3 Indians in UAE lose jobs for ‘Islamophobic’ posts

Govt Concerned Over Attempts To Disturb Communal Harmony In Gulf Countries

Sachin.Parashar@timesgroup.com

New Delhi:  4.5.2020

The government remains concerned about attempts to disturb communal harmony in Gulf nations, particularly UAE where three more Indians have lost their jobs and are facing action from local authorities for their coronavirus-related “Islamophobic” utterances.

Indian missions in the region have warned in the past few weeks against inflammatory posts on social media, citing PM Narendra Modi’s tweet that Covid-19 doesn’t recognise any religion, caste, creed or border.

These developments though have not come in the way of India’s cooperation with UAE in dealing with the virus. While India sent a team of medical professionals to UAE on Saturday to help it fight the virus, the Gulf nation too despatched seven tonnes of medical supplies to India.

India is also currently working with the UAE government to implement its plan for evacuation of Indian nationals from the country. More than 50,000 people had registered for evacuation with the Indian consulate in Dubai alone until Friday.

One of the main reasons for strong India-UAE ties has been the huge expatriate Indian population in UAE, according to UAE authorities. The 3.3 million-strong Indian expatriate community is said to account for more than 30% of the national population and constitutes UAE’s largest expatriate group. It also accounts for a third of the remittances which India receives from GCC countries.

UAE has a low threshold for intolerance though and the Indian government has been worried about the conduct of some expatriates in the past few weeks. Indian diplomats recall how India and UAE set up a digital museum in Abu Dhabi on the life and message of “love, tolerance & humanity” of Mahatma Gandhi and Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, former president and founding father of UAE.

India’s ambassador to UAE Pavan Kapoor had quote-tweeted Modi’s tweet last month to remind Indian nationals that the two countries shared the value of non-discrimination on any grounds and that discrimination was against their moral fabric and rule of law.

In many cases though, fake identities have also been created, as the Indian embassy in Qatar said in a statement, by forces inimical to India to create discord. One such fake handle impersonated the princess of Oman to which she issued a clarification later.

According to Gulf News, three fresh cases were reported over the weekend of Indian nationals posting offensive comments on social media. One of the accused is a chef with a high-end Italian restaurant. It said that all three had been fired, or suspended, and handed over to local authorities.

STRICT WARNING: A file photo of PM Narendra Modi with UAE delegates. Indian missions in the Gulf region have warned in the past few weeks against inflammatory posts on social media, citing PM Modi’s tweet that Covid-19 doesn’t recognise any religion, caste, creed or border

Ayurveda drug gets nod for clinical trials on patients

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Kochi:  4.5.2020

An ayurveda medicine, Zingivir-H tablet, used for treating respiratory infections, has got approval from the clinical trial registry of India (CTRI) for clinical trials on adults tested positive for Covid-19.

The drug developed by Kerala-based Pankajakasthuri herbal research foundation and effectively used for viral fevers, acute viral brochitis and other respiratory infections will now be tested as a potential medicine for Covid-19 in medical colleges in India.

“Our scientific validations have shown that this drug has strong anti-viral properties and is effective against respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and influenza virus. The RSV is an RNA virus and we expect that it will be effective against Covid-19, which is also an RNA virus,” said Dr J Hareendran Nair, Padma Shri awardee and formulator of the drug.

Dr Nair said that several medical colleges have approved the clinical trials through their ethical committees. “Some of them have already started trials and the first results are expected to be available by the second week of May,” he said.

He said that the in vitro experiments done at the Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Biotechnology has proven that there are no side-effects in the human cell.

Subsequently, the approval was received from the institutional ethic committee (IEC), based on which CTRI, which comes under the Indian council for medical research (ICMR), gave approval.

Lab technicians, the invisible Covid warriors

Sukshma.R@timesgroup.com

Madurai:  4.5.2020

Though largely invisible and working behind the scenes, scientists and lab technicians are among the frontline workers in fight against Covid-19. Equipped to process up to 1,000 samples per day, the 21-member Covid-19 testing team at the Virus Research Diagnostic Laboratory (VRDL) in Madurai Medical College (MMC) say the lab has tested around 12,000 samples so far.

The virology lab at MMC, which was cleared to start Covid-19 testing by March 25, has been receiving samples from five different districts. The team consists of VRDL staff, Multi-Disciplinary Research Laboratory (MRL) staff and microbiology post graduates.

“First we had only five members in the testing team as we were getting only around 50 samples per day. Later, by mid-April, we started getting anywhere between 500-1,000 samples per day. Now, we have a 21-member team working in three shifts and processing a minimum of around 500 samples. It is not a job for everyone and requires dedication and patience,” said T Ram, a scientist.

The entire testing process generally takes up to six hours. “For one batch, 96 samples are taken to the lab after being numbered. RNA extraction is then done, which requires us to be fully dressed in Personal Protective Equipment (PPEs). The extraction takes up to three hours after which the 95 samples with reagents added and one positive control sample is loaded onto the Real Time-PCR machine. The machine takes around another three hours to process the results, during which we can’t waste time and move on to RNA extraction for the next batch,” said Ram. The team has to wear PPE for a minimum of around 6 hours. “Initially, it was really tough but we don’t have a choice so we got used to it. We can’t drink water or use the restroom while wearing PPEs. For women, it is more difficult to not to use the restroom, especially on days when are having periods. But somehow we are managing as we have to get the job done,” said S Keerthana, a lab technician. There are seven women members on the team.

