First India-Ahmedabad Edition-14 May 2020

OUR EDITIONS: JAIPUR & AHMEDABAD

CORONA

29°C - 42°C

ALERT AHMEDABAD l THURSDAY, MAY 14, 2020 l Pages 12 l 3.00

COVID-19 UPDATE

INDIA

WORLD

2,95,694 43,94,217 2,551 78,042 DEATHS

GLOBAL STATE OF AFFAIRS COUNTRY TOTAL CASES

TOTAL NEW DEATHS DEATHS

1,417,398 SPAIN 271,095 RUSSIA 242,271 UK 229,705 ITALY 222,104 BRAZIL 180,737 GERMANY 173,824 TURKEY 143,114 IRAN 112,725 CHINA 82,926 CANADA 71,486

84,175 27,104 2,212 33,186 31,106 12,635 7,792 3,952 6,783 4,633 5,209

USA

RNI NO. GUJENG/2019/16208 l Vol 1 l Issue No. 168

CONFIRMED CASES

SET TO RECLAIM SKIES

+750 +184 +96 +494 +195 +231 +54 +58 +50 +2 +40

DEATHS

CONFIRMED CASES

566 DEATHS

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GUJARAT

9,268

CONFIRMED CASES

Air India plans to operate special domestic flights from different cities between May 19 and June 2 to help stranded passengers reach home. The flights, will connect Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Kochi, Bengaluru, Chennai, Jaipur etc. However, this is not the beginning of domestic operations as yet. These are as part of Air India’s evacuation operations that have been going on where domestic passengers can also be included. This will facilitate passengers who have been brought from abroad to reach their home states as many of them are at the destination airports.

WWW.WORLDOMETERS.INFO LAST UPDATED: MAY 13, 2020, 11:00 PM

IN GUJARAT DISTRICT

TOTAL CASES

TOTAL NEW DEATHS DEATHS

AHMEDABAD VADODARA SURAT RAJKOT BHAVNAGAR ANAND BHARUCH GANDHINAGAR PATAN PANCHMANHAL BANASKANTHA NARMADA CHOTA UDEPUR KUTCH MAHESANA BOTAD DAHOD PORBANDAR JAMNAGAR MORBI SABARKANTHA ARAVALLI MAHISAGAR KHEDA GIR SOMNATH VALSAD TAPI NAVSARI DANG SURENDRANAGAR

6645 592 967 66 100 80 32 142 31 66 82 13 17 14 67 53 20 3 33 2 27 76 47 33 18 6 2 8 2 3 12 4 1 1 9268

446 32 43 2 7 7 2 5 2 4 3 0 0 1 2 1 0 0 2 0 2 2 1 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 566

DWARKA JUNAGADH RAJASTHAN AMRELI TOTAL

SAMPLES TESTED NEGATIVE CASES

25 0 3 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 29

1,22,297 1,13,029

UNDER EXAMINATION

0

`3 LAKH CR

FILLIP TO SMALL BIZ Borrowers with up to Rs25 cr outstanding & Rs100 cr turnover eligible for this package; TDS, TCS rates cut puts cash in hand but your tax liability remains same New Delhi: Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Wednesday announced Rs3 lakh crore of collateral-free loans for small businesses, cut the tax rate for non-salary payments and provided liquidity to non-banking companies to help them tide over the disruptions caused by the lockdown.

Announcing the first set of components of the Rs20 lakh crore COVID-19 economic stimulus package announced by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi, she said Rs 90,000 crore liquidity infusion will be made in electricity distribution companies to help them fight the current financial stress.

Also, dates for filing income tax returns and other assessments have been extended. She said the rate of tax deducted at source (TDS) and tax collected at source (TCS) for non-salaried payments up to March 31, 2021, will be cut by 25 per cent. The move will release Rs 50,000 crore in the system, she said.

