y

k y m c

CANDID ADMISSION GLOBAL BIDDING FOR VAX JUNTA FIGHTS REBELS Actor Gul Panag says her acting career Odisha govt decides to conduct global Myanmar’s army battled local fighters in Mindat enabled her to do things that are bidding for procurement of Covid-19 to quell a rebellion that has escalated to oppose the junta important in life LEISURE | P2 vaccines May 28 DOWNTOWN | P3 INTERNATIONAL | P10

VOLUME 11, ISSUE 45 | www.orissapost.com BHUBANESWAR | SUNDAY, MAY 16 | 2021 12 PAGES + SUNDAY POST | `5.00 IRREGULAR by MANJUL Expert help to boost healthcare

POST NEWS NETWORK Covid cases cross 6L, Bhubaneswar, May 15: State Chief Secretary Suresh Mohapatra Saturday 21 more fatalities said that the Odisha government has BHUBANESWAR: The Covid-19 tally in formed an expert advisory commit- Odisha crossed the six-lakh mark tee to recommend ways and means to Saturday as 11,805 more people tested bolster the healthcare system and help positive for the infection, while 21 fresh Sir, please allow us to develop a vaccine in preparedness to tackle any future fatalities pushed the state's death toll to 2,000 BODIES to boost immunity between the two Covid waves. 2,294, a health department official said. doses of your vaccine Mohapatra said that the panel com- With these new infections, the caseload of prises reputed doctors and scientists coronavirus disease reached 6,00,492 in UNDER SAND who would recommend ways to perk this coastal state, he said. At least 6,611 fresh cases were reported from quaran- THREE KILLED AS CAR up the state healthcare system to com- AGENCIES bat the emerging threats to people’s tine centres and 5,194 detected during contact tracing. Khurda district, which health due the pandemic. Lucknow, May 16: It’s a FALLS OFF BRIDGE comprises the state capital Bhubaneswar, “We have decided to form a high-level reported the highest number of new cases ghastly sight for people liv- committee which will have renowned at 1,414, followed by Sundargarh (1,209) ing near the banks of the BALASORE: Three persons were doctors and researchers. The panel and Cuttack (1197). MORE P4 Ganga river in Uttar killed and two others injured formed Friday is headed by Dr Srinath Pradesh as more and more when a car in which they were Reddy. It will advise the government dead bodies are washing up travelling fell off a bridge on the on the matters related to anti-Covid vac- “Many people are not aware about on the ghats of the river. National Highway 16 near cination and prepare the state for fu- the seriousness of the issue. When So far, more than 2,000 has become one of the largest Balasore in the early hours of ture waves of the pandemic, if any,” Covid was at its peak during the first bodies have been found along crematoriums on river banks Saturday, police said. Five per- Mohapatra said. wave, around 8,000 people were re- a stretch of 1,140 kms on with as many as 900 bodies sons were travelling in the vehi- The Chief Secretary added, “This ceiving treatment daily. Presently, we the bank of Ganga, spread found buried on the banks cle from Baripada in neigh- committee will advise the state gov- are treating 15,000 patients every day across several districts in of Ganga. Bodies were buried bouring Mayurbhanj district to ernment on various important issues. and around 3,000 are in ICUs. I would Uttar Pradesh. In fact, the near Shuklaganj and Buxar Bhubaneswar when at about 3 The panel comprises experts like Dr expect that people comply with the Ganga flows 1,140 kms in Ghats. As per the report, am in the morning the driver Devi Shetty, Dr Ramakant Panda and Covid norms to remain safe,” UP and then enters Bihar. human organs were seen at lost control of the car and it fell others. They will keep us abreast about Mohapatra said. According to reports, 350 the site and in a few instances, down from the bridge, the police the best global practices, ways to im- Citing the relatively higher rate of bodies were found buried dogs were seen nibbling and said. Balasore industrial police prove our present healthcare system infections this time compared to the first near Mahadevi Ganga Ghat lurking around the bodies. reached the accident spot and and ways to protect children from the wave, Mohapatra urged people to com- in Kannauj and the ad- About 20 bodies in sent the five persons to Balasore pandemic. We will implement their ply with the Covid-19 safety protocols. ministration is allegedly Fatehpur and 50 in headquarter hospital where doc- recommendations promptly.” “There are cases where an entire vil- covering up the bodies with Prayagraj, Varanasi, tors declared three of them The top bureaucrat also urged the The panel comprises reputed doctors The advisory panel comprising Dr Devi lage got infected after one person from soil on them. In Kanpur, Chandauli, Bhadohi and brought dead. The deceased per- people not to take Covid cases lightly. and scientists who would Shetty, Dr Ramakant Panda and others the area tested positive. If we can com- 400 corpses were buried Mirzapur were found, while sons are Rabindra Sahu, Santosh He said that compared to the first wave recommend the best ways to perk up will keep the govt abreast about the ply with the safety norms for 15 days, near Sherreshwar Ghat and 280 carcasses were found in Panda both from Takatpur area of the pandemic, more Covid patients are the state healthcare system to best global practices, ways to improve we can surely bring down the cases and a report in Dainik Bhaskar Ghazipur. The vernacular in Baripada and Debasis Panda undergoing treatment at hospitals and combat the emerging threats to the healthcare system and protect control the disease. However, the con- said the police covered them daily reported that in from Kuamara area. more patients are admitted to ICUs due people’s health children from the pandemic dition in Odisha is better compared to with soil. Puravanchal district, 110 to the viral infection this time. many other states.” Amid the pandemic, Unnao bodies were found. GST COUNCIL Doorstep MEETING MAY 28 Cairn sues AI to enforce YATRA SANS DEVOTEES Covid testing NEW DELHI: Amid a growing $1.2bn arbitration award chorus over the GST Council meeting not being convened for REUTERS for 60+ in City over seven months, the Union Finance Ministry Saturday an- New Delhi, May 15: Cairn Energy POST NEWS NETWORK nounced that the next meeting of has sued India’s flagship carrier Air the panel that decides on taxes India to enforce a $1.2 billion ar- Bhubaneswar, May 15: Senior on goods and services will be bitration award that it won in a citizens in Bhubaneswar can now held May 28. After over a dozen tax dispute against India, accord- avail Covid-19 testing facility at Central and state levies such as ing to a US District Court filing their doorstep from Monday by excise duty, service tax and VAT reviewed by Reuters. The move ratchets up just making a call to 1929, com- were subsumed in a nationwide The move ratchets up pressure pressure on the Centre missioner of Bhubaneswar Goods and Services Tax (GST) in on India’s government to pay the Municipal Corporation (BMC) 2017, the Council, headed by sum of $1.2 billion plus interest to pay the sum of $1.2 Sanjay Singh said here Saturday. Union Finance Minister and in- and costs that the British firm billion plus interest and He said the BMC will make all cluding representatives of all Cairn was awarded by an arbitra- arrangements to collect the samples states and union territories, was tion tribunal in December. The costs that the British from the doorstep of citizens above mandated to meet every quar- body ruled India breached an in- firm Cairn was awarded the age of 60 years, especially those ter to deliberate on issues at vestment treaty with Britain and who are staying alone and are un- hand. The GST Council last met said New Delhi was liable to pay. by an arbitration tribunal able to visit Covid testing centres, October 5, 2020. Cairn filed the lawsuit Friday in in December Singh said. the US District Court for the Similarly, the municipal corpo- Southern District of New York, ration is also taking steps to facil- WEATHER seeking to make Air India liable for creditors like (Cairn),” the filing said. itate the anti-Covid vaccination of the judgement that was awarded to Air India and the Indian govern- such senior citizens. The BMC will BHUB CTK Cairn. The lawsuit argued that the ment did not immediately respond ensure to and fro journey of sen- MAX 36.0° 37.0° carrier as a state-owned company to requests seeking comment. ior citizens to the vaccination cen- is “legally indistinct from the state In February, Cairn filed a sepa- tre, he stated.

TEMP MIN 27.0° 27.0° Forecast itself.” rate case in a US court to recog- Steps are being taken to enhance Humidity 87% 80% “The nominal distinction be- nise and confirm the arbitration the number of vaccination centre Partly tween India and Air India is illusory award, including payments due in the city, he said, adding, the on- Rainfall 19.2mm Nil cloudy sky and serves only to aid India in im- since 2014 and interest compounded The Chandan Yatra of Srimandir deities commences at Narendra pond in Puri on the occasion of Akshaya Trutiya, Saturday. going drive-in vaccination will re- properly shielding its assets from semi-annually. The summer ritual is being organised without the devotees in accordance with the Covid-19 protocol OP PHOTO sume from Monday for which slot booking will be opened soon. Perseverance, hope and a fire god: A history of Mars rovers CHINA’S TIANWEN-1 PROBE SUCCESSFULLY LAUNCHED LAST JULY AND ENTERED MARS’ ORBIT IN FEBRUARY – A MAJOR MILESTONE FOR BEIJING’S AMBITIOUS SPACE PROGRAMME

AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE cilities, can help pave the way for rover, set to launch in 2022. NASA's there was once liquid water on future manned missions. flagship Curiosity rover – of which Mars’ arid surface. After several Beijing, May 15: China’s probe to The Arab world’s first mission Perseverance is an updated ver- failed Mars flyby and orbiter at- Mars touched down on the Red to another planet successfully sion – remains active on Mars’ sur- tempts between 1960 and 1971, two Planet Saturday to deploy its arrived in Mars’ orbit in February, face after landing in 2012 in a spec- identical Soviet Union spacecraft Zhurong rover, during a busy time after it was launched by the United tacle watched by millions. finally reached the Red Planet in for Martian exploration. China, Arab Emirates last July. The Charged with finding out November and December 1971 – the US and hitherto space min- spacecraft, which will remain whether Mars could have once sup- only to both get swept up in a huge As the number of Covid cases nows the UAE have sent probes to high above the surface in orbit, ported life, the sophisticated car- dust storm. This occurred at the go on increasing in the capital the treacherous planet, where fail- is designed to further study Mars' sized rover has built on the work height of the Space Race, when city, the BMC has prepared an ure to land safely is more frequent atmosphere and how its climate of its NASA predecessors and dis- the US and Soviet Union were com- action plan to increase the num- than success. has changed over time. The covered further evidence of water peting to demonstrate superior ber of beds in various Covid hos- China’s Tianwen-1 probe suc- European Space Agency and previously on the planet's surface. spaceflight ability amid Cold War pitals, the commissioner said. cessfully launched last July and Russian space agency’s ExoMars It is now studying Mars’ geology and hostilities. In fact, BMC singed an agree- entered Mars’ orbit in February – joint mission got off to a rocky the history of its environment. To The earlier spacecraft, Mars 2, ment with a number of hotels to a major milestone for Beijing’s am- pare with those of other countries a helicopter-drone on another world start when its first phase, the do this, it is climbing a five-kilo- crashed upon landing after orbit- use their rooms for housing Covid y bitious space programme. The six- throughout history. NASA’ for the first time. Schiaparelli lander, spun out of metre-tall mountain in an ancient ing successfully for 18 hours, but patients. Singh appealed people

wheeled, solar-powered Zhurong Perseverance earlier this year be- About the size of a small SUV, it control and crashed on Mars' lakebed. Mars 3 landed successfully and op- to take the help of call centre (No.

k y m c – named after the god of fire in came the fifth rover to success- weighs a metric ton and has 19 surface in October 2016. NASA’s Opportunity, the longest- erated for 20 seconds on the surface 1929) which is functioning 24X7 to ancient Chinese mythology – is on fully land on Mars since 1997, cameras and two microphones – Named after a 19th-century running Mars rover, reached the before it fell over. Both spacecraft serve people with any Covid-re- a mission to collect rocks and data, launching shortly after China’s which scientists hope will be the Italian astronomer, the failed mis- surface of the Red Planet in 2004, sent images, temperature readings lated complicity. He also thanked and scan the surface. Tianwen-1. It has a remit to hunt first to record sound on Mars. sion will pave the way for the sec- staying operational until 2018 when and information about Mars’ grav- all for their cooperation in imple- Here is a look at how China’s for signs of ancient microbial life Scientists hope the rover, equipped ond part of the ExoMars pro- it was hit by a dust storm. It and its ity and magnetic fields back to the menting the measures to contain the efforts to reach the red planet com- on the red planet and in April flew with its own oxygen-producing fa- gramme – the Rosalind Franklin twin rover, Spirit, confirmed that Soviet Union. spread of coronavirus in the city. P2 PERRY REGRETS BEING OBSESSED MINDY KALING LEARNT A SUNDAY | MAY 16 | 2021 | BHUBANESWAR WITH BOYS IN YOUNGER DAYS LOT FROM PREGNANCY Pop star Katy Perry, who revisits her teenage Actress Mindy Kaling has talked about hiding her years in her new Electric video, says she pregnancy during the Covid-19 pandemic, saying would have liked her early life to have been although she learned a lot from the experience. less about the opposite sex. “I was pretty boy “I don't know if I recommend everyone having a y crazy. I think I was always searching for real secret pregnancy during a worldwide pandemic,

love and true love,” Perry said. but I will say I learnt a lot from it.” Kaling said.

k y m leisure c FORTUNE FORECAST Free Khyanikaa show for CMRF donors WHILE PEOPLE FIND free of cost. Written and directed by Amartya Bhattacharyya and produced by Swastik Choudhury, ARIES SEVERAL WAYS TO HELP THE the film stars Amrita Choudhury, Susant Misra, A tough, action-packed NEEDY DURING SUCH TORRID Choudhury Bikash Das, Bhaswati Basu and Anu day ahead! There may Choudhury among others. be difference of opinions TIMES, AS FILMMAKERS, “People working in the health sector are help- with friends over trivial ing the needy directly while others are finding matters, but you will thrive on it. But all ALL WE HAVE IS OUR FILM TO different ways to chip in. But as filmmakers, all we pending work will be completed, much to your relief. It's a promising and optimistic CASH IN, SAYS DIRECTOR have is our film. I approached my producer Swastik day, says Ganesha! and asked if we can donate the film for the cause. AMARTYA BHATTACHARYYA I’m glad that he was more than happy to accept my proposal. I urge everyone to come forward and TAURUS POST NEWS NETWORK donate as per their capacity,” said Amartya. Today, you may have Swastik said that people across the spectrum are something at the back of Bhubaneswar: The makers of award winning doing their bit to support the Covid victims. your mind that will grip Odia film Khyanikaa – The Lost Idea have launched “As artistes the best we could do is to offer our you with its complexity, ‘Khyanikaa for COVID-19 relief donors’ campaign art. And as they say, ‘Art should comfort the dis- says Ganesha. Speak freely as your words to encourage volunteers to help fight the pandemic. turbed and disturb the comfortable’. Thanks to are capable of making a great impact on oth- ers. You may not be willing to confront One can donate any amount to the Chief Amartya for initiating this idea of offering unpleasant situations today. Don't worry, the Minister's Relief Fund(CMRF) of Odisha Khyanikaa to the generous viewers. We will be re- stars seem in your favour, predicts Ganesha. and mail a screenshot of the evidence ally happy if people come forward and donate, no Acting to [email protected]. In matter the amount, to the CMRF and watch the return, they will get to see the movie movie in return,” he added. GEMINI You are extremely com- petitive. And it doesn't matter how far behind enabled Gul the competition is. So today, you will continue your usual quest for getting better. You won't have it any ‘My content has other way as you despise mediocrity. to do other CANCER found resonance Your business acquain- tances will come for- ward in the manner that things in life may seem nothing short with the masses’ of some divine intervention. This means that they will virtually save your neck from New Delhi: Gul Panag has the guillotine, predicts Ganesha. You will grow wiser in your spending ways, as you been in the Hindi film indus- New Delhi: YouTube star and digital creator CarryMinati, will know what to buy and what not to buy. try for almost 18 years now, whose real name is Ajey Nagar, attributes garnering 30 and she says her acting ca- million subscribers to his fans, saying the figures indicate reer enabled her to do other his content is loved by most viewers despite criticism. things that are important “These increasing numbers are indicative that de- LEO to her. spite the criticism, my content has found reso- Che Guevara may not nance with the majority of the masses. I hope hold the beacon any more, and the best of Gul began her career I can continue to entertain people with the same the Beatles are long with the 2003 film Dhoop. zest and zeal while also creating an impact gone. But your desire to revolutionise the Since then, she has worked socially,” he said. world is as strong as ever, sees Ganesha. in films like Jurm, Dor, The best ideas are the ones that come Manorama Six Feet Under CarryMinati hits 30mn mark suddenly and subconsciously. and Ab Tak Chhappan 2, besides the TV series Kashmeer. She was last seen in He looks back at his journey VIRGO the 2019 film Bypass Road. with pride: “This is such an emo- Krystle spreads Ganesha says don't let “I have always done films tional and overwhelming moment setbacks cow you that spoke to me and I was for me. My journey from a humble 50 eco-friendly optimism down today as you will emerge stronger able to leverage my film ca- views for my first video to 30-40 mil- from each one of them. It will be your reer to do many other things. lion per video now, it’s been an event- Mumbai: Actress Krystle D’souza spread logic and reasoning abilities that will aid So, I made my film career an ful journey with a fair share of hard a bit of environment-friendly optimism you in gaining the perfection in complet- enabler of doing other things work and struggles.” amidst all the Covid gloom in her new ing your work. You may look forward to such as being a producer, en- The 21-yr-old digital creator will be Instagram post Saturday. spending the evening with your beloved trepreneur, public speaker, seen facing the camera in the Amitabh “If there is a future it will be green,” she or a special friend. motivational speaker,” Gul Bachchan-Ajay Devgn starrer thriller wrote with a green heart emoji, along- said. Mayday. Earlier this year, he made his side an image that shows her amidst green- “I have to say clearly that musical foray into film writing and singing the ery, in a gown that she stylishly wears LIBRA while acting remains some- song Yalgaar in the film The Big Bull. over denim shorts. Gear up to play the thing I am very deeply grate- He was also listed in Time The actress was recently seen in the peace maker today! Your ful to, it is one of the things Magazine’s recreated version of the song Ek bewafaa ability to handle a ‘Brady Bunch' hasn't gone I do in my life and because it ‘Top 10 by Bharat Goel. The number was originally unnoticed. So expect to be put in charge of is one of the things I do in Next sung by Sonu Nigam in the 2005 Akshay handling disputes among your subordi- life it is the enabler of every- Generation Kumar-Kareena Kapoor film Bewafaa. In nates at work today, hints Ganesha. thing else I do, and it's im- Leaders Of the music video of the recreated song, Research work may slow to a crawl today, portant for me,” she added. 2019’. IANS she features with Siddharthh Gupta and but the offshoot is that it's an auspicious day to enter into new contracts. IANS Akshay Kharodia. IANS

SCORPIO SUDOKU Work pressure will keep on mounting today, pre- PEANUTS post To solve the Sudoku puzzle, fill in the boxes in such a dicts Ganesha. But you CROSSWORD manner that every row, column and 3x3 box contains shall handle it with great the digits 1 to 9, without repeating any. style, all thanks to your patience. But keep a watch on the radar and learn how to spot stress early and then act on it as quickly as you can.

SAGITTARIUS Look before you leap, says Ganesha. Cupid has strung his bow and aimed an arrow at you. Love's labour will easily aid you to woo a young, tender heart. But don't be swept away by easy prospects and guard your reputation at all costs. CALVIN AND HOBBES CAPRICORN You will starve for some free time, but will find it difficult to steal even a minute from your busy schedule, even if it is for unwinding your overworked soul, says Ganesha. In times SOLUTIONS like these, one can hardly think straight, let alone be innovative. You will, however, work your way out by prioritising matters.

AQUARIUS Your ideas are bang on target today! Everything you touch turns into gold. You have it in you to make it big, and the time is now. When the going gets tough, the tough get going — you've BREVITY CROSSWORD heard this before, now it's time for some action, says Ganesha.

