DAILY EXCELSIOR, JAMMU MONDAY, MAY 18, 2020 (PAGE 9) Rajdhani specials carry nearly Decentralisation of cities can help address Govt’s economic package to go a long way 3.5 lakh passengers in 5 days migrant workers' woes: Gadkari in making self-reliant: Amit Shah NEW DELHI, May 17: NEW DELHI, May 17: model for other parts of the coun- NEW DELHI, May 17: Disaster Response Funds to the try and can arrest mass exodus of tune of Rs 11,000 crore. Rajdhani Specials carried nearly 3.5 lakh passengers in last five Union Home Minister Amit Finance Minister Nirmala days, generating a revenue of over Rs 69 crore for Indian At a time when the trauma of workers in search of "greener pas- migrant workers are coming to tures". Shah on Sunday said the Sitharaman on Sunday Railways, said officials. the fore amid the coronavirus- "In Maharashtra's Dharavi announcement of the fifth and announced plans to privatise The Rajdhani Special train service started by the national carri- induced lockdown, Union minis- 1.5 lakh people depend on final tranche of an economic PSUs in non-strategic sectors er on May 12 to ferry stranded people between Delhi and other ter Nitin Gadkari has said "decen- leather work....The upcoming package by the Modi govern- and suspend loan default-trig- major cities of the country has seen a major demand from the mid- tralisation of cities" and develop- Delhi-Mumai Expressway goes ment will go a long way in real- gered bankruptcy filings for one dle class with most of them running on full capacity. ment of far-flung areas are solu- through Thane. We have land ising the idea of a self-reliant year. tions to address the crisis faced by available there. I have suggested India. Sitharaman announced a Rs them. to the Maharashtra government In a series of tweets, Shah 40,000-crore hike in allocation Migrants' tragedy is "too that if you join hands with us, said the additional allocation of for the rural employment guar- unfortunate", Gadkari said and we can establish a leather clus- Rs 40,000 crore under MGN- antee scheme to provide jobs to emphasised that it was high time "Pain and fear forced them to ter there and these 1.5 lakh peo- REGS will help in generating ic in the future, by strengthening migrant workers. that employment avenues through walk back...We have made ple of Dharavi will be shifted employment for the poor and and revamping India's health She raised the threshold of development is created in vil- arrangements for their food etc at there. They will get affordable migrant workers and create insolvency proceedings to help lages, rural, backward and far- toll plazas but we will have to sector. houses, they will get and oppor- durable livelihood assets, which The home minister said the the industry deal with COVID- flung areas shorn of development. instil positivity in them," Gadkari tunity to live with dignity," will greatly boost the country's Modi government has decided 19 pains. The finance minister With the coronavirus pan- said. Gadkari said. In a telephonic interview from rural economy and infrastruc- to increase India's health expen- also announced a new policy for demic and the subsequent lock- According to the minister, ture. companies under state control, down, economic activities have his Nagpur residence, Gadkari diture to create infectious dis- once the plan is formalised, "Today's announcements by saying PSUs in non-strategic been disrupted. After being ren- said, "fear has resulted in this seri- design and ancillary industries eases hospital blocks in every Modi govt will go a long way in district, strengthening laborato- sectors will be privatised while A total of 27,788 people travelled on these trains on May 16 dered jobless, thousands of ous situation". can be set up, and it can be an ini- realising the idea of ries network and surveillance those in the identified strategic and the number is expected to reach 30,127 on Sunday, said offi- migrant workers have gone back Noting that decentralisation of tial step for decentralisation of AtmaNirbhar Bharat. and encouraging research. sector would be capped at four cials. The trains run on Rajdhani routes and charge premium fares. or are making all efforts to go the industry is the need of the . "These steps will prove to be "I am sure this foresight will with the rest to be merged or "Around 1,87,827 tickets were booked till date and a total of back to their native places. hour, the minister said, "whoever "The leather industry is of the comes, comes to Gurgaon, Delhi, a game changer for health, edu- take India way ahead in the sold. 3,48,634 passengers have travelled so far on these