#vijay karnataka travel ads

[vajrambangalore]

Discover Vajram Newtown II: Where Innovation Meets Luxury Living in North Bangalore

Are you on the lookout for your dream home in the heart of North Bangalore? Look no further than Vajram Newtown 2.0, an epitome of modern living and architectural brilliance. Situated just 4km from Manyata Tech Park on Thanisandra Main Road, Vajram Newtown II is designed to offer a luxurious and comfortable lifestyle, enriched with pet-friendly features and eco-friendly designs.

The Marvel of Vajram Newtown 2.0

Spanning across 3 acres, vajram newtown thanisandra main road features 272 meticulously designed units spread across two magnificent 18-floor towers. Each tower comes with three levels of parking, ensuring convenience for residents. The entrance boasts a triple-height podium landscape, adding a touch of grandeur to the property. These thoughtfully crafted apartments maximize space and natural light, with three-sided openings for excellent ventilation.

One of the standout features of this development is the innovative central clubhouse that connects the two towers on the 18th floor. This exclusive sky lounge not only offers breathtaking views but also creates a dynamic living space that resonates with tech-savvy and safety-conscious residents.

Exclusive Offerings for Discerning Buyers

At Vajram Newtown 2.0, we offer a range of apartment options to suit your needs:

2 BHK Apartments: Sizes range from 1192 to 1333 sq.ft, starting from ₹1.06 Cr onwards.

3 BHK Apartments: Sized at 1600 sq.ft, starting from ₹1.59 Cr onwards.

Mark your calendars for December 2028, the anticipated possession date for this luxurious haven.

Luxurious Amenities at Your Fingertips

Living at vajram apartments thanisandra means indulging in a plethora of amenities designed for relaxation, entertainment, and fitness:

Fun and Entertainment: Spend cozy evenings at the open-air theatre, hobby pavilion, and barbeque area.

Zen Retreat: Find tranquility in the serene walkway, library, sand bed walking track, and aroma garden.

Fitness Zone: Stay active with facilities including a cricket net, toddler zone, basketball court, aerobics and yoga zone, rooftop swimming pool, and skating rink.

Premium Specifications for a Premium Lifestyle

Every aspect of Vajram Newtown II is crafted to ensure a luxurious living experience:

Structure: Two Basements + G + 17 Upper Floors, compliant with seismic zone II.

Living Areas: Superior quality vitrified tiles and premium emulsion paint.

Balcony & Utility Areas: Anti-skid ceramic tiles, MS handrail, and uPVC windows.

Toilets: High-quality ceramic tiles, granite counter, and false ceiling with grid panels.

Common Areas: Granite/vitrified flooring and premium emulsion paint.

Doors & Windows: Engineered wood frames, UPVC sliding windows, and superior hardware.

Kitchen: Vitrified tiles, provision for chimney exhaust, and reticulated gas provision.

Plumbing & Sanitary: CP fittings and pipes from reputed brands.

Electricals: BESCOM power supply, generator backup, modular switches, TV and telephone points, intercom, and provision for split AC.

Lifts: Two passenger lifts and one service lift per tower.

A Location That Offers Unmatched Connectivity

Vajram Newtown II is strategically located at Shri Vijay Raja Estate Jakkur Post, Thanisandra Main Rd, Chokkanahalli, Bengaluru, Karnataka 560064. This prime location offers excellent road connectivity via SH-104 and is in close proximity to major IT parks like Bhartiya City and Manyata Tech Park. Additionally, top-notch healthcare facilities such as Regal and Trinity hospitals are nearby, along with esteemed educational institutions and shopping destinations.

For frequent travelers, Vajram Newtown II is conveniently located 20 kilometers from the International Airport and 15 kilometers from MG Road, with Bellary Road and ORR ensuring seamless connectivity throughout the city.

Embrace a Pet-Friendly Lifestyle

One of the unique aspects of Vajram Newtown 2.0 is its celebration of pet lovers. The community is designed to provide a pet-friendly environment where every feature ensures comfort for both residents and their furry companions.

Experience the Future of Luxurious Living

With its cutting-edge Mivan Technology and eco-friendly designs, Vajram Newtown 2.0 is not just a home; it’s a lifestyle that blends luxury with sustainability. Whether you're a tech-savvy professional or a family looking for a safe and dynamic living environment, Vajram Newtown II offers the perfect home for you.

Explore Vajram Newtown II today and discover a world where innovation meets comfort and luxury. Make the move to a brighter, more luxurious future in North Bangalore’s most coveted address.

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[superpruchika99world]

Vijay Shankar out of ICC WC due to injury, Mayank Agarwal may replace him

ICC Cricket World Cricket 2019 Indian all-rounder Vijay Shankar was Monday ruled out of the ongoing World Cup due to a toe injury and is likely to be replaced by Mayank Agarwal. Karnataka opener Agarwal, 28, who made his Test debut against Australia last year, has not yet played in the ODI format.

"Vijay got hit on the toe by a Jasprit Bumrah delivery once again. His situation is not great and he won't be able to take part in the tournament. He is going back home," a a senior BCCI official told PTI.

ALSO READ : ICC CWC 2019: Kohli backs Dhoni as ex-players slam his 'baffling innings'

"The Indian team management is likely to ask for Mayank Agarwal as replacement since he is an opener and also it might give KL Rahul a chance to get back to the No.4 position in case Rishabh Pant fails in the next two games," the source added.

In fact, Rohit Sharma had mentioned Shankar's injury but it was presumed to be an old hit that he took at Southampton. It is expected that Agarwal's name will be approved by the ICC's tournament technical committee and the player will arrive in Birmingham and travel to Leeds subsequently...Read more.

[u4u-voice]

Vijay Shankar out of World Cup, Mayank Agarwal set to join team

BIRMINGHAM: Indian all-rounder Vijay Shankar was Monday ruled out of the ongoing World Cup due to a toe injury and is likely to be replaced by Mayank Agarwal. Karnataka opener Agarwal, 28, who made his Test debut against Australia last year, has not yet played in the ODI format. “Vijay got hit on the toe by a Jasprit Bumrah delivery once again. His situation is not great and he won’t be able to take part in the tournament. He is going back home,” a a senior BCCI official told PTI. “The Indian team management is likely to ask for Mayank Agarwal as replacement since he is an opener and also it might give KL Rahul a chance to get back to the No.4 position in case Rishabh Pant fails in the next two games,” the source added. In fact, Rohit Sharma had mentioned Shankar’s injury but it was presumed to be an old hit that he took at Southampton. It is expected that Agarwal’s name will be approved by the ICC’s tournament technical committee and the player will arrive in Birmingham and travel to Leeds subsequently. India lost their previous match to England by 31 runs here on Sunday and will take on Bangladesh at the same venue on Tuesday. (AGENCIES) Read the full article

[brajeshupadhyay]

Coronavirus Updates: Amit Shah tells Delhi, Haryana, UP CMs to increase rapid antigen testing to reduce transmission rate

22:36 (IST)

Coronavirus Outbreak in Maharashtra Latest Updates

6,330 new COVID-19 cases in Maharashtra

The total number of COVID-19 cases in Maharashtra rose by 6,330 to 1,86,626 on Thursday. The state's toll rose to 8,178, while the death rate increased to 4.38.

20:27 (IST)

Coronavirus Outbreak in India Latest Updates

Amit Shah tells Delhi, UP, Haryana to increase rapid antigen testing

The MHA on Thursday said that Home Minister Amit Shah told the CMs of Delhi, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh during a meeting that more testing using rapid antigen test kits should be done to help reduce the infection transmission rate.

"These kits can be provided by the Centre to UP and Haryana. Focus on early hospitalization to reduce mortality rates," the statement added.

19:56 (IST)

Coronavirus Outbreak in Tamil Nadu Latest Updates

4,343 new COVID-19 cases in Tamil Nadu

A total of 4,343 new coronavirus cases were reported in Tamil Nadu on Thursday, taking the total number of cases in the state to 98,392, the state health department said.

19:32 (IST)

Coronavirus Outbreak in Delhi Latest Updates

Delhi govt says teachers are using WhatsApp to reach students

Delhi deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia on Thursday said, "Our teachers will reach out to their students through WhatsApp or regular phone call. Give them light assignments and take regular feedback. In the process, they will also find out the well being of children. Students from KG to Class 10 will receive daily exercise and feedback from class teachers through Whatsapp. Teachers will connect through regular phone with those who do not have WhatsApp or smart phone."

He added, "Schools are closed but learning will continue. 'Learning with human feel' is the mantra of Delhi Government’s teaching learning approach. Digital technology to complement the efforts of teachers in reaching out to every child and assist them in learning. We are following the principle that a 'Digital Divide' should not come in the way of children’s access to learning opportunities. The core of our approach is outreach and connect between teachers and their students."

18:51 (IST)

Coronavirus Outbreak in Bihar Latest Updates

Fourth Bihar MLA tests COVID-19 positive

RJD MLA Shahnawaz Alam has tested positive for COVID-19, the fourth legislator in Bihar to have contracted the disease.

The legislator from the Jokihat constituency in Araria district said he was asymptomatic. Alam has been shifted to an isolation centre in the district, civil surgeon Dr MMP Singh said.

His sample was taken for testing to the Sadar Hospital on Tuesday and the report came on Wednesday evening.

Earlier, state minister Vinod Kumar Singh and his wife, BJP MLA Jibesh Kumar Mishra and Congress legislator Anand Shankar Singh had tested positive for novel coronavirus.

(PTI)

18:14 (IST)

Coronavirus Outbreak in India Latest Updates

India conducts 9 million COVID-19 tests

India crossed the nine-million mark in conducting COVID-19 tests on Thursday with 90,56,173 samples tested till Wednesday.

PTI reported that officials of Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) said the country now has 1,065 testing labs in the country — 768 in the public sector and 297 in private. The daily testing capacity is going up fast, they said, adding it was around 1.5 lakh per day on May 25 and is more than three lakh per day at present.

17:31 (IST)

Coronavirus Outbreak in India Latest Updates

Recovery rate rises to 59.52%, says Centre

The Union health ministry said that during the last 24 hours, a total of 11,881 COVID-19 patients have been cured, taking the total figure to 3,59,859. This further takes the recovery rate to 59.52 percent.

There are 2,26,947 active cases and all are under medical supervision currently.

17:20 (IST)

Coronavirus Outbreak Latest Updates

WHO says smoking could cause higher risk of COVID-19

The World Health Organisation on Thursday said that "smoking is linked to a higher risk of severe illness and death from the coronavirus in hospitalised patients, although it was unable to specify exactly how much greater those risks might be," News18 reported.

