Delhi lowers drinking age to 21, govt to exit business

Delhi lowers drinking age to 21, govt to exit business

AlokKNMishra@timesgroup.com

New Delhi:23.03.2021 

In a major reform, the Delhi government has reduced the drinking age in the city from 25 to 21, removing an anomaly in its excise policy. Delhi was among a few states and Union territories that had a higher age bar even as the rest of the country had moved on. In what can prove to be a major game-changer, the government has also announced that it will exit the liquor business.

These two are among a host of decisions, including checking the liquor mafia, ensuring quality control, transforming the liquor buying experience of customers and, finally, increasing the excise revenue by 20% in the first year, announced by the AAP government as part of its new excise policy on Monday.

In 2019-20, the state government earned Rs 6,574 crore from liquor, which is about 9.5% of the total estimated revenue, as mentioned in the budget, of Rs 69,000 crore.

The policy was approved by the Arvind Kejriwal government on Monday and will come into effect after it is notified in a couple of days.

Deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia, who announced the new policy, said the government will not run liquor shops anymore (currently it runs around 60% of these outlets) because it is not the job of the government to sell liquor. No new liquor shops will be opened, Sisodia said, pointing out that since 2016, no new outlet has been opened in the city.

"The excise reforms announced today will be a major blow to the liquor mafia in Delhi. The liquor mafia runs around 2,000 illegal shops which results in tax evasion of Rs 1,500 crore to Rs 2,000 crore," said Sisodia.

Full report on www.toi.in

Delhi was among a few states and Union territories that had a higher age bar even as the rest of the country had moved on

India’s daily cases now 3rd highest in world

India’s daily cases now 3rd highest in world

Atul.Thakur@timesgroup.com

23.03.2021 

For the fourth consecutive day, more than 40,000 fresh cases were reported in the country and the steady increase of cases has once again pushed India to become the world’s third-worst affected country in terms of daily cases.

Data compiled by WHO shows that once again the trio of Brazil, the USA and India are leading the world in daily cases. WHO data shows that on March 22, Brazil had reported 79,069 new cases, the highest in the world, followed by the US at 60,228 and India 46,951 cases. Analysis of daily case data for the past few days shows that India reached the third spot on March 19 and since then it has maintained that position.

India reported 40,622 fresh cases, with data from Assam yet to arrive till late at night. An analysis of state-wise data shows that the increase in daily cases was no longer confined to few a states. Despite being a Monday, when cases dip every week, at least 9 states reported the highest case count since January or earlier Gujarat for instance reported 1,640 cases on Monday, the highest ever in the state. Today’s cases were higher than 1,607 cases reported on the earlier peak that the state reached on November 27.

Deaths too were increasing and the daily toll breached the 200 mark on Sunday.

Ugadi cheer for govt staff as CM announces 30% fitment

Ugadi cheer for govt staff as CM announces 30% fitment

Retirement Age Also Up From 58 to 61

Koride.Mahesh@timesgroup.com

Hyderabad:  23.03.2021 

In what could cheer state government employees, pensioners and teachers, chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao on Monday announced 30% fitment and also increased retirement age to 61 from existing 58.

Claiming that the pandemic had impacted the state’s economy badly and delayed the pay revision last year, the CM said the government had decided to not only revise the pay scales of government employees, but also that of teachers, pensioners and other categories of employees, including contract staff. His statement in the assembly came barely days after the TRS scored an emphatic victory in the graduates MLC constituency elections.

The hiked salaries will be applicable from April 1, 2021, and 9,17,797 employees of all categories and pensioners would be benefited. Several government employees’ unions and associations leaders, ministers, legislators met the CM in his chambers in the assembly and thanked him for revising the pay scales.

Ugadi (Telugu New Year day), which will be celebrated on April 13, came early for the employees, an association leader said.

The Telangana government had last revised the pay scales in 2014 when KCR announced the highest fitment of 43% soon after the formation of the state. In fact, the employees’ long-pending demand has been 43% fitment, but they will now have to settle down for 30%.

In the just-concluded MLC polls, various government employees’ unions had openly voiced their support to the TRS following an assurance by the CM of an increased fitment.

Retirement gratuity to be increased to ₹16L from ₹12L

The Election Commission of India had even slapped a show-cause notice to the employees’ unions leaders for supporting the ruling party in violation of the model code.

The CM said contract employees, outsourcing employees, home guards, village revenue assistants, grant-in-aid employees, Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan employees, daily wagers, anganwadi workers, Asha workers, Society for Elimination of Rural Poverty (SERP) employees and Telangana Vidya volunteers will be eligible for enhanced salaries.

Apart from making announcements on fitment and retirement age, the CM said family members of contributory pension scheme (CPS) employees, who die while on duty, would be brought under family pension policy. He said it has been decided to constitute a steering committee with employees’ associations and government officials as stakeholders for evolving the new modalities of employees’ health scheme (EHS) as per the Pay Revision Commission (PRC) recommendations.