special trains. Adding to the woes, scores of size of Rs 1.45 lakh crore in Noida, Ludhiana, Chennai, cation and business sectors, medical sector," he said. Sitharaman said the five-part The total fare till date has been Rs 69,33,67,735. Twenty-one trains migrant workers, including those India of which Rs 85,000 crore is going by foot, have been killed in Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Mumbai from domestic consumption which will provide employment Shah said the central gov- stimulus together with the will be operational on May 27," the railways said. or Pune. We have to develop to crores of poor. I thank PM ernment has decided to increase March 26 announcement of free These trains are railways' first indication that a graded resump- road accidents during the lock- while Rs 45,000 crore to Rs down, which began on March 25. socially, economically and educa- @narendramodi & FM borrowing limit of states, which foodgrain and cooking gas to tion of passenger services are slated to begin after the nationwide 55,000 crore are exports...If the "We will have to learn the art tionally backward areas". Maharashtra government takes @nsitharaman," he said. will give them an extra resource the poor and some cash to the lockdown ends on May 17. of living with coronavirus. The Union Minister of Road initiative, we can start work on it Shah said while Prime of Rs 4.28 lakh crore. vulnerable sections for three Officials, however, indicated that no regular passenger service Nobody comes to big cities will- Transport, Highways and MSME which can be replicated in other Minister Modi's leadership in He said the Centre had pre- months and RBI's Rs 8.01 lakh will be resumed at least till June 30. ingly... It is acute poverty and lack said that he was in touch with the parts of the country depending handling COVID-19 has out- viously given Rs 46,038 crore crore worth of liquidity meas- Initially these trains did not have a waiting list, but it was intro- of avenues at native places which Maharashtra government to work on expertise of people and tribal shined several developed through devolution of taxes in ures swell the size of the duced later to cater to the huge demand for these trains. force migrants to come to cities... on a plan that could serve as a area," he said. (PTI) nations, he has resolved to pre- April, revenue deficit grants of COVID-19 economic package The railways allowed this relaxation for trains running from pare India for any such pandem- Rs 12,390 crore and State to Rs 20.97 lakh crore. (PTI) May 22 onwards. The waiting list for special trains will be capped at 100 for AC MGNREGS fund will ensure migrants 3 tier, 50 for AC 2 tier, 200 for sleeper class, 100 for chair cars, Ayodhya demolition case while the list will be capped at 20 each for First AC and Executive Class. There shall be no Reservation Against Cancellation (RAC) returning home get work: Nadda in special trains, Indian Railways said in a statement. (PTI) NEW DELHI, May 17: coronavirus-hit economy. Defence to cross-examine 3 witnesses "FM Nirmala Sitharaman Ji LUCKNOW, May 17: who have already recorded by August 31 on Friday. The Centre's economic package a BJP president J P Nadda on has today announced additional their statements. These include trial court, going for day-to-day Sunday said the additional allocation allocation of Rs 40,000 crore for Following the Supreme Farat Abbas, Jagat Bahadur hearing before the lockdown, of Rs 40,000 crore for the rural MGNREGS. I congratulate PM Court orders to completed the Agarwal and Madhurina had completed the recording of employment guarantee scheme Narendra Modi Ji for his concern trial of Ayodhya demolition Mishra. the statement of 294th witness 'jugglery of numbers': Left parties (MGNREGS) will provide adequate and timely initiative to provide case by August 31, the special The special court has asked M Narayanan in the first week work and earning opportunities to adequate work and income earn- NEW DELHI, May 17: CBI court in the state capital the Defence counsel to submit of March. Mr Narayanan is the migrant families returning home, as ing opportunities to migrant fam- has decided to go on a fast the questions on Monday, to be last witness on befalf of CBI in Left parties on Sunday described the Government's economic he hailed Prime Minister Narendra ilies returning home," Nadda said. track and on Monday, the asked from the three witnesses. the case, which was lodged by package as "misleading" and a "jugglery of numbers", hours after Modi for his "concern and timely "New public sector enterprise Defence counsel will cross- After the SC's strict direc- the Ramjanambhoomi police Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced the fifth and final initiative". policy announced today by FM examine three witnesses of the tion, the court has sped up it's station SHO and tranche of the economic stimulus package. In his tweets, he said meet health challenges and future will help the PSUs focus on prosecution side. effort to record the statement of Ramjamanbhoomi Chowki In- The Finance Minister raised allocation for MGNREGS by Rs increased public expenditure on requirements. strategic sectors & make them The cross-examination and 33 accused, including former charge on December 6, 1992. 