"In a scientific brief published this week, the UN health agency reviewed 34 published studies on the association between smoking and COVID-19, including the probability of infection, hospitalisation, severity of disease and death," the report added.

16:18 (IST)

Coronavirus Outbreak in India Latest Updates

Centre tells states to give bodies of those suspected to be COVID-19 positive to kin without test result

  The Union Health Ministry has asked all states and UTs to hand over bodies of suspected COVID-19 cases to their relatives without waiting for laboratory confirmation of the infection but said the mortal remains should be disposed of as per government guidelines.

A letter on the matter was sent to all states and UTs on Wednesday in the wake of issues raised regarding death of suspected COVID-19 patients and bodies not being handed over to relatives pending confirmation of test report by hospitals.

"I would like to clarify that the dead bodies of such suspected COVID cases should be handed over to their relatives immediately and laboratory confirmation of COVID-19 should not be awaited," the letter written by Director General of Health Services (DGHS), Health Ministry, Dr Rajiv Garg said.

These bodies can as a matter of abundant precaution be disposed as per the 'Guidelines on Dead Body Management' available on the website of Union Health Ministry which directs that handlers in PPE accompany the body for final rites, the letter stated.

(PTI)

15:22 (IST)

Coronavirus Outbreak in India Latest Updates

India needs FDI investments worth Rs 50 to 60 crores in MSMEs to boost economy

Union minister Nitin Gadkari says India needs foreign direct investments worth Rs 50 to 60 lakh crore in infrastructure projects and Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises to boost the economy, which has been damaged by the coronavirus crisis. “The country at this juncture needs liquidity,” he tells PTI. “Without liquidity, our economy’s wheel will not accelerate.”

15:08 (IST)

Coronavirus Outbreak in India Latest Updates

COVID-19 testing can be done on prescription of any doctor, says Centre

Through a significant step announced by the Central Government, COVID-19 testing can now be done on the prescription of any registered practitioner, and not exclusively a Government doctor.

The Government on India on Thursday also said that till now, 90,56,173 tests conducted through a diagnostic testing network. There are now 1,065 testing labs in the country-768 in the public sector and 297 private labs. Yesterday, as many as 2,29,588 people got tested for COVID-19. 

15:00 (IST)

Coronavirus Outbreak in India Latest Updates

Total no of people tested for COVID-19 in India to soon touch 1 crore

The total number of people being tested for COVID-19 tests in the country will soon touch one crore, said the Government on India, reports ANI. This has been possible due to removal of all bottlenecks by Government of India. Various steps taken by Central Government have paved the way for enhanced testing for COVID-19.

14:42 (IST)

Coronavirus Outbreak in Maharashtra Latest Updates

Curfew imposed in Beed district to contain spread of COVID-19

Curfew has been imposed in Maharashtra's Beed city for eight days in a bid to curb the spread of coronavirus, officials said. Only essential and emergency services will be allowed to operate during the period, as per an order issued on Wednesday by Beed Collector Rahul Rekhawar.

According to the order, the curfew will remain in force till 8 July midnight.

14:31 (IST)

Coronavirus Outbreak in India Latest Updates

IndiGo to give 25% discount on airfare to doctors and nurses till year-end

IndiGo said on Thursday it will give a 25 percent discount on the airfare to doctors and nurses till the end of 2020 as they are at the forefront of the battle against the coronavirus pandemic. "The nurses and doctors will be required to provide valid hospital IDs at the time of check-in as proof of their identity," the airline said in a press release.

"The discount will be offered while booking through IndiGo's website, valid for sale and travel from 1 July 2020 till 31 December 2020," it added.

14:26 (IST)

Coronavirus Outbreak in Andhra Pradesh Latest Updates

Andhra reports 845 new cases, 5 deaths in past 24 hours

845 new COVID-19 cases and five deaths were reported in the last 24 hours, taking the total confirmed cases in Andhra Pradesh to 16,097. Of these, 8,586 cases are active. The toll stands at 198, reports ANI.

14:04 (IST)

Coronavirus Outbreak in Karnataka Latest Updates

Kumaraswamy slams Karnataka govt for poor handling of COVID-19

Former Karnataka Chief Minister and JD(S) leader HD Kumaraswamy on Thursday slammed the BJP government in the state for its failure to protect the citizens from coronavirus, reports PTI.

In a series of tweets, Kumaraswamy hit out at Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa and ministers for wasting their time in issuing contradictory statements instead of taking lessons from the Kerala government.

Even when you have a proven model in Kerala government's success in Covid management, the ministers waste time in issuing contradictory statements and doing nothing. Karnataka suffers due to lack of co-ordination in the cabinet. 3/5

— H D Kumaraswamy (@hd_kumaraswamy) July 2, 2020

13:53 (IST)

Coronavirus Outbreak in Maharashtra Latest Updates

Maharashtra minister says state needs to take loans to pay govt employees

Maharashtra minister Vijay Wadettiwar on Thursday claimed that the state is having to take loans to pay salaries to government employees amid the coronavirus crisis, ANI reports. “We haven’t received any fund from Centre,” he says. “However, there is no cash crunch for handling the coronavirus situation in the state.”

He also added, "Situation of the state is such that we will have to take a loan to pay next month's salaries of govt employees. Except for 3-4 departments, expenses have been cut in other departments.

13:22 (IST)

Coronavirus Outbreak in Maharashtra Latest Updates

Remidesivir to be available in Maharashtra in 2 days, says health minister

Maharashtra Health Minister Rajesh Tope says remdesivir and favipiravir medicines will be available across the state in the next two days, ANI reports. “We are ensuring that it is not available for rich and influential people only,” he said.

He also added that nine out of 10 coronavirus patients have shown improvement after receiving plasma therapy. He says there is no community spread in Maharashtra and a total 93,000 patients have recovered till now in the state.

13:16 (IST)

Coronavirus Outbreak in West Bengal Latest Updates

Indian army brigadier succumbs to COVID-19

An Indian Army Brigadier, posted at the Eastern Command in Kolkata, dies of the coronavirus, ANI reports.

12:42 (IST)

Coronavirus Outbreak in Delhi Latest Updates

Kejriwal announces helpline numbers for plasma donation

"If you are eligible and willing to donate plasma, then you may call 1031 or WhatsApp at +918800007722. Our doctors will then get in touch with you to further confirm your eligibility," said chief minister Arvind Kejriwal.

यदि आप प्लाज्मा डोनेट करना चाहते हैं तो 1031 पर काॅल करें या 88-000-07722 पर Whatsapp करें। हमारे डाक्टर आपसे बात कर आपकी eligibility के हिसाब से आपको सही सलाह और जानकारी देंगे- माननीय मुख्यमंत्री श्री @ArvindKejriwal जी pic.twitter.com/nsrv8gAeWW

— AAP (@AamAadmiParty) July 2, 2020

12:24 (IST)

Coronavirus Outbreak in Delhi Latest Updates

Arvind Kejriwal inaugurates first-of-its kind plasma bank in Delhi

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal briefs media on the coronavirus on Thursday. He inaugurated a first-of-its-kind plasma bank in Delhi and said that the plasma therapy will help in treating coronavirus patients till a vaccine for the disease is found.

12:20 (IST)

Coronavirus Outbreak in Delhi Latest Updates

Kejriwal urges COVID-19 patients who have recovered to donate plasma 

Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday urged COVID-19 patients in the National Capital who have recovered from the viral infection to donate plasma for treatment of others. 

"If you have recovered from COVID-19 and your age is between 18 and 60 and your weight is above 50 kg, then you may donate plasma for COVID-19 patients," said Kejriwal. 

If you are eligible & willing to donate plasma, then you may call us at 1031 or you can whatsapp us at 8800007722. Our doctors will then get in touch with you to further confirm your eligibility: Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal. #COVID19 pic.twitter.com/5PJKvbotNV

— ANI (@ANI) July 2, 2020

11:34 (IST)

Coronavirus Outbreak in Maharashtra Latest Updates

10-day lockdown begins in Thane from today

A 10-day complete lockdown has been enforced from Thursday in Thane and two other civic administration limits adjoining Mumbai city to contain the spread of coronavirus, officials said. Essential services and medical emergencies are exempted from the lockdown, while inter-city buses, autorickshaws and taxis will not be allowed to operate in these civic limits, they said.

11:15 (IST)

Coronavirus Outbreak in New Zealand Latest Updates

New Zealand's health minister resigns after coronavirus criticism

New Zealand’s embattled Health Minister resigned on Thursday after security slip-ups at quarantine facilities where the coronavirus was detected just days after officials declared it had been eliminated from the country, reports Reuters.

David Clark was also under fire for personally breaching strict lockdown rules twice earlier in the year, by taking his family on a beach trip and driving to a mountain biking track.

11:07 (IST)

Coronavirus Outbreak in Rajasthan Latest Updates

Rajasthan reports 115 new cases, 5 deaths

Rajasthan on Thursday reported 115 new coronavirus cases and five deaths in the last 24 hours. The state’s overall count rises to 18,427 and the toll reaches 426.

10:56 (IST)

Coronavirus Outbreak in India Latest Updates

India's recovery rate now at 59.5%

India’s COVID-19 recovery rate now stands at 59.5 percent. As many as 3,59,859 people have recovered from the coronavirus so far in India. There are 2,26,947 active cases.

10:33 (IST)

Coronavirus Outbreak in India Latest Updates

Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu remain worst-hit

With 1,80,298 confirmed cases of COVID-19 so far, Maharashtra remains the worst-affected state in the country, followed by Tamil Nadu (94,049) and Delhi (89,802).

10:11 (IST)

Coronavirus Outbreak in Maharashtra Latest Updates

363 inmates, 102 jail staffers have tested positive to date, says state prison department

According to the Maharashtra Prison Department, a total of 363 inmates and 102 jail staff have tested positive for COVID-19 to date. Four inmates have died due to COVID-19 and a total of 255 inmates and 82 jail staff have also recovered so far. Mumbai's Central Prison has reported maximum positive cases with 181 inmates 44 Jail staff testing positive.

09:56 (IST)

Coronavirus Outbreak in India Latest Updates

India reports over 19,000 cases, 434 deaths in past 24 hours

The number of coronavirus cases in India on Thursday, crossed 6 lakh as India reports 19,148 cases in the past 24 hours. India now has 6,04,641 cases and 17,834 deaths. The toll has increased by 434.

As many as 3,59,859 people have recovered from the coronavirus so far in India. There are 2,26,947 active cases.

09:25 (IST)

Coronavirus Outbreak in US Latest Updates

Trump says he'd wear a mask in close quarters, hopes coronavirus will 'just disappear'

After long resisting wearing a mask in public, President Donald Trump said Wednesday he thinks it makes him look like the Lone Ranger, and he likes it. “I’m all for masks. I think masks are good,” Trump told Fox Business in an interview. "People have seen me wearing one.”