ROUND-THE-CLOCK

Panchayat president opens ₹1 idli shop for farmhands

Deepak.Karthik@timesgroup.com

Trichy:  4.5.2020

Inspired by Kamalathal, an octogenarian woman who sell idlis for ₹1 a piece in Coimbatore district, M Palanisamy, 48, of Venkatachalapuram village near Pullambadi in the district, has opened a low-cost eatery to serve the villagers.

The eatery, named after K Kamaraj, sells idlis for ₹1 per piece every morning during the lockdown. He has named it after the former chief minister of Tamil Nadu in gratitude for facilitating an irrigation canal in the village.

Palanisamy, president of Venkatachalapuram panchayat, said he was moved by reading the story of 82-yearold Kamalathal who sells idlis for Re1. Not associated with any political party, he launched the low-cost eatery at the Kamarajar mandram in his panchayat to serve farmhands. Launched on May 1, Palanisamy and two of his workers sell 650-675 idlis per day.

Since the idlis priced at Re1 come with sambhar and chutney, villagers who earlier skipped breakfast are reaping the benefits during the lockdown. All the idlis would be sold out between 7am and 9am as there are no other hotels in the village, home to 2,000 families. “Kamarajar was the reason behind the Pullambadi canal, a distributary of Cauvery passing through our village. Agriculture has sustained in our village only because of that canal, we are indebted to him,” Palanisamy told TOI.

As the preparation cost of each idli is ₹2.25, Palanisamy is incurring a loss of ₹1.25 per idli. Villagers were told to bring their own vessels and maintain social distancing when they come to buy the idlis. “We occasionally skip breakfast to save money. But the Re1 idli has helped us beat the hunger,” said P Bhakyam, a 70-year-old woman from Venkatachalapuram.

M Palanisamy, 48, of Venkatachalapuram village opened the shop after being inspired by Kamalathal, an octogenarian woman who sell idlis for ₹1 a piece in Coimbatore district

Motorists wear face masks but not helmets during pandemic

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:  4.5.2020

With lockdown still in force across the city, motorists who are venturing out with a face mask on are giving the helmet a miss. Police ,who are concentrating more on those venturing out without a permit during the pandemic, are failing to pay the necessary attention to the ones without a helmet.

This is despite the fact that 90 percent of the fatalities caused are due to riding without protection.

But the police claim that they have registered more than 30000 cases against motorists who have been flouting the rules since lockdown.

Though the number of check points have been increased across the city, it is mostly law and order personnel who are manning these checkpoints and since they cannot book helmet violation cases, they just question them and let them go even without levying them with a fine.

Most of the riders are also taking liberty and coming out without helmet as they are aware that the police are unlikely to book them under these circumstances.

Also the checks on helmet is only done on the main arterial roads like Anna Salai and Poonamallee High Road, whereas the bikers who travel in the bylanes go scot free.

With no vehicles out on the road, chances of accidents are high, as the motorists tend to speed up on the empty roads.

“Police should concentrate on helmet offence even now. I see most of the youngsters on bike roaming around the city without helmet. I have wondered many times why they are not being caught,” said Sharadha, a senior citizen from Kilpauk.

A traffic police official at Teynampet signal blamed the motorists saying many of them presume that they can go without wearing helmet when go to nearby areas.

“Road accidents can be prevented only if the motorists realize their responsibility and follow the traffic rules with self-discipline,” he said.

A senior police officer said that the instructions remain the same whether it is lockdown or normal days, an offence is an offence. “We have in fact fining both riders and pillion riders,” he said.

STILL A VIOLATION: Two-wheeler riders are going unpunished despite not wearing helmets

‘Aggressive testing identifies more cases’

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:4.5.2020

The agressive testing has led to more number of Covid-19 positive cases being identified in Chennai and the numbers could go up further in the coming week, said special nodal officer for Greater Chennai Corporation J Radhakrishnan. He, however, stressed that people should not worry about the numbers and sought the cooperation of the public, especially in the containment zones.

The high numbers were a sign that the government’s testing strategy was correct and containment efforts were on the right track, he said. On Sunday, 203 cases were reported in Chennai taking the total number of positive cases in the city to 1458.

On the clusters in the city, Radhakrishnan said that one of the public toilet outside the containment zone emerged as a potential source of infection at Munuswamy Nagar adjacent V R Pillai Street in Triplicane (Teynampet zone) , where more than 50 people had been infected.

On Sunday, 14 more people in the neighbourhood tested positive. “This is a problem we have identified now and are making changes to stop spread. We disinfect containment zones every day and take people for testing as soon as we know they are probable contacts. The virus spreads quickly among people,” he said.