40,000 crore over and above the Rs 61,000 crore budgeted earlier health, investments in ramping up His reaction came after more efficient and help us realise even recording of the state- Deputy Prime Minister Lal The court will now have to for the employment guarantee scheme, to provide employment to health infrastructure, creation of Finance Minister Nirmala the full potential for huge sectoral ments of the accused would be Krishna Advani, former Uttar record the statement of the 33 migrant workers moving back to their states. This, she said, will infectious disease blocks in all Sitharaman announced the fifth investments and growth in differ- through video-conferencing, as Pradesh Chief Minister Kalyan accused under Section 313 of help generate nearly 300 crore person-days in total. districts and setting up of integrat- and final tranche of the Rs 20- ent sectors. This will give a mas- per the suggestion of the apex Singh, senior BJP leaders Murli CrPC, if required, through CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury in a series of tweets ed public health labs at block lev- lakh crore economic package sive push to our economy," he court. Manohar Joshi and Uma video-conferencing. A total of said the FM who raised the states' borrowing limits from 3 to 5 per els will enhance capability to announced by Modi to revive the added. (PTI) The special CBI court of Bharati, and Sadhvi 48 FIRs were registered in con- cent has "mocked states" by saying they have so far used only 14 Justice S K Yadav has been Rithambara, among others. nection with the demolition, per cent of their borrowing entitlement. Those travelling by special train must ‘agree’ hearing the case for over a Earlier the special court investigated by the CB-CID. "How misleading. All funds that the Centre has to statutorily decade, but was inconclusive (Ayodhya matter) was asked by The matter was later handed transfer to the states and the decision of the RBI to increase ways as the accused were yet to the SC to complete the trial by over to the CBI. On May 31, and means advances is now being claimed as Modi government's to follow quarantine protocol: IRCTC appear before the court to April 18, but due to lockdown, 2017, CBI filed a charge sheet 'support for the states'," he tweeted. record their statements. Justice Yadav had sought the against 49 accused. Out of Yechury said steps must be taken by the RBI to acquire bonds NEW DELHI, May 17: 14 refused to be quarantined at an to book the ticket and will be On Thursday last, the extension of the deadline. On these, 16 have died. issued by state governments at the repo rate and reduce their costs institutional facility and created a returned to the reservation page. Defence counsel sought cross- the plea of the special judge, The court is expected to of borrowing. After passengers on board a ruckus at the station. The new rule is part of a examination of three witnesses the Court had extended the deliver it's judgement in the late "The jugglery of numbers from govt over the last 5 days has special train to Bengaluru refused Despite much persuasion, the growing list of "mandatory" pro- produced by the prosecution, time-frame to complete the trial 2020. (UNI) nothing to do with helping tide over this massive crisis the poor to be quarantined, the IRCTC has railways had to attach an extra tocols that the railways has issued and the vulnerable face. That the Modi govt has been blind to the now decided that only those who bogie and send back around 15 due to travel restrictions during moving images and news from all over tells us that its priority agree to follow the quarantine passengers who refused to be the coronavirus crisis. remains Cronyism & PR," he said. protocol of the destination states quarantined. The passengers paid Earlier, railways made it Govt package only worth Rs 3.22 lakh CPI general secretary D Raja asked if the finance minister was will be allowed to book tickets