Trump’s comments came a day after Republican lawmakers suggested that he wear a mask in public to set a good example for Americans. “If I were in a tight situation with people, I would absolutely," Trump said in the interview.

Read full report here

09:01 (IST)

Coronavirus Outbreak in US Latest Updates

Over 90 lakh samples tested so far, says ICMR

The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has said that 90,56,173 samples were tested for COVID-19 in the country till yesterday (1 July). Of these, 2,29,588 were tested yesterday.

08:38 (IST)

Coronavirus Outbreak in Maharashtra Latest Updates

Mumbai Police seizes over 2,000 vehicles on 1 July

As many as 5,800 vehicles seized in the last two days, in connection with violation of coronavirus lockdown norms. On 30 June 3,508 vehicles were seized and on 1 July, 2369 vehicles were seized, said Mumbai Police. 

07:56 (IST)

Coronavirus Outbreak in US Latest Updates

Global COVID-19 cases now at 1.06 crore

Total confirmed cases of COVID-19 across the world stand at 1.06 crore, according to the Johns Hopkins University CSSE. This figure includes COVID-19 patients who have recovered and the overall global death toll which stands at 5.14 lakh.

With over 26.5 lakh reported cases till date, the United States is the worst-affected country in the world. The US is followed by Brazil, Russia, India and the United Kingdom.

07:56 (IST)

Coronavirus Outbreak in US Latest Updates

US records over 52,000 new cases in past 24 hours

The United States has seen record 52,000 new COVID-19 cases in 24 hours, according to the Johns Hopkins University CSSE’s tracker.

07:39 (IST)

Coronavirus Outbreak in US Latest Updates

US records nearly 50,000 cases of COVID-19 in single day

Governors of US states hit hardest by the resurgent coronavirus halted or reversed steps to reopen their economies on Wednesday, led by California, the nation’s most populous state and a new epicenter of the pandemic.

New cases of COVID-19, the illness caused by the coronavirus, shot up by nearly 50,000 on Wednesday, according to a Reuters tally, marking the biggest one-day spike since the start of the pandemic.

07:30 (IST)

Coronavirus Outbreak in US Latest Updates

US buys nearly full stock of COVID-19 drug remdesivir

The US has secured nearly the entire world stock of antiviral drug remdesivir from US-based Gilead Sciences for the next three months, leaving hardly any stock of the key COVID-19 drug for the rest of the world.

As a result of an agreement with the drugmaker announced earlier this week, the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has secured more than 500,000 treatment courses of the drug for American hospitals through September.

Coronavirus LATEST Updates: RJD MLA Shahnawaz Alam has tested positive for COVID-19, the fourth legislator in Bihar to have contracted the disease.

The legislator from the Jokihat constituency in Araria district said he was asymptomatic. Alam has been shifted to an isolation centre in the district, civil surgeon Dr MMP Singh said.

His sample was taken for testing to the Sadar Hospital on Tuesday and the report came on Wednesday evening.

Earlier, state minister Vinod Kumar Singh and his wife, BJP MLA Jibesh Kumar Mishra and Congress legislator Anand Shankar Singh had tested positive for novel coronavirus.

The Union health ministry said that during the last 24 hours, a total of 11,881 COVID-19 patients have been cured, taking the total figure to 3,59,859. This further takes the recovery rate to 59.52 percent.

There are 2,26,947 active cases and all are under medical supervision currently.

The total number of people being tested for COVID-19 tests in the country will soon touch one crore, said the Government on India, reports ANI. This has been possible due to removal of all bottlenecks by Government of India. Various steps taken by Central Government have paved the way for enhanced testing for COVID-19.

Maharashtra Health Minister Rajesh Tope said that there is no community spread in Maharashtra and a total 93,000 patients have recovered till now in the state. The state has reported over 1.8 COVID-19 cases.

India's COVID-19 tally zoomed past six lakh cases on Thursday with a single-day increase of 19,148 cases, just five days after it crossed the five-lakh mark, while the death toll rose to 17,834, according to the Union health ministry data.

The number of coronavirus cases in India on Thursday, crossed 6 lakh as India reports 19,148 cases in the past 24 hours. India now has 6,04,641 cases and 17,834 deaths. The toll has increased by 434.

As many as 3,59,859 people have recovered from the coronavirus so far in India. There are 2,26,947 active cases.

The US has secured nearly the entire world stock of antiviral drug remdesivir from US-based Gilead Sciences for the next three months, leaving hardly any stock of the key COVID-19 drug for the rest of the world.

India's COVID-19 recovery rate neared 60 percent on Wednesday even as both daily cases and deaths registered their highest spike so far. The Centre reiterated its appeal to states and Union territories to increase testing, including allowing private practitioners to prescribe COVID-19 tests to any individual fulfilling the criteria for testing as per ICMR guidelines.

The appeal came as India entered Day One of Unlock 2.0, the second phase of easing restrictions on Wednesday, and a day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi warned against "carelessness" in following guidelines.

Since the lockdown was lifted, the caseload has shot up, making India the world's fourth-worst affected country globally. India reported 3,94,958 infections during Unlock 1.0, which started on 1 June and ended on 30 June.

On Wednesday, India registered 507 new deaths with Maharashtra, Delhi and Tamil Nadu accounting for over 70 percent of the fatalities in the past 24 hours. In the past day, 18,653 new infections were reported taking the total tally to 5,85,493, according to the Union Health Ministry data.

This is the fifth consecutive day that coronavirus infections have increased by more than 18,000.

The country had recorded a massive spike of 2,003 deaths on 17 June following a data reconciliation exercise carried out by states and UTs which brought to the fore large number of fatalities previously reported in Maharashtra and Delhi which were not attributed to COVID-19.

The number of active cases stands at 2,20,114, while 3,47,978 people have recovered, and one patient has migrated, according to the ministry's updated data at 8 am.

In Mumbai, the rising cases forced the Mumbai Police to impose section 144 of CRPC prohibiting movement of people in public places and gatherings in the financial capital of India, to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

Mumbai region is one of the worst-affected cities by the pandemic in India. The city's COVID-19 tally rose to 78,708 on Wednesday with the addition of 1,511 new cases while toll from the virus reached 4,629 with 75 deaths, the BMC figures showed, according to PTI.

The National Capital Delhi too has been hit hard by the pandemic with nearly 90,000 cases.

In Bihar, the death of a Patna groom due to COVID-19 remained on the spotlight as over 200 people turned up at his funeral.

More than 100 people have tested positive in Patna district in the last few days, out of over 350 who have been tested upon contact tracing, reports said. This is so far, the largest infection chain reported in Bihar.

In the meantime, the International Labour Organisation warned that if another COVID-19 wave hits in the second half of 2020, there would be global working-hour loss of 11.9 percent — equivalent to the loss of 340 million full-time jobs.

The highly uncertain recovery in the second half of the year will not be enough to go back to pre-pandemic levels even in the best scenario, the agency warned.

Modi hails role of doctors

In a short video message, the prime minister hailed the role of doctors in their "spirited" fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, saying they are saving lives by putting themselves in danger.

Representational image. AP

"India salutes our doctors — exceptional caregivers who are at the forefront of a spirited fight against COVID-19," Modi wrote on Twitter to mark the birth anniversary of Dr BC Roy, celebrated as Doctors' Day.

He also said while mother's give birth, doctors ensure our rebirth. They are saving lives by putting themselves in danger, he added.

In the meantime, Union health secretary Preeti Sudan and ICMR director general Balram Bhargava on Wednesday wrote to state governments and Union territories to increase testing.

"It is strongly advised that you should take all possible steps to ensure full capacity utilization of all COVID-19 testing laboratories in the State/UT," the letter stated.

Cases from states

According to ANI, Maharashtra continues to be the worst-affected state with 5,537 new COVID-19 cases reported on Wednesday. The total count of cases has gone up to 1,80,298 including 79,075 active cases, 93,154 recovered cases and 8,053 deaths.

One hundred and ninety-eight persons died in the state in the last 24 hours, the report said.

In Tamil Nadu, 3,882 new cases and 63 deaths were reported on Wednesday. The total number of cases in the state has increased to 94,049 including 39,856 active cases, 52,926 discharged patients and 1,264 deaths.

In the meantime, Delhi's COVID-19 count reached 89,802 including 27,007 active cases, 59,992 cured/discharged/migrated and 2,803 deaths. Sixty-one persons died in the state in the last 24 hours due to the virus.

A total of 151 new COVID-19 positive cases and 131 recoveries were reported in Kerala on Wednesday, the news agency said. The total positive cases stand at 4,593 including 2,130 active cases. There are 124 COVID-19 hotspots in the state.

Punjab reported 101 fresh COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours taking the total number of cases 5,668 including 3,989 discharged patients and 149 deaths.

A total of 26 COVID-19 cases have been reported in Manipur in the last 24 hours. The total count of reported cases in the state is 1,260 out of which 681 cases are active.

Twenty-three Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) personnel tested positive for COVID-19 in the last 24 hours taking active cases to 103 out of which 23 patients are in Delhi. A total of 251 personnel have recovered so far, according to ITBP.

Karnataka has reported 1,272 new COVID-19 positive cases including 735 cases from Bengaluru Urban. The total count of cases is 16,514 while the death toll rose to 253 after 7 deaths were reported today.

Uttarakhand reported 66 new COVID-19 cases today taking the total number of cases to 2,947.

Himachal Pradesh Health Department said that the total count of COVID-19 cases in the state has reached 960 out of which 336 cases are active.

Uttar Pradesh has reported 585 new COVID-19 in the last 24 hours.

A total of 88 new COVID-19 cases were reported in Bihar on Wednesday taking the total number of reported cases in the state to 10,076.

Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal and his deputy Manish Sisodia on Wednesday visited Commonwealth Games Village Sports Complex which has been turned into emergency COVID care centre.

Kejriwal said that arrangement for around 500 beds has been done at the Centre which is connected to Lok Nayak Jai Prakash (LNJP) hospital.

Assam Health Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said that government has decided to set up a plasma bank in Guwahati in the next four-five days.

According to the ICMR, a cumulative total of 88,26,585 samples have been tested up to 30 June, with 2,17,931 samples being tested on Tuesday.

With inputs from agencies

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[vsplusonline]

Former Karnataka batsman J Arunkumar named as USA national coach

New Post has been published on https://apzweb.com/former-karnataka-batsman-j-arunkumar-named-as-usa-national-coach/

Former Karnataka batsman J Arunkumar named as USA national coach

Former Karnataka batsman J Arun Kumar was on Tuesday appointed coach of the USA cricket team and listed earning a Test status, by his own admission a “far-fetched” thought at the moment, among his long-term goals.