Turn on P6

CEC sets up 3-member panel to study Guj HC order on Min Chudasama moves SC to challenge order New Delhi: In view of Gujarat HC invalidating election of Gujarat minister Bhupendrasinh Chudasama from Dholka Assembly seat in 2017, Chief Election Commissioner Sunil Arora has, after discussion with EC SecretaryGeneral Umesh Sinha on telephone, directed a

24 dead in attack on Kabul Hosp Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman briefs media on Economic package, in New Delhi on Wednesday.

—PHOTO BY ANI

KEY ANNOUNCEMENTS  Rs3 lakh crores collateral-free automatic loans for businesses, including MSMEs  Rs 20,000 crores

subordinate debt for stressed MSMEs

 Rs 30,000 crore special liquidity scheme for NBFCs/HFCs/MFIs  Rs 50,000 crores liquidity through TDS/TCS rate reduction  Rs 90000 cr liquidity

 Rs 50,000 cr equity infusion for MSMEs through fund of funds Rs2500 crore EPF support for Business and workers for 3 more months

injection for DISCOMs

 EPF contribution reduced for business and workers for 3 months

 Extension of registration and completion date of real estate projects under RERA

 Extension of up to 6 months (without costs to contractor) by all central agencies

Kabul: Afghan officials on Wednesday raised the death from the militant attack on a maternity hospital in Kabul the previous day, saying that 24 people were killed, including two newborn babies, their mothers and an unspecified number of nurses.

Militants stormed the hospital in Dashti Barchi, a mostly Shiite neighborhood the western part of Kabul, on Tuesday morning, setting off an hours-long shootout with the police.

As the battle raged, Afghan security forces struggled to evacuate the facility, Turn on P6

CEC Sunil Arora

3-member committee of officers to study judgment and put up matter to EC at earliest.

In a setback to Gujarat

Education Minister Bhupendrasinh Chudasama, the Gujarat High Court on Tuesday invalidated the Dholka constituency election results on the ground of malpractice and manipulation.

Meanwhile, Chudasama moved the Supreme Court on Wednesday challenging the High Court’s decision.

Chudasama has sought setting aside of the Tuesday order of the High Court Turn on P6

ONLY MADE IN INDIA AT ARMY CANTEENS: SHAH New Delhi: Home Minister Amit Shah said on Wednesday that only local or indigenous products will be sold at paramilitary canteens across India.

This will be effective from June 1. This move comes as PM Narendra Modi advocated local manufacturers and retailers during his address to the nation on Tuesday. Shah tweeted, “Yesterday PM Modi appealed to citizens to make India self-reliant and urged them to use local products. This move will ensure that India emerges as a global leader in coming days.” P2 ARMY’S PROPOSES TO ALLOW 3-YR TENURE FOR CIVILIANS New Delhi: The Indian Army is examining a proposal for allowing civilians to join the force for a three-year tenure, officials said. At present, the Army recruits young people under short service commission for an initial tenure of 10 years. “The Army is considering a proposal to allow civilians to join the force for a period of three years,” an Army spokesperson said.

Army has been making various efforts to attract talented young people to join it.

Last bastion against novel coronavirus, Amreli reports first case 364 new cases, but state on recovery path with 316 discharged in 24 hours; total 9,268 cases with 566 dead and 3,562 discharged First India Bureau Gandhinagar: Gujarat has lost its last green district to the Sars-CoV-2 virus, with Amreli reporting its first case of COVID-19 on Wednesday.

With a 67-year-old woman who had come from Surat confirmed as being infected on Wednesday, the Amreli

district administration has swung into action.

District Collector Aayush Oak said that the agriculture training centre, where the woman and her co-passengers were quarantined, is being sanitized. All the co-passengers are also being quarantined, as is the doctor who had conducted their health

Gandhians sew cloth masks that will be distributed to people in and around Gandhi Ashram in Ahmedabad.

—PHOTO BY HANIF SINDHI

check-up. The bus driver has been quarantined in Surat.

Till date, the state government has tested 1,22,297 samples, of which 9,268 were positive and 1,13,029, negative. In the past 24 hours, 2,760 samples have been tested.

In the past 24 hours, the state has seen a total of 364 positive cases and 29 fatalities.