He said the government would reduce the age limit from 75 to 70 for availing15% additional quantum of pension to retired government employees and teachers. Similarly, the retirement gratuity will be increased to Rs 16 lakh from Rs 12 lakh.He said PRC-related12-month arrears would be paid to the employees along with retirement benefits. Appreciating the government employees, he said they had played an inspirational role during Telangana movement and took part in Sakala Janula Samme (all people’s strike).

Sydney faces worst floods in 60 years

Sydney faces worst floods in 60 years

Pitt Town (Australia):  23.03.2021 

Australia was set on Monday to evacuate thousands more people from suburbs in Sydney’s west, battered by the worst flooding in 60 years, with torrential rains expected to continue for another day or two. Reuters images showed submerged intersections, marooned livestock and cars up to their windshields in water, out of which poked the tops of street signs, as three days of rain swelled rivers in the most populous state of New South Wales “This is an ongoing situation that is evolving and is extremely dangerous,” PM Scott Morrison told parliament. Australia’s coal exports were disrupted, as the deluge shut rail lines into the port of Newcastle, the world’s largest coal export port, and forced some mines to cut output.

Sunday was Sydney’s wettest day of the year, with almost 111 mm of rain, while 900 mm was dumped in some north coast regions in the last six days, or more than three times the March average, government data showed. The Hawkesbury and Nepean rivers flooded most of northwestern Sydney, leaving residents stranded. “You get a lot of rubbish. It was going past...as fast as the ski boats go-...As soon as it broke the banks, it was like a torrent,” said Larry Powers, after he was rescued from Pitt Town. A helicopter rescued a bride and groom on Saturday to get them to the church on time. Authorities said about 18,000 people have been evacuated from low-lying areas. REUTERS

Astra Covid vaccine found to be 79% effective in US study

Astra Covid vaccine found to be 79% effective in US study

Shows Strong Protection For 65+, 100% Efficacy Against Severe Disease

Rupali.Mukherjee@timesgroup.com

23.03.2021 

AstraZeneca-Oxford’s Covid-19 vaccine demonstrated an efficacy of 79% at preventing symptomatic Covid-19 in large-scale phase III trials in the US, much higher than UK trial results. The interim data rests speculation on the vaccine’s efficacy on those over 65 years, and showed a 100% efficacy against severe disease and hospitalisation. The data validates it “as a much-needed additional vaccination option, offering confidence that adults of all ages can benefit from protection against the virus”, AstraZeneca said.

Confidence in the safety of AstraZeneca’s Covid-19 vaccine has taken a big hit in several countries in Europe as reports of rare blood clots have been linked to it, with many countries temporarily pausing on its use in the vaccinations. In India, government is monitoring the serious adverse effects of the vaccines being administered, including Covishield, AstraZeneca’s vaccine manufactured by Serum Institute.

The results could provide the much-needed boost to the company’s vaccine, which has been facing doubts around its safety and efficacy recently.

The interim safety and efficacy analysis was based on over 32,000 participants accruing 141 symptomatic Covid cases. Vaccine efficacy was consistent across ethnicity and age, the firm said. Significantly, in participants aged 65 years and over, vaccine efficacy was 80%.Ann Falsey at University of Rochester School of Medicine (US) and co-lead principal investigator for the trial, said: “These findings reconfirm previous results observed in AZD1222 trials across all adult populations but it’s exciting to see similar efficacy results in people over 65 for the first time”.

Armed with the findings, the company plans to apply for US approval. White House press secretary Jen Psaki said on Monday that the governemnt would equitably integrate AstraZeneca’s vaccine into the distribution system if the vaccine is approved by FDA. Interestingly, the US trial data showed that the vaccine’s efficacy of 79% was achieved when two standard doses were given at an interval of four weeks, while data from UK trials showed an efficacy of 53% for an interval of less than six weeks. The vaccine was well tolerated, and the independent data safety monitoring board identified no safety concerns, the statement added.

Officials expressed hope that the results would shore up global confidence in the vaccine “I have just finished getting the (AstraZeneca) injection, there is no pain at the injection site, and there is no soreness of the body,” Taiwan PM Su Tseng-chang said on Monday. And French President Macron has said he would take the AstraZeneca vaccine if that’s what was offered after previously being quoted as saying the shot was “quasi-ineffective”.

(With input from agencies)

As cases surge, Chennai civic body starts vaccinating 18+

As cases surge, Chennai civic body starts vaccinating 18+

Move Has Been Long Advocated By Experts To Contain Virus

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:23.03.2021 

As Covid-19 cases rise again in Chennai, several primary health centres run by the city municipal corporation have been quietly vaccinating anyone over the age of 18 for the past few days, something several health experts have long been advocating.

The Union government has stipulated that only frontline workers of all ages, all those aged over 60 and people with co-morbidities aged 45-60 should be vaccinated for now.

TOI found that these PHCs in the city followed different criteria. One PHC gave shots to everyone over the age of 45; another vaccinated people with co-morbidities who were below the age of 45. A few people in their thirties said one PHC asked them to come after 2pm so that only those doses which would anyway gone waste would be administered to them. Priority was still for the strictly eligible. However, from last week, this particular PHC has started administering shots to everyone from 9am.