Jak, as he is known in the cricketing circles, has worked with the Karnataka team for several years and as batting coach with IPL franchise Kings XI Punjab.

“… Following an exhaustive recruitment process, former first class Ranji Trophy and IPL player and coach, J Arun Kumar, had been identified as the preferred candidate for the next men’s head coach,” USA Cricket chief executive Iain Higgins said on its website.

The CEO added, “He travelled to the USA to meet support staff, selectors and players at a talent camp in Houston and to continue those discussions with us.

“I’m delighted to say that we have subsequently reached agreement with Jak that he will take up the role and be permanently based in the United States as and when his working visa has been obtained.”

Arun Kumar was also in charge of a fledgling Puducherry team before quitting in February owing to differences with the association officials.

The COVID-19 pandemic has however prevented a prompt departure for the United States.

“Of course, the COVID-19 crisis has now presented some challenges around the scope of the role in the short/medium term, but we look forward to completing all of the arrangements and to welcoming him more formally in due course,” Higgins said.

Arun kumar, who scored over 7,200 runs in first-class cricket and over 3,000 runs in List ‘A’ games, had guided Karnataka to a treble for two successive seasons — Ranji Trophy, Vijay Hazare Trophy and Irani Cup — in 2013-14 and 2014-15.

Delighted to get the role, the 45-year old said he has a vision for USA cricket, including making it a Test-playing nation.

“The first thing is based on my visa and when the coronavirus situation will end in the US, so it’s all based on that. At what time my visa will be approved, that’s when I will be heading there.

“There are long, mid and short-term goals and my vision obviously will be that the USA in the coming years will be one of the Test playing nations.

“It’s a far-fledged goal, but yes, that’s the vision and as of now the short term will be World Cup league.

“We will have to be the top side in that and then go to the next level,” Arun Kumar told PTI in an interaction.

He further said the immediate aim is to get the team together after a bad run in Nepal.

“Priority is to get the team together, we had a bad run in Nepal, so obviously the team is on little down slide, so we will get up and the immediate short-term goal is to get in touch with players.

“This lockdown gives us time to actually know each other, although we are spread out in different parts of the country, and it is gives us time to connect better and work on certain mental and tactical aspects of the game,” he added.

Arun Kumar had been in the US briefly some time ago and had met some officials, selectors and players at a camp in Houston.

“I met some officials, selectors and players at a talent camp in Houston and got an insight of what I can expect in the future and based on those we have designed a pathway for junior to senior cricket and women’s cricket.

“It is a work in progress,” he said.

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[latestnews2018-blog]

Virat Kohli: The making of India’s captain

New Post has been published on https://latestnews2018.com/virat-kohli-the-making-of-indias-captain/

Virat Kohli: The making of India’s captain

India’s Virat Kohli during a nets session at Edgbaston ahead of the first Test against England.

London: In December 2006, an 18-year-old Virat Kohli was playing a Ranji Trophy match for Delhi. His team were in trouble at 105 for four against Karnataka and facing the follow-on the next day. Kohli was 40 not out at the close. That night, Kohli’s father died, aged just 54, from a stroke.

Rajkumar Sharma, Kohli’s coach from the age of nine, was away in Sydney and received a call from his tearful young protege, breaking the news.

“He called me, crying, saying, ‘My father is no more’,” Rajkumar tells The Daily Telegraph. “I was shocked because he had become a dear friend of mine. He asked, ‘What should I do? I am batting on 40-odd and Delhi are in big trouble. I want to bat.’ So I encouraged him to play. I said, this is the time to show your character. And he did.”

To the astonishment of his teammates, Kohli arrived at 7.30am at the start of the third day and declared himself ready to play. He went on to score 90, and Delhi saved the game.

“It was very tough for a young kid whose father’s body was lying in the family home and he had gone to play a cricket match. That shows how committed he was to cricket and his team. Virat matured very early because of his father’s death. I was always there for him, but he started taking his own responsibility and became mature from that time onwards.”

‘He was a ferocious competitor’

If Kohli’s reaction to his father’s death indicated an almost preternatural ability to compartmentalise — a trait which has served him well as he has attempted to cope with the pressure of captaining India and of being that country’s biggest sporting superstar — it was not actually the start of his remarkable sporting journey.

That began on May 30 1998, the day Rajkumar opened his West Delhi Cricket Academy. One of the first through the doors was the nine-year-old Virat, accompanied by his father and brother. Kohli would cycle the three miles from his family home with his kitbag on the handlebars. And even now, nearly 20 years later, Rajkumar can catch glimpses of the little boy when he is batting for India.

“He immediately looked different from the others,” says Rajkumar. “He had a lot of power for his age. He had that ambition to play with the bigger boys and not in his age group. He always used to say, ‘Let me play with the elders’. Because in his age group, nobody could get him out. He had a lot of self-belief from the beginning.

“He was strong as a fielder, also. He used to throw the ball from the deep to the wicketkeeper, which was not common at that age. He had a lot of physical strength.

“The best thing about him was he was never scared of any fast bowler — or any bowler for that matter. Even as a 14-year-old kid, facing bowlers who had played first-class cricket. He used to take them on.

“He has added a few changes for different conditions, but the style of his batting has remained the same since the beginning.

“As a young boy, the best strength in him was his cover drive — and he used to hit it very hard. He was a good driver of the ball, but played a lot of flick shots that I felt he should not play in the early part of his innings. Lots of times I had to tell him not to play that shot.

“But he worked very hard to master that stroke, and now it is his bread-and-butter shot.”

The West Delhi Academy now has 800 boys on its books travelling from all over India to work with Rajkumar. It is based at four sites around the city. But the main centre is in West Delhi, an area where people have to jostle for space and fight to get ahead.

Six Test cricketers have hailed from West Delhi in recent years: Virender Sehwag, Kohli, Gautam Gambhir, Shikhar Dhawan, Ishant Sharma and Amit Mishra. Of those, only Gambhir had the safety net of family money.

“Even as a junior cricketer Virat was a ferocious competitor,” says Vijay Lokapally, now the deputy editor of The Hindu newspaper and Kohli’s unofficial biographer, but back then a regular attendee at Rajkumar’s academy, where he would watch the young Kohli.

“He would take defeat to his heart and be upset with any loss. I remember he would wait for his turn to bat and if the target was short, he would like to go and open. Because his worry was that if he was slotted at four, he might not get an opportunity to bat. It is not that he did not have his flaws — he did, and he had some temperamental issues initially. But look how he has got over them and shaped his career.

“Today his mental strength is the best in the world, and it is because he comes from West Delhi, a very tough place. It is a very business-dominated region of Delhi where you are constantly competing with your neighbours or colleagues to find your place. Also the fact that there was such tough competition among the clubs in Delhi. He knew if he did not grab his chance, he would possibly never get it back.”

‘He sets standards for the whole country’

There were setbacks. Lokapally details in his book how Kohli was initially turned down by Delhi.

“At 2am — and this was the days before mobile phones — his coach got a phone call, and it was Virat wanting to know how he had got on at the trials,” he says. “He had to break his heart and tell him he had not made it. He said, ‘They are not convinced you are good’.

“Next year Virat came back and scored six or seven hundreds on the junior circuit and they could not keep him out.”

Kohli’s father told Rajkumar on his first day at the academy that the coach would be a surrogate parent, a mentor for the young Kohli.

He chuckles when asked if Virat has always been such a dedicated fitness freak. “Not exactly. Initially he was this chubby guy who loved eating non-veg food, especially mutton. But the standard he sets himself now started when he began playing for his country and then stepped up when he became the captain. He became so committed, and decided he had to lead from the front. He says he can only ask his teammates to do the fitness things if he has done them himself. He thinks he has to show them it is helping them. Which is why he sets standards for his teammates — and, I would say, the whole country.”

Kohli has not forgotten his roots. He presented a brand-new car to Rajkumar on India’s Teacher’s Day in 2014. Virat was in the United States on a photo shoot so he asked his brother to deliver the car. He knocked on Rajkumar’s door, passed him his mobile phone to speak to Virat and plonked a set of car keys in his hand.

“When he comes to the academy now, he brings two full kitbags. If anyone needs a bat, gloves, spikes or pads he gives them his stuff,” says Rajkumar. “He gives them to the boys who are doing well or are needy. Everybody gets inspired by his presence. He motivates them so much, and if any of them have a problem with batting or bowling they can approach him and he will give them a lot of time. Last time when he came he bowled a lot of throwdowns to a young boy named Rajesh Sharma, telling him how he should be playing short balls. He really helps youngsters.”

‘Some think he’s brash but he’s very down-to-earth’

Kohli still has the same circle of friends from school or his junior cricket teams.

“His upbringing was brilliant. His father, brother and mother always supported him — but never pampered him. They know the values of society, and they brought him up very well,” says Rajkumar.

“He has not added to his friends over the last few years just because he has become a superstar,” adds Lokapally. “He has a very close circle of friends whom he has known from his much younger days. Normally when they acquire fame, people tend to cut off connections with their roots — but in his case he has been very faithful to his friends.

“People wrongly portray him as brash. He is not brash, he is competitive and confident. People mistake that as arrogance. But he has never shown any disrespect. He has a lot of respect for former players and cares for them.

“Whenever he is in Delhi and there is a Ranji Trophy match on and he is not playing, he will make a point of going to sit with his team.

“I find he is down-to-earth, no matter what he has achieved,” he adds.

Every cricketer has a different life story to tell. Kohli’s — from riding his bike to the West Delhi Academy with his kitbag dangling on the handlebars to being the captain of India — reveals a lot about the sort of competitor England will have to overcome if they are to win this Test series.