PISCES y Stabbing with a pen is so

much more satisfying

k y m than slicing with a sword. c With these lofty ideals in mind, you will launch an assault upon your unsuspecting prey with your lethal presenta- tion skills, eliciting cries of sheer ecstasy and

tremendous applause. Don't get carried CHECK FOR SOLUTIONS OF THE PUZZLES TOMORROW SUDOKU away though, says Ganesha. P3 SOWING SEASON COVID-19 TRACKER SUNDAY | MAY 16 | 2021 | BHUBANESWAR INFECTED RECOVERED DEAD A farmer performs puja on World 16,26,14,477 14,05,21,291 33,73,561 his farmland at Kanas in Puri before sowing paddy India 2,43,72,907 2,04,32,898 2,66,207 seeds on the occasion of

downtown Akshaya Trutiya, Saturday Odisha 6,00,492 5,02,455 2,294

k y m c Global bidding for CHARIOT WORK BEGINS nCoV jabs May 28

POST NEWS NETWORK ender has been floated to Bhubaneswar, May 15: The state Tprocure a total of 3.80 crore government Saturday decided to vaccines and the govt will have a conduct the global bidding for pro- pre-bidding consultation May 19 curement of Covid-19 vaccines and 28 May 28 to ensure timely supply of the jabs to the state. ndian and foreign manufacturers Chief Secretary Suresh Iof Covid vaccines could take Mahapatra Saturday said that the part in the tender pre-bidding consultation on the same has been planned for May 19. The government plans to pro- want to provide vaccination to the in the state have been stagnant cure around 3.80 crore vaccine people as early as possible,” he said. and the positivity rate in many re- doses through the tender process, He also added, “We have issued gions of the state is either declin- he added. the tender to procure a total of 3.80 ing or stagnant. “The state Cabinet had earlier de- crore vaccines and have asked for “The positivity rate is either cided to issue global tender for pro- the same within four months. We stagnant or decreasing in districts curement of vaccines from across have a pre-bidding consultation like Bhadrak, Bolangir, Jharsuguda, the world. We have done the work May 19 and 28. Indian and foreign Nabarangpur, Nuapada, Sambalpur, and the same has been uploaded on manufacturers of Covid vaccines Sundargarh. This has given us the website of Odisha State Medical could take part in the tender. We can some relief. We can see better re- Corporation Limited (OSMCL). start procuring the vaccines in sults of the lockdown in coming Odisha is the first Indian state to good numbers as soon as the ten- days. The infections in the state issue a global tender on the issue der is submitted.” have been between 10,000-12,000 in a very short period of time. We Mahapatra said that Covid cases everyday,” he said. Srimandir priests consecrate three logs on the occasion of Akshaya Trutiya for construction of chariots ahead of this year’s Rath Yatra in Puri, Saturday OP PHOTO TWO ARRESTED FOR Covid positivity rate of Include all eligible farmers under PM Kisan: Oppn KILLING CARPENTER POST NEWS NETWORK Kisan scheme. The state govern- Khurda highest in state ment had earlier claimed that OVER BIZ RIVALRY Bhubaneswar, May 15: A day a total of 51 lakh beneficiaries POST NEWS NETWORK after the Centre and the state dis- have been covered under the POST NEWS NETWORK bursed fresh instalment of assis- Kalia scheme and now the Bhubaneswar, May 15: Khurda tance to farmers, Opposition BJP number has come down to 42 lakh, Bhubaneswar, May 15: The has recorded the coastal state’s and Congress Saturday targeted Saluja claimed. Commissionerate Police Saturday highest test positivity rate at 37.5 the state government over non-in- “The state government should arrested two persons on charges of per cent during last week (May 8 clusion of all eligible farmers under provide the list of all eligible farm- killing a carpenter whose muti- to 14), as per a list published by PM Kisan scheme. ers to the Centre. And at the same lated body was found in Saradeipur Union Health Ministry. The Union Health State BJP framers’ wing presi- time, the Centre should also include area under Dhauli police limits. At least 20 out of the 30 districts dent Pradip Purohit alleged that all kinds of farmers including The accused were identified as of the state recorded a test positiv- Ministry has stated that lakhs of small and marginal farm- sharecroppers and landless agri- Anup Baruha and Ajay Kumar ity rate above 20 per cent in last 504 districts in the ers of Odisha are being deprived cultural labourers under its Maharana. who is the main con- week. While Khurda was on top po- of the advantages of PM Kisan scheme. The issue is related to spirator while prime accused Muna sition in the list, Kalahandi was in country have recorded scheme as the state government farmers’ interest. So, it should is still on the run. Police Saturday second position with 34.9 per cent, positivity rates above is not providing the beneficiaries’ not be politicised,” said the claimed that the deceased Jagannath followed by Angul (34.3%), Boudh list to the Centre. Congress leader. Maharana was working as an as- (29.9%), Balasore (29%), Bargarh 10% during the last week “The Union government has In his reaction, BJD legislator sistant to accused Ajay’s father in & Bhadrak (28.9% each), Sundargarh enough money to provide assis- Odisha under the scheme. However, viding the list of eligible farmers Amar Satpathy said, “In a mark of Surat for last seven years. However, (28.2%), Cuttack (27.6%), Nuapada other districts of Odisha recorded tance to all eligible farmers of the state government is not pro- to the Centre. As a result, the poor respect to the farmers, we the duo returned to Odisha during (27.3%) and Puri (26.1%). test positivity rates beyond 10 per farmers are deprived of the an- have been organising ‘Krushak lockdown last year. Jagannath and Similarly, Dhenkanal district cent. These districts are— nual assistance of `6,000 from the Diwas’ since 2000. Chief Minister Ajay’s father had decided to start car- witnessed a positivity rate of 24.9 Nayagarh (18.8%), Mayurbhanj The Union government Chief Minister Naveen Centre,” he said. Naveen Patnaik has sanctioned pentry work in partnership. per cent while it was 24.2 per cent (16.6%), Deogarh (16.4%), Rayagada has enough money to Patnaik has sanctioned Even, the state government does- an assistance of `920 crore to However, they developed differ- in Nabarangpur, 24 per cent in (16.1%), Gajapati (15.1%), Ganjam provide assistance to all eligible an assistance of `920 n’t know how many sharecroppers 42 lakh farmers. The farmers are ences over payment of money. Bolangir, 23.8 per cent in Sonepur, (14.3%), Koraput (12.4%) and farmers of Odisha under the crore to 42 lakh farmers. and landless farmers are in Odisha, happy with the disbursal of the Later, Jagannath restarted car- 23.2 per cent in Jajpur, 22.1 per cent Kendrapara (10.5%). scheme. However, the state The farmers are happy Purohit added. assistance.” pentry work in Badagada area of in Jagatsinghpur, 21.6 per cent in The Health Ministry, in its list, government is not providing the with the disbursal of the Congress leader Santosh Singh Notably, the Centre and the state the city. Ajay harboured a grudge Keonjhar and 20.4 per cent in stated that 504 districts in the coun- list of eligible farmers to the assistance Saluja too urged the state gov- government Friday released fi- against Jagannath and and hatched Jharsuguda district, the data shared try have recorded positivity rates Centre AMAR SATPATHY | ernment to provide the list of all nancial assistance to the farmers a plan to kill the latter. He hired by Ministry said. above 10 per cent during the week, PRADIP PUROHIT | BJP LEADER BJD LEADER left out farmers to the Centre for under PM Kisan and Kalia schemes mason Muna and his aide Anup to Apart from the above list, eight of which, 28 are from Odisha. their inclusion under the PM respectively. eliminate Jagannath. BMC starts sanitisation drive in high-caseload areas RENOVATED SWARGADWAR THROWN OPEN TO PUBLIC POST NEWS NETWORK perts of the BMC under the re- 1 per cent solution of sodium spective Zonal Deputy hypochlorite. Sodium hypochlo- PNN/AGENCIES areas. The district administration Bhubaneswar, May 15: The Commissioners (ZDCs). rite, commonly known as bleach, hopes that people coming here Bhubaneswar Municipal “Zones have been divided for is most frequently used as a dis- Puri, May 15: The renovated from far-off places for cremation Corporation (BMC), Saturday, began sanitisation during first and second infecting agent. It is a broad-spec- Swargadwar cremation ground in of their near and dear ones would a massive sanitisation drive de- half of the day. The vehicles are then trum disinfectant that is effective the Holy city here was inaugurated not take any bitter experience with ploying three dedicated vehicles deployed accordingly to sanitise for the disinfection of viruses, bac- by district Collector Samarth Verma, them while returning back to their in each of its administrative zones. areas which experience large foot- teria, fungi and mycobacterium. Saturday. homes. As per sources, the three dedi- fall every day. Today, under the It can be mentioned here that According to sources, the The government had chalked out cated vehicles will focus on areas South East Zone, Satya Nagar cre- the move was taken in a bid to Swargadwar crematorium has been plans to renovate the Swargadwar that are reporting higher caseload matorium and many places in Old lessen the burden on the vehicles made of precast concrete. Twenty- in lines with the Vaikuntha and major public places like Unit Town were sanitised,” a BMC of- of the Odisha Fire Service (OFS). eight cremations can be carried Mahaprasthanam crematorium in I and Unit IV along with areas near ficial said. Earlier, during the first wave of out simultaneously at the revamped Telangana. The ambitious renova- hospitals and crematoriums. The “With areas like Patia, Rasulgarh Covid-19 between September and crematorium, an official said. tion plan also includes construc- civic body is presently engaging and Damana reporting high posi- Meanwhile, in the South West Zone, and Dumduma,” the official added. November, OFS vehicles were used Notably, the state government has tion of a road over bridge (ROB) nine vehicles for sanitisation ac- tive cases, the North Zone of the the sanitisation work was carried According to the information during the pandemic for sanitisa- spent around `6.3 crore for the from Swargadwar side to seashore tivities which are managed by BMC carried out disinfection drive out in various locations of Nayapalli, provided by the BMC, the chemi- tion activities and the services con- renovation and beautification of in order to facilitate hassle-free three staffers and sanitation ex- in these areas on priority basis. Surya Nagar, IRC Village, Jagamara cal used for sanitising the area is tinue even now. Swargadwar and its adjoining movement of people. SUMMER RITUAL Infected moms can breastfeed: Govt

POST NEWS NETWORK morbid condition may also be man- aged at home, if they have features Bhubaneswar, May 15: With the FOCUS WOMEN of mild disease and there is easy Covid-19 cases showing no signs of & CHILDCARE access to health facility in case of abating, the state government has any deterioration, it said. issued an advisory for safety of he Collectors were asked for The Collectors were asked for children, pregnant women and Tcounselling of pregnant and counselling of pregnant and nurs- mothers. The government, in its ad- district social welfare officers nursing women and children to ing women and children to avail visory, said that lactating mothers (DSWOs) and functionaries of avail optimal nutrition for optimal nutrition for improved can continue breastfeeding, with Integrated Child Development improved immunity immunity. precautions, even if they are found Services (ICDS). The food ration meant for preg- positive for Covid-19. “Since many children are getting he food ration meant for nant women must not be shared by The Women & Child affected by the virus during the Tpregnant women must not other family members. Pregnant Development and Mission Shakti second wave, children must always be shared by other family women should consume nutritious department has issued the advi- wear masks when they move out members food, take adequate rest and fol- sory and directed the district of their homes. Parents must en- low all Covid protocols. Collectors to ensure strict adher- sure that children above two years regnant women should In case a nursing mother or the ence to it for smooth implementa- must always mandatorily wear Pconsume nutritious food, child (0-2 years) is found positive, tion of various Anganwadi services face masks when they step out of take adequate rest and follow the government has advised to con- under ICDS programmes catering their houses,” the government ad- all Covid protocols tinue the breastfeeding as breast

to the needs of children, pregnant visory said. milk strengthens the immune sys-

k y m c and lactating women, adolescents A majority of children with in infants, and other medically in- tem by directly transferring anti- in the state. Covid-19 infection may be asymp- dicated conditions, children, preg- bodies from the mother. Department secretary Anu Garg tomatic or mildly symptomatic. In nant & nursing women must go However, appropriate precau- has also reviewed the current Covid case of cold, cough, fever, diar- for testing, treatment, isolation, tions are to be followed during The Chandan Yatra of Lord Lingaraj being organised at Bindusagar Lake in Bhubaneswar with strict adherence to the situation and measures taken rhoea, vomiting, stomach pain, and medical advice. breastfeeding and handling of the Covid-19 norms, Saturday OP PHOTO through a virtual meeting with loss of smell/taste, poor feeding Children with underlying co- child, it said. P4 SUNDAY | MAY 16 | 2021 | BHUBANESWAR downtown

21 deaths take state toll to 2,294 RESTRICTIONS IN FORCE

k y m c PRESS TRUST OF INDIA HIGHLIGHTS Bhubaneswar, May 15: The Covid- 19 tally in Odisha crossed the 6- HE STATE HAS CONDUCTED OVER 1.08 lakh mark Saturday as 11,805 more TCRORE SAMPLE TESTS FOR COVID-19 people tested positive for the in- THUS FAR, INCLUDING 57,002 FRIDAY fection, while 21 fresh fatalities pushed the state's death toll to 2,294, OUR NEW FATALITIES WERE a Health and Family Welfare de- FRECORDED IN KHURDA, THREE IN ANGUL, TWO EACH IN KALAHANDI, partment official said. KENDRAPARA, PURI, RAYAGADA AND With these new infections, the SUNDARGARH AND ONE EACH IN BOUDH, caseload of coronavirus disease GAJAPATI, KORAPUT AND NUAPADA reached 6,00,492 in the coastal state, he said. HE STATE'S DAILY TPR HAS BEEN At least 6,611 fresh cases were re- TOVER 20 PER CENT FOR THE LAST ported from quarantine centres NINE DAYS and 5,194 detected during contact tracing. Khurda district, which com- said, “Regret to inform the demise each in Boudh, Gajapati, Koraput 1.08 crore sample tests for Covid- prises the state capital of twenty-one Covid positive pa- and Nuapada, the official said. 19 thus far, including 57,002 Friday, Bhubaneswar, reported the high- tients while under treatment in Fifty-three other Covid patients and the positivity rate stands at est number of new cases at 1,414, hospitals.” have also died due to comorbidities. 5.55 per cent. followed by Sundargarh (1,209) and Four new fatalities were recorded Odisha now has 1,06,471 active However, the state's daily test Cuttack (1197). in Khurda, three in Angul, two each cases, and 4,91,674 patients have positivity rate (TPR) has been over Taking to Twitter, the Health in Kalahandi, Kendrapara, Puri, so far recovered from the disease. 20 per cent for the last nine days, The Bhubaneswar-Puri bypass looks empty, Saturday, as weekend shutdown was imposed on the urban areas of state and Family Welfare department Rayagada and Sundargarh and one The state has conducted over the official added. to check the second wave of Covid-19 OP PHOTO e-Pass system for Cops in soup for brutality; Pradhan supports IT, ITeS, pvt firms NHRC intervention sought state’s demand for POST NEWS NETWORK workers at the offices of respec- tive DCPs. They were also asked to POST NEWS NETWORK accosted Behera for taking away his Bhubaneswar, May 15: The issue authorization letters to the vehicle keys. Commissionerate Police Saturday staff for hassle free movement to Bhubaneswar, April 15: A rights The victim’s mother alleged that 19 more O2 plants launched a system through which their offices and residents. activist Saturday filed a plea be- the accused cop forcefully took him the IT, ITeS and private firms will So, the Commissionerate Police fore the National Human Rights to the reserve line and beat him POST NEWS NETWORK self generate e-passes for unhin- started a system to simplify the Commission (NHRC) seeking its mercilessly with the help of four he Defence Research dered movement of their staff dur- process for the IT and ITeS firms. intervention into an alleged police other cops. The victim reportedly lost Bhubaneswar, May 15: Supporting TDevelopment Organisation ing the lockdown and weekend The authorities of the IT and ITeS torture of a traffic violator in consciousness due to the inhuman the State government’s demand, (DRDO) has taken up the shutdowns in the twin city. companies can generate e-passes by Keonjhar in April. The activist de- torture by Behera and other cops. Union Minister Dharmendra responsibility to set up 7 such Speaking on the issue, visiting the website: manded `5 lakh compensation to the Patra called his mother after he Pradhan sought personal inter- plants in the state Commissioner of police Saumendra https://cp.erp.quocent.com/. victim’s family and direction to tim identified as Jashobanta Patra gained sense few hours later. His vention of his Cabinet colleague and other PSA plants are in the Priaydarshi said that the state gov- A copy of the e-pass generated the police for independent enquiry has been working as an attendant mother spotted wound marks on the Union Health Minister Dr. Harsh 7process of installation by the ernment has made no provisions through the system will reach at into the issue. in computer section of the Dharani body of her son and took her to hos- Vardhan for setting up of 19 Ministry of Petroleum & Natural for the issuance of passes to em- the DCP’s office. Sources also re- The family members of a youth, Dhara College in Keonjhar. SI pital for treatment. Pressure Swing Adsorption (PSA) Gas. Similarly, the Central ployees engaged in the sectors in- vealed that in case the firms fail to who was mercilessly beaten by some Biswajit Behera, who was in charge When she was going to police medical oxygen plants in Odisha. government will establish 7 cluding the IT and ITeS which are generate the e-passes through site cops in Keonjhar, have sought jus- of traffic control near College station along with her son to reg- The demand for 19 new med- other plants in the state exempted to function during the due to some technical glitches, the tice from Director General of Police. square, intercepted Patra while on ister the complaint 9 May, Behera ical oxygen plants of PSA tech- statewide lockdown and shutdown. staff can show the manual au- A case has also been registered his way to college along with food again stopped them midway and nology is in addition to the 21 PSA he PM had earlier declared The workers in such sectors have thorization letter of the firm at against the accused police officials parcel from a nearby hotel 28 April. threatened of dire consequences. plants being set up across the state Tsetting up of 551 dedicated been allowed to work in their offices the police check points. in this regard on the basis of the Behera snatched away the mo- An officer of Keonjhar town by Centre. PSA medical oxygen plants in public health facilities under some restrictions. Commissionerate police launched complaint lodged by the victim’s torcycle keys of Patra and asked police station looking into the In a letter to the Health Minister, across the country from The companies were recently the system with the technical help mother Kanak Patra. him to pay fine for not wearing case said that an investigation is on Pradhan said, “In view of the wide- PM Cares Fund instructed to deposit the list of of Quocent private limited. According to sources, the vic- helmet. Sources claimed that Patra in the matter. spread impact of Covid-19 second wave in Odisha, more districts he setting up of these plants need to be covered and supported Ton a war-footing mode will further. In this context, I request go a long way in supporting the No vax in 8 Xavier Univ now your personal intervention in set- Covid-19 treatment in the state Hotel-hosp tie-up to tackle ting up of additional 19 PSA med- districts today XIM University ical oxygen plants in 15 districts as state while seven others are in the proposed by the state Government.” process of installation by the POST NEWS NETWORK He proposed to set up two units Ministry of Petroleum & Natural bed crunch in Capital city each in Balasore, Ganjam, Bolangir Gas. Similarly, the Central gov- Bhubaneswar, May 15: The state and Mayurbhanj districts while ernment will establish seven other Health department Saturday said one plant each in Cuttack, Deogarh, plants in the state, Pradhan men- that there would be no vaccina- Interested hotel owners can approach the private hospitals of their choice Dhenkanal, Jagatsinghpur, tioned in his letter. tion sessions in eight districts of Kendrapara, Khurda, Koraput, Puri, The Minister also expressed his Odisha Sunday owing to shortage for the tie-up arrangement and intimate BMC of the same Rayagada, Sambalpur, and Sonepur. heartfelt gratitude to the Ministry of Covishield doses. The setting up of these plants on of Health for extending all sup- The districts where vaccination POST NEWS NETWORK body will play the role of a facilitator BHUBANESWAR: The Xavier a war-footing mode will go a long port to Odisha in Covid-19 man- sessions cannot be conducted are: for the hospital-hotel tie-up. University, Odisha (Amendment) way in supporting the Covid-19 agement and preparedness. Bargarh, Dhenkanal, Ganjam, Bhubaneswar, May 15: Amidst Meanwhile, all hotel association Bill 2021 was passed in the treatment in the state, he said. Notably, the Prime Minister had Jagatsinghpur, Kendrapara, rising number of critical Covid pa- members appreciated the idea and Assembly March 13, 2021 renaming The Defence Research earlier declared setting up of 551 ded- Koraput, Malkangiri and Raygada. tients and requirement of beds for requested the Commissioner for Xavier University as XIM University. Development Organisation (DRDO) icated PSA medical oxygen plants The government, however, said them at different hospitals, the facilitating the tie-up where their lo- The university here Friday hosted has taken up the responsibility to in public health facilities across that it has received a total of 1,88,010 Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation gistics including rooms, beds, house- an online launching ceremony to set up seven such plants in the the country from PM Cares Fund. doses of Covishield from the Centre (BMC) Saturday decided to rope in keeping, food and sanitisation can commemorate this remarkable Saturday evening. city hotels that will cater to patients oxygen facility for treatment of be leveraged with expert medical event. “This Amendment has now The Health department vacci- having mild infections. mild Covid positive cases (those services of the tied-up hospitals. received the consent of the nated a total of 33,845 persons BMC Commissioner Sanjay can be managed on normal oxygen Similarly, while showing their Governor of Odisha and a Gazette 210 cops in twin city Covid +ve Saturday taking the total number of Kumar Singh chaired a virtual mask or nasal cannula) at different interest for such tie-up arrange- notification has been published to this effect. With this, Xavier people inoculated in the state to meeting with the owners of major hotels. In case a patient needs spe- ments, corporate hospital facilities POST NEWS NETWORK He also informed the media that 65,67,429 till now. Vaccination was un- hotels, representatives of the hotel cial medical attention which can- like Apollo hospitals informed that University has been renamed as 14 officers were infected with the XIM University. We are deeply dertaken at 210 active sites across the and restaurant association and pri- not be managed at the hotel facil- they have already initiated the idea Bhubaneswar, May 15: As many highly infectious virus. Meanwhile, thankful to the Hon'ble Governor of state out of which 47 sites were of vate hospital authorities to discuss ity, they can be transferred to a of joining hands with hotels in other Odisha, Chief Minister of Odisha, as 210 police personnel working 63 out of the 210 infected cops have Covaxin alone. The highest vacci- the plan in details. Ideas were ex- proper hospital. Interested hotel states which can be replicated here. MLAs, the Odisha government, the under Commissionerate Police reportedly been recovered fully. nation coverage Saturday was for the changed on hospital-hotel tie-up owners can approach the private However, this will be a purely people of Odisha and all have been infected with the novel Most of the police officials in the second dose of persons above 45 arrangement for isolation beds in hospitals of their choice for the paid facility, and patients will have stakeholders who played an coronavirus. Police Commissioner city have already received both the years as 8,234 persons got the jabs hotel rooms having oxygen facility. tie-up arrangement and intimate to pay as per their choice of prop- instrumental role in this Saumendra Priyadarshi Saturday doses of Covid vaccine. This apart, while altogether 6,921 persons in “We have discussed the idea of BMC of the same,” Singh said. erties selected and as what would transformation,” said a release revealed the spread of virus among at least 71 fire services personnel the same age group received their creation of isolation beds with He also assured that the civic be fixed by the tie-up agreement. issued by the institution. the personnel in the twin city. have contracted the virus. maiden dose of the vaccine in the day. CLASSIFIED Odisha supplies 13,305.8 MT medical oxygen to 13 states

