BHUBANESWAR l THURSDAY l APRIL 02, 2020 l `7.00 l PAGES 12 l LATE CITY EDITION

LOCKDOWN LIFT IN SIGHT AS IRCTC OPENS ONLINE RESERVATION SYSTEM TRAVEL SITES RESUME FLIGHT BOOKINGS IRCTC had shut down online booking of rail tickets after PM Narendra ■ “The shutdown is only till April 14 night. Booking can’t be stopped RLY, AIRLINES START BOOKINGS Modi announced a nationwide lockdown on March 24. “As we have clear beyond that,” said an Air India official. In the unlikely event of `3,928 indications from the government that the lockdown will not be extended, further lockdown, passengers can reschedule the trip The move comes after clear indication from the Centre that the we have resumed sale of online tickets,” an IRCTC official said, adding that ■ Bookings are also open on private airlines and travel portals COST OF A CHENNAI-DELHI NON-STOP 21-day national lockdown will not be extended beyond April 14 this will help passengers plan their travel in advance such as MakeMyTrip and Yatra from April 15 onwards FLIGHT ON APRIL 15 ON YATRA.COM

CHENNAI ■ MADURAI ■ VIJAYAWADA ■ BENGALURU ■ KOCHI ■ HYDERABAD ■ VISAKHAPATNAM ■ COIMBATORE ■ KOZHIKODE ■ THIRUVANANTHAPURAM ■ BELAGAVI ■ BHUBANESWAR ■ SHIVAMOGGA ■ MANGALURU ■ TIRUPATI ■ TIRUCHY ■ TIRUNELVELI ■ SAMBALPUR ■ HUBBALLI ■ DHARMAPURI ■ KOTTAYAM ■ KANNUR ■ VILLUPURAM ■ KOLLAM ■ WARANGAL ■ TADEPALLIGUDEM ■ NAGAPATTINAM ■ THRISSUR ■ KALABURAGI

J&K 1 TABLIGHI 7 Africans isolated ALL EFFORTS VIRUS LOAD 48 UTTARAKHAND in Odisha after DELHI 53 48 ARUNACHAL PRADESH 48 UTTAR PRADESH 1 return from Markaz RAJASTHAN 11 81 BIHAR ASSAM 17 TO TRACK ITS EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE scrambles to trace the partici- @ Bhubaneswar pants across districts. Apart from JHARKHAND 1 the Africans, the State tracing AT least seven African nationals, cell has so far identified around MADHYA PRADESH 1 71 WEST BENGAL including six from Sudan, who 43 persons from Odisha who had 1,500 GUJARAT PARTICIPATED 101 CHHATTISGARH had recently returned from the attended the congregation. While FOOTPRINTS Nizammudin Markaz event in 13 persons have returned to the Cabinet secretary tells chief secretaries to trace New Delhi were traced to a place State, 15 are at New Delhi and the 50 ODISHA INFECTED all who participated in Nizamuddin religious in Sundargarh district and im- rest are in Andhra Pradesh, West meet; PM to speak with CMs today 252 MAHARASHTRA 1,030 TELANGANA 21 6 mediately shifted to a Govern- Bengal, Bihar and Gujarat. DEAD ment quarantine facility on “The persons so far traced be- Wednesday. long to Khurda, Cuttack, Kendra- EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE @ New Delhi with Chief Secretaries and The seven foreigners are re- para, Jajpur, Ganjam, Balasore, DGPs of all States and Union 1085 ANDHRA PRADESH 70 UK extends portedly part of a Puri, Koraput and WITH the threat of Tablighi Territories, the Cabinet Secre- doc work visa 10-member team of Sundargarh dis- Jamaat’s Nizamuddin congrega- tary also asked the State and UT 1,500 KARNATAKA 1 In a relief to preachers from Su- tricts. Those who tion participants spreading the authorities to ensure that no foreign doctors, dan and Djibouti 5th +ve case have returned have deadly novel coronavirus across other religious groups are hold- including from who had also spent a Bhubaneswar: A-60- been kept in quaran- 1,103 TAMIL NADU 190 India, whose the country looming ing congregations any- 395 KERALA 1 few days in Rourkela year-old man of Surya tine along with their large, Cabinet Secre- CASH FOR where in the country 376 new cases visas were set before leaving for Nagar here tested family members. tary Rajiv Gauba on POOR SOON and strict action be India registered 376 cases of to expire in Delhi earlier this positive for Covid-19 The number is likely Wednesday ordered all taken against them if the virus in the last 24 hours. October, the UK month to attend the on Wednesday. He was to go up as more than With reports of the has extended authorities to be firm poor and found doing so, sources The spike is primarily due to Markaz. They had admitted to AIIMS- 100 monitoring in tracing and taking said. the fallout of the Tablighi the deadline by again returned to the Bhubaneswar. With this, teams have been en- vulnerable sections Class 10, 12 exams IOC tack on purchases one year action against the Many of the attend- only for 29 subjects Jamaat congregation in Delhi district a few days the number of positive gaged to trace the of the society IOC has declared force majeure cases in the State rose Jamaat workers. facing hardships in ees have reportedly “It has been decided that on crude purchases from Saudi Wimbledon back. The dates of Tablighi partici- 7 more in Noida hotspot to five. Similarly, a man Gauba directed the accessing gone into hiding in var- the board conduct exams Arabia, Iraq, UAE and Kuwait, cancelled their participation pants,” the official states and Union Ter- ious parts of the coun- 7 new coronavirus patients in in the event and trav- from Cuttack tested added. foodgrains, the for only main subjects as refinery run rates have been Wimbledon positive for coronavirus ritories to launch on a Cabinet Secretary try, complicating that will be required cut down following lockdown Gautam Buddh Nagar in the organisers el details are being Since there is no “war footing” the con- matters. last 24 hours, total cases 45 ascertained. at New Delhi. He had specific information asked states to for promotion and may and oil market crash. A force scrapped the been to the national tact tracing of all par- The country’s senior be crucial for higher majeure is an event outside oldest Grand After the matter on the number of implement the PM 3.2 lakh quarantine beds capital on March 6 to ticipants of the congre- Garib Kalyan most bureaucrat also education,” the CBSE said. reasonable control, which Slam tennis came to the fore, the attend the Tablighi persons from the gation, adding Yojana within the ordered registration of Also, all class 1-8 students prevents IOC from performing Railways setting up 3.2 lakh tournament for core Covid monitor- Jamaat event. He has State who attended intensive tracing of all next week. “This cases against foreign to be promoted contract obligations isolation and quarantine beds the first time ing unit and the been put in the isolation the congregation, contacts must be en- will involve large Tablighis for violation Sundargarh district ward of a hospital there. the monitoring cell sured in a fail-proof cash transfer to of visa norms, accord- administration faces a herculean manner. beneficiaries,” ing to sources. Gauba swung into action task to track them Prime Minister Nar- officials said shared the roadmap for and shifted them to down. The State Gov- endra Modi may also the intensive contact quarantine facility. A massive ex- ernment has urged people to in- speak to the Chief Min- tracing of Tablighis. ercise has been launched to find form the control room at the 104 isters on Thursday to take them “Tracing all the participants of out their travels and trace all helpline if they come to know on board to deal with the uphill the Nizamuddin Markaz is the their contacts. about any Tablighi participant. task of tracing all participants top most priority, and the state “The foreign preachers have The condition of 15 people and those who have come into governments must not lose been isolated and their health is from the State now under quar- contact with them. time,” said a senior government being examined properly. Their antine at New Delhi is stated to be During a video-conference call official. blood and swab samples have stable. Of the 20 persons includ- been sent for tests. There is no ing the seven Africans, who had reason to panic as contract trac- returned after attending the ing is on,” said an official. The S GURUMURTHY WRITES ON TABLIGHI Markaz, 15 have turned out to be JAMAAT - ITS OTHER, EVIL SIDE P7 Myanmar nationals settled in Hyderabad, who went to Narketpally for religious prayers flouting lockdown restrictions, Markaz event has sparked fear in negative. Results of five are being taken to a hospital in Hyderabad for coronavirus tests on Wednesday | VINAY MADAPU the State as the Government awaited. Centre drops anti-virals from its recommended list

SUMI SUKANYA DUTTA @ New Delhi “no specific antivirals have been in combination with Azithromy- medication came following a proven to be effective as per cur- cin (500 mg once a day for 5 days),” study published in the New Eng- THE Centre has asked doctors rently available data.” said the guideline. “These land Journal, which said the anti- treating severe patients of corona- Earlier it had recom- drugs should be adminis- HIV drug combination did not virus to stop administering anti- mended using the Lopina- tered under close medical work in 199 patients analysed. An- HIV drugs and instead put them vir-Ritonavir combo for supervision, with moni- other study from France said the on a combination of anti-malaria patients with acute res- toring for side effects.” anti-malarial and antibiotic com- drug Hydroxycholoroquine and piratory distress. However, they are not rec- bination helped 78 out of 80 pa- antibiotic Azithromycin. “One of the drug is Hy- ommended for children less tients analysed. There was anoth- In the revised guidelines on the droxychloroquine (Dose 400 than 12 years, pregnant and er independent study from China management of Covid-19 patients, mg twice a day for 1 day followed lactating women. to support Hydroxycholoroquine- the Union health ministry said, by 200 mg twice a day for 4 days) Sources said the revision in Azithromycin combination. EXPRESS READ J&K PARTIES SEE RED AS THE CENTRE ‘Need 4-fold hike in payout to vulnerable’ EXPANDS SCOPE OF DOMICILE POLICY New Delhi: Over 300 economists and academics including Abhijit FAYAZ WANI @ Srinagar nation in J&K are also eligible for tweeted National Conference lead- Sen, Jean Dreze, Prabhat Patnaik, domicile rights. er and former CM Omar Abdul- Deepak Nayyar, Ajit Ghose, Ashok THE Centre’s new domicile policy Only those with domicile lah, who was released recent- Gulati and Meghanad Desai, for Jammu and Kashmir to in- rights can apply for gov- ly after being detained for among others, have urged the clude anyone who has stayed over ernment jobs in J&K. seven months. Prime Minister and Chief Ministers 15 years in the Union Territory has “Talk about suspect J&K Apni Party presi- to take steps to ameliorate the regional parties up in arms. Ac- timing. At a time when all dent Altaf Bukhari said impact on the Covid-19 cording to the redefined domicile our efforts & attention the order is unacceptable. lockdowns on the vulnerable rules, those who have studied for a should be focused on Covid He said the Centre’s order re- sections by increasing their period of seven years and ap- outbreak, the government slips flects a casual exercise carried monthly sustenance support to peared in class 10th or 12th exami- in a new domicile law for J&K,” out at bureaucratic level. at least `6,000 per family. State seeks more protective gear amid rising concern

EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE of the situation of State amid coun- Besides, he called for immediate Centre. Gauba advised the State to @Bhubaneswar trywide lockdown to break the supply of adequate personal pro- complete the contact tracing pro- spread of coronavirus. Informing tective equipment (PPE) for doc- cess on a war footing. AMID rising concern over commu- that the State Government is in the tors, paramedics, laboratory staff Tripathy also briefed Gauba nity spread of coronavirus, the process of setting up two more Cov- and health workers so that they are about the measures taken by the State Government on Wednesday id-19 laboratories, one at the VIM- able to deal with any emergent sit- State to take care of the migrant urged the Centre to provide more SAR, Burla and the other at MKCG uation. He said the State needs labourers stranded in the lock- protective gear and medical equip- Medical College and Hospital, Ber- more protective gear such as down. The Union Cabinet Secre- ment including testing kits and hampur, Tripathy said the two pro- masks, gloves and coveralls to stay tary asked Tripathy for implemen- ventilators to be ready to tackle posed laboratories need modern ready to deal with any exigency. tation of the Prime Minister Garib any eventuality. kits for testing. Currently, the State Tripathy said the State agencies Kalyan Yojana within the next Chief Secretary Asit Tripathy has three testing facilities at the have been pressed into service to week. This will involve large cash made the demand for modern med- Regional Medical Research Centre, trace the Tablighi Jamaat partici- transfer to beneficiaries. It should ical equipment during a video-con- Bhubaneswar, AIIMS, Bhubane- pants from Odisha and all meas- be organised in a staggered man- ferencing with Union Cabinet Sec- swar and SCB Medical College and ures being taken to isolate them as ner to ensure social distancing, he retary Rajiv Gauba, who took stock Hospital, Cuttack. per the guidelines issued by the said. ALMANAC TODAY MIN MAX Sunrise 05.49 am 0 0 Thursday: 02/04/2020 Year: Soumya Samvatsar 20.6 C 33.2 C Sunset 17.58 pm Month: Kumbha Phalguna: Krushna Paksha Moonrise 04.43 am Tithi: Chaturdashi Nakshatra: Purvabhadra Moon in Kumbha Rashi WEATHER FORECAST Rahukala: 07.52 am to 09.24 am WATCH Partly cloudy sky Moonset 16.24 pm

BHUBANESWAR THURSDAY 02 02 l04l2020 newindianexpress com Chicken biryani feast for stray dogs in Capital

EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE We had planned to serve der to at least 1,000 stray bulls @ Bhubaneswar khichdi to stray dogs but everyday during the lock- feared they wouldn’t eat it. down,” a BMC official said. AFTER the Covid-19 lockdown We switched to chicken The Government is provid- left them struggling for food biryani which was prepared ing `20,000 per day to the civic for more than a week, it’s now and served. Soya chunks are body for the purpose. The re- also added to the biryani biryani time for street dogs of maining expenses will be the city as Bhubaneswar Mu- Shyam Sundar Sethi, borne by the BMC on its nicipal Corporation (BMC), on BMC Deputy Commissioner own, officials said and Wednesday, served the delica- added that individuals cy to the strays. veterinary doctor, and organisations, It is part of the feeding pro- have been formed for who wish to provide gramme which the State Gov- Social distancing ignored at Patel Marg where Unit-IV fish market was shifted North, South East and food to the stray ani- ernment launched for stray South West zones of the mals, have been re- in Bhubaneswar on Wednesday | EXPRESS dogs and cattle, and other ani- city for the purpose. The quested to contact them. mals in municipal corpora- teams served the food twice at As per the social distancing tions and municipalities dur- 8 am and 4 pm on the day. They SOP, only BMC teams will feed ing the lockdown period. also carried two drums of wa- the stray animals and those “We had planned to serve Workers of BMC feeding stray dogs in Bhubaneswar on Wednesday | EXPRESS ter on the vehicles for the stray wishing to provide food should NON-VEG LOVE khichdi to stray dogs but animals. The civic body will contact the civic authorities in feared they wouldn’t eat it. We Sethi. Apart from chicken, from where the food was taken feed at least 10,000 street dogs advance in this regard. Front- switched to chicken biryani soya chunks are also added to to other places to feed the every day, sources said. line civil society organisation, which was prepared and the biryani which was pre- street dogs. The municipal corporation People for Animal, is actively BEATS SOCIAL served,” said BMC Deputy pared at the sub-divisional vet- Sethi said three teams, com- has also started feeding stray involved in this initiative, the Commissioner Shyam Sundar erinary office in Saheed Nagar prising three BMC staff and a bulls. “We will try to give fod- officials said. DISTANCING CORONA WARRIORS SUDARSAN MAHARANA out the day. Apart from fish @ Bhubaneswar market, a BMC team launched Hoteliers seek GST a crackdown at Saheed Nagar Senior artistes crowdsource FOR many Wednesday holds a market on Wednesday evening special place in the week be- after getting information that holiday, tax waiver cause it is the day to relish non- some vegetable vendors are not vegetarian food. And to make following social distancing support for distressed juniors EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE @ Bhubaneswar purchases, people turn up in norms. large numbers at markets. “To prevent gathering we SOUMIKA M DAS @ Bhubaneswar In Bhubaneswar alone, WITH tourism and hotel industry taking the That is exactly what hap- had shifted some of the vegeta- three programmes were brunt of the lockdown, the Hotel Associa- pened on the day as people ble vendors from Saheed Nagar THE lockdown has turned the held in a day on regular tion of India (HAI) has urged Odisha Gov- showed up in big numbers at market to the road in front of life of Manoj Nayak, a 48-year- basis. Everything stands ernment to declare complete GST holiday cancelled now non-vegetarian markets of the Ramadevi University. However, old octapad player from for hotels and waive other taxes for a mini- City, throwing warnings and defying the order, a few of them Tankapani road area, upside Sangita Gosain, CEO of Guru HAI plea mum of six months from March. precautions to the wind. have again started doing busi- down. The sole breadwinner Kelucharan Mohapatra The association Fearing huge financial loss due to cancel- The fish market ness within the of his four-member family, Research Centre has requested lation of rooms, conferences, wedding and of Unit-4 was shift- market,” said BMC Manoj is now struggling to the Government banquet bookings during the lockdown, the ed to nearby Patel Zonal Enforcement make ends meet. All his and tabla player Sachin Rath to propose the association requested the Government to Marg to control Inspector PK Jena. shows, lined up post March 4, came forward to help the ar- Centre for propose the Centre for deferment of repay- crowd but the re- To prevent gathering we The social dis- have been cancelled for the tistes in dire need. They stood deferment of ment of loans and bank EMIs for hoteliers striction on more had shifted some of the tance norm is yet to next two months. by the side of such artistes by for at least six months. It also sought defer- vegetable vendors from repayment of than seven persons Saheed Nagar market to be practised by “I earn between `1,500 and providing them five kilo- loans and ment of utility bills and waiver of electricity gathering at one the road in front of some of the grocery 2,000 per programme. That’s grams each of rice and wheat, bank EMIs duty in the State for one year. place was ignored, Ramadevi University. storekeepers and my only source of income. oil, three kilogram potatoes, In a letter to Chief Minister Naveen Pat- posing a challenge However, defying the people in Jharpada, Now that everything is lentils, onion, sugar and They have also naik, HAI president Puneet Chhatwal urged for police, civic as order, a few of them Bomikhal and GGP- stopped, I have no alternative soaps through crowdfunding. sought him to take necessary steps and announce have again started Ajay Das handing over relief supplies deferment of well as health Canal road too. to support my family, neither to a drummer Creating a separate group the relief measures at the earliest. He also officials. doing business within There is also fre- can I avail any aid from the on Whatsapp, they connected utility bills and requested the Government to waive SGST “We faced diffi- the market quent movement of State Government as I don’t ers. Even, their services are with established artistes from waiver of and property taxes for six months. electricity duty culties in ensuring PK Jena, two wheelers in come under the BPL catego- not listed as ‘essential.’ In across the country to raise do- “The hotel occupancies have dropped in the State for social distancing BMC Zonal Enforcement some stretches of ry,” he said. What aggravated such a scenario, hundreds of nations. “So, far we have sent sharply over the last few weeks due to the protocol among Inspector the canal road dur- his misery was a recent acci- junior artistes, stage techni- the relief supplies to 50 fami- one year lockdown. Hospitality establishments have consumers in the ing evening, be- dent that kept him confined to cians and light men are wit- lies in Cuttack and Bhubane- been closed with the only exception being market last week. tween 6 and 7 pm, bed for past six months - re- nessing perhaps one of the swar. We will be sending sup- the properties used as quarantine facilities,” Anticipating similar problem which needs to be checked, covering only to face another most critical phases of their plies to 450 families across the he said, adding, “Revenues are at an all-time this week, we shifted it to Patel pointed out some locals. crisis! lives. State. For people staying far, low and on the verge of completely drying out.” Marg,” said Anshuman Rath, Police and BMC officials, Like, Manoj there are hun- But in the dark times, when we are transferring money HAI secretary and hotelier JK Mohanty stated that the hotel BMC Zonal Deputy meanwhile, said the enforce- dreds of artistes across the the Governments had little or into their accounts,” claimed industry in Odisha is in dire need of support from the Govern- Commissioner. ment will be tightened further. State whose livelihoods have nothing on offer, hope came in Ajay. Similar efforts were ment for its survival and subsequent revival. The hospitality However, with some buyers “We have already launched a been crippled by the pandem- form of the senior and privi- made by members of Bhu- sector is likely to undergo financial stress for another one month not following the social distanc- drive in public areas and mar- ic. Umakant Biswal of Nua- leged artistes from across the baneswar Music Circle, who after lockdown as there wouldn’t be any immediate bookings and ing norms, both police and kets to seize two-wheelers to gaon area, who is a table play- country who joined hands to claimed to have responded to business. “In such a situation, the RBI also needs to review its Bhubaneswar Municipal Cor- ensure social distancing is er, is facing similar support them. Four days the calls of 15 families of Man- decision on deferment of repayment of loans just for three poration officials had to keep a practiced properly,” said a sen- difficulties. Neither are they back, harmonium player Ajay ganiar musicians (nomad months and take measures either to extend the moratorium or watch on the market through- ior cop. migrants nor BPL card hold- Das, compere Jitu Mangaraj singers) from Rajasthan. declare three months loan waiver,” he said.

THE PHANTOM Test your number crunching CROSS WORD skill with our unique puzzle PETER VIDAL SU KU 02 nd April : Did you read the news that we have discovered a planet just DO like the Earth, about four million light years away? My problem is what sort of astrology they have with a completely different sky! Not that it matters, of course. We’ll never be able to visit, at least, not without a high-velocity time-machine. And that’s not very likely!