[vjkstar-blog]

*Southern Pinwheel Galaxy - M83* Messier 83 or M83, also known as the Southern Pinwheel Galaxy and NGC 5236, is a barred spiral galaxy approximately 15 million light-years away in the constellation borders of Hydra and Centaurus. Nicolas Louis de Lacaille discovered M83 on February 23, 1752 at the Cape of Good Hope. Charles Messier added it to his catalogue of nebulous objects (now known as the Messier Catalogue) in March 1781. It is one of the closest and brightest barred spiral galaxies in the sky, and is visible with binoculars. Its nickname of the Southern Pinwheel derives from its resemblance to the Pinwheel Galaxy (M101). *Observation data* Constellation: Hydra Right ascension: 13h 37m 00.919s Declination: −29° 51′ 56.74″ Redshift: 0.001721±0.000013 Helio radial velocity: 508 km/s Distance: 14.7 Mly (4.50 Mpc) Apparent magnitude (V): 7.54 *Characteristics* Type: SAB(s)c Apparent size (V): 12′.9 × 11′.5 *Captured on*: __Feb. 14, 2021... *Equipment*: __TSOptics Photon 12" F4 Advanced Newtonian... __TSOptics 0.95 reducer and coma corrector... __SoftwareBisque Paramount MX Mount... __Nikon D750 DSLR Camera .... *Processing Details*: __58 x 30 sec. each frame (29 min. data) __17 dark frames __ISO-1270 __Stacked in DSS __Processed in PixInsight __Enhanced in LightRoom & Snapseed *Location:* __Chiguru Farm, Bilikal Forest, Karnataka *Sky Conditions* __Bortle Scale 3.8 __Clear Sky __Few surrounding villages lights interference #SouthernPinwheelGalaxy #galaxy #nightsky #astronomy #softwarebisque #astrophotography #starrynight #cosmos #AstroPhotographyIndia #nikon #Travel #karnataka #india © Vijay Kapoor Follow My Instagram for More pics: http://Instagram.com/lunar_mountains_climber https://www.instagram.com/p/CLdn-pGJW5N/?igshid=17sf9ppnpu0y7

[brajeshupadhyay]