AFFIDAVITAFFIDAVIT POST NEWS NETWORK 4,386.679 MT of oxygen have been disha has dispatched as tankers with 392.76 MT of oxygen sent to Andhra Pradesh and 181 Omany as 70 tankers from to Delhi, 4 tankers with 107.89 MT By virtue of an affidavit Cuttack, May 15: The coastal state tankers with 3,053.149 MT of oxy- Angul with 1,142.662 MT, 196 from to Punjab, 6 tankers with 120.96 sworn in the Court of continues to deliver medical oxygen gen to Telangana. Tamil Nadu has Dhenkanal with 3,124.67 MT, 185 MT to Karnataka, 2 tankers with Executive Magistrate, to the states in dire need. A total of received 16 tankers filled with 312.36 from Jajpur with 3,782.947 MT 31.29 MT to Bihar and 2 tankers with 726 containers carrying 13,305.864 MT of medical oxygen. 39.42 MT to Rajasthan have been de- Bissam Cuttack, I Smt. and 275 from Rourkela with MT medical oxygen have been dis- Similarly, Haryana has received 5,255.585 MT of the life-saving livered in last 23 days. Bullbull Priya Munda, patched from Rourkela, Jajpur, 109 tankers filled with 2,015.812 gas during last 23 days Based on the directive of Chief W/o. Sri Raju Saraka of Dhenkanal and Angul districts to MT of oxygen while 34 tankers Minister Naveen Patnaik, a Special Vill - Jugapadar, P.S.- 13 states in the country under the with 566.671 MT of oxygen have Special Cell has been formed Cell was formed under Y K Jethwa, Bissam Cuttack, Dist.- supervision of Odisha Police. been sent to Maharashtra. Likewise, Aunder Y K Jethwa, ADG (Law ADG (Law and Order) as the nodal Rayagada, PIN - 765019, Odisha has dispatched as many 399.282 MT of oxygen filled in 26 & Order) as the nodal officer for officer for coordinated action for coordinated action for loading Odisha have changed my as 70 tankers from Angul with tankers have been dispatched to loading and transportation of med- 1,142.662 MT, 196 from Dhenkanal Chhattisgarh. As many as 46 and transportation of medical surname from ‘Munda’ to ical oxygen. A dedicated corridor with 3,124.67 MT, 185 from Jajpur tankers have carried around 897.931 oxygen has been set up with round-the- ‘Saraka’. Henceforth, I with 3,782.947 MT and 275 from MT of oxygen to Uttar Pradesh clock monitoring. District dedicated corridor has been shall be known as Bullbull Rourkela with 5,255.585 MT of the and 56 tankers with 981.66 MT of SsP/DCsP and Range DIG/IG/CP Priya Saraka for all Aset up with round-the-clock life-saving gas during last 23 days. oxygen have been sent to Madhya monitoring of the life-saving gas are supervising the movement per-

purposes. A total of 223 tankers with Pradesh till date. Moreover, 21 sonally within their jurisdictions.

k y m c P5 SUNDAY | MAY 16 | 2021 | BHUBANESWAR state

Ethanol bio refinery project hits road block IN ANTICIPATION

k y m LOCAL PEOPLE OPPOSE THE PROJECT, APPREHENDING POLLUTION IN SAMBALPUR c POST NEWS NETWORK FACT FILE Sambalpur, May 15: An ethanol n A private company based in Delhi bio refinery plant will be set up at has planned to manufacture bio fuel Deogan under Maneswar tehsil in from paddy straw in Maneswar area. Sambalpur district. However, the It has identified a patch of 40 acres project faced hurdles in the be- of land in the area ginning as locals have opposed it. n Local farmers accused the company Its Delhi-based promoter has applied of setting its eyes on agriculture land. at Maneswar tehsil office for land “Most people in the region depend on measurement, a report said. farming. Agriculture will be finished in Notably, a similar plant has been the area where the refinery is proposed at Balusingha under proposed. People will be at the Bhatli tehsil in Bargarh district. receiving end of the pollution, leading According to the report, a private to various diseases in the region,” company based in Delhi has pro- they lamented posed the plant, which will man- ufacture bio fuel from paddy straw. Maneswar tehsildar Birasen Behera said that the company has identified the land and planned to buy it. It has A patch of 40 acres of land has applied at the tehsil office for the land measurement, but a final decision about the project is yet to be taken been identified. The company has, meanwhile, applied at the tehsil culture land in the area. “Most heed when people will be suffer- the tehsil office for the land meas- office for land measurement and ac- people in the region depend on ing due to pollution. urement, but it has not taken any quisition. But, the process has farming. Agriculture will be fin- They urged the tehsil adminis- final decision about the project,” slowed down due to Covid-19 situ- ished in the area where the refin- tration to refrain from helping the he added. ation. ery is proposed. People will be at company in the matter and de- It is said that huge quantities After people came to know about the receiving end of the pollution, manded that the plant be scrapped. of paddy straw are burned in the the development of the project, leading to various diseases in the When contacted, Maneswar district after harvest of the crops. they expressed their displeasure and region,” the locals lamented. tehsildar Birasen Behera said that It causes severe air pollution. The warned of an agitation. They alleged, the administration the company has identified the government stresses use of paddy Local farmers accused the com- is helping the company set up the land and planned to buy it. straw for preparing bio fuel which pany of setting its eyes on agri- plant, but the former will not pay “The company has applied at will be mixed with petrol. A vendor selling bamboo wares eagerly wait for customers despite a shutdown in Rambha in Ganjam district OP PHOTO

IFFCO O2 factory to function by June 15 DGP urges Covid-hit Jumbo death in Kapilas Zoo sparks concern POST NEWS NETWORK HERPES SCARE On receipt of the report, the POST NEWS NETWORK Maoists to surrender, forest department has become Dhenkanal, May 15: The death of more concerned about the safety Jagatsinghpur, May 15: The dis- a male pachyderm ‘Hero’ under of the female jumbo ‘Padma’, 18 trict administration has granted unnatural circumstances at Kapilas months, which was rescued from approval to an oxygen plant pro- assures all assistance Elephant Rescue centre has sparked Berhampur forest region and re- posed by the IFFCO at Paradip. concern on spread of herpes virus habilitated in the Kapilas zoo. The company has set a target to POST NEWS NETWORK among the animals in the zoo, a re- Padma has been kept in isolation commission the plant by June 15. port said. while the rest of the elephants The plant capable of producing Malkangiri/Kalimela, May 15: This has left the forest officials were given anti-viral treatment. 700 cylinders per day will come in Amid reports that many Maoists worried over the safety of the re- When contacted, Prakash Chand handy while meeting the need of operating in Malkangiri and maining four elephants in the zoo. Gogineni, divisional forest offi- oxygen for Covid-19 patients. Chhattisgarh borders are hit by The zoo has been left with four ele- cer (DFO) said the report has con- According to report, the district Covid-19, Director General of Police phants Kartik, Uma, Chandu and FILE PHOTO firmed the death of ‘Hero’ due to level single window clearance au- (DGP) Abhay called upon the Left Padma after the death of the male Forest officials are An examination at the OUAT laboratory herpes virus. He said they are now thority gave the go-ahead to the wing extremists (LWE) to surren- jumbo Hero. The spread of herpes worried over the safety confirmed the presence of herpes virus in concerned about Padma and the plant which will be built at a cost der before police for their virus in the zoo despite a series of of the remaining four the carcass of ‘Hero’ which died in the zoo rest of the jumbos. of `7.2 crore. treatment. safety measures and restrictions has elephants in the zoo -- Notably, an examination of all Meanwhile, IFFCO has obtained The DGP, who visited Motu in sparked concerns among the res- Kartik, Uma, Chandu DFO, Prakash Chand Gogineni, said that the elephants in the zoo regarding and Padma after the Padma is in isolation while other elephants drugs licence, explosive licence Malkangiri Saturday, also assured The state government has made idents in the locality. the presence of herpes virus in death of ‘Hero’ were given anti-viral treatment and permission of the factory and the ultras of all necessary med- 14-day mandatory quarantine for The matter came to the fore January had come out negative. boiler department for the plant. ical assistance with empathy and the returnees from Andhra Pradesh after veterinarians conducted a However, the sudden death of Hero The oxygen plant will produce 520 financial assistance as per gov- and Telangana after a lethal vari- post-mortem of the animal car- Bhubaneswar. An examination zoo. The examination report stated due to herpes virus has left them cylinders (46.7 litre each) and 200 ernment guidelines. ant of the virus was detected in the cass and sent its samples to at OUAT laboratory confirmed the that young pachyderms are likely worried. He added that a close cylinders (10 litre each) per day. The DGP accompanied by neighbouring states. Odisha University of Agriculture presence of herpes virus in the to get infected with Herpes virus watch is being kept on all the jum- Various hospitals will be provided Director of Intelligence RP Sharma, Earlier in the day, the DGP vis- and Technology (OUAT) in animal carcass which died in the more than their aged counterparts. bos in the zoo. oxygen cylinders from the plant. Malkangiri Superintendent of ited Koraput district and discussed Reports from Keonjhar said, the Police (SP) and senior BSF offi- the Covid-19 situation and the anti- district administration has in- cials, visited Motu, MV 88 and Maoist operations with the SP. BeMC to launch stalled a dedicated oxygen supply Kaleru bridge in Malkangiri district Laying stress on setting up of unit at the dedicated Covid hospital and reviewed the anti-Maoist op- more camps for security forces to Power grid project hangs fire doorstep vaccination at Ranki. erations in the regions. He also expedite the operations against The district administration had visited various Maoist-affected the rebels, the DGP urged people Low voltage and for senior citizens earlier decided to purchase a ded- areas in Koraput and Nabarangpur to help in curbing the Maoist men- icated ‘Oxygen Generator Machine’ districts. ace which has posed a serious chal- unscheduled power cuts POST NEWS NETWORK based on Pressure Swing The DGP inaugurated a new po- lenge before the security forces in have become routine in Adsorption (PSA) technology with lice outpost at MV-88 before leav- taking up welfare activities in the Chhatrapur, May 15: In a first of the DMF funds for overcoming the ing for Motu check point on the region. Maneswar and 10 other its kind move in the state, the short supply of medical grade oxy- Odisha-Andhra border where he re- During his visit to Nabarangpur peripheral villages under Berhampur Municipal Corporation gen in the district in October 2020. viewed arrangements on Covid-19 district, the top cop directed po- (BeMC) has decided to launch The Oxygen Generator Machine enforcement. He talked to officials lice officials to strictly enforce the Sambalpur Municipal Covid vaccination for senior citi- was delivered in January 2021 to at the border check points regarding lockdown protocols laid down by Corporation zens at their doorsteps in the district and the installation enforcement of Covid guidelines for the state government so that the Berhampur from Monday, a re- started towards the last week of the migrants returning from chain of the coronavirus can POST NEWS NETWORK port said. April 2021. Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. be broken. District Collector Vijay Amruta Sambalpur, May 15: The state Kulange informed this while talk- government aims at providing ing to mediapersons here Saturday. quality electricity service to cus- The commissioner of the civic Admin performs last rites of Covid-19 victim tomers, but low voltage and erratic body will release an SOP in this re- power supply are routine in over Maneswar grid is getting delayed ity sub-division. gard. The exercise is being done to POST NEWS NETWORK Kin of the deceased did not 10 villages under Sambalpur owing to alleged negligence of the It is said that after the Maneswar provide hassle free vaccination to Municipal Corporation. It is al- contractor. grid is commissioned, low voltage senior citizens in the comforts of Sonepur, May 15: At a time when turn up to perform her last leged that power supply is often “The work of the grid at and power cuts can be sorted out their homes. Recently, the treat- family members and relatives aban- rites fearing infection of disrupted for hours. Maneswar is inordinately delayed. in over 20 villages including ment of Covid patients was in- don their loved ones losing their This has caused resentment As long as the proposed grid is not Halipalli, Brahmanipalli, cluded in the ‘Mo Sarkar’ initiatives lives to Covid-19, the local admin- the lethal virus in Sonepur among people in Maneswar and workable, we will be facing regu- Mirgamunda, Rasanpur, of the state government. istration in Biramaharajpur block 10 other peripheral villages. Locals lar erratic power supply. If the grid Chandamunda, Bhoipalli, Dalpalli, Meanwhile, the 20,000-litre oxy- of Subarnapur district has set an After battling against the virus, lying at the facility for hours to- pointed out that from Thursday is commissioned, people will avail Talpalli, Gurupalli, Jhakarpalli, gen plant built on the premises of example by performing the last she succumbed to the deadly dis- gether, Biramaharajpur Block evening, power transmission was of quality power supply,” Sudunga, Rankia and Tikra. MKCG Medical College and rites of a woman Covid victim. ease Saturday morning. However, Development Officer (BDO) Motilal hit for 15 hours. locals said. SDO (Electricity) Manas Hospital will become operational According to sources, the case the deceased woman’s relatives Sulia, Junior Engineer Binit Lakra, Power is supplied from It was alleged that the un- Chandra Das said that the work of from Wednesday. The plant, once was reported from Adal village did not turn up to perform her last block office staff Sriram Putibandh grid, 20 km from scheduled power cuts are routine the grid is yet to be completed. operational, will remove oxygen under Khandahota panchayat in the rites fearing that they might get in- Mishra,Sanjay Das and Maneswar area. On the other hand, in the transmission lines being “The contractor concerned is being scarcity in the hospital. district. A woman identified as fected by the deadly virus. Khandahota’s former sarpanch a 33KV power grid has been set up looked after by Dhanupalli SDO. reminded to finish the grid work, Notably, two Covid hospitals func- Bhama Jal of Adal village had Later, on being informed by the Nityananda Sahoo made neces- at Rasanpur Banki-Tikiri four Some ancillary works on the grid but he is not paying heed. The grid tion from the MKCG premises tested positive for Covid-19 three local Dedicated Covid Health Centre sary arrangements for the final years ago. However, it is yet to be premises are yet to be completed, will sort out transmission while two others are Tata Hitech days ago. (DCHC) that the body had been rites and cremated the body. fully functional. The work of said an employee of the electric- problems,” he added. and Aswini Covid Hospital.

FEEDING THE HUNGRY 68 prisoners test Covid-19 positive, trigger panic in Jharsuguda sub-jail POST NEWS NETWORK 5 INMATES SENT ON PAROLE IN KEONJHAR Jharsuguda, May 15: As many as KEONJHAR: Amid a spread of Covid-19, the authorities of Keonjhar district 68 undertrial prisoners (UTPs) who jail have sent five inmates on parole so as to ease overcrowding and were earlier lodged at Jharsuguda maintain social distancing inside the jail. The move has come following an sub-jail at OMP area in this town order from the Supreme Court to all the state governments. According to have tested positive for Covid-19, an reports, the jail authorities have decided to send 36 inmates on parole in a official of the jail informed Saturday. phased manner. Following a directive from DG (Prisons) Santosh According to a source, 182 swab Upadhyay, five inmates were sent home for 90-day parole. The families of samples in four phases had been col- the inmates have signed on security bond papers and taken them home. lected from the inmates and sent for Due to transportation inconvenience, families of other inmates could not RT-PCR testing after some of the turn up for signing on bond papers. A few days ago, the jail authorities UTPs developed Covid symptoms were panicked when nine inmates tested positive for Covid-19. The jail is a few days ago. can accommodate 608 inmates. Currently, 565 inmates are lodged there. However, 68 of them were found positive Saturday morning after again May 5 and 6. Out of them 68 is underway. More RT-PCR testing

the reports came in. The Covid-19 were found infected with the virus. would be carried out if required,

k y m c infected inmates have been kept They have been kept under isola- he added. in separate wards to prevent fur- tion in separate wards in the jail. Presently, the sub-jail has a total ther spread of the infection inside Necessary medical assistance is of 280 prisoners. Following detec- the sub-jail, the official expressed. being provided to them,” jailor tion of the 68 cases, the jail prem- “Swabs from 182 prisoners had Debendra Tharty said. ises have been sanitised, the Members of a voluntary outfit feeding monkeys starving since closure of Maa Chandi temple at Chandikhole due to Covid-19 pandemic OP PHOTO been collected May 1 and 2 and Contact tracing of the infected jailor added. P6 SUNDAY | MAY 16 | 2021 | BHUBANESWAR power post

FOCUS THE MIDDLE EAST We must watch over our thoughts.