ARIES (Mar 21 - Apr. 20) LIBRA (Sept. 24 - Oct. 23) There are some wonderfully Planetary conditions are powerful planetary turbulent, indicating upsets indicators, most of which in your psychological favour Arien qualities, these being a ‘weather’. The best way in which you can HI AND LOIS mixture of good humour with self- help yourself is to disengage from interest. Suddenly the whole world whatever source of controversy is should look like a reasonably bothering you and take the long-term friendly place, in a strange and view. Also, remember that other people unpredictable sort of a way! might just be right! TAURUS (Apr. 21 - May 21) SCORPIO (Oct. 24 - Nov. 22) You may be tempted Warning signals continue in to try your luck, but the fact the financial sectors of your is that gamblers usually lose. solar chart, so you must EVIL Solutions to Yesterday’s puzzle This is why the same planetary factors maintain a proper sense of decorum when that urge you to take a risk, also urge it comes to questions of cash. You are ■ Fill in the grid you to double-check all details. If you better off than most people at the BEETLE BAILEY with digits in such are determined to go ahead, it moment, in the sense that they will be a manner that every may be possible to arrange some more dependent on you than you on them. sort of fall-back position. row, every column SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 23 - Dec. 22) and every 3X3 box GEMINI (May 22 - June 21) Everything seems to hinge accommodates the Increasingly, this is a around your need for status time for a spot of raw and prestige. The problem is digits 1 to 9, without ambition. What do you that such things have to be earned repeating any. really want do to? Who do you really through consistent and long-term want to be with? Once you have this effort, whereas now you do seem to be ■ Each sudoku has a unique solution that can be little lot figured out you can begin in danger of risking a few short cuts. If reached logically without guessing. to make your dreams come true. you leave out the difficult bits, then it’s You might even emerge much wiser, unlikely that you’ll make the most of if a little bruised! the easy bits! ACROSS DOWN CANCER (June 22 - July 23) CAPRICORN (Dec. 23 - Jan. 20) BLONDIE 1 Play for very little (6) 1 Row about Dr Wood (6) The reason for colleagues’ One important factor in your 4 So slim perhaps and supple (6) 2 Far from pleased, I indulge in abuse (5) off-hand behaviour and chart, I haven’t mentioned so 3 Wash three foreign articles (7) partners’ unsympathetic far this week, concerns 9 Act or dance (7) attitudes is not that they are uncaring. overseas travel, and a certain 10 Many deserve to get 5 Mails re-addressed to the Rather, you should realise that they may adventurous streak in your personality information (5) Mohammedan world (5) be suffering from the weight of their which could see you wandering to a far 11 Don’t go on about me to 6 One doesn’t make a summer drink (7) own emotional burdens, and unable to corner of the globe, or at least developing improve matters (5) 7 A fellow with plenty of time pay full attention to yours. adventurous elements in your daily life. to run a business (6) 12 Get mail sorted in the interval (4,3) LEO (July 24 - Aug. 23) AQUARIUS (Jan. 21 - Feb. 19) 8 Neat and precise form of 13 What electricians look According to a All your instincts and epitaph(4,2,5) strologers, each hunches should prove for in the papers? (7,4) 14 Too good to be true (7) manifestation of life correct, but that’s not a great LOCKHORNS DENNIS THE MENACE 18 Produce I’d demonstrate about (7) 15 Foster child? (7) contains the seeds of its exact opposite. deal of use if other people refuse to 20 Uncommon Elgar variation (5) This was never more true than today, listen or take any notice. In social 16 Added zest in the kitchen (6) so whatever extremes of feeling or engagements, go for change and 22 A sound prison (5) 17 Highly coloured insect experience you hit, realise that excitement: you could be attracted to 23 Partners who dance up seen round a tree (6) things could change at any moment. people who like to take risks. in close formation (7) 19 Dirk upset about a point becomes Every problem presents you with a PISCES (Feb. 20 - Mar 20) 24 Complete exposure? (6) annoyed (5) new opportunity. An unexpected turn of 25 Having a disease lays me out (6) 21 A leg’s broken by hard blows (5) VIRGO (Aug. 24 - Sept. 23) events may come as a Today’s most interesting welcome salvation. Press planetary aspect could have ahead with the very un-Piscean task of YESTERDAY’S SOLUTIONS an influence that far building up your reputation. Once again, outweighs anything that happens this people at work may be overstepping the Across: 1 Lobelia, 5 Sewed, 8 Sitting pretty, 9 Solve, 10 Leg iron, 11 Schism, 12 Reside, week, propelling you into fighting for mark. But what are you going to do 15 Lenient, 17 Lacks, 19 Caught napping, 20 Sisal, 21 Stepson. your beliefs and principles. Do not shirk about it? If you tell them what you Yesterday’s your duty, but stand up for what you really think then you may not be Down: 1 Lists, 2 Battle honours, 3 Loiters, 4 Angels, 5 Sprig, 6 Water biscuits, 7 Doyenne, know to be right. prepared for the consequences. 11 Splices, 13 Eclipse, 14 Stones, 16 Ethel, 18 Sagan. Bhubaneswar: Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation on Wednesday launched a drive to Drive launched to rescue beggars and homeless people from different parts of the city and provide them food and shelter during the lockdown. BMC officials said seven beggars were rescued rescue beggars from Lingaraj and Rajarani temples and Lingaraj market complex area by SE Zone team.

BHUBANESWAR THURSDAY 03 02 l04l2020 newindianexpress com 4th +ve self-quarantines, leads by example Prez, PM, CM He did not attend Namaz, remained in his house till doctors reached him on March 31 greet people on HEMANT KUMAR ROUT @ Bhubaneswar TRACKING AT a time when the religious congrega- COVID-19 tion at Nizamuddin Markaz is being 72 preachers Utkala Dibasa blamed for spread of novel coronavirus in different States, a youth from the EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE @ Bhubaneswar community in Odisha set an example ● Lands at Kolkata airport by Emirates from other for others of his ilk. The 29-year-old airline on March 18 PRESIDENT Ram Nath Kovind, Vice-President M chef, a native of Bhadrak and fourth ● Takes a taxi from airport to Howrah 2nd Covid positive recovers Venkaiah Naidu, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Covid-19 patient of the State, remained Station states in Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik and many other dig- in self-quarantine and did not attend Bhubaneswar: The second Covid-19 positive nitaries greeted the people of Odisha on Utkala patient of the State has recovered and the community gathering. ● Returns to Bhadrak in East Coast EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE @ Bhubaneswar Dibasa. The chef has travel history to Dubai. Express in Coach S-11 Government has decided to discharge him Taking to his twitter handle, Kovind wished for He tested positive on Tuesday, 12 days EVEN as the State administration is from AIIMS-Bhubaneswar where he was Odisha’s bright future, peace loving and ● Hires an auto rickshaw to reach home after he landed here and was asympto- scrambling to locate those who had undergoing treatment. The condition of the prosperity. on the same day matic till he was detected with the vi- attended the Tablighi Jamaat con- first patient has also improved and he will In his message, the Prime Minister said “Utkala soon be discharged after certain clinical rus. Since he adhered to the home quar- ● Samples collected on March 30 gregation, Twin City Police has lo- Dibasa greetings to my sisters and brothers of Odi- antine guidelines issued by the cated 72 preachers who had come formalities. Sources said the second patient, sha. Praying for Odisha’s constant progress and Government, not many could come in ● Tests positive on March 31 from various parts of the country to a 20-year-old student, who had returned prosperity in the times to come.” contact with him during the period. Be- the State as part of the annual reli- from UK and tested positive on March 19, “Extend greetings to my sisters and brothers of fore the Government could impose lock- gious activity. has been tested negative twice in the last Odisha on Utkala Dibasa. May Mahaprabhu Jagan- down preventing congregation at reli- Dubai. Only seven contacts of the A large chunk of them are now 24 hours. “The youth has recovered nath bless everyone with good health, peace and gious places, he had kept himself away fourth patient have been traced and located in Cuttack district. They completely and tested negative for prosperity,” said Union from offering Namaz at local mosque they are in isolation,” Government had not apparently attended the coronavirus. With this, the number of active Home Minister Amit Shah which he would never miss. chief spokesperson Subroto Bagchi congregation at Markaz Nizamud- Covid-19 cases in the State has come down in a tweet. Many of his locality were unaware said. din but travelled to different parts to three,” said sources at the Health and Greeting the people of the Family Welfare department. As per the about his arrival till health officials ac- The youth who works as a chef at a of the State where they had attend- State on this auspicious oc- Utkala Dibasa companied by a team of police reached Shaikh’s house in Dubai had travelled ed meetings in the last three protocol, a Covid positive patient will be casion, Governor Ganeshi his house on Tuesday night to take him back to Odisha via Kolkata by Emirates months. discharged only after two consecutive Lal has called upon them to greetings to my to SCB Medical College and Hospital at airline (Flight-EK570) on March 18. He Seven of them are from Mumbai, samples taken during 24 hours are tested pledge to transform Odisha negative, they said. As many as 290 sisters and brothers Cuttack where he is undergoing treat- took a taxi from Kolkata Airport to 14 from Agra, 11 from Lucknow, 10 into a developed and pros- of Odisha. Praying ment. He has not yet developed any symp- Howrah Station and returned to Bhad- each from Meerut and Kalyan, nine samples were tested in three facilities in the perous State and join the toms. He had normal diet that includes rak in East Coast Express in Coach No. from Hyderabad and another 11 State on Wednesday and one was positive. fight against coronavirus. for Odisha’s Upama and peas curry in breakfast and S-11. He hired an auto rickshaw to from Kashmir. Some came in Janu- Wishing the people on Od- constant progress rice, roti and chicken curry for lunch. reach home on the same day. ary while others in February and Spl AI cargo flight delivers masks isha Dibasa, the Chief Min- The district monitoring team, howev- “The area where his family stays is March. “They were all stuck be- ister paid rich tribute to the and prosperity in er, was keeping a close watch on the thickly populated. Had he attended cause of the lockdown. We have lo- Bhubaneswar: An Air India cargo legendary leaders who ful- the times to come youth after he registered his name Namaz at local mosque and not main- cated them and found their details,” flight arrived here via Ranchi to deliver masks to filled the dream of forma- Narendra Modi, through 104 helpline. The Additional tained the quarantine protocol, he said a senior police officer. the State Government. The Alliance Air flight, a tion of a separate Odisha Prime Minister District Medical Officer was in constant could have transmitted virus to many. Police sources said, the main or- wholly owned subsidiary of Air India, arrived at State. “I pay my respect to touch with him. Since he was about to He is an example for others. If we get ganiser for Tablighi Jamaat congre- Biju Patnaik International Airport here from New those who have made signif- complete quarantine period, his swab similar cooperation from others who gation from Odisha is a man from Delhi on Wednesday evening. A special Alliance icant contribution in enriching Odia language, lit- samples were collected for tests. have returned from abroad or virus- Bhubaneswar’s Kesura. He is now Air cargo flight had earlier arrived here from New erature and culture,” said Naveen. “Although asymptomatic, his nasal affected States, we can prevent its in Delhi. Police has been in contact Delhi on March 28 to deliver pharmaceutical He said Odisha has created new milestones in de- and throat swab samples were collected spread in Odisha,” said a district with him for the details. items. velopment in many sectors, including disaster man- for testing as he had returned from official. agement. “I am confident that we will win in our fight against coronavirus,” he said. Union Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas Dharmendra Pradhan also wished the people on the occasion and paid his tribute to the great sons of the CM pat for mask-making SHGs soil whose contribution for the formation of Odisha a separate state is immeasurable. “Best wishes to my EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE @ Bhubaneswar enough stock of atta, dal, edible oil, po- Odia brothers and sisters on Utkal Diwas, the foun- tato and onion,” he said. dation day of Odisha, tweeted Union Minister of SUPPORTING Odisha Government’s ini- Bagchi said food and accommodation State for MSME Pratap Sarangi. tiatives in responding to Covid-19 pan- have been ensured through 336 camps for Celebrated in a grand way every year to mark the demic, nearly 400 self-help groups (SHGs) around 23,133 workers from other States formation of a separate state on this day in 1936 on are engaged in manufacturing masks. The stranded in Odisha. These workers are linguistic basis, the State Government this year had groups are making 50,000 masks daily. primarily from West Bengal, Bihar, decided not to organise any function due to lock- Government’s chief spokesperson on Jharkhand, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, down to combat coronavirus outbreak. Covid-19, Subroto Bagchi said around 500 Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar SHGs have set up dry ration, vegetable Pradesh. Any complaint received through and fruit shops across the State with the Shramik Sahayata Call Cen- help of district administration. The SHGs tre,18003466703 is being addressed have also been entrusted with the re- promptly, he said. sponsibility of managing free kitch- The Government provided food to ens in every gram panchayat. 2,43,337 destitute and helpless per- Bagchi said Chief Minister sons in 4563 gram panchayats. Naveen Patnaik thanked all mem- Similarly, 18,445 persons in 104 LOCKDOWN BREAK bers of Mission Shakti SHGs for urban local bodies (ULBs) have Rukuna Rath parked near Lingaraj Temple in Bhubaneswar after pulling of the chariot was their support during Covid-19 out- been provided food. About 29,141 suspended on Wednesday | break. Early in March, pamphlets persons have been given cooked EXPRESS on awareness of coronavirus and pre- food through 69 Aahaar centres in the vention of the virus were circulated to 70 State, he said and added that as an- Man booked for spreading rumour lakh SHG members to sensitise their fam- nounced by the Chief Minister `1,000 ily members and local communities. cash per ration card is being distributed Cuttack: Malgodown police registered a case against a person for allegedly spreading The State Government is ensuring free to all eligible ration card holders under rumour about presence of Tablighi Jamaat congregation returnee in his locality on social and unrestricted movement of goods car- food security cover. media. Accused Mirza Aaquib Ali Baig alias Sikandar Ali (40) of Jobra Charigharia, who rying vehicles during the lockdown pe- Bagchi warned that any rumour relat- works as vice-president of State unit of BJYM, has been booked under Section 188 of IPC riod, Bagchi said and added that a State- ing to Covid-19 will be dealt with severely. and Section 100 of OUP Act. DCP Akhilesvar Singh said the accused had spread false level committee is monitoring the matter Strong action will be taken against ru- information that a Muslim man of Jobra Rehaman Chowk had returned home after relating to transportation and procure- mour mongers, he said and added that attending the congregation at Nizamuddin to whom he was suspecting to have been ment of commodities, coordinating steps will be taken against persons con- affected by Covid-19. While a team of local police rushed to verify the fact, it was found among godown owners, wholesalers, re- cerned under IT Act and Epidemic Act for that the man had not gone to Delhi. A case has been registered, the DCP said. tailers and transporters. “There is any fake news. Financial aid for lawyers

EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE @ Cuttack provided from the Odisha State Bar Council Advocates’ Welfare Corpus ODISHA State Bar Council on Wednes- Fund on submission of applications by day decided to provide financial assis- the lawyers through their respective tance to advocates in view of the un- bar associations. Besides, the commit- precedented situation of the tee headed by Ashok Kumar Parija has lockdown. decided to appeal through Bar Associa- The resolution passed by the Special tions to all its members having more Committee of the Bar Council said the than 15 years of practice to donate TIRUMANGALAM MUNICIPALITY assistance will be provided to needy funds generously to the Bar Council Roc No: 223/2020/E1 Dated:31.03.2020 advocates having less than 10 years of for the purpose of providing financial Due to the lockdown imposed because of COVID-19 the following corrigendum is issued in continuation of Tender ROC No:223/2020/E1, Dated: 29.01.2020 for Notice practice. The committee took the deci- assistance to the advocates. Mean- inviting request for qualification (RFQ) for construction of New Bus Stand in sion “in recognition of the fact that while, the High Court has fixed Friday Tirumangalam Municipality on Design, Build, Finance, Operate and Transfer many advocates are of limited means to consider a plea for grant of ex gratia (DBFOT) Basis request for Qualification. and are facing extreme financial hard- to lawyers during the lockdown. Request for Qualification Extension of Submission Date up to 15.05.2020 ship on account of the lockdown.” The division bench of Acting Chief Critical Dates Tender Reference and Name of Work Particulars Earlier Revised Representations received from mem- Justice Sanju Panda and Justice ROC No:223/2020/E1,Dt: 29.01.2020 Pre Bid Meeting Date 26.03.2020 29.04.2020 bers of different Bar Associations had Biswanath Rath fixed the date after NAME OF WORK: Document Download/ 15.04.2020 14.05.2020 appealed for financial assistance cit- taking up a PIL filed through e-mail on Tirumangalam Municipality Notice Sale End Date inviting request for qualification (RFQ) 15.04.2020 15.05.2020 ing the plight of lawyers due to non- Monday by advocate Dillip Kumar Ray for construction of New Bus Stand in Bid Submission 3.00 pm 3.00 pm functioning of Orissa High Court and for payment of financial assistance of Tirumangalam Municipality on Design, End Date Build, Finance, Operate and Transfer 16.04.2020 15.05.2020 Bid opening Date all other subordinate courts. The reso- `25,000 for three months to lawyers in (DBFOT) Basis 3.30 pm 3.30 pm lution said the financial aid will be the State. Commissioner (i/c), DIPR.1580/Tender/2020 Tirumangalam Municipality. EXPRESS READ

Cuttack coop bank 428 Covid-19 donates `2 crore violations in 3 days Bhubaneswar: The Cuttack Central Bhubaneswar: Odisha Police registered 428 Cooperative Bank Ltd has contributed ` two cases between Monday and Wednesday crore to Chief Minister’s Relief Fund (CMRF) morning for violation of Covid-19 for Odisha Government’s fight against guidelines. Of these, 395 cases were coronavirus. Additionally, employees of the registered for violation of lockdown, 11 for bank have contributed one day salary neglecting home quarantine and 22 were amounting to `2.27 lakh for the cause. related to other violations of the guidelines. Banks president, vice-president and all On the day, Commissionerate Police members of committee of management registered a case for violation of the also contributed ` 1 lakh to CMRF. lockdown. Jajpur: Chief District Medical Officer (CDMO) Dr Arun Kumar Patra was transferred on CDMO Tuesday allegedly for his non-cooperation in handling the pandemic. Besides, Collector Ranjan Kumar Das has issued show cause notices to six doctors including five of the district transferred headquarters hospital for their unauthorised absence from duty during the lockdown. BHUBANESWAR THURSDAY 04 02 l04l2020 newindianexpress com Participants of Nizamuddin meet traced 13 with links to Delhi’s One person each, both maulanas, found in Binjharpur of Jajpur and Rasulpur in Kendrapara Markaz in isolation EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE check-up of the visitors. EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE ed many persons. @ Jeypore/Koraput The local Tehsildar and a police @ Kendrapara/Jajpur When the administration team again went to the spot and came to know about him on Markaz returnees quarantined AS many as 13 persons, who had asked the visitors to cooperate VILLAGERS of Aul block are Wednesday, officials con- Rourkela: Two persons of Rourkela who attended the religious So far, we have traced only one of allegedly attended the religious with the administration. Sources panic-struck after the district cerned put him under isola- congregation at New Delhi and their nine family members are the Tablighi Jamaat participants in gathering of Tablighi Jamaat in said the visitors had attended the administration on Wednes- tion at a hospital in Chata and Kendrapara. A search operation is on New Delhi, sneaked into Jeypore Tablighi Jamaat along with a resi- among the 21 people to have been lodged in the isolation ward of to find out others who attended this day traced a man who recent- sent his blood and throat Rourkela Government Hospital (RGH). Their swab samples have on the wee hours of Wednesday. dent of Jeypore who is residing at ly returned from New Delhi swab samples for test to SCB event in New Delhi. A large number The 13 persons reportedly Guntur in Andhra Pradesh. On been sent for tests. After the nationwide search for attendees of of people present there could have after attending prayer gather- Medical College and Hospital the Tablighi Jamaat congregation started, 11 persons got carried the infection back home reached the house of a scrap deal- Tuesday evening, all of them re- ings at Markaz Nizamuddin at Cuttack. themselves admitted to the RGH on Tuesday night. The rest in the er in front of VD College and turned to Guntur and in the night, Samartha Verma, Kendrapara Collector from March 13 to 15. Six members of his ward are either migrant workers or people who returned from asked him to open a room for sneaked into Jeypore in vehicles A 42-year-old ‘maulana’ of family have been Covid-affected states. RGH in-charge Director, Dr Sudharani their stay. Later, they were found by giving the police manning the Rasulpur village attended the asked to remain in Pradhan confirmed that samples of 21 persons were sent for 19. He was traced by the ad- to be roaming in the locality. borders a slip. large religious gathering. For home quarantined medical examination and none of them has any visible ministration on Tuesday On seeing the new faces in the In-charge of district headquar- three days, he stayed with at for 14 days, in- symptoms for COVID-19. Amid contradictory reports about the night. His swab and blood area, locals alerted the district ad- ters hospital, Jeypore Ram Chan- least 2000 people including formed additional number of attendees of the religious congregation, sources in samples have been sent for ministration following which dra Mohanty admitted that 13 per- foreigners at Markaz district medical of- the Health & Family Welfare Department claimed that two tests. His family members health officials reached the place sons of New Delhi have been Nizamuddin. ficer, Dr MB Baig. persons of Rourkela had returned on March 13 after attending the have also been directed to re- at around 10 am. However, the out- advised home quarantine. How- Following the Centre warn- “So far we have traced event and spent 14 days in home quarantine. However, after new main in home isolation. Das siders did not cooperate and re- ever they are yet to be medically ing to the State Government only one of the Tablighi positive cases in Delhi, the two and their family members with said surveillance has been in- fused to provide their details. The examined. All the visitors are about Tablighi Jamaat attend- Jamaat participants in Kend- whom they stayed since March 13 were kept in institutional tensified in the district follow- officials managed to take down now staying in a room of the local ees who could be potential rapara and a massive search isolation as a precautionary measure. ing tracing out of the their names with the help of local mosque in Jeypore. carriers of the virus, the ad- operation is on to find out oth- attendee. residents and asked them to re- Meanwhile, two persons from ministration traced the ‘mou- ers who attended this event in Sources said another per- main in home quarantine. Koraput district, who attended lana’ who had arrived in Ken- New Delhi. A large number of down norms and not main- The 50-year-old man be- son of Brahmabarada village However, the locals raised a the Tablighi Jamaat event, have drapara on March 18. people present there could taining social distancing dur- longs to Sasanda village un- under Rasulpur block of the protest demanding medical exam- been put under quarantine in After returning to the have carried the infection ing this period. der Binjharpur block in the district had also attended the ination of all the outsiders. They Guntur and New Delhi. They are densely populated Rasulpur back home”, said Collector In Jajpur, another ‘maula- district, informed Collector Tablighi meet and has been alleged that 14 persons had come residents of Jeypore and Kotpad. village, he moved freely in the Samartha Verma. na’ who attended the congre- Ranjan Kumar Das. quarantined along with his to the area and one of them had Koraput Collector Madhusudan area, attended social gather- He warned that stringent gation has been quarantined He returned from New Del- family members. The district gone missing. Later, they went to Mishra said the man belonging to ings and even mass prayer in measures will be taken in the district headquarters hi by train on March 17 and administration, however, is Jeypore Town police station and Jeypore is in Delhi and the other the local mosque and contact- against people flouting lock- hospital. reached Binjharpur on March yet to confirm it. urged the cops to conduct health at Guntur.

