharply since the beginning of the month, mainly because of migrants returning to their native places in large numbers by special trains in addition to other modes of transport. According to the state health department, 427 of returnees since 4 May have tested positive for COVID-9. Most of them had come from Delhi, Gujarat and Maharashtra. Five cities account for over 50% COVID-19 cases The high concentration of COVID-19 in urban clusters is another major cause of worry with five cities -- Mumbai, Delhi, Ahmedabad, Chennai and Pune -- as of Saturday accounting for over 50 percent of total infections with close to 46,000 cases. These five also account for over half of the nationwide death toll of close to nearly 2,800 so far. On Saturday, Delhi reported 438 new cases, taking its tally to 9,333, while its death toll rose to 129. Delhi is the third worst hit among the major urban centres after Mumbai and Ahmedabad, which reported 884 and 973 new cases, respectively. The COVID-19 case count in Ahmedabad has now risen to 8,144, while its toll has grown to 493. Mumbai's tally of confirmed COVID-19 cases has risen to 18,396, while its death toll due to the pandemic is now 696 with 41 new deaths. Chennai also saw its tally rising to 6,261. Among other major urban centres, Pune, Surat and Indore have also been reporting large numbers of cases. 35 migrants killed in road accidents At least 35 migrant workers were killed and many more were injured in road accidents during the day in Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh while trying to return to their native places. Most of them had hitched rides in trucks while a couple was in an autorickshaw for a journey running into hundreds of kilometers. Lakhs of migrant workers in different parts of the country had begun walking back to their native places after being rendered jobless, and many of them homeless too, due to the nationwide lockdown announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 24 March. While special trains are being run now by the government and some states have also arranged for buses to take them back to their homes, not all places are said to be connected by these trains and large numbers of people remain on roads. FM announces fourth tranche of measures; Opposition slams it The government in the meantime unveiled a slew of structural reforms in eight sectors -- coal, minerals, defence production, civil aviation sector, power distribution companies in Union Territories, space sector and atomic energy sector -- in the fourth tranche of the Rs 20-lakh-crore economic stimulus package with an aim to boost growth and create jobs. Some of the measures, announced by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Saturday, included opening of space sector for private players, commercial mining of coal, raising FDI limit in defence sector through automatic route from 49 percent to 74 percent, privatisation of power discoms in the Union Territories, offering more airports on a PPP model as well as boosting private sector investment in social infrastructure projects through revamped viability gap funding scheme of Rs 8,100 crore. Modi said the measures announced by Sitharaman will create many business opportunities and contribute to the country's economic transformation. Leading industry body Assocham said these measures would give "new wings to India" and demonopolise core sectors. Left parties, however, accused the government of using the COVID-19 pandemic to "impose the agenda of the rich" and privatise public assets. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said cash assistance should be given to the poor and vulnerable sections who are in dire need of money due to the lockdown. The third phase of the nationwide lockdown is scheduled to end on Sunday and there are expectations that the fourth phase beginning Monday may give significant relaxations for various economic activities even as a complete exit is unlikely given the continuous rise in the number of COVID-19 cases. Several states have already said they want the lockdown restrictions to continue further. However, on Saturday Punjab become the first to extend it till 31 May but without curfew restrictions. Haryana deputy chief minister Dushyant Chautala supported restarting of domestic flights as well as opening of schools and universities, as he stressed on resumption of normal life while dealing with COVID-19. His state reported 33 new cases, including 14 in Gurgaon on the outskirts of the national capital. With inputs from PTI

http://sansaartimes.blogspot.com/2020/05/coronavirus-outbreak-live-updates-india_17.html

[brajeshupadhyay]

Nirmala Sitharaman on Economic Package LIVE Updates: Finance minister quotes PM, says 'turning crisis for India into opportunity'

11:17 (IST)

Coronavirus Outbreak Latest Update

  Turning crisis into opportunity: Sitharaman

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman begins by quoting Prime Minister Narendra Modi, says 'turning crisis for India into an opportunity'.

10:41 (IST)

Coronavirus Outbreak Latest Update

  Nirmala Sitharaman to begin press conference soon

  Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman is set to address a press conference at 11 am today to speak on the roadmap laid out to move towards an 'Aatmanirbhar' India. Sitharaman on Saturday said that the Central government will introduce competition, transparency and private sector participation in the coal sector and infrastructure development of Rs 50,000 crore.

