‘Rich State’ Telangana reels under double whammy

Twin blows of slowdown and lockdown reduce the government’s income in April to a meagre trickle

08/05/2020, M.L. MELLY MAITREYI,HYDERABAD

Telangana, often touted as a ‘rich state’ by its Chief Minister K.Chandrasekhar Rao, finds itself reeling under the twin blows of the economic slowdown that preceded the COVID-19 pandemic and the lockdown. While slower economic growth left its finances substantially dependent on GST compensation, the State’s own revenues have now hit rock bottom due to the latest public health crisis and the drastic measures taken to mitigate it.

Mr. Rao, who has extended the lockdown in the State till May 29 despite a trying financial situation that has resulted in the State receiving barely 5% of its own revenue in April, has given indications that his patience is wearing thin with the Centre not responding to his various suggestions to infuse funds into economy.

The lockdown was announced a few weeks after the State presented its Budget outlay of ₹1.82 lakh crore for 2020-21, with an increase of 28.7% over the revised estimate of 2019-20. At the time, the outlay was perceived as being ambitious given the country’s economic slowdown and the fact that the GSDP growth rate at current prices for 2019-20 was revised down to 12.1%, from 14% in 2018-19. But no one could have foreseen the havoc wrought on the State’s revenue and growth estimates by the pandemic. The budget had earlier estimated the State’s fiscal deficit for 2020-21 at ₹33,000 crore.

The State, which used to be proud of its robust revenue growth rate, became eligible for GST compensation in 2019-20 as its own revenue growth fell sharply to 7%, from the 16.1% expansion recorded in 2018-19. The recommendation of the 15th Finance Commission cut the State’s share in Central tax devolution to 2.1% from 2.4%. And delays and shortfalls in the release of the State’s share of IGST and GST compensation added to its woes.

The overall income for Telangana, including Central funds and loans, is about ₹15,000 crore a month with the State’s own tax revenue amounting to ₹10,800 crore to ₹11,000 crore. But Telangana’s income from all sources was only ₹1,600 crore in April, with the State’s own tax revenue slumping by 95% to ₹500 crore, Mr. Rao had said recently.

Making a case for liberal sanction of funds to the States at a time when they were reeling under the impact of slowdown, compounded by the COVID-19 crisis, and yet spending from their meagre resources on relief and welfare of the poor and migrant workers, Mr. Rao’s argument is that the broad fiscal policy rests with the Centre. “Either Centre should sanction more funds to the States or transfer power to the States to make their own decisions,” he said.

Mr. Rao has also repeatedly — once in a videoconference on the ongoing crisis with the Prime Minister and also in a written representation — urged the Centre to accord sanction for what he termed ‘Helicopter money’ (a direct infusion of money to the public by the RBI or the Central government) and increase the FRBM limit from 3% to 5%.

The FRBM limit increase would enable the State to raise more loans from the market — ₹50,000 crore as against ₹30,000 crore for the year 2020-21. Another appeal is for a moratorium on loan and interest repayments for six months to let the State get a breather from its financial stress.

Mr. Rao pointed out that even for running special trains to take migrant workers to their home States, the Railways were collecting the fare from the States. “ I feel sorry for the Centre’s indifference towards the States’ problems. We will wait for some more time and have our own plan of action,” a visibly disappointed Mr. Rao said during a recent conference with the media.

Revenue from sales tax and VAT on petroleum products, State excise duty on liquor and stamp duty and registration fee are the main revenue sources for the State (amounting to ₹52,400 crore) while SGST is expected to generate ₹27,600 crore. The SOTR was estimated at more than ₹85,000 crore for 2020-21.

But in April, there was zero revenue from excise and liquor (against ₹1,400 crore), stamps and registration (target of ₹880 crore) and motor vehicle tax (estimated ₹400 cr.) while the VAT on petroleum products was only about ₹50 crore as against normal revenue of ₹1,500 crore. The State GST was also only about ₹350 crore to ₹400 crore against ₹3,000 crore.

The State borrowed ₹4,000 crore from the market in April, as against the ₹2,500 crore it would normally borrow in a month.

Against the income of ₹1,600 crore, the government had to spend close to ₹10,000 crore in April including ₹1,800 crore towards salaries and pensions at 50% and 75% deferment, ₹2,400 crore towards debt servicing, ₹870 crore towards Aasara pensions, ₹830 crore towards power subsidies, ₹2,400 crore towards COVID-19 relief assistance of ₹1,500 to every white ration card holder and 12 kg of rice and releases to the health department. The State also stood guarantor for a loan of ₹25,000 crore availed by the Civil Supplies Corporation to procure paddy, fine rice for the current rabi season.

The cut in the State’s share in Central devolution saw the State receiving only ₹982 crore in April, as against ₹1,200 crore. “We pulled through with some savings apart from borrowings and what trickled in from Centre under Centrally Sponsored Schemes and about ₹200 crore of donations to the CMRF” officials said, speaking on the condition of anonymity.

Telangana’s government spends close to ₹40,000 crore on welfare schemes and its budgeted capital expenditure of ₹44,000 crore includes ₹22,000 crore of capital outlay for the creation of assets. Its debt servicing expenditure for the year was put at ₹21,131 crore.

Tasmac rakes in ₹170 cr.

08/05/2020, SANGEETHA KANDAVEL, CHENNAI

The Tamil Nadu State Marketing Corporation on Thursday sold liquor worth ₹170 crore. The revenue came from just 3,700 shops. The cash cow of the State government sells liquor worth ₹85 crore to ₹90 crore a day, on average.

Those tracking the liquor industry said that if Chennai shops too had opened, the sales would have crossed the ₹200-crore mark.

Tasmac salesmen in Madurai, Tiruvallur and Coimbatore region said that they saw a 15-20% increase in sale, compared to other days.

Convalescent plasma therapy trials soon

08/05/2020, SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT, CHENNAI

The Madras Medical College and Madurai Medical College will soon start trials for convalescent plasma therapy for the treatment of specific coronavirus disease (COVID-19) patients.

Health Minister C. Vijayabaskar confirmed that Madras Medical College/Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital (RGGGH) has got the nod for taking up the trial.

Officials said RGGGH has got approval for both the multi-centre trial under the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and also for institutional trial with separate approval from the Drug Control General of India and Clinical Trial Registry of India.

The ICMR has initiated a multi-center clinical trial. Both RGGGH and Madurai Medical College are part of this trial. Health Secretary Beela Rajesh said both RGGGH and Madurai Medical College would start the trials shortly.