EXPRESS READ CORONA WARRIORS Trucker detained for transporting migrants Rourkela: A truck driver illegally Tele service to check hospital crowd transporting 60 migrant workers from Andhra Pradhesh EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE up to patients suffering from dia- (AP) to Jharkhand in violation @ Rourkela REMOTE CARE betes and hypertension. If need- of lockdown guideline was Initiative is aimed at reducing ed the pharmacist can consult detained by Birmitrapur police A group of 14 specialist doctors overcrowding at hospitals doctors concerned for further on Wednesday. The workers from Steel City has come for- action on a particular patient. have been provided shelter at a ward to aid people suffering Every doctor in the group has The foundation will soon local school. IIC AC Majhi said from general ailments by provid- agreed to dedicate one to four come up with a list of dedicated the truck was carrying 60 ing consultations and advice re- hours daily to patients volunteers who would deliver workers from Visakhapatnam to motely without them having to Names of doctors, their mobile medicines to elderly persons at Garwa in Jharkhand via go to hospitals, thereby lessen- numbers are available at Smile their doorsteps. Dr Barik said Sundargarh. Finding the Odisha ing the burden on compatriots Forever Foundation website visit of patients suffering from border at Birmitrapur sealed, engaged in the war against common ailments in far-flung the driver dropped them at coronavirus. areas can be minimised with the Purunapani and was trying to As part of an initiative by the mobile consultancy service initiative. flee when police caught him. Smile Forever Foundation, which was started from Wednesday. The doctors in the panel are Cash of `30,000 was seized envisages providing consultation The names of doctors, their mo- Mukesh Kedia and Monalisha from the driver and the workers to people on common ailments bile numbers and time slots have Mohanty (Medicine), BK Bhui- claimed that each of them had over phone and WhatsApp to re- been made available on the foun- yan, DK Sethi and Arun Sanga agreed to pay him `2000 as duce overcrowding at hospitals, dation’s website. (Paediatric), SR Hota (Surgery), fare. Social activist Jadish every doctor in the panel has Patients can consult doctors Pushpanjali Sahu (Skin & VD), Agarwal said the Centre should agreed to dedicate one to four over phone and if taking medi- Bhagirathi Joshi (ENT), Geetan- immediately bring an ordinance hours daily to patients who wish cines can send details on their jali Patri and Dragima (Gynae- of non-bailable offence to book to consult them over phone. WhatsApp for further action. Dr cology), Preeti Lath (Dental), Su- those who facilitate VACANT LOOK Chief Advisor of the founda- Barik said efforts are underway jata Priyambada transportation of migrant The garlanded bust of Maharaja Krushna Chandra Gajapati, one of the architects of Odisha province, oversees a deserted tion and CMO of ESIC Model to arrange a pharmacist who (Ophthalmology) and Uma Devi workers for financial gain. street in Berhampur on Utkala Dibasa | SISIR PANIGRAHY Hospital Dr Archana Barik said can extend basic health check- (Chest &TB). Coronavirus spread, a Selfies to track the quarantined ‘Miracleman’ promises blessing in disguise for EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE during house-to-house visits Covid-19 cure, arrested @ Berhampur daily and send it to local au- thorities, which will help them EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE VILLAGE level workers and monitor their movement. He @ Berhampur under-trial prisoners field functionaries of Ganjam also directed the Berhampur administration have been di- Municipal Corporation EVEN as social distancing and @ Paradip rected to click selfies with (BeMC) authorities, BDOs and personal hygiene are being ad- 14 EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE home quarantined persons executive officers of ULBs to vocated to stop the spread of prisoners CORONAVIRUS outbreak may have left peo- and send the pictures to offi- ensure this practice is imple- coronavirus, people in rural ar- released ple distraught but the under-trial prisoners cials concerned to check there mented without fail. eas of Gajapati district still be- Jharsuguda: (UTPs) aren’t complaining. The pandemic is no violation of coronavirus lieve in superstitions to ward As many as 14 has come as a blessing for at least 20 UTPs regulations. Nod must for relief work off the crisis. And, there seems prisoners were who were released on interim bail to prevent The decision comes after BeMC Commissioner to be no dearth of people wait- released from overcrowding in jails. some home quarantined per- People gather at Aainabandh street Chakravarti Singh Rathore ing for an opportunity to exploit Jharsuguda The District Legal Services Authority sons were found roaming seeking action against a home has asked people and organisa- them. sub jail on (DLSA) ordered the release of 20 UTPs of Al- around freely ignoring govern- quarantined youth who was found tions interested in carrying One such priest and quack, parole on lipingal and Kujang sub jails after being di- ment directions. roaming on Wednesday I EXPRESS out relief work, to do so only Laxmi Charan Patra, popularly Wednesday. rected by the Orissa High Court. The move is On Wednesday, a youth of after taking permission from known as ‘miracleman’ reached day morning. They also gave Jailor part of the preventive measures put in place Aainabandh street in Berham- ed from other parts of the dis- the corporation. The decision Ramchandrapur village in Gos- him a pillow and a table fan to Debendra to contain the virus spread. As many as 12 pur town, who was home quar- trict as well in the last one was taken after it came to light ani block on Tuesday and asked beat the heat. The villagers then Thati said and eight UTPs were released from Allipin- antined after returning from week. that some people are stepping villagers to perform certain rit- started kirtan. Somehow police more inmates gal and Kujang sub jail respectively. Hyderabad two days back, was Taking these instances into out of their houses on the plea uals to prevent Covid-19. In or- got information and reached the will be Narayan Samal (42), a UTP hailing from seen by locals roaming outside consideration, Collector Vijay of distributing relief and food der to gain the villagers’ confi- village. As the police started to granted Pipal village within Paradip Lock police lim- his house. Demanding that the Amruta Kulange directed offi- materials to the needy. dence, he said he will lie on the disperse the crowd, Patra fled interim bail in its, said he got a fresh lease of life due to coro- youth be shifted to another cials concerned for effective Rathore said BeMC will ar- ground for 12 hours with his the spot. He was caught in the the coming navirus. “I was released from Kujang sub jail place, locals raised a ruckus monitoring of persons, a ma- range vehicles for transporta- legs and hands tied to appease evening. days. A list of on Tuesday. Prior to this, the local court had and police had to step in to pre- jority of them being migrants, tion of relief materials and the gods. The villagers, who had to bear 22 prisoners, rejected my bail applications twice. Covid-19 vent law and order situation. who are on home quarantine. one or two people from the or- After donating a considerable the brunt of the police person- who are facing has come as a blessing in disguise for me. I Police asked the youth to go to He asked ANMs, VLWs, Asha ganisation would be taken sum to the man, the villagers nel’s cane, vowed never to ven- jail for up to have decided to spend my life in a decent way his house or face legal action. workers and PEOs to take self- along to supervise the tied his hands and legs and laid ture out of their houses. A case seven years, in the society by adhering to the directions Similar incidents were report- ies with quarantined persons distribution. him on the ground on Wednes- was registered against Patra. has been of the court,” he said. prepared. Samal was arrested on charges of cheating Against its in January this year. While granting his bail, LOVE IN THE TIMES OF CORONA capacity of the court has directed Samal not to threaten 244 prisoners, the witnesses, commit similar offence and to Jharsuguda surrender before the end of his parole peri- Wedding bells at police station for Bargarh couple sub jail od. He has also been asked to follow the coro- currently navirus prevention guidelines. houses 288 Similarly, former chairman of Erasama EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE was living with her mother af- Town police and took up the where Pabitra was counselled inmates. panchayat samiti Manas Sethi, ex-sarpanch @ Sambalpur ter her father died. Though matter with Additional SP Am- by the ASP. The groom gave a of Janakadeipur Deepak Das, Umesh Rout both of them were in a relation- arendra Rana. The police of- written assurance that he and Joyti Prakash Sahoo of Erasama have UNWILLING to let the corona- ship since long, Laxmi’s moth- ficer assured that he would would take care of Laxmi after also been released from prison. They were virus outbreak wreck their wed- er was against their marriage help in solemnising the mar- marriage. Both them were arrested on March 27 for spreading misinfor- ding plans, a couple on Tuesday because of the caste difference riage in the police station as the made to wash their hands be- I got a fresh mation about coronavirus on Facebook. “We tied the knot in Bargarh Town and other reasons. marriage registry office was fore exchanging marriage vows lease of life due have learnt our lesson. Well put this four- police station in presence of A few days back, the couple closed due to lockdown. with the minimum possible to coronavirus. I month interim relief period granted to us by cops without the mandatory had eloped after the bride’s Amid the lockdown putting a rituals in presence of the police have decided to the court to good use and abide by the laws,” ‘band, baaja and baarat’. mother raised objection to stop on a number of social staff and a few other people. spend my life in they said. Other UTPs also expressed joy on The couple Pabitra Sahu and their marriage plans. However, gatherings scheduled to be held Since all the sweet shops a decent way in being released from jail. Laxmi Meher had eloped a few a local social worker, Ramesh during the period, in a very were closed, the couple distrib- the society by Superintendent of Allipingal jail Ratikant days back. As they were get- Mahapatra, mediated with rare incident a couple tied knot uted biscuits among the people adhering to the Sukla said the UTPs were released to avoid ting ready to get married, all both the parties to solemnise at the Town police station in present there. Later, ASP Rana directions of the court congestion on the prison premises. “The re- their plans fizzled out due to the marriage in a proper man- The couple exchanging marriage vows Bargarh district without any and IIC Sadanand Pujari gifted maining prisoners are maintaining social the lockdown imposed across ner. Mahapatra said, “Laxmi’s at Bargarh Town police station | EXPRESS regular ritual and in presence the couple masks and a soap Narayan Samal, distancing and washing their hands regu- the State. mother is also a social worker of the police personnel on and urged them to abide by the UTP larly. Besides, we are conducting coronavirus Pabitra, a daily wager, had who is closely associated with elopement, we tried to convince Tuesday. lockdown guidelines. Social awareness programme in the jail,” he married earlier but his wife our organisation. When she in- her to agree to the marriage.” Subsequently, the couple was distancing was ensured during added. died a few years back. Laxmi formed me about Laxmi’s Mahapatra approached the brought to the police station the marriage. Bhubaneswar: The transmission and distribution utilities have Discoms directed their personnel to ensure uninterrupted power supply during lockdown. Around 1,917 executives and 10,146 non-executives gear up of Cesu, Nesco, Southco and Wesco are on 24x7 duty across Odisha.

BHUBANESWAR THURSDAY 05 02 l04l2020 newindianexpress com COMMUNITY KITCHEN BY 81 Tablighi Jamaat returnees JU STUDENTS TO FEED POOR KOLKATA: Students of Ja- davpur University on suspected in Bihar, 30 traced Wednesday said they have 17 of those identified are Kyrgyztan nationals, their presence was reported to police opened a community kitchen to feed at least 200 poor people daily, who are rendered job- PATNA: Altogether 81 people are said to have less due to the ongoing na- travelled to different parts of Bihar after attend- Four cops injured in attack by group tionwide lockdown. ing a congregation of Tablighi Jamaat in New They have started the ini- Delhi’s Nizamuddin, which has emerged as a tiative with the support of COVID-19 hotspot, a top Health department of- owing allegiance to Tablighi Jamaat teaching and non-teaching ficial said here on Wednesday. staff and the authorities of Thirty of the 81 people have been identified MADHUBANI (BIHAR): Four policemen At the spot, a heated exchange ensued the university from Monday, and subjected to medical examination, includ- were injured when a group of people ow- between the police party and those assem- a student, who is part of the ing 17 Kyrgyztan nationals, he said. ing allegiance to Tablighi Jamaat assem- bled. The participants of the gathering programme, said. The kitch- Principal Secretary, Health, Sanjay Kumar bled in a village here allegedly attacked clashed with the policemen, he added. en is located at one corner of said 17 people have been identi- them as the men in uniform admonished Prakash said four assailants have been ar- the sprawling main campus fied in Patna and 13 others in them for defying the ongoing lockdown, a rested and police are trying to identify and of the university here, he Buxar, and efforts were on to senior official said on Wednesday. nab the others. said. “It costs everyday track down the others. Four persons have been arrested in con- It was not immediately known why the around `2,000 for us to pre- Out of the 17 in Patna, 10 nection with the incident and efforts are group had assembled in the village. pare ‘khichdi’ and another Out of the 17 in Patna, 10 were were in Kurji and seven in underway to nab others, he said. Earlier, Principal Secretary, Health, `2,500 for making hand sani- in Kurji and Phulwarisharif. They had been Superintendent of Police (SP), Sanjay Kumar, had confirmed that tiser,” Avik, a student of the seven in screened some time ago but had Madhubani, Satya Prakash, said it 81 people from Bihar attended the JU, said. Phulwarisharif. no symptoms. However, on is not known whether any of the Tablighi Jamaat in Nizamuddin The students have been They had been Tuesday, their samples were congregators has returned from before the nationwide lockdown mobilising the resources screened some collected and sent for testing Tablighi Jamaat’s Markaz (head- was imposed. through crowd-funding and BCCI president Sourav Ganguly at Belur Math in Kolkata on Wednesday time ago but and results are expected by the quarter) in Delhi’s Nizamuddin Out of them 30 have been traced all the contributions are be- had no evening, he added. West area, which has emerged as a to Buxar and Patna districts and ing put on record, he said. symptoms Notably, all the 17 happen to coronavirus hotspot. their samples sent for testing. “We are also reaching out Sanjay Kumar, be Kyrgyzstan nationals whose The incident took place late on Tuesday Bihar Water Resources Minister Sanjay to people in suburbs, North Ganguly visits Belur Math, Principal Secy, presence was reported to re- night when a police party went to Girdar- Kumar Jha on Tuesday appealed to people and South 24 Parganas dis- Health spective police stations on dif- gunj village in Andhra Dhari block of the who have returned to the state after at- tricts, Howrah, East Mid- ferent dates earlier this month. district after information was received tending the Tablighi Jamaat in Nizamud- napore and other places and donates 2,000 kg rice They were later let off since that a large number of people had gath- din to identify themselves by calling a hel- students living in these are- they had been preaching in mosques in the city ered there under the banner of Tabligh-e- pline number ‘ 104 ‘ or visiting the nearest as,” he said. Presidency Uni- Kolkata: The Indian Cricket wearing a black mask and tak- for some time and had valid documents, but Jamaat, he said. government hospital. PTI versity Students’ Union has Board (BCCI) president Sourav ing a tour of the Ramkrishna kept under close observation. However, now also come forward to help Ganguly on Wednesday donat- Mission headquarters with the they are being kept in quarantine while their poor people. ed 2,000 kg rice at the Belur monks in a golf cart. reports are awaited. The students of the varsity Math, the headquarters of the Ganguly had earlier an- Earlier last week, a 65-year-old preacher from 71 from Bengal identified: CM requested faculty members, Ramkrishna Mission, in his bid nounced a donation of `50 lakh Malaysia, who attended the congregation in the Kolkata: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday said her researchers and non-teach- to help the needy in the wake of worth rice for the sufferers of national capital, had travelled to Araria where government has identified 71 people who had attended the Tablighi Jamaat ing staff to donate money to a the coronavirus pandemic. COVID-19, which has left the he died though the district administration said congregation in Delhi’s Nizamuddin. Banerjee said 54 people from that group have been fund for helping vendors, “Visited Belur Math after 25 world in disarray. the death was caused by a cardiac arrest and the sent into quarantine. “We are monitoring this situation,” she told a press conference canteen, security and clean- years, handed over 2000kgs of The pandemic has claimed deceased showed no symptoms of coronavirus. here. Home Secretary Alapan Bandopadhyay had on Tuesday said the West Bengal ing staff and others, as they rice for the needy,” Ganguly nearly 50 lives till now while Meanwhile, the principal secretary added, the government was trying to identify those who had attended the religious congregation are severely hit by the lock- wrote on his Twitter account. close to 1,700 positive cases have rise in the number of cases in Bihar to 23 is a earlier this month in Nizamuddin, the new coronavirus hotspot in the country. PTI down, a student union leader Clad in white T-shirt, the for- been reported so far from matter of grave concern. PTI Subhojit Sarkar said. PTI mer India captain was seen across the country. PTI Mamata writes to Modi, Third batch of foreigners seeks `25k cr assistance traced in J’khand mosques KOLKATA: West Bengal Chief spite this, we have somehow been DHANBAD (JHARKHAND): ed a notice on the gates of the Minister Mamata Banerjee able to pay the salaries, wages Ten Indonesian nationals, who mosque asking outsiders not to wrote to Prime Minister Naren- and pensions of government em- were staying in a mosque near meet the Indonesians. The Indo- dra Modi on Wednesday, seeking ployees this month though some Dhanbad for a month, have been nesian men had visited mosques financial assistance of `25,000 major states of the country could kept in isolation inside the at Jharia and Govindpur in crore to fulfil the state Govern- not do that on full. And even with shrine, police said on Dhanbad district during the past ment’s commitments of provid- the massive debt trap left behind Wednesday. one month, the police officer ing free ration to the people and by the previous government, we According to the preliminary said. This is the third batch of continuing other welfare were able to service the debt so investigation, they came here to foreigners found to be staying at schemes amid a dip in the reve- far, but future remains uncer- attend a religious event. different mosques in the state in nue at a time when all business- tain,” Banerjee said in the letter Govindpur police station In- a week. On Monday, the Ranchi es are shut due to the nationwide to the prime minister. spector Randhir Kumar said the district administration located COVID-19 lockdown. “Furthermore, we are re- Indonesians were found on Tues- 17 foreign nationals, including a In the letter, Banerjee stated quired to meet our commitments day evening at the mosque in 22-year-old Malaysian woman, that the Government needs assis- towards girl child, students, Asabani, around 18 km from this who later tested positive for tance from the Centre to cope farmers, unorganised workers, coal mining town. COVID-19, staying in a mosque with the unprecedented “im- weaker sections, minorities, SC, “Their swab samples have at Hindpiri. passe to fight against the COV- ST and OBCs. We are also having been taken for testing. Till the The police had on March 24 ID-19 pandemic”. “Our State fi- to honour our commitments of test reports arrive from Ranchi, tracked down 11 people from nances like that of many other providing free ration to almost 9 they have been kept isolated in- China, The Kyrgyz Republic and States, is in a dire situation with crore people, who need this so side the mosque,” Kumar said. Kazakhstan staying in a mosque practically no revenue flows after crucially to survive in this peril- TOILING HARD Their passports have been at Radhgaon in Ranchi district. the closure of all businesses. De- ous time,” she wrote. PTI A hand rickshawpuller at work during the nationwide lockdown in Kolkata on Wednesday | PTI seized. The police has also past- They were all quarantined. PTI Omfed must buy NALCO sets record in bauxite, alumina output No takers for social more from milk EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE company has increased to an all- of 4.38 lakh tonne in spite of fac- our focus on bauxite mining and @ Bhubaneswar farmers: Sarangi time high of 73.02 lakh tonne. ing acute coal crisis in the mon- alumina refining arm, coupled distancing norm Company’s Alumina Refinery soon season and the ongoing with several cost reduction NALCO, a navratna CPSE, has has produced highest-ever 21.61 coronavirus pandemic. The en- measures.” BHUBANESWAR: Union Minis- recorded an all-round success in lakh tonne of alumina hydrate ergy consumption at company’s Despite Covid-19 crisis, all ter of State for MSME Pratap bauxite and alumina production and set a new record. Steam and smelter plant was at the lowest Nalco units are operational with Sarangi on Tuesday requested in 2019-20 fiscal. Power Plant (SPP) of the refin- in 2019-20. reduced manpower and contrib- Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik Utilising its full capacity, Nal- ery has also achieved highest- Attributing the record perfor- uting to the national economy. to direct the Odisha State Coop- co’s Panchpatmali mines ever net power generation, they mance to the teamwork and ded- The company is implementing erative Milk Producers’ Federa- achieved bauxite output of 73.02 said. ication of employees, Nalco adequate social distancing and tion (Omfed) to resume normal lakh tonne, the highest ever pro- Apart from all these, the alu- CMD Sridhar Patra said, “De- sanitisation measures in its milk procurement from dairy duction since company’s incep- minium smelter of the company spite a sluggish metal market, plants and residential areas to farmers of the State. tion. With this, officials said, the has recorded 90 per cent utilisa- the company could tide over the safeguard its employees and In a letter to the Chief Minis- bauxite transportation of the tion with cast metal production downturn by continuing to keep workers, they said. ter, Sarangi explained the plight of dairy farmers due to abnor- mally low procurement of milk EXPRESS READ by Omfed after imposition of lockdown. “Ever since the lock- Sr scribe Dilip Bisoi bereaved Nor’wester forecast down, Omfed has substantially reduced its milk procurement Bhubaneswar: Father of senior journalist Dilip for four days due to severe demand squeeze. Bisoi, retired bureaucrat Banchanidhi Bisoi passed Bhubaneswar: The India The public gathering at Kujang market on Tuesday I EXPRESS The local market has its own away, here on Wednesday. He was 95. Bisoi Meteorological Department has limitation in creating the requi- breathed his last in the presence of his four sons, predicted nor’wester rains over EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE stern action if they flouted site demand for milk in the pre- Samlai Prasad Bisoi, Surendra Prasad Bisoi, Dilip some parts of the State between @ Jagatsinghpur/Jeypore social distancing norm. vailing situation,” Sarangi said. Bisoi and Sidhartha Bisoi, two daughters, Sneha April 2 and 6. Nor’wester or But in Jeypore town, the The dairy farmers are facing Prava Bisoi and Sweta Prabha Bisoi, son in-law Kalbaishakhi occurs with EVEN as police are enforcing problem is of a different hardship to meet the fodder re- Sadananda Sahoo, his 12 grand children and their increasing frequency from March social distancing at markets kind. Here, police are finding quirement of the cattle. In the families. During his service career spanning over till monsoon establishes over in urban areas, the norm has it difficult to implement re- absence of buyers, they are three decades, he had earned a name as capable Northeast region of the country. gone for a toss in rural haats strictions with people not forced to spill their milk as they administrator as Bhubaneswar and Kalahandi Light to moderate rainfall or of Jagatsinghpur. giving two hoots about do not have processing facility ADM. His handling of Kalahandi drought as SDO thundershower is likely to occur at There are 50 rural haats in lockdown. in their localities. Nuapada and ADM Kalahandi had been highly Fire razes 5 shops in vending zone one or two places over Balasore, the district and the adminis- Locals are seen hanging In a separate letter to Railway appreciated. He had received accolade from the Mayurbhanj and Bhadrak districts tration has allowed them to around in lanes without any Minister Piyush Goyal, Sarangi Bhubaneswar: Around five shops were reduced former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi for on Thursday. “Nor’wester rainfall open just once in a week. legitimate reason through- requested for financial assis- to ashes after a major fire broke out at a vending maintaining law and order situation. activity is expected to increase in On Tuesday, a large gather- out the day. Even as the dis- tance to railway porters to sus- zone near AG Square here on Wednesday the State from Friday onwards. ing was witnessed at both So- trict administration has di- tain their livelihoods during the evening. Four fire fighting vehicles rushed to the DGP meets J’singhpur cops The rainfall will occur under the manath and Kujang haats rected people to buy lockdown. “I have been receiv- spot to douse the blaze. An officer of Odisha Fire Jagatsinghpur: DGP Abhay reviewed police influence of an anti-cyclonic with people buying vegeta- vegetables and essentials be- ing appeal from the registered Service said they received information about the arrangements for ensuring complete lockdown in circulation over Bay of Bengal, bles without wearing masks tween 7 am and 11 am, there coolies of Railways from across fire accident at 8.58 pm. While about five shops Jagatsinghpur district on Wednesday. During his which will trigger moisture flow and maintaining distance of are no takers for the direc- states, including Odisha, re- were damaged in the incident, five others visit to the district, Abhay asked senior police towards Odisha and due to the at least one metre between tive. “Despite several aware- questing urgent measures to partially gutted, he added. As per preliminary officers to monitor all home quarantine cases and interaction of westerly and themselves. Receiving infor- ness campaigns, people are ameliorate their condition as all investigation, the fire broke out possibly due to ensure that cops on lockdown duty get at least a easterly winds leading to a mation, Collector Sangram not realising the seriousness of them have been rendered job- a short circuit in one of the shops. Further day off. He visited the reserve police barracks and confluence zone,” said Keshari Mohapatra and SP R of the situation,” said a sen- less due to complete suspension investigation is on to ascertain the exact reason, reviewed sanitation measures and asked officers to Bhubaneswar Meteorological Prakash reached Somanath ior official of Jeypore town of train services in the prevail- said a fire officer. maintain social distancing. Centre Scientist Umasankar Das. market and warned people of police. ing lockdown,” the letter said. Desire is the memory of pleasure and fear is the memory of pain. Nisargadatta Both make the mind restless Maharaj BHUBANESWAR THURSDAY 06 02 l04l2020 THE NEW INDIAN EXPRESS