on for their tickets. mandatory for passengers to trying to promote self-reliance by "selling out the economy". its portal. According to IRCTC offi- download the government's con- "In the name of fighting the pandemic this government has The new rule, mentioned in a cials, before finally proceeding to tact-tracing app Aarogya Setu and cr and 1.6% of GDP: Cong aggressively imposed its neo-liberal economic agenda. From agri- pop-up on its website, reads "I book a ticket, a pop-up will now also made it compulsory for pas- NEW DELHI, May 17: Minister and challenging the culture to every sector, they talk about corporatisation, even have read the health advisory appear on the computer or mobile sengers to list their destination government to disprove me on defence, coal and the space sector. These are strategic sectors and issued by my destination state. I screen asking passengers to con- address before they could book The Congress on Sunday the numbers given by me and parliament is not in session. They are using this crisis to push these accept and shall abide by the firm if they had read the health tickets on the IRCTC portal. It accused the Government of am ready for a debate with the policies. same" and requires the passenger advisory of the destination state has also made wearing masks and misleading people in the name finance minister," he said. "Also today she spoke on the public sector. It is basically a sell to click on 'I agree' to move for- and agree to abide by it. social distancing mandatory dur- of an economic package and The Congress leader further off. Modi speaks of maximum governance and minimum govern- ward and book tickets. The message is being dis- ing travel. said the measures announced said the Finance Minister ment, now, there is no government and no governance. They have The rule comes days after played in Hindi as well as The special Rajdhanis are by the Centre amounted to only should answer questions and completely abdicated all responsibility," he said. around 50 passengers who arrived English. If the passenger selects travelling between 15 major cities 1.6 per cent of India's GDP, i.e. not ask questions instead. He Speaking on the sops given to the states, Raja said the centre in Bengaluru from Delhi on May disagree, then s/he won't be able and the national capital. (PTI) Worth Rs 3.22 lakh crore also demanded that the govern- was not giving adequate funds to the state governments. instead of Rs 20 lakh crore as ment provide answers to the "The finance minister now wants states to borrow. So basically claimed by the Prime Minister. country on the plight of they are abdicating here as well. Is this cooperative federalism?" Congress' senior migrants forced to walk on asked Raja. (PTI) Hindujas share second spot with spokesperson Anand Sharma roads due to lack of planning Sharma said Prime Minister questions about the announce- on the part of the central Narendra Modi must "walk the ments made by the prime min- Government. Obama criticises Trump administration's Reuben brothers in UK Rich List talk" and announce the meas- ister. Sharma hit back at Finance ures required by giving money "The Government's eco- Minister Nirmala Sitharaman for LONDON, May 17: for their yachts, jets, private properties and cash," in the hands of the poor and nomic package is only of Rs her attack on the opposition response to pandemic crisis said the analysis. small and medium enterprises 3.22 lakh crore and is only 1.6 party and termed it as "frivo- Two sets of Indian-origin siblings dominate the A fall in fortunes was also the overall picture to help reboot the economy. per cent of India's GDP and is lous", saying the country expects WASHINGTON, May 17: annual tally of Britain's wealthiest as the Hinduja for other Indian-origin billionaires in the UK's top He noted that there was a dif- not worth Rs 20 lakh crore as some seriousness and gravitas and Reuben brothers share the second spot with a 20, with mining major Anil Agarwal losing 2.07 ference between providing stim- announced by the prime minis- from the finance minister. For the second time in a week, former US president Barack fortune of 16 billion pounds each, while British billion pounds to come in at number 15 with an Obama has made a veiled attack on his successor Donald Trump's ulus to the economy and merely ter," Sharma said while He also asked the govern- inventor-entrepreneur James Dyson tops 'The estimated fortune of 8.5 billion pounds and steel giving loans and credit to people. addressing a press conference ment to apologise to the poor handling of the coronavirus crisis, saying the