10:23 (IST)

Coronavirus in Madhya Pradesh Latest Update

Migrant worker, 3 others killed after being crushed by truck

A migrant worker, his wife and two others, who were returning to Indore from Maharashtra, were killed after being crushed by a tanker truck in Madhya Pradesh's Barwani.

Similar incidents in which migrant workers have died while on their way to their native villages were reported from the state earleir in May.

10:03 (IST)

Coronavirus in West Bengal Latest Update

32 migrant workers injured after bus meets accident

A bus carrying migrant workers met with an accident near Dhupguri in Jalpaiguri district. 32 migrant labourers in the bus were injured and were taken to the district hospital for treatment.

This incident comes a day after a truck carrying migrant workers met with an accident in Uttar Pradesh's Auraiya, killing 24 labourers.

10:00 (IST)

Coronavirus Outbreak Latest Update

Shramik trains ferry 2.39 lakh migrants back home

The Indian Railways has ferried 2,39 lakh migrants to their native states in 167 Shramik trains so far.

These trains were started by the railways on 1 May after it came to light that migrant workers were walking hundreds of kilometers to reach their villages amid the coronavirus lockdown.

09:54 (IST)

Coronavirus in Rajasthan Latest Update

Rajasthan records 70 fresh cases

The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Rajasthan rose to 5,030 and the toll stood at 128, after the state reported 70 fresh cases and two deaths within a day.

09:50 (IST)

Coronavirus Outbreak Latest Update

India reports highest ever spike in cases; tally at 90,927

India reported the highest ever spike of 4,987 coronavirus cases in the last 24 hours. The total cases now stand at 90,927, including 2,872 deaths and 34,109 recoveries.

Additionally, 120 deaths were reported in the last 24 hours.

09:38 (IST)

Coronavirus in Kerala Latest Update

Tourism sector suffers loss of Rs 15,000 crore

Kerala has incurred a loss of Rs 15,000 crore in tourism sector, state minister Kadakampally Surendran said. The state is now planning to bring a rejuvenation package to make up for these losses.

09:35 (IST)

Coronavirus Outbreak Latest Update

Nirmala Sitharaman to address press at 11 am

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will address a press conference at 11 am today to talk on the roadmap laid out to move towards an 'Aatmanirbhar' India.

This is the fifth press conference she will be addressing ever since Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced a Rs 20 lakh crore economic stimulus package last week.

09:29 (IST)

Coronavirus in Goa Latest Update

Woman travelling in special train tests positive in Goa

A woman, who travelled to Goa in Delhi-Thiruvananthapuram Rajdhani train on Saturday, has tested positive for coronavirus

Goa was earlier declared a green zone but has reported 16 coronavirus cases since 13 May.

09:20 (IST)

Coronavirus in Assam Latest Update

Special train passengers reach Guwahati; cases in Assam at 95

A special train carrying passengers from New Delhi Railway Station reached Guwahati Railway Station on Saturday and continues its journey to Dibrugarh. All passengers deboarding at Guwahati were screened on arrival at the railway station.

Assam health minister Himanta Biswa Sarma had said last week that everyone arriving aboard these trains in the state will have to undergo a mandatory 14-day institutional quarantine, adding that it will be “impossible to test thousands of passengers”.

Assam: A special train carrying passengers from New Delhi Railway Station reached Guwahati Railway Station yesterday. The train is enroute to Dibrugarh. All passengers were screened on their arrival at the railway station, as per guidelines by the govt. pic.twitter.com/kv0fxeEh7L

— ANI (@ANI) May 16, 2020

09:15 (IST)

Coronavirus in Bihar Latest Update

Test report of man, who had died after returning from Maharashtra, turns out positive

The test report of one person, who passed away on 15 May in Bihar's Khagaria, turned out to be positive for COVID-19. The deceased had returned from Maharashtra on 13 May and his wife has also tested positive for COVID-19.

The toll in Bihar now stands at eight.

08:59 (IST)

Coronavirus in Punjab Latest Update

1,257 of 1,946 cases cured in Punjab

As many as 1,257 persons tested positive for coronavirus have been cured, of which 952 were discharged on Saturday, the Punjab government announced. Most of these patients were Sikh pilgrims who had returned from Maharashtra's Nanded. The state has reported 1,946 cases so far.