INDIAN EXPRESS IS NOT AN OPINION INDUSTRY. IT IS A MISSION. G KRISHNA KUMAR ICT professional and columnist based — Ramnath Goenka in Bengaluru. Views are personal Email: [email protected]

MORE COMMITMENT While remote learning and remote working are a reality now, a big challenge is the speed of FROM PRIVATE internet connectivity across cities and towns SECTOR IS NEEDED s more Covid-19 cases come to the sur- face, our public health system is COVID: NEED FOR strained to breaking point. Doctors in state and municipal hospitals are IMPROVED NET Acomplaining of lack of protective gear and medicines. After a ward boy in a INFRASTRUCTURE private hospital in Patna tested positive for AMIT BANDRE coronavirus, the stepmotherly treatment being accorded to paramedic staff has come rime Minister Narendra positives like reduced traffic are actively involved in bring- nificantly. Reports suggest vid- ranked higher. In fixed line to the fore. Many are forced to work with Modi’s 21-day lockdown notifi- and environmental benefits. ing alignment between indus- eo streaming contributes to broadband, downlink speeds in raincoats as protective gear! The frontline cation to ensure social distanc- Perhaps the government try and government in enabling about 75% of the data con- India are about 39 Mbps com- requires protective gear, testing kits and ing and prevent the spread of should mandate an annual “re- remote working. sumed on Indian mobile net- pared to 203 Mbps in Singapore the coronavirus has resulted in mote working week”. While industries are trying works. In order to reduce the and 103 Mbps in China. ventilators to revive the sick. The Centre businesses and educational in- Over the past 10 years, the to adapt to the changing situa- stress on mobile networks, OTT The current situation should and states are leading the battle, but it is P stitutions shutting down. This tech landscape has significant- tion, universities and educa- players like Netflix, Amazon serve as a warning for the gov- time the private sector mobilised too. means employees and students ly improved for employees to be tional institutions have started Prime, Hotstar among others ernment and telecom sector. In- There has been a steady trickle of com- are dependent on the internet productive irrespective of their virtual classrooms. The con- have agreed to scale down their dia could have been better pre- mitments. The Tata Group has pledged to be productive while staying location. There are many soft- cept of virtual classroom was video streaming from high defi- pared had a rapid fibre optic `1,500 crore to buy protective gear and home. With most people con- ware applications for promot- spearheaded in May 2012 by nition (HD) to standard defini- network been deployed as envi- nected to the web for entertain- ing collaborative working. Or- The current Massachusetts Institute of tion (SD) on mobile networks sioned in the National Digital testing equipment. ITC has set up a con- ment and social networking, ganisations’ ability to accept Technology and Harvard Uni- during the lockdown period. Communications Policy 2018. tingency fund of `150 crore. Reliance In- situation should the data bandwidth required is and promote remote working serve as a versity with the MOOC (mas- While SD consumes about Lack of a strong optical fibre dustries is contributing `500 crore to the huge. Is our internet infra- calls for a shift in mindset. The warning for the sive open online courses) plat- 0.7GB data per hour, HD and 4K network also puts the superfast privately registered PM-CARES Fund. structure good enough to han- present lockdown would test government and form edX, which boasts 2 crore streaming would consume any- 5G network plans in jeopardy. Holistically, the private sector’s contribu- dle the surge? Before we delve the maturity of organisations telecom sector. students globally taking over where between 4 and 10 times The telecom sector’s financial tion so far is just `2,700 crore, a pittance into this, let us understand and employees alike. In addi- India could have 2,200 courses online. Virtual more than SD. BSNL’s work@ stress due to mounting debts how people are gearing up for tion, we could witness a shift classrooms are a boon for the home, a one-month free land- only adds to the woes of telcos compared to the task at hand. The private been better remote working/learning. towards uberisation of the prepared had a educational system in the coun- line broadband connection, is a and their inability to upgrade sector also needs to keep salaries flowing While the concept of work- workforce—freelance work as try, especially during such good initiative to encourage their infrastructure. Govern- to their employees, especially casual rapid fibre optic ing from home or home office (a opposed to permanent jobs. Es- network been shutdowns. In fact, this lock- people to shift from mobile to ments have not been able to re- workers, even where production has term more popular in Europe) sentially, experts are hired on a down should provide a trigger landline broadband. duce the tax and levies on telcos, deployed as has been around for decades, it need basis for specific tasks, for educational institutions to Even if we ignore the current among the highest in the world. stopped. In this regard, L&T setting up a envisioned in the has not gained popularity in In- and they mostly work from re- wholeheartedly support virtu- surge in data consumption as The internet has become a `500 crore fund for paying casual workers National Digital dia, maybe due to lack of trust mote locations. Workforce al classrooms going forward. an aberration and compare In- lifeline for people to be produc- is exemplary. Communications between the employee and the uberisation is gaining popular- Maybe some subjects can be dia’s internet speed with the tive during the lockdown. It is Policy 2018. Lack The lack of resources to fight Covid-19 employer or cultural issues ity across the world. taught exclusively online. rest of the world, the picture is certain that remote working of a strong optical has brought to the fore our woefully inad- where physical presence is giv- In general, firms try to be pre- While remote learning and not pretty. A recent speed test and learning will gain more ac- fibre network also equate outlay on health. The Centre and en importance. There are also pared for emergencies through remote working are a reality report ranks India 128th world- ceptance going forward. While puts the superfast proven benefits when employ- a business continuity plan . All now, the biggest challenge is wide for mobile broadband per- there is no denial that India’s states put together spent a miserable 1% of 5G network plans ees are co-located in an office threats that could disrupt regu- the speed of internet connectiv- formance and 69th for fixed internet access speeds have GDP in the last few years, much lower than in jeopardy the global average of 7.4%. Hopefully the and it fosters camaraderie lar business are determined ity across cities and towns. broadband speeds globally. On improved significantly over the amongst the workforce. In sec- and mock drills conducted to Low/substandard speed inter- mobile broadband ranking, past decade, there is huge scope coronavirus jolt will now ensure more tors like manufacturing, re- check the plan’s effectiveness. net means a poor experience in countries like South Korea, for improvement. The govern- money flows to the health sector. Many in- mote working is impossible. The pandemic has put such downloading/uploading con- UAE and Canada have down- ment and telcos should acceler- ternational corporations are focusing on But in industries where the plans to test. This is by far the tent, and audio/video calls The load speeds between 75-94 Mbps; ate actions towards ensuring direct supply of medical equipment to hot physical infrastructure re- biggest logistical exercise firms poor speed can also be attrib- India is the last amongst BRICS world-class internet speeds spots. Alibaba is sending out 1.1 million quired is a computer and inter- have undertaken for enabling uted to the fact that per house- nations with 11Mbps. It is inter- so that people can be highly testing kits, 6 million masks and 60,000 pro- net connection, remote work- employees to work from home. hold data consumption in cities esting that countries like Sri productive working or learning ing can be enabled. It has other Industry bodies like NASSCOM and towns has increased sig- Lanka, Pakistan and Nepal are remotely. tective suits to Africa. Swiss pharma giant Roche is concentrating on producing 4 lakh testing kits a week to meet demand, and fashion-luxury brand Louis Vuitton has turned to producing sanitisers. Taking Much more potent as a “The good news is most of these ‘Should be avoided for pure cost reasons’ are man-made and can easily be THE greenhouse gas than CO2 a leaf from their international peers, may- addressed through action by Gunnar Luderer and Nico Bauer, climate economists at be Indian companies should divert capac- METHANE Using imaging data gathered by the individual companies, the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research, said ity to producing medical essentials. European Space Agency’s Sentinel- governments and regulators,” the study may overestimate the warming impact of LEAKS 5P monitoring mission, the study Antoine Rostand, head of Kayrros, methane leaks. “Still, the annual leakage of 20 Mt of shows more than 100 “high-volume methane from 100 point sources mostly in the energy Methane, a powerful greenhouse an asset observation platform emission events” worldwide from gas that conducted the analysis, told industry is an astonishing loss that is worth further DELAYING OLYMPICS BY gas, is leaking from industry sites at storage and transmission facilities. AFP. While methane only stays in validation,” they told AFP. They said the leaks alone were rates equivalent to the annual carbon These events alone emitted around the atmosphere a fraction of the worth nearly two-thirds of all natural gas use in France emissions of France and Germany A YEAR IS RIGHT CALL 20 million tonnes of methane—the time that CO2 does, over a period every year, with an industry impact of nearly $4.4 billion. combined, a new analysis using short-term equivalent to releasing of decades it is dozens of times “Economists would expect that such leakage would be ow that the new dates for the resched- satellite data showed this week 1.8 billion tonnes of carbon pollution more potent as a greenhouse gas avoided for pure cost reasons,” said Luderer and Bauer uled Tokyo Games are out (July 23- August 8, 2021), let’s get one thing out of the way. The International Olym- MINDSPACE Write to: [email protected] MAILBAG Write to: [email protected] Npic Committee and the local organis- ers have got it spot on. They have given athletes, the international federations and Delhi administration, Jamaat have many questions to answer the other stakeholders 478 days to put new Remembering my This is with reference to Corona Hold China accountable Interest rate cut will affect us plans and processes into place. Postponing spread: Jamaat, Delhi govt are It is unfortunate that China It is shocking that the Centre has the Olympics by just a couple of months both culpable (Apr 1). When the doesn’t seem to have learnt a cut rates of the small savings would not have solved anything as the whole country is under a lock- thing from the pandemic. The scheme. The small savers, who virus shows no signs of slowing down; illustrious grandpa down, the conduct of a congrega- world is still on its knees due to have sacrificed a lot to save their there could easily have been a scenario of tion in Nizamuddin, Delhi, involv- the virus, but the wet market at money using such schemes in the IOC needing to push back the dates am writing this as a tribute to my grandfather, Kuruppath ing nearly 2,000 people including Wuhan, where the entire mess banks, post offices, etc., will earn again. Athletes would have still been forced Kuttikrishna Menon, whose 130th birth anniversary was in foreigners was a great offence. It started, has been opened again. much less by way of interest, February 2020. He was a legal luminary and practised law is baffling how such a large gath- All nations must build pressure which will affect their standard to train while risking their lives and inter- for more than 70 years. He rose to become Advocate General ering was allowed to assemble. on China to hold it accountable for of living. This will further affect national federations would have been of the erstwhile Madras Presidency and even appeared in The police, Delhi administration the virus spread. the country’s economy. left scratching their heads as to how and the Privy Council, London (equivalent to the Supreme and the religious body have many Jishi R, Kollam S Ramakrishnasayee, Chennai where to stage the qualifying events. Fur- I Court during British Rule). He moved to the Kerala High questions to answer. ther, there was no question of moving it Court after the state reorganisation in 1956. O B Nair, Kochi Barbaric act by Pakistan Uncharitable reduction back by a couple of months because Cana- I had the privilege of living with my grandparents till I The report that Pakistan is deny- The sudden reduction in the in- da and Australia had already ruled out got married, since my parents were away in Myanmar. They Damage is already done ing food supplies to its minorities, terest rates of the small saving were very close to me and hence I never missed my parents. What happened at the Tablighi claiming they are for Muslims scheme is quite uncharitable. A sending their athletes to Tokyo this year. My grandfather was a meticulous person and a strict disci- Jamaat headquarters in Delhi is a only, is barbaric. The country majority of those aged 70 and As the Indian Olympic Association presi- plinarian, both in his personal and professional life. To a gross violation of prohibitory or- seems to be under the dominance above rely solely on interest in- dent Narinder Batra said on Monday, the great extent, these qualities influenced me. His was a large ders, amounting to criminal neg- of religious fanatics. Economic come for sustenance. The timing nature of the rescheduling will ensure a family of three boys and five girls, all well settled. We al- ligence. The damage has already sanctions against Pakistan is vital of this exercise is also bad. The level playing field. ways had guests at home and relatives would jokingly com- been done. Now, mitigation efforts for incontrovertible reasons. present government seems to One of the main reasons why athletes ment on our home being ‘free boarding and lodging’. are the only way out. Those re- Thomas K M, Muvattupuzha have not wasted any opportunity My grandfather provided le- sponsible must be brought to to bring down interest rates of had urged the IOC to postpone the event gal aid and monetary assistance book, along with those who didn’t Salute them for selfless service such schemes to try and bring was that sportspersons from several coun- LEGAL LUMINARY during the freedom movement. perform their duties. This is with reference to How them on par with banks. tries were not able to go outside and train. He had helped Shri K P Kesava C G Kuriakose, Kothamangalam shall we respond to the pandemic? R Viswanathan,Chennai This time allows them to rest while the USHA MENON Menon, his close friend, in es- (Apr 1). Prevention is always bet- pandemic rages, they can now also plan Email: [email protected] tablishing Mathrubhumi, a Ma- Bringing bad name to their religion ter than cure. Cultivating aware- their mental and physical conditioning layalam daily. Many prominent The action of the Tablighi Jamaat ness about the disease among the personalities like G Sankara is highly condemnable. Delegates masses will help in prevention. In properly after the threat recedes. Athletes Kurup (first Jnanpith Award winner) and Mannath Pad- from countries with high infec- the end, though there is no cure in are creatures of habit and they cannot manabhan (Nair Leader and social reformer) used to call tion rates were also present in the sight, it is the medical personnel THE NEW INDIAN EXPRESS jump straight back into the saddle without on him for legal counselling and social causes. convention. It is against the tenets who serve the afflicted humans first working up their fitness gradually. Many of his juniors became judges in High Courts and of Islam, which insists on obeying risking their lives. We salute them Chairman of the Board: This one-year postponement ensures they the Supreme Court. However, he always preferred to remain the rules of the country where for their selfless service. Manoj Kumar Sonthalia Editor: can follow a set programme, listen to con- a practising lawyer. The Bar Association of Kerala hon- one resides. The irresponsible Chilaka Venkateswarlu, Chennai G S Vasu ditioning experts and plan their exposure oured him for completing 60 years of uninterrupted prac- acts of such people bring a bad Published by R K Jhunjhunwala on behalf tice. He continued his practice till he was 86 years old. He name to the religion they follow. Oz PM’s words of appreciation of Express Publications (Madurai) Private trips accordingly. spent his retired life in his house at Palakkad. Dr M Haneef, Kottayam It was gratifying to note the words Limited, at Express Press, Express House, It was not just the athletes. The IOC also I still remember my younger days, playing and enjoying of appreciation from Australian Plot No.328/1110, Rasulgarh Square, had to take the plight of international fed- with my cousins in the sprawling garden of his house. All A matter of concern PM Scott Morrison to PM Naren- Bhubaneswar – 751 010. erations into consideration. With 47% of his grandchildren used to fondly call him valiachan. The The sudden death of a doctor in dra Modi on his initiatives to con- Bhubaneswar. Vol. 24, No. 77. the athletes yet to punch a ticket to the secret of his sound health was regular yoga and physical Assam due to cardiac arrest, alleg- tain the virus. Some have criti- RNI Reg. No. 70244/97. Phone: 0674-2587410, Olympics, there is now a proper gap for exercise along with good food habits. His pillar of strength edly due to an anti-malaria drug cised the decision to supply 2587411, Fax: 0674-2587412. was his wife, Madhavikutty Amma, a pious and noble wom- administered to prevent Covid-19, medical equipment to Serbia, but them to ensure all remaining qualifying Copyright: Express Publications (Madurai) an. He passed away at the ripe old age of 97 and in the philo- is a matter of concern. The use of one must remember that diseases Private Limited. All rights reserved. events get completed. There is no need to sophical sense, it was anayasena maranam. His only surviv- these drugs for containing the vi- in any part of the world will ulti- Reproduction in any manner, electronic or hurry. It’s why most of the international ing daughter, 91-year-old Padmini Balachandran, is residing rus must be done with caution. mately have an impact on us too. otherwise, in whole or in part, without prior federations have supported this decision. in Chennai. Sareena D, Thalassery Girish Thampi, T’puram written permission is prohibited. Good to see well known technology leaders MARKAZ CLEARED of India coming together in the fight The Tabligh-e-Jamaat’s Markaz, has been against COVID-19 by encouraging cleared after the evacuation of 2,361 NUMBER OF people in the past 36 hours, Delhi Deputy 62 innovations. — Ravi Shankar Prasad Total Chief Minister Manish Sisodia said CASES IN J&K