pandemic that had 2020' with 16.2 billion tycoon Lakshmi N Mittal losing 3.88 billion shown that many officials "aren't even pretending to be in charge." Sharma, a former union through video conferencing. citizens of the country who pounds. Srichand and Gopichand Hinduja, who pounds to drop to number 19 with an estimated for- minister, challenged the "I am questioning the have been abandoned and their Obama criticised the handling of the coronavirus pandemic run the Hinduja Group of companies, lost 6 billion tune of 6.78 billion pounds. without mentioning President Trump, a Republican, by name, just finance minister for a debate Finance Minister, disputing the fundamental rights and legal pounds to slip from the top slot in last year's list. "The commodities market has been badly shak- on the package while raising announcement of Prime rights violated. (PTI) a week after privately criticising the administration's response to Mumbai-born lost 2.66 en by the COVID-19 outbreak - Agarwal has the COVID-19. billion pounds over the past year, but their second donated 10 million pounds to fight the disease in The total death toll in the US due to the coronavirus now stands position in the tally remains unchanged from 2019. India - and falling share prices at Vedanta Limited at over 88,000, which is the highest anywhere in the world. The The coronavirus pandemic is seen as a major and Anglo American lead us to cut his wealth, fac- Need 3-5 pc additional public expenditure to country has over 1.46 million cases of confirmed COVID-19 infec- factor behind the fall in the overall wealth of the toring in 800 million pounds for past dividends and tions. UK's richest people. other assets," the report said. In his speech to graduates from several dozen historically "Few people lost more money in the Indian And, in reference to Mittal, it adds: "Already help growth stay in positive terrain: NCAER black colleges and universities, Obama said the COVID-19 out- stock market during the coronavirus-induced crash battered by the China-US trade war, lower steel NEW DELHI, May 17: industry and services growth GDP will decline by (-) 4.1 per break had exposed failings in the country's leadership. than the Hinduja brothers. One analysis suggested prices and the higher cost of raw materials have set "This pandemic has fully, finally torn back the curtain on the will stop shrinking by the end cent. their listed businesses shed at least 67 per cent of the share price sliding over the past year." Additional public expendi- of December 2020 and show It further said if the central idea that so many of the folks in charge know what they're doing. their value in March before rallying last month," Overall, the wealth of the top 1,000 richest peo- ture of 3-5 per cent will be zero growth in the last quarter government increases public A lot of them aren't even pretending to be in charge," Obama, a notes the newspaper analysis. ple in Britain fell for the first time since the finan- required by the Central of the current fiscal. expenditure by 1 per cent of Democrat, said during a virtual commencement address for histor- "The share price has halved at their lorry-maker cial crash, down by 3.7 per cent overall. The annu- Government in order to return "This base-case, hypotheti- GDP, then in this scenario, the ically black colleges and universities. Ashok Leyland over the past year and fallen even al tally's compiler, Robert Watts, said it marks a to modest but positive econom- cal scenario then suggests that decline in GDP will be limited "If the world is going to get better, it's going to be up to you," more sharply at IndusInd, their Pune-based bank- reversal of the trend which saw Britain's wealthiest ic growth in 2020-21, think- aggregate GVA (gross value to (-) 1.9 per cent. he added. ing outfit, with the brothers trying to increase their become richer and richer since the financial crisis. tank NCAER has said. added) would shrink by some Likewise, if the govern- White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany on Saturday holding while the stock remains cheap. Elsewhere, "COVID-19 has called time on their golden Prime Minister Narendra 26 per cent in first quarter ment increases public expendi- highlighted President Trump's work, saying his "unprecedented the oil price has plummeted into negative territory, period. This year's rich list paints a picture of Modi had on May 12 2020-21 and by 13 per cent ture by 3 per cent of GDP, then coronavirus response has saved lives." hitting their oil and lubricants division Gulf, while Britain on the brink of calamity - two months after announced