c m y k c m y k THE LARGEST CIRCULATED ENGLISH DAILY IN SOUTH INDIA HYDERABAD I MONDAY I 16 MARCH 2020 WEATHER SPORTS 16 TABLOID O WORLD 13 Max: 33.1 C | | Min: 21.8OC RH: 44% Elizabeth moved out Shuttler Tai Tzu Men won’t grab Rainfall: Nil of Buckingham wins All England ’em... anymore Forecast: Partly cloudy sky. Max/Min temp. deccanchronicle.com, facebook.com/deccannews, twitter.com/deccanchronicle, google.com/+deccanchronicle | PAGES | 34/23º C Vol. 83 No. 75 Established 1938 32 `6.00 ASTROGUIDE Vikari; Uttarayanam Jagan slams SEC Thithi: Phalguna Bahula Astami Modi offers Saarc fund till 3.01 am (next day) Star: Jyestha till 11.15 am Varjyam: Nil for deferring polls Durmuhurtam: 12.48 noon to 1.36 pm; 3.11 pm to 3.59 pm for fighting coronavirus MD ILYAS | DC The-then CM Rahukalam: 7.30 am to 9 am VIJAYAWADA, MARCH 15 Chandrababu Naidu HIJRI CALENDAR appointed Nimmagadda To contribute $10 million; offers test kits, doctors Andhra Pradesh Chief Mi- COVID-19 CASTS Rajjab 20,1441 AH nister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Ramesh Kumar as SEC PRAYERS VINEETA PANDEY | DC on Sunday called the deci- because both of them SHADOW ON Fajar: 5.24 am NEW DELHI, MARCH 15 sion of the State Election belong to the same social Zohar: 12.35 pm Commission (SEC) to group, and now, Ramesh MP TRUST VOTE Asar: 4.45 pm Urging the neighbouring postpone the elections to Kumar is showing bias in Maghrib: 6.32 pm countries to come together local bodies as “unjustifi- conducting elections. RABINDRA NATH to fight challenges from able”, and tried to punc- CHOUDHURY | DC Isha: 7.39 pm — Y.S. JAGAN MOHAN SUNSET TODAY 6.26 PM novel coronavirus (Covid- ture holes in the explana- BHOPAL, MARCH 15 19), India on Sunday tion given as the ongoing REDDY, AP Chief Minister SUNRISE TOMORROW 6.22 AM offered to set up a ‘Covid- health epidemic of coron- The coronavirus out- MOONSET TOMORROW 11.44 AM 19 Emergency Fund’ for avirus (Covid-19), saying has hurt him as the SEC break has cast its shad- MOONRISE TOMORROW 12.18 AM the benefit of Saarc the disease was in initial took the decision without ow over floor test by the nations with an initial stages in the state and consulting any senior offi- “minority” Kamal Nath contribution of $10 million wouldn’t create hurdles to cials about coronavirus. government, scheduled IN BRIEF which could be used by the conduct of elections. Mr Reddy also objected to be held on Monday. any of the member-state Casting aspersions on to the SEC decision to stop Madhya Pradesh Asse- Petrol price for its urgent require- the neutrality of the State his government from dis- mbly Speaker N.P. Praja- ments. Election Commissioner tributing house sites, pati on Sunday declared “This could be based on and hinting that he was besides the SEC orders on he would take a final call cut by 12 paise voluntary contributions biased towards the Telugu transfer of collectors, SPs on holding the floor test New Delhi: Petrol price was from all of us. India can Desam party owing to and other officials, saying in the House, keeping in on Sunday cut by 12 paise a start with an initial offer caste considerations, Mr there was no need to take view the coronavirus litre and diesel rates by 14 of $10 million for this Reddy alleged, “the-then those action when elec- threat, only on Monday. paise as oil companies fund,” Prime Minister CM Chandrababu Naidu tions were postponed. The Assembly secre- moderated rate reduction Narendra Modi said dur- appointed Nimmagadda “We are ready to accept tariat made no mention amid the fall in global ing a video conference of Ramesh Kumar as SEC these orders only if elec- of the floor test in the prices to absorb the hike in the Saarc leaders. Mr because both of them tions would be completed business proceedings of excise duty on fuel by the Modi said the foreign sec- Medical personnel, wearing protective gears, wait at Jaisalmer Military Station for the belong to the same social according to the present the first day of the Bud- government. Petrol in retaries of the Saarc coun- arrival of 230 Indians evacuated from Iran in two Air India flights on Sunday. — PTI group, and now, Ramesh schedule,” Mr Reddy said. get Session of the House, Hyderabad now costs tries could coordinate thr- Kumar is showing bias in “The Covid-19 threat in due to begin on Monday, `74.14 per litre, while diesel ough their embassies on conducting elections.” coming days would be due indicating uncertainty is priced at `67.98, accord- the utilisation of this fund. PM Sheikh Hasina, and should be lifted in J&K as provide online training to The decision to postpone to arrival of our people over the holding of the ing to Indian Oil Corp. The video conference