50,613 persons have been tested so far,out of which 46,028 are found negative, the government said.

08:52 (IST)

Coronavirus in Madhya Pradesh Latest Update

92 tested positive in Indore, total at 2,470

The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Indore district rose to 2,470 after 92 persons were tested positive on Saturday. The toll now stands at 100.

07:48 (IST)

Coronavirus in Jharkhand Latest Update

Stone-pelting in Hindpiri as locals accuse CRPF jawan of attacking local leader

Police was roped into action in Jharkhand's Hindpiri area, current a COVID-19 red zone, after disturbance erupted as locals accused a CRPf jawan of beating a local leader. A crowd gathered and stone-pelting was reported, according to ANI.

Adequate force was deployed in the area and the situation was brought under control.

07:42 (IST)

Coronavirus in Maharashtra Latest Update

Train carries 1,222 passengers from Panvel to Jaipur

A train departed on Saturday evening from Panvel for Jaipur, carrying 1,222 passengers. Passengers from Raigad, Navi Mumbai and Kurla were brought to the Panvel railwaysstation from local police stations by concerned authorities.

07:40 (IST)

Coronavirus in Assam Latest Updates

Two tested positive in Guwahati, total cases at 94

Two persons were tested positive in Guwahati and one in Sonitpur, taking the total number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Assam to 94. 41 persons in the state have recovered, where two deaths have been reported so far.

Nirmala Sitharaman on Economic Package LATEST Updates: 'Need to now build an Aatma Nirbhar Bharat', said Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Sunday, while addressing a press conference on the final tranche of the economic package, revisits Narendra Modi's speech on Tuesday.

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman is set to address a press conference at 11 am today to speak on the roadmap laid out to move towards an 'Aatmanirbhar' India. Sitharaman on Saturday said that the Central government will introduce competition, transparency and private sector participation in the coal sector and infrastructure development of Rs 50,000 crore.

India reported the highest ever spike of 4,987 coronavirus cases in the last 24 hours. Meanwhile, a woman, who travelled to Goa in Delhi-Thiruvananthapuram Rajdhani train on Saturday, has tested positive for coronavirus, taking the new infections in the state to 10.

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will address a press conference at 11 am today to talk on the roadmap laid out to move towards an 'Aatmanirbhar' India. Meanwhile, the number of confirmed cases stood at 90,927 on Sunday.

India crossed the 85,000 mark in number of COVID-19 cases on Saturday, becoming the 11th worst-affected country in the world. The Union Health Ministry reported a rise of 3,970 infections and 103 deaths due to the novel coronavirus in the last 24 hours since Friday 8 am.

The total number of cases has climbed to 85,940 while number of deaths due to COVID-19 has risen to 2,752, the ministry said.

With 53,035 active cases, India is the eighth largest in terms of active cases after the US, Russia, Brazil, France, Italy, Spain and Peru. More than 30,000 patients have recovered so far, data showed.

However, a PTI tally of figures announced by states and Union territories, as of 9.15 pm put the total number of confirmed cases in the country at 90,326, deaths at 2,790 and recoveries at over 33,500.

Globally, more than 45.6 lakh people are reported to have been infected by the novel coronavirus while 3,06,221 have died, according to a Reuters tally.

Infections have been reported in more than 210 countries and territories since the first cases were identified in China in December 2019.

COVID-19 cases from states

In India, Maharashtra remained the worst affected state with its COVID-19 tally crossing the 30,000-mark on Saturday with 1,606 new cases and 67 more fatalities taking its death toll to 1,135.

Gujarat, the second worst-affected state, crossed the 10,000-mark on Saturday with 1,057 new patients being found positive for coronavirus including 709 "super spreaders" in Ahmedabad.

Gujarat now has 10,989 cases with 625 deaths, while Tamil Nadu's overall tally has risen to 10,585.

The major worry, however, is a new phase of coronavirus infections in states like Kerala and Goa, which had become virtually free of new infections, have begun reporting new cases while the numbers have started rising rapidly in places like Odisha, Bihar and Assam too in the last few days.

Click here to follow LIVE Updates on coronavirus

Most of the new cases across states are being linked to the influx of people from other states or other countries in special trains, flights and buses.