Radhakrishnan addressed the media after launching four bike ambulances that will act as first responders to give first aid in containment zones and also to create awareness. They can cover narrow lanes and bylanes in the most affected North and Central Chennai pockets where ambulances can’t reach.

Radhakrishnan, who is also the commissioner for revenue and disaster management, said that the challenge in Chennai was in five zones – Tondiarpet, Royapuram, Thiru Vi Ka Nagar, Teynampet and Kodambakkam (Zones 4, 5, 6, 9 and 10). He appealed to people to extend co-operation and not assume that they will not be infected. “Even in containment zones, people are not wearing masks. Two layers of cloth is enough for a mask. Even yesterday, while on rounds from Central to Basin Bridge and in Anna Nagar we noticed people without masks. When we ask, people say they don’t have symptoms. That should not be a reason,” Radhakrishnan said.

On the rise in the number of positive cases among frontline workers like police and fire personnel, the special officer said that they have created a separate schedule to test frontline staff. According to Radhakrishnan, more personnel will be recruited in public health department and in Corporation to fight the pandemic.

STAYING VIGILANT: Bike ambulances have been launched by Greater Chennai Corporation to give first aid in containment zones and create awareness

Even in containment zones, people are not wearing masks. Two layers of cloth are enough for a mask. When we ask, people say they don’t have symptoms. That should not be a reason

J Radhakrishnan | SPECIAL NODAL OFFICER FOR CHENNAI CORPORATION

No date for final yr exams yet, but colleges begin prep

Higher Education Department Adopts Wait & Watch Policy

Ragu.Raman@timesgroup.com

Chennai:4.5.2020

The higher education department is yet to announce dates for semester exams, but colleges and universities have begun preparations, keeping in mind the need to follow social distancing norms.

To reduce students per classroom, some institutions are planning to reduce exam duration, splitting students into two batches and conduct online exams.

The University Grants Commission has suggested that semester exams be conducted from July 1 to 31. But the situation in Tamil Nadu, where the number of Covid-19 positive cases is increasing, has made the higher education department adopt a ‘wait and watch’ policy.

Educational institutions are, however, keeping themselves busy, ensuring that they will be in a position to hold the exams whenever the government gives its nod.

Guru Nanak College principal M G Ragunathan said they planned to reduce the exam duration from three hours to two hours and conduct exams in two sessions a day.

“The written exam is only for 50 marks. It would help prevent students gather outside the college in large numbers before and after the exams,” he said.

The college also plans to make available sanitizers and masks to the students during the exams.

“If we plan well, exams for final year students can be conducted in a week and we can evaluate answer scripts in a week,” he added.

S Kothai, principal of Ethiraj College for Women which has more than 8,000 students, said they usually had around 50 girls in a class during an exam.

“Now, we plan to reduce it to 20 or 25 students so that social distancing is maintained.”

More than 3,000 students would appear for each session and the college was planning to reduce the number of students, she said, adding that the management was also thinking of conducting online exams to MBA and MCA students.

University of Madras vice-chancellor P Duraisamy said the exam schedule would be planned based on the state government’s direction. “It is possible to conduct exams by maintaining social distancing norms once colleges are allowed to function.

“We will conduct exams only for final year students which means one-third of the students alone would come to the college. We can even split final year students into two batches - BCom students and others.” More than 50% of the university’s undergraduates are B Com students.

Anna University is also planning to conduct exams semester wise to maintain social distancing norms when colleges reopene.

“We will start with eighth semester students and conduct exams semester wise,” an official from the university said.

Many students in engineering colleges are from outside the state and some are from outside the country.

“If we have to conduct exams, transport needs to be restored.

“We will give priority to final year students and will help them to finish their courses as soon as possible,” said vice-chancellor M K Surappa.

Higher education minister K P Anbalagan said the state government would take a call on conducting exams after seeing how Covid-19 situation pans out.

“UGC has recommended a schedule for conducting exams. But, we will take a decision based on the situation in the state,” he said.

The University Grants Commission has suggested that semester exams be conducted from July 1 to 31. But the situation in Tamil Nadu, where the number of Covid-19 positive cases is increasing, has made the higher education department adopt a ‘wait and watch’ policy. Educational institutions are, however, keeping themselves busy

Rlys needs 6hrs to ready trains for guest workers, but no requests from govt yet

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:4.5.2020

Southern Railway will need at least six hours to prepare a 24-coach train to ferry guest workers home, after the state government sends a request. But the zone is yet to get such a request from the government.

Since, passenger trains are not being operated during the lockdown, rakes parked in the yards need to be checked, cleaned and released for service. Around 50 employees may be needed at the yard for this.

A senior railway official said efforts are on to ensure that trains can be arranged at the shortest possible notice. “It will be easy to prepare coaches as shutdown restrictions are being relaxed and more employees are supposed to report for work on Monday. Hence, a rake can be arranged quicker. If a request comes in the morning, a train can be arranged for departure by 3pm or 4pm,” he added.

Since passenger services are not going to be operated till May 17, sparing a rake will be easy.

“Bringing the workers from their camps, grouping them according to the destinations they want to go to, arranging food for them and other preparation will take some time. Trains can be readied by then,” said an official.