A bad thought is the most

k y m dangerous of thieves. c THE MOTHER END OF ISRAEL’S ILLUSION

he sudden eruption of militia across the border in south- war outside and inside ern Lebanon. Hezbollah has an Israel’s borders has arsenal of 150,000 missiles many Leading Sans Grip T shocked a complacent times more lethal than Hamas’. nation. Throughout Benjamin To make its case, Hamas was e is a famous name in war but Field Marshal Bernard Montgomery Netanyahu’s 12-year premiership, willing to pay a high price. Israel’s does not have many battlefield victories to his name. In fact his most the Palestinian problem was buried punitive airstrikes on Gaza have Hfamous engagement, called Operation Market Garden (after which the and forgotten. The recent Abraham been devastating, targeting Hamas Hollywood movie ‘A Bridge Too Far’ was made) was a disaster. But histori- Accords, establishing diplomatic military commanders with brutal ans agree that Montgomery had something that all generals should have and relations with four Arab states, efficiency. But Hamas knows that this is ‘grip’. This is the faculty of being aware of the situation, being knowl- seemed to weaken the Palestinian in the asymmetric wars of this edgeable about what resources are at hand and what may be required in fu- cause further. Now it has re- era, a militia hidden among two ture, and being conscious of what events to anticipate. emerged with a vengeance. million civilians in one of the These are not qualities we associate with our prime minister. His inter- Wars can be triggered by an iso- world’s most densely populated est is not in the details but in the broad scheme. In a famous interview just lated incident, but their cause is al- areas has practical immunity from before the 2014 elections he said to the journalist Madhu Kishwar: “Even today ways deeper. In this case, the trig- defeat. Hamas also knows that the if my officers show me some paper, I say: ‘Tell me what’s in it in two min- ger, the eviction of Palestinians war’s reverberation throughout utes. For me two minutes is sufficient for a 10-page document. This skill is in favour of Israeli nationalists in The prevailing consensus among Israelis that the region will force neighbours something I have developed.’” the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood Palestinian nationalism had been defeated – like Egypt and Hamas’ patron, But while he has no interest in details, his preference is not to stand aloof of East Jerusalem, touched all the Qatar, to mediate a ceasefire. from operations but to insert himself through the bold and imaginative sensitive nerves of the Israeli- and thus that a political solution to the conflict From the debris of Gaza, Hamas stroke. For instance, the BBC reported at the end of March this year that be- Shlomo Ben-Ami Palestinian conflict. Israel’s oc- was no longer necessary – lies in tatters will then claim victory, not nec- fore the lockdown last year not a single ministry was consulted about what cupation of East Jerusalem, its essarily on the battlefield, but in the consequences would be. humiliating control of access to the the Al-Aqsa compound erupted, elections for fear that Hamas, the minds of its people. At that The BBC filed 240 Right to Information applications with various Indian EVEN AS THE Al-Aqsa mosque, the ever-present with worshipers inside throwing which has ruled Gaza since 2006, point, Hamas will have achieved government departments - health, finance, disaster management - to find out memory of the 1948 Nakba (the stones at the Israeli police, who re- would win and extend its control its main objectives: an utterly dis- if and how much they were consulted ahead of the lockdown. The responses VIOLENCE displacement of 700,000 Palestinians sponded by firing rubber-tipped bul- to the West Bank. credited PA and heightened pres- revealed that no experts or government departments were consulted. The ESCALATES, when Israel was founded), and the lets and other projectiles, wound- Abbas framed his decision as a tige as the ultimate protector of government denied to give the BBC a statement explaining why concerned grievances of Israel’s Arab mi- ing hundreds. But the young Arab protest against Israel’s refusal to Islam’s holy shrines in Jerusalem. departments were not consulted ahead of time. A second example of the prime IT HAS BECOME nority are all fueling the current protesters could claim victory, for allow the Palestinians in East Paradoxically, Netanyahu has no minister’s style of functioning is the famous demonetisation. Here also only flare-up. It may be true that the they forced the postponement of an Jerusalem to participate in the elec- interest in destroying Hamas. a handful people knew that this was about to happen. As a parliamentary CLEAR TO BOTH contested real estate in Sheikh Israeli Supreme Court ruling on tions. But the truth is that the PA’s Quite the contrary: he has struck democracy India follows the principle of collective responsibility. But even SIDES THAT Jarrah did belong to a Jewish fam- the evictions in Sheikh Jarrah. presence in East Jerusalem had an unwritten deal with it against the Cabinet was not told till the day of demon- ily before 1948. But Palestinians They also forced the police to practically vanished, with the vac- Abbas’ PA, which his governments etisation, Tuesday, 8 November, that India’s 1000 THE ERA OF saw the incident as part of Israel’s change the route of the Jerusalem uum filled by a mostly secular have consistently done all they rupee and 500 rupee notes, 86 per cent of all cur- GLORIOUS WARS unrelenting drive to ‘Judaise’ Day march away from the Muslim young Palestinian generation that could to weaken and humiliate. rency by value, would be wiped out that evening. Jerusalem, and a striking injustice, Quarter in the Old City. turned the Temple Mount (Haram A Hamas Islamic state in Gaza of- The government was not only unprepared for AND VICTORIES because Israel was built partly on The flare-up spilled over into Al-Sharif to Muslims) into the sym- fers Netanyahu the ideal pretext Modi’s move; it was deliberately kept hidden abandoned properties of pre-1967 Israel, where Islamist bol of their resistance to Israeli oc- to reject peace negotiations and a from the government. IS OVER Palestinian refugees. While Jews groups incited young Israeli Arabs. cupation. In the current eruption two-state solution. Netanyahu My point is not to say that this style is good or are entitled to reclaim property Mixed Jewish-Arab cities that were of violence, Hamas connected all the even allowed Qatar to keep Gaza bad or whether it has advantages or disadvan- they owned before Israel’s found- supposed to be exemplars of co- dots needed to gain primacy in the functioning by paying the salaries tages. The evidence is clear and there is no point Aakar Patel ing, Palestinians may not. Those existence, such as Acre, Ramla, Palestinian national movement. It of Hamas’ functionaries. in discussing that here. The point is to examine facing eviction in Sheikh Jarrah Jaffa, and Lod, erupted in an orgy positioned itself as the protector of Israel certainly cannot claim vic- whether it works in situations such as the one The question is why cannot recover homes in Jaffa and of violence and vandalism. Lod Jerusalem and Al-Aqsa, as the tory. The fragile coexistence be- we find ourselves in. The problem of the pandemic Haifa that they once owned. was practically taken over by gangs spearhead of the Palestinians’ na- tween Jews and Arabs within its bor- cannot be approached through the single bril- we did not anticipate On the face of it, the latest es- of young Arabs. This was a pogrom, tional and religious struggle against ders has been shaken. The prevailing liant stroke. It needs the State to be aware of the a second wave or calation of violence is following the said Jewish residents. An old Jewish the Israeli-Jewish occupier, and consensus among Israelis that situation, be knowledgeable about what re- a wave of such template of all inter-ethnic wars. woman spoke of memories of also as the voice of the Arab mi- Palestinian nationalism had been sources are at hand and what may be required Muslims observing Ramadan Kristallnacht. The mayor of Lod nority in Israel proper. defeated – and thus that a political in future, and being conscious of what events to destructive power. shouted nationalist slogans and drew the same comparison. Israelis and their complacent solution to the conflict was no longer anticipate. In a centralised State, where decision The answer is that if clashed with Israeli right-wing But Jerusalem has emerged as government were caught off guard. necessary – lies in tatters. And even making is often the purview of a few people groups chanting “Death to the the crucible of conflict. It offered Hamas conducted an unprece- as the violence escalates, it has be- and sometimes that only of one man, this may leadership must take Arabs.” The Israelis haughtily Hamas a golden opportunity to dentedly massive missile attack come clear to both sides that the era be harder to do as we are discovering. full control over marched with their national flag assert its predominance over on Israeli cities. They even launched of glorious wars and victories is over. The official position of our government in re- situations then it on Jerusalem Day, marking Israel’s Israel’s collaborators in the West salvos at Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, The writer, a former Israeli sponse to a shortage of vaccines and a shortage capture in 1967 of East Jerusalem Bank’s Palestinian Authority and sending half the country’s popu- foreign minister, of oxygen and of ventilators is that nobody must have grip rather and the Temple Mount, the site sweep away PA President lation to shelters. Israelis were left is Vice President of could have anticipated this. But the fact is that than genius strokes of the biblical Second Temple, Mahmoud Abbas’ moribund lead- to wonder how their vulnerable the Toledo International the rest of the world anticipated it. What we and of Al-Aqsa, completed in the ership. Under Israeli pressure, home front could withstand a war Center for Peace. are receiving today as aid is not new material year 705. Battles in and around Abbas had just canceled legislative with Hezbollah, the Iran-backed ©PROJECT SYNDICATE manufactured yesterday around the world. It is the surplus that was produced by nations which had anticipated the crisis we are going through today. They dealt with it because of their preparedness and that is the reason this material became surplus. No nation keeps useless stocks of expensive things SPECTRUM PANDEMIC lying around in case India will urgently need them. The reason we don’t have enough vaccines is that we did not order them at the right time because we didn’t think we needed them. As the Prime Minister said to the World Economic Forum in late January, “India is among those countries which have succeeded in saving the lives of the maximum number of its citizens and the number of people infected with corona is rapidly decreasing.” He added Aren’t postal employees Covid warriors? that “it would not be advisable to judge India’s success with that of another country. In a country which is home to 18 per cent of the world population, he Government of Odisha re- of Posts has become a lifesaver nerable to the virus. Besides, post Centre (CVC), no such step has yet that country has saved humanity from a big disaster by containing corona leased a fresh list of frontline guaranteeing supplies of essential offices are remaining functional been taken either by the depart- effectively.” Tworkers for Covid-19 vacci- items including medicines, testing with full working strength. ment or by the state government. We had decided based on the evidence we saw that India was unique and nations on May 13, 2021. The list in- kits, masks, sanitizers, PPEs and While the activities of banking These employees are finding out had overcome Covid. Other nations thought of the issue as a longer prob- cludes forest department staff, medical equipment like ventila- sector are limited to financial trans- ways and means to be vaccinated lem not limited to the first wave. They ordered vaccines on time and received bank/insurance staff, ATM main- tors and defibrillators to all cor- actions, insurance sector are lim- on their own. Adding salt to injury, them. They let their scientists determine whether the battle against the tenance staff, staff of logistic com- ners of the country. The depart- ited to insurance businesses and pri- the death claim compensation of pandemic was won instead of a divinely inspired leadership. Once the sci- panies, railway staff, child care in- ment has also been delivering cash vate courier services/logistics `10 lakh due to Covid, which was ini- ence revealed that only precaution, healthcare preparation and vaccina- stitutions’ staff, oxygen plant at the doorsteps of the old, the companies are meant for mail/par- tially declared by the Central gov- tion could stop the pandemic, that is where their execution capacities were employees, filling station and call handicapped, and pensioners cel business only, India Post alone ernment to postal employees, in- deployed. centre employees. However, postal through Aadhaar Enrolled Payment delivers all such services. Besides, cluding the GDS, was subsequently The question is why we did not anticipate a second wave or a wave of such employees have been excluded from System (AePS). The red motor van the department has also facilitated withdrawn. Though India Post has destructive power. The answer is that if leadership must take full control over this list. The decision of the gov- of India Post is a beacon of hope for the customers with 111 additional witnessed more than 250 deaths, situations then it must have grip rather than genius strokes. There may the- ernment has disheartened about the homeless and the needy in services across the nation under one including nearly 15 in Odisha till oretically be times when the latter style is advantageous but this era is not 25,000 postal employees and work- slums, migrant labourers and daily platform -- Common Service Centre. now, neither any compensation nor among them. ers of 8,164 post offices in the Odisha wage earners. For its significant How can these employees be employment to one of the eligible Postal Circle. role during COVID, the Department treated inferior to others during this family members of the deceased Bruhaspati Samal During this national crisis, India of Posts won the excellence in pandemic? Most regretfully, there employee is considered. WISDOM CORNER Post, the largest postal network in Digital Governance Award in Digital is gross disparity between the em- Managing new risk and bal- BIOMETRIC the world, as one of the essential India Award in 2020 and Healthgiri ployees of India Post and that of ancing ambition with capacity, Have patience. All things are difficult before they become easy. SAADI service providers, has come for- Award, 2020 for Best Logistic Service other departments. While the bank- the postal employees are playing TRANSACTIONS ward to stand with the government, Provider. During the second wave, ing and insurance sectors availed a key role in fighting poverty and It is not the mountain we conquer but ourselves. EDMUND HILLARY AND DIRECT DOOR the administration and the com- India Post and its employees are reduced working hours with inequality, supporting the ageing mon citizens. It has kept opened moving ahead with the same tem- Saturday leave, employees of India population, meeting the needs of If you do not think about your future, you cannot have one. DELIVERY OF all its 1.56 lakh post offices includ- perament as before. Post are treated with step-moth- an increasingly mobile society in JOHN GALSWORTHY ing 1.30 lakh post offices in rural While a key section of these em- erly attitude both by the Union and every manner. MAILS MAKE areas to cater to the needs of both ployees especially the delivery staff the state governments during the Against this backdrop, there is THE STAFF urban and rural people through (postmen) and Gramin Dak Sewaks pandemic. an urgent need to identify the ded- WORDSWORTH its 5 lakh-strong workforce. (GDS) are moving from door to door Even for vaccination, postal em- icated workforce of India Post as VULNERABLE TO Last year, especially during the with biometric/handheld devices for ployees are kept outside the prior- Covid Warriors and provide all Mutoscope THE VIRUS lockdown period, India Post en- delivery of letters and payment of ity list. Despite the Health Ministry’s facilities, including priority in sured emergency mail services and money through AePS, another sec- direction to organise vaccination ses- vaccination, as given to frontline n the 1890s, something like a technological gold rush took place to find a financial transactions even through tion (counter and frontline staff) is sions at workplaces (both public & workers. Ipractical way of presenting moving pictures. In the US, for example, Edison Mobile Post Offices wherever nec- directly dealing with customers in private) which are having about demonstrated his kinetoscope in 1894. Alongside considerable mechanical essary. Working till midnight daily, vulnerable conditions. Biometric 100 eligible and willing benefici- The writer is Organising ingenuity lay great linguistic creativity, as a little squib that appeared in the it delivered hope and essential items transactions and direct door deliv- aries by tagging these workplaces General Secretary, National Chicago Record in early 1898 will demonstrate: The single invention of to far flung areas. The Department ery of mails make the staff vul- with an existing Covid Vaccination Federation of Postal Employees. throwing moving pictures on screen, variously known as the vitascope or kinetoscope, has added dozens of new words to the language within the last year or two. Here is a list of the various names for “movement photography:” Phantoscope, criterioscope, vitascope, cinematograph, Dearth of vaccines Maintain peace Origin of virus biograph, kinematograph, wonderscope, animatoscope, vitagraph, panoramograph, cosmoscope, anarithmoscope, katoptikum, magniscope, Sir, The rollout of Sputnik V Sir, In my opinion the present Sir, It has been over one year that the deadly pandemic is residing with zoeoptrotrope, variscope, phantasmagoria, projectoscope, cinograph, vaccine must ease the vaccine Israeli-Palestinian conflict is the us and has killed over 3.3 million people worldwide. Amid various rev- hypnoscope, centograph, X-ograph, electroscope, cinegraphoscope, etters crunch in India to some extent. brain child of PM Netanyahu to di- elations about its origin, a new development came in that US’ National craboscope, vitaletiscope, cinematoscope, mutoscope, cinoscope, Use of the vaccine follows clear- vert the attention of the people of Institutes of Health (NIH) might be partly behind the origin of the animaloscope, theatograph, chronophotographoscope, cinnomonograph, ance for imported doses from Israel from the domestic politics. virus. In a recent US congressional hearing, there was a heated ex- motograph, kinetograph, rayoscope, motorscope, kinetiphone, thromotrope, TOL THE EDITOR the Central Drugs Laboratory It’s an easy way to gain popularity. change between a Republican senator and Dr Anthony Fauci, chief phenakistoscope, venetrope, vitrescope, zinematograph, vitopticon, Readers of Orissa POST in Kasauli. The vaccine will be Start a war and unite the coun- medical advisor to the President, in which the Senator levelled alle- stinnetiscope, vivrescope, diaramiscope, lobsterscope, corminograph, are most welcome to contribute letters available in private hospitals try. Deliberate occupation of Gaza gations pointing at Dr Fauci that NIH was funding “gain of function” kineoptoscope or any other old scope. Lobsterscope? Craboscope? Was this (200 words), articles and this month at a steep `995 per strip has always been a tool for research of SARS- CoV-2 virus to EcoHealth Alliance, which was, in columns (between 750-1250 some joke of the writer’s? Buried in that list was one that was certainly real, words). Contributors are dose, which is higher than the $10 Israeli politicians. Blind support turn, funding the Wuhan Institute of Virology to study the infec- mutoscope, a device created by the American inventor Herman Casler and requested to send their (Rs 732) per dose indicated by for Israel by the US gives extra tiousness of the virus. It is argued that the virus might have escaped patented in 1894. The word is assumed to be from Latin mutare, to change. contact numbers and full the RDIF, but prices could fall strength to the Jewish country. from the lab during its experiment. Funding was being made since

Both the kinetoscope and the mutoscope required the viewer to peer into a postal address/email ID. They may also once local production kicks in. Iran-backed Hamas is also re- 2014 even after the Obama administration put restrictions on it. Even,

k y m send in their valuable comments, opinion c viewing slot while turning a handle. But whereas Edison’s device used a strip and suggestions, preferably by email, Sputnik V joins Covishield and sponsible for the attacks against a few days back, an Australian report revealed that Chinese military of film, Casler’s was very close in idea to the flip-book, in which riffling to: [email protected] the indigenous Covaxin in the Israel. Both Israel and Palestine will scientists were experimenting this virus to use it as a weapon. Amid through a sequence of still pictures seems to create a moving image. In the vaccination programme, ham- have to understand that main- all these reports, there has been no consistent result on its origin. And, mutoscope the pictures were arranged around a drum; turning a handle strung by a dearth of vaccines. taining peace in the region is im- instead of playing the blame game, all the countries should come unit- caused them to appear one after the other at about 16 frames a second, the B-15, Rasulgarh Industrial Estate, NJ Ravi Chander, portant. edly to conduct a thorough investigation into its origin. minimum needed to give an illusion of movement. Bhubaneswar-751010 BANGALORE Sunil Pradhan, KHARIAR Sambit Palei, BHUBANESWAR P7 DELHI PUNJAB

