The agency says it is aware that some firms are promoting faulty tests.
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BJP says 85% fare subsidy for special trains: Harping on a mere technicality?
Migrant workers in many parts of the country are being made to pay Rs 1000 to Rs 1400 per head to return home.
PTI : Image for representation
It’s the season for politics over train tickets, even as migrant workers across the country are confused, and struggling to reach home. The BJP on Monday claimed that the Indian Railways has subsidised 85% of ticket fare for special trains being run to transport migrant workers. It’s only the remaining 15% that the state governments have to pay, they said. This development comes after Sonia Gandhi, interim-Congress president, earlier in the day said that state units of the Congress party will take care of the train fares which migrants are being forced to pay in many parts of the country. This, despite migrant workers in many parts of the country being made to pay Rs 1000 to Rs 1400 per head to return home – hundreds of rupees more than regular train fares on the same routes. A controversy erupted on Sunday with opposition parties demanding that migrant workers who have been stranded across the country and want to return home, should not be charged for train tickets. The central government in its notification said that it is not charging ticket fares from individuals, but is instead asking state governments to bear the cost of 1200 tickets per train; while some state governments – like Telangana and Madhya Pradesh – decided to bear the cost themselves, others, including Karnataka and Kerala, transferred the cost to the passengers – and in fact charged more than the normal ticket fares, according to passengers. For instance, multiple people who left for Patna from Bengaluru told TNM that they are being made to pay Rs 1050 per head. The money is collected by the police in their area when they complete the registration process to transport workers by train. The same was confirmed by two police inspectors in Bengaluru who issued the tickets. The sleeper class fare from Bengaluru city is around Rs 900 for Express trains. In Kerala meanwhile, workers had to pay Rs 1400 to reach Bihar from Ernakulam – while IRCTC website shows the normal ticket fare of around Rs 500 to 600. The 85% subsidy claim As the central and state governments faced criticism for the move, on Monday, the Congress offered to pay for the ticket fares. Incidentally in Karnataka on Sunday after Karnataka Congress president, DK Shivakumar offered to pay the state government run transport corporation, Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa announced free travel in buses for people stranded within the state. Soon after Sonia Gandhi’s statement on Monday, the BJP said the railways was already providing subsidised tickets bearing 85% of the travel costs. The announcement from the BJP came through Sambit Patra, BJP spokesperson. “Railways has subsidised 85% & State govt to pay 15%,” he said. He was responding to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's attack on the railways for charging poor migrant labourers ticket fares, even as it donated over Rs 151 crore to the PM-CARES Fund. "Rahul Gandhi ji, I have attached guidelines of MHA which clearly states that 'No tickets to be sold at any station'. Railways has subsidised 85% & state govt to pay 15%. The state govt can pay for the tickets (Madhya Pradesh's BJP govt is paying). Ask Cong state govts to follow suit," Patra tweeted. The document attached by the BJP leader highlighted that “No tickets are to be sold at the stations.” While this is true, what the railways is essentially doing is to give the tickets to state governments and asking them to pay the fares for the full train – 1200 tickets – in advance. None of the documents Patra tweeted detailed on how the 85% subsidy by the Indian Railways benefited the workers travelling in these trains. Subramanian Swamy’s criticism It was not only the Congress which had cornered the BJP; its own party MP, Subramanian Swamy had lambasted the central government. In a tweet, he had said, “How moronic of the Government of India to charge steep rail fares from the half starved migrant labourers! Indians stranded abroad were brought back free by Air India. If Railways refuse to budge then why not make PM CARES pay instead?” Later in a tweet, Swamy claimed that migrant workers returning home will not have to pay money as the rail travel will be free from now onwards. He said, "Talked to Piyush Goel office. Govt will pay 85% and the State Govt 15%. Migrant labour will go free. The Ministry will clarify with an official statement." ‘We are charging normal fares to the state govt’: Railways South Western Railways, which ran three such trains from Bengaluru to Bihar and Jharkhand, also confirmed what the central government said – that they are not charging any money from individual travellers but charging the state government in bulk. Trivandrum Division of Southern Railway which ran 11 trains since May 1 also confirmed that they are not taking money from individual passengers but from the state government in bulk. AK Singh, General Manager, South Western Railways, said on Monday, “The fare is the normal one. It is being collected by the state government who in turn are paying us in bulk for the full train. The railways are charging the normal train fare plus Rs 50 including booking charges for sleeper class. The state government is supposed to give the fare for 1,200 people in bulk to the Railways.” He added, “While normally we carry 70 people per coach, we are now carrying 54 people to maintain social distancing.” BJP drumming on a technicality? There is no official announcement, the railways officials say they’re charging ‘normal fare’, and migrant workers are shelling out money from their pockets to return home. So where is this 85% subsidy coming from? According to a source in know, the BJP’s claim of 85% subsidy could be based on a technicality. “The normal fares charged by the railways is about 50 to 55% less than the actual cost of the journey. Further, because social distancing norms have to be maintained, these special trains have only 54 people per coach, instead of 70-72 in normal times. It’s like that the BJP is considering this as an 85% subsidy from the centre’s side – how the citizens of the country will see it is a different question altogether,” the source said.