the raising of overall for the fiscal year in the in this case GDP growth for Obama then later on Saturday, during the "Graduate Together" its marine arm has also been laid low by the down- lockdown and already billions of pounds have been spending to Rs 20 lakh crore or absence of any specific coron- 2020-21 will positive at 1.2 special hosted by LeBron James, said, "You know, all those adults turn in world trade," it adds. wiped out," said Watts. about 10 per cent of India's avirus recovery assistance," it per cent. that you used to think were in charge and knew what they were Dyson, in comparison, had a good year with "You may not like the super-rich, but it is hard GDP, to help the economy get said. In case if the fiscal stimulus doing, turns out they don't have all the answers. A lot of them aren't rising sales for his products in China and other to deny that our economy will need the jobs they back on its feet after weeks of Elaborating further, is raised to 5 per cent of the even asking the right questions." international markets adding 3.6 billion pounds to create and the taxes they and their companies pay coronavirus lockdown. National Council of Applied GDP, then it will grow by 3.6 Obama, who was the first African-American US president, had his fortunes, for him to emerge the richest on the if we are to escape a prolonged recession that caus- "The policy simulations Economic Research (NCAER) per cent in the current fiscal. privately criticised the Trump administration's response to the list for the first time. es further misery to millions," he said. done by the Quarterly Review said building on no-stimulus, The nationwide lockdown coronavirus crisis as "an absolute chaotic disaster" during a phone "With his family, Dyson now owns more land The list also has a record 25 female billionaires of the Economy (QRE ) Team hypothetical base case, QRE began on March 25 and it is call earlier this month with former staffers and administration in England than the Queen, totalling more than this year, with the wealthiest woman being Kirsten suggest that something like 3 research team developed four schedule to stay in place until alumnus. 36,500 acres across Lincolnshire, Oxfordshire, Rausing, who owns a third of the holding compa- per cent to 5 per cent of addi- policy-based growth scenarios May 17, although there has Obama, 58, also spoke at length about the impact the pandem- Gloucestershire and Somerset," the report said. ny which has the rights to Tetra Pak cartons. tional public expenditure will for government fiscal expendi- been some relaxation since ic is having on black communities in the US. The Reuben brothers are poised to take a 10 per Charlene de Carvalho-Heineken, the daughter of be needed to return to modest tures of 0 per cent, 1 per cent, 3 May 4. "A disease like this just spotlights the underlying inequalities cent stake in Premier League football club brewing magnate Freddy Heineken, also makes it but positive GDP growth in per cent, and 5 per cent over the Moody's Investors Service and extra burdens that black communities have historically had to Newcastle United, which would mark a major into the top 10. 2020-21," NCAER said in its fiscal 2020-21 budget present- on May 8 had said it estimates deal with in this country," he said. investment for the duo who were born in India and Queen Elizabeth II comes in at 372 with an first coronavirus report for the ed in February 2020. India's GDP growth to hit 'zero' African-Americans make up a disproportionate number of grew up in London. estimated worth of 350 million pounds. first quarter of fiscal 2020-21. The economic think tank in FY21 and pointed to a wide coronavirus deaths and hospitalisations in the US. "Wary of debt and publicity, the brothers prefer Beatle Sir Paul McCartney is the highest- The economic think tank said if the central government fiscal deficit, high government Obama, who was a former civil rights lawyer and community to keep a large proportion of their wealth in cash placed musician with 800 million pounds, while said in case of no stimulus expenditure is maintained as debt, weak social and physical organiser before he ran for political office, also gave three pieces and bonds. With combined business interests val- singer Rihanna is a new entry with an estimated base-case for each 2020-21 proposed in the Union Budget infrastructure, and a fragile of advice for the graduating class to "create change." (PTI) ued at 15 billion pounds, we add 1 billion pounds 468 million pounds. (PTI) quarter and the fiscal year, 2020-21, then in this scenario financial sector. (PTI)