STCs to promote e-payment for bus tickets

Vehicles to have only 50% passenger capacity; physical distancing to be followed

08/05/2020, SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT,CHENNAI

When bus services resume after the COVID-19 lockdown is lifted, State Transport Corporations (STCs) will encourage digital payments for tickets and operate at 50% seating capacity in Tamil Nadu.

In a circular to heads of STCs, Transport Department Principal Secretary Dharmendra Pratap Yadav asked officials to explore issuing of day passes, similar to the monthly passes, to avoid exchange of currency.

Besides, they should promote the use of QR code-based payments, mobile wallet payments and other e-payments, he said.

As part of Standard Operating Procedures to be followed by the eight STCs, including the Metropolitan Transport Corporation, he said only 50% of the passenger capacity would be allowed on buses.

There will be a separate entry for passengers to board (rear door) and alight (in the front).

Markings should also be made for passengers to sit and stand, enforcing physical distancing and the buses should be mandatorily disinfected after every trip.

‘Avoid crowding’

Senior officials of the eight STCs have been directed to ensure adequate frequency of bus services on high demand routes to avoid crowding. No buses with air-conditioning should be operated.

Bus conductors should also be ‘crowd managers’, ensuring that passengers wear masks.

Commuters must maintain a minimum of six-feet distance between each other at bus stops.

Bus drivers must wear masks and gloves. They will be separated from the passengers by a transparent screen covering the driving area.

Over 26,000 people with vehicles have left T.N.

After inter-State borders opened, 2,000-odd persons have entered the State

08/05/2020, DENNIS S. JESUDASAN,CHENNAI

Nowhere to go: Migrant workers cycling from Puducherry to their hometown in Odisha. B. Velankanni Raj

Over 26,000 people have left Tamil Nadu and 2,000-odd persons have come into the State ever since the inter-State borders were opened for movement of people using their own vehicles.

Meanwhile, over 54,000 natives of Tamil Nadu stranded abroad have registered for returning to India.

An officer involved in the coordination of movement of people across inter-State borders acknowledged that there were some issues being sorted out with other States, even as the Centre’s standard operating procedures (SOPs) were being followed by Tamil Nadu.

He told The Hindu that e-passes were being issued for either going out of the State or coming in after considering certain aspects regarding whether people were residing in “red zones” and whether they were vulnerable in terms of their age.

Asked about the possibility of special trains for migrant workers, a senior official said: “We were planning for two trains, but since the Odisha High Court has passed an order, we are rescheduling the plan.”

The Odisha High Court had on Thursday directed the Odisha government to ensure that only persons who have tested negative for COVID-19 were allowed to return to the State.

“In light of this order, we may finalise a train for taking migrant workers from Coimbatore to West Bengal,” the official added.

No shortage of beds in govt. hospitals, says Health Minister

‘Indian medicines proving to be effective immunity boosters’

08/05/2020, S. VIJAY KUMAR ,CHENNAI

C. Vijayabaskar

Health Minister C. Vijayabaskar has said that there is no shortage of beds in government hospitals across the State.

In Chennai, the occupancy in the 1,800-odd beds in the Omandurar Tamil Nadu Government Multi Super Specialty Hospital, the Rajiv Gandhi General Government Hospital, Stanley Government Hospital and others is currently just above 50%.

“The number of patients in government hospitals in many districts is in single digits. Asymptomatic patients who cannot afford home quarantine facilities are being moved to care centres. In Chennai, we have about 500 such patients quarantined in the Trade Centre and two private colleges,” the Minister told The Hindu on Thursday.

Asymptomatic persons testing positive for COVID-19 and opting to remain quarantined at home are being allowed to do so after a 24-hour hospitalisation at a government facility, the Minister added.

Chronic conditions

After ascertaining their health parameters through a series of tests, such patients with no co-morbid conditions like diabetes, uncontrollable hypertension or other chronic underlying conditions will be given a kit containing medicines as per the treatment protocol and discharged on doctors’ advice.

“Allowing asymptomatic patients to remain under home quarantine is a recommendation by the Government of India and other medical experts. We closely follow up on the health condition of those under home quarantine and render medical advice through video-conferencing from the control room,” he said.

“A mobile X-ray unit is also being deployed for their benefit,” he said.

Medical kits

A medical kit given to a patient under home quarantine has 20 face masks, Zinc supplements, Vitamin-C tablets, a diet chart and Indian medicine packets. Nilavembu and Kabasura Kudineer have proved to be good immunity boosters, effective in recovery.

“Since Indian medicines are also considered effective in prevention, we are distributing about 2 lakh sachets to front line workers, including police personnel,” he said.

Thousands throng liquor shops disregarding distancing norms

Protests held in several places in State against reopening of Tasmac outlets

08/05/2020, STAFF REPORTER,CHENNAI

Anger and anxiety: Women and children staging a protest in Madurai against the opening of Tasmac, top left, while physical distancing goes for a toss outside Tasmac outlets in Tiruvallur district.G. Moorthy, B. Jothi Ramalingam and M. Vedhan

Thousands of tipplers crowded Tasmac shops across Tamil Nadu (except those in Chennai) on Thursday, as liquor outlets reopened after 43 days.

COVID-19 safety protocols like physical distancing and the wearing of masks were thrown to the wind, sparking serious concerns about the spread of the virus. Protests were held in several places against the reopening of liquor outlets in the midst of a pandemic.

Though customers were required to maintain a six-feet distance between each other, and the Madras High Court had ordered the ‘rationing’ of liquor, such directives were hardly put into practice. Serpentine queues were seen in several places, and many customers were either not wearing masks or wearing them improperly.

Despite the police having warned that residents of Chennai would be arrested if they travel to the neighbouring districts of Chengalpattu, Tiruvallur or Kancheepuram just to buy liquor, some managed to get hold of a few bottles. Though some of them were caught by the police, others escaped scrutiny due to the difficulty of verifying Aadhaar cards in crowded shops. Only 100 shops in the three neighbouring districts were opened, as the remaining 400-odd outlets were located in covid-19 containment zones or areas bordering Chennai.

Spike in cases

Though Tasmac had earlier said it would open 3,850 shops across the State, 150 outlets were not opened, in the wake of the spike in COVID-19 cases on Wednesday. “If new cases emerge [in] fresh spots, we will close the outlets there,” an official said. The police, however, said people were stopped a few hundred meters away from the shops, and tokens were issued to them.

Tipplers in Tiruppur, who were asked to bring umbrellas to maintain physical distancing, were seen using them to “reserve spots”.

Scores of women and children in Sellur, Madurai, attempted to block the reopening of the two shops in the locality.