In Odisha, 65 people tested positive during the day, taking its total to 737, and officials said most of these cases are among people who had returned from other states.

Ganjam in south Odisha now accounts for the highest number of cases in the state at 277 and most of these people have returned from Gujarat and other states.

In Kerala, 11 people tested positive for COVID-19, including four from Thrissur district, three from Kozhikode and two each from Palakkad and Malappuram. All of them had come from outside the state -- seven from abroad and two each from Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra.

Nearly 57,000 people are under observation in the state at present, out of which about 3,000 came to the state through airports, nearly 800 from sea ports, over 1,000 through train and over 50,320 via road.

In Tripura also, 11 people, including seven BSF jawans, tested positive on Saturday.

Bihar recorded 46 new cases, including in Patna which now has 105 cases. The number of cases in Bihar has risen sharply since the beginning of the month, mainly because of migrants returning to their native places in large numbers by special trains in addition to other modes of transport.

According to the state health department, 427 of returnees since 4 May have tested positive for COVID-9. Most of them had come from Delhi, Gujarat and Maharashtra.

Five cities account for over 50% COVID-19 cases

The high concentration of COVID-19 in urban clusters is another major cause of worry with five cities -- Mumbai, Delhi, Ahmedabad, Chennai and Pune -- as of Saturday accounting for over 50 percent of total infections with close to 46,000 cases. These five also account for over half of the nationwide death toll of close to nearly 2,800 so far.

On Saturday, Delhi reported 438 new cases, taking its tally to 9,333, while its death toll rose to 129.

Delhi is the third worst hit among the major urban centres after Mumbai and Ahmedabad, which reported 884 and 973 new cases, respectively. The COVID-19 case count in Ahmedabad has now risen to 8,144, while its toll has grown to 493.

Mumbai's tally of confirmed COVID-19 cases has risen to 18,396, while its death toll due to the pandemic is now 696 with 41 new deaths.

Chennai also saw its tally rising to 6,261. Among other major urban centres, Pune, Surat and Indore have also been reporting large numbers of cases.

35 migrants killed in road accidents

At least 35 migrant workers were killed and many more were injured in road accidents during the day in Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh while trying to return to their native places.

Most of them had hitched rides in trucks while a couple was in an autorickshaw for a journey running into hundreds of kilometers.

Lakhs of migrant workers in different parts of the country had begun walking back to their native places after being rendered jobless, and many of them homeless too, due to the nationwide lockdown announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 24 March.

While special trains are being run now by the government and some states have also arranged for buses to take them back to their homes, not all places are said to be connected by these trains and large numbers of people remain on roads.

FM announces fourth tranche of measures; Opposition slams it

The government in the meantime unveiled a slew of structural reforms in eight sectors -- coal, minerals, defence production, civil aviation sector, power distribution companies in Union Territories, space sector and atomic energy sector -- in the fourth tranche of the Rs 20-lakh-crore economic stimulus package with an aim to boost growth and create jobs.

Some of the measures, announced by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Saturday, included opening of space sector for private players, commercial mining of coal, raising FDI limit in defence sector through automatic route from 49 percent to 74 percent, privatisation of power discoms in the Union Territories, offering more airports on a PPP model as well as boosting private sector investment in social infrastructure projects through revamped viability gap funding scheme of Rs 8,100 crore.

Modi said the measures announced by Sitharaman will create many business opportunities and contribute to the country's economic transformation.

Leading industry body Assocham said these measures would give "new wings to India" and demonopolise core sectors.

Left parties, however, accused the government of using the COVID-19 pandemic to "impose the agenda of the rich" and privatise public assets.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said cash assistance should be given to the poor and vulnerable sections who are in dire need of money due to the lockdown.

The third phase of the nationwide lockdown is scheduled to end on Sunday and there are expectations that the fourth phase beginning Monday may give significant relaxations for various economic activities even as a complete exit is unlikely given the continuous rise in the number of COVID-19 cases.

Several states have already said they want the lockdown restrictions to continue further. However, on Saturday Punjab become the first to extend it till 31 May but without curfew restrictions.

Haryana deputy chief minister Dushyant Chautala supported restarting of domestic flights as well as opening of schools and universities, as he stressed on resumption of normal life while dealing with COVID-19.