Going by the number of guest workers stuck in camps and shelters run by the government, the city may need several trains to transport them. One train can carry 1,000 passengers or less because of social distancing norms.

“Four passengers will be allowed in a coupe as middle berths are not to be occupied. Only one person is allowed to sit on the side seats because of social distancing requirements. Only 54 people will be allowed to travel in a coach.”

As the guest workers have already been sent from Kerala by trains, railway officials are worried that guest workers in Tamil Nadu may throng the railway stations as it happened on March 25, demanding trains to take them home.

WAITLISTED: Thousands of guest workers have left Kerala on special trains to their native places. The many guest workers stranded in Chennai have been demanding that they be sent home

Apply online for passes for cooks, house help: Corpn

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:4.5.2020

People employed as house help and cooks can return to work from Monday, but will need to apply for a pass from the Greater Chennai Corporation.

The civic body’s commissioner G Prakash on Sunday announced that those employing domestic help and cooks can apply for passes online at tnepass.tnega.org.

Apart from this, self-employed workers such as plumbers, electricians, airconditioner servicemen, carpenters, home care providers for people with special needs and others can also apply for permission through the same website, GCC informed through a press release.

Meanwhile, shops selling essential goods can function from 6am to 5pm. E-commerce service providers handling food and essential commodities can deliver as per the time already permitted. Restaurants will be allowed to function from 6am to 9pm.

Prakash also announced that all construction activities in the city can start from Monday, but only with workers staying in-situ (within the construction site). Proper precautions like masks and social distancing will have to be followed. However, this doesn’t apply to sites which are in containment zones.

SEZ, EOU, export units, import export companies after due inspection and approval by the commissioner can be started with 25% of the workforce. IT and IT-enabled services will be allowed to function only with 10% of workforce (minimum 20 employees). The employees should travel only in vehicles operated by the respective organisations. The companies can apply for travel passes on the same website.

Shops selling construction, hardware, cement, construction material, sanitary ware and electrical items shall be allowed from 9am to 5pm. Shops dealing in servicing mobile phones, selling other electronics, motors, spectacles and household appliances will be permitted to function from 10am to 5pm.

The corporation has sent notices to around 750 marriage halls in the city saying they will be converted into quarantine centres if needed.

More cops at check posts as many try to sneak out of city

Ram.Sundaram@timesgroup.com

Chennai:4.5.2020

Police have increased strength at check posts on the outskirts of the city following reports that many people were trying to leave Chennai without valid vehicle passes or supporting documents.

A check post at Vandalur now has a 30-member team headed by a deputy superintendent of police (DSP) to ensure documents are checked faster and vehicles carrying essential items don’t wait for long in queues.

On Saturday, many vehicles tried to get out of the city despite not having passes citing personal reasons; and some even had false documents, said a senior police officer from Chengelpet district. “On an average, 10-15 such vehicles were caught and sent back to Chennai,” he added.

This happened soon after news about lockdown extension was out. Chennai’s Covid-19 figures are on the rise and this could have prompted such attempt, say officers at the check post.

Officials of Greater Chennai Corporation, authorised to issue vehicle passes for interdistrict movement for death, pre-fixed marriages or medical conditions, however, did not witness any sudden rise in number of applications.

On Saturday, 1,357 people applied for leaving Chennai, 292 were approved and the rest rejected, according to official data. This was close to the figures reported every day since the lockdown began on March 24.

Overall, nearly 36,000 applied to leave Chennai during the lockdown period (till May 2) and over two-third of applications were rejected.

Most of the rejections were repeated claims and the applicants didn’t have proper ID cards, supporting documents or a valid reason authorised by the government, to leave Chennai, said a senior corporation official.

To a question on crosschecking of supporting documents submitted by applicants, the official said, “Only a couple of cases have eluded our screening and they were caught at police check posts in other districts. So over 99%, it has gone smooth”.

From Monday, all vehicle epasses will be processed by the corporation through http://tnepass.tnega.org/, he said.

LEFT IN THE LURCH: Guest workers who gathered outside the Pallikaranai police station on Sunday said there has been no communication from the government on when they will be sent back home

Vehicles lined up at Perungalathur police check post

Krishnagiri trick: Why the green matters

D.Govardan@timesgroup.com

4.5.2020

Even as the admission of a 67-year-old Nallur resident of Krishnagiri district, who tested positive for Covid-19 on Saturday, to Salem government hospital set off speculations over the move, the 8,000-odd industrial units, both large and small, in the district are awaiting the directive from the district collector to resume operations from this week.

While the admission of the Nallur resident at the Salem hospital has helped Krishnagiri district remain in the green zone, representatives of the industrial units in the region say it will not make a big difference – whether the district remains in green or orange zone -- as far as resuming industrial operations are concerned. However, they said the patient might have been transferred to the neighbouring district due to pressure from large industrial units. Remaining in the green zone helps such units to deploy 50% of workforce, they said.