SUNDAY | MAY 16 | 2021 | BHUBANESWAR

k y m Lockdown leads to ‘Yogi trying to incite hatred in Punjab’ c fall in Delhi’s Covid PRESS TRUST OF INDIA mark was utterly ridiculous, apart provocative gesture aimed at cre- from being totally unwarranted ating “conflict” among the com- Chandigarh, May 15: Chief and uncalled for. munities living in perfect har- Minister Amarinder Singh “The whole world knows of the mony in Punjab, the chief Minister cases, say experts Saturday criticised his Uttar communally divisive policies of said. Pradesh counterpart Yogi the BJP, and particularly the Yogi He termed it a "conspiracy on Adityanath over his ‘inflamma- Adityanath government in UP,” the part of the BJP to spread tory’ tweet on the declaration of he said in a statement here. disharmony" in Punjab ahead of Malerkotla as the 23rd district of Pointing to the “spate of changes the assembly elections, which are Punjab, terming it an attempt to in names” of various UP cities, in- just months away. incite ‘communal hatred’ in the cluding Mughal Sarai to Pandit "But the UP chief minister peaceful state. Deen Dayal Upadhyay Nagar, seems to have forgotten that his Contrasting the communal har- Allahabad as Prayagraj and own state is also going to the polls mony in Punjab with the ‘divi- Faizabad as Ayodhya, he dubbed at the same time, and if the re- siveness’ being promoted by the it an “attempt by the Yogi gov- cent Panchayat poll results are Yogi Adityanath government in ernment to rewrite history”, which any indication, the BJP is in for a Uttar Pradesh, Singh asked the the peace-loving people of India complete and shocking rout,” he The whole world Any distinction on the basis former to stay out of his state’s af- will never condone. knows of the quipped. fairs as they are in much better of belief and religion is Citing media reports, Singh re- Adityanath should focus his en- communally shape than those in UP. contrary to the basic spirit called that UP was the first state ergies on saving his own state, “Any distinction on the basis divisive policies of of the Constitution of India. in the country to approve ‘love where the COVID situation is spi- of belief and religion is contrary the BJP, and Presently, the formation of jihad' laws, and Yogi Adiyanath's rally out of control, with bodies of to the basic spirit of the particularly the Yogi Malerkotla (Punjab) is a "open hatred" for Taj Mahal (which the victims of the pandemic being Constitution of India. Presently, Adityanath reflection of the divisive policy of he sees as a legacy of the Mughals) found dumped in rivers, thus de- the formation of Malerkotla government in UP the Congress has been the subject matter of priving them of even the dignity (Punjab) is a reflection of the di- AMARINDER SINGH I PUNJAB CM YOGI, ADITYANATH I UP CM criticism in international press. of a decent cremation/burial, visive policy of the Congress,” In fact, the UP chief minister is Singh said. Adityanath had tweeted earlier reportedly the founder of Hindu "A chief minister who cannot in Hindi. tory of Malerkotla, whose rela- the Punjab chief minister, in a Yuva Vahini, an organisation that protect even the basic human The UP chief minister’s tweet tionship with Sikhism and its strong reaction to his UP coun- was responsible for starting cow rights of his state's people and al- came a day after Singh announced Gurus was known to every terpart’s tweet. vigilantism, which led to lynching lows them to be treated with such the only Muslim majority town Punjabi? And what does he un- Mocking the UP chief minis- of Muslims in his own state, Singh shocking disrespect has no moral in Punjab to be the state's 23rd derstand of the Indian ter's comment, Singh said given the pointed out. right to continue in office, leave PRESS TRUST OF INDIA Doctors at leading district on the occasion of Eid. Constitution, which is being Yogi Adityanath government and It was obvious that the tweet alone comment on the functioning “What does he (Yogi Adityanath) brazenly trampled every day by his the BJP's track record of spread- of the UP government head on of another state government," the New Delhi, May 15: The national government and private know of Punjab’s ethos or the his- own government in UP?” asked ing “communal hate”, such a re- Malerkotla was nothing but a Punjab chief minister added. capital recorded 6,430 new COVID- hospitals in Delhi said 19 cases and 337 fatalities Saturday there is a relative fall in while the positivity rate dipped to 11.32 per cent. This is the second con- the number of cases secutive day when Delhi has and ‘still a long way to Delhi to have O2 concentrator 40 pc of Punjab’s Covid recorded less than 10,000 cases in a day. go’ before the daily Delhi Friday recorded 8,506 count falls below COVID-19 cases, the daily count bank for home isolation patients deaths in last 44 days dipping to below the 10,000-mark the 2,000-mark again after a month, with med- given immediately . ical experts believing the lock- here, echoed Sherwal and said the "If patients under home isolation down to be the main factor be- prime factor behind, a relatively im- require oxygen, our team will en- hind the dip amid the second wave proved situation, is that a lock- sure the oxygen concentrator of the pandemic. down was imposed. reaches them within two hours. A Doctors at leading government She argued that had the lock- technician will also accompany and private hospitals in Delhi said down been imposed a week ear- the team to explain to the family there is a relative fall in the num- lier in April, the situation would- members how to use the device." ber of cases and "still a long way n't have become this worse, but Delhi government doctors will to go" before the daily count falls then it's a difficult decision by any stay in touch with all those who below the 2,000-mark, as it was a few government. are being given oxygen concen- months earlier. "Besides lockdown, another fac- trators. If the need arises to send “Lockdown, I would say is the tor is that a large number of the pop- them to a hospital, it will be taken biggest factor in arriving at a situ- ulation has got infected by the care of, he said. ation where we are now, when daily virus, so they have developed im- The oxygen concentrators will cases from 28,000 have come down munity, and hence, in a way, herd be returned after the patients do not to about 8,500. However, it is still a immunity has been attained, which need it. The devises will be sanitised, huge figure, and there should be helps in breaking the chain of and given to other patients in need, no room for complacency, on any transmission," Sareen said. PRESS TRUST OF INDIA after recovery from hospital but he added. front,” Medical Director of Rajiv RGSSH's Sherwal also attributed require oxygen support as recom- A team of Delhi government PRESS TRUST OF INDIA fected districts in Punjab as it has Gandhi Super Speciality Hospital the ongoing vaccination drive as a New Delhi, May 15: Chief Minister mended by the doctors," said the doctors will first ensure whether registered 538 deaths between April (RGSSH), B L Sherwal, told PTI. contributing factor for slowing Arvind Kejriwal Saturday an- chief minister. a person needs an oxygen con- Chandigarh, May 15: Around 40 1 and May 14, 2021, as per the data. “While daily cases have come down of the daily cases. Sareen, nounced the launch of an oxygen The COVID patients who are centrator or not. It will be provided per cent of the total Covid-19-related Besides, Amritsar reported 515 down, the severity of infection is still however, said, the efficacy of the vac- concentrator bank for COVID pa- not enrolled under home isolation after they give their recommen- fatalities in Punjab took place in the more deaths due to the contagion the same, and new patients are cination will be seen in the coming tients requiring oxygen support in protocol of the Delhi government dation, Kejriwal said. last forty-four days, indicating the between April 1 and May 14. being brought to our hospital in weeks and months, and "too early home isolation or those recuperating may call 1031 and avail of the oxy- The oxygen concentrators will severity of the second wave of the During the same period, Patiala the same condition as before. Many to factor in for the dip in daily cases". after discharge from hospital. gen concentrator facility, he said. be delivered at the doorstep of pa- Coronavirus pandemic. saw 396 deaths, Bathinda 349, Mohali of them are brought dead or die "But, yes, the maniacal and dis- He said despite declining cases Delhi Health minister Satyendar tients by OLA Foundation and Give Punjab had reported a total of 307 and Jalandhar 301, as per the shortly after being brought to emer- tressful scenes at the hospital have and positivity rate in the national Jain in a tweet said the COVID pa- India, he said, thanking the two 6,868 deaths due to the infection data. gency. So, we must understand the reduced a bit. However, the sever- capital, there would be no laxity in tients under home isolation or organisations. as on March 31. The case fatality rate in rural gravity of the situation,” he added. ity of cases is still there and we must the fight against the virus. those discharged from the hospital Atul Satija, GiveIndia CEO and The death toll rose to 11,477 as on areas is 2.6 per cent as against 0.8 Delhi had been reeling under a not lower out guards. We hope, Each district in Delhi will have can avail the facility of the first oxy- founder said, "Through this ini- May 14, showing 4,609 more people per cent in urban areas, officials brutal second wave of the pan- people will learn lessons from this a stock of 200 concentrators that will gen concentrator bank in Delhi, tiative, we will provide oxygen con- succumbing to the disease since said. demic that is sweeping the country, tragedy and horrific deaths and be rushed to the doorsteps of the after it is prescribed by the doc- centrators to those who are in April 1 this year, the state Health Apart from this, Punjab has claiming a massive number of lives continue to follow COVID-appro- patients requiring oxygen within tors. home-isolation or in recovery right Department's data revealed. added 2,44,250 fresh cases of in- daily, with the recent oxygen sup- priate behaviours," she said. two hours, Kejriwal said at an on- Oxygen concentrators are at their doorstep." The health officials had earlier fection in the last 44 days. ply shortage issue at various hos- Dr Suranjit Chatterjee, a senior line briefing. portable devices that enrich oxygen The chief operating officer of pointed out that the delay in ap- The state had a total of 2,39,734 pitals adding to the woes. consultant at Apollo Hospitals here, Those requiring oxygen con- content in the air breathed by a Ola Gaurav Porwal said, "As part proaching hospitals for treatment cases as on March 31. It went up to This year, the lockdown here agreed with Sareen, that the situation centrators can call on the helpline person. of the O2forIndia initiative, we by patients with severe symptoms 4,83,984 between April 1 and May was first imposed April 19, amid a at hospitals has improved a bit. number -- 1031 -- and it will be pro- According to the Delhi govern- will provide free and easy access and comorbidities were the main 14, as per the Health Department steep rise in COVID-19 cases, and "We are getting less SOS calls, my vided free of cost after it is rec- ment's health bulletin Saturday, to oxygen concentrators to home iso- reasons behind fatalities. data. has been extended thrice so far. phone's ringing less number of ommended by the doctors, he said. there are 42,482 COVID patients lation patients via the Ola app, and Punjab witnessed a record 217 Ludhiana, Mohali, Bathinda, May 9, it was extended by another times, the daily routine at work is "The oxygen bank will have 200 under home isolation out of 66,295 Ola cabs will provide free doorstep deaths because of the contagion in Patiala, Jalandhar and some other week by Chief Minister Kejriwal, not that stressful as it was few oxygen concentrators in each of active cases. Kejriwal said often delivery and pick up." a single day May 11. The state has districts have witnessed a sharp rise till May 17 morning. weeks ago. So, things seem a bit bet- the 11 districts for COVID patients oxygen level drops in COVID pa- The chief minister hoped that the been seeing more than 100 fatalities in infections. Dr Richa Sareen, consultant, ter, but again we have to be watch- under home isolation and for pa- tients and they can be saved from COVID cases and positivity rate daily for the past several days. Punjab's positive rate Friday pulmonology at Fortis hospital ful," he added. tients who have returned home further deterioration if oxygen is will gradually decline. Ludhiana is one of the worst-af- stood at around 11 per cent. ‘Centre should be lone agency Delhi’s ‘ambulance couple’ goes the extra mile for procurement of vaccines’ PRESS TRUST OF INDIA have performed cremations of 80 work as insurance agents and said people who have died of COVID-19 they spend their earnings in serv- PRESS TRUST OF INDIA New Delhi, May 15: Profiles of hu- and helped over 1,000 people in ar- ing humanity. maneness in the time of Covid, ranging for cremations," Himanshu The ambulance service started Chandigarh, May 15: Punjab Himanshu and Twinkle Kalia spend told PTI. in 2002 when his parents-in-law Chief Minister Amarinder Singh their days between helping the ill It's all free of course, the 42-year- gifted him an ambulance, said Saturday urged Prime Minister get a fighting chance at life and old hastened to add. A few days ago, Himanshu. It has built up steadily Narendra Modi to make the Union ensuring dignity in death for those they got a call from Mayur Vihar since with the Kalias adding ve- government as the single agency who don't make it. in east Delhi about a patient who hicles over the years. for the procurement and distri- As the second COVID-19 wave had died in an auto-rickshaw on the Six of the ambulances are parked bution of COVID vaccine for peo- ravages large parts of India -- in- way to hospital, said Twinkle. at their residence and six else- ple in the age group of 18-44. cluding the national capital that has The Kalias, who live in Pratap where. The couple was doing char- "Vaccination of the entire eli- seen thousands scramble for oxy- Nagar in north Delhi, reached itable work even before the pan- gible population, especially in a gen, hospital beds and cremato- there quickly, got the body veri- demic struck and has received pandemic situation, is the re- rium spots -- the Kalias, Delhi's fied by a doctor and helped in the several awards. sponsibility of the central gov- ‘ambulance couple', ferry the ill to last rites. In 2019, Twinkle was awarded the ernment as any non-inclusion can hospital, fetch medicines, arrange “We got a call from Sandeep Nari Shakti Puruskar by President undermine the rest of the collec- funerals and sometimes step in to Mitra whose wife Madhura had Ram Nath Kovind. Four years be- tive effort," the chief minister perform last rites too. collapsed in an auto-rickshaw while rious health crisis. Some know him for not just serv- fore that, in 2015, an organisation said in a letter to the PM. Cloaked in PPE suits, face shields he was taking her to a hospital. At a time ambulances are in ices but also his skills behind the in Dubai honoured her as the ‘First Citing the experience of the and masks, the Kalias go where He was not getting any help from short supply and stories of am- wheel, he said proudly. Woman Ambulance Driver'. In 2016, past three weeks when various ical establishment for proper vac- even close relatives fear to tread, his society or elsewhere. We reached bulance drivers and owners fleec- "Due to my fast driving, even Himanshu got the ‘Ambulance Man' states "have been making their cination of the age group, a state- spending their days tending to peo- there, got a doctor to the spot and ing those in need make the rounds, through traffic, many hospitals award in Malaysia. Hoping to ramp individual efforts to source the ment quoting Amarinder said here. ple suffering from Covid or those performed her cremation at the the Kalias have publicised the free call me in emergency situations up their work of facilitating hos- vaccine from domestic producers The Punjab CM said he had who have died of it and making sure Sarai Kale Khan crematorium,” services of their fleet. Himanshu's to save the lives of patients," he pital admissions, blood donations as well as from abroad", the CM even earlier suggested that in view

their fleet of 12 ambulances are Twinkle said. mobile number has been pasted said. said the Centre should immedi- of the modalities of the supply

k y m and arranging funerals, Himanshu c road ready to tackle any emer- The 39-year-old is a cancer sur- at various places across the city. And sometimes the ambulance and Twinkle said they have ex- ately undertake sourcing of all chain management, it would be gency. vivor and the couple has two daugh- As a result, he said, distress calls has to do the job of a hearse. It's not panded their team. vaccines as a single agency for operationally and financially most "We don't put it in records but in ters, Japji (13) and Riddhi (7). But come in from all over Delhi and an easy existence. There is a fleet As millions of Indians battle in- those in the age group of 18-44. expedient if the entire procure- the second wave of coronavirus personal commitments don't come also from Ghaziabad and Noida. The of vehicles to maintain, a team of fection and death, there are many The Centre should ensure vac- ment and supply of vaccine is we have been helping almost 20-25 in the way of their zeal to help oth- word has spread and some hospi- 18 people to support and a home to more miles to go and hurdles to cine distribution across all states done through the Union govern- patients daily reach hospitals. We ers in these days of India's most se- tals have also started reaching out. run. Both Himanshu and Twinkle cross for this intrepid couple. and union territories through clin- ment for all age groups. The ‘Mumbai model’ P8 of handling the BLACK FUNGUS: NOTIFIED DISEASE SUNDAY | MAY 16 | 2021 | BHUBANESWAR pandemic, which has won After the surfacing of 27 cases of black fungus, praise from the courts as well Haryana Health Minister Anil Vij Saturday said as the Centre, was only ‘about black fungus has been declared a notified doing more rapid antigen tests’ disease in the state. Now, if a patient of black against RT-PCR tests, while fungus is diagnosed, it will have to be reported

y reducing overall testing to the Chief Medical Officer of the local district

k y m national DEVENDRA FADNAVIS | BJP LEADER so that appropriate steps can be taken c

of the day uote PLASMA THERAPY ‘Not effective, likely to be dropped from COVID guidelines’ We have a PRESS TRUST OF INDIA said. The present guidelines allow are not based on existing evidence their clinicians and COVID-19 sur- strong off label use of plasma therapy at and pointed out some very early ev- vivors,” said the letter. suspicion that New Delhi, May 15: Plasma ther- the stage of early moderate dis- the Government of idence that indicates a possible as- The current research evidence India, in conjunction apy on COVID-19 patients has not ease, that is, within seven days of sociation between emergence of unanimously indicates that there with some state been found effective in reducing the the onset of symptoms and if there variants with “lower susceptibil- is no benefit offered by convalescent governments, is progression to severe disease or is availability of a high titre donor ity to neutralising antibodies in plasma for treatment of COVID-19. suppressing the true numbers of death and is likely to be dropped plasma. immunosuppressed people given However, it continues to be pre- new infections and Covid-related from the clinical management The decision to remove it from plasma therapy. scribed rampantly in hospitals deaths. If our suspicions are true, guidelines, sources said. the guidelines comes in the back- This raises the possibility of across India,” the letter said. this is a grave misdeed apart from In a meeting of the ICMR- drop of some clinicians and sci- more virulent strains developing Families of patients run from pil- being a national shame and a National Task Force for COVID- entists writing to Principal due to irrational use of plasma lar-to-post for getting plasma, which national tragedy 19 Friday, all members were in Scientific Advisor K VijayRaghavan therapy which can fuel the pan- is in short supply. The desperation of

P CHIDAMBARAM | SENIOR CONGRESS LEADER favour of removing the use of con- cautioning against the irrational demic, according to the letter signed patients and their families is un- valescent plasma from the Clinical and non-scientific use of conva- by vaccinologist Gagandeep Kang, derstandable because they like to We are facing Guidance for Management of Adult lescent plasma for COVID-19 in the surgeon Pramesh C S and others. try the best for their loved ones, when this situation COVID-19 Patients citing its inef- country. In the letter, which was also We are writing to you as con- a doctor has prescribed this, the pub- because, fectiveness and inappropriate use marked to ICMR chief Balram cerned clinicians, public health lic health professionals said. whether it was the in several cases, they said. Bhargava and AIIMS Director professionals and scientists from In the plasma therapy, antibod- government, The Indian Council of Medical Randeep Guleria, public health India about the irrational and non- This has stemmed from guide- tervention to address the issue ies from the blood of a patient who administration or Research (ICMR) will issue an ad- professionals alleged that the cur- scientific use of convalescent plasma lines issued by government agen- which can prevent harassment of has recovered from COVID-19 are public, everyone visory on the matter soon, they rent guidelines on plasma therapy for COVID-19 in the country. cies, and we request your urgent in- COVID-19 patients, their families, used to treat serious patients. dropped their guard after the first wave despite indications from doctors MOHAN BHAGWAT | RSS CHIEF States, Forces prepare for Tauktae 110 medical cadets We have asked for 67 lakh Prime Minister Modi reviewed the preparedness of states, central ministries and agencies doses each of join Covid-19 battle Covishield and concerned to deal with the situation arising out of cyclone Tauktae and asked them to take Covaxin and have written to Dr Reddy’s every possible measure to ensure that people are safely evacuated who are dealers of Sputnik in India for nearly the same INDO-ASIAN NEWS SERVICE quantity Stalin orders to bring ARVIND KEJRIWAL | DELHI CM New Delhi, May 15: Indian Air Force, Navy and National Disaster 82 fishing boats ashore Response Force (NDRF) are mak- CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister ing preparations for Cyclone M K Stalin Saturday ordered officials SHORT TAKES Tauktae, which is expected to cause to take steps to bring back 82 fishing ‘very heavy’ to ‘extremely heavy’ boats in deep sea at the earliest. rainfall along the western coast of Chairing a meeting of various IMA recommends India in the next few days. department officials here Stalin took Further, the Airports Authority stock of the readiness to meet any INDO-ASIAN NEWS SERVICE Lt Gen Naithani congratulated the digital swearing in of India (AAI) has suspended all contingencies that may arise due to newly commissioned officers for cyclone Tauktae in the Arabian Sea. Thiruvananthapuram: The scheduled flights to the Agatti New Delhi, May 15: The medical joining AFMS which is the finest Airport in Lakshadweep due to Stalin also told the officials to keep cadets of the armed forces com- integrated medical organisation Kerala unit of the Indian ready the rescue equipment in case heavy rain projections till 10am Fishermen carry their boats away from the shore due to formation of Cyclone missioned as Medical Officers in the country. He complimented the Medical Association Saturday of landslides in hill regions. Stalin Sunday. Tauktae in the Arabian Sea, in Mangaluru, Saturday PTI PHOTO Saturday have joined the battle parents of the students for the suc- recommended that in the also said the four teams of National The Indian Air Force (IAF) has against Covid-19. They will be leav- cess of their children. He added wake of the massive Covid Disaster Response Force stationed in surge, it would be best if the kept 16 transport aircraft and 18 hel- Madurai (2 teams) and one each in ing immediately to join as interns that it has the unique distinction swearing in of the second icopters on operation readiness in CYCLONE INTENSIFYING: IMD Coimbatore and Nilgiris and the in 31 Armed Forces Medical of having the entire batch that en- Pinarayi Vijayan government peninsular India. One IL-76 air- Mumbai/Ahmedabad: Cyclonic storm Tauktae had intensified and was State Disaster Response Force Services (AFMS) hospitals across tered AFMC in 2016 graduating to- is done virtually. Vijayan craft has airlifted 127 personnel heading towards the coast of Gujarat and the Union Territory of Daman (SDRF) should be ready to carry out the country, which are also desig- gether with 100 percent success, Friday said the swearing in and 11 tonnes of cargo from and Diu and Dadra and Nagar Haveli, the India Meteorological rescue work in rain affected areas. nated for Covid care. which by itself is the best tribute has been fixed for May 20 and Bhatinda to Jamnagar, the force Department (IMD) said Saturday evening. The storm is very likely to The Defence Ministry said 110 to the teachers at AFMC. would be held at the Central said in a statement. intensify further into a very severe cyclonic storm by late Saturday night, cyclonic storm Tauktae approaches medical cadets, including 21 fe- The Commandant reminded the Stadium. The preparations are The IAF also stated that a C-130 the IMD said, adding it was very likely to move north-northwestwards the western coast of India. male cadets, of the 55th batch of the graduating batch that they were going at a fast pace to erect a aircraft has airlifted 25 personnel and cross Gujarat coast between Porbandar and Naliya around May 18 With early warnings of the cy- Armed Forces Medical College joining the medical profession at temporary space. According and 12.3 tonnes cargo from Bhatinda afternoon. As it would bring very heavy rainfall in that region, cities like clone for the states of Gujarat, were commissioned as Medical a time when the country was pass- to sources, around 750 to 800 to Rajkot. Two C-130 aircraft have Mumbai would not be affected much, the IMD added. There will be Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka, Officers into the Armed Forces ing through a difficult phase. He ex- people will be allowed to strong winds and heavy rainfall at isolated places May 17 over north airlifted 126 personnel and 14 tonnes Tamil Nadu and Kerala, the NDRF Medical Services (AFMS) Saturday. horted them to use their knowl- grace the occasion. Konkan, including Mumbai, the IMD said. The Maharashtra capital can cargo from Bhubaneswar to expect showers from Sunday afternoon, said Shubhani Bhute, senior has mobilised adequate resources The cadets were commissioned by edge and skills acquired at AFMC Jamnagar, it added. director (weather) IMD, Mumbai. The storm is currently 250 km south- and self-contained rescue and re- Commandant, AFMC Lt Gen to provide the best possible care to Additionally, IAF’s Covid relief west of Goa, she added. Goa alongwith Sindhudurg and Ratnagiri lief teams in the coastal districts Nardeep Naithani in a brief cere- their patients as they join the na- 2-time Guv Bhatia operations have been focused in districts of Maharashtra would be mostly affected in terms of showers of these states which are likely to mony. Ninety four cadets were com- tion's battle against Covid-19. passed away at 100 these coastal areas for the coming and gusty winds, Bhute said, adding the wind speeds would be around 60 affected by the cyclonic storm. missioned into the Indian Army, 10 Lt Gen Naithani expressed con- few days, as bad weather might to to 70 kmph. The IMD has issued an ‘orange alert’ which means heavy to The NDRF teams are keeping a in the Indian Air Force and six in fidence that given their academic Chandigarh: Six-time affect air operations later. very heavy rainfall is likely over entire Konkan and hilly areas of western close watch on the development of the Navy. The Passing Out Parade rigour and training, the newly Congress MP and two-time The cyclone relief operations Maharashtra, mainly Kolhapur and Satara Sunday and Monday, she said. the situation which is being mon- had to be called off for the first commissioned Medical Officers Governor R L Bhatia passed are in addition to those underway itored 24x7 from the control room. time since 1982, keeping in mind the would always measure up to the away in Amritsar Saturday, his for Covid relief, the force added. ships, aircraft, helicopters, and div- standby for rendering full support A total of 48 NDRF teams have Covid-19 restrictions. highest standards expected from family members said. Former The Indian Navy stated that its ing and disaster relief teams are on to the state administrations as the been deployed at the coastal areas. In his commissioning address, military doctors. Minister of State for External Affairs, Bhatia was 100 years old. He represented the CHITRAKOOT JAIL SHOOTOUT Amritsar parliamentary GLOOMY OVERCAST constituency six times from Scribe, activist held 1972, and was the Governor of Kerala from 2004 to 2008 and 5 OFFICIALS of Bihar from 2008 to 2009. He was admitted to Fortis over FB posts on BJP SUSPENDED Hospital a day earlier after he complained of uneasiness. INDO-ASIAN NEWS SERVICE Premananda Meetei. INDO-ASIAN NEWS SERVICE The complaint said that Imphal, May 15: The Manipur po- Wangkhem and Leichombam have Lucknow, May 15: The UP Father hacks girl, lice have arrested a journalist and a posted offensive comments refer- Government has taken serious political activist over their Facebook ring to the death of state BJP note of the shootout in Chitrakoot her lover to death posts reportedly criticising the the President Saikhom Tikendra Singh, jail in which at least three under- ruling BJP leaders, police said who fell prey to Covid-19 at a hospital trials were killed Friday. On the Kanpur: In a shocking Saturday. in Imphal Thursday. Referring to instructions of Chief Minister incident, a man hacked his A police official said that Imphal- Singh’s death, the detainees in Yogi Adityanath, five personnel teenage daughter and her based journalist Kishorechandra Manipuri language had posted com- including Chitrakoot Jail minor lover to death in a village near here, police said Wangkhem and political activist ments saying “cow dung and cow Superintendent S P Tripathi and Saturday. The incident Erendro Leichombam were arrested urine do not work”. Wangkhem and jailer Mahendra Pal have been sus- occurred in a village under the Thursday evening from their homes Leichombam, both around 40-years, pended. Ghatampur police circle of the on the basis of a complaint filed had been arrested twice earlier on Director General Jail (DG) Anand district late Friday night, against the duo by Manipur state charges of sedition and for making Kumar said that five personnel in- Circle Officer Pawan Gautam BJP Vice-President Usham Deban various posts on social media against cluding Jail Superintendent said. The police have arrested party General Secretary P the government. Clouds hover over walled city during a rainy day at Badi Chaupar in Jaipur, Saturday PTI PHOTO Tripathi and jailer Mahendra Pal the accused father, a truck have been suspended. A new su- driver by profession, he said, perintendent and jailor have been adding the axe with which the posted in their place. father hacked the two Ashok Kumar Sagar has been ap- teenagers to death too has Stricter action needed as WhatsApp privacy policy goes live pointed as Jail Superintendent and been recovered. C P Tripathi as the new Jailor. INDO-ASIAN NEWS SERVICE about the fact that Germany has accept the updates. Officials say how the pistol banned the privacy policy of The users won’t be able to ac- reached the jail is not yet clear. Four arrested for New Delhi, May 15: With the WhatsApp. cess chat list. After a few weeks of There will be a judicial inquiry controversial WhatsApp privacy There is no judicial order in limited functionality, they won’t into the incident, the process of ‘sacrilegious act’ policy coming into effect from favour of WhatsApp. In view of the be able to receive incoming calls which has been started. Jammu: Four persons were Saturday for its over 2 billion unlawful nature of this privacy pol- or notifications and WhatsApp Chitrakoot police has registered arrested Saturday in users including more than 400 icy, the government should re- will stop sending messages and an FIR and a through and detailed connection with a case related million in India, industry experts strain WhatsApp as was done calls to their phones. investigation will be carried out into to a ‘sacrilegious act’ in emphasised that the government while banning Chinese apps to WhatsApp’s new terms re- the incident. Rajouri district of Jammu and must implement stricter data pri- protect sovereignty of India, said quiring users to accept them by a Among the suspended personnel Kashmir, police said. The case vacy rules and restrain the Advocate Virag Gupta, who is ar- cut-off date to continue to avail full are the head warder of the jail and under sections 295A Facebook-owned app as was done guing K N Govindacharya’s mat- functionality has brought click a PAC soldier posted in security (deliberate and malicious while banning Chinese apps to ter before the Delhi High Court for wrap contracts and their intended arrangements. DG Jail Anand acts, intended to outrage protect the sovereignty of the disclosure of details of designated manner of operation under the Kumar said that investigations religious feelings of any class country. officers of social media companies. glare. Click wrap contracts re- will be conducted from all possible by insulting its religion or Giving an interim solace for WhatsApp has said that after quire a user to click ‘yes’ or ‘ok’ angles.