BHUBANESWAR THURSDAY 07 02 l04l2020

TRACKING COVID-19 Tablighi Jamaat - its other, evil side DOCTOR COUNT Global security experts call it the antechamber of fundamentalism, claim it is used to nurse and indoctrinate terrorists With medical facilities in India stretched due to rising corona cases, here are the states relatively better placed in XCEPT intelligence of- In his analysis titled “Tablighi newspaper reports from the 100, including his friend, the number of doctors available ficials, national securi- Jamaat: Jihad’s stealthy Le- 1990s, Raman pointed out that the Thauqeer Ahmed Thajudeen. Sri ty experts and the wary gions” in Middle East Quarterly trained cadre of jihadi terrorist Lanka Thowheed Jamaat and TOP 10 STATES WITH HIGHEST NO. OF DOCTORS among police officials, [Jan 8, 2016] Alex Alexiev writes organisations like HuM obtained Tablighi Jamaat have identical PUNJAB not many Indians would that as 80 per cent of Islamist ex- visas by posing as preachers of goals and their interests con- 48,351 have heard of the name tremists have come from Tablighi Tablighi Jamaat and went abroad verge. Tamil Nadu Thowheed UTTAR E Tablighi Jamaat [TJ] ranks and the French intelli- to recruit young Muslims for ter- Jamaat is the mentor of Sri Lan- PRADESH before the explosive Nizamuddin gence calls TJ the ‘antechamber ror training in Pakistan. Since ka’s National Thowheed Jamaat, RAJASTHAN 77,549 coronavirus episode gave it the of fundamentalism’. In his inves- S GURUMURTHY millions of TJ proselytisers trav- which delivered the bombs in Sri 43,388 publicity it studiously avoided. tigative story titled “French Is- The author is a commentator on el around the world, TJ also de- Lanka. There is no Thowheed On the face of it, TJ’s six princi- lamic group offers rich soil for political and economic affairs veloped a large following in Jamaat outside India and Sri GUJARAT ples suggest Islamic piety in its militancy’ in The New York Times Chechnya and Dagestan areas of Lanka. 66,944 extreme. But that is merely its [April 29, 2005] Craig Smith lists Russia, Somalia and other Afri- cosmetic exterior, inviting the in- Zacarias Moussaoui [charged in the US. Over the years, Pakistan can countries. Raman wrote that Now, the climax WEST BENGAL nocent and idealistic young Mus- the US 9/11 terror]; Herve Djamel has come to be known as the glob- intelligence agencies of these And now the climax, for the un- MAHARASHTRA 72,016 lims into an ideological line that Loiseau, who died fleeing the 2001 al terror hub. Says Dr Farhan, countries suspected that terror wary. Where was this noble look- 1,73,384 ultimately turns them as terror- American bombardment of Tora “Several mainstream Islamist organisations based in Pakistan ing evil born? India. Who found- ANDHRA Number of doctors ists. The less known and danger- Bora in Afghanistan; Djamel Be- violent non-state actors have tak- were using the cover of TJ ed it? Indian. Name? Maulana KARNATAKA PRADESH registered with SMCs ous side of the century-old TJ ghal, an admitted Al-Qaeda mem- en their roots from TJ’s indoctri- preaching for creating sleeper Mohammed Illyasi. When? In 1,20,261 1,00,587 and MCI between began unfolding the world over ber, who was convicted in 2005 for nation and on the platform pro- cells in different countries. As a 1920s. Where is its global head- 2010 and 2018 since 2001, but not in India. plotting to blow up the US Em- vided by TJ missionaries. It is result, TJ was black-listed and its quarters? Nizamuddin West Del- bassy in Paris, as TJ terror activ- the Deobandi ideology of TJ preachers denied visas.” hi! The place of its annual meet KERALA TAMIL NADU (Source: National Nursery and gateway to terror ists of French origin. Freth Bur- which provides potential jihad- B Raman, one of the most bril- in which hundreds of Tablighis Health Profile, 2019) 59,353 1,33,918 “TJ is another system driver and ton and Scott Stewart, writing in ists a crucial link.” liant R&AW officers, passed away from Malaysia, Thailand, Indone- integral element of Islamist Vio- an analysis titled “Tablighi During the 1980s and 1990s, TJ in 2013. sia, China and other coronavirus lent Non-State Actors’ internal Jamaat: An Indirect Line to Ter- became the recruiter of Islamist hotspots participated. The out- dynamics; in many cases it has rorism” in the Stratfor Global In- radicals for the Afghan war. Dr In Sri Lanka, too break was astonishingly in con- JEE Advanced, scheduled acted as nursery for indoctrinat- telligence Security Weekly, say Farhan points out that Harkat-ul In a piece titled “The road to Sri trol in India till Nizamuddin ex- on May 17, postponed ing Islamist terrorists,” writes Dr that 12 out of the 14 men arrested Jihad-al-Islami [HuJI] was Lanka Carnage” on Rediff.com, ploded as a grave and dangerous Farhan Zahid, a Pakistani coun- in a pre-emptive raid on a mosque formed by former TJ members the well known security analyst national threat. TJ with its head- Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi, the organizing ter terrorism and security ex- in Barcelona for plotting to attack Qari Saifullah Akhtar and Fazal Praveen Swami linked Moham- quarters in India now functions institute for Joint Entrance Examination or JEE pert, in his analysis titled “Tab- targets belonged to TJ, adding ur Rahman Kalil along with oth- mad Muhsin Nilam, a Sri Lan- in some 80 countries with some 80 Advanced—the entrance test for countr’s 23 IITs — lighi Jamaat and its links with that TJ’s name figured in the 2005 ers. From the HuJI platform kan, to Zahran Hashim who was million adherents. this year, has postponed the entrance examination terrorism” [Foreign Analysis London underground bombings emerged other jihadist outfits - responsible for the Colombo In a 173-page paper titled “Tab- due to ongoing COVID 19 outbreak. The March 2015 Centre Francais de in which 52 people died and also Harkat-ul-Mujhahideen [HuM] bombings. Also known as Abu lighi Jamaat: Wolf in sheep’s examination was scheduled to be held on May 17. Reserche Sur le Renseignement]. in the attempted bombings in Jaish-e-Mohammed [JeM], Shuraya, Nilam was killed in skin [Sept 9, 2018; released to me- The postponement is on the account of Dr Farhan says, TJ “in a way London, Glasgow and Scotland. Sipah-e-Sahaba [SSP] and Raqqa, the ISIS capital. Nilam’s dia again after the Nizamuddin advancement of JEE Main, scheduled earlier for plays the role of recruiter and Assistant FBI Director [US] Mi- Lashkar-e-Jhangvi [LeJ]. story is key to understanding the episode] Salah Uddin Shoaib April first week as top ranking students in the test sympathiser [for terrorism]. TJ’s chael Heimbach says that TJ has All of them stand declared as networks thought to be responsi- Choudhury, a Zionist and multi are eligible for JEE Advanced. “JEE Advanced 2020, congregation allows radical ele- significant presence in the US, terror outfits. ble for the carnage in Colombo. award winning anti-jihadist jour- which was scheduled to be held on May 17, 2020 ments worldwide to meet and dis- and Al-Qaeda was found to have Swami says that Tablighi Jamaat nalist and a counterterrorism (Sunday), thus stands postponed and will be cuss violent activities and pro- recruited TJ adherents [New Terror merchant had begun to grow roots among specialist, unravels the massive rescheduled after JEE (Main) 2020,” said a vide them with the best York Post Dec 27, 2015]. An India Abroad News Service re- Sri Lankan Muslims from the following of JT and its terror con- statement from IIT Delhi. opportunity to coordinate”. Add- port on April 1, 2020 titled “Tab- early 21st century. Swami says, nections the world over. ing “many of its followers have Turned Pak into terror hub lighi Jamaat shares links with “Educated in Sharia law at Islam- Thousands of TJ teachers from dual and overlapping member- The book titled On The Abyss — terror outfits”, said: “As per abad’s International Islamic Uni- within and outside assemble in ship with jihadist groups”, Dr Pakistan After the Coup [Harper WikiLeaks, some of the 9/11 al- versity, an institution where Osa- India and that is what they did in Farhan cites references and says Collins Publishers India 2000] au- Qaeda suspects detained by the ma bin Laden’s mentor Abdullah Nizamuddin. Is it just to memo- “TJ has now been considered as thored mainly by Pakistani US in Guantanamo Bay had Azzam once taught, Nilam had rise the six noble principles or as a ‘gateway to terrorism’. scholars, diplomats and writers, stayed in the Tablighi Jamaat encountered with the Tablighi Dr Farhan says “to discuss and says that the largely Barelvi Is- headquarters in Nizamuddin Jamaat. In 2011, when Nilam re- coordinate terror activities”, will Terror record in Europe, US lamic Pakistan, which accepted West, New Delhi, years ago. Tab- turned to his home in Kandy in never be known in India, as no Dr Farhan says since 2001, traces local variations, including Dar- lighi Jamaat was also suspected Sri Lanka, he first worked as government has the guts to enter of links have been found between gah worship and Sufi traditions, to be involved in the burning of part-time Urdu instructor at Co- any mosque, thanks to the way TJ and Islamists involved in acts had been hijacked by Deobandi 59 Hindu kar sevaks in 2002 in lombo University. When he was secularism is understood in our of terror. Shoe bomber Richard ideology through Tablighi Godhra, Gujarat, which led to principal of a school in Galewala, politics. Reid who attempted a trans-At- Jamaat, the result of which was mass communal rioting in the he played a key role in Zahran’s Unless this limit is breached lantic airline bombing [2001], the growth of militancy. Khaled state. According to India’s intel- group. Then, in 2014, feigning to and the menace is outlawed, in- Jose Padilla who tried dirty bomb Ahmed, former diplomat and edi- ligence and security expert, late go on a pilgrimage with his six nocent Muslims attracted by its manufacturing [2002] in New tor of Friday Times in Pakistan B Raman, TJ in Pakistan and children, pregnant wife, and age- cosmetic exterior of Koran can- York city, Barcelona terror plot writes in On The Abyss: “Be- Bangladesh gained adverse atten- ing parents, he took them to Tur- not be saved from becoming car- [2008] and the arrest of American cause of the rise of Deobandi mi- tion for association with Harkat- key and disappeared across the riers of Kalashnikovs and mak- Taliban John Walker in Afghani- litias…. the [Punjab] province is ul-Mujahideen, Harkat-ul-Jihad- border into Syria. He posted in ers and throwers of lethal bombs. stan [2001] were all linked to TJ. rapidly losing its Barelvi temper- al-Islami, Lashkar-e-Toiba, his Facebook post: “We will kill Let the courts decide whether Its French Muslim recruits were ament.” What the authors had Jaish-e-Mohammad and mem- every man, woman, child, Shia, TJ’s right to mentor terror in In- found involved in planning at- prophesied came true in the very bers of the International Islamic Sunni, Zoroastrians, Kurds, dia also constitutes minority tacks by the Portland Seven and next year when Pakistan was Front formed by Osama bin Lad- Christians.” Nilam had recruited right, as is so far being the Lackawanna Six in the US. found involved in 9/11 attack on en in 1998. Quoting Pakistani for ISIS 36 Sri Lankans, may be understood.

A student walks with her belongings after completing 14 RIGHTS PLEA days of quarantine at a facility in Srinagar | PTI World bodies Cops carry out raids to nab Tablighi head KEEPING THE LIFELINE bat for refugees EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE @ New Delhi Jamaat head denied the police version and said the preacher 74 CARGO FLIGHTS and migrants DELHI Police on Wednesday con- was at his home. Musharraf Ali operated under govt’s Lifeline Udan initiative ducted raids at various locations Khan, a follower of Jamaat and between March 27 and March 31 to arrest Maulana Saad Kandh- member of the committee said, EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE @ New Delhi lawi, the head of Tablighi Jamaat “The Maulana is not under- who has been named in an FIR ground or running away from po- FOUR UN bodies have issued along with five others members lice. He is a religious person. He 37.63 9 flights a joint statement urging peo- of the organisation for violating has his residence on the Markaz ple in the world to protect the government directions and hold- campus. He is in self-isolation as tonnes of operated by Air India, 2 rights and health of everyone ing a religious gathering at its lockdown is in force and will medical supplies by its regional subsidiary to fight the coronavirus pan- headquarters in Nizamuddin surely cooperate with the police.” transported by Alliance Air and 1 by the demic. The statement jointly area of south Delhi. He, however, added that Kandh- these flights Indian Air Force released by the Office of the The probe has been handed lawi might have gone to his rela- High Commissioner on Hu- over to Crime Branch which is tives’ place in Muzaffarnagar, UP. man Rights, World Health Or- also analysing an audio clip in Saad was booked on Tuesday ganization, United Nations which Saad is allegedly heard them are members of the man- help of the state police being tak- after the police and district ad- Saudi Arabia asks Muslims Human Rights Commission asking people not to fear novel agement committee of Markaz, en. “Investigation is going on and ministration evacuated 2,361 peo- to postpone Haj and the International Organi- coronavirus, calling it a conspir- as the headquarters of the organ- efforts are being made to ascer- ple from the Markaz during a 36- sation on Migration states that acy against Islam. istaion is called. tain whether the voice in the au- hour long operation which Saudi Arabia’s Haj minister Mohammad Benten has the virus does not discrimi- The others name in the FIR are A Crime Branch officer said dio clips is of Maulana Saad,” continued till early hours of asked Muslims to temporarily postpone the annual nate but refugees, forcibly dis- Zeeshan, Mufti Shehzad, Moh- raids are being conducted in Del- said a police officer, adding that Wednesday. The building and ad- pilgrimage amid the rising uncertainty arising out placed persons and migrants hammad Saifi, Maulana Younus hi and at other possible hideouts Saad is untraceable. joining areas were sanitised after of the coronavirus pandemic. Haj is likely to begin are at a heightened risk. and Mohammad Salman. All of in Uttar Pradesh, for which the However, the associates of the the evacuation on Wednesday. in July this year. “Saudi Arabia is fully ready to “The situation for refugees serve pilgrims and umrah seekers. But under the and migrants held in formal current circumstances, as we are talking about the and informal places of deten- global pandemic... the kingdom is keen to protect tion, in cramped and unsani- ‘Is evacuation of the health of Muslims and citizens and so we have tary conditions, is particular- Foreign donations in PM CARES allowed; asked our brother Muslims in all countries to wait ly worrying. Considering the 250 stranded in before doing (Haj) contracts until the situation is lethal consequences COVID-19 clear,” Mohammad Benten said. The likely outbreak would have, they MEA unveils its strategy to fight virus Iran possible?’ suspension of Haj is significant as it serves as a should be released without de- major revenue generation for the kingdom. lay. Migrant children and their EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE @ New Delhi the prohibited list. “The guide- bilateral, regional and global lev- NEW DELHI: The Supreme families and those detained lines for the export are clear. el to help chalk out a coordinated Court on Wednesday asked the without a sufficient legal basis GIVEN the unprecedented cir- Some items can be exported on a response, and setting up the COV- Centre to examine the possi- should be immediately re- cumstances arising out of the case to case basis after clearance ID-19 cell. bility of bringing back 250 In- SC seek govt response on plea leased,” the statement read. coronavirus pandemic, the Cen- by the Director General of PM Narendra Modi and Ex- dian pilgrims stranded in “While countries are closing tre has agreed to accept foreign Foreign Trade. However, ternal Affairs Minister S Iran, who have tested positive for WHO-approved PPEs their borders and limiting donations in the PM-CARES the item sent to Serbia Jaishankar have been and are yet to be evacuated. The Supreme Court on Wednesday sought the cross-border movements, fund, sources said. was not on the prohibited speaking to their coun- The Centre informed the top Centre’s response on a plea seeking directions to there are ways to manage bor- On the issue of the foreigners list,” a source said. terparts. There is a meet- court that it has already facili- make available World Health Organisation (WHO) der restrictions in a manner who attended the Tablighi Sources said a three- ing of the Indo-Pacific tated the return of 1,142 Indi- approved personal protective equipment for which respects international Jamaat event in New Delhi vio- point focus strategy is be- members on March 20, ans of which 787 are pilgrims, doctors treating Covid-19 patients. A bench headed human rights and refugee pro- lating visa norms, sources said ing employed to counter the sources said. Later his week, under intense operational con- by Justice D Y Chandrachud heard the plea filed by tection standards, including that the authorities concerned spread of the virus — taking care commerce ministers of SAARC straints after restrictions were Nagpur-based doctor Jerryl Banait, who had the principle of non-refoule- will take action if norms were of Indians abroad, efforts on the nations will also meet. imposed for public health rea- sought an interim order for immediate ment, through quarantine and flouted. “We will extend all coop- sons in Iran, where it was dif- implementation of infection prevention guidelines health checks,” it added. eration that is required,” a source ficult to organise transport issued by the Centre and WHO for rational use of The UN bodies also urge not in the Ministry of External Af- COVID DATABASE and other logistics. The SC personal protective equipment. The court asked to let fear of intolerance to un- fairs said. A Covid-19 control room set up by MEA is working round the clock to address then told the petitioners’ coun- solicitor general Tushar Mehta to look into the dermine or compromise the Dismissing reports that a pro- the issues of Indians across the globe. The control room, sources said, has sel that the matter be left to the issue and file a response by early next week. effectiveness of the responses hibited PPEs were exported to received a total of 3,300 calls and 2,200 emails since it was set up on March government. The next hearing of the global pandemic. Serbia, sources said it was not on 16. A database is also being created to help find the pandemic. is slated for March 30. ENS INDIA Max Min Max Min TESTING METHOD Ahmedabad 38 21 Mumbai 34 24 Bhopal 35 18 Panaji 34 25 Women researchers at Banaras Hindu Jaipur 30 17 Patna 34 21 University have developed a new Amritsar 22 15 Lucknow 37 18 testing method for COVID-19. The 25 SUPPLIES LIFTED New Delhi 32 17 Port Blair 32 24 TONNES Kolkata 36 24 Imphal 31 18 team has patented the method. IN 3 DAYS BY IAF Srinagar 12 4 Chandigarh 27 16

BHUBANESWAR THURSDAY 08 02 l04l2020

114 (JANATA CURFEW) 22 MARCH Source: CPCB 8 TRACKING 108 23 MARCH 2 COVID-19 376 Corona cases 110 24 MARCH 2 104 (LOCKDOWN STARTED) 25 MARCH 2 102 26 MARCH 3 in last 24 hours 14 Virtual interactive system for 103 27 MARCH 21 Centre says spike doesn’t reflect national 3 10 101 28 MARCH prisoners in Bihar jails trend as most cases related to Tablighi 1 8 33 Patna: To prohibt direct meeting of visitors with 103 29 MARCH 0 12 jail inmates, the Bihar prison department has 39 introduced “e-mulakati”(e-visitation) virtual EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE @ New Delhi underway where the cases have spiked, Agarwal said. No of cities Cities with Cities with Cities with interaction system. This was done as part of social for which AQI in range AQI in AQI in range distancing measures with a view to reduce mental INDIA registered 376 cases of In a meeting with chief secre- 43 COVID-19 in last 24 hours, with taries and DGPs, Cabinet Secre- data is of Good to Moderate of Poor to stress and worry amongst the prisoners if they available Satisfactory Category Severe remain away from their family members amid the the Centre asserting that the tary Rajiv Gauba emphasised lockdown. Sharing details, Inspector General of numbers do not represent a na- on intensive contact tracing of Police, Prison and Correctional Services, Mithilesh tional trend as the spike is pri- Tablighi Jamat participants. Mishra said that booths have been set up at many marily due to travel by the peo- The states were asked to com- jails to facilitate the interaction of prisoners with ple who had attended the plete the contact tracing process 85 CITIES BREATHED EASY 91 their kins though the e-mulakati system introduced Tablighi Jamaat congregation on a war footing, said a govern- in the eastern state. in Delhi. ment statement. “It has been Massive exercise done to collect AQI data 92 The official tally of confirmed found that foreigners who had 65 novel coronavirus pa- participated in the Real time air quality data was collected by the Cenntra Pollution 90 tients stands at 1,637 Tablighi Jamat had COntrol Board from air quality stations in 115 cities across the 85 of which 132 have re- violated visa condi- country to assess impact of lockdown period. 81 67 covered while 38 died. tions. The states were 73 At a press briefing asked to initiate ac- on Wednesday, Lav Our advice is any tion for violation of kind of congregation Agarwal, joint secre- should be avoided. visa condition against tary, Union Ministry Social distancing the foreigners and the ‘Stay at home’ clears the air of Health and Family measures should be event organisers.” Welfare, said 1,800 followed by Authorities an- RICHA SHARMA@New Delhi from higher to lower end of cate- industrial areas. Overall, Janata people related to the everyone without nounced that the In- gory and 17 cities moving in ‘Sat- Curfew resulted in general im- Tablighi Jamaat were failure dian Railways is pre- PEOPLE in 85 major cities across isfactory’ category and 07 cities in provement in air quality. shifted to nine hospi- Jt secy, health paring to set up 3.2 India were able to breathe easy ‘Good’ category. The AQI value in “During start of pre lockdown tals and quarantine lakh isolation and during Janata Curfew and nation- coastal areas slightly improved period on March 16, 55 cities were centres. quarantine beds by al-wide lockdown as most of the though not as significantly as not- under ‘Good’ & ‘Satisfactory’ AQI “The recent rise in the num- modifying 20,000 coaches. Modi- vehicles remained off road and ed for Indo Gangetic plains,” said categories. As days progressed, ber of cases does not represent fication of 5,000 coaches has be- non-essential industrial units the report. On the day of curfew, the number of cities under these a national trend if compared gun, through which 80,000 new were closed, the Central Pollution Chennai and Mumbai remained categories started to decrease with the previous trends. But as isolation beds are expected. Control Board said in a report. in ‘Satisfactory’ category. A slight with more moving in ‘Moderate’ we all know, naturally cases will “The civil aviation ministry The CPCB report assessed qual- increase in AQI value was noted category. The pattern continued grow due to negligence and has launched lifeline flights to ity of air between March 16 and in Chennai on the next day, pos- till March 21, The situation carelessness,” Agarwal, said. transport essential commodi- March 29. It found that most of sibly due to local contribution. changed on March 22. On the day “Our advice is that any kind of ties, PPEs, testing kits, medi- the million plus population cities The positive impact on air qual- of Janata Curfew, 67 cities record- congregation should be avoided. cines and masks. 15.4 tons of showed improvement in air qual- ity was not observed significantly ed ‘Good’ & ‘Satisfactory’ AQI val- Social distancing measures medical supplies have already ity levels post Janata curfew on in industrial cities. High AQI val- ues,” said the analysis. should be followed by everyone been transported in last five March 22. “Indo Gangetic cities ue was noted in Vapi, Ratlam, The trend has continued, with without failure.” days,” Agarwal said in the showed significant improvement Satna, Singrauli and Chandrapur increasing number of cities re- Twins named after Corona Additional sample testing is press briefing. in AQI values with levels moving seemingly due to emissions from cording ‘Good’ AQI value. and Covid in Chhattisgarh Raipur: In Chhattisgarh state capital, a couple decided to name their twins as Corona and Covid. Lockdown: 3 J&K labourers die of cold while trekking home Preeti (27) and her husband Vinay Verma had a torrid time struggling to reach Dr Bhimrao FAYAZ WANI @ Srinagar district. The group decided to (22), all from Hinyal village in weather conditions, he said. Ambedkar Memorial hospital, where she gave birth take the mountainous route as no Banihal. Haseeb said a rescue operation to a girl and a boy. “Both the mother and newborn THREE labourers had to pay civilian movement is allowed on “Three labourers reached their was launched by the police when babies are doing fine. A team of doctors and with their life while trekking a the Srinagar-Jammu national village safely while four other news came in that four labourers medical staff performed a Caesarean section on treacherous route through moun- highway in view of the ongoing were stuck at a hill top, Nagiman- were stuck on the hill top. “Our the mother after she complained of labour pain tainous range from south Kash- lockdown to contain COVID-19. du (Hingal top), about 5 km from personnel managed to rescue one and complications,” said Shubhra Singh, a public mir’s Anantnag district in order While the three died of hypo- Dulligam, Banihal,” Senior Su- labourer while three others had relation officer of the Ambedkar hospital. The to reach homes at Banihal in the thermia after being stuck in a hill perintendent of Police (SSP), died of hypothermia due to the Vermas who hail from Uttar Pradesh. “We wished lockdown. top due to bad weather on Tues- Ramban, Haseeb-ur-Rehman told cold,” the SSP said. “The bodies to ease the people’s anxiety and fear associated The trio was part of a group of day evening, three others man- this newspaper. were recovered from the spot.” with these words. Secondly, we would like to make seven labourers who started aged to reach their homes and The hill top had received heavy Wednesday was the 14th day of the occasion memorable. So, I and my husband their trek on Tuesday morning one had to be rescued by the po- snowfall, leading to a considera- lockdown in Kashmir. The lock- took an instant decision to name our boy and girl from Verinag in Anantnag dis- lice. The deceased were identified ble drop in temperature. Four la- down in Kashmir was imposed on as Covid and Corona,” Preeti said. trict, where they had been work- as Ghulam Mohidin (30), Zubair bourers could not cross the ter- March 19, a day after the first posi- ing, to reach Banihal in Ramban Ahmad (20) and Reyaz Ahmad rain because of extreme bad tive COVID-19 case was reported.