“There is no correlation between zones and industries. The district did not have a single patient and this patient, despite being a native of Krishnagiri, is an import from Andhra Pradesh,” district collector S Prabhakar reiterated on Sunday. “The vehicle was intercepted at our district border and hence taken to Salem GH,” said Salem district collector S A Raman.

“We are waiting for the directive from our collector to resume industrial activities in the district, especially in the industrial town of Hosur, with several units coming under the limits of the municipal corporation. We cannot take any chances. Hopefully, the directive will come by Monday and after getting the units ready on Tuesday, we can restart operations on Wednesday,” K Ramalingam, president, Hosur Small and Tiny Industries Association (Hostia) told TOI.

According to him, the various industrial units in Krishnagiri together employ around four lakh people, with a sizeable number of them being guest workers. “Only if companies like TVS Motor resume operations, the smaller units will start getting new orders,” said Ramalingam. “I don’t think we are in a position to resume work on Monday. There has been no directive yet,” a TVS company official said, on condition of anonymity.

“There is a large contingent of guest workers and the state government has hardly done anything to help them. While the administration is asking the respective villages to take care of the guest workers, they are suffering a lot. If at least the units resume operations, it could provide them some respite,” said K A Manoharan, a former Congress MLA and national secretary, INTUC.

(With inputs from Senthil Kumaran in Salem)

5 Mumbai hosps fail man who gave dignity to dead

Sumitra.DebRoy@timesgroup.com

Mumbai:4.5.2020

Breathless with depleting oxygen levels, a 52-yearold Dongri man died after allegedly being tossed around from one south Mumbai hospital to another. Calls to 1916, the BMC helpline, yielded no concrete response. Khalid Ali Shaikh passed away early on Saturday, merely four hours after he managed to find a bed at the state-run St George Hospital.

Shaikh had dedicated the last five years of his life to giving a dignified burial to the many who died in the city but whose mortal remains could not be taken to their home in Kerala. He headed a committee formed for the purpose.

“It is unfortunate that my father couldn’t get a chance to fight for his life,” said his son, Shahbaz, adding that they spent two-and-half hours going from hospital to hospital in a taxi on Friday.

They went to five hospitals, of which two tested his father’s oxygen levels. No one was willing to admit him despite his depleting oxygen levels.

The deceased was a diabetic and was suffering from fever and weakness for the past four days, which worsened around 8pm on Friday.

Shahbaz said they hailed a taxi and headed to Prince Aly Khan Hospital in Mazgaon, where his father’s pulse and oxygen saturation levels were checked. “They said his symptoms looked like that of Covid-19 and referred us to HN Reliance Hospital. They even told us his oxygen saturation levels were low,” he said.

They then headed to HN Reliance Hospital in Charni Road, where once again his oxygen levels and pulse rate was measured.

Since the hospital is not a dedicated Covid-19 hospital, it offered to arrange for an ambulance and send Shaikh to SevenHills in Marol, which is a dedicated Covid hospital. A hospital spokesperson said that the son, who was counselled by the doctors and explained everything, was unwilling to take his father all the way to Marol.

“He was breathless already and looked fragile. I didn’t want to make him travel all the way,” the son said.

With an elevated pulse rate of 137 against a normal of 90 to 100 and oxygen saturation level of 89% against a normal of 90% to 100%, they headed to Saifee Hospital in Charni Road. By now, 40 minutes had passed. The person manning the BMC helpline told them he would get back in 45 minutes with the status of beds in hospitals.

The family is yet to receive the dead man’s Covid-19 status report, but has quarantined itself in its home.

Kin claim they were not even allowed inside Saifee hospital

The person manning the BMC helpline told them he would get back in 45 minutes with the status of beds in hospitals. The family claimed that at Saifee they were not even allowed inside.

“My father became unconscious inside the cab. I was allowed to speak with the doctoron-duty over the phone. She told me that all their ventilators were engaged. She said as his respiratory ratio was dropping, he would need life-support immediately and suggested that we try for a bed in Bombay Hospital,” said the son.

He then decided to go to Masina Hospital, where he said they were not allowed to go past the security cabin. “We finally went to Bombay Hospital, where the guard at the emergency department came out and told us that there were no doctors,” the son said.

A spokesperson from the hospital said that they should have gone to the 24-hour casualty. “Bombay Hospital is running a Covid ward. How can there be no doctors?” the spokesperson said.

A Saifee Hospital spokesperson said they would look into the records and get back.

Full report on www.toi.in

It is really unfortunate that my father couldn’t get a chance to fight for his life

— Khalid Ali Shaikh’s son

Banks urge customers not to crowd at branches

04/05/2020, SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT,HYDERABAD

The State Level Bankers’ Committee (SLBC), Telangana on Saturday said the Centre’s ₹500 ex gratia payment to women Jan Dhan account holders for this month will be released from May 4 onwards.

It also announced a schedule of withdrawal for the women Jan Dhan account holders, drawn up as a measure to maintain social distancing, ensure orderly withdrawal and avoid crowding at bank branches.