y religious beliefs) and 429 (mischief by killing or those who do not accept the new giving everyone time to review to the terms, which constitutes To investigate the incident, a

policy, WhatsApp has said that its the privacy policy from May 15, legal consent for availing a serv- team comprising Commissioner

k y m maiming cattle, etc) of the c Indian Penal Code was users will not immediately lose after a period of several weeks, the ice, said Raj Ramachandran, Chitrakoot D K Singh, IG registered at Police station their accounts or face curtailed norms in the due course of time. looking at a best possible action over reminder people receive will even- Partner, J Sagar Associates. Chitrakoot, K Satyanarayana and Budhal Thursday following a functionalities on the platform Thursday, a senior Ministry of the new WhatsApp privacy policy. tually become persistent. Given the substantial user base DIG Prison Headquarters Sanjeev ‘sacrilegious act’ committed in May 15, but they will have to even- Electronics and IT official said MeitY Special Secretary and After persistent reminders, the and the apparent network effect, Tripathi has been constituted. The the Khwas area, Rajouri Police tually go through limited func- during an Assocham event that Financial Advisor Jyoti Arora users will encounter limited func- it literally leaves little room for report will be submitted directly to said in a statement. tions if they fail to accept the new the government is pro-actively stated that the ministry is aware tionality on WhatsApp until they users to make a choice. the Chief Minister. The one who said Ganga CHHATRASAL STADIUM BRAWL P9 has called him, has SUNDAY | MAY 16 | 2021 | BHUBANESWAR A Delhi Court Saturday issued non-bailable made the Mother Ganga cry. The warrants against two-time Olympic medallist Government of India’s disastrous Sushil Kumar and six others in connection with vaccine strategy will ensure a the Chhatrasal Stadium brawl that led to the devastating third wave. It can’t be death of a wrestler here, police said. This repeated enough - India needs a

y comes days after a lookout notice was issued proper vaccine strategy

against Kumar in the same case

k y m national RAHUL GANDHI | FORMER CONG PRESIDENT c

of the day uote SIGH OF RELIEF

Lockdowns PM stresses on door-to-door have been successful and have yielded results; cities like Mumbai, Delhi, and testing, localised containment Karnataka’s Bengaluru are examples. After May 24 if there is a need for it to be gen, Modi directed that a distri- extended, it has to be done. We have bution plan for ensuring oxygen to save lives, leading life may supply in rural areas must be become difficult, governments will worked out, including provision have to take steps to improve it of oxygen concentrators.

SADANANDA GOWDA | UNION MINISTER The Prime Minister also stressed on the need to provide necessary training to health workers in the operation of equipment like oxy- I have directed gen concentrators, and that there to the police should be proper power supply to department to take stringent action ensure smooth operation of such under the Goondas medical devices. Act against those The Prime Minister took serious who hoard INDO-ASIAN NEWS SERVICE bers transparently without any note of some reports about venti- Remdesivir and sell oxygen cylinders pressure of high numbers show- lators lying unutilised in storage An old woman smiles after receiving first installment of the Corona Relief fund by Tamil Nadu govt, at Nagercoil at inflated price New Delhi, May 15: Prime ing adversely on their efforts and in some states and directed that in Kanyakumari district, Saturday PTI PHOTO Minister Narendra Modi Saturday asked for augmentation of health an immediate audit of installation MKSTALIN| TAMIL NADU CM emphasised on localised contain- care resources in rural areas to and operation of ventilators pro- ment strategies in states where focus on door-to-door testing and vided by the Central government Test Positive Rate (TPR) in dis- surveillance. He also spoke about should be carried out. O CONCENTRATOR RACKET BlackFungus is tricts is high and adopting door to empowering ASHA and Anganwadi He added that refresher training 2 a new disease door testing and surveillance in workers with all necessary tools. for properly operating ventilators happening in rural India to contain the spread The Prime Minister asked for should be provided to health care Rajasthan. Liposomal of Covid-19. guidelines to be made available in workers if necessary. Modi assured BJP alleges link between Kalra, Congress Amphotericin B 50mg The Prime Minister gave the di- easy language along with illus- that India’s fight against Covid injections and rection while chairing a high-level trations for home isolation and has been guided throughout by INDO-ASIAN NEWS SERVICE Congress MP Abhishek Manu claimed in his page that Prime Posaconazole 300mg meeting to discuss the Covid-19 Singhvi is lawyer of all such “crim- Minister Narendra Modi is re- tablets are needed to treat this treatment in rural areas. scientists and subject experts and and vaccination related situation Considering the need for oxy- will continue being guided by them. New Delhi, May 15: The BJP inals” and black-marketeers, she sponsible for the COVID-19 pan- VASUNDHARA RAJE | FORMER RAJASTHAN CM in the country which is passing Saturday alleged links between said, hitting out at the opposition demic, she added. through the second wave of the 25 arrests, 25 FIRs over posters critical of Modi businessman Navneet Kalra, party. The chef who works at Kalra's deadly disease. who is accused of hoarding and Kalra and officials of Matrix restaurant had described Gandhis Localised containment strate- New Delhi: The Delhi Police has registered 25 FIRs and arrested as many people selling oxygen concentrators in Cellular had hoarded about 7,500 as the first family of the country, SHORT TAKES gies are the need of the hour spe- for allegedly pasting posters critical of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the black market, and the concentrators, she said, alleging she said. cially for states where TPR in dis- connection with the vaccination drive against COVID-19, officials said Saturday. Congress. their links with the Congress. “The Congress’ hand is always Ch’garh to extend tricts is high, said the Prime The posters reading “Modiji humare bachon ki vaccine videsh kyu bhej diya” (PM BJP MP Meenakshi Lekhi said She claimed that an artificial with black marketeers and hoard- Minister, instructing that testing why did you send vaccines of our children to foreign countries) were plastered in Kalra was given the membership shortage of oxygen was created ers, and this is evident from the lockdown till 31 needs to be scaled up further, with several parts of the city, they said. Thursday, police received information about of Golf Club, one of the most pre- and exploited by those close to the events which have unfolded them- the posters following which senior officers of the districts were alerted. Based on Raipur: The Chhattisgarh use of both RT PCR and Rapid mium clubs in the national capital, party. Lekhi said Kalra's Facebook selves. These people are directly in Tests, especially in areas with high further complaints, 25 FIRs were registered under sections 188 (disobedience to by Congress leader Ajay Maken page shows his pictures with links with the Congress. The government has asked order duly promulgated by public servant) of the Indian Penal Code and other authorities in all the 28 test positivity rates. when he was the urban develop- Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi Congress has encouraged such Modi said that states should be relevant sections, including section 3 of the Prevention of Defacement of Property ment minister in the UPA-I gov- and Rahul Gandhi. people when it was in power,” she districts to extend the COVID- Act, across various districts of the Delhi Police, officials said. 19 lockdown till May 31 even encouraged to report their num- ernment. The businessman has also alleged. as it granted more relaxations in economic and other activities, an official said Saturday. The lockdown, Mamata Banerjee’s currently in force in all India remains hugely ULFA (I) declares ceasefire districts of the state, was set brother dies of Covid to end in most regions at May 15 midnight. The restrictions INDO-ASIAN NEWS SERVICE and relaxations will be concerning: WHO applicable till May 31, the days within Sarma’s appeal Kolkata, May 15: On a day when official from the public the state announced a nearly-lock- relations department said. INDO-ASIAN NEWS SERVICE down condition to fight the spike in covid cases in the state for the Guwahati, May 15: Days after next 15 days, Chief Minister Tiger found dead, Himanta Biswa Sarma, the new Mamata Banerjee lost her younger third in a week Assam Chief Minister, appealed brother who was battling for life to militant outfits to shun violence in a private hospital for the last one Bhopal: A tiger was found and join the mainstream, the out- month. dead in the buffer zone of the lawed The United Liberation Front Ashim Banerjee, the chief min- Bandhavgarh reserve in of Asom-Independent (ULFA-I) ister’s younger brother, died Madhya Pradesh, which took Saturday announced a unilateral Saturday morning after being de- the number of tiger fatalities ceasefire for three months with tected with Covid-19 last month, reported in the state to three INDO-ASIAN NEWS SERVICE hospitalizations. immediate effect. the hospital said in a statement. within a week, an official said He added that the fact that so ULFA-I, led by self-styled com- Banerjee, 62, was undergoing Saturday. The decomposed Geneva/New Delhi, May 15: many are still not protected is a sad mander-in-chief Paresh Barua, in treatment at the hospital for the carcass of the tiger was found India remains hugely concerning, reflection on the gross distortion a statement, said that in view of the past one month, sources in the near a drain in the buffer area Friday, Bandhavgarh Tiger with several states continuing to in access to vaccines across the Covid-19 pandemic, the outfit has hospital said. He was detected Reserve’s field director see a worrying number of cases, hos- globe. unilaterally suspended all kind of with Covid-19 last month and was Vincent Raheem told PTI over pitalizations and deaths, the World In January, I spoke about the military operations in Assam for all problems are expected to be is still missing. undergoing treatment for almost phone. “As the carcass was Health Organisation (WHO) has potential unfolding of a moral ca- three months from May 15. solved. Killings and abduction turn The anti-talk outlawed ULFA-I a month now. He had certain co- highly decomposed, the said. tastrophe. Unfortunately, we are The statement, in Assamese lan- the situation more complicated, had recently released radio oper- morbidities such as hypertension. tiger’s tongue and an internal Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, now witnessing this play out. In a guage, also alleged that the security he had said. Sarma Thursday said ator Ram Kumar, a resident of He died at 9.20 am in the morning, organ were sent for testing to WHO Director General said in a handful of rich countries, which forces had hatched a clandestine that the state government is taking Bihar, and drilling superintendent a doctor in the hospital said. ascertain the cause of the briefing that WHO is responding bought up the majority of the vac- plan to malign the ULFA-I. all possible steps to rescue ONGC Pranab Kumar Gogoi of Sivasagar His last rites will be performed death. The report is awaited,” and has shipped thousands of oxy- cine supply, lower risk groups are After 2006, this is the second engineer Ritul Saikia from the cap- district, more than 100 days after at Nimtala cremation ground Raheem added. gen concentrators, tents for mobile now being vaccinated, he said. time the anti-talk banned outfit tivity of the outlawed ULFA-I. the two employees of Delhi-based Sunday following Covid proto- field hospitals, masks and other I understand why some coun- has announced a unilateral cease- Sarma, who also holds the home private oil and gas exploration cols. medical supplies. And we thank all tries want to vaccinate their chil- fire in the state. portfolio, met Saikia’s wife and company Quippo Oil and Gas Not only Ashim Banerjee but Farmer killed in the stakeholders who are sup- dren and adolescents, but right The ULFA-I announcement came younger brother during his visit to Infrastructure Ltd were abducted on the same day the pandemic porting India, he said. now I urge them to reconsider and five days after Assam Chief Majuli Thursday. from Arunachal Pradesh last year. took the lives of five doctors elephant attack COVID-19 has already cost more to instead donate vaccines to Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma The ULFA-I April 21 had kid- Demanding a sovereign Assam, across the state. than 3.3 million lives and we're on appealed to ULFA-I supremo Barua The doctors who lost their lives Mahasamund: A man was COVAX, WHO said. napped three engineers of the state ULFA was formed in 1979 and has trampled to death by a wild track for the second year of this Because in low and lower-mid- and other extremist outfits to come owned Oil and Natural Gas been carrying out insurgency in the are well-known pathologist Dr elephant in Chhattisgarh’s pandemic to be far more deadly dle income countries, vaccine sup- forward for peace talks. Corporation from a drilling site northeastern state since then. Subir Kumar Dutta (90), renowned Mahasamund district, a forest than the first, Tedros said. ply has not been enough to even im- After taking oath as the 15th at Lakwa in eastern Assam’s In 2011, another faction of ULFA, physician from Barasat, Dr Utpal official said Saturday. However, it's not only India that munize health and care workers, Chief Minister of Assam, Sarma Sibsagar district. under Arabinda Rajkhowa, had Sengupta (in his 70s), surgeon Dr Maniram Yadav, a native of has emergency needs, he added. and hospitals are being inundated Monday had urged ULFA-I led by The Army, along with Assam announced a unilateral ceasefire Satish Ghata (late 70s), Dr Parsadih village in Sirpur Nepal, Sri Lanka, Vietnam, with people that need lifesaving care Paresh Barua and other militant Rifles troopers rescued two hostages for political negotiation and joined Sandipan Mandal (37) of area, was attacked by the Cambodia, Thailand and Egypt urgently. At present, only 0.3 per groups to shun the path of vio- from captivity following a fierce the peace process but the move Murshidabad Medical College jumbo Friday night when he are just some of the countries that cent of vaccine supply is going to lence and join the mainstream. encounter with militants April 23 was strongly opposed by Paresh and Hospital, and gynecologist was spraying pesticides in his are dealing with spikes in cases and low-income countries, he added. Through negotiations and talks night, but Saikia (the third engineer) Barua. Dr Dilip Chakraborty. paddy field, he said. Yadav’s 15-year-old son Jailal, who was also at the spot, climbed a tree and saved himself from the attack, he added. Commonwealth nations target inclusive shift to clean energy

INDO-ASIAN NEWS SERVICE that promote sustainability in the Countries also called for more col- and the United Kingdom. COVID +ve woman electricity, transport, cooling and laboration on sharing knowledge, While discussions showed var- New Delhi, May 15: The Second cooking sectors. technologies and innovative solu- ious countries are at different bears healthy baby Commonwealth Sustainable Energy Opening at the event, tions, including best prac- stages of the transitioning to using Shahjahanpur (UP): A COVID- Forum concluded with strong rec- Commonwealth Secretary-General We tices on research, de- sustainable forms of energy, there 19 infected woman gave birth ommendations for member coun- Patricia Scotland said: “We must must urgently velopment and was a consensus about its critical to a healthy baby girl at a tries to work together to fast-track urgently step up our action to im- step up our action to deployment of importance and learning from the hospital here, officials said an inclusive, just and equitable plement the Paris Agreement and implement the Paris clean energy tech- experiences of other members. Saturday. Sarladevi , 30, a transition to low-carbon energy achieve our commitments on sus- Agreement and achieve our nologies in crit- Delegates further acknowledged resident of the Tilhar area, systems across the Commonwealth. tainable energy. While the transi- commitments on sustainable ical sectors, the challenges linked to energy was admitted to the ICU unit The biennial gathering, held vir- tion pathways may differ across energy. While the transition such as clean transition, especially for economies of the Medical College in the tually over May 12-14, explored Commonwealth countries, the cooking and that depend heavily on fossil fuels pathways may differ across city, after she complained of practical solutions to help meet move to clean energy systems is a cooling. as a key source of income. labour pain. Subsequently, global commitments on energy common goal.” Commonwealth countries, the The event Outcomes of the forum meet- she gave birth to the baby, made under the 2030 Agenda for “The pace of the energy transi- move to clean energy featured pre- ing will feed into Commonwealth y Public Relations Officer of Sustainable Development and the tion needs urgent acceleration for systems is a common goal sentations by ex- contributions to the United Nations Medical College Dr Pooja

Paris Agreement on Climate which strong political will and am- PATRICIA SCOTLAND I perts in the field High Level Dialogue on Energy

k y m Tripathi said, adding it was a c Change. bition by Commonwealth mem- She encouraged a “people-cen- Commonwealth COMMONWEALTH SECY-GENERAL as well as in- normal delivery. Two other scheduled for September, the United babies, whose mothers were Participants discussed new low- ber countries is required. tred” approach that is inclusive Sustainable Energy depth coun- Nations Climate Change coronavirus positive, were carbon technologies, addressing Governments need to establish the and leaves no one behind. Transition agenda: try presenta- Conference (COP26) in November born at the ICU of the the high cost of technology and enabling frameworks to attract fi- Countries were invited to lead ‘ac- Inclusive Energy Transitions; tions from Australia, Barbados, and the forthcoming hospital. However, one of the need for better access to finance, as nance, scale up technology and tion groups’ focused on three key Technology and Innovation; and Botswana, Canada, Ghana, Kenya, Commonwealth Heads of babies died, she said. well as policy recommendations lower costs for energy transitions.” pillars, which make up the Enabling Frameworks. Singapore, Trinidad and Tobago, Government Meeting. Now, it is our turn to step 4.5 BN-YEAR-OLD METEORITE P10 up and help India in its SUNDAY | MAY 16 | 2021 | BHUBANESWAR moment of crisis. We are sending TO GO ON PUBLIC DISPLAY vital medical equipment to India An over 4.5 billion-year-old meteorite to send a clear message: nobody that fell in Gloucestershire in is in the fight against Covid-19 February is going on public display alone. Together, we can save lives at London’s Natural History Museum. and beat back the pandemic It is an ‘extremely rare’ meteorite