Power shutdown

08/05/2020,MADURAI

There will be power shutdown in the following areas between 10 a.m. and 12 noon on May 11 (Monday):Ayyankottai, Vairavanatham, Nagari, C. Pudur, Mariammalkulam, Kondayampatti, Kilakarai, Kuttimeikipatti and Sembukudipatti.

Eight sustain burns in fire

08/05/2020, S. PRASAD,CUDDALORE

Eight persons, including two employees of NLC India Ltd (NLCIL), were seriously injured when a fire broke out in a furnace of a boiler in one of the units of Thermal Power Station II in Neyveli on Thursday.

Engineers and contract workers were at the spot at the time of the accident and thick smoke billowed out of the unit.

Two employees — Sarbudin and Paavadai — and six contract workers — Ranjith Kumar, Manikandan, Balamurugan, Jaishankar, Anbalagan and Shanmugam — sustained burns. Two persons were in critical condition with 70% burns..

Power generation in three units of 210 MW unit each was stalled following the accident while all other units in the station and the other thermal power plants functioned as usual.

According to a senior official of NLCIL, “the accident occurred at around 5 p.m. in Unit VI. A loud explosion was heard on the furnace of the boiler located at a height of 82 metres.”

The temperature in the furnace on the top of the boiler was typically above 1,000 degrees Celsius when a fire broke out. Fire emanated from the boiler injuring the workers who were at the site.”

Preliminary investigations revealed that a fire broke out in the furnace. It could have been either due to an implosion or the structure could have been weak.

Womenfolk tremble as TASMAC outlets reopen

08/05/2020, P.A. NARAYANI,MADURAI

For 30-year-old Panchu, a domestic worker from Thuvariman near Madurai, opening of TASMAC liquor outlets on Thursday rekindles haunting memories of the violence that she had to endure from her alcoholic husband before the lockdown. She says denial of access to liquor during the lockdown had actually motivated her husband to give up alcohol.

However, now the hope of a positive change in her family has been replaced with fear and anxiety. “The COVID-19 outbreak had, indeed, a positive impact on our family. During the lockdown, my husband worked in farmlands for two days a week and earned ₹500 per day. It was the first time he gave his full earnings to the family. But, all our hopes of a better life have been dashed now,” she says.

Like Ms. Panchu, wives of many alcoholics, who are from low-income families, are worried that the reopening of Tasmac outlets will further worsen their economic condition, pushing them to the brink of starvation.

K. Kala, who also works as a domestic worker, says many households have not paid her salary due to the lockdown and that the family solely depends on her husband’s income. “With the relaxation of lockdown norms, my husband can work at construction sites and earn around ₹500 per day. However, all the money will now be used by him to purchase alcohol,” she says.

The move has also instilled the fear of contracting COVID-19 infection from their husbands. “We are worried as physical distancing will go for a toss when they stand outside TASMAC outlets. Also, they tend to spend extra time with their friends after consuming alcohol, exposing themselves to many people,” she adds.

The reopening of the outlets has also robbed addicts of the opportunity to give up liquor, says C. Ramasubramanian, a senior psychiatrist and founder of M.S. Chellamuthu Trust and Research Foundation. “The permanent solution to alcohol addiction is a change of mental attitude, for which restricting easy access to alcohol is important,” he says.

Sekar (name changed), chairman of Alcoholics Anonymous group in Madurai, says many alcoholics had overcome withdrawal symptoms in the initial days of the lockdown and started to adopt more positive practices in their everyday routine.

Dr. Ramasubramanian also says when addicts consume liquor after a gap of a few weeks it might affect their physical and mental health. “It can also lead to a spike in the number of alcoholics who might need medical help at de-addiction centres, further burdening the health infrastructure,” he adds.

Not much crowd in Virudhunagar

08/05/2020, SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT,VIRUDHUNAGAR

Virudhunagar district did not see any uncontrollable crowd at the 166 TASMAC shops that opened across the district on Thursday.

While eight shops could not be opened as they fell under containment zones, authorities did not open two other shops in Watrap and Seithur following local opposition against the opening.

A police source said that only a handful number of people were on the queue when the shops opened at 10 a.m.

In many shops, police did not face any trouble in regulating the crowd as it was smooth going. By and large, there were no complaints of people not following social distancing.

“Probably, people were getting liquor bottles in black market like some of the cases reported in few places. Similarly, local people were also involved in illicit brewing of arrack. Hence, there was no excitement among tipplers,” an official said.

Meanwhile, Opposition parties staged peaceful protests in various parts of the district against the opening of TASMAC shops.

DMK MLAs, including Thangam Thennarasu, Virudhunagar MP Manickam Tagore and CPI district secretary P. Lingam participated in the protest and displayed placards.

Flight from Dubai to bring 200 Indians stranded abroad today

08/05/2020, SUNITHA SEKAR ,DEEPA H RAMAKRISHNANCHENNAI

A flight from Dubai, carrying Indian nationals stranded abroad, will land in the city on Friday night.

The repatriation flight, with nearly 200 passengers onboard, will be the first that the city airport will handle.

Preparations have been on at Chennai airport to receive them. A set of officials from the State government visited the airport on Thursday morning to inspect the facilities. The flight is expected to land around 8 p.m., sources said.

Soon after the passengers enter the airport, their temperature will be checked, and they will have to complete immigration and other procedures. Before they exit, staff from the Health department will collect swab samples to test for COVID-19, the sources added.

AAI officials said that they have cleaned and fumigated the terminals and arrangements are in place to receive the passengers. “There will be sanitisers placed at many points and floor markers have been placed in front of immigration counters.”

Doctors, nurses quarantined in resort

08/05/2020, SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT,TENKASI/VIRUDHUNAGAR

Doctors and nurses, who are taking care of COVID-19 positive patients at Government Hospital here, have been quarantined in a private resort at Courtallam at the initiative of Collector G.K. Arun Sundar Thayalan.

Of the 51 positive patients in Tenkasi district, 16 have been discharged even as 35 patients, all from Puliyangudi, continue to get treatment in the hospital. Of this, 26 are undergoing treatment in Tirunelveli Medical College Hospital while nine have been admitted in the Tenkasi Government Hospital.

As per the protocol, doctors and nurses treating positive patients should be quarantined for a week after being on duty for seven days. So, the 13-member team of doctors and nurses have been quarantined in a private resort.

“Since the doctors and the nurses are doing laudable job round the clock, they are quarantined in a private resort, for which the Collector has made all arrangements. They will be in 13 separate cottages, where nutritious food would be given to them,” said Jeslin, Superintendent, Tenkasi Government Hospital.

Sources in the Department of Public Health said no positive case was reported in Tenkasi district on Thursday.