As per the schedule, beneficiaries whose account numbers end with 0 or 1 are required to visit the branch on May 4, account numbers with last digits 2 or 3 on May 5, last digits 4 or 5 on May 6, last digits 6 or 7 on May 8, and last digits 8 or 9 on May 11. The credit into their account would be advised through SMS by respective banks. After May 12, the beneficiaries may go to the CSP(BC)/ATM/branch on any day as per the normal banking hours.

SLBC convenor and State Bank of India General Manager U.N.N. Maiya said customers can withdraw as per their requirement and convenient time. Withdrawal facility is also available at India Post Payment Banks if Aadhaar numbers are mapped to accounts.

Govt. support

As regards Telangana government’s support of providing ₹1,500 each to Food Security Card (white ration card) holders, for this month, the SLBC said the amount will be credited into the accounts of beneficiaries from May 2 onwards.

e-Pass initiative get overwhelming response

Dashboard crashes soon as it goes live

04/05/2020, ABHINAY DESHPANDE,HYDERABAD

The e-pass dashboard of Telangana police website crashed as soon as it went live, thanks to an ‘overwhelming’ response from people applying to leave the State.

The extreme web traffic on the said website caused a server error and users were unable to access the dashboard for hours on Sunday. Director General of Police M Mahender Reddy on Sunday evening announced the e-Pass initiative for those stranded in Telangana.

Officials had anticipated big numbers but were still surprised by the rush of web users that led to the crash. For now, police have clarified that e-passes will be issued only to those who have already arranged vehicles for their own travel, as opposed to those who are looking for support from the government for movement. While hordes of people with private vehicles applied for the e-pass, police officials said that many who have booked cabs or hired private vehicles for their commute have also applied. Details of the vehicle and passengers are required to be uploaded on the e-pass dashboard for securing the permit online.

Access issues

Even though police issued e-passes to thousands of applicants within hours of them having submitted their documents, the sheer load of scanned copies of documents going online at the same time resulted in access issues for many users, officials clarified. The dashboard crash has also resulted in delaying e-pass clearance for many, and in this manner, web traffic kept spiking up every time the dashboard was restored.

Speaking to The Hindu, a senior police officer said that on Sunday alone police units across the State issued 7,749 e-Pass for inter-State travel, while the number of applications was over 14,000.

“Concerned units will clear the application. Hundreds of passes were rejected due to lack of details,” the officer said.

Once the application is approved, the applicant will get a link of e-pass through SMS, which will be honoured by all the State across the country. The officer said that many applied for post date travel permission, which resulted in delay of ‘urgent’ passes.

‘TTD Chairman did not violate norms by visiting temple’

Contract of sanitation staff extended by a month

04/05/2020, SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT,TIRUPATI

The Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) management has brushed aside the allegations that doing the rounds in a section of the media that trust board Chairman Y.V. Subba Reddy got the Venkateswara temple opened on Friday and had darshan on his birthday.

In a release, the TTD has maintained that the temple opens everyday during the lockdown period and the mandatory rituals are being performed in ‘ekantam’ (private).

“Vested with the powers to supervise the rituals in the TTD temples, Mr. Subba Reddy, along with his mother and spouse, visited Tirumala on May 1 as part of the task entrusted to him,” the release said.

As a practice that has been followed since years, the TTD Trust Board Chairman participates in the ‘Abhishekams’ on two Fridays a month. Coincidentally, May 1 (Friday) was his birthday, the release explained.

The TTD management has also refuted the alleged removal of 1,300 sanitary workers. The release clarified that the term of the sanitary facilitation contractor ended on April 30 and no tender proceedings were pursued during the lockdown period as per the court directions.

However, the TTD has extended the contract period for one more month on humanitarian grounds, the release added.

Delhi Metro makes over 3,500 trips to keep system ready for operations

Ventilation, AC systems being checked, cleaned during lockdown

04/05/2020, SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT,NEW DELHI

The DMRC suspended operations after the lockdown was imposed to contain the spread of COVID-19.PTIRC

The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) on Sunday said that since the suspension of services due to the nationwide lockdown, which began on March 22, over 3,500 trips have been made by metro trains to keep the system ready to resume operations.

The Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) system of over 2,000 train coaches have been checked and a first-ever drive to clean HVAC systems of around 1,200 coaches with special chemicals by effectively utilizing the lockdown was also carried out, the DMRC said.

“This exercise would have otherwise lingered over longer periods due to train availability in normal scenario as carrying out such massive exercise has always been an issue in the past as trains run up to 20 hours a day. This thorough cleaning exercise would result in better air-conditioned environment in the summers,” the DMRC said.

It added that 3,500 workers employed in various Delhi metro sites are being taken care of since the beginning of the lockdown. All basic amenities including medical care are being provided to them. Over 110 reimbursable online courses have been provided for the DMRC to enhance their professional skills and knowledge during the lockdown period, the DMRC said.

Speaking on the 26th Foundation Day of the DMRC, its Managing Director, Mangu Singh congratulated the employees and said, “Today, the Delhi metro stands as one of the largest metro systems in the world with a massive network of 360 kilometres, 264 stations and 14 depots and more than 60,00,000 journeys with a punctuality of over 99%.”