22:36 (IST) Coronavirus Outbreak in Maharashtra Latest Updates 6,330 new COVID-19 cases in Maharashtra The total number of COVID-19 cases in Maharashtra rose by 6,330 to 1,86,626 on Thursday. The state's toll rose to 8,178, while the death rate increased to 4.38. 20:27 (IST) Coronavirus Outbreak in India Latest Updates Amit Shah tells Delhi, UP, Haryana to increase rapid antigen testing The MHA on Thursday said that Home Minister Amit Shah told the CMs of Delhi, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh during a meeting that more testing using rapid antigen test kits should be done to help reduce the infection transmission rate. "These kits can be provided by the Centre to UP and Haryana. Focus on early hospitalization to reduce mortality rates," the statement added. 19:56 (IST) Coronavirus Outbreak in Tamil Nadu Latest Updates 4,343 new COVID-19 cases in Tamil Nadu A total of 4,343 new coronavirus cases were reported in Tamil Nadu on Thursday, taking the total number of cases in the state to 98,392, the state health department said. 19:32 (IST) Coronavirus Outbreak in Delhi Latest Updates Delhi govt says teachers are using WhatsApp to reach students Delhi deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia on Thursday said, "Our teachers will reach out to their students through WhatsApp or regular phone call. Give them light assignments and take regular feedback. In the process, they will also find out the well being of children. Students from KG to Class 10 will receive daily exercise and feedback from class teachers through Whatsapp. Teachers will connect through regular phone with those who do not have WhatsApp or smart phone." He added, "Schools are closed but learning will continue. 'Learning with human feel' is the mantra of Delhi Government’s teaching learning approach. Digital technology to complement the efforts of teachers in reaching out to every child and assist them in learning. We are following the principle that a 'Digital Divide' should not come in the way of children’s access to learning opportunities. The core of our approach is outreach and connect between teachers and their students." 18:51 (IST) Coronavirus Outbreak in Bihar Latest Updates Fourth Bihar MLA tests COVID-19 positive RJD MLA Shahnawaz Alam has tested positive for COVID-19, the fourth legislator in Bihar to have contracted the disease. The legislator from the Jokihat constituency in Araria district said he was asymptomatic. Alam has been shifted to an isolation centre in the district, civil surgeon Dr MMP Singh said. His sample was taken for testing to the Sadar Hospital on Tuesday and the report came on Wednesday evening. Earlier, state minister Vinod Kumar Singh and his wife, BJP MLA Jibesh Kumar Mishra and Congress legislator Anand Shankar Singh had tested positive for novel coronavirus. (PTI) 18:14 (IST) Coronavirus Outbreak in India Latest Updates India conducts 9 million COVID-19 tests India crossed the nine-million mark in conducting COVID-19 tests on Thursday with 90,56,173 samples tested till Wednesday. PTI reported that officials of Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) said the country now has 1,065 testing labs in the country — 768 in the public sector and 297 in private. The daily testing capacity is going up fast, they said, adding it was around 1.5 lakh per day on May 25 and is more than three lakh per day at present. 17:31 (IST) Coronavirus Outbreak in India Latest Updates Recovery rate rises to 59.52%, says Centre The Union health ministry said that during the last 24 hours, a total of 11,881 COVID-19 patients have been cured, taking the total figure to 3,59,859. This further takes the recovery rate to 59.52 percent. There are 2,26,947 active cases and all are under medical supervision currently. 17:20 (IST) Coronavirus Outbreak Latest Updates WHO says smoking could cause higher risk of COVID-19 The World Health Organisation on Thursday said that "smoking is linked to a higher risk of severe illness and death from the coronavirus in hospitalised patients, although it was unable to specify exactly how much greater those risks might be," News18 reported. "In a scientific brief published this week, the UN health agency reviewed 34 published studies on the association between smoking and COVID-19, including the probability of infection, hospitalisation, severity of disease and death," the report added. 16:18 (IST) Coronavirus Outbreak in India Latest Updates Centre tells states to give bodies of those suspected to be COVID-19 positive to kin without test result   The Union Health Ministry has asked all states and UTs to hand over bodies of suspected COVID-19 cases to their relatives without waiting for laboratory confirmation of the infection but said the mortal remains should be disposed of as per government guidelines. A letter on the matter was sent to all states and UTs on Wednesday in the wake of issues raised regarding death of suspected COVID-19 patients and bodies not being handed over to relatives pending confirmation of test report by hospitals. "I would like to clarify that the dead bodies of such suspected COVID cases should be handed over to their relatives immediately and laboratory confirmation of COVID-19 should not be awaited," the letter written by Director General of Health Services (DGHS), Health Ministry, Dr Rajiv Garg said. These bodies can as a matter of abundant precaution be disposed as per the 'Guidelines on Dead Body Management' available on the website of Union Health Ministry which directs that handlers in PPE accompany the body for final rites, the letter stated. (PTI) 15:22 (IST) Coronavirus Outbreak in India Latest Updates India needs FDI investments worth Rs 50 to 60 crores in MSMEs to boost economy Union minister Nitin Gadkari says India needs foreign direct investments worth Rs 50 to 60 lakh crore in infrastructure projects and Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises to boost the economy, which has been damaged by the coronavirus crisis. “The country at this juncture needs liquidity,” he tells PTI. “Without liquidity, our economy’s wheel will not accelerate.” 15:08 (IST) Coronavirus Outbreak in India Latest Updates COVID-19 testing can be done on prescription of any doctor, says Centre Through a significant step announced by the Central Government, COVID-19 testing can now be done on the prescription of any registered practitioner, and not exclusively a Government doctor. The Government on India on Thursday also said that till now, 90,56,173 tests conducted through a diagnostic testing network. There are now 1,065 testing labs in the country-768 in the public sector and 297 private labs. Yesterday, as many as 2,29,588 people got tested for COVID-19.  15:00 (IST) Coronavirus Outbreak in India Latest Updates Total no of people tested for COVID-19 in India to soon touch 1 crore The total number of people being tested for COVID-19 tests in the country will soon touch one crore, said the Government on India, reports ANI. This has been possible due to removal of all bottlenecks by Government of India. Various steps taken by Central Government have paved the way for enhanced testing for COVID-19. 14:42 (IST) Coronavirus Outbreak in Maharashtra Latest Updates Curfew imposed in Beed district to contain spread of COVID-19 Curfew has been imposed in Maharashtra's Beed city for eight days in a bid to curb the spread of coronavirus, officials said. Only essential and emergency services will be allowed to operate during the period, as per an order issued on Wednesday by Beed Collector Rahul Rekhawar. According to the order, the curfew will remain in force till 8 July midnight. 14:31 (IST) Coronavirus Outbreak in India Latest Updates IndiGo to give 25% discount on airfare to doctors and nurses till year-end IndiGo said on Thursday it will give a 25 percent discount on the airfare to doctors and nurses till the end of 2020 as they are at the forefront of the battle against the coronavirus pandemic. "The nurses and doctors will be required to provide valid hospital IDs at the time of check-in as proof of their identity," the airline said in a press release. "The discount will be offered while booking through IndiGo's website, valid for sale and travel from 1 July 2020 till 31 December 2020," it added. 14:26 (IST) Coronavirus Outbreak in Andhra Pradesh Latest Updates Andhra reports 845 new cases, 5 deaths in past 24 hours 845 new COVID-19 cases and five deaths were reported in the last 24 hours, taking the total confirmed cases in Andhra Pradesh to 16,097. Of these, 8,586 cases are active. The toll stands at 198, reports ANI. 14:04 (IST) Coronavirus Outbreak in Karnataka Latest Updates Kumaraswamy slams Karnataka govt for poor handling of COVID-19 Former Karnataka Chief Minister and JD(S) leader HD Kumaraswamy on Thursday slammed the BJP government in the state for its failure to protect the citizens from coronavirus, reports PTI. In a series of tweets, Kumaraswamy hit out at Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa and ministers for wasting their time in issuing contradictory statements instead of taking lessons from the Kerala government. Even when you have a proven model in Kerala government's success in Covid management, the ministers waste time in issuing contradictory statements and doing nothing. Karnataka suffers due to lack of co-ordination in the cabinet. 3/5 — H D Kumaraswamy (@hd_kumaraswamy) July 2, 2020 13:53 (IST) Coronavirus Outbreak in Maharashtra Latest Updates Maharashtra minister says state needs to take loans to pay govt employees Maharashtra minister Vijay Wadettiwar on Thursday claimed that the state is having to take loans to pay salaries to government employees amid the coronavirus crisis, ANI reports. “We haven’t received any fund from Centre,” he says. “However, there is no cash crunch for handling the coronavirus situation in the state.” He also added, "Situation of the state is such that we will have to take a loan to pay next month's salaries of govt employees. Except for 3-4 departments, expenses have been cut in other departments. 13:22 (IST) Coronavirus Outbreak in Maharashtra Latest Updates Remidesivir to be available in Maharashtra in 2 days, says health minister Maharashtra Health Minister Rajesh Tope says remdesivir and favipiravir medicines will be available across the state in the next two days, ANI reports. “We are ensuring that it is not available for rich and influential people only,” he said. He also added that nine out of 10 coronavirus patients have shown improvement after receiving plasma therapy. He says there is no community spread in Maharashtra and a total 93,000 patients have recovered till now in the state. 13:16 (IST) Coronavirus Outbreak in West Bengal Latest Updates Indian army brigadier succumbs to COVID-19 An Indian Army Brigadier, posted at the Eastern Command in Kolkata, dies of the coronavirus, ANI reports. 12:42 (IST) Coronavirus Outbreak in Delhi Latest Updates Kejriwal announces helpline numbers for plasma donation "If you are eligible and willing to donate plasma, then you may call 1031 or WhatsApp at +918800007722. Our doctors will then get in touch with you to further confirm your eligibility," said chief minister Arvind Kejriwal. यदि आप प्लाज्मा डोनेट करना चाहते हैं तो 1031 पर काॅल करें या 88-000-07722 पर Whatsapp करें। हमारे डाक्टर आपसे बात कर आपकी eligibility के हिसाब से आपको सही सलाह और जानकारी देंगे- माननीय मुख्यमंत्री श्री @ArvindKejriwal जी pic.twitter.com/nsrv8gAeWW — AAP (@AamAadmiParty) July 2, 2020 12:24 (IST) Coronavirus Outbreak in Delhi Latest Updates Arvind Kejriwal inaugurates first-of-its kind plasma bank in Delhi Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal briefs media on the coronavirus on Thursday. He inaugurated a first-of-its-kind plasma bank in Delhi and said that the plasma therapy will help in treating coronavirus patients till a vaccine for the disease is found. 12:20 (IST) Coronavirus Outbreak in Delhi Latest Updates Kejriwal urges COVID-19 patients who have recovered to donate plasma  Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday urged COVID-19 patients in the National Capital who have recovered from the viral infection to donate plasma for treatment of others.  "If you have recovered from COVID-19 and your age is between 18 and 60 and your weight is above 50 kg, then you may donate plasma for COVID-19 patients," said Kejriwal.  If you are eligible & willing to donate plasma, then you may call us at 1031 or you can whatsapp us at 8800007722. Our doctors will then get in touch with you to further confirm your eligibility: Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal. #COVID19 pic.twitter.com/5PJKvbotNV — ANI (@ANI) July 2, 2020 11:34 (IST) Coronavirus Outbreak in Maharashtra Latest Updates 10-day lockdown begins in Thane from today A 10-day complete lockdown has been enforced from Thursday in Thane and two other civic administration limits adjoining Mumbai city to contain the spread of coronavirus, officials said. Essential services and medical emergencies are exempted from the lockdown, while inter-city buses, autorickshaws and taxis will not be allowed to operate in these civic limits, they said. 11:15 (IST) Coronavirus Outbreak in New Zealand Latest Updates New Zealand's health minister resigns after coronavirus criticism New Zealand’s embattled Health Minister resigned on Thursday after security slip-ups at quarantine facilities where the coronavirus was detected just days after officials declared it had been eliminated from the country, reports Reuters. David Clark was also under fire for personally breaching strict lockdown rules twice earlier in the year, by taking his family on a beach trip and driving to a mountain biking track. 11:07 (IST) Coronavirus Outbreak in Rajasthan Latest Updates Rajasthan reports 115 new cases, 5 deaths Rajasthan on Thursday reported 115 new coronavirus cases and five deaths in the last 24 hours. The state’s overall count rises to 18,427 and the toll reaches 426. 10:56 (IST) Coronavirus Outbreak in India Latest Updates India's recovery rate now at 59.5% India’s COVID-19 recovery rate now stands at 59.5 percent. As many as 3,59,859 people have recovered from the coronavirus so far in India. There are 2,26,947 active cases. 10:33 (IST) Coronavirus Outbreak in India Latest Updates Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu remain worst-hit With 1,80,298 confirmed cases of COVID-19 so far, Maharashtra remains the worst-affected state in the country, followed by Tamil Nadu (94,049) and Delhi (89,802). 10:11 (IST) Coronavirus Outbreak in Maharashtra Latest Updates 363 inmates, 102 jail staffers have tested positive to date, says state prison department According to the Maharashtra Prison Department, a total of 363 inmates and 102 jail staff have tested positive for COVID-19 to date. Four inmates have died due to COVID-19 and a total of 255 inmates and 82 jail staff have also recovered so far. Mumbai's Central Prison has reported maximum positive cases with 181 inmates 44 Jail staff testing positive. 09:56 (IST) Coronavirus Outbreak in India Latest Updates India reports over 19,000 cases, 434 deaths in past 24 hours The number of coronavirus cases in India on Thursday, crossed 6 lakh as India reports 19,148 cases in the past 24 hours. India now has 6,04,641 cases and 17,834 deaths. The toll has increased by 434. As many as 3,59,859 people have recovered from the coronavirus so far in India. There are 2,26,947 active cases. 09:25 (IST) Coronavirus Outbreak in US Latest Updates Trump says he'd wear a mask in close quarters, hopes coronavirus will 'just disappear' After long resisting wearing a mask in public, President Donald Trump said Wednesday he thinks it makes him look like the Lone Ranger, and he likes it. “I’m all for masks. I think masks are good,” Trump told Fox Business in an interview. "People have seen me wearing one.” Trump’s comments came a day after Republican lawmakers suggested that he wear a mask in public to set a good example for Americans. “If I were in a tight situation with people, I would absolutely," Trump said in the interview. Read full report here 09:01 (IST) Coronavirus Outbreak in US Latest Updates Over 90 lakh samples tested so far, says ICMR The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has said that 90,56,173 samples were tested for COVID-19 in the country till yesterday (1 July). Of these, 2,29,588 were tested yesterday. 08:38 (IST) Coronavirus Outbreak in Maharashtra Latest Updates Mumbai Police seizes over 2,000 vehicles on 1 July As many as 5,800 vehicles seized in the last two days, in connection with violation of coronavirus lockdown norms. On 30 June 3,508 vehicles were seized and on 1 July, 2369 vehicles were seized, said Mumbai Police.  07:56 (IST) Coronavirus Outbreak in US Latest Updates Global COVID-19 cases now at 1.06 crore Total confirmed cases of COVID-19 across the world stand at 1.06 crore, according to the Johns Hopkins University CSSE. This figure includes COVID-19 patients who have recovered and the overall global death toll which stands at 5.14 lakh. With over 26.5 lakh reported cases till date, the United States is the worst-affected country in the world. The US is followed by Brazil, Russia, India and the United Kingdom. 07:56 (IST) Coronavirus Outbreak in US Latest Updates US records over 52,000 new cases in past 24 hours The United States has seen record 52,000 new COVID-19 cases in 24 hours, according to the Johns Hopkins University CSSE’s tracker. 07:39 (IST) Coronavirus Outbreak in US Latest Updates US records nearly 50,000 cases of COVID-19 in single day Governors of US states hit hardest by the resurgent coronavirus halted or reversed steps to reopen their economies on Wednesday, led by California, the nation’s most populous state and a new epicenter of the pandemic. New cases of COVID-19, the illness caused by the coronavirus, shot up by nearly 50,000 on Wednesday, according to a Reuters tally, marking the biggest one-day spike since the start of the pandemic. 07:30 (IST) Coronavirus Outbreak in US Latest Updates US buys nearly full stock of COVID-19 drug remdesivir The US has secured nearly the entire world stock of antiviral drug remdesivir from US-based Gilead Sciences for the next three months, leaving hardly any stock of the key COVID-19 drug for the rest of the world. As a result of an agreement with the drugmaker announced earlier this week, the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has secured more than 500,000 treatment courses of the drug for American hospitals through September. Coronavirus LATEST Updates: RJD MLA Shahnawaz Alam has tested positive for COVID-19, the fourth legislator in Bihar to have contracted the disease. The legislator from the Jokihat constituency in Araria district said he was asymptomatic. Alam has been shifted to an isolation centre in the district, civil surgeon Dr MMP Singh said. His sample was taken for testing to the Sadar Hospital on Tuesday and the report came on Wednesday evening. Earlier, state minister Vinod Kumar Singh and his wife, BJP MLA Jibesh Kumar Mishra and Congress legislator Anand Shankar Singh had tested positive for novel coronavirus. The Union health ministry said that during the last 24 hours, a total of 11,881 COVID-19 patients have been cured, taking the total figure to 3,59,859. This further takes the recovery rate to 59.52 percent. There are 2,26,947 active cases and all are under medical supervision currently. The total number of people being tested for COVID-19 tests in the country will soon touch one crore, said the Government on India, reports ANI. This has been possible due to removal of all bottlenecks by Government of India. Various steps taken by Central Government have paved the way for enhanced testing for COVID-19. Maharashtra Health Minister Rajesh Tope said that there is no community spread in Maharashtra and a total 93,000 patients have recovered till now in the state. The state has reported over 1.8 COVID-19 cases. India's COVID-19 tally zoomed past six lakh cases on Thursday with a single-day increase of 19,148 cases, just five days after it crossed the five-lakh mark, while the death toll rose to 17,834, according to the Union health ministry data. The number of coronavirus cases in India on Thursday, crossed 6 lakh as India reports 19,148 cases in the past 24 hours. India now has 6,04,641 cases and 17,834 deaths. The toll has increased by 434. As many as 3,59,859 people have recovered from the coronavirus so far in India. There are 2,26,947 active cases. The US has secured nearly the entire world stock of antiviral drug remdesivir from US-based Gilead Sciences for the next three months, leaving hardly any stock of the key COVID-19 drug for the rest of the world. India's COVID-19 recovery rate neared 60 percent on Wednesday even as both daily cases and deaths registered their highest spike so far. The Centre reiterated its appeal to states and Union territories to increase testing, including allowing private practitioners to prescribe COVID-19 tests to any individual fulfilling the criteria for testing as per ICMR guidelines. The appeal came as India entered Day One of Unlock 2.0, the second phase of easing restrictions on Wednesday, and a day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi warned against "carelessness" in following guidelines. Since the lockdown was lifted, the caseload has shot up, making India the world's fourth-worst affected country globally. India reported 3,94,958 infections during Unlock 1.0, which started on 1 June and ended on 30 June. On Wednesday, India registered 507 new deaths with Maharashtra, Delhi and Tamil Nadu accounting for over 70 percent of the fatalities in the past 24 hours. In the past day, 18,653 new infections were reported taking the total tally to 5,85,493, according to the Union Health Ministry data. This is the fifth consecutive day that coronavirus infections have increased by more than 18,000. The country had recorded a massive spike of 2,003 deaths on 17 June following a data reconciliation exercise carried out by states and UTs which brought to the fore large number of fatalities previously reported in Maharashtra and Delhi which were not attributed to COVID-19. The number of active cases stands at 2,20,114, while 3,47,978 people have recovered, and one patient has migrated, according to the ministry's updated data at 8 am. In Mumbai, the rising cases forced the Mumbai Police to impose section 144 of CRPC prohibiting movement of people in public places and gatherings in the financial capital of India, to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Mumbai region is one of the worst-affected cities by the pandemic in India. The city's COVID-19 tally rose to 78,708 on Wednesday with the addition of 1,511 new cases while toll from the virus reached 4,629 with 75 deaths, the BMC figures showed, according to PTI. The National Capital Delhi too has been hit hard by the pandemic with nearly 90,000 cases. In Bihar, the death of a Patna groom due to COVID-19 remained on the spotlight as over 200 people turned up at his funeral. More than 100 people have tested positive in Patna district in the last few days, out of over 350 who have been tested upon contact tracing, reports said. This is so far, the largest infection chain reported in Bihar. In the meantime, the International Labour Organisation warned that if another COVID-19 wave hits in the second half of 2020, there would be global working-hour loss of 11.9 percent — equivalent to the loss of 340 million full-time jobs. The highly uncertain recovery in the second half of the year will not be enough to go back to pre-pandemic levels even in the best scenario, the agency warned. Modi hails role of doctors In a short video message, the prime minister hailed the role of doctors in their "spirited" fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, saying they are saving lives by putting themselves in danger. Representational image. AP "India salutes our doctors — exceptional caregivers who are at the forefront of a spirited fight against COVID-19," Modi wrote on Twitter to mark the birth anniversary of Dr BC Roy, celebrated as Doctors' Day. He also said while mother's give birth, doctors ensure our rebirth. They are saving lives by putting themselves in danger, he added. In the meantime, Union health secretary Preeti Sudan and ICMR director general Balram Bhargava on Wednesday wrote to state governments and Union territories to increase testing. "It is strongly advised that you should take all possible steps to ensure full capacity utilization of all COVID-19 testing laboratories in the State/UT," the letter stated. Cases from states According to ANI, Maharashtra continues to be the worst-affected state with 5,537 new COVID-19 cases reported on Wednesday. The total count of cases has gone up to 1,80,298 including 79,075 active cases, 93,154 recovered cases and 8,053 deaths. One hundred and ninety-eight persons died in the state in the last 24 hours, the report said. In Tamil Nadu, 3,882 new cases and 63 deaths were reported on Wednesday. The total number of cases in the state has increased to 94,049 including 39,856 active cases, 52,926 discharged patients and 1,264 deaths. In the meantime, Delhi's COVID-19 count reached 89,802 including 27,007 active cases, 59,992 cured/discharged/migrated and 2,803 deaths. Sixty-one persons died in the state in the last 24 hours due to the virus. A total of 151 new COVID-19 positive cases and 131 recoveries were reported in Kerala on Wednesday, the news agency said. The total positive cases stand at 4,593 including 2,130 active cases. There are 124 COVID-19 hotspots in the state. Punjab reported 101 fresh COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours taking the total number of cases 5,668 including 3,989 discharged patients and 149 deaths. A total of 26 COVID-19 cases have been reported in Manipur in the last 24 hours. The total count of reported cases in the state is 1,260 out of which 681 cases are active. Twenty-three Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) personnel tested positive for COVID-19 in the last 24 hours taking active cases to 103 out of which 23 patients are in Delhi. A total of 251 personnel have recovered so far, according to ITBP. Karnataka has reported 1,272 new COVID-19 positive cases including 735 cases from Bengaluru Urban. The total count of cases is 16,514 while the death toll rose to 253 after 7 deaths were reported today. Uttarakhand reported 66 new COVID-19 cases today taking the total number of cases to 2,947. Himachal Pradesh Health Department said that the total count of COVID-19 cases in the state has reached 960 out of which 336 cases are active. Uttar Pradesh has reported 585 new COVID-19 in the last 24 hours. A total of 88 new COVID-19 cases were reported in Bihar on Wednesday taking the total number of reported cases in the state to 10,076. Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal and his deputy Manish Sisodia on Wednesday visited Commonwealth Games Village Sports Complex which has been turned into emergency COVID care centre. Kejriwal said that arrangement for around 500 beds has been done at the Centre which is connected to Lok Nayak Jai Prakash (LNJP) hospital. Assam Health Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said that government has decided to set up a plasma bank in Guwahati in the next four-five days. According to the ICMR, a cumulative total of 88,26,585 samples have been tested up to 30 June, with 2,17,931 samples being tested on Tuesday. With inputs from agencies