No fresh case

Virudhunagar district also reported no fresh positive case for the second consecutive day on Thursday. The district has so far reported 35 positive cases. The number of active cases went down to 11 after two more patients were discharged on Thursday. So far, 24 patients have returned home after they were treated at Government Rajaji hospital in Madurai.

Air passengers perplexed over protocols

Travellers raise several queries, some of which were answered by government officials

08/05/2020, SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT,NEW DELHI

Two flights returned to India on Thursday with 363 passengers, including nine infants, on board Air India Express flights from Abu Dhabi to Kochi and from Dubai to Kozhikode. A flight from New Delhi departed for Singapore at 11.15 p.m. to bring back stranded Indians. The government has decided to allow foreign nationals and Indian citizens to book a ticket on outbound flights to Singapore, the U.K. and certain destinations in the U.S.

But the government’s standard operating protocols have only thrown more questions, some of which have been answered below based on information from government officials.

How can passengers travel to an airport located in a different city or State to catch a flight?

After being flooded with queries, the Ministry of Civil Aviation clarified on Wednesday, “as per MHA guidelines, except in containment zones, movement on roads [with seat restrictions] is duly permitted” to travel to reach an airport in a different city. Passengers are being helped by the District Commissioner to procure e-passes.

Can passengers book a transit flight? For instance, can a traveller wishing to travel to Canada book Air India’s flight to London and then book another airline for the onward journey as there are no flights announced by the government yet?

Air India is operating only “point to point flights as of now”, said a senior airline official.

Passengers on outbound flights are allowed only if the destination country permits travellers from another country to enter. Therefore, while Air India is flying to 12 countries, only flights destined for Singapore, U.K. and Chicago, Newark, San Francisco and Washington in the U.S. will ferry passengers from India.

It is expected that there will be flights to Canada in subsequent phases and the Indian government is pursuing the matter with Canadian authorities.

Are H1B and H4 visa holders allowed to board flights to the U.S.? The Air India website says only Permanent Residency visa holders and U.S. citizens are allowed, but this information is different from the MHA order that requires a person to have a visa valid for a year or a Green Card or OCI Card. It is also not clear from the MHA order whether a visa needs to be valid for a year from the date of issuance or the date of travel.

These questions did not receive a response. An official of the Ministry of External Affairs said a meeting would be held on Friday to provide clarity on some of the questions posed to it.

What are the quarantine facilities planned by the government for passengers arriving?

The order issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs on March 5 states that passengers found to be symptomatic on arrival at an Indian airport will be taken to a medical facility as per the protocol laid down by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. However, all other passengers will be sent to a quarantine facility arranged by the respective State and Union Territory governments. While many State governments are in the process of identifying these facilities, those like Delhi have issued an order saying that these will be a paid service such as hotels. The Delhi government has also asked all its District Magistrates to ready these facilities under their jurisdiction. A list of these hotels is yet to be released.

What are the criteria for selecting who gets to board one of the flights returning stranded citizens to India?

The Ministry of Home Affairs order which lays down guidelines for the repatriation exercise says that priority will be given to “compelling cases in distress, including migrant workers/ labourers who have been laid off, short-term visa holders faced with expiry of visas, persons with medical emergency/ pregnant women/ elderly, students and those required to return due to the death of a family member.

Air India’s website poses a major hurdle

Bookings interrupted by crashes, unresponsive buttons

08/05/2020, JAGRITI CHANDRA,NEW DELHI

Many Indians and foreign citizens planning to fly out in one of the special flights arranged by the government are fighting against all odds to book a ticket, which include an inefficient and snag-prone Air India website. Many have stormed the airline’s timeline on Twitter to complain about incomplete transactions, unresponsive buttons, website crashes and “misleading information” on visa norms.

“The website is unstable. It crashed last evening when I was booking a ticket to Newark. In this chaos, most of the seats were already booked,” said Shyamal Subramanyam, a U.S.-based scientist planning to travel from Pune.

“The website has contradictory information and travel advisories. I know their advisory for U.S. travellers, which says only U.S. citizens and holders of permanent residency will be allowed, is not a requirement laid down by the U.S. government. It also contradicts the Home Ministry order which allows Indians with a visa valid for a year,” said another traveller planning to go to Newark.

When these questions were posed to an Air India official, he replied, “The website is a non-issue. We are dealing with a mammoth logistical issue. In any website, the coding is such that a sudden spurt in traffic will lead to problems in the beginning but this stabilises over a period of time.”

Sanchit Vir Gogia, chief analyst & CEO, Greyhound Research, said, “Typically, airlines do demand mapping over a few [financial] quarters and a few months and then do the server sizing and the website works fine. But during an unplanned traffic surge, there are problems. This happens often but it doesn’t justify that their website was crashing. All it requires is to move the surge to a public cloud.”

What is missing is an efficient interface, especially at a time thousands of passengers are under distress. “A website which is frequently inaccessible, difficult to navigate, or poorly designed, inevitably detracts from the airlines image,” IndiGo’s Chief Commercial Officer Willy Boulter said.

Vizag gas leak claims 11 lives; over 350 hospitalised

A.P. CM announces compensation of ₹1 crore for families of deceasedGas reportedly spread over a radius of 3 km, affecting five villages About 2,000 people were evacuated from nearby areasChemical plant situated in a densely populated suburb

08/05/2020, SUMIT BHATTACHARJEE,VISAKHAPATNAM

Eleven people, including a six-year-old girl, died and over 350 were admitted to hospitals after styrene monomer gas leaked from a chemical plant belonging to LG Polymers India at R.R. Venkatapuram in Visakhapatnam on Thursday.

The gas leak began around 3.30 a.m. in the plant, which is situated in the midst of a densely populated area. It was set up in 1961 in the area, then a suburb.

The gas reportedly spread over a radius of about 3 km, affecting at least five villages — R.R. Venkatapuram, Padmapuram, B.C. Colony, Gopalapatnam and Kamparapalem. About 2,000 people were evacuated from the 3-km radius.

Visakhapatnam Police Commissioner Rajeev Kumar Meena said that among those killed, two were accidental deaths — a 19-year-old medical student fell from the balcony of the second floor of his house after he was blinded by the fumes and the other fell into a well while trying to escape the gas. The others were declared brought dead at hospitals.

Of those affected, 100 have been shifted to King George Hospital (KGH), where the condition of 20 was stated to be critical. They have been put on ventilator, said P.V. Sudhakar, Principal, Andhra Medical College.

Chaotic situation

According to eyewitnesses, people initially thought it was a fire accident. But as the pungent smell spread, people rushed out of their homes, carrying children and supporting the elderly. Many, running out of their houses leaving doors unlocked, fell unconscious on the road.