Bhutan PM Dr Lotay “dissemination of infor- health personnel of Saarc the local body elections from various foreign cou- trust vote on that day. was attended by Afghani- Tshering. mation is essential” to member states, and create angered the YSR Congress ntries, as several coun- The Speaker had earli- stan President Ashraf Pakistan was represent- deal with Covid-19 threat. a common platform to so much that it forced the tries would start deporta- er on Sunday tried to Ghani, Sri Lankan Presi- ed by its health minister Mr Modi offered to place coordinate research on Chief Minister to conduct tion, unwilling to bear parry the question on Gold imports dent Gotabaya Rajapaksa, Dr Zafar Mirza, who used the Rapid Response Task controlling epidemic dis- his first press conference expenses of treatment of holding the floor test on Maldives President the opportunity to raise Force that India is creat- eases within the region. nine months after assum- foreigners,” he said. Monday, as directed by decline by 8.8% Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, the lockdown in Jammu ing and testing kits at the ing power. governor Lalji Tandon. New Delhi: Gold imports, Nepal Prime Minister KP and Kashmir. Mr Mirza disposal of Saarc mem- ■ Page 9: Modi prefers to Mr Reddy lamented that ■ Page 8: Nothing to worry which have a bearing on the Sharma Oli, Bangladesh said that all restrictions bers. Mr Modi also offered prepare instead of panic Mr Kumar’s statement about Covid-119: Jagan ■ Full report on Page 11 country's current account deficit (CAD), fell 8.86 per cent to $27 billion (about `1.9 lakh crore) during WE CAN’T SCREEN April-February period of the 3rd person tested current financial year, according to commerce LAKHS OF PEOPLE, ministry data. Imports of the yellow metal stood at SAY SCR, TSRTC positive for Covid $29.62 billion in the same period yearago. — PTI DC CORRESPONDENT BALU PULIPAKA | DC HYDERABAD, MARCH 15 HYDERABAD, MARCH 15 COVID-19 CASES Gantz to form People arriving into Telangana on Sunday reg- Telangana by land istered its third positive HIT 107 IN INDIA Israeli govt. routes, either by train or case of coronavirus bus, could pose a serious (Covid-19). A man from DC CORRESPONDENT Jerusalem: Israel President challenge to the state’s Hyderabad with a recent NEW DELHI, MARCH 15 Reuven Rivlin on Sunday strategy of containment travel history to The said he has decided to give of coronavirus (Covid- Netherlands, said to be in Covid-19 positive cases opposition leader Benny 19), given the sheer num- his 40s, according to in India touched 107 on Gantz the first opportunity ber of passengers arriv- health department offi- Sunday as Maharash- to form a new government ing using these modes of cials, was tested positive tra reported 17 fresh following an inconclusive transportation. It is prac- for Covid-19. He is cur- cases, taking the total election this month. The tically impossible for rently undergoing treat- number in the state to President’s office announc- both the railways and ment at the Gandhi 31. Kerala now has 22. ed his decision late Sunday TSRTC to effectively con- Hospital, sources said. after consulting with lead- duct thermal screening, He is the second Covid- ■ More reports on Page 9 ers of all of the parties. the primary health check 19 positive patient at the method to inspect pas- Gandhi Hospital. It may sengers, for fevers, given be recalled that on ly monitored. the sheer Brobding- Saturday, a 24-year-old At least, two more peo- COUNTER nagian scale of logistics. woman from Bhadadri- ple from the city are POINT The South Central Kothagudem district, who learnt to have been admit- Railway (SCR) moves had come to the hospital ted to the Gandhi hospital over 10.50 lakh people on for check-ups following since Saturday with a daily basis across the some coronavirus-caused Covid-19 symptoms. zone. The Secunderabad symptoms, had tested pos- In its daily Covid19 sta- railway station alone itive. She had recently tus bulletin released late caters to over 1.5 lakh on returned from Italy, in the night, the Health an average daily, mostly where she was pursuing a Department said that a within a 16-hour time- degree in medicine. total of test results on 28 frame. Meanwhile, officials individuals were awaited SCR officials said that said that the health status including samples collect- railways officials are of 28 other individuals, ed from 21 persons who alert to the situation. In who had come into con- were admitted to Gandhi the past week, the SCR tact with the 76-year-old Hospital and kept under has launched an aware- man from Karnataka, who observation in the isola- ness campaign for staff had visited the city to seek tion ward.