BILL DE BLASIO MAYOR, NEW YORK

k y m international | recovered from the UK in 30 years c of the day uote Vax less effective against B1.617.2 transmission MINDAT RESISTANCE We have said with all clarity Military battles that we are The government’s ready to meet with Scientific Group for UK PM speeds up the members of the Strike Committee to Emergencies (SAGE) 2nd dose for 50+ advance in anti-coup rebels negotiations and forge agreements. believes B.1.617.2 VOC A rise in cases of the coronavirus That message has been transmitted could be up to 50 per cent variant dominant in India could AGENCIES in a transparent way “pose serious disruption” to more transmissible than Britain’s reopening plans, Prime Yangon, May 15: Myanmar’s IVAN DUQUE | PRESIDENT, COLOMBIA one first recorded in the Minister Boris Johnson warned army battled local militia fighters Friday. England will take the next in the northwestern town of southeast England region step of reopening Monday as Mindat Saturday, residents said, Anyone who planned, but the final stage, uses such of Kent last year, which is to try to quell a rebellion that has currently scheduled for June 21, sprung up to oppose the junta protests to could be in doubt. “I do not the UK’s dominant strain that seized power in the Southeast shout out their believe we need to delay our hatred of Jews is roadmap,” said Johnson. But, Asian country in February. abusing the right to PRESS TRUST OF INDIA ity of illness or that the particular the easing of lockdown that be- “this new variant could pose a The junta imposed martial protest. Anti-Semitic mutation of the coronavirus evades gins in England from Monday. serious disruption to our law in Mindat Thursday and The fighting in Mindat, rallies will not be tolerated by our London, May 15: The vaccines the vaccine. Under the UK’s action plan laid progress,” he said, adding “We then stepped up attacks on Chin state, underlines democracy. We oppose this with all being administered to protect “The vaccines may be less ef- out to tackle the B1.617.2 variant of will do whatever it takes to keep what it called “armed terror- the strength of a democratic against Covid-19 are “almost cer- fective against mild disease but we concern (VOC) first identified in the public safe.” Second doses of ists”. A spokesman did not an- the growing chaos in constitutional state tainly less effective” against pre- don’t think they’re less effective India, all over-50s and the most vaccines will be accelerated for swer calls requesting comment Myanmar as the junta STEFFEN SEIBERT | venting the transmission of the against severe disease. But in vulnerable groups are to be offered the over-50 and the clinically on the fighting Saturday. GOVERNMENT SPOKESPERSON, GERMANY B1.617.2 variant first identified in combination with being less ef- their second Covid-19 vaccine dose vulnerable in a bid to keep the Residents taking cover in struggles to impose India, a leading UK scientist who fective against mild disease, they’re earlier than scheduled. strain at bay, Johnson told the the town said fighting raged advises the country’s vaccination almost certainly less effective “We have implemented meas- press briefing. Saturday. The Irrawaddy news authority in the face of It’s dangerous programme said Saturday. against transmission,” Prof. ures at record pace to get on top of service said some homes had daily protests, strikes to host the big Professor Anthony Harnden, Harnden told the BBC. this new variant and control the the number of cases across the been destroyed as the army re- and sabotage attacks international from the University of Oxford who “We don’t know how much more spread. Everyone has a role to play UK has risen from 520 last week to sumed artillery bombardment event from all over is the deputy chair of the Joint transmissible it is yet. All the ev- in this effort – accept the invitation 1,313 cases this week. Most cases are Saturday. Wednesday and Thursday in the world. So, the risk Committee on Vaccination and idence so far suggests there is no to get a jab when it comes, and if in the north west of England, with Myanmar already had some Mindat involved 100 people who is too big and... I’m Immunisation (JCVI), said it was im- evidence of increased severity of two dozen ethnic armed groups, attacked a police station and about against having the you live in one of the areas where some in London. Scotland, Wales Tokyo Olympics this year. It is a portant to approach the easing of illness or that it evades the vac- we’ve introduced surge testing, and Northern Ireland are also fol- who have waged war for decades 50 targeting the state-run suicide mission lockdown in England with “utmost cine. So, at the moment, on the get your free PCR test. Let’s work lowing similar patterns, though against an army dominated by the Myanmar Economic Bank. caution” as it remains unclear ex- basis of the evidence we are doing to fight this together,” said UK the Scottish government has kept Bamar majority. The Chinland At least 788 people have been HIROSHI MIKITANI | CEO OF RAKUTEN, JAPAN actly how much more transmissi- the right thing, coolly, calmly con- Health Secretary Matt Hancock. the city of Glasgow and the north- Defence Force was set up in re- killed by the junta’s security ble the variant detected in India is. tinuing with Monday, but keeping The latest data on the B1.617.2 ern area of Moray under restric- sponse to the coup. forces in crackdowns on protests But he reiterated that there is no everything under review,” he said, variant, published by Public Health tions because of rising case num- The junta-controlled Myanmar against its rule, according to an SHORT TAKES evidence so far of increased sever- in reference to the next stage in England (PHE) Thursday, shows bers of the B1.617.2 VOC. News Agency said fighting advocacy group. China approves BLACK LIVES MATTER inactivated vax Kremlin bemoans Ukraine’s Beijing: China has approved one more inactivated Covid-19 vaccine for emergency use, according to an crackdown on pro-Russia Oppn announcement by the developer of the jab. PRESS TRUST OF INDIA Shenzhen Kangtai Biological US, Czech added in Products Co. Ltd., the Moscow, May 15: Russian President ‘unfriendly countries’ list developer, said Friday that the Vladimir Putin Friday harshly crit- vaccine it developed has icized Ukrainian authorities for Russia has included the US and the started related work for Phase Czech Republic in a list of countries III clinical trial. The vaccine what he described as their crack- down on the Moscow-friendly op- that have been classified as “unfriend- reported no adverse events ly”, according to a document pub- position amid simmering tensions with an intensity of grade 3 or lished on the nation’s official legal above in the first two phases between the two neighbors. information portal. “To approve the of its clinical trials. Putin’s statement comes a day forces which advocate a peaceful set- attached list of foreign states commit- after Viktor Medvedchuk, who tlement of the conflict in Ukraine’s ting unfriendly actions against Russia, heads the Opposition Platform for southeast and good-neighborly ties citizens of Russia or Russian legal enti- Revoking steps Life party, the largest opposition with Russia,” Putin said at a meet- ties, against which counter measures force in parliament, was placed ing of his Security Council. established by the decree of Russian issued by Trump under house arrest on treason Medvedchuk, 66, is accused of President dated April 23, 2021, No. 243 charges that he denied. Medvedchuk transferring oil and gas produc- ... shall be applied,” the document Washington: US President Joe has close personal ties with Putin, tion licenses from one of the fields published Friday read. Biden signed an executive the godfather of his daughter. in Crimea to Russian authorities. order that will revoke several “Those selective, politically mo- The treason accusations is the lat- Ukrainian authorities in February, measures issued by his A Black Movement activist holds a candle and a cross during a protest against racism and police violence, on the day tivated decisions are aimed at cleans- est part of a broad campaign against when his financial assets were predecessor Donald Trump. The order signed Friday will that marks 133 years since the abolition of Slavery in the country, in Brasilia, Brazil AGENCIES ing the political field from those Medvedchuk launched by frozen for three years. revoke the measure to establish a “National Garden of American Heroes” that called for erecting statues of US joins global push against hundreds of prominent WEST BANK ERUPTS IN PROTEST Americans though some of them are controversial over violent extremism online PRESS TRUST OF INDIA their racial records. The order 6TH DAY OF Israel strikes Gaza tower housing media offices also revoked Trump’s another PRESS TRUST OF INDIA Gaza City, May 15: Turmoil from the CONSECUTIVE CLASHES Israel destroyed a 12-storey tower block in Gaza housing the offices of the action which prioritised battle between Israel and Hamas US-based Associated Press and other news media Saturday, saying the punishment for those caught Wellington, May 15: Two years after spilled over into the West Bank, spark- building was also used by the Islamist militant group Hamas. The al-Jalaa vandalizing statues or a white supremacist in New Zealand ing the most widespread Palestinian building in Gaza City, which also houses the offices of Qatar-based monuments. live streamed the slaughter of 51 protests in years as hundreds of broadcaster Al Jazeera as well as other offices and apartments, had been Muslim worshippers on Facebook, young demonstrators in multiple evacuated after the owner received advanced warning of the impending French President Emmanuel towns clashed with Israeli troops, strike. “We are shocked and horrified that the Israeli military would target 1st repatriation Macron says the internet contin- who shot and killed at least 11 people. and destroy the building housing AP’s bureau and other news organizations ues to be used by terrorists as a Jacinda Ardern after deadly attacks Israel’s bombardment of the Gaza in Gaza,” AP President and CEO Gary Pruitt said in a statement.”The world flight lands in Oz weapon to propagate hate. in their countries were streamed Strip continued into early Saturday, will know less about what is happening in Gaza because of what happened today.” Gary called the strike “an incredibly disturbing development”. Canberra: The first Macron and other leaders from or shared on social networks. when an airstrike on a house in The Israeli military said the op- repatriation flight from India tech giants and governments The US government and four Gaza City killed at least seven eration involved 160 warplanes drop- landed in Australia Saturday around the world including the other countries joined the effort, Palestinians — the highest num- ping some 80 tons of explosives over ternational efforts for a cease-fire ac- been killed, including a 6-year-old boy after the government’s US for the first time gathered vir- known as the Christchurch Call, for ber of fatalities in a single hit. That the course of 40 minutes and suc- celerated. Since Monday night, and a soldier. controversial travel ban to the tually Saturday to find better ways the first time this year. It involves strike came a day after a furious ceeded in destroying a network of Hamas has fired hundreds of rock- In the occupied West Bank, on Covid-battered country ended. to stop extremist violence from some 50 nations plus tech compa- overnight barrage of tank fire and tunnels used by Hamas to elude ets into Israel, which has pounded the outskirts of Ramallah, Nablus The Qantas jet carrying spreading online, while also re- nies including Google, Facebook, airstrikes that wreaked destruction airstrikes and surveillance. the Gaza Strip with strikes. and other towns and cities, hun- approximately 80 Australians, specting freedom of expression. Twitter and Amazon, and is named in some towns, killed a family of Israel appeared determined to In Gaza, at least 126 people have dreds of Palestinians protested who were stranded in India, It was part of a global effort started for the NZ city where the slaugh- six in their house and sent thou- inflict as much damage as possible been killed, including 31 children and against the Gaza campaign and touched down at a Royal by Macron and New Zealand PM ter at the two mosques took place. sands fleeing their homes. on Gaza’s Hamas rulers before in- 20 women; in Israel, seven people have Israeli actions in Jerusalem. Australian Air Force (RAAF) base in Darwin earlier in the day. The flight was scheduled to carry about 150 passengers but dozens were blocked from boarding after 40-tested Google leads efforts for H-1B spouses to get to work positive for Covid-19 and 30 were deemed close contacts of the positive cases. An H-4 visa is issued Google is proud to innovation, creates jobs and op- said: “The regulation at issue here support our nation’s portunities, and helps families,” the H-4 Rule, US Department of by the US Citizenship immigrants. We Google CEO Sundar Pichai tweeted. Homeland Security, Employment Google Friday filed a legal brief Authorization for Certain H-4 and Immigration joined 30 other Two tornadoes in a lawsuit called Save Jobs USA Dependent Spouses, 80 Fed. Reg. Services to immediate companies to protect the H-4 vs US Department of Homeland 10,284 (Feb. 25, 2015) provides work kill 12 in China EAD programme which spurs family members (spouse Security. Tech companies that authorization to more than 90,000 Beijing: Twelve people were innovation, creates jobs and signed onto the amicus brief include H-4 visa holders (spouses of certain killed and over 300 injured and children under 21 opportunities, and helps Adobe, Amazon, Apple, eBay, IBM, H-1B visa holders), more than 90 per when two powerful tornadoes families Intel, Microsoft, PayPal and Twitter. cent of whom are women.” walloped Chinese cities of years of age) of the SUNDAR PICHAI | CEO, GOOGLE “To support this important pro- “Invalidation of this rule would Wuhan and Suzhou Friday H-1B visa holders gramme, we are leading an amicus result in these talented individuals night, leaving a trail of destruction of houses and brief with over 40 companies and being barred from the workplace, factories. Eight people were PRESS TRUST OF INDIA nies to employ foreign workers in organisations to preserve and pro- forcibly severing tens of thousands killed and over 230 injured speciality occupations that require tect the H-4 EAD programme,” of employment relationships across when a tornado, packing Washington, May 15: Google is lead- theoretical or technical expertise. Catherine Lacavera, Vice President, the country,” it said. winds of 23.9 meters per ing a determined effort by US tech Technology companies depend on Legal, Google, said in a blog post. The results would be utterly de-

giants to support a programme that it to hire tens of thousands of em- “This builds on an amicus brief structive for the families impacted;

k y m second, ripped through the c Caidian District of Wuhan gives work authorisation for spouses ployees each year from countries we recently joined in support of a by just one measure, about 87 per Friday night. Four people were of those possessing H-1B foreign (Employment Authorisation family members (spouse and chil- like India and China. lawsuit filed by the American cent of these families have made killed and 19 others injured work visas, the most sought after Document) programme. dren under 21 years of age) of the “Google is proud to support our Immigration Lawyers Association crucial life decisions on the prom- after a tornado hit the city of among Indian IT professionals. An H-4 visa is issued by the US H-1B visa holders. nation’s immigrants. We joined 30 to expedite the delayed processing ise of H-4 employment, including Suzhou in east China’s Google is joined by 30 other com- Citizenship and Immigration The H-1B visa is a non-immi- other companies to protect the H- time of H-4 work authorisations,” whether to have a child and whether Jiangsu Province. panies to support the H-4 EAD Services (USCIS) to immediate grant visa that allows US compa- 4 EAD programme which spurs she said. In the amicus brief, Google to buy a house, it said. The vaccine situation in India NO DENIAL OF VAX FOR P11 is like arranged marriage. SUNDAY | MAY 16 | 2021 | BHUBANESWAR First you are not ready, then you don't LACK OF AADHAAR like any, then you don't get any!! The Unique Identification Authority Those who got are unhappy thinking of India (UIDAI) Saturday asserted may be the other one would have been that no one should be denied better. Those who did not get any are vaccine, medicine, hospitalisation or

willing to get any one treatment just because they do not

k y m business KIRAN MAZUMDAR-SHAW | BIOCON CHIEF have an Aadhaar. c of the day uote PPL face masks, Govt mulls sops to offset GST COUNCIL sanitiser for cops We were pleased with POST NEWS NETWORK our performance this TO MEET MAY 28 quarter, achieving a Bhubaneswar, May 15: Paradeep 38.9 per cent spike in fert input prices AGENCIES Phosphates Saturday donated sani- ` increase in revenue tiser and face masks worth 1 lakh and a 51.1 per cent increase in PBT New Delhi, May 15: The GST to the Commissionerate Police to year-over-year International prices of raw materials of Di-ammonium Phosphate Council will meet May 28 and is help them keep away from Covid- likely to discuss tax rates on 19. Sudhi Ranjan Mishra, head of MANISH BHATNAGAR | MD, SKF INDIA (DAP) and other P&K fertilisers have increased sharply COVID-related drugs, oxygen corporate affairs, PPL, handed equipment and vaccines. The over the items to Police ers and is already taking steps to meeting among other things is Commissioner Soumendra Kumar We are tackle the situation so that the also likely to discuss the com- Priyadarshi at the Police Seva reinforcing our farming community can be saved pensation mechanism for states' Bhavan Saturday. strategic from the effects of this price rise GST revenue shortfall for the on- Priyadarshi thanked the PPL growth charter with the acquisition of of P&K fertilisers (including DAP), going fiscal which began April 1. management for its noble gesture. M3bi. Our it said. Finance Minister Nirmala PPL, during this pandemic, has acquisitions in recent On the pricing front of DAP, the Sitharaman will chair the 43rd extended a helping hand to the years have enhanced our government has already asked GST Council meeting via video community. competitiveness, bringing value to all the fertiliser companies to sell conferencing on May 28, 2021. Sitharaman had, however, our customers their old stocks of DAP, etc at old “The meeting will be attended by ruled out exempting COVID vac- prices only, it said. MOS Shri @ianuragthakur be- cines, medicines and oxygen con- HARSH GOENKA | CHAIRMAN, RPG "Additionally, the Government sides Finance Ministers of States centrators from GST saying such ENTERPRISES of India is also considering the & UTs and Senior officers from an exemption will make the life- subsidy rates to offset the rise in Union Government & States,” saving items costlier for con- We at ICEA international prices of raw ma- Office of Nirmala Sitharaman sumers as manufacturers will believes that terials of P&K fertilisers and tweeted. not be able to offset the taxes the PLI scheme DAP in order to support the farm- Earlier this month, West Bengal paid on inputs. would give thrust to AGENCIES P&K fertilisers have been kept un- ers' cause and lessen the financial Finance Minister Amit Mitra and Currently, domestic supplies 'Make in India' changed. burden on them," the ministry Punjab Finance Minister Manpreet and commercial imports of vac- initiative and will New Delhi, May 15: The Centre In a statement, the Fertiliser noted. Singh Badal had demanded that cines attract 5 per cent Goods and The Commissionerate Police attract huge Saturday said it is considering sub- Ministry said in the last few months, The government is fully aware a virtual GST Council meeting Services Tax (GST), while COVID is implementing government investments of `45,000 crore plus sidies to offset rise in global prices the international prices of raw of the situation, and it is being be held. drugs and oxygen concentrators guidelines during the lock down in the coming years of raw materials of phosphatic materials of Di-ammonium closely monitored at a very high The meeting of the Council is attract 12 per cent levy. and shutdown. Most police per-