Highlighting the achievements during the year gone by, the DMRC said that the Dwarka-Najafgarh metro corridor was inaugurated on October 4, 2019, taking the metro for the first time to outer Delhi, areas of west Delhi and the work for Delhi metro’s Phase 4 also commenced on December 30, 2019 on the Janakpuri West-RK Ashram corridor.

Baba Saheb Ambedkar Hospital nurses to go on strike today

Capital records highest single-day jump with 427 cases; no deaths reported

04/05/2020, STAFF REPORTER,NEW DELHI

Doctors and medical staff thank the Defence Forces for showering petals on them at the Rajiv Gandhi Super Speciality Hospital in New Delhi on Sunday.R. V. Moorthy

The number of COVID-19 cases in the Capital on Sunday saw the highest single-day jump for the second consecutive day with 427 new cases, said government officials. However, no deaths were reported. The latest health bulletin by the Delhi government stated that 1,362 people have recovered and 64 have died so far.

On the other hand, nurses at Dr. Baba Saheb Ambedkar Hospital in north-west Delhi said they would go on strike on Monday after the administration failed to address their demands.

Nurses demand

In a letter to the Medical Director of the hospital on Sunday, the nurses asked for separation of COVID-19 suspected and non-suspected patients, making PPEs available to all, provision of quality quarantine facilities for healthcare workers, insurance cover for treatment of medical staff among other issues.

A spokesperson for the union said nurses were “treated differently” at the hospital.

For instance, after a technician tested COVID-19 positive, doctors who came in contact with him, were quarantined but the nursing staff were “posted back to duty without getting tested negative”, the letter reads.

It also alleged that the nurses, who tested positive for the virus, were being “dumped at quarantine centres with no facilities”.

“This is the honour we get for being a part of hospital services and on the front line,” the letter reads. Their demands also include the provision of decent isolation facilities for those who tested COVID-19 positive, provision of hotel accommodation for nursing staff working in COVID-19 areas, private hospitalisation of nurses who develop symptoms, sanitisation of premises, and reduction in the percentage of staff on duty to control exposure to the virus.

Six doctors test positive

Nine people, including six doctors, in connection with two hospitals — Hindu Rao Hospital (HRH) and Kasturba Hospital — run by the North Delhi Municipal Corporation, were found COVID-19 positive on Sunday.

The persons, who had come in contact with the patients, have been put in quarantine, said officials, adding that their samples have been collected.

The nine patients were already in quarantine, said north civic body spokesperson.

Earlier, a nurse from NRH and a first-year postgraduate student from Kasturba Hospital were tested positive for the virus following which the hospitals were sanitised, said officials

Chaos in Telangana over e-passes

Karnataka operates free buses to districts for migrant workers

04/05/2020, SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT,HYDERABAD

On their way: Migrant workers boarding buses at the Majestic bus station in Bengaluru on Sunday. K. Murali Kumar K. Murali Kumar

While there was chaos in Telangana on Sunday over e-passes for migrant workers, the Karnataka government operated free buses to districts.

In Telangana, hours after Director-General of Police M. Mahender Reddy announced an e-pass initiative to help the stranded return to their home States, the Tolichowki area near Hyderabad saw a large number of migrant workers coming onto the roads seeking travel permission.

The workers were not able to get any such immediate permission for inter-State travel since they did not have private transport. They demanded that the government make arrangements to send them back to their native places.

Police officials reached the area and pacified them, promising food and other help as long as they were in Telangana. “We assured to provide them groceries and other essential commodities. We gave them food and water, before sending them back to their dwellings,” said Hyderabad Joint Commissioner of Police (West) A.R. Srinivas. He said 1,000-odd construction workers, daily wage labour and petty vendors, who used to sell food stuff on the roadside before the lockdown, came out of their dwellings around 9.30 a.m., and gathered on Tolichowki streets. They were dispersed within a few hours.

Most of the migrant workers were from Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha and West Bengal.

Meanwhile, many others stranded in Telangana made a beeline at police stations across the three urban Commissionerates — Hyderabad, Cyberabad and Rachakonda — as the e-pass dashboard failed. These inter-State travel permission seekers included students, IT employees from other States, and youngsters whose families reside outside of Telangana or Hyderabad limits.

Police officials issued passes to all applicants who had their documents in order, including those who sought intra-State travel.

500 buses

After facing flak for charging exorbitant fares to transport stranded migrants in Bengaluru, the Karnataka government started ferrying migrants to their respective districts without any fare from Sunday morning. This service will be available till Tuesday from the BMTC and KSRTC bus stands in Majestic. On Sunday, the Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) operated around 500 buses from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. with around 15,000 people travelling to over 45 destinations across the State, sources said. From Tuesday, buses will ply from 7 a.m. in the morning.

Thousands of people, including migrant workers, students and others thronged the BMTC bus stand in Majestic on Sunday, immediately after the State government announced that it would ferry stranded migrants to their respective districts without any fare.