Two people, who tried to flee on a two-wheeler, died after the vehicle fell into a drain.

The police reportedly received an emergency call at 4 a.m., and by 4.20 a.m. the first team reached the spot.

Collector V. Vinay Chand, who was supervising the evacuation process, said people were shifted in about 30 ambulances, police jeeps and government vehicles. State Road Transport Corporation buses were also pressed into service.

The gas is not lethal but prolonged exposure to it could affect the central nervous system, which may lead to depletion of oxygen to the brain and cause nausea, vomiting and breathlessness, said KGH Superintendent Arjuna.

CM visits hospital

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy reached Visakhapatnam from Amaravati in a chopper and visited the affected persons in KGH. He announced compensation of ₹1 crore for family members of the deceased. “This amount includes the compensation to be paid by the company,” he said. He also announced that a four-member committee, headed by the Special Chief Secretary, Environment and Forests, would inquire into the incident.

State raises retirement age of government employees to 59

Measure may help save ₹5,000 crore for now; amendment to rules will be issued

08/05/2020, DENNIS S. JESUDASAN,CHENNAI

Service extended: According to the G.O., the change will apply to employees in regular service and those due to retire from May 31, 2020. File PhotoB. Jothi Ramalingam

The Tamil Nadu government on Thursday raised the age of superannuation of its employees to 59 years, in an attempt to give itself some relief from a near ₹5,000-crore financial burden.

“This will apply to all those who are in regular service as on date and due to retire on superannuation from May 31, 2020,” a G.O. issued by Chief Secretary K. Shanmugam said.

The decision, which was preceded by moves such as a freeze on the hike in dearness allowance till June 2021 and the suspension of encashment of earned leave for a year, would be applicable to teaching and non-teaching staff in government and State-aided educational institutions, employees of all constitutional/statutory bodies, public sector undertakings (PSUs), including State corporations, local bodies, boards, commissions, societies, etc.

“The relevant provisions under Rule 56 of the Tamil Nadu Fundamental Rules will be modified to the above extent. Necessary amendment to the above rules will be issued accordingly,” the G.O. stated. Though the order did not specify any reason for the decision, a senior official told The Hindu: “About 25,000 State government employees are scheduled to retire during the next one year and a financial burden of about ₹5,000 crore that will accrue towards retrial benefits has been ‘postponed’ for a year.” On superannuation, retired employees are given a lumpsum, including gratuity, commutation and other pension benefits.

Another official pointed out that the current year’s budget had a provision for the payment of gratuity to the tune of ₹2,763.63 crore and the encashment of leave by fresh pensioners of about ₹2,220 crore, both of which the government would not have to incur during the course of the year in the wake of the decision.

The extension of service for the 25,000-odd employees would not lead to any “significant rise” in the salary expenditure as the government’s original estimates was drawn up on the premise that vacancies would be filled this year.

Mixed reaction

There has been a mixed response to the State government's decision.

Employees who would be reaching the age of superannuation this year welcomed the decision and felt that the latest action of the government would generate “greater goodwill” among the staff towards the administration. However, the Joint Action Council of Tamil Nadu Teachers' Organisations-Government Employees' Organisations (JACTTO-GEO) opposed it.

In a statement, JACTTO-GEO pointed out that the temporary measure would severely affect the employment opportunities of youth in government service for a year. It said that it suspected that the State government was moving towards handing over vacancies in various departments to private players on contract.

“This decision of the Tamil Nadu government has put a question mark on social justice and also the fate of 69% reservation in the State,” it said. The organisation recalled the Audiseshiah Committee’s report, on the basis of which the State government was already making plans to reduce the number of government employees.

The Tamil Nadu Government Employees’ Association announced that it would organise an agitation against the government’s decision on May 8.

Breaking] Kerala HC Refuses To Stay Ordinance For Deferment Of Salary Payment In Public Emergencies 

Akshita Saxena

5 May 2020 3:27 PM

The Kerala High Court on Tuesday refused to grant interim relief of stay in the petitions challenging the Kerala Disaster and Public Health Emergency (Special Provisions) Ordinance, 2020

The Ordinance was promulgated by the Kerala Government last week, on April 30 to defer payment of up to 25% of monthly salary of its employees during the times of disasters and public emergencies.

A single-Judge bench of Justice Bechu Kurian Thomas was hearing a batch of petitions challenging the Ordinance for it being violative of the Indian Constitution, and seeking interim relief of stay.

Petitioners' Arguments

The Advocates appearing for the Petitioners widely relied on Article 309 of the Constitution to state that service conditions of government employees cannot be altered "until provision in that behalf is made by or under an Act of the appropriate Legislature." Since the parent Act and the Kerala Service Rules had not been amended by the state legislature, it was argued that the Ordinance was unconstitutional.

It was contended that the Government had proceeded in violation of the Principles of Natural Justice as the consent of the employees was not obtained before promulgation of the Ordinance, which was also alleged to be in contravention of the employment contract executed between the Government and its employees.

Pertinently, the Kerala Government had first issued a government order on April 23 for deferment of payment of 6 days' salary of government servants per month for the next five months.

On April 28, the HC stayed the operation of the salary deferment order for two months on the ground that there was no statutory support for it.

The Petitioners contended that the impugned Ordinance had been passed solely for the purpose of defying the court's stay order and to "grab" the salaries of the employees when the Government had itself failed to contemplate and prepare an "advance plan" to deal with a disaster, under Section 23 of the Disaster Management Act.

Heavy reliance was also placed on the statutory right to property under Article 300 of the Constitution, in the present case salaries of employees, which was averred to be a "compensation for services" and not a "bounty" which could be taken away.

Reliance was also placed on the advisory issued by the Union Ministry of Labour & Employment asking employers not to terminate/ reduce wages of their employees and it was argued that the impugned Ordinance was discriminatory towards employees in the state of Kerala.

Further, reliance was placed on Article 360(4)(a)(i) of the Constitution which provides that a direction for reduction of salaries may be passed in case of a Financial Emergency. It was submitted that the Ordinance was unwarranted since it was not a case of 'Financial Emergency'.

An argument was also made to protect the rights of Health workers who have been working day in and out during the pandemic, and yet have not been granted any exemption under the Ordinance. Further, that the Ordinance does not mention a "definite time period" for which the salaries will be deducted and it is also open ended and does not state the "purpose" for which the fund will be utilized.

Lastly, it was argued that the Ordinance violates the Right to life and livelihood of the employees, as enshrined under Article 21 of the Constitution and affirmed by the Supreme Court in Olga Tellis & Ors. v. BMC, 1985 SCC (3) 545.