PANKAJ MOHINDROO | CHAIRMAN, ICEA and potassic (P&K) fertilisers in a Phosphate (DAP) and other P&K fer- level in the government, it said. supposed to take place at least The Centre had last fiscal year sonnel find themselves outside bid to ensure their availability to tilisers have increased sharply. In accordance with its farmer- once every quarter of a financial released `70,000 crore to states on their homes. They get exposed to farmers at subsidised rates across Prices of finished DAP, etc in the friendly approach, the ministry year. However, the panel has not account of GST compensation. dangers posed by the deadly virus. the country. The government is international market have also said the government is commit- met since October 5 last year. This is over and above the `1.10 Sanitizer and face masks can pro- SHORT TAKES taking all necessary steps to safe- risen proportionately. ted to ensuring the availability of Congress working president lakh crore released to states under vide them basic security against guard the interests of farmers dur- "Despite this sharp increase, P&K fertilisers to farmers at af- Sonia Gandhi had last month de- the special borrowing mechanism the coronavirus. ing the COVID-19 crisis, it said. DAP prices in India were not in- fordable prices, it added. manded that all life-saving drugs, to compensate them for shortfall Hyundai extends Unlike urea, P&K fertilisers are creased by the companies till last Fertiliser companies had raised equipment and instruments re- in the GST collection this finan- decontrolled products. The prices month. However, some companies the retail prices of P&K fertilis- quired to treat COVID-19 patients cial year. Vaccine drive cheapest free service are fixed by the manufacturers have now increased the DAP price," ers like DAP in line with the must be exempted from GST. As much as `63,000 crore worth New Delhi: Hyundai Motor and the government gives them it said. global market effective from April Mamata Banerjee's Trinamool compensation is still due to be cost to economic India Saturday said it has fixed subsidies each year. For the However, the government is fully 1. But they were directed not to in- Congress has also made a similar paid for 2020-21 fiscal year which extended warranty, extended current fiscal year, subsidies for sensitive to the concerns of farm- crease the rates for the time being. demand. ended March 31, 2021. normalisation warranty and free service timelines by two months for AGENCIES its customers who are unable to avail services due to New Delhi, May 15: Stepping up lockdown conditions in their Khimji goes online for the vaccination drive is the cheap- cities or states. The initiative Power consumption up est as well as the most viable pol- has been taken in line with the icy path to economic normalisation, automaker's support to as per a research report by Emkay customers across the country Akshaya Tritiya buys Global Financial Services. during these challenging Accordingly, the report cited times, the company said in a 19 pc in first half of May POST NEWS NETWORK that this policy path was the best statement. "During these AGENCIES suited one given the strong positive challenging times, the with onset of summer and the pro- company has initiated Bhubaneswar, May 15: Khimji ductive pre-monsoon cycle of the externalities. "The overall esti- multiple programs to expedite Jewellers has brought an exclu- New Delhi, May 15 : Power con- Indian economy, an uptick is al- mated welfare cost of vaccinating relief to people across the sive offer of online gold booking on sumption in the country grew by ways expected." universal population would be 0.6- country by delivering the auspicious occasion of Akshaya around 19 per cent in the first fort- Sandhu who is also a former 0.7 per cent of GDP, assuming no lifesaving equipment. Also, we Tritiya. Under the offer, customers night of May to 51.67 billion units Advisor at World Bank said, "Both wastage and optimal distribution," have announced the extension can pre-book their choice of gold (BU) over the same period last year, energy demand and supply have Emkay's Lead Economist Madhavi of warranty, extended at today’s rate online on Khimji's showing recovery in industrial and risen by 25-40 per cent over March- Arora said. warranty and free service to website khimjionline.in and re- commercial demand of electricity, May 2021, with thermal PLFs (plant "This is much lower than the our customers by 2 months to deem their booking against 22K according to the power ministry load factor or capacity utilisation) current 0.9-1 per cent loss of ensure adequate support hallmarked gold jewellery to be data. rising to 75 per cent and more, after monthly output amid existing soft during these challenging purchased post lockdown. Power consumption in the first many quarters. This is aided by local lockdowns, clearly implying time," Hyundai Motor India Khimji has announced Odia film fortnight of May 2020 was 43.55 BU. the opening of the economy in Q1 a successful vaccine strategy is Director Tarun Garg said. actress Elina Samantaray as its The power consumption in the en- (January-March 2021), with rising the cheapest optimal policy path to brand ambassador. tire month of May last year was economic output as well as sharp economic normalisation." Welcoming Elina on the board, 102.08 BU. uptick in exports." Penna Cement files Mitesh Khimji, Director of Khimji During the first fortnight of May The second wave of lockdowns ` Jewellers, said, “Khimji is happy this year (from May 1 to 14), peak will certainly impact economic ac- 1,550-cr IPO and proud to introduce the beau- power demand met or the highest COVID-19. tivity, and in turn, energy demand. New Delhi: Penna Cement has tiful, gracious and talented actress, supply in a day touched the high- The power consumption also fell The larger than usual increase in filed preliminary papers with Elina Samantaray as its brand am- to buy gold on this auspicious oc- est level of 168.78 GW (on May 6, 2021) in May 2020 to 102.08 BU from 120.02 part is attributed to lower base, capital markets regulator Sebi bassador. We are looking forward casion staying safe at home,” he and recorded growth of over 15 per BU in May 2019. Similarly, peak and as well as to the pent up de- to raise `1,550 crore through to a long term association with added. “Akshaya Tritia is one of the cent over 146.54 GW (peak met) power demand met or the highest mand being executed now, he added. an initial share-sale. The initial her keeping in mind her repre- biggest occasions for Odias and I recorded in the same period in 2020 power supply in a day also slumped After a gap of six months, According to the report, there ex- public offer (IPO) comprises sentation of millennial Odias”. know what Khimji means to peo- (on May 13, 2020). to 132.73 GW in April last year from power consumption had recorded ists an average monthly supply fresh issue of equity shares “At this time of the pandemic, ple in Odisha in such an occasion The power consumption in April 176.81 GW in the same month in a 4.6 per cent year-on-year growth gap of 170 million jabs to cover worth `1,300 crore and an customer’s safety is the foremost where gold buying is a tradition of grew nearly 40 per cent to 118.08 2019, showing the impact of lock- in September 2020 and 11.6 per cent universal population by CY21-end. offer for sale of up to `250 concern for Khimji. We want our fortune” Elina said. BU. Power consumption in April down on economic activities. in October 2020. "The vaccination drive is skewed crore by the promoter, customers to stay home and stay She also said, “This Askhaya 2020 had dropped to 84.55 BU from The fewer economic activities In November 2020, the power state-wise and has overall slowed sub- according to draft red herring safe. Also we do understand the Tritiya offer of Khimji is well 110.11 BU in the same month in also resulted in a fall of peak power consumption growth slowed to 3.12 stantially, with current '7 dma rate prospectus. Proceeds from sentiments of our customers for the aligned with the sentiments of Odia 2019, mainly because of fewer eco- demand in May 2020 to 166.22 GW per cent, mainly due to the early of 1.9mn shots, 50 per cent below the fresh issue will be used to pay auspicious occasion Akshaya people. Hence customers should nomic activities following the im- from 182.53 GW in May 2019. onset of winters. In December 2020, peak of 3.7mn' in March 21." debts of `550 crore. Besides, Tritiya which is believed to bring not wait and book their gold of for- position of lockdown by the gov- Taking to PTI, Davinder Sandhu, power consumption grew by 4.5 per `105 crore will be utilised for good luck. The offer of online pre- tune online from the website and ernment in the last week of March Advisor Primus Partners said, funding capital expenditure cent while it was up 4.4 per cent in booking would allow our customers get them after lockdown.” 2020 to contain the spread of deadly "Energy is derived demand, and requirements for its KP Line II January 2021. India’s pharma industry Project and `80 crore towards upgrading its raw grinding grows to 59 pc in April and cement mill in Talaricheruvu. In addition, the AGENCIES company will use `130 crore Govt eases norms to fast track nod for imported cylinders and `110 crore towards New Delhi, May 15: The fresh setting up a waste heat AGENCIES The PESO certification wave of Covid-19 in the country recovery plant in Tandur and has pushed up sales of medicines Talaricheruvu respectively. New Delhi, May 15: The govern- will be required before and resulted in exponential growth ment Saturday eases certain norms use of oxygen cylinders, for the pharmaceutical sector. under Gas Cylinders Rules, 2016 to which entails weight and According to total sales audit Trident plans to fast track approvals for imported data from world's largest phar- cylinders and pressure vessels for hydro testing. The maceutical market research firm raise `1,100 cr storage and transportation of med- relaxations would be IMS Health, the Indian Pharma New Delhi: Textiles and paper ical oxygen amid rising Covid cases. Market (IPM) grew 59 per cent yoy maker Trident Ltd is planning The relaxations would be valid valid for six months or in April, 2021 vs 16 per cent yoy in to raise up to `1,100 crore for six months or till further orders till further orders March, 2021 due to the low base from the market by issuing of the Department for Promotion effect in April, 2020 and sharp surge NCDs and equity shares in of Industry and Internal Trade in Covid-19-related sales. tranches. The company's (DPIIT), an official statement said. ders to be stored at site; and num- On the MAT (moving annual board on Saturday approved The department said that the ber of filling points. turnover) basis, IPM grew 9.6 per raising up to `600 crore by certification of Petroleum and "Any COVID centre may utilise cent, primarily driven by pricing issuing Non-Convertible Explosive Safety Organization liquid cylinders on board with va- growth of 4.3 per cent and new Debentures (NCDs) and up to (PESO) will not be mandatory be- porizer for supplying of gaseous product launch growth of 4.6 per `500 crore through equity fore importing consignment of medical oxygen through pipeline cent. Volume growth was muted at shares, Trident said in a oxygen cylinders, and containers. have to certify that the oxygen verified for quality of gas filled where generated oxygen is directly or for filling cylinders in open 0.8 per cent. regulatory filing. The board The certification of PESO will filled in the cylinder is of such pu- therein under the supervision of supplied to hospital and no filling places are permitted" subject to According to a report from also recommended the fund be required before use of the oxy- rity and concentration that is fit for medical/ Food and Drugs of cylinders is taking place, in certain conditions, it said. Emkay Global Financial Services, raising resolution to be gen cylinders, which entails weight medical use. Controllers and if quality of gas such cases the facilities do not need Further, it said that in case if all major therapies posted high approved by the and hydro testing, it added. The certification would be at- conforms to their requirement of any permission or license under consignment of oxygen cylinders, double-digit growth in April 21.

shareholders in the next "The Indian missions should, tested by the Indian mission in the medical oxygen, cylinders may be PESO rules. ISO containers or PSA plants or its Within Chronic therapies, Cardiac

k y m meeting, it added. Besides, it c however, ensure that the oxygen exporting country and soon upon sent directly to hospitals for use," The department instructed that related equipment have already therapy grew 22 per cent. Similarly okayed the appointment of Naveet Jindal as CEO for cylinders should comply with India arrival in India, such filled cylin- the department said. if the PSA is attached with a com- arrived in India, without taking Anti-diabetic therapy grew 10 per Paper, Chemicals and Energy or international standards before ders will be inspected on sample Regarding PSA (pressure swing pressor and filling of oxygen cylin- import permission from PESO, cent. VMS (vitamins, minerals and Business of the company and shipment," it said. basis by an empanelled agency of adsorption) installations at hos- der is to take place, hospitals have due to an urgency, the filling per- supplements) posted record growth Swapan Nath as CEO for In case of filled cylinders, the PESO. pitals with filling facilities or at to notify it to PESO with certain in- mission for these cylinders will be of 80 per cent in April 21 vs 27 per Budhni Location. agency exporting to India would "All the filled cylinders must be COVID centres, it said PSA plants formation like number of cylin- issued based on relaxed rules. cent in March 21. P12 SUNDAY | MAY 16 | 2021 | BHUBANESWAR sports

2022 WORLD CUP QUALIFIERS

y

k k y y m m c TORRES BRIGHTENS CITY LIGHTS India team to leave c Young Spaniard’s hat-trick helps newly-crowned Premier League champions for Qatar May 19 Manchester City overcome Newcastle challenge in a 7-goal thriller

FERRAN ECLIPSES MESSI RECORD NEWCASTLE: Ferran Torres broke a record previously held by Lionel Messi when he struck a memorable hat-trick for Manchester City against Newcastle Friday. The 21-year- old’s treble helped the newly crowned Premier League champions to a thrilling 4-3 victory against Newcastle at St James’ Park. In doing so he became the youngest player to score a league hat-trick for a PRESS TRUST OF INDIA Football Confederation in March Pep Guardiola side, the previous as the centralised venue to host record being set by Messi 11 New Delhi, May 15: The Indian the remaining Group E matches years ago. Argentine superstar football team will leave for Qatar owing to the coronavirus-related Messi was 22 years and 200 May 19 after the gulf country, in a travel and quarantine restrictions. days old when he scored a hat- big relief, accepted All India Football Das had said Wednesday that trick in a 5-0 La Liga win for Federation’s (AIFF) request to allow the national team cannot train in Guardiola’s Barcelona against its players to train there ahead of the country right now given the Tenerife in 2010. Fast forward 11 the 2022 World Cup Qualifiers next COVID-19 surge and it was con- years and Torres is 125 days month. sidering foreign options for a camp younger than Messi was, with Not only that, Qatar has even ahead of the World Cup qualifying all three of his goals coming in a remarkable 24-minute spell agreed to the AIFF’s request to round matches. either side of halftime. waive the mandatory 10-day hard A national camp under head quarantine after reaching there. coach Igor Stimac was earlier The win over Newcastle was their 12th The players will have a preparatory planned in Kolkata from May 2 to straight away victory – a record, as camp of nearly two weeks in a bio- 21. After that, the team was to leave they surpassed the feat of 11-straight bubble in Qatar before the first the country May 22 for Dubai where win in away fixtures held by Chelsea match June 3. a week-long camp as well as a (2008) and the Man City team from “We are planning to fly the team friendly match – not international 2017, also managed by Pep Guardiola May 19 evening. There will be no – was planned. quarantine (of the players) and But all those plans were put to MEMORABLE OUTING: Ferran Torres (3rd from R) is congratulated by his teammates after scoring one of his goals at Newcastle, Friday Scott Carson made Premier League his- tory Friday when he was named in the they will be in a bio-bubble,” AIFF rest in view of the devastating sec- Manchester City side to take on general secretary Kushal Das told ond wave of COVID-19 pandemic ASSOCIATED PRESS With the title wrapped up which handed its neighbor the dust himself down to convert the Newcastle a decade after his last this agency Saturday. in the country. The Indian team is Tuesday with three matches to title by losing to Leicester in mid- penalty past Carson in first-half appearance in the competition. The 35- He said the players will assem- currently fourth in the group stand- Newcastle, May 15: Ferran Torres spare, City looks like it will have week. stoppage time. year-old had not started a Premier ble in New Delhi and they will be ings with three points from five scored a brilliant hat-trick as newly some fun in the final week of the Newcastle, which is safe from Newcastle was awarded an- League game since May 2011 (also tested for COVID-19 before their matches. crowned champion Manchester campaign and Torres certainly relegation, went ahead through other penalty when Joe Willock against Newcastle at St. James Park) as departure to Qatar. From the remaining fixtures, City won a record 12th straight enjoyed himself at St. James’ Park. Emil Krafth’s header at a corner was tripped by Kyle Walker and the 3645 day gap the longest between India is already out of reckoning the team will hope to collect as away game in the English Premier He is finishing his first season in the 25th before Joao Cancelo the fouled player again took the appearances for a goalkeeper in for a 2022 FIFA World Cup berth but many points as possible and finish League, 4-3 at Newcastle. at the club in impressive fashion, equalized off a deflected shot that spot-kick. This time, Carson made Premier League history is still in contention for a 2023 third so that it can seal automatic The Spain winger was part of taking his tally to five goals in spun into the far corner from the the save, but the ball rebounded Asian Cup spot in the joint quali- qualification for the 2023 Asian another heavily rotated lineup his last four league games by scor- edge of the area in the 39th. out and Willock converted into shot came back off the post. fiers. The remaining three matches Cup qualifying third round. named by Pep Guardiola that also ing twice in three minutes from Torres produced an impressive an empty net in the 62nd. City’s class of 2020-21 had been – against Qatar (June 3), Bangladesh In March, India played their first included third-choice goalkeeper the 64th as City fought back from flicked volley in mid-air three Walker teed up Torres to tied on 11 away straight victories (June 7) and Afghanistan (June international matches since Scott Carson, an on-loan 35-year- 3-2 behind. minutes later as City moved ahead equalise, and the winger was on with Chelsea (2008) and the Man 15) – are crucial for Asian Cup November 2019 – friendly games old who was making his first start City moved 13 points clear of 2-1, only for Joelinton to get fouled hand to volley the winning goal City team from 2017, also man- qualification. against Oman (1-1 draw) and the in the top flight in 10 years Friday. second-placed Manchester United, in the area by Nathan Ake and high into the net when Cancelo’s aged by Guardiola. Qatar was picked by the Asian UAE (0-6 loss) in Dubai. Sthalekar slams BCCI on Veda Djokovic rallies past Tsitsipas

PRESS TRUST OF INDIA ASSOCIATED PRESS Novak Djokovic serves during his New Delhi, May 15: Former Rome, May 15: Top-ranked Novak match against Stefanos Tsitsipas Australian women’s team cap- Djokovic regained his cool after tain Lisa Sthalekar feels the BCCI throwing his racket off the court neither checked on Veda in a grueling, rain-delayed 4-6, 7-5, Krishnamurthy after the twin 7-5 quarterfinal victory over tragedies in her family nor com- Stefanos Tsitsipas at the Italian municated to the bereaved India Open Saturday. cricketer its decision to not con- Djokovic fought back from breaks sider her for the upcoming tour of his serve in each of the final of England. two sets to reach his eighth con- Earlier this month, the flam- secutive semifinal at the Foro Italico boyant middle-order India bat- — where he has lifted the trophy ter lost her elder sister Vatsala five times, most recently last Shivakumar to COVID-19, two solely on just the game at any vided all kinds of services. If September when the tournament weeks after her mother suc- cost. So disappointed.” there was a need for a player as- was moved to later in the year be- cumbed to the dreaded virus. The 28-year-old Bangalore-based sociation in (India) surely it is cause of the coronavirus pandemic. On expected lines, she was not Veda recently paid an emotional now.” The 41-year-old Sthalekar, Djokovic didn’t have much time included in the Indian Test and tribute to her sister and mother, now a commentator, said being to rest before he faces home fa- ODI team for next month’s tour who succumbed to the virus in a looked after has become more vorite Lorenzo Sonego later of the United Kingdom, but ICC span of two weeks. important at the moment, with the Saturday for a spot in the final. Hall of Famer Sthalekar was not The all-rounder, who has been pandemic wreaking havoc across Sonego was backed by a loud convinced with the BCCI’s han- helping others through her so- the world. crowd when he rallied past seventh- dling of the whole episode. cial media by amplifying their “The stress, anxiety, fear and ranked Andrey Rublev 3-6, 6-4, 6-3 to “Whilst not selecting Veda for requests for aid, has represented grief that many players have ex- reach his first Masters semifinal. was also lopsided. Nadal raced to — with play having already been court, which drew a code viola- the upcoming series may be jus- India in 48 ODIs and 76 T20s. perienced through this pandemic Their match was washed out Friday. 4-0 in the first set and saved all interrupted for three and half hours tion warning for unsportsmanlike tified from their point of view, Sthalekar, the first player to will take its toll on them as indi- Fans were allowed to fill 25 per cent eight break points he faced in the due to the intermittent rain. conduct from the chair umpire. what angers me the most is that achieve the double of 1000 runs viduals and inadvertently affect of capacity as part of the Italian second. In the women’s tourna- Facing a break point early in Djokovic’s temper was also an as a contracted player she has not and 100 wickets in women’s ODIs, the game,” Sthalekar signed off. government’s reopening plan. ment, French Open champion Iga the third set, Djokovic attempted issue during his second-round received any communication from felt the time has come for a player’ India is reeling under a dev- Earlier Friday, Rafa Nadal ended Swiatek beat two-time Rome cham- a difficult drop shot that landed match this week against Taylor BCCI, just to even check how she association for the Indian women’s astating second wave of the pan- a run of three straight losses to pion Elina Svitolina 6-2, 7-5 to set on top of the net cord and agoniz- Fritz, when he fumed at the umpire is coping,” Sthalekar said in a team. demic with cases rising by over Alexander Zverev with a convincing up a semifinal later against 17- ingly bounced back into his side of for not stopping play soon enough note on her Twitter handle. “As a past player the ACA three lakh everyday and the cri- 6-3, 6-4 win over the German to year-old American Coco Gauff. the court — handing Tsitsipas a 2- due to rain. She added, “A true association (Australian Cricketers’ sis has been compounded by a reach the Italian Open semifinals. The Djokovic-Tsitsipas match 1 lead. Last year, Djokovic was dis- should deeply care about the play- Association) have reached out shortage of some crucial medi- Zverev beat Nadal in straight began on Friday but was suspended Djokovic reacted by throwing qualified from the US Open for un- ers that play the game... Not focus daily to see how we are and pro- cines and oxygen supplies. sets at the same stage in Madrid a overnight with Tsitsipas leading 2- his racket angrily into the adver- intentionally hitting a line judge in week ago and their latest meeting 1 in the second set and up a break tising boards lining the side of the the throat with a ball. Camp cancelled for Tokyo-bound wrestlers Injured Ibrahimovic out of Euro

PRESS TRUST OF INDIA “We had planned a camp in then travel to Turkey, where it will ASSOCIATED PRESS Bahalgarh but since they would train and compete at the Yasar New Delhi, May 15: The planned not be allowed to train for 14 days Dogu event (June 25-27) before re- Milan, May 15: Zlatan Ibrahimovic camp for eight Olympic-bound due to hard quarantine, we thought turning to India in July. will miss the upcoming European Indian wrestlers in Sonepat has it is better they for the time being Vinesh is already abroad with her Championship because of a knee been cancelled due to hard quar- they train at their respective Hungarian coach Woller Akos and injury, the Swedish soccer federa- antine and they will instead train ‘akhadas’ and then travel to Poland,” will reach Poland directly from tion said Saturday. in multiple European cities, with WFI assistant secretary Vinod there. It will be interesting to see Ibrahimovic limped out of AC the national federation allowing Tomar told this agency. if young Sonam Malik (women Milan’s 3-0 win at Juventus last each of them a sparring partner of “We are also allowing all the 62kg) and Sumit Malik (men’s weekend and the Sweden forward their choice. wrestlers to travel with one part- 125kg) will be part of the near 40- had further tests on his injured The wrestlers – both men and ner of their choice for practice. A day trip since both of them are re- left knee Saturday. women – were to assemble at the few, like Vinesh Phogat, Bajrang covering from their respective knee Milan released a statement say- SAI centre in Bahalgarh Tuesday, Punia, Ravi Dahiya and Deepak injuries. ing that Ibrahimovic will undergo but now, as per the plan devised by Punia, will be accompanied by Sonam had suffered the knee ‘a conservative treatment of six the Wrestling Federation of India their personal coaches too,” he injury during the Asian Olympic weeks’ and the Swedish soccer fed- (WFI), all of them will travel to added. Vinesh Phogat, who is training abroad, Qualifier in Almaty while Sumit eration announced shortly after- “Get excited Zlatan, we hope to see Spain June 14. It also plays Poland Warsaw in the last week of May. The WFI has written to its coun- will join the Indian team in Poland had suffered the injury during the ward that the 39-year-old had told you on the football field again soon!” and Slovakia in Group E. y The capital city of Poland will terparts in Poland that Indian national camp but still competed the national coach that he would Ibrahimovic came out of inter- Andersson confirmed that

host the last Ranking Series event wrestlers be allowed to use their fa- in Warsaw for another training at both the Olympic Qualifiers. He not be fit in time for the tournament. national retirement in March, five Ibrahimovic had informed him

k k y y m m c c before the Tokyo Games from June cilities for a training camp ahead camp, which is being organised had secured the quota in Bulgaria, “Today, Zlatan has informed years after his last match for his earlier Saturday. “Of course, it 8-13, giving a chance to all to earn of the tournament in Warsaw next by the Polish federation. where he settled for a silver medal. Janne Andersson that his injury will country. Euro 2020, which was post- feels sad, especially for Zlatan but some crucial ranking points that month. Following the Warsaw trip, the India will field a strong eight- stop him from participating in the poned a year because of the coro- also for us,” Andersson said in a will help them get better draw at the After the tournament gets over, Indian contingent will move to wrestler contingent at the Games, European Championships this sum- navirus pandemic, kicks off June statement. “I hope he is back on the Olympics. the Indian wrestlers will stay put Hungary for a training camp and beginning in Tokyo July 23. mer,” the federation said in a tweet. 11. Sweden’s first match is against field again as soon as possible.”

Printed and published by Tathagata Satpathy on behalf of Navajat Printers and Media Pvt. Ltd. and printed at Navajat Printers, B-15 Industrial Estate, Rasulgarh, Bhubaneswar -751010, Odisha;Phone:7894447142(Marketing). Editor: Tathagata Satpathy, RNI No. ORIENG/2011/37159