His state reported 33 new cases, including 14 in Gurgaon on the outskirts of the national capital.

With inputs from PTI

via Blogger https://ift.tt/364v9dc

[brajeshupadhyay]

Coronavirus Outbreak LIVE Updates: India witnesses highest-ever daily spike of 4,987 cases; erstwhile green zone Goa reports 10 infections since 13 May

10:23 (IST)

Coronavirus in Madhya Pradesh Latest Update

Migrant worker, 3 others killed after being crushed by truck

A migrant worker, his wife and two others, who were returning to Indore from Maharashtra, were killed after being crushed by a tanker truck in Madhya Pradesh's Barwani.

Similar incidents in which migrant workers have died while on their way to their native villages were reported from the state earleir in May.

10:03 (IST)

Coronavirus in West Bengal Latest Update

32 migrant workers injured after bus meets accident

A bus carrying migrant workers met with an accident near Dhupguri in Jalpaiguri district. 32 migrant labourers in the bus were injured and were taken to the district hospital for treatment.

This incident comes a day after a truck carrying migrant workers met with an accident in Uttar Pradesh's Auraiya, killing 24 labourers.

10:00 (IST)

Coronavirus Outbreak Latest Update

Shramik trains ferry 2.39 lakh migrants back home

The Indian Railways has ferried 2,39 lakh migrants to their native states in 167 Shramik trains so far.

These trains were started by the railways on 1 May after it came to light that migrant workers were walking hundreds of kilometers to reach their villages amid the coronavirus lockdown.

09:54 (IST)

Coronavirus in Rajasthan Latest Update

Rajasthan records 70 fresh cases

The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Rajasthan rose to 5,030 and the toll stood at 128, after the state reported 70 fresh cases and two deaths within a day.

09:50 (IST)

Coronavirus Outbreak Latest Update

India reports highest ever spike in cases; tally at 90,927

India reported the highest ever spike of 4,987 coronavirus cases in the last 24 hours. The total cases now stand at 90,927, including 2,872 deaths and 34,109 recoveries.

Additionally, 120 deaths were reported in the last 24 hours.

09:38 (IST)

Coronavirus in Kerala Latest Update

Tourism sector suffers loss of Rs 15,000 crore

Kerala has incurred a loss of Rs 15,000 crore in tourism sector, state minister Kadakampally Surendran said. The state is now planning to bring a rejuvenation package to make up for these losses.

09:35 (IST)

Coronavirus Outbreak Latest Update

Nirmala Sitharaman to address press at 11 am

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will address a press conference at 11 am today to talk on the roadmap laid out to move towards an 'Aatmanirbhar' India.

This is the fifth press conference she will be addressing ever since Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced a Rs 20 lakh crore economic stimulus package last week.

09:29 (IST)

Coronavirus in Goa Latest Update

Woman travelling in special train tests positive in Goa

A woman, who travelled to Goa in Delhi-Thiruvananthapuram Rajdhani train on Saturday, has tested positive for coronavirus

Goa was earlier declared a green zone but has reported 16 coronavirus cases since 13 May.

09:20 (IST)

Coronavirus in Assam Latest Update

Special train passengers reach Guwahati; cases in Assam at 95

A special train carrying passengers from New Delhi Railway Station reached Guwahati Railway Station on Saturday and continues its journey to Dibrugarh. All passengers deboarding at Guwahati were screened on arrival at the railway station.

Assam health minister Himanta Biswa Sarma had said last week that everyone arriving aboard these trains in the state will have to undergo a mandatory 14-day institutional quarantine, adding that it will be “impossible to test thousands of passengers”.

Assam: A special train carrying passengers from New Delhi Railway Station reached Guwahati Railway Station yesterday. The train is enroute to Dibrugarh. All passengers were screened on their arrival at the railway station, as per guidelines by the govt. pic.twitter.com/kv0fxeEh7L

— ANI (@ANI) May 16, 2020

09:15 (IST)

Coronavirus in Bihar Latest Update

Test report of man, who had died after returning from Maharashtra, turns out positive

The test report of one person, who passed away on 15 May in Bihar's Khagaria, turned out to be positive for COVID-19. The deceased had returned from Maharashtra on 13 May and his wife has also tested positive for COVID-19.

The toll in Bihar now stands at eight.