In all, of the 9,268 total cases, 566 people in Gujarat have died due to COVID-19 and related complications. However, the daily number of

people being discharged is on the rise, with 316 patients discharged from hospitals in the past 24 hours. Till date, 3562 patients were discharged from the state.

Four positive cases were reported in Ahmedabad’s rural areas on Wednesday, one each from Sanand, Viramgam, Dhandhuka and Dholka.

So far, 122 positive cases have been reported from rural Ahmedabad.

Violators of home quarantine in Surat will now be fined Rs25,000, Surat Municipal Com-

missioner Banchhanidhi Pani announced, as a means of curbing the spread of the virus.

Meanwhile, Jayanti Ravi, Principal Secretary (Health), said the state’s discharge rate is now 38.43%. She added that the health department has been able to increase the immunity of patients with the help of ayurvedic medicines.

She also said that the medicines for WHO’s Solidarity Clinical Trial, in which the state is participating, have arrived from the US.

NEWS AHMEDABAD | THURSDAY, MAY 14, 2020

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Home Minister Amit Shah. —FILE PHOTO

Going Swadeshi: Shah clarifies only indigenous

products at CAPF canteen from June

In a series of tweets in Hindi, Shah said the decision has been taken by the Ministry of Home Affairs after Prime Minister Narendra

Modi's appeal for opting local products and being self-reliant New Delhi: After Prime Minister Narendra Modi made a call for a self-reliant India, Home Minister Amit Shah on Wednesday announced that only indigenous products will be sold at all Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) canteens from June 1, 2020.

“Yesterday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi made an appeal to make the country selfreliant and use local products (products made in India) which will surely pave the way for India to lead the world in the coming times,” Amit Shah tweeted. “In this direc-

Group chaired by former Union finance secretary Hasmukh Adhia will submit action plan in a month First India Bureau Gandhinagar: After the Prime Minister announced a Rs20 lakh crore package for the nation, Chief Minister Vijay Rupani’s government has constituted a six-member expert committee headed by former Union finance secretary Hasmukh Adhia, a Gujarat-cadre retired IAS officer and now chairman of Bank of Baroda to recommend measures for the state’s economic

Let us all strengthen the hands of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi in this journey of self-reliant India using indigenous products tion today, the Ministry of Home Affairs has decided that all the CAPF canteens and stores will now sell only indigenous products. This will be applicable to all CAPF canteens across the country from June 1, 2020. These canteens make a total purchase of around Rs 2800 crore.

With this, 50 lakh fami-

ly members of about 10 lakh CAPF personnel will use indigenously made products,” he further tweeted.

He further said: “I also appeal to the people of the country to make maximum use of the products made in the country and encourage others to do the same.”

The Union Home Minister asserted that if every Indian pledges to use products made in India (Swadeshi) then the democracy of the country can become self-sufficient in five years.

“Let us all strengthen the hands of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi in this journey of self-reliant India using indigenous products,” Shah further tweeted.

The Prime Minister had on Tuesday announced a Rs 20 lakh crore special economic package for the country to become “self-reliant” and deal with the COVID-19 crisis.

—ANI

SWADESHI JAGRAN MANCH LENDS SUPPORT TO PM MODI’S SELF-RELIANT INDIA MISSION New Delhi: The Swadeshi Jagran Manch (SJM) has lent its support to PM Narendra Modi’s call for “Self-Reliant India Mission” and stated that the call vindicates the SJM’s 30 years of struggle to see India economically independent and self-reliant.

“This is sunrise for a new day. PM Modi, with his historic speech, has set the foundation for India to take not only quantum jump but also create more opportunities and respect for the indigenous entrepreneurs. PM’s call to be ‘vocal for local’, will have strong reso-

Dr Ashwani Mahajan

nance,” the SJM said in a release. “PM’s appeal has a large reach, & it will strengthen indigenous and local brands among the consumers, to ultimately become global brands.

The constant endorsement of PM Modi would help these entrepreneurs get more

respect and acceptance globally,” it added.