(With inputs from Bengaluru Bureau)

No power to cut salary of SIC members, State told

04/05/2020, 

SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT,THIRUVANANTHAPURAM

The State Information Commission (SIC) in a letter to the State government said that the latter was not empowered to reduce the salary or allowances of either the State Chief Information Commissioner or the Information Commissioners. The Commission has drawn attention to Section 16 (5) of the Right to Information Act, 2005, which states that “the salaries, allowances and other conditions of service of the State Chief Information Commissioner and the State Information Commissioners shall not be varied to their disadvantage after their appointment.”

Salary handed over

The State Chief Information Commissioner and the four Information Commissioners, however, handed over their salaries for one month to the Chief Minister.

5 special trains to Bihar from Kerala

Chaos in Telangana over e-passes; Karnataka operates free buses to districts

04/05/2020, STAFF REPORTER,THIRUVANANTHAPURAM

On their way: Migrant workers boarding buses at the Majestic bus station in Bengaluru on Sunday. K. Murali Kumar K. Murali Kumar

While there was chaos in Telangana on Sunday over e-passes for migrant workers, the Karnataka government operated free buses, and in Kerala, five Shramik Special trains to Bihar were pressed into service.

In Telangana, hours after Director-General of Police M. Mahender Reddy announced an e-pass initiative to help the stranded return to their States, the Tolichowki area near Hyderabad saw a large number of migrant workers coming onto the roads seeking travel permission.

The workers were not able to get any such immediate permission for inter-State travel since they did not have private transport. They demanded that the government make arrangements to send them back to their native places.

Police officials reached the area and pacified them, promising food and other help as long as they were in Telangana.

Most of the migrant workers were from Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha and West Bengal.

The Railways operated five ‘Shramik Special’ trains from Kerala to Bihar on Sunday to facilitate the return of migrant workers. One train each was operated from Kozhikode, Thrissur, and Kannur, and two from Ernakulam. The two trains from Ernakulam had a total of 2,201 workers from Bihar. The train bound for Barauni left at 3 p.m., carrying 1,140 passengers, while the Muzaffarpur-bound train left at 6.30 p.m, with 1,061 people, said Ernakulam Deputy Commissioner of Police G. Poonguzhali.

Checking at camps

“Ten teams, comprising officials of health, labour, police and revenue departments, visited workers’ camps, registered them online and conducted health check-up there itself. The shortlisted people were brought to the Ernakulam Junction railway station on KSRTC buses, accompanied by police personnel,” Ms. Poonguzhali said.

500 buses

After facing flak for charging exorbitant fares to transport stranded migrants in Bengaluru, the Karnataka government started ferrying migrants to their respective districts without any fare from Sunday morning. This service will be available till Tuesday from the BMTC and KSRTC bus stands in Majestic. On Sunday, the Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) operated around 500 buses from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. with around 15,000 people travelling to over 45 destinations across the State, sources said. From Tuesday, buses will ply from 7 a.m. in the morning.

Thousands of people, including migrant workers, students and others thronged the BMTC bus stand in Majestic on Sunday, immediately after the State government announced that it would ferry stranded migrants to their respective districts without any fare.

(With inputs from Hyderabad and Bengaluru bureaus)

Chennai returnees asked to self-report

04/05/2020, STAFF REPORTER,TIRUPPUR

With Chennai's Koyambedu wholesale vegetable and fruit market emerging as a new COVID-19 hotspot, Collector K. Vijayakarthikeyan on Sunday requested traders and truck drivers in the district who have visited the Koyambedu market and other Chennai returnees to self-report.

Contact numbers

In a release, he requested all the Chennai returnees to contact the District COVID-19 Emergency Control Centre using numbers 0421-1077 or 0421-2971199/2971133 and voluntarily register their names, addresses and other relevant particulars.

Along with this, they must compulsorily isolate themselves for a period of 14 days, he said.

Those who have returned from other districts after April 19 must also follow the above procedure.

Persons with COVID-19 symptoms such as cough and fever must visit the nearest government hospital or a primary health centre at the earliest, Mr. Vijayakarthikeyan said.

On Saturday, two truck drivers who returned to Tiruppur from Koyambedu market carrying watermelons tested positive for COVID-19. No new cases were reported on Sunday and 109 out of the total 114 cases have recovered in the district.

SALEM

Salem Collector S.A. Raman advised persons, who had visited Koyambedu market and returned to the district to voluntarily report themselves with the district administration.

According to a press release, the district administration has advised persons to voluntarily report at government hospitals, primary health centres or at check-posts in district borders.

Persons have also been advised to contact control room at the Deputy Director of Health Services office: 0427-2450498, 2450022, 2450023, 7305868942.

Vehicle pass

A press release from the administration said public can apply for vehicle passes through the website tnepass.tnega.org.

Law college starts classes online

04/05/2020, SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT ,COIMBATORE

Government Law College, Coimbatore, had started classes online for students, said a release from Principal K.S. Gopalakrishnan.

Attendance

Mr. Gopalakrishnan said though the college had not made attendance compulsory for students, the number of students who participated in classes on online classroom platforms were more than 80%.

The college did so based on suggestions from the Director of Legal Studies, N.S. Santhosh Kumar, who wanted law colleges to make use of the lockdown period to continue teaching students.