UTTARAKHAND NAGALAND HIMACHAL PRADESH JAMMU AND KASHMIR Who is a local/domicile? Any person with Who is a local/domicile? There are 16 tribes, Who is a local/domicile? Any person who has a Who is a local/domicile? The new policy defines Anti-microbial coating holds documentary proof of residence in Uttarakhand including Kacharis, recognised as “indigenous” and permanent home in HP or is residing in the state for a domicile as a person who has resided in J&K for 15 dating back to 1985. Apart from this, those who have are called “permanent residents.” They are people 20 years or has a permanent home in Himachal but is years, has studied there for seven years, registered 15 years of residency proof in the state such as land who have been living in Nagaland since 1963 living outside on account of his occupation migrants and their children, children of government promise in coronavirus fight record, rent proof etc Rights over jobs Only “permanent residents” are Rights over jobs Government jobs are open for all; officials who have served in J&K for 10 years Rights over jobs Government jobs of all categories eligible for state government jobs and scholarships in last year the appointment of 16 persons from Bihar, Rights over jobs Under the domicile policy just EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE @ New Delhi activate SARS-CoV-2 upon con- ranging from gazetted officers, Group C and D are educational institutions. No one else, including Nagas Jharkhand, Delhi, Haryana and Punjab for clerical announced, exclusive rights are reserved only for tact and can help prevent open for all citizens of India. Non-domicile from neighbouring states, get the benefits posts was heavily criticised low-ranking government positions AFTER reports of higher chanc- contamination if coated on vari- candidates have to apply in ‘General’ category es of survival of COVID-19 virus ous surfaces. “Till date, to the Rights over land/property They are protected Rights over land/property Under Section 118 of Rights over land/property The government on metallic surfaces, researchers best of our knowledge, there is no Rights over land/property There is no under Article 371A of the constitution, which says no the HP Tenancy and Land Reform Act, 1972, outsiders is working on a policy to give exclusive rights to have developed a one-step curable covalent coating strategy which prohibition on purchase of a property or house or Act of Parliament in respect of ownership/transfer of can purchase only land/property of the HP Urban residents; before the nullification of Article 370, anti-microbial coating which, can kill all viruses, bacteria and land for residential purpose; but there is cap of 250 land shall apply to the state unless the Nagaland Development Authority, any other land/property outsiders were not permitted to purchase land when coated on differ- fungi,” said the re- square meters on purchase of agricultural land assembly by a resolution so decides purchase has to cleared by the state cabinet or property ent surfaces such as tex- searchers. The coating tile, plastic could kill a can be fabricated on range of viruses includ- various surfaces. Its ing corona. ease and robustness J&K PARTIES UNITEDLY SLAM NEW DOMICILE LAW Developed by re- Considering the eliminate the necessity current coronavirus searchers from the outbreak, if shown of skilled personnel for Srinagar mayor FAYAZ WANI@Srinagar At a time when all our efforts & J&K Apni Party president Al- series of tweets, claimed the Jawaharlal Nehru Cen- to be active, various procurement of the on the same page attention should be focused on taf Bukhari said the order is new law is “part of a diabolical tre for Advanced Scien- personal protective coating. POLITICAL parties in Jammu COVID outbreak, the govern- totally unacceptable. Union demographic project that began tific Research (JN- tools such as masks, Microbial attach- Srinagar mayor Junaid and Kashmir were united in de- ment slips in a new domicile Home Minister Amit Shah had on August 5 with Article 370 ab- CASR), an autonomous gloves, gowns can ment and their colony Azim Mattu said the law nouncing the new domicile pol- law for J&K. Insult is heaped on assured Bukhari-led delegation rogation”. “Imposing it in institution under the be coated... The formation on surfaces adds insult to injury of icy and asserted that the Centre injury when we see the law of- that J&K would have a better times of a global pandemic re- Department of Science molecules can also play a major role in the the people. “Doing away “humiliated, insulted and mar- fers none of the protections that domicile policy than other veals a callous and paranoid and Technology, the co- be coated on other transmission of infec- with district and medical devices ginalised” the people by snatch- had been promised,” tweeted states. Bukhari said the order mindset wilfully violating con- valent coating has been tions. “Considering the divisional recruitment is ing everything from them. National Conference leader reflects a casual exercise car- sent to ensure subjugation.” found to completely kill Researchers current coronavirus an affront to concept of As per the new rules, anyone Omar Abdullah, who was re- ried out at bureaucratic level Ex-BJP ally Sajjad Gani Lone influenza virus as well outbreak, if shown to affirmative action. The who has stayed over 15 years in leased recently after being de- without taking aspirations and termed the new definition of as resistant pathogenic be active, various per- order seems to be a clear the Union Territory or has stud- tained for over seven months. expectations of the people into domicile as “humiliating and bacteria and fungi. The research sonal protective tools such as intent of conveying yet ied for a period of seven years “Even the new party (J&K Apni consideration. “It is totally un- insulting”. J&K National Pan- paper on the coating has been ac- masks, gloves, gowns can be coat- another serving of and appeared in class 10th/12th Party) created with Delhi’s acceptable. It is antithesis to thers Party chairman Harshdev cepted in the journal, Applied ed... The molecules can also be humiliation and insult to examination in an educational blessings, whose leaders were what PM and HM promised in Singh said the Centre had inten- Material and Interfaces. coated on other medical devices J&K people after what institution in the UT of J&K is lobbying in Delhi for this law, floor of Parliament.” tionally unveiled the domicile Corona virus, like influenza, is and tools to avoid hospital-ac- transpired in August 5 now eligible for domicile. have been forced to criticise the Detained PDP chief Mehboo- law knowing fully that the peo- also an enveloped virus. It is an- quired infections,” said last year,” he said. “Talk about suspect timing. domicile law.” ba Mufti’s daughter Iltija, in a ple cannot protest now. ticipated that the coating may in- the researchers.

FAYAZ WANI ‘Bring detainees back’ ‘Talaash’ to track people concealing travel history Our correspondent in Jammu and Kashmir Worried families of prisoners lodged To prevent the spread of COVID-19 pandemic, the Srinagar administration has launched in jails outside Kashmir have urged a website to track the people, who have been concealing travel history. The website, [email protected] the administration either to release which can be accessed on www.talaashsrinagar.in, provides options of “self report” and their kin or shift them to detention “report about others.” On the website, a person has to submit details like name and centres back home. Over 500 contact number. The administration has appealed families, neighbours and people to SRINAGAR DIARY Kashmiri prisoners, including alert officials about suspected cases through the website/app so that necessary politicians, lawyers, civil society measures in interest of public health can be taken by the government. This is being done members, and traders, are detained to ensure that healthcare infrastructure is not overburdened. Doctors start medical consultation via mobile app in jails outside Kashmir. Most of With the hospitals closing OPD service, a group of doctors under the banner of Doctors them are those, who were detained HC seeks info on test kits, ventilators Association of Kashmir (DAK) has launched Android-based mobile app “DAK- immediately after the bifurcation of HELPDESK” to provide online medical consultation to the people. DAK president Dr J&K last year. The families are The J&K High Court, while hearing a petition, sought information Suhail Naik said about 100 doctors are available via the app to provide consultations. worried that since most jails are from the government on availability of test kits for detection of “Doctors assess the history of patient and provide them full-fledged treatment,” he said, overcrowded, there is possibility of COVID-19 and ventilators in district hospitals. A division bench adding the app has received overwhelming response. Doctors would be available either infection. They have urged the headed by Chief Justice Gita Mittal issued notice to the Centre and telephonically or through WhatsApp between 9 am and 6 pm for minor ailments and officials to release their kin or shift the J&K government seeking an action taken report by April 3. COVID-19 related information on the application, “DAK-HELPDESK”. The mobile them to detention centres in Muhammad Shafi, the petitioner, appealed the HC to order the application can be downloaded on mobile phones which, policy makers say, will help in Kashmir, where the families can at government to ensure the supply of medical equipment. providing medical consultation in an instant. least know about their well-being. Beijing 17 6 SNY Los Angeles 19 10 SNY Colombo 32 24 TDS Melbourne 24 15 LR Doha 33 20 SNY Moscow 15 1 LC 49.1 GLOBAL Dubai 32 24 LC New York 12 9 LC WEATHER Houston 26 19 SNY Singapore 34 24 LC US factory activity declined in March to 49.1%, as LR: Light Rain HR: Heavy Rain Istanbul 11 9 HR Toronto 17 7 TDS per the Institute for Supply Management TDS: Thundershower LC: Light Cloud SNY: Sunny London 8 3 LC Washington DC 23 13 LC

BHUBANESWAR THURSDAY 09 02 l04l2020

KABUL PARIS BEIRUT JOHANNESBURG KUWAIT CITY SEOUL NEW YORK Afghan govt, Taliban hold Much of the world faces Syria war records lowest US again accused of killing Uproar as Kuwait actress 1000s of Korean workers Amazon fires warehouse talks on prisoner swap food shortage: UN & WTO monthly death toll in 9 yrs civilians in Somalia strikes calls for ban on expats for US army put on leave worker who led walkout Afghan government The heads of three global The war in Syria killed 103 civilians The US military is facing more A famous Kuwaiti actress has Around 4,000 South Koreans Amazon fired a worker who representatives have met with the agencies FAO, WHO and WTO in March, marking the lowest allegations of killing civilians with sparked a furore by calling for working for the US military in their organized a walkout at a New York Taliban in Kabul for the first time warned on Wednesday of the risk monthly non-combatant death toll airstrikes in Somalia, and now says expatriates to be expelled from the country were put on unpaid leave warehouse to demand greater to discuss a prisoner swap aimed of a worldwide “food shortage” if since the start of the conflict in it will address the issue more fully oil-rich nation so that locals can be Wednesday as Seoul and protection against the new at jump-starting a peace process. authorities fail to manage the 2011, a war monitor said in upcoming public reports. sure of having a hospital bed if they Washington bicker over funding for coronavirus, saying the employee The two sides met Tuesday and ongoing coronavirus crisis properly. Wednesday. Of the total deaths, Amnesty International said in a fall ill with coronavirus. Hayat US forces. Washington stations himself flouted distancing rules would meet again Wednesday for Many governments around the some 51 people were killed in new report Wednesday that the US al-Fahad, 71, who is known for 28,500 troops in the country to and put others at risk. New York further talks being observed by the world have put their populations shelling and air strikes by the Africa Command killed two playing a range of roles in Arabic defend it against the nuclear- City Mayor Bill de Blasio ordered International Committee of the on lockdown causing severe slow- Syrian regime, the Britain-based civilians and injured three in two dramas, told a local TV station that armed North, but the security the city’s Commission of Human Red Cross, Afghanistan’s Office of downs in international trade and Syrian Observatory for Human airstrikes in February as it strikes foreigners in the country should be allies’ relationship has been Right to investigate whether the the National Security Council said. food supply chains. Rights said. back at al-Qaida-linked al-Shabab. kicked out during the health crisis. strained by US demands. dismissal was retaliatory. 30,000 DEAD IN EUROPE, U.S. PREDICTS GRIM TOLL Humanity reels as pathogen wreaks havoc across the globe; millions of job losses expected; Britain sees 563 people die in one day, taking its total to 2,352

PARIS

The coronavirus pandemic has Experts sceptical of V-shaped claimed more than 30,000 lives in Trump confronts Europe alone, a global tally recovery of global economy showed Wednesday, in what the head of the United Nations has The world’s biggest economy, the United States, is likely in recession. So are described as humanity’s worst Japan, Singapore, South Korea and Canada. There are tentative signs China new reality, warns crisis since World War II. that is on the recovery path, but how will the rest of the world fare? Experts Italy and Spain bore the brunt are growing doubtful of the possibility a V-shaped recovery, when the of the crisis, accounting for economy bounces back after a period of recession. We take a look three in every four deaths on the of 2.4 lakh virus toll continent, as the grim tally hit RAVAGES OF THE PANDEMIC another milestone even though WASHINGTON half of the planet’s population is already under some form of US President Donald Trump lockdown in a battle to halt 70% warned Americans to brace for contagion. Oil prices have a “hell of a bad two weeks” Spain reported a record 864 fallen nearly 70% ahead as the White House pro- A medical worker looks at a Covid-19 patient through the window of a train at the deaths in 24 hours, pushing the jected there could be 100,000 to Gare d’Austerlitz station in Paris on Wednesday | AFP $12 tn country’s number of fatalities 240,000 deaths in the U.S. from past 9,000. The coronavirus the coronavirus pandemic even The toll is only dwarfed by It- facts and the risk that it contrib- has wiped $12 23% if current social distancing Lanka requests financial trillion off the The MSCI’s 49-nation aly’s, where the virus has killed support from lenders utes to enhanced instability, en- guidelines are maintained. nearly 12,500 people. hanced unrest, and enhanced world’s stock index has fallen more Public health officials stressed Since emerging in China in Colombo: Sri Lankan President conflict are things that make us markets than 23% Tuesday that the number could Gotabaya Rajapaksa is requesting US President Donald Trump at a briefing December, COVID-19 has spread believe that this is the most chal- be less if people across the coun- about the novel coronavirus | AP across the globe, claiming over that international financial lenging crisis we have faced WILL THE 2ND HALF try bear down on keeping their organisations provide debt 43,000 lives and infecting more since the Second World War.” CORONAVIRUS Economists were initially predicting a recovery distance from one another. Hopkins University. moratorium or debt deferment BE STOPPED? than 860,000 people, according to in the second half of 2020, but with the virus “We really believe we can do a The White House figures as- facilities to developing nations ‘We’re going to die anyway’ an AFP tally. There is no rampaging across the US and Europe, those lot better than that,” said Dr. sume that Americans follow the such as Sri Lanka, which are In a scramble to halt the con- With most business activity guarantee of hopes are dimming Deborah Birx, the coordinator rigorous social-distancing guide- tagion, governments have shut adversely affected due to the grinding to a halt for an undeter- the pandemic of the White House coronavirus lines set out by the Centers for schools, most shops, and ordered new coronavirus. Rajapaksa made mined period of time, scenes of dying down in CHINA ON PATH TO RECOVERY? task force. That would require Disease Control and Prevention millions of people to work from the request on Wednesday during economic desperation and un- the April-June all Americans to take seriously or the stricter “stay at home” re- a phone discussion with the WHO A jump in Chinese factory activity home. rest were emerging in many quarter. If it (see chart below) despite the their role in preventing the strictions set by many governors Cancellations of key events chief Tedros Adhanom parts of the world. “lasts through spread of disease, she said. across the country. Still, the Ghebreyesus. Rajapaksa virus-hit global economy has on the global calendar have In Italy, queues were lengthen- the summer, injected a little hope into markets Added Dr. Anthony Fauci, the White House was not looking at swept both the sports and requested Ghebreyesus to ing at soup kitchens while some then all the government’s top infectious dis- a nationwide order. speak with the lenders. cultural worlds, with the supermarkets were reportedly [economic] IMPACT ON THE US ease expert, “This is a number “We live in a nation that has a Edinburgh arts festival pillaged. Half a million more effects will be Goldman Sachs on Tuesday said the number of that we need to anticipate, but system of federalism, and the the latest to be scrapped. ably has no parallel in people now need help to afford amplified,” umeployed people in the US may grow to 15% we don’t necessarily have to ac- governors get to make the deci- For UN Secretary-Gen- the recent past,” he said. meals, Italy’s biggest union for Joseph Stiglitz, cept it as being inevitable.” sions,” Dr. Jerome Adams, the eral Antonio Guterres, the “The combination of the agriculture sector Coldiretti a Nobel of Americans already cannot afford an Trump called it “a matter of surgeon general, told NBC’s “To- extraordinary upheaval the two facts and the risk that said, adding to the 2.7 million al- laureate, told unplanned out-of-pocket expense of life and death” for Americans to day” on Wednesday. “But we’re spurred by the virus presents a it contributes to enhanced insta- ready in need last year. Bloomberg 40% $400, as per Mckinsey & Co. heed his administration’s guide- gonna give them the best possi- real danger to the relative peace bility, enhanced unrest, and en- In Tunisia several hundred lines and predicted the country ble guidance we can, and that’s the world has seen over the last hanced conflict are things that protested a week-old lockdown would soon see a “light at the end to stay at home and to social I feel like the 2008 financial crisis was just a dry run for this. few decades. make us believe that this is the that has disproportionately hit This is already shaping up as the deepest dive on record for the of the tunnel” in a pandemic distance.” The disease “represents a most challenging crisis we have the poor. “Never mind coronavi- global economy for over 100 years. Everything depends on how that in the United States has in- “This is going to be one of the threat to everybody in the world faced since the Second World rus, we’re going to die anyway! long it lasts, but if this goes on for a long time, it’s certainly fected about 190,000 people and roughest two or three weeks and... an economic impact that War.” Let us work!” shouted one pro- going to be the mother of all financial crises killed more than 4,000, according we’ve ever had in our country,” will bring a recession that prob- “The combination of the two tester near Tunis. AFP to figures compiled by Johns Trump said. AP Kenneth S. Rogoff, an economist at Harvard, told the New York Times