Once opened, a vial of Covaxin that contains 20 doses should be used in four hours. The same goes for a vial of Covidshield, which contains 10 doses.

The city’s civic body has the capacity to vaccinate 60,000 people a day. The maximum it managed was 35,215 on Saturday. The number dropped to 18,018 on Monday. Close to 5 lakh people in Chennai have been vaccinated so far.

Senior epidemiologists, virologists and infectious diseases experts have been asking the government to open vaccination for the general public.

Dr Subramanian Swaminathan, an infectious diseases expert said anything is better than wasting vaccines. “However, officials must prioritise those who deserve it more and that they don’t run out of doses,” he said.

Senior virologist Dr T Jacob John told TOI earlier, the state's the goal should be prevention of severe disease and death along with strategies for safe reopening. “We can do this more effectively by offering the vaccine to more people," he said. He even advocated delaying the second dose of Covishield. Studies also show that the efficacy goes from 54% to 82% when the vaccine's second dose of Covishield is delayed from 28 days to 12 weeks, he had said.

Eminent cardiologist Devi Shetty, writing in TOI, had advocated mass vaccination of people in the 20-45 age group saying they are the super spreaders.

A senior GCC official said these were stray incidents and that they have also been apprised of the situation and have taken steps to curb it . “GCC’s current instructions are to vaccinate only eligible citizens. We want all PHCs to work uniformly,” the official said.

A zonal level official said their definition of frontline workers has been expanded; this now includes those working at restaurants, auto and taxi drivers, house helps, cooks and security personnel at apartments and mall workers. “Every ward has been given a target of bringing at least 100 people for vaccination everyday,” the official said. There are 200 wards in the city.

There are 140 PHCs in the city. Apart from this, vaccines are also available at 16 other municipal corporation-run health centres, 175 private hospitals and 19 government hospitals in the city.

Elderly women after getting vaccinated in Guwahati, on Monday

ரூ.267 கோடி கேட்டு கல்லுாரி நிர்வாகி வழக்கு

ரூ.267 கோடி கேட்டு கல்லுாரி நிர்வாகி வழக்கு

Added : மார் 22, 2021 23:43

சென்னை : கொரோனா சிகிச்சைக்காக, மருத்துவக் கல்லுாரியை பயன்படுத்தியதற்காக, 367 கோடி ரூபாய் செலுத்தக் கோரி, சென்னை உயர் நீதிமன்றத்தில், கல்லுாரி நிர்வாகி வழக்கு தொடுத்துள்ளார்.

மனுவுக்கு பதில் அளிக்க, அரசுக்கு, உயர் நீதிமன்றம் உத்தரவிட்டுள்ளது.திருவள்ளூர் மாவட்டம், குன்னவலத்தில் உள்ள டி.டி., மருத்துவக் கல்லுாரி தலைவர் டி.டி.நாயுடு தாக்கல் செய்த மனு:போதிய வசதிகளுடன், டி.டி., மருத்துவமனை இயங்கி வந்தது. கொரோனா சிகிச்சைக்காக, 3,000 படுக்கை வசதியை, மாவட்ட நிர்வாகம் பயன்படுத்தியது. மொத்தத்தில், எங்கள் கல்லுாரி, மருத்துவமனையில் உள்ள வசதிகளை, மாவட்ட நிர்வாகம் பயன்படுத்திக் கொண்டது.இந்நிலையில், 12.78 லட்சம் ரூபாய் மின் கட்டணம் செலுத்தும்படி, மின் வாரியத்திடம் இருந்து கடிதம் வந்தது.

எங்கள் மருத்துவமனையை பயன்படுத்தியதற்காக, அரசிடம் இருந்து எந்த பணமும் வரவில்லை. தற்போது, கல்லுாரி மற்றும் மருத்துவமனையை முழுமையாக மாற்றி அமைக்க வேண்டியதுள்ளது. உள்கட்டமைப்பு வசதிகளை மேற்கொள்ளவும், மருத்துவ சாதனங்கள் வாங்கவும், முழுமையாக சுத்தப்படுத்தி கிருமி நாசினி தெளிக்கவும், எங்களுக்கு நிதி தேவை.மருத்துவமனையை பயன்படுத்திய வகையில், எங்களுக்கு, 367 கோடி ரூபாய் தர, அரசுக்கு உத்தரவிட வேண்டும்.இவ்வாறு, மனுவில் கூறப்பட்டுள்ளது.

மனு, நீதிபதி அப்துல் குத்துாஸ் முன், விசாரணைக்கு வந்தது. மனுதாரர்சார்பில், வழக்கறிஞர் சரவணன் ஆஜரானார். மனுவுக்கு பதில் அளிக்க, தமிழக அரசுக்கு நீதிபதி உத்தரவிட்டார். விசாரணையை, ஏப்., 16க்கு, நீதிபதி தள்ளி வைத்தார்.