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BJP says 85% fare subsidy for special trains: Is this a mere technicality?
Migrant workers in many parts of the country are being made to pay Rs 1000 to Rs 1400 per head to return home.
PTI : Image for representation
It’s the season for politics over train tickets, even as migrant workers across the country are confused, and struggling to reach home. The BJP on Monday claimed that the Indian Railways has subsidised 85% of ticket fare for special trains being run to transport migrant workers. It’s only the remaining 15% that the state governments have to pay, they said. This development comes after Sonia Gandhi, interim-Congress president, earlier in the day said that state units of the Congress party will take care of the train fares which migrants are being forced to pay in many parts of the country. This, despite migrant workers in many parts of the country being made to pay Rs 1000 to Rs 1400 per head to return home – hundreds of rupees more than regular train fares on the same routes. A controversy erupted on Sunday with opposition parties demanding that migrant workers who have been stranded across the country and want to return home, should not be charged for train tickets. The central government in its notification said that it is not charging ticket fares from individuals, but is instead asking state governments to bear the cost of 1200 tickets per train; while some state governments – like Telangana and Madhya Pradesh – decided to bear the cost themselves, others, including Karnataka and Kerala, transferred the cost to the passengers – and in fact charged more than the normal ticket fares, according to passengers. For instance, multiple people who left for Patna from Bengaluru told TNM that they are being made to pay Rs 1050 per head. The money is collected by the police in their area when they complete the registration process to transport workers by train. The same was confirmed by two police inspectors in Bengaluru who issued the tickets. The sleeper class fare from Bengaluru city is around Rs 900 for Express trains. In Kerala meanwhile, workers had to pay Rs 1400 to reach Bihar from Ernakulam – while IRCTC website shows the normal ticket fare of around Rs 500 to 600. The 85% subsidy claim As the central and state governments faced criticism for the move, on Monday, the Congress offered to pay for the ticket fares. Incidentally in Karnataka on Sunday after Karnataka Congress president, DK Shivakumar offered to pay the state government run transport corporation, Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa announced free travel in buses for people stranded within the state. Soon after Sonia Gandhi’s statement on Monday, the BJP said the railways was already providing subsidised tickets bearing 85% of the travel costs. The announcement from the BJP came through Sambit Patra, BJP spokesperson. “Railways has subsidised 85% & State govt to pay 15%,” he said. He was responding to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's attack on the railways for charging poor migrant labourers ticket fares, even as it donated over Rs 151 crore to the PM-CARES Fund. "Rahul Gandhi ji, I have attached guidelines of MHA which clearly states that 'No tickets to be sold at any station'. Railways has subsidised 85% & state govt to pay 15%. The state govt can pay for the tickets (Madhya Pradesh's BJP govt is paying). Ask Cong state govts to follow suit," Patra tweeted. The document attached by the BJP leader highlighted that “No tickets are to be sold at the stations.” While this is true, what the railways is essentially doing is to give the tickets to state governments and asking them to pay the fares for the full train – 1200 tickets – in advance. None of the documents Patra tweeted detailed on how the 85% subsidy by the Indian Railways benefited the workers travelling in these trains. Subramanian Swamy’s criticism It was not only the Congress which had cornered the BJP; its own party MP, Subramanian Swamy had lambasted the central government. In a tweet, he had said, “How moronic of the Government of India to charge steep rail fares from the half starved migrant labourers! Indians stranded abroad were brought back free by Air India. If Railways refuse to budge then why not make PM CARES pay instead?” Later in a tweet, Swamy claimed that migrant workers returning home will not have to pay money as the rail travel will be free from now onwards. He said, "Talked to Piyush Goel office. Govt will pay 85% and the State Govt 15%. Migrant labour will go free. The Ministry will clarify with an official statement." ‘We are charging normal fares to the state govt’: Railways South Western Railways, which ran three such trains from Bengaluru to Bihar and Jharkhand, also confirmed what the central government said – that they are not charging any money from individual travellers but charging the state government in bulk. Trivandrum Division of Southern Railway which ran 11 trains since May 1 also confirmed that they are not taking money from individual passengers but from the state government in bulk. AK Singh, General Manager, South Western Railways, said on Monday, “The fare is the normal one. It is being collected by the state government who in turn are paying us in bulk for the full train. The railways are charging the normal train fare plus Rs 50 including booking charges for sleeper class. The state government is supposed to give the fare for 1,200 people in bulk to the Railways.” He added, “While normally we carry 70 people per coach, we are now carrying 54 people to maintain social distancing.” BJP drumming on a technicality? There is no official announcement, the railways officials say they’re charging ‘normal fare’, and migrant workers are shelling out money from their pockets to return home. So where is this 85% subsidy coming from? According to a source in know, the BJP’s claim of 85% subsidy could be based on a technicality. “The normal fares charged by the railways is about 50 to 55% less than the actual cost of the journey. Further, because social distancing norms have to be maintained, these special trains have only 54 people per coach, instead of 70-72 in normal times. It’s like that the BJP is considering this as an 85% subsidy from the centre’s side – how the citizens of the country will see it is a different question altogether,” the source said.