Dr Ashwani Mahajan, National CoConvenor of SJM said: “PM’s bold step of stitching together Rs 20 lakh cr, nearly 10 per cent of GDP package, offering relief and opportuni-

Rupani constitutes expert committee to recommend measures for economic revival revival.

While Adhia will chair the committee, M Thennarasan, vicechairman and managing director of GIDC, has been named member secretary. The other members are former IIMA professor Ravindra Dholakia, chartered accountant and tax expert Mukesh Patel, financial expert Pradeep Shah and retired IAS officer Kirit Shelat.

The committee has been tasked with looking into issues that

have affected trade and industry, especially the COVID-19 outbreak and the ensuing lockdown.

While the committee has a month to prepare a comprehensive action plan, it has been asked to submit an interim report in two weeks.

It has to analyse sectoral and sub-sectoral effects and suggest revival strategy based on this analysis. Along with this, the committee will study the state economy and recommend means to strengthen it and measures to increase

Chief Minister Vijay Rupani chairing his 7th cabinet meeting through video conferencing on Wednesday. He is flanked by Deputy Chief Minister Nitin Patel on his right, and Chief Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister K Kailashnathan on his left.

state revenue.

Since migrant workers have left the state in large numbers, the committee will also be reviewing the availability of workers and how they can be attracted back. It will also recommend measures to attract FDI and investment from multinational companies to the state.

Meanwhile, Information and Broadcasting Secretary and Secretary to the Chief Minister Ashwani Kumar said here that the state

ties for labour, small retailer, small entrepreneur, micro-enterprises along with farmers, honest taxpayers & other businesses; will take country into a more positive direction.”

“As Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will announce details in days to come, SJM hopes that the fine details of this package, will not only lead to end the ills of badly designed & implemented 1991 liberalisation & subsequent integration into exploitative globalisation; but will lead to employment-oriented inclusive growth,” he added.

—ANI

government has operated 262 labour trains for 3.9 lakh migrant workers to enable them to reach their home states in a safe manner.

On the eve of Gujarat’s Foundation Day, the Chief Minister had announced a state- and districtwise competition of painting, drawing and essay-writing for students, on the theme of “Corona Warriors”. The state also announced prize money for the winner. Some 2,09,297 students from primary and secondary schools across the state have submitted their entries, from which the best will be selected and the winner will be announced soon.

GUJARAT AHMEDABAD | THURSDAY, MAY 14, 2020

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Son of Cong leader told of 5 wards of city account for 55% of death toll father’s death after 9 days First India Bureau

Hospital staff didn’t share info on Pravin Baridun’s health despite repeated queries

No information was given to the patient’s relatives. With increasing cases, why are such incidents emerging? Why is the civic management not ready to take any responsibility? I urge health minister Nitin Patel to visit the hospital and take stock of the situation.

Gargi Raval Ahmedabad: The COVID-19 outbreak has city hospitals is a flurry. In fact, the staff at Ahmedabad’s Civil Hospital are apparently so busy that they could not update a patient’s family on his health for 13 days, even after the patient died.

The family of Congress leader Pravin Baridun only received word of his death on Wednesday, nine days after he died, and that too only after intervention from a politician.

Baridun’s body has been in the hospital morgue since May 8.

MM Prabhakar, superintendent of the Civil Hospital confirmed that Baridun passed away on May 4.

A leader from Porbandar, Baridun repre-

The Gujarat Cancer & Research Institute, where the Pravin Baridun (inset) was admitted, has been declared a dedicated COVID-19 facility.

—FILE PHOTO

sented the Kharva community. He had been undergoing treatment for mouth cancer at the Gujarat Cancer & Research Institute on the Civil Hospital campus.

“He was admitted on May 4. Before admission, he was sent for COVID-19 testing,” said

Niraj Baridun, son of the deceased.

“Ever since then our family has been running from pillar to post trying to get information about his condition. On Tuesday, we contacted Arjun Modhvadia who inquired about him and the au-

For cash, RMC sets up two-box system

BJP’s Bharuch MP alleges corruption

Vendors have one box for incoming cash, and one for change.