08:59 (IST)

Coronavirus in Punjab Latest Update

1,257 of 1,946 cases cured in Punjab

As many as 1,257 persons tested positive for coronavirus have been cured, of which 952 were discharged on Saturday, the Punjab government announced. Most of these patients were Sikh pilgrims who had returned from Maharashtra's Nanded. The state has reported 1,946 cases so far.

50,613 persons have been tested so far,out of which 46,028 are found negative, the government said.

08:52 (IST)

Coronavirus in Madhya Pradesh Latest Update

92 tested positive in Indore, total at 2,470

The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Indore district rose to 2,470 after 92 persons were tested positive on Saturday. The toll now stands at 100.

07:48 (IST)

Coronavirus in Jharkhand Latest Update

Stone-pelting in Hindpiri as locals accuse CRPF jawan of attacking local leader

Police was roped into action in Jharkhand's Hindpiri area, current a COVID-19 red zone, after disturbance erupted as locals accused a CRPf jawan of beating a local leader. A crowd gathered and stone-pelting was reported, according to ANI.

Adequate force was deployed in the area and the situation was brought under control.

07:42 (IST)

Coronavirus in Maharashtra Latest Update

Train carries 1,222 passengers from Panvel to Jaipur

A train departed on Saturday evening from Panvel for Jaipur, carrying 1,222 passengers. Passengers from Raigad, Navi Mumbai and Kurla were brought to the Panvel railwaysstation from local police stations by concerned authorities.

07:40 (IST)

Coronavirus in Assam Latest Updates

Two tested positive in Guwahati, total cases at 94

Two persons were tested positive in Guwahati and one in Sonitpur, taking the total number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Assam to 94. 41 persons in the state have recovered, where two deaths have been reported so far.

Coronavirus Outbreak LATEST Updates: India reported the highest ever spike of 4,987 coronavirus cases in the last 24 hours. Meanwhile, a woman, who travelled to Goa in Delhi-Thiruvananthapuram Rajdhani train on Saturday, has tested positive for coronavirus, taking the new infections in the state to 10.

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will address a press conference at 11 am today to talk on the roadmap laid out to move towards an 'Aatmanirbhar' India. Meanwhile, the number of confirmed cases stood at 90,927 on Sunday.

India crossed the 85,000 mark in number of COVID-19 cases on Saturday, becoming the 11th worst-affected country in the world. The Union Health Ministry reported a rise of 3,970 infections and 103 deaths due to the novel coronavirus in the last 24 hours since Friday 8 am.

The total number of cases has climbed to 85,940 while number of deaths due to COVID-19 has risen to 2,752, the ministry said.

With 53,035 active cases, India is the eighth largest in terms of active cases after the US, Russia, Brazil, France, Italy, Spain and Peru. More than 30,000 patients have recovered so far, data showed.

Migrant workers from other states desperate to return to their homes walk through rail tracks. AP

However, a PTI tally of figures announced by states and Union territories, as of 9.15 pm put the total number of confirmed cases in the country at 90,326, deaths at 2,790 and recoveries at over 33,500.

Globally, more than 45.6 lakh people are reported to have been infected by the novel coronavirus while 3,06,221 have died, according to a Reuters tally.

Infections have been reported in more than 210 countries and territories since the first cases were identified in China in December 2019.

COVID-19 cases from states

In India, Maharashtra remained the worst affected state with its COVID-19 tally crossing the 30,000-mark on Saturday with 1,606 new cases and 67 more fatalities taking its death toll to 1,135.

Gujarat, the second worst-affected state, crossed the 10,000-mark on Saturday with 1,057 new patients being found positive for coronavirus including 709 "super spreaders" in Ahmedabad.

Gujarat now has 10,989 cases with 625 deaths, while Tamil Nadu's overall tally has risen to 10,585.

The major worry, however, is a new phase of coronavirus infections in states like Kerala and Goa, which had become virtually free of new infections, have begun reporting new cases while the numbers have started rising rapidly in places like Odisha, Bihar and Assam too in the last few days.

Click here to follow LIVE Updates on coronavirus

Most of the new cases across states are being linked to the influx of people from other states or other countries in special trains, flights and buses.

In Odisha, 65 people tested positive during the day, taking its total to 737, and officials said most of these cases are among people who had returned from other states.