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COVID-19: 21 cases in Karnataka’s Davangere, most were contacts of a govt nurse
The district had hoped to become a green zone, but may get classified as red zone.
Representation photo
In Karnataka’s Davangere district, 18 contacts of a 35-year-old staff nurse at the government hospital with COVID-19, tested positive for the novel coronavirus on Monday. Altogether, 21 cases were reported from the district on Monday. The staff nurse at the community health centre (CHC) in Davangere city’s Azad Nagar tested positive for the novel coronavirus on April 29. Speaking to TNM, Deputy Commissioner Mahantesh Bilagi said that 37 primary contacts were initially identified including 12 members of the nurse’s family. These swab samples were sent for testing on May 1. Of the 37 swab samples that were taken, 18 came back positive on Monday. So far, 330 other primary and secondary contacts have been quarantined at a government-designated quarantine centre. DC Mahantesh said that the Azad Nagar and Jali Nagar, two areas adjacent to each other have been barricaded. “These areas have been closed off from other parts of the city for the sake of precaution. Of the 12 members in her family, who were primary contacts, 8 of them tested positive,” DC Mahantesh added. He further stated that the woman was tested for the virus after she developed an Influenza-Like-Illness and it is unclear who she contracted it from. Davangere district had 8 cases till now and most had been discharged, except one. The district had hoped to become a green zone. However, after the nurse tested positive and the death of another patient on May 2, the district was declared an orange zone. With the high number of cases discovered now, it could be classified as a red zone. On May 2, a 69-year-old man with Severe Acute Respiratory Infection succumbed to the novel coronavirus. Two of his primary contacts, tested positive on Monday. The 69-year-old man was admitted to the hospital with a history of SARI and diabetes. Karnataka has so far reported 642 cases of COVID-19 and 26 deaths.
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‘It just had to do with luck’: Inside Biden’s struggle to contain the H1N1 virus
The Obama administration faced a pandemic in its first three months. It did not go smoothly.
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COVID-19: 21 cases in Karnataka’s Davangere, most were contacts of a govt nurse
The district had hoped to become a green zone, but may get classified as red zone.
Representation photo
In Karnataka’s Davangere district, 18 contacts of a 35-year-old staff nurse at the government hospital with COVID-19, tested positive for the novel coronavirus on Monday. Altogether, 21 cases were reported from the district on Monday. The staff nurse at the community health centre (CHC) in Davangere city’s Azad Nagar tested positive for the novel coronavirus on April 29. Speaking to TNM, Deputy Commissioner Mahantesh Bilagi said that 37 primary contacts were initially identified including 12 members of the nurse’s family. These swab samples were sent for testing on May 1. Of the 37 swab samples that were taken, 18 came back positive on Monday. So far, 330 other primary and secondary contacts have been quarantined at a government-designated quarantine centre. DC Mahantesh said that the Azad Nagar and Jali Nagar, two areas adjacent to each other have been barricaded. “These areas have been closed off from other parts of the city for the sake of precaution. Of the 12 members in her family, who were primary contacts, 8 of them tested positive,” DC Mahantesh added. He further stated that the woman was tested for the virus after she developed an Influenza-Like-Illness and it is unclear who she contracted it from. Davangere district had 8 cases till now and most had been discharged, except one. The district had hoped to become a green zone. However, after the nurse tested positive and the death of another patient on May 2, the district was declared an orange zone. With the high number of cases discovered now, it could be classified as a red zone. On May 2, a 69-year-old man with Severe Acute Respiratory Infection succumbed to the novel coronavirus. Two of his primary contacts, tested positive on Monday. The 69-year-old man was admitted to the hospital with a history of SARI and diabetes. Karnataka has so far reported 642 cases of COVID-19 and 26 deaths.