State's Arguments

The State Government on the other hand stressed on the fact that the Ordinance merely "deferred" the payment of salaries and there was no reduction in the same.

On this basis, Advocate General C P Sudhakara Prasad argued that there was no "change" in service conditions vis-à-vis Article 309 and Article 360(4)(a)(i) of the Constitution as payment was merely deferred, not reduced. He also submitted, on the some precedents, that actions of the legislature have precedence over any rules made in lieu of Article 309 of the Constitution.

On being asked about the legislative competence behind the Ordinance, the Court was informed that the same was enacted in terms of various entries in List II and III of the Seventh Schedule to the Indian Constitution.

Further, Advocate Kaleeswaram Raj submitted that the Ordinance could not be said to be in defiance of the court order since the same was a mere "stay" and "not Mandamus".

He also responded that there is no scope for Principal of Natural Justice when it comes to enactment of a law, even by way of Ordinance and thus, the consent of employees in matters of legislative actions is not required.

The state argued that the "balance of convenience" was in their favour, as its income had had significantly dropped during the lockdown.

It was also submitted that paragraph 7 of the Ordinance clearly states the payment of salaries is only deferred and a scheme for repayment of the same will be notified within six months.

Findings

The bench held that the Entries under the Lists given in Schedule 7 of the Constitution have to be "literally and widely interpreted". When the Government says that they have legislative competence under the aforementioned entries, the court cannot interfere with the Ordinance at such a nascent stage, Justice Thomas observed.

He stressed that the purpose behind the Ordinance was to only defer an amount payable to a certain specified class of employees belonging to certain specified institutions. The Ordinance itself provided that the Government will notify a mechanism for paying back the deferred amount and it does not partake in taking away rights of employees.

The court also refused to stay the subsequent notifications issued by the Government for deferment of payment to Govt teachers. It also denied the request for exempting the Health Workers from this Ordinance while holding that the Ordinance uniformly applies to all government employees, there is no classification/ discrimination entailed therein and hence, any interference is uncalled for.

The matter has now been deferred till second week of June.

Online cabs resume ops but demand slips

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Kochi:  07.05.2020

Online cab aggregators Uber and Ola resumed their services in Kochi which has been categorized as green zone but drivers said the number of rides hailed were quite low.

“I went online on my app early in the morning hoping that I would get a ride call. I got two requests and one of them turned out to be fake,” said Nijo Johny, an Uber driver.

Passengers and drivers have been asked to wash their hands with soap or use a sanitizer before and after every ride. It is also mandatory to wear a face mask. While in the cab windows should be open for ventilation as use of air-conditioner is not allowed. AC can only be used in fresh air mode. Not more than two riders are allowed to travel at a time, besides the driver, in green zone.

Kerala Online Drivers’ Union president Jackson Varghese said some of the requests they are getting is for transporting goods like LPG cylinders which cannot be permitted.

Travel agencies which operate cabs and tempo travellers in the district are currently operating services after obtaining special permission for essential services. “We are receiving several requests for trips outside the state but cannot accept them. The main issue faced by drivers is that they would have to go into quarantine once they undertake a trip outside,” said Travel Operators Association of Kerala general secretary Bajy Joseph. “Government should come out with proposals to help the sector,” he said.

The district administration with the help of an entrepreneur had prototyped a fibre glass partition that can be fitted on cabs to enhance the safety of drivers and passengers but this has not been made mandatory yet. “Though it could provide safety I don’t think drivers are in a position to invest on it right now,” said Varghese.

Ratheesh N R, an upholstery business owner who designed the partition said he had received several enquiries for the product. “The fibre glass model will cost Rs 2,500 per piece,” he said.

Vellore to Ranchi: A train filled with only patients & caregivers

Karal Marx TNN

Vellore:  7.5.2020

When the first train from Tamil Nadu after the Covid-19 lockdown chugged out of Katpadi railway station in Vellore on Wednesday night, carrying 1,130 patients and their caregivers, many from across India who throng the medical town saw the proverbial light at the end of the tunnel.

K Vikash Mahto, 22, and his brother Sandeep Mahto, 29, a chronic heart patient from Ranchi, reached Vellore on March 21 for a two-day treatment at Christian Medical College Hospital. They were to fly back home on March 23. But the Covid-19 outbreak and the ensuing lockdown stopped them.

“We planned to stay in Vellore for three days. By the 15th day after the lockdown, we could barely manage our daily needs,” said Vikash.

The 22-coach special train from Vellore with 1,130 patients and their caregivers will reach Hatia station in Ranchi early on Friday morning

‘Distancing norms followed on Vellore train’

The lodge owner harassed them for rent and they did not have enough money to buy food. “My brother had breathing problems because of his heart condition and needed a bed,” said K Vikash Mahto.

They got the district superintendent of police to persuade the lodge owner to allow them to stay on. With the help of district officials and volunteers, the brothers got their daily ration. As arrangements were made to them bring home by train from Vellore on Wednesday night, along with hundreds of other patients, the brothers finally had a smile on their face. The train, with 22 coaches, will reach Hatia station in Ranchi on Friday. Officials said the passengers were made to adhere to social distancing norms.

Full report on www.toi.in

Italian scientists say their vaccine neutralises virus, human trials soon

Rome:

Italian scientists claim to have developed a vaccine candidate that could neutralise coronavirus within human cells.

According to findings from the tests conducted at Spallanzani Hospital in Rome, the vaccine generated antibodies in mice that work on human cells. Takis Biotech is developing the coronavirus vaccine candidate. Italian news agency ANSA quoted Takis Biotech CEO Luigi Aurisicchio as saing: “This is the most advanced stage of testing of a candidate vaccine created in Italy. Human tests are expected after this summer.”

All of the vaccine candidates being developed are based on the genetic material of DNA protein ‘spike’, the molecular tip used by the coronavirus to enter human cells. The vaccine uses a technique called electroporation to help break into the cells and induce the immune system. This mechanism is expected to boost the vaccine’s effectiveness in producing antibodies against ‘spike’ protein in lung cells. AGENCIES

Double blow for infected family as rumours go viral on WhatsApp

Nithya.Mandyam@timesgroup.com

Bengaluru: A 25-year-old analyst with an e-commerce firm and his family of four in southeast Bengaluru are aghast at being stigmatised and facing innuendoes after he, his father and mother tested positive for Covid-19.