60 Russia plane heads to Shia minority CHINA’S MANUFACTURING PMI US with supplies Moscow: A Russian military scapegoated in plane carrying medical 52.0 equipment has departed for Pak for virus 50.2 50.0 the United States, the defence 50 ministry in Moscow said Wednesday, as the Kremlin spread: Panel flexes its soft power amid the China's Purchasing coronavirus pandemic. The WASHINGTON Managers' Index, a key Antonov-124, “with medical Virus ‘uncontrollable’ on gauge of factory 2% masks and medical equipment American aircraft carrier A US commission mandated to on board”, left for the US activity, jumped to China’s projected monitor international religious overnight, a statement said, Brett Crozier, the captain of the US 40 52.0 from a record low economic growth freedom has expressed concern without providing further nuclear-powered aircraft carrier 35.7 the month before. rate for 2020, as over reports of a provincial gov- details. Contacted by AFP, the Theodore Roosevelt, told the Any figure above 50 is per research firm ernment in Pakistan targeting defence ministry refused to Pentagon that new coronavirus is considered growth. and “scapegoating” the already TS Lombard 35.7 provide any further spreading uncontrollably through marginalised Shiite Hazara eth- information on the delivery, his ship and called for immediate HERO’S WELCOME help to quarantining its A medical assistance worker from Huaian, China, is greeted by her daughter after nic minority community for the which came after Russian spread of the deadly novel coro- 30 President Vladimir Putin spoke 4,000-strong crew. But Defense returning home from the coronavirus frontline in Wuhan, Hubei | AP navirus in the country. JUL AUG SEP OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR with US counterpart Donald Secretary Mark Esper on Tuesday In Quetta, the government has Trump on Monday. ruled out evacuating the ship. completely sealed off two areas of the Hazara community- Haz- ara Town and Marriabad- as Virus hits beleaguered media part of lockdown in the city, the Rupert Murdoch’s Australian flagship media group News Corp announced United States Commission on In- Putin works remotely after meeting infected doc Wednesday it will stop printing dozens of regional newspapers, as the ternational Religious Freedom troubled sector received a fresh blow from a Covid-19 advertising downturn (USCIRF) said in a statement. MOSCOW tial residence in Novo-Ogaryovo The government also forbade outside Moscow. government employees from RUSSIAN leader Vladimir Pu- Putin donned a bright yellow AMERICA’S LARGEST PUBLISHER travelling into Hazara neighbor- tin has decided to handle his du- hazmat suit for the visit last The largest US newspaper publisher, Gannett, hoods, and reportedly forced ties remotely, the Kremlin said, Tuesday to the hospital. He was 60 said on Monday it was making unspecified Hazara policemen to go on leave after the head of the country’s also seen talking to Protsenko News Corp furloughs and pay cuts for its staff. under suspicion they are infect- main coronavirus hospital test- without any protective gear but said 60 ed by relatives. ed positive following a meeting the Kremlin said there is no rea- regional Social media users have made with the president. son for concern about the presi- papers in the allusions to coronavirus as the Denis Protsenko, who met with dent’s health. states of New 25% ‘Shi’a virus,’ given fears of its Putin last week as the Russian “All of those who were with the South Wales, Gannett said it is cutting spread by pilgrims returning leader visited the Kommunarka president at Kommunarka are Victoria, pay and hours of from Iran, the statement said. hospital in Moscow, said Tues- being tested daily for the coro- Queensland newsroom employees by This isolation and further day he had been infected with navirus,” Peskov added. and South 25% in April, May and stigmatization of the Hazara the coronavirus but was feeling President Vladimir Putin (R) met with a head of a hospital on Monday | AP Almost 70 per cent of Russia’s Australia June because of minority could limit their abil- well. 147 million population has been would cease advertising declines. ity to receive proper medical “The president prefers these told journalists, shortly before “We are taking all precaution- ordered into strict confinement. printing and Executives are getting a care as the coronavirus contin- days to work remotely,” Krem- Putin was due to hold a cabinet ary measures,” he said, adding Russia has so far registered move online pay cut of 25% ues to spread within Pakistan. lin spokesman Dmitry Peskov meeting by videoconference. that Putin was at the presiden- 2,777 cases and 24 deaths. AFP MARKET GOLD SILVER Market 1,203.18 Sensex 28,265.31 24 carat (1 gm) H4,347 Per kg H39,250 Watch 343.95 Nifty 8,253.80 22 carat (1 gm) H4,330 Per gm H39.25 BHUBANESWAR THURSDAY 10 02 l04l2020 DIVING DEMAND ‘More cash transfers, food RBI continues rolling GST COLLECTION out Covid-19 relief rations needed for the poor’ ENS ECONOMIC BUREAU L @ Hyderabad JAYANTA ROY CHOWDHURY well known economist sure that at least 10 kg free ra- BELOW 1L CR @ New Delhi Meghnad Desai, former RBI tions per person per month, THE RBI on Wednesday an- Deputy Governor Rakesh Mo- along with other necessary nounced a slew of measures Covid-19 impact likely to hit collections SOME of India’s top econo- han, former Planning Commis- items, is available for all eligi- to tide over the economic im- harder in the first quarter of the new fiscal mists, civil servants and social sion Member Abhjit Sen, for- ble households.” pact of the Covid-19 pandem- scientists have written a joint mer Chief Economic Advisor The group also estimates ic. First, it gave extra time to letter to Prime Minister Naren- Deepak Nayyar, former Union that some 40-50 million mi- exporters for collecting and ENS ECONOMIC BUREAU @ New Delhi dra Modi as well as to the chief Health Secretary Sujata Rao, grant labourers are currently repatriating payments for ministers of all states asking former Interstate Council unemployed and want to goods and software sold to he economic slowdown and the spread for a series of measures includ- Secretary Amitabh Pan- head back to their villag- overseas buyers. Presently, of Covid-19 related lockdowns took ing `3.6 lakh crore in cash sup- dey and Ajit Ranade, es. It suggests that the these payments are required their toll on Goods and Services Tax port for families who are not in Chief Economist, Adi- Centre and states could to be realised fully and repat- 2020 and will be valid till Sep- GST (GST) collections in March, with the the tax net or have a member tya Birla Group, feels use their facilities to riated to the country within a tember 30, 2020. collection figure slipping below the `1 lakh crore working for the formal sector. more needs to be done. house them without period of 9 months from the The move comes a day after target cut mark at `97,597 crore. GST collections The letter says that the cen- “The direct benefit over-crowding and start date of export. This has now the RBI increased the WMA T in February had stood at `1.06 lakh tral and state governments to- transfers announced was a community feeding been extended to 15 months limit to `70,000 crore for the In February, the finance crore and finance ministry officials say that the gether should immediately step forward, but we need to do programs. from the date of export. central government for the ministry had fall in collections is due to the dip in overall think of ensuring “a minimum more. The Telangana example Among other things, they “The measure will enable July-September quarter, up cut its GST domestic demand. transfer of at least `6,000 per is a good one where the state is also seeks a scheme to compen- exporters to realise their re- from `60,000 crore in the pre- collection However, despite the dip, in the April-March month to each Jan Dhan Yojana trying to reach out on a wider sate unorganised and MSME ceipts, especially from Cov- vious quarter. target period of FY20, gross GST collection grew by woman account holder with a scale without excluding any- sector players for wages of con- id-19 affected countries with- In the same breath, the cen- downwards 3.8 per cent to `12.2 lakh crore compared to the major part borne by the Cen- one,” explained Ravi Srivasta- tract and temporary employees in the extended period, and tral bank has reiterated that it to `11.26 lakh previous year, official data showed, exceeding tral Government over the next va, former Chairman, Centre during the lockdown, besides also provide greater flexibili- wasn’t necessary for banks to crore for the revised target set by the government in Feb- three months.” With 20 crore for Regional Studies, JNU ex gratia payments, to ensure ty to negotiate future export implement counter-cyclical fiscal 2019- ruary. The finance ministry had cut its GST col- estimated beneficiary families Though the centre has prom- that “no needy person or house- contracts with buyers capital buffers (CCyB) 20 from `12.17 lection target downwards to `11.26 lakh crore for 3 months the figure works ised 5 kg of free cereals to the hold remains outside the social abroad,” it said. straight away. The framework lakh crore for fiscal 2019-20 from `12.17 lakh crore. out to `3.6 lakh crore. poor, the group feels that in or- protection net being created to In an effort to manage cash on CCyB was put in place by Of the total `97,597 crore collected, the cen- The government has an- der to ward off hunger “all cope with the current calami- flows, the central bank also the RBI through guidelines is- tral GST (CGST) collections stood at `19,183 nounced some grants including state governments should en- tous conditions.” increased the limit for ad- sued in February 2015, where crore, state GST at `25,601 crore, integrated `2,000 from the PM Kisan vances given to states and un- it advised that CCyB would be GST at `44,508 crore and cess collections at scheme to farmers and a `1,000 Centre and States should ensure a minimum transfer of at least ion territories by 30 per cent activated as and when the cir- `8,306 crore (including `841 crore collected on grant to senior citizens, poor `6,000 per month to each Jan Dhan Yojana woman account holder under Ways and Means Ad- cumstances warranted and with a major part borne by the Centre With most imports), the finance ministry said. widows and poor disabled, etc. vances. The revised limit will that the decision would nor- businesses “The government has settled `19,718 crore to But, the group which includes Group of top economists come into force from April 1, mally be pre-announced. being non- CGST and `14,915 crore to SGST from IGST as operational for regular settlement. In addition, Centre has also a considerable apportioned unsettled balance IGST of `6,000 EXPRESS READ period in March crore on ad-hoc basis in the ratio of 50:50 be- and the tween centre and States/UTs, “ the statement relaxation of COAI U-turn: No emergency spectrum needed SMALL SAVINGS SCHEMES said. The total number of GSTR-3B returns delayed filed up to March 31, 2020 is 76.5 lakh, it added. Telecom industry body COAI on Wednesday said that telcos are of the payments view that there is no need for additional spectrum to maintain stability being allowed, Experts claim that the larger impact of the and quality of telecom networks since the recent slew of measures, INTEREST RATES SLASHED the collections Covid-19 outbreak will be visible from April on- in the coming wards. “The GST collections not witnessing a including streaming services switching content to SD (standard quarter would significant dip this month is encouraging, es- definition) and traffic redistribution, has led to reduced pressure on ENS ECONOMIC BUREAU see quite a fall pecially with the numbers expected to reduce network infrastructure. The organisation had written to the @ New Delhi Abhishek Jain, in coming months,” said Abhishek Jain, Tax Department of Telecom earlier seeking emergency spectrum allocations Large-scale cuts a shock to Tax Partner, EY Partner at EY. to alleviate the burden on network infrastructure. SMALL savings deposits will now earn significantly lower senior citizen depositors returns with the Central gov- A look at how various small savings schemes will earn lower interest: ernment sharply reducing interest rates for the entire Interest: Earlier From April 1 (All figures in %) Paytm Money founder MD Pravin Jadhav quits spectrum of small savings schemes late Tuesday. The SUKANYA SAMRIDDHI NATIONAL SAVINGS ACCOUNT SCHEME CERTIFICATE BISMAH MALIK @ Bengaluru Paytm Mall and Paytm Pay- engineering, finance and cus- expand the market for Paytm deep cuts, ranging from 70- ments Bank. Although Paytm tomer care teams. Money, with mutual fund ser- 140 basis points, will come as FOUNDER MD and CEO of declined to comment, sources Paytm Money has played a vices likely to be extended to a shock to senior citizens and Paytm Money Pravin Jadhav said that the management has significant role in helping Pay- the 16 million merchants who others who depend primarily has resigned from his post due already accepted the resigna- tm founder Vijay Shekhar have signed up on the Paytm on income from such fixed 8.4 7.6 7.9 6.8 to growing differences with the tion and will announce a Sharma build up the fi- platform. Paytm Money had re- instruments. company board, sources said. replacement soon. nancial services com- cently received approvals from The new rates will go into Balance after 1 year with Balance after 1 year with Jadhav, who built Paytm’s Jadhav’s resignation pany especially after its SEBI for its stock broking busi- effect for the April-June Rs 1 lakh deposit Rs 1 lakh deposit wealth management arm into comes at a time when e-commerce vertical — ness as well as the go-ahead quarter beginning April 1, India’s leading mutual fund the online investment Paytm Mall — lost out from the Pension Fund Regula- 2020. The move follows the L1,08,400 L1,07,600 L1,07,900 L1,06,800 platform, reportedly quit over and digital payment plat- to e-tailers like Amazon tory and Development Author- RBI decision to cut interest issues related to employee forms in the country is and Flipkart. Sharma’s bet ity (PFRDA) to offer Pension rates by 75 basis points tak- KISAN VIKAS PATRA SR. CITIZENS SAVINGS SCHEME stock options (ESOPs) and gaining traction during the on wealth management has Development Systems. ing the repo rate to 4.4 per (COMPOUNDED QUARTERLY) remuneration. Covid-19 lockdown. On his paid dividends since Paytm However, Paytm has been cent, the lowest since 2004, in Paytm Money is part of Pay- LinkedIn profile, Jadhav Money now claims to have 50 witness to a gradual exodus of an effort to counter the eco- tm parent One97 Communica- claims that he has built Paytm lakh users, with a monthly senior management executives nomic fallout of the coronavi- tions’ growing consumer eco- Money from scratch leading growth of 15-20 per cent. who headed various verticals rus pandemic. 7.6 6.9 8.6 7.4 system, alongside Paytm, product development, design, The company is looking to over the past one year. For the popular Public Provident Fund (PPF), the Balance after 1 year with Rs 1 Balance after 1 year with annual interest rate has been lakh deposit Rs 1 lakh deposit TODAY’S STOCK PICK slashed from 7.9 per cent to CONSOLIDATION 7.1 per cent, while the rates L1,07,600 L1,06,900 L1,08,881.35 L1,07,607.89 Tamil Nadu firms step Current Price for the Sukanya Samriddhi girl-child welfare scheme, Mergers turn PUBLIC PROVIDENT FUND 1-YR POST OFFICE DEPOSIT A1,080.6 rates have been brought (COMPOUNDED QUARTERLY) up assistance in battle down to 7.6 per cent from 8.4 10 PSBs into Target Price per cent. Similarly, rates have been cut for the National Sav- ings Certificate (from 7.9% to 4 large banks RELIANCE IND 7.9 7.1 6.9 5.5 against pandemic A1,820 6.8%), Senior Citizen Savings The company aims for its Scheme (from 8.6% to 7.4%) Balance after 1 year with Balance after 1 year with ENS ECONOMIC BUREAU BINITA JAISWAL @ Chennai Meawhile, commercial vehi- consumer business to contribute and Monthly Income Ac- @ New Delhi cle manufacturer Ashok Ley- 50% of consolidated EBITDA in a count scheme (from 7.6% to Rs 1 lakh deposit Rs 1 lakh deposit FROM spray cannons for disin- land says it is working closely few years. Jio has rolled out new 6.6%). The cut has also been L1,07,900 L1,07,100 L1,07,080.60 L1,05,614.48 TEN public sector banks fectants to power gensets for with the state health depart- tariff plans. While Minimum quite steep for the standard (PSB) on Wednesday merged hospitals treating Covid-19 pa- ment and is supplying protec- Recharge Price plans were hiked Small Savings Time Deposits, to become four large banks, tients, Tamil Nadu-based com- tive equipment like 3-ply by 32%, the popular monthly with cuts ranging from 100- but this is steeper than an- correct, it is absolutely the bringing down the number panies are contributing in masks, N95 masks, disposable plans witnessed a price hike of 140 basis points. Interest ticipated. May be the move wrong time to do so,” he said. of PSBs to just 12. their own way in the fight gloves, liquid handwash, sani- ~25-30%. The hike in ARPUs rates on small savings indicates that the govern- Experts say that this will The mergers announced against Covid-19. tisers and body suits for health should result in ~H134b/H119b schemes are revised on a ment will drive down deposit reduce the divergence be- last September and cleared TVS Motor Company, for in- service personnel. It is also pro- incremental revenue/EBITDA. quarterly basis, based on the rate further, “ Soumya Kanti tween bank and small sav- by the cabinet last month stance, has made a contribu- viding disinfectants, protective RIL’s target is to become a ‘zero yields of government bonds. Ghose, chief economic advi- ings rates. In comparison, were effected despite banks tion of `5 crore to- chemical guard suits net-debt’ firm in 18 months can Bank fixed deposits are al- sor, SBI said. Senior Con- interest rates on small sav- running low-key operations wards the Tamil Nadu (pant, shirt, and hood) also act as a rerating trigger. ready fetching the lowest gress leader P Chidambaram ings schemes are still higher amidst the pandemic. Chief Minister’s Pub- and chemical protec- —Motilal Oswal Financial Services yields since August 2004, slammed the rate cut de- and give comparatively bet- Under the scheme, Orien- lic Relief Fund to aid tion goggles for sanita- with State Bank of India’s manding a roll-back, saying ter returns to depositors. tal Bank of Commerce the battle against Cov- tion staff. Besides this, one-year FD offering an inter- that it comes at the wrong Lower small saving rates also Disclaimer: The views and recom- (OBC) and United Bank of id-19. This is in addi- it has deployed ten ve- mendations made above are that of est of just 5.2 per cent (6.2% time. “While reducing the in- will also reduce cost of defi- India have been merged into tion to the `25 crore hicles with drivers for the individual analyst or broking com- for senior citizens). terest rate on PPF and small cit financing for the Punjab National Bank. Post- pledged by the compa- use by the health pany, and not that of “The rate cut was expected savings may be technically government. merger, the entity will form ny to the PM’s Relief department. The New Indian Express the second-largest PSB in Fund (PM-CARES). While it generally Other initiatives by the country. Syndicate Bank Alongside these con- takes 6 to 18 Ashok Leyland in- has been merged into Ca- tributions, the Srini- months for cludes the shipping DEMAND GOES AWOL nara Bank, making it the vasan Services Trust developing a new gensets to the Tiruval- fourth-largest public sector (the CSR arm of TVS product, it is lur General Hospital lender. Union Bank’s merger Motors) is making and because of our and the 150-bed special with the Andhra and Corpo- supplying 1 million R&D team, that ward of the Madurai PV sales halved in March, CV sales down 90% ration banks will make it the protective face masks we were able to Medical College. “We make this quality @ New Delhi fifth largest PSB lender, for essential service sanitiser shall work with the ARSHAD KHAN ported a drastic fall in March ing all operations temporari- while Allahabad Bank will providers within the available in just Government at every sales. Hyundai Motor reported ly,” Kia said. now act as a branch of Indi- state. The trust is also two weeks step and stay support- HIT hard by the nationwide a 41 per cent y-o-y decline in An even bigger slump was an Bank. “It’s a good move deploying vehicles and lockdown to control the spread domestic sales at 26,300 units seen in the sales of commer- C K Ranganathan, ive of all their initia- since it will reduce the num- disinfectants to mu- CavinKare tives in the coming of the Covid-19 pandemic, pas- last month, while Tata Motors’ cial vehicles despite steep dis- ber of branches, improve nicipalities in the state days,” said Balachan- senger vehicle makers report- PV sales were down 68 per cent counts on BS-IV stocks. Ashok cost efficiency and, most im- while also running dar N V, President – ed a nearly 50 per cent drop in at 5,676 units. New entrant Kia Leyland’s domestic CV sales portantly, the balance sheets factory kitchens at its manu- HR, Ashok Leyland. Mean- March sales numbers while Motors too reported total sales stood at just 1,787 units in post mergers are likely to be facturing units in Hosur and while, CavinKare has launched commercial vehicle makers re- of just 8,583 units in March as March — a decline of 91 per strengthened,” Sai Sanjay Padi. The cooked meals are 2ml sanitizer sachets priced at ported a whopping 90 per cent against 15,644 units sold in cent year-on-year. Tata Motors Bhattacharyya, former supplied to all essential care `1. “While it generally takes 6 drop. February. CV sales were down 87 per cent Managing Director of SBI. workers in the vicinity, from to 18 months for developing a The country’s largest car- “Countries and businesses at 7,123 units compared to the Officials in the Finance police personnel and munici- new product, it is because of maker Maruti Suzuki India across the globe have come to previous year. Ministry officials said these pal staff to healthcare workers. our R&D team, that we were (MSIL) on Wednesday report- the full financial year, MSIL a standstill due to the Covid-19 Going forward, the outbreak banks have already started The trust has also handed over able to make this quality sani- ed a 47.4 per cent year-on-year reported a 18.2 per cent fall in epidemic, which has impacted coupled with newer emission sending out messages to cus- a vehicle equipped with a dis- tiser available in just two decline in March sales at 76,240 sales at 1,414,346 units, its the automobile industry as norms and a fall in economic tomers informing them of infectant Spray Cannon to the weeks,” said C K Ranganathan, units as buyers stayed away steepest fall in recent times. well with production units, of- activity is expected to bring the mergers. Corporation of Chennai. chairman, CavinKare. from dealer showrooms. For Other carmakers also re- fices and dealerships suspend- more trouble for the sector. Wimbledon chiefs on Wednesday cancelled the Grand Slam for the first time since World War Wimbledon cancelled for II. “It is with great regret that the main board of the All England Club and the committee of management of the Championships have today decided that The Championships 2020 will first time since WW II be cancelled due to public health concerns linked to the coronavirus,” the organisers said.

BHUBANESWAR THURSDAY 11 02 l04l2020 MONEY WORRIES Grandmaster missing other games during lockdown ATREYO MUKHOPADHYAY ton and does swimming. The ties like free-hand exercise, plus (2726 at the moment) for @ Chennai COVID-19 outbreak has yoga in that routine.” over a year, the youngster is stopped all that and he is mak- However, with all that missing out on valuable game & MAKE-BELIEVE THERE was a video on Twitter ing do with the treadmill at stopped, the older of two sib- time. That, however, is far from a couple of days ago where Vid- home. “Since playing chess lings is spending time with his his mind at the moment. “It’s it Gujrathi was seen doing and working on it means I am doctor parents and sister, who hard to complain. It’s a global skipping exercises at home. seated for long periods of time, is also in the medical field. crisis and people are suffering GOLF COURSES Sportspersons are trying all I go for long walks to make up Having travelled extensively on a large scale. Compared to sorts of things in order to for it. That’s not happening from a young age, the 26-year- that, what we chess players are Income drying up with events, Indian maintain basic fitness levels at now. Also, I like playing other old is new to staying at home. going through is very minute,” professionals making alternate plans the time of lockdown. games. Inside our building If pressed, he finds it difficult said Gujrathi. But the chess player was not complex, there is a basketball to remember when he last The Grandmaster is using doing that just for the sake of court and some of the players spent more than five-six days the time to do something he SWAROOP SWAMINATHAN clears sooner rather than it. He was trying to get close to there are semi-professionals. in a month at home. can’t otherwise. That is read- @ Chennai latter.” something he also likes doing. Playing with them is fun. I Tournaments cancelled in ing. Not merely to kill time, but Considering this is the start India No 2 after Viswana- keep myself engaged with oth- Europe and the US, Gujrathi to understand something deep- “I am making do with what I of the PGTI — only three com- than Anand and World No 23, er sports also when I am isn’t sure when he will be play- er. Monk and author Om Swa- have. I am not in Bengaluru petitions have been completed Gujrathi is not all about chess. abroad,” Gujrathi told this ing again. The Chess Olympiad mi and propagators of Japa- any more. I have gone back to — it has compounded mat- He likes working out at the daily. World No 23 Vidit Gujrathi scheduled for August has also nese philosophy on a ‘perfectly my village in Dharmapuri... ters. “Some of the guys who gym and walking. If at home in “It’s not possible to devote a been postponed. There is no imperfect life’ are among his that’s where I am going to be are in the lower half of the Nasik, he plays basketball. lot of time to other sports when that happens, it’s a minimum certainty over the resumption favourites. Heady, but may just till the situation gets better.” leaderboard could suffer be- When in Europe for training or I’m playing tournaments or of six hours of chess every day. of the chess calendar. Having be the right time delve in such Those are the words of C cause of that,” says Udayan competitions, he plays badmin- training in full intensity. When I am trying to include activi- maintained a rating of 2700- stuff. Muniyappa, a regular on the Mane, who won two of those Professional Golf Tour of In- first three tournaments. He dia (PGTI). has already raked in `14.66 TRENDING ONLINE The sub-text behind Muni- lakh as reward for his start yappa’s revealing words to but is mindful of the plight of this daily is this: he can cut other golfers who haven’t back on spending significant- seen similar success in 2020. “Like you said, it’s going to be Innovation in the tough. But then, all of us will have parents’ support during this crucial period... That’s why we even entered the sport times of isolation in the first place.” The 29-year-old, to stay fit, FIROZ MIRZA @ Chennai going on fine until her elder sis- has built a small range in his ter fell ill and was admitted to a garden. “That’s to keep mus- AN empty LPG cylinder, tyres, private hospital. “She became cles loose. Every morning I a stick and resistance bands. weak due to fever and doctors have a hit of close to one hour That’s all India cricketer Pooja asked us to hospitalise her. We to ensure I remain somewhat Vastrakar has at her disposal were worried, especially be- active.” for workouts. Member of the cause of COVID-19 and all that. Another who has been squad which finished runners- I sought permission from auth­ mindful of finances is S Chik- up in the ICC Women’s World orities to be with her at night. I karangappa, a well known T20 in Australia, she is stuck at us­ed to return home in the mo­ Like you said, it’s going to be tough. face on the Tour. “Yes, when home, in the city of Shahdol in r­ning for the workout. She is But then, all of us will have parents’ we don’t play you have to keep Madhya Pradesh. al­right now and was disch­a­r­ support during this crucial period... that aspect in the back of your Pooja and her teammates re- ged from hospital on Monday.” That’s why we even entered the mind. Saying that, I have cut turned to Mumbai via Dubai on Pooja played only a match in sport in the first place. my expenses almost down to March 10. She joined the Mad- the tri-nation women’s T20 se- Udayan Mane zero since there is no travel. I hya Pradesh girls in Indore a ries, the event which preceded am staying at home.” couple of days later for a do- the World T20, before being The 26-year-old, who was mestic tournament, when the ly if he is in his village. “This No 2 in the PGTI rankings last BCCI suspended all cricket till is not in my control, I have to year, has also built a small further notice. “I returned to make do with what I have.” range on his terrace. Shahdol on March 15 and was Like athletes in other “I am hitting on that range as­ked to undergo 14 days of sports, golfers too have felt — I don’t even know if you self-isolation. I completed that the pinch thanks to coronavi- can call it a range — every on March 30 but now I have rus shutting down events left, other day. It is to ensure that I been advised to continue it for right and centre. The 43-year- don’t lose my touch complete- seven more days,” the 20-year- old Muniyappa, for instance, ly. Apart from that, I do vari- old told this daily. has so far earned `1,00,830 ous upper-body exercises to Being in self-isolation doesn’t from three events this year. In keep myself loose.” mean the medium-pacer is ex- previous years, he had earned If the situation with respect empted from doing workouts. “I India medium-pacer Pooja Vastrakar more than that in the first to the pandemic doesn’t im- don’t have fitness equipment at three months. “Whatever I prove, golfers will either have my place. The India team train- ruled out due to hamstring in- have earned, I have put it to go back to their hometown er asked each one of us about jury. The right-arm pacer re- back into the sport. It’s just a like Muniyappa or build small things we have at home, which covered in time and played a matter of biding my time, all ranges like Mane and can be used for workouts. I have warm-up match against the I can hope is that the situation Chikkarangappa. sticks, empty LPG cylinder, West Indies but could not find a tyres and resistance bands. He place in the playing XI during guided me on how to make these the prestigious tournament. HELPING HANDS things useful,” said Pooja. “Our spinners were doing Despite limited resources, good. We didn’t want to tinker AIFF HOCKEY INDIA OTHER NSFs she does physical training in- with the winning combination. The All India Hockey India has The national cluding power exercises at least It was unfortunate that the Football Federation also pledged `25 governing bodies of for two hours every day. She plan didn’t work in the final.” is donating `25 lakh lakh towards the PM athletics, wushu, also practises yoga. Speaking The players might be con- to the PM’s relief CARES Fund. “In handball, swimming on her immediate plan, Pooja fined to home due to the lock- fund. “In wake of the these difficult times, with the Olympic said she wants to regain pace down but they are in touch Covid-19 crisis, AIFF it is the absolute associations of which she lost after a knee sur- with each other over their has pledged to need of the hour to Bihar, Himachal and gery in 2018. “As I am fully fit WhatsApp group. “We usually contribute `25 lakh come together to Gujarat put together now, I will try to hit the pace I don’t discuss cricket in the to the PM Shri help fight the crisis,” `8.75 lakh for the used to bowl at before the sur- group. We try to post light stuff Narendra Modi’s PM HI president Mohd PM CARES Fund to gery. I have to do a few minor to keep everybody entertained. CARES Fund,” said a Mushtaque Ahmad help fight the KEEPING THE FLAME ALIVE adjustments, but I am confident Jemimah Rodrigues and Har- I can do it.” leen Deol are the biggest enter- media release. said in a release. COVID-19 pandemic. A visitor looks at a lantern with the Olympic flame inside, after an official handover ceremony in Fukushima | AP The quarantine period was tainers,” she added.