http://sansaartimes.blogspot.com/2020/07/coronavirus-updates-amit-shah-tells.html

[brajeshupadhyay]

As Bengaluru landlords demand rent despite govt order, highway is only option for city’s locked-out migrant community

Bengaluru: For the past five years, a small room in the congested heart of Bengaluru has been home for Pratap Malik, his wife and their four-month-old child. They had migrated from Balasore district in Odisha to earn a living in a small tailoring shop in the city. They had exhausted their meagre earnings on food through the two months of the lockdown.

On 7 May, however, a group of men sent by the landlord arrived at their house. "They demanded rent for two months. That came up to nearly Rs 4,800 and I didn't have the money," he says. The house owner and his men returned later in the evening, threw out his luggage and locked the door.

In Karnataka, as in the rest of India, landlords have been prohibited from evicting labourers or students from their premises. However, these orders are flagrantly violated.

In Pratap's case, they first approached the jurisdictional police. Having found no help there, they set off from their home on 8 May, intending to travel nearly 1,600 kilometres. They managed to walk till the Karnataka-Andhra Pradesh border, some 100 kilometres away before being sent back by the police at the check posts. By the sixth day, they were exhausted and demoralised. When this correspondent met Pratap and his family, they were sitting by a highway divider a few kilometres from Bengaluru's international airport — effectively having travelled 40 kilometres from their former home in six days.

"The police kept stopping us (at check posts). They fed us, but asked us to return to Bengaluru. We have no home there. The only home we have is in Odisha and the police isn't letting us cross the border," said Jamuna, Pratap's wife clutching her baby, Joshna Rani. "We know it is dangerous to take the baby along the highway, but what option do we have?" she asked.

Bengaluru's highways continue to see hundreds of migrants making a treacherous journey by walk or huddled in trucks towards north India. The Centre's assurances of trains have done little for them. As of 17 May, the South Western Railways has operated 75 special trains (Shramik Trains) transporting 99,245 guest workers towards their home states. However, more than three lakh people have applied for permission to leave and the queues in front of police stations where registrations are ongoing has not diminished.

For many guest workers, they cannot afford to wait for their chance for a ticket. A common refrain is the threat of eviction or, in some cases, outright eviction by landlords.

"What other option do we have? We have to be homeless and on the streets for days in Bengaluru to wait for our chance to go on a train. We might as well as start walking through the day," said Rajesh Chouhan who migrated from Gonda district in Uttar Pradesh six months ago as a mason for a small-time contractor. He and 12 others had been living in a cramped room in Bengaluru, paying Rs 6,000 a month.

Soon after the relaxation of the 3 May lockdown, his landlord demanded rent that was pending. Rajesh saw himself having two options: Hope for a train ticket back home or start walking. After nearly a week of standing in queues, he decided to walk to his hometown. "All I got in the police station were dandas (beaten up). And all I could think about what that I was going become homeless in a hostile city… I will never come back to Bengaluru," said an emotional Rajesh on the second day of his 1,800-kilometre journey home.

For some, the demands for rent took a more violent form. Adarsh Rav, from Gorakhpur in Uttar Pradesh who works a house painter, says he was beaten and thrown out by the owner of his house. "I don't have a rupee on me. How do I pay rent?" asked Adarsh.

Near Bengaluru’s glitzy Electronic City, which is one of the largest software hubs in the country, a group of 14 guest workers from Jharkhand were evicted from their homes for failing to pay rent. The group included three small children, aged between 2 and 6. The groups stayed in two small, tin-roofed houses in the city, and owed the landlord Rs 9,000 as rent for the lockdown.

"We had come back to Bengaluru to work for the tekedar (agent) only in mid-February. Within weeks, the lockdown was imposed. The agent said he could not pay us our salaries for the days worked. We had no money to eat, let alone pay rent," recalled Dilkush Ansari, a construction labourer from Bokaro in Jharkhand.

On 12 May, the group was evicted. "We were beaten out of our homes. We took whatever we could and fled. The only place we found to spend the night was a highway pedestrian underpass," said Vijay Rajbar, also from Bokaro.

A passer-by clicked a photograph of the group living on the roads, and this eventually reached the Jharkhand government on social media. The state machinery not only housed the group of workers but also sought to make the case an example for other landlords. A local police officer said this had become an embarrassment for Karnataka.

The landlord, Ramachandra Reddy, denied forcible eviction or beating the guest workers, but added, "For months they were staying in the house and I did not ask for rent. When the city opened up on 3 May, their agent told me that these labourers could start work. But these families said they wanted to go back to their hometowns instead of working. I only told them to join work and pay me the rent through their earnings. They left on their own and created a scene."

A mid-April study by Stranded Workers Action Network (SWAN) shows that this is a nation-wide problem. In Karnataka, the government has urged those being evicted to reach out to the COVID-19 helpline. Ministers have even threatened actions against landlords who collect rent during the lockdown. "These evictions are inhumane during these difficult times… We will take strict action against those who are evicting migrant workers," said BJP MP Shobha Karandlaje, who oversaw the rehabilitation of the 14 workers.

For the police, action against landlords is increasingly difficult as the enforcement of the lockdown and the burden of additional responsibilities has stretched out the force. "These evictions are widespread, but there is little we can do," said a senior police official. Even in cases where guest workers approach the station, there is often no action taken, he admitted. "We are working as much as we can. The police implement lockdown rules, manage containment zones, arrange for food wherever we can, help manage labour camps, and even register hundreds of migrants for special trains… In the midst of this, registering cases against landlords and persuading them not to evict their tenants is difficult," said a senior police official.

While landlords whose numbers were procured from migrant labourers were reluctant to talk, one home-owner — on condition of anonymity — said he pressed for collection of rent only after learning that the guest workers staying at his house had registered to leave the state.

In the small houses that he owns, his tenants had fled after he demanded Rs 10,000 as rent for two months. "My primary earning is through the collection of rent and I did not demand rent on humanitarian grounds through the lockdown. After the lockdown restrictions were eased, we asked for rent because we also had to make a living. These workers fled anyway and I've lost money," he said.