Ganjam in south Odisha now accounts for the highest number of cases in the state at 277 and most of these people have returned from Gujarat and other states.

In Kerala, 11 people tested positive for COVID-19, including four from Thrissur district, three from Kozhikode and two each from Palakkad and Malappuram. All of them had come from outside the state -- seven from abroad and two each from Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra.

Nearly 57,000 people are under observation in the state at present, out of which about 3,000 came to the state through airports, nearly 800 from sea ports, over 1,000 through train and over 50,320 via road.

In Tripura also, 11 people, including seven BSF jawans, tested positive on Saturday.

Bihar recorded 46 new cases, including in Patna which now has 105 cases. The number of cases in Bihar has risen sharply since the beginning of the month, mainly because of migrants returning to their native places in large numbers by special trains in addition to other modes of transport.

According to the state health department, 427 of returnees since 4 May have tested positive for COVID-9. Most of them had come from Delhi, Gujarat and Maharashtra.

Five cities account for over 50% COVID-19 cases

The high concentration of COVID-19 in urban clusters is another major cause of worry with five cities -- Mumbai, Delhi, Ahmedabad, Chennai and Pune -- as of Saturday accounting for over 50 percent of total infections with close to 46,000 cases. These five also account for over half of the nationwide death toll of close to nearly 2,800 so far.

On Saturday, Delhi reported 438 new cases, taking its tally to 9,333, while its death toll rose to 129.

Delhi is the third worst hit among the major urban centres after Mumbai and Ahmedabad, which reported 884 and 973 new cases, respectively. The COVID-19 case count in Ahmedabad has now risen to 8,144, while its toll has grown to 493.

Mumbai's tally of confirmed COVID-19 cases has risen to 18,396, while its death toll due to the pandemic is now 696 with 41 new deaths.

Chennai also saw its tally rising to 6,261. Among other major urban centres, Pune, Surat and Indore have also been reporting large numbers of cases.

35 migrants killed in road accidents

At least 35 migrant workers were killed and many more were injured in road accidents during the day in Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh while trying to return to their native places.

Most of them had hitched rides in trucks while a couple was in an autorickshaw for a journey running into hundreds of kilometers.

Lakhs of migrant workers in different parts of the country had begun walking back to their native places after being rendered jobless, and many of them homeless too, due to the nationwide lockdown announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 24 March.

While special trains are being run now by the government and some states have also arranged for buses to take them back to their homes, not all places are said to be connected by these trains and large numbers of people remain on roads.

FM announces fourth tranche of measures; Opposition slams it

The government in the meantime unveiled a slew of structural reforms in eight sectors -- coal, minerals, defence production, civil aviation sector, power distribution companies in Union Territories, space sector and atomic energy sector -- in the fourth tranche of the Rs 20-lakh-crore economic stimulus package with an aim to boost growth and create jobs.

Some of the measures, announced by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Saturday, included opening of space sector for private players, commercial mining of coal, raising FDI limit in defence sector through automatic route from 49 percent to 74 percent, privatisation of power discoms in the Union Territories, offering more airports on a PPP model as well as boosting private sector investment in social infrastructure projects through revamped viability gap funding scheme of Rs 8,100 crore.

Modi said the measures announced by Sitharaman will create many business opportunities and contribute to the country's economic transformation.

Leading industry body Assocham said these measures would give "new wings to India" and demonopolise core sectors.

Left parties, however, accused the government of using the COVID-19 pandemic to "impose the agenda of the rich" and privatise public assets.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said cash assistance should be given to the poor and vulnerable sections who are in dire need of money due to the lockdown.

The third phase of the nationwide lockdown is scheduled to end on Sunday and there are expectations that the fourth phase beginning Monday may give significant relaxations for various economic activities even as a complete exit is unlikely given the continuous rise in the number of COVID-19 cases.

Several states have already said they want the lockdown restrictions to continue further. However, on Saturday Punjab become the first to extend it till 31 May but without curfew restrictions.

Haryana deputy chief minister Dushyant Chautala supported restarting of domestic flights as well as opening of schools and universities, as he stressed on resumption of normal life while dealing with COVID-19.

His state reported 33 new cases, including 14 in Gurgaon on the outskirts of the national capital.

With inputs from PTI

via Blogger https://ift.tt/3dQ45kH