WATCH HOUR Real Kashmir players stranded, Buttler to auction final La Liga concert raises Asian Youth Games shirt to help hospitals more than a million in China next year

waiting for a flight back home LONDON: England’s Jos Buttler is MADRID: La Liga’s online NEW DELHI: China will host auctioning the shirt he wore in last music festival raised more the third edition of the Asian ASHIM SUNAM @ Bengaluru away from his ill mother. wife, his two-year-old son and year’s dramatic World Cup final than a million euros that will Youth Games in Shantou in “The health of my parents seven-year-old daughter. He is win in support of hospitals be used to buy medical November next year, the To see what India's Olympic- WHEN can we head back and my wife’s parents is a con- in constant touch with his fam- treating the coronavirus. In a social equipment for the fight Olympic Council of Asia said bound boxers like Lovlina home? When will we reunite cern. I am especially very wor- ily while his wife tries to be media video posted on Tuesday, against coronavirus, the on Wednesday. The Chinese Borgohain, Pooja Rani and with our loved ones? How long ried as my mother is undergo- supportive asking Kallum to the 29-year-old said he would be Spanish football league said. city of Wuhan was the Ashish Kumar are doing to keep will we be in India? Ten for- ing chemotherapy too. It is keep the spirits up. posting the jersey, signed by all The funds will be put towards epicentre of the COVID-19 fit in the times of lockdown, go eigners, including coaches, tough,” said David, who even “It is difficult. Being a dad, I members of the World Cup- ventilators, protective suits, pandemic that is still to TNIE videos on YouTube. players and Real Kashmir FC wrote to the British High Com- should have been home, pro- winning squad, on eBay. gloves and masks. sweeping across the world. coach David Robertson’s wife, mission in Delhi, seeking help tecting my children, but I am have been stranded in Srinagar to go back. He has been in- stuck halfway across the world. ever since the lockdown start- formed that the evacuation pro- As a man, you do not show emo- WAGE CUT ed. These questions linger on cess will start soon. “We have tions but when you speak to in the minds of nationals from given the passports numbers, your family at this time, it gets the UK, Nigeria, Ivory Coast visas and other details. Yester- hard. I have just got to be strong and Zimbabwe in the club. day, we got an e-mail stating and the time will come when Premier League accused of ‘moral vacuum’ “The situation is such that that over the next few days, we will be home. Now, every mi­ hardly anyone talks about foot- there will be flights out. We nute feels like an hour and days AFP @ London lawmaker Julian Knight, who Premier League stars, yet was revealed he was paid £7 ball anymore,” said David, who have to sit tight and wait. I am are like weeks,” said Kallum. chairs the Commons Digital, there has so far been no agree- million last season, including is from Scotland. He is in Sri- checking my e-mail every two However, these players had PREMIER League clubs have Culture, Media and Sport ment on wage cuts or deferrals a £3 million bonus for the com- nagar with his wife Kym and minutes to see if there is any an experience of a different been accused of living in a Committee, referring to the for players, unlike the situa- pletion of the club’s new sta- son Mason (son). The latter update. Everyone wants to go kind recently. The valley was in “moral vacuum”, with players use of public funds to prop up tion at other top European dium, which ran well over plays for the club. Alongside back home as quickly as possi- a state of lockdown after the sc­ urged to take their share of the wage bills. “This exposes the clubs such as Juventus and time and budget. them, the players and support ble. We might be able to rapping of Article 370. The club financial hit from the corona- crazy economics in English Barcelona. Tottenham chair- Players at Barcelona have staff are staying in a hotel get back home soon. used the facilities of the ISL virus pandemic as non-playing football and the moral vacuum man Daniel Levy said he taken a 70 percent pay cut dur- owned by the club owner. No The Africans (in the clubs to prepare for the 19-20 I- staff begin to feel the pinch. at its centre.” The Times said hoped discussions between the ing Spain’s state of emergency one is allowed to move in and squad) may take a League season. But when th­ey Last year’s Champions the elite should not be a “drain Premier League and players’ and will make additional con- out of the hotel. Most of longer time,” David eventually got back to Srinagar, League finalists Tottenham as on the exchequer”. and managers’ representa- tributions to ensure other em- these players while told this daily. it was tough for them to stay in well as Newcastle and Nor- “(The) furlough scheme.is tives would “result in players ployees receive full wages. their time away The situation touch with the outside world. wich have faced a backlash for for clubs lower down the pyra- and coaches doing their bit for The squad of Italian cham- watching movies is no different Though the situation is bet- using the British govern- mid enduring the cash-flow the football eco-system”. pions Juventus, including on television and for English ter, video calls cannot be made ment’s furlough scheme, crisis without gate receipts, Levy is in the firing line de- Cristiano Ronaldo, have playing Playsta- winger, Kal- on slow internet speed with 2G which will guarantee 80 per- not by the likes of Spurs and spite taking a 20 percent cut in agreed to have their wages tion. It is a diffi- lum Higgin- resuming in January. There is cent of employees’ income up Newcastle United,” the paper salary for the next two months. stopped for four months while cult time for botham, who no 4G, hence the players have to a maximum of £2,500 said in a comment piece. On Tuesday he announced a players at German giants Bay- all, especially is desperate not been able to see their faces ($3,000) a month. That £2,500 sum would be a 20 percent cut for 550 non-play- ern Munich accepted a 20 per- David, who is to meet his of the loved ones via video. “It sticks in the throat,” said drop in the ocean for many ing staff on the same day it cent pay cut. David Robertson Elon Musk has announced that he and his companies Adults who work long hours are more likely to have have access to additional FDA-approved ventilators underactive thyroid, according to a study, published in the that can be shipped free of cost to hospitals within Journal of the Endocrine Society, which may lead to better regions where the electric car maker delivers. lifestyle and clinical recommendations for hyperthyroidism.

BHUBANESWAR THURSDAY 12 02 l04l2020 newindianexpress com

BIG SECRET Fujifilm starts Atmospheric escape Scientists believe But they can also create Voyager 2’s 1986 flyby revealed Three decades after is driven by a magnetic fields protect opportunities for escape, how magnetically weird the 60° Voyager 2 passed through planet’s magnetic a planet, fending off like the giant globs cut planet is. Unlike any other Its magnetic field axis points 60° away from that spin anti-flu drug’s Uranus, scientists sifting field, which can the atmosphere- loose from Saturn and planets, Uranus spins almost axis, so as the planet spins, its magnetosphere — the

through the large dataset of both help and stripping blasts of the Jupiter when magnetic URANUS perfectly on its side — completing space carved out by its magnetic field — wobbles like a MYSTERY OF MYSTERY clinical trial found new information IMPORTANCE hinder the process solar wind field lines become tangled a barrel roll once every 17 hours poorly-thrown football Voyager 2 flew through a PROMISING CURE plasmoid, a giant NEW INFO magnetic bubble that may TOKYO: Japan’s Fujifilm has have been whisking Researchers from NASA’s Goddard Space begun clinical trials to test the Uranus’s atmosphere 1977 Flight Center downloaded Voyager 2’s effectiveness of its anti-flu out to space Voyager 2 was magnetometer readings, which monitored the drug Avigan in treating pa- launched by strength and direction of the magnetic fields The study, published in tients with the new coronavi- FILE NASA in 1977, near Uranus as the spacecraft flew by Geophysical Research Letters, rus, after reports of promising to study the raises new questions about They looked at the measurements every two results in China. outer the planet’s one-of-a-kind seconds, and details showed what scientists Trials in China have suggest- planets. It magnetic environment Voyager 2’s hidden had previously missed: an abrupt zigzag in the ed Avigan could play a role in was magnetic field readings that lasted just one shortening the recovery time launched 16 data reveals new info minute of the spacecraft’s 45-hour journey for patients infected with ATMOSPHERE LEAKAGE days before past Uranus coronavirus. Mars used to its twin Planetary Thirty four years ago, NASA’s ambitious “The trial will be conducted be a wet spacecraft, Scientists behind the new research believe the atmospheres all Voyager 2 became the only spacecraft to fly on 100 patients until the end of planet with a Voyager 1 zigzag could be a plasmoid, a type of structure over the solar near Uranus and Neptune. The spacecraft June,” a company spokesman thick revealed Uranus’ two new rings and 11 new that wasn’t understood particularly well at told AFP on Wednesday. “We system are atmosphere. moons. The data that was captured are still the time of the flyby will collect data, analyse them leaking into space. It evolved revealing new information about the planet. and file for approval after that,” WHAT IS PLASMOID he added. Hydrogen over time — 4 We take a look The drug will be adminis- springs from Venus to join the billion years solar wind (the continuous of leakage to Plasmoids are giant bubbles of plasma, or tered for a maximum of 14 days electrified gas, pinch off from the end of a to coronavirus patients be- stream of particles escaping space — to the Sun) planet’s magnetotail — the part of its tween 20 and 74 years old with become the magnetic field blown back by the Sun like a mild pneumonia, the spokes- Jupiter and Saturn also eject dry planet we windsock man said. The study excludes globs of their electrically- see today pregnant women due to side ef- charged air With enough time, escaping plasmoids can fects shown in animal testing. Gina DiBraccio, drain the ions from a planet’s atmosphere, Two trials in China found the Earth’s atmosphere also leaks, space physicist at fundamentally changing its composition. drug shortened recovery time but the effects are tiny on NASA’s Goddard They had been observed at Earth and other for patients, but Fujifilm was human timescales Space Flight Center : NASA RCE planets, but no one had detected plasmoids OU

not involved in those studies. S at Uranus Coming, app that alerts close contacts of Covid-19 carriers FACT OF THE MATTER

TRACKING TOOL measures in place in the coun- behind the project. The Oxford University team cord people’s GPS data as they Pangolin AI classifies try to help control the spread of “The instant mobile app con- has provided UK and European move about their daily lives. LONDON: The UK’s govern- Covid-19. cept is very simple. If you are governments with evidence to This would be supplemented by scales seized skin cancer ment-funded National Health “Our analysis suggests that diagnosed with coronavirus, support the feasibility of devel- users scanning quick response Service (NHS) is looking into almost half of coronavirus the people you’ve recently oping a contact tracing mobile or QR codes posted to public the feasibility of deploying a transmissions occur in come into contact with app that is instant, could be amenities in places where a mobile phone application that the very early phase of will be messaged advis- widely deployed, and should be GPS signal is inadequate, as could be used as a contact-trac- infection, before symp- ing them to isolate. If implemented with appropriate well as Bluetooth signals. ing tool, which alerts users to toms appear, so we need this mobile app is de- ethical considerations. “If we can securely deploy their exposure to coronavirus a fast and effective mo- veloped and deployed It recommends that the mo- this technology, the more peo- carriers. bile app for alerting peo- rapidly, and enough peo- bile application should form ple that opt-in, the faster the The app is being developed ple who have been ex- ple opt-in to use such an part of an integrated coronavi- epidemic will stop, and the by NHSX, the health service’s posed,” said Professor approach, we can slow the rus control strategy that identi- more lives can be saved,” said digital wing, alongside academ- Christophe Fraser from Oxford spread of coronavirus and mit- fies infected people and their Dr David Bonsall, researcher at BIG CATCH DIAGNOSTIC AID ics and industry partners as University’s Big Data Institute, igate against devastating hu- recent person-to-person con- the Nuffield Department of one of the means to help ease Nuffield Department of Medi- man, economic and social im- tacts using digital technology. Medicine and clinician at Ox- alaysian authorities esearchers have devel- the current strict lockdown cine, among the researchers pacts,” he said. The proposed app would re- ford’s John Radcliffe Hospital. Mseized about six Roped an AI system that tonnes of pangolin scales can accurately classify skin and smashed a smuggling disorders, predict malig- syndicate, officials said on nancy, and suggest primary Wednesday, as the country treatment options, an ad- clamps down on rampant vance that may be integrat- wildlife trafficking. The ed with smartphones to act HUBBLE HELPS SPOT pangolin, the world’s most as a diagnostic aid for clini- heavily trafficked mammal, cians. The study, published is believed to have possibly in the Journal of Integra- been a vector in the leap of tive Dermatology, noted that MID-SIZED BLACK HOLE the novel coronavirus from the diagnostic accuracy of animal to human at a mar- dermatologists as well as NASA’s telescope confirms existence; it weighs about 50,000 times ket in China’s Wuhan city. the general public can be the mass of our Sun and is smaller than supermassive black holes Its body parts fetch a high significantly improved by price on the black market using this system. The re- as they are commonly used searchers found that their MISSING LINK Researchers attributed it to a in traditional Chinese med- algorithm could diagnose star being torn apart after com- icine, although scientists 134 skin disorders, and sug- WASHINGTON: Astronomers ing too close to a gravitational- say they have no therapeu- gest primary treatment op- have found the best evidence ly powerful compact object, like tic value. Officials said they tions, render multi-class for a black hole of an elusive a black hole. The X-ray source, had detained two people classification among disor- class known as “intermediate- named 3XMM J215022.4-055108, and the operation had put a ders, and enhance the per- mass,” which betrayed its exist- was not located in a galaxy’s smuggling syndicate out of formance of medical profes- ence by tearing apart a way- centre, where massive black operation. sionals through AI. ward star that passed too close. holes normally would reside. Weighing in at about 50,000 This raised hopes that an times the mass of our Sun, the IMBH was the culprit, the re- black hole is smaller than the A star being torn apart by an IMBH | ESA searchers said. iPhone 9 may come on April 5 supermassive black holes that However, another possible lie at the cores of large galax- and so it is critical to carefully source of the X-ray flare had to TIP OFF ies, but larger than stellar-mass consider and rule out alterna- be ruled out: a neutron star in black holes formed by the col- tive explanations for each can- our own Milky Way galaxy, he Cupertino-based tech giant Apple may launch iPhone lapse of a massive star, the re- didate. That is what Hubble has cooling off after being heated T9 or iPhone SE 2 on April 5 as the image of its protective searchers said. allowed us to do for our candi- to a very high temperature, case has appeared at online retailer Best Buy in the US. Ap- These so-called intermedi- date,” said Dacheng Lin of the they said. ple is yet to officially reveal the launch date of the handset. ate-mass black holes (IMBHs) University of New Hampshire, Deep, high-resolution imag- An image shared by a Best are a long-sought “missing principal investigator of the ing provides strong evidence Buy employee shows an Ur- link” in black hole evolution, study. Lin and his team used that the X-rays emanated not ban Armor Gear case for the according to the results are Hubble Space Telescope to fol- from an isolated source in our new 4.7-inch 2020 iPhone. published in The Astrophysical low up on leads from NASA’s galaxy, but instead in a distant, However, there is no name Journal Letters. Chandra X-ray Observatory dense star cluster on the out- on the case box and these Though there have been a and the European Space Agen- skirts of another galaxy — just cases, among others, are be- few other IMBH candidates, re- cy’s X-ray Multi-Mirror Mis- the type of place astronomers ing sent to retailers, Mac Ru- searchers consider these new sion (XMM-Newton). expected to find an IMBH. mors reported. Additionally, observations the strongest evi- In 2006 these satellites detect- IMBHs have been particular- Best Buy employees have dence yet for mid-sized black ed a powerful flare of X-rays, ly difficult to find because they KEEPING THEM WARM been instructed not to showcase these cases until April 5, holes in the universe. but they could not determine are smaller and less active than An aerial image taken by a drone shows anti-frost candles burning between which indicates that the company could indeed launch the “Intermediate-mass black whether it originated from in- supermassive black holes, the apricot trees in an orchard near Balatonvilagos, Hungary on Tuesday. Candles budget iPhone later this week. holes are very elusive objects, side or outside of our galaxy. researchers said. are used to prevent the trees from being de​ stroyed by the frost | AP

ECONOMIC DISTRESS Coronavirus robs Americans of jobs, many not able to pay their house rent

BILLING TIME have seen their lives turned up- The couple also applied for could need temporary help to were forced to close their doors. bers of layoffs and furloughs, side down by the crisis. deferred and reduced payments pay their monthly housing bill, Tammy Devitoe was laid off mortgage companies are brac- NEW YORK: The coronavirus The decisions they make on for their student loans. which would total about $12 bil- March 12 from her restaurant ing for a wave of missed pay- pandemic took Brittany which bills to pay will provide “We plan to pay our power lion per-month. in Albany, New York, and the ments on April 1. Evictions Brook’s job on March 16, two a clearer picture of the eco- bill and anything necessary The federal government’s un- $250 to $300 of weekly unem- have been temporarily sus- days after it took her husband nomic damage done by Cov- that we can afford, but we will precedented $2.2 trillion aid ployment benefits she expects pended in some areas and there Matthew Whitfield’s, leaving id-19 in a country lacking a uni- not be paying rent, as that package will help ease the eco- to receive will not be nearly are growing calls on social me- the New York couple scram- versal social safety net and would deplete our savings and nomic pain, but the $1,200 enough to pay for her tele- dia for a rent freeze in April. bling as end-of-the-month bills where many workers have little emergency funds within just a checks promised to every phone, electricity, cable, rent Devitoe said her landlord come due. savings to fall back on. few months,” says Brittany, American — and $500 for each and car loan. cannot help because they have On April 1, Brook, who until “We have, for the first time in who lives with Matthew, 33, in child — will not arrive until the She swallowed her pride and bills to pay as well. recently taught music at a pre- our marriage, declined to pay a one-bedroom apartment in second half of April. asked for donations through Cynthia Ryan, who lives in school school, and Whitfield, a our credit card balances, but New York which they rent for In the meantime, a record 3.3 GoFundMe, the online fund- Dallas, said she was told “full now-former waiter and actor, only paid the minimum ... and $1,690 a month. million Americans filed for un- raising platform, where she rent is due regardless of the have to pay the rent and other called to ask for interest for- According to Amherst, a real employment during the week had managed to raise $2,240 by situation right now,” as the bills, as do millions of Ameri- giveness,” 31-year-old Brittany estate analytics and investment A woman hands out free grab-and-go ended March 21, as thousands the morning of March 31. management said they have cans of all social classes who told AFP. firm, 26 per cent of US renters meals for children in Waukee, Iowa | AP of small and large businesses Faced with the massive num- lenders too.