Follow us on: @TheDailyPioneer RNI No. APENG/2018/764698 facebook.com/dailypioneer *Late City Vol. 2 Issue 175 ANALYSIS 7 MONEY 8 SPORTS 11 *Air Surcharge Extra if Applicable DON’T EXPECT RBI GIVES RS 50,000 CRORE HOLDING FINDS NO LOGIC IN CORONA THE MOON BOOST TO MUTUAL FUNDS LEGALISING BALL-TAMPERING CASES IN WORLD VIJAYAWADA, TUESDAY APRIL 28, 2020; PAGES 12 `3 3,029,709 DEATHS RECOVERED 2,09,242 9,00,319 www.dailypioneer.com FIVE NORTHEASTERN STATES ARE ICMR: STOP USING RAPID ANTIBODY NEED TO GIVE IMPORTANCE TO SC SEEKS CENTRE'S REPLY ON PIL COVID-FREE, SAYS JITENDRA SINGH KITS PROCURED FROM CHINESE FIRMS ECONOMY, BATTLE COVID: PM TO CMS OVER JOURNALISTS' WAGE CUTS ive out of the eight Northeastern states are completely coronavirus-free he country's apex health research body ICMR s India enters final week of the lockdown, Prime Minister Narendra Modi he Supreme Court Monday sought the Centre's reply Fand the remaining three have not added any new COVID-19 positive case Ton Monday asked states to stop using the Aon Monday conveyed to chief ministers that the country will have to give Ton a plea alleging that employees including in the last few days, Union Minister Jitendra Singh said on Monday. Singh, COVID-19 rapid antibody test kits procured from importance to the economy as well as to continue the fight against journalists have been meted out inhuman and illegal who is the minister for Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER), said two Chinese companies and return them to be coronavirus. In a video conference with the chief ministers, fourth treatment by some media organizations which have this after a video conference with senior officers of the North sent back to the suppliers. In an advisory sent to such interaction since March 22 when he first spoke to them on been issuing termination notices, effecting wage cuts Eastern Council (NEC), Shillong, as well representatives of chief secretaries of all states and Union Territories the pandemic, Modi also highlighted the importance for states and asking them to proceed on unpaid leaves during the different government bodies and PSUs. The minister said five on Monday, the Indian Council of Medical Research to enforce prescribed guidelines strictly in the coronavirus coronavirus lockdown. A bench comprising Justices N V Northeastern states — Sikkim, Nagaland, Arunachal Pradesh, (ICMR) said it "evaluated the kits of Guangzhou Wondfo Biotech and hotspots zones, the government said in a statement. The prime Ramana, Sanjay Kishan Kaul and B R Gavai, in a proceedings held through Manipur and Tripura — are totally coronavirus-free while three Zhuhai Livson Diagnostics in field conditions. The results have shown minister underlined that the lockdown has "yielded positive video conferencing, issued notices to the Centre, the Indian Newspapers other states — Assam, Meghalaya and Mizoram — had eight, wide variation in their sensitivity, despite early promise of good results as the country has managed to save thousands of lives in Society and the News Broadcasters Association on the plea filed by three 11 and one COVID-19 positive cases respectively. performance for surveillance purpose". the past one and a half months", it said. journalists' bodies and listed the plea for further hearing after two weeks. Govt staff to get 50% pay this Corona can’t be eliminated, we have to live with it: Jagan month too, relief for pensioners PNS n VIJAYAWADA PRADEEP n VIJAYAWADA the lockdown was announced in Coronavirus could not be the last week of March. The State eliminated and "we have to live For the second consecutive government is learnt to have with it" by taking adequate pre- month, Andhra Pradesh State informed them that a decision cautions to prevent infection, government employees will be to pay only 50 per cent of Chief Minister Y S paid only half of their salaries. salaries for April has been taken Jaganmohan Reddy said on However, pensioners will get and asked them to cooperate. Monday. their full pension. The State government has In a televised address to the No community According to a GO issued on paid 50 per cent pension to the people of the state, he said a transmission in Sunday evening, the State gov- pensioners in the State. Trade vaccine for the virus might be ernment will continue the pay- union leaders said efforts were developed only after a year or Kerala so far: ment pattern that it adopted being made to convince the gov- so and till then, developing Shailaja with regard to disbursement of ernment about the need to pay "herd immunity" was the only salaries for the month of March full payment of pensions. option to check the spread of paid in the first week of April, Speaking to The