The analyst’s father, a 45-year-old patient of Severe Acute Respiratory Infection (SARI) and resident of Mangammana Palya, tested positive on Tuesday and the mother and son were confirmed to have been infected. The daughter’s test result is awaited. Media reports inking lthem to the cluster Covid-19 cases in neighbouring Hongasandra were deeply disturbing. The first patient in Hongasandra is suspected to have contracted the coronavirus during a visit to a scrap dealer in Mangammana Palya and BBMP is searching for him.

“Once my father’s positive status was out, I was flooded with WhatsApp messages from friends and neighbours asking me whether he was the scrapdealer who had infected Hongasandra residents, ” the analyst told TOI. He added: “I’m not a scrap dealer. My father is a goods vehicle driver and had not stepped out of the house for a month. My mother is a homemaker. These people are spreading rumours about me and the family. Neither I nor anyone from my family have any connection with the Hongasandra cases except that we stay in the same Bommanahalli zone. My parents and I have not interacted with anyone from that area.”

On Tuesday evening, they heard they were positive. He said: “Ammi and I immediately got admitted to Victoria Hosptial. People need to understand that anyone can contract the virus. The prejudice against a patient is disturbing. People look at patients like criminals or worse.”

The analyst’s family stays on the first floor of a building and another couple live on the ground floor. They confirmed the Mangammana Palya positive cases had no contacts other than the family staying on the ground floor. BBMP health officials said: “The scrapdealer may be healthy. Else, by now he would have gone to a hospital and we would have known.”

GUARDING AGAINST RISKS:

Many pockets in the city have been sealed in the past month

Online money transaction failure irks HDFC customers

Bank officials attribute it to technical glitch

07/05/2020, APPAJI REDDEM,VIJAYAWADA

Day-long disruptions in online money transfers was a cause of concern for HDFC Bank customers. The bank officials, however, brush them off and say that technical glitches and poor internet connectivity could be the reason.

According to a customer of the bank in the city , the site is shooting an error message when he tried to complete the online IMPS transfer to another bank. But it is interesting to note that the transfers to HDFC Bank from other banks are normal.

“We regret to inform you that we could not complete your transaction. Please contact your nearest HDFC Bank branch, or our PhoneBanking service,” was the transfer failure message from the bank, according to the customer who faced the problem.

“We attempted the transfer four times in the morning at regular intervals starting at 10.30 but they failed and shot the same message. We also tried in the evening by about 5.30 and it too failed and received the failure message. Bank officials say it’s a common problem but for us not being able to do an important transfer on a particular day is a major issue. It’s all the more important now given the lockdown and other related hassles,” added the customer.

The official concerned at the HDFC Bank branch in Vijayawada, after checking the failure of the transfer and subsequent message, said there were some server issues reported of late due to which such problems arise. “We have these issues and are escalating them to our technical teams. But there was nothing to panic about it as server issues are common,” he said on condition of anonymity.

Responding to the issue, an official spokesperson of the bank from Mumbai stated, “There have been no major disruptions on Wednesday. At best there have been isolated cases caused by connectivity issues.”

Migrant labourers hunt for cycles to go home

With bus fares showing no signs of reducing, and train schedules uncertain, walking or cycling are only options

07/05/2020, AJEET MAHALE,MUMBAI

Step by step: A migrant family walking on the Mumbai-Ahmedabad highway near Ghodbandar junction on Tuesday evening to reach its home town. Aadesh Choudhari

“With each passing day, the desperation to go home increases,” said Bamshankar Dewri, a labourer from Jharkhand, who lives with 10 others from his State in Kalyan.

For migrants like Mr. Dewri, the extension of the lockdown is only deepening the need to leave the city. With no income in recent weeks, uncertain train services and steeply priced bus options leave them little choice. There are just two options left: walk, or procure cycles to make the journey back home.

“We have barely been able to survive since the lockdown was announced. We have borrowed to make ends meet, but even that has its limit. A few people we know have already reached Jharkhand on cycles,” said Mr. Dewri.

On a cycle, he believes, he can reach home in 10 to 12 days. “We can cover around 100 km everyday by cycling in two shifts in the morning and evening. We were told that people along the way have helped with food. This is faster than walking home, which is the last resort,” he said.

Cycle shops are shut, but even those available in the black market were getting hard to find. “They were available in the interiors of Kalyan, but now even those places have shut,” he said.

Nearly 25 workers in Worli, who hail from Bihar, had contacted human rights activists asking for cycles. “This is a group we have been in touch with for the past one-and-a-half months to provide rations,” said activist Lara Jesani. “They were shattered when they were told by the local police station they would not be allowed to go and called us to ask for cycles, saying they might have to go on foot otherwise.” Hundreds had already started walking on highways, she said.

Bus operators have their own constraints and said fares could have reduced had the Centre passed on oil price cuts instead of raising taxes. “That would have helped more migrants take buses home,” said Harsh Kotak of the Mumbai Bus Malak Sanghatna. At least 115 buses had already left Mumbai for states like Gujarat, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Telangana and Karnataka, and around 50 were scheduled to leave on Wednesday.

The lack of certainty and clarity on the running of trains is another reason migrants are looking for cycles.

Tulsi Yadav, who lives in Dharavi and is from Jharkhand, said trains were the only way to ensure the migrants could go back home, but they should run more frequently.

Till the authorities take cognisance of their struggle, the hard road may be the only way out.

Those leaving State pay for train ticket

06/05/2020, STAFF REPORTER,BENGALURU

A train with over a thousand passengers — mostly migrant labourers — left for Lucknow from the city on Tuesday evening. They had to cough up ₹1,000 per ticket for the journey. The money was collected by the police officials and tickets booked. This is contrary to claims that the Centre and the State government would bear the ticket costs.

Maneesh Yadav, 26, a painter, was happy that he finally found a place on the train home. “I raised a loan from three of my friends for the ticket,” he said.

Indian Railways had also said the State governments can either pay the consolidated cost of the trip or collect it from passengers. The Karnataka government seems to have decided to collect the fares.

‘No decision’

“We neither have any directions from the Union government nor has there been a decision to this effect in the State government. In that scenario, the passengers have to pay,” said N. Manjunath Prasad, nodal officer for inter-State travel from Karnataka.

This comes days after the State government was forced to make intra-State travel for migrants free, after Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee offered to pay ₹1 crore towards the cost.

Did authorities in Tamil Nadu fail to see the signs?

Experts say failure to close Koyambedu market in Chennai early led to explosion of COVID-19 cases

06/05/2020, RAMYA KANNAN,CHENNAI

Months into the pandemic, pieces of the sub-cellular pathogenic puzzle seem to be falling into place. One thing amply clear now is that its spread is akin to a storm - dispersing from a focal point to a larger area.