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Hundreds queue up from dawn as Bengaluru liquor stores open after over a month
However, certain restrictions have been placed on how many bottles each person can buy.
People began forming queues outside shops as early as 5 am, with hopes of beating the crowds. Long lines snaked along the streets and roads outside liquor shops in various parts of the city, including on Indiranagar’s 100-feet Road, central Bengaluru on MG Road and Cunningham Road in Vasanth Nagar. Many hoped to buy as much as they are allowed to buy, in anticipation of stores possibly closing again. “It feels like I am standing in line for prasad after such a long time of waiting. But we should take precautions right now also, so I am standing at a distance. If coronavirus cases rise again, then we'll again have to wait,” a small business owner, who did not wish to be named, said outside a shop on Cunningham Road. Here’s the line outside Tonique, a high-end liquor store on MG Road in Bangalore. Extended down to Lavelle Road near Rice Bowl. Growing longer by the minute. @thenewsminute #Lockdown3 pic.twitter.com/HUYAVbHdSg — Nikhita Venugopal (@nkvenugopal) May 4, 2020 The Karnataka government relaxed restrictions on certain liquor outlets, which have been closed since March 22, following the Janata Curfew and later the nationwide lockdown on March 25. However, curbs have been placed on buying, with stores only allowed to sell three bottles of spirits and six bottles of 650 ML beer or 12 bottles of 330 ML beer per person. Liquor sales are only permitted between 9 am and 7 pm in non-containment zones within the city. Movement of vehicles is permitted between 7 am and 7 pm without a pass. However, after 7 pm, movement will only be permitted for medical purposes and essential services. "I had to buy alcohol in black all these days because I am used to drinking every day. I had to pay Rs 800 for a Rs 100-bottle. I've been here since 8 am but I am happy I will go home today with at least a bottle,” a 65-year-old Bengaluru resident said. Police officers and excise officials monitored the lines at shops, while preventing customers from mass buying. Customers were asked to maintain physical distances while waiting in line. Some officers also created a separate line for women waiting at the shops, while others set up barricades to ensure social distancing. Good move! Separate line for women at wine store in Kaggadaspura, Bengaluru. pic.twitter.com/1yV9pTxxf3 — Prajwal (@prajwalmanipal) May 4, 2020 “Patrolling is underway to make sure the queue is maintained. People are also maintaining social distancing inside,” traffic constable Mustafa Mulla on Cunningham Road said. However, social distancing norms were not strictly followed in all locations. A shop on Ejipura Main Road faced a long queue of more than 200 people. While the initial 50 to 100 customers maintained a safe distance from each other, the line became more and more congested in the latter section of the line. Sam, the CEO of La Cave Fine Wines and Spirits on Indiranagar’s 100 feet road, said that the first person in the queue was at 5.45 am, and they had a steady stream of customers from 8 am onwards, a crowd that has only swelled to over 100-150 people. “I hope we don’t run out of stock,” he told TNM. According to Sam, beer was among the most purchased. Customers were buying as much as they were permitted to buy. Queue outside a liquor store at Cunningham road in Bengaluru #Lockdown3 pic.twitter.com/OapEJ8yP5T — Sanyukta (@dramadhikari) May 4, 2020 The owner of a store on Cunningham Road, which also saw long queues, said that their stock was largely in good condition, except some beer which expired. “Some of our beer has expired so we're not selling that stock. But we have enough till Wednesday, which is when the new stock will come,” he said. Vijay, the owner of Blue Land Wines on Double Road, said that they too have seen a steady stream of customers. Customer sentiments were the same here as well, with people trying to get their hands on as many bottles as possible. Cops monitored the entrance to the store to ensure that people did not buy more than the permissible limit. The line outside La Cave, a liquor shop in Indiranagar. Many stores placed a table at the entrance where people gave their orders, and were not allowed into stores. Bengaluru Urban was declared a red zone in Karnataka. The state is currently reporting 642 cases, with 26 deaths and 304 people discharged. With inputs from Haripriya Suresh, Sanyukta Dharmadhikari, Nikhita Venugopal and Prajwal Bhat.
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