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[brajeshupadhyay]

Bengaluru: For the past five years, a small room in the congested heart of Bengaluru has been home for Pratap Malik, his wife and their four-month-old child. They had migrated from Balasore district in Odisha to earn a living in a small tailoring shop in the city. They had exhausted their meagre earnings on food through the two months of the lockdown. On 7 May, however, a group of men sent by the landlord arrived at their house. "They demanded rent for two months. That came up to nearly Rs 4,800 and I didn't have the money," he says. The house owner and his men returned later in the evening, threw out his luggage and locked the door. In Karnataka, as in the rest of India, landlords have been prohibited from evicting labourers or students from their premises. However, these orders are flagrantly violated. In Pratap's case, they first approached the jurisdictional police. Having found no help there, they set off from their home on 8 May, intending to travel nearly 1,600 kilometres. They managed to walk till the Karnataka-Andhra Pradesh border, some 100 kilometres away before being sent back by the police at the check posts. By the sixth day, they were exhausted and demoralised. When this correspondent met Pratap and his family, they were sitting by a highway divider a few kilometres from Bengaluru's international airport — effectively having travelled 40 kilometres from their former home in six days. "The police kept stopping us (at check posts). They fed us, but asked us to return to Bengaluru. We have no home there. The only home we have is in Odisha and the police isn't letting us cross the border," said Jamuna, Pratap's wife clutching her baby, Joshna Rani. "We know it is dangerous to take the baby along the highway, but what option do we have?" she asked. Bengaluru's highways continue to see hundreds of migrants making a treacherous journey by walk or huddled in trucks towards north India. The Centre's assurances of trains have done little for them. As of 17 May, the South Western Railways has operated 75 special trains (Shramik Trains) transporting 99,245 guest workers towards their home states. However, more than three lakh people have applied for permission to leave and the queues in front of police stations where registrations are ongoing has not diminished. For many guest workers, they cannot afford to wait for their chance for a ticket. A common refrain is the threat of eviction or, in some cases, outright eviction by landlords. "What other option do we have? We have to be homeless and on the streets for days in Bengaluru to wait for our chance to go on a train. We might as well as start walking through the day," said Rajesh Chouhan who migrated from Gonda district in Uttar Pradesh six months ago as a mason for a small-time contractor. He and 12 others had been living in a cramped room in Bengaluru, paying Rs 6,000 a month. Soon after the relaxation of the 3 May lockdown, his landlord demanded rent that was pending. Rajesh saw himself having two options: Hope for a train ticket back home or start walking. After nearly a week of standing in queues, he decided to walk to his hometown. "All I got in the police station were dandas (beaten up). And all I could think about what that I was going become homeless in a hostile city… I will never come back to Bengaluru," said an emotional Rajesh on the second day of his 1,800-kilometre journey home. For some, the demands for rent took a more violent form. Adarsh Rav, from Gorakhpur in Uttar Pradesh who works a house painter, says he was beaten and thrown out by the owner of his house. "I don't have a rupee on me. How do I pay rent?" asked Adarsh. Near Bengaluru’s glitzy Electronic City, which is one of the largest software hubs in the country, a group of 14 guest workers from Jharkhand were evicted from their homes for failing to pay rent. The group included three small children, aged between 2 and 6. The groups stayed in two small, tin-roofed houses in the city, and owed the landlord Rs 9,000 as rent for the lockdown. "We had come back to Bengaluru to work for the tekedar (agent) only in mid-February. Within weeks, the lockdown was imposed. The agent said he could not pay us our salaries for the days worked. We had no money to eat, let alone pay rent," recalled Dilkush Ansari, a construction labourer from Bokaro in Jharkhand. On 12 May, the group was evicted. "We were beaten out of our homes. We took whatever we could and fled. The only place we found to spend the night was a highway pedestrian underpass," said Vijay Rajbar, also from Bokaro. A passer-by clicked a photograph of the group living on the roads, and this eventually reached the Jharkhand government on social media. The state machinery not only housed the group of workers but also sought to make the case an example for other landlords. A local police officer said this had become an embarrassment for Karnataka. The landlord, Ramachandra Reddy, denied forcible eviction or beating the guest workers, but added, "For months they were staying in the house and I did not ask for rent. When the city opened up on 3 May, their agent told me that these labourers could start work. But these families said they wanted to go back to their hometowns instead of working. I only told them to join work and pay me the rent through their earnings. They left on their own and created a scene." A mid-April study by Stranded Workers Action Network (SWAN) shows that this is a nation-wide problem. In Karnataka, the government has urged those being evicted to reach out to the COVID-19 helpline. Ministers have even threatened actions against landlords who collect rent during the lockdown. "These evictions are inhumane during these difficult times… We will take strict action against those who are evicting migrant workers," said BJP MP Shobha Karandlaje, who oversaw the rehabilitation of the 14 workers. For the police, action against landlords is increasingly difficult as the enforcement of the lockdown and the burden of additional responsibilities has stretched out the force. "These evictions are widespread, but there is little we can do," said a senior police official. Even in cases where guest workers approach the station, there is often no action taken, he admitted. "We are working as much as we can. The police implement lockdown rules, manage containment zones, arrange for food wherever we can, help manage labour camps, and even register hundreds of migrants for special trains… In the midst of this, registering cases against landlords and persuading them not to evict their tenants is difficult," said a senior police official. While landlords whose numbers were procured from migrant labourers were reluctant to talk, one home-owner — on condition of anonymity — said he pressed for collection of rent only after learning that the guest workers staying at his house had registered to leave the state. In the small houses that he owns, his tenants had fled after he demanded Rs 10,000 as rent for two months. "My primary earning is through the collection of rent and I did not demand rent on humanitarian grounds through the lockdown. After the lockdown restrictions were eased, we asked for rent because we also had to make a living. These workers fled anyway and I've lost money," he said.

http://sansaartimes.blogspot.com/2020/05/as-bengaluru-landlords-demand-rent.html

[brajeshupadhyay]

Maharashtra Congress arranges trains to facilitate return of 27,685 migrants; 24,000 more to to be sent back home, says Balasaheb Thorat

Mumbai: The Maharashtra Congress has borne the travel expenses of nearly 27,865 migrant workers and sent them back to their native places, state party president Balasaheb Thorat claimed on Tuesday.

Arrangements are being made to send 24,000 more migrant workers from Maharashtra to their native states, Thorat said. "So far, the Maharashtra Congress has paid the travel expenses of 27,865 workers," he said in a statement.

Amid the coronavirus-enforced lockdown, several migrant workers, in a desperate bid to return to their native places, started walking hundreds of kilometres while some took whatever mode of transport was available to reach home.

Congress President Sonia Gandhi last week said her party's state units will bear the cost of rail travel for all needy migrant workers and labourers stranded at their workplaces and seeking to return home.

Thorat said after the announcement, the Maharashtra Congress unit started the process of sending migrants workers back home. The workers were registered at the district level and special trains were made available to take them to their home states.

Shramik Special trains were operated from Nagpur to Muzaffarpur, Lucknow, Ballia and Darbhanga, Wardha to Patna, Pune to Lucknow and Bhopal, Miraj to Gorakhpur, Chandrapur to Patna and Ahmednagar to Unnao.

Besides, the travel cost of majority of the workers who boarded the trains from Mumbai to Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar was also borne by the Congress, he said, adding that food, masks and sanitisers were provided to the workers during their journey. Thorat said state Energy Minister Nitin Raut paid for four special trains, while Minister of State for Agriculture Vishwajeet Kadam and Animal Husbandry and Dairy Development Minister Sunil Kedar paid for two trains to send migrant workers back to their states.

State Relief and Rehabilitation Minister Vijay Wadettiwar and Women and Child Development Minister Yashomati Thakur also paid for sending many workers back home, he said.

Thorat also said that 3,567 workers were sent to their native states in private vehicles from Satara, Ahmednagar, Pune,Nagpur, Chandrapur,Kolhapur and Sangli and their travel expenses were also borne by the Congress. The party also arranged for buses and food for stranded workers from Sangamner (Ahmednagar) to the nearest railway station, he said.

Minister of State for Home Satej Patil made arrangements for food during the journey of stranded workers from Kolhapur, he said. Thorat said nearly 18,000 workers belonging to Uttar Pradesh have registered themselves with the district level helplines started by the Congress in Maharashtra.

Apart from this, over 24,000 workers hailing from states like Bihar, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, West Bengal and Karnataka have also reached out to the party for help, the minister said, adding that arrangements will be made for them and they will be sent back home soon.

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[brajeshupadhyay]

Mumbai: The Maharashtra Congress has borne the travel expenses of nearly 27,865 migrant workers and sent them back to their native places, state party president Balasaheb Thorat claimed on Tuesday. Arrangements are being made to send 24,000 more migrant workers from Maharashtra to their native states, Thorat said. "So far, the Maharashtra Congress has paid the travel expenses of 27,865 workers," he said in a statement. Amid the coronavirus-enforced lockdown, several migrant workers, in a desperate bid to return to their native places, started walking hundreds of kilometres while some took whatever mode of transport was available to reach home. Congress President Sonia Gandhi last week said her party's state units will bear the cost of rail travel for all needy migrant workers and labourers stranded at their workplaces and seeking to return home. Thorat said after the announcement, the Maharashtra Congress unit started the process of sending migrants workers back home. The workers were registered at the district level and special trains were made available to take them to their home states. Shramik Special trains were operated from Nagpur to Muzaffarpur, Lucknow, Ballia and Darbhanga, Wardha to Patna, Pune to Lucknow and Bhopal, Miraj to Gorakhpur, Chandrapur to Patna and Ahmednagar to Unnao. Besides, the travel cost of majority of the workers who boarded the trains from Mumbai to Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar was also borne by the Congress, he said, adding that food, masks and sanitisers were provided to the workers during their journey. Thorat said state Energy Minister Nitin Raut paid for four special trains, while Minister of State for Agriculture Vishwajeet Kadam and Animal Husbandry and Dairy Development Minister Sunil Kedar paid for two trains to send migrant workers back to their states. State Relief and Rehabilitation Minister Vijay Wadettiwar and Women and Child Development Minister Yashomati Thakur also paid for sending many workers back home, he said. Thorat also said that 3,567 workers were sent to their native states in private vehicles from Satara, Ahmednagar, Pune,Nagpur, Chandrapur,Kolhapur and Sangli and their travel expenses were also borne by the Congress. The party also arranged for buses and food for stranded workers from Sangamner (Ahmednagar) to the nearest railway station, he said. Minister of State for Home Satej Patil made arrangements for food during the journey of stranded workers from Kolhapur, he said. Thorat said nearly 18,000 workers belonging to Uttar Pradesh have registered themselves with the district level helplines started by the Congress in Maharashtra. Apart from this, over 24,000 workers hailing from states like Bihar, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, West Bengal and Karnataka have also reached out to the party for help, the minister said, adding that arrangements will be made for them and they will be sent back home soon.

http://sansaartimes.blogspot.com/2020/05/maharashtra-congress-arranges-trains-to.html