This is exactly how Koyambedu market has come to infect large parts of Tamil Nadu.

An analysis of States that have had over 2,500 cases shows how it is often the biggest/busiest city that SARS-CoV-2 seems to strike in. The lesson that governments could take from this is to look for, in the initial stages, an epicentre and launch control measures.

In retrospect, perhaps the shutting down of the Koyambedu market comes at least a month late.

The signs were there for all to see. Chennai, which had the highest number of cases, also showed a high preponderance in its northern parts, which have a density of about 27,000 people per square km. The population density in Chennai, and Koyambedu market, are among the key reasons that make physical distancing difficult in the city.

No relief

Unlike in rural areas, where the landscape offers relief, cities such as Chennai do not have any such relief, says K. Kolandaisamy, former director of public health who led the COVID-19 control efforts until recently.

“Cities are places where infection is magnified rapidly. In a village, or rural area, it will be much slower,” says T. Jacob John, eminent virologist.

HC order a relief for govt.

Bid to derail salary deferment Ordinance suffers a setback

06/05/2020, N.J. NAIR,THIRUVANANTHAPURAM

The High Court decision against staying an Ordinance promulgated for deferring the salary of employees and teachers has come as a reprieve to the State government that is under severe fiscal duress for meeting its routine expenditure.

The High Court order has stymied the Opposition bid to put the government and politically the Left Democratic Front (LDF) in the dock for deferring the salary which it claimed was legally untenable.

To avoid delay

The decision to promulgate the Ordinance than going on appeal has proved to be a wiser option. Being hard-pressed for funds to clear the salary and pension bills, the government resolved to take the Ordinance route to avoid a delay and that move seems to have paid well to its advantage.

The Ordinance robed the steam of the Opposition argument that the government’s original decision to deduct the salary lacked legal sanction and also gave sufficient elbow room to act with poise.

Morale booster

Once Governor Arif Mohammed Khan cleared the draft without raising any questions or clarifications considering the gravity of the crisis, it came as a morale booster for the government that is busy with the COVID-19 containment efforts.

The government had challenged the attitude of a section of employees who protested against the decision by burning copies of the order. The Opposition had attempted to turn the tables on the LDF by citing similar protests the front had organised earlier and the government had to rush in with the explanation that the objection was not against the democratic right to protest but the defiance in sharing the huge financial burden imposed by the crisis.

The government also took the sting off the Opposition argument that the decision was imposed without consultations. Ministers cited the rather lukewarm response from service organisations affiliated to the UDF to a Salary Challenge call during the previous floods and the current as a case in point for going ahead with their decision. The court order has cleared the air and set the ground for deducting the salary, but the political row over the Ordinance is likely to smoulder.

Judges raising funds

06/05/2020, SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT ,KOCHI

Judges of the Kerala High Court are loosening their purse strings to raise money for the distress relief funds of the Prime Minister and the Chief Minister to meet the COVID-19 challenges.

Each judge of the Kerala court would voluntarily contribute at least ₹1 lakh each to the kitty and the amount would be divided into the two accounts. There are 36 judges in the High Court.

S. Manikumar, Chief Justice of the Kerala High Court, has launched the initiative by paying ₹1 lakh to the account of a cooperative society at the court. May 8 is fixed as the deadline, judicial sources said.

Meanwhile, nearly 600 judicial officers of the lower judiciary also started resource mobilisation through the Kerala Judicial Officers Association. The association has so far collected around ₹10 lakh and contributions are still coming in, sources said. Staff members of the Kerala courts would also chip in.

The cooperative society of the judicial officers have contributed another ₹5 lakh for the relief works, judicial officers said.

Erode district to move from orange to green zone

The last confirmed case reported in the district was on April 14

06/05/2020, S.P. SARAVANAN,ERODE

Personal distancing norms take a hit at an electronic shop in Erode on Tuesday.

M. GOVARTHAN M_GOVARTHAN

Erode district, which reported its first COVID-19 cases on March 21, is expected to move to the green zone on Wednesday as no active COVID-19 cases has been reported in the last 21 days.

A total of 70 patients were detected in the district of which one person died and 69 others recovered. The last batch of four patients was discharged from the Government Erode Medical College and Hospital in Perundurai on April 28 after which no cases were reported in the next 14 days and the district was moved from red zone to orange zone on April 30.

As per the directions from the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India, a district will be considered under green zone, if there are no confirmed cases reported since last 21 days in the district. S. Soundammal, Deputy Director of Health Services, told The Hindu that the last confirmed case was reported in the district on April 14 after which no cases were reported for 21 days. “Hence, on May 6, the district will be moved to green zone”, she added.

As per the zonal classification of districts based on the hotspot analysis communicated by Government of India on April 30, classification will be updated on every Monday and updation of the district as green zone will be highlighted in the map released by the Directorate of Public Health and Preventive Medicine showing the COVID-19 status of all districts in the State, only on May 11.

Superintendent of Police S. Sakthi Ganesan said that co-operation from the public so far is appreciable. However, the public should understand that reopening of shops are within the overall lockdown measures that will continue till May 17. “The public should venture out only for essential purpose and return home within the stipulated timings and extend cooperation to all authorities,” he added.

‘States, Railways final judge on ticket fare’

Court finds no reason to step in

06/05/2020, LEGAL CORRESPONDENT,NEW DELHI

The Supreme Court on Tuesday refused to intervene in a plea alleging that stranded migrant workers journeying home amid COVID-19 lockdown are charged 15% of their rail ticket fare.

A three-judge Bench led by Justice Ashok Bhushan on Tuesday said it was not for the court but the State governments and the Railways to take steps.

The Centre was responding to arguments made by advocate Prashant Bhushan, appearing for a former IIM(A) faculty member Jagdeep S. Chhokar, and lawyer Gaurav Jain that even the 15% fare was too high a burden for the workers. Mr. Bhushan said the government should transport them free of cost.

Nevertheless, the court heartily agreed with Solicitor-General Tushar Mehta that necessary steps were indeed taken to care for the thousands of migrants and their families, mostly poor labourers wanting to return to their native villages to escape starvation and homelessness in the big cities.

The court, under the context, found no reason at all to step in. The Bench said the petition had wanted a direction to the government to allow migrans to return to their native villages.

Punjab bars police with health issues from duty

06/05/2020,CHANDIGARH

Punjab has decided to prohibit all police personnel with medical issues, as well as policewomen with children under five, from frontline duty, in an attempt to protect them from undue exposure to the risk of contracting COVID-19. Director General of Police Dinkar Gupta on Tuesday said several calls received on the newly introduced tele-counselling facility for police personnel had revealed the concerns on this count.