Pioneer, the virus. while paying the pensioners to the pensioners.” With hard- drop, the State government had Andhra Pradesh NGOs The Chief Minister appealed their full pension. Principal ly a few days left for April paid only 50 per cent salaries to Association Krishna district to people to follow social dis- 4 Finance Secretary Shamsheer salaries to be released, the State its employees for March (paid in president A Vidyasagar said tancing norms as it was the 1.12 cr credit, debit cards Singh Rawat told The Pioneer government employees have the first week of April). that payment in accordance only way to prevent the conta- that the same structure adopt- appealed for payment of full However, the frontline work- with four Dearness Allowances gion, which has so far affect- ed for March salaries will be salaries without any cuts and force like doctors, police, para- announcements and PRC were ed 1,177 people in the state and for farmers by Kharif: Jagan continued for April salaries, deductions as their financial medical staff and sanitation pending and that the trade claimed 31 lives. hief Minister YS Jaganmohan Reddy on Monday said that 56 due to the ongoing lockdown. position is not good. workers have been spared from union had been reminding the Jagan said the infection rate Clakh farmer’s credit cards and as many debit cards would be Asked about pensions, he In the wake of Covid-19 pan- the salary cuts. Following news government time and again in the state was just 1.6 per cent introduced by Kharif season to ease the process for the tillers to said that Chief Minister YS demic, a countrywide lock- reports that the State govern- through representations as against the national average obtain incentives, crop loans and the like. He added that the Jaganmohan Reddy has taken a down was announced by the ment is likely to continue deduc- demanding it honour its com- of 4 per cent. government is focusing on creating new accounts for farmers for decision to pay complete pen- Central and State governments tion of employees salaries for the mitments. "However, no action "By God's grace we should added benefits. Addressing a review meeting on Rythu Bharosa sion to the pensioners. "A GO to contain the spread of the virus month of April, trade union has been taken in this regard till feel proud about it," Jagan Centres here, the Chief Minister stated that all the benefits provided in this regard was issued over on March 23 which will be in leaders have asked the admin- date," he said. remarked. to farmers by the State government should be directly credited into payment of salaries and pension force up to May 3. In this back- istration to release full salary as 3 "Coronavirus need not be their accounts, which they can access using their debit cards. seen as an untouchable or “Farmers should not worry or fear about their money or the people need not feel everything incentive provided by the government. It has to be in the most is ruined with it. It's just like an simple way, whereby just showing the card in the bank, the farmer 80 more ordinary fever," he added. gets his money. 3 The Chief Minister empha- Most CMs cases take sised that special care should He complimented and police, sanitation and revenue want lockdown be taken of the elderly and thanked all the healthcare staff for their exemplary ser- to continue: total to 1,177 those with comorbidities. workers, village volunteers, vices in fighting the crisis. Narayanasamy PNS n VIJAYAWADA As per the health bulletin released by the state govern- 5 ment on Monday, 80 new TN builds makeshift Covid-19 positive cases were registered in the past 24 hours in Andhra Pradesh, walls on AP border taking the total number of cases to 1,177. PNS n VELLORE rised entry of people like Of this, 911 are active cases migrant labourers, who use while 235 patients have been Temporary walls have been vehicles including buses to discharged and as many as 31 built on roads across the bor- enter Tamil Nadu without people have succumbed to der with Andhra Pradesh at any valid permission. Oppn questions the infection. two remote checkpoints near In view of the nation-wide During the past few days, here to help prevent unautho- curbs to help prevent spread high price paid Kurnool district in the state rised arrival of people into of coronavirus, the govern- has been then worst-hit by the Tamil Nadu, a senior official ments of other States too do by TN for rapid Over 60% Corona patients in infection, topping the list said on Monday. not allow people to travel with 292 cases, followed by The walls, made of concrete anywhere. test kits Guntur with 237 and Krishna hollow blocks have come up Some people, however, get AP are aged between 16 & 45 with 210.