Masuma Bharmal Jariwala Rajkot: After nationwide reports of vegetable vendors testing positive for COVID-19, the Rajkot Municipal Corporation (RMC) has now implemented a two-box system for collection and exchange of currency between vendors and customers.

Apart from wearing masks and using sanitizers, vendors have now been instructed to keep two boxes to collect and return change to customers. As per the system, one box will be mainly transparent and the customer will put the amount worth of goods purchased, which will not be touched by the vendor at all. The second box will be used by the vendor to return the exchange amount to

the customer, if any.

The amount collected in the box by the vendor will not be touched by him/her for a period of 24 hours.

As a pilot implementation of the system, seven vendors in ward number 7 of the New Jagnath area were asked to adopt the practice on Wednesday. “We have implemented the system for vegetable vendors. All activity will be monitored by an RMC team. We also plan to extend the system at all retail shops soon,” said RMC commissioner Udit Agarwal.

He added, “Experts say the virus spreads when any item is touched by a COVID-19 positive person. But, it gets killed in 24 hours, if one avoids touching the infected items.”

thorities initiated a search for my father. We were told the next day that he had died. The hospital is now preparing documents to hand over the body to us,” added Niraj.

Congress leader Modhavdia said, “This is just lax administration at

—Imran Khedawala, MLA, Jamalpur-Khadia

the Civil Hospital.

Pravin Baridun was taken there on May 4 and his son was told that he had been taken for a corona test. But after that, there was no word on his health condition at all. I called the hospital and found out that he was not in the ICU.”

Ahmedabad: With Amreli district also reporting a COVID-19 positive case, not a single district in Gujarat has remained untouched by novel coronavirus.

However, Ahmedabad still tops the list of COVID-19 cases with 6,526 cases reported and 440 deaths so far. With maximum number of deaths, Jamalpur area also has the highest number of cases in the city. The ward has reported a whopping 782 cases and 110 deaths until now.

However, five wards namely Jamalpur (110), Danilimda (30), Dariyapur (29), Khadia (27), and Gomtipur (24) account for 55% of the total number of COVID-19 deaths in the city.

According to officials, these areas have reported the maximum number of cases.

“There are a couple of factors which contrib-

Gandhinagar: The last 12 days have been monumental for the state, in terms of the highest numbers of COVID-19 positive cases, deaths and discharges in a single day. But, is the state government trying to paint a rosy picture of the crisis by taking full advantage of the new Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) guidelines for patient discharge and slowly

uted to the rise in number of cases in these areas. Initially, there was poor implementation of the lockdown and social distancing was not practiced,” said an official of the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC).

He added, “The cause

of several deaths has been co-morbidity but, I agree that the number is high.”

Meanwhile, officer on special duty (OSD) Rajiv Gupta on Wednesday announced five places where retailers can make wholesale purchase of produce.

12 Tablighi Jamaatis infected: DGP

First India Bureau

First India Bureau

Bharuch: A senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP from Bharuch has alleged that Bharuch and Narmada district administrations in collusion with Congress and Bharatiya Tribal Party (BTP) have been indulging in large-scale corruption.

The MP has also demanded a high level inquiry into the matter.

BJP MP Mansukh Vasava, in a letter addressed to Chief Minister Vijay Rupani, has stated that with Congress and BTP in power in Narmada and Bharuch district panchayats and few of the taluka panchayats, elected representatives in connivance with departments of district administrations have been misusing funds.

According to Vasava, they have been siphoning off money allocated for various development programmes.

For instance, Vasava stated that Narmada and Bharuch district panchayats have bought Chinese batteries at a cost of Rs3,000 each, while the actual price is just Rs300 per piece.

Gandhinagar: Twelve Tablighi Jamaatis who re t u r n e d f r o m Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra with the Shivanand Jha necessary permissions have tested positive, Director-General of Police Shivanand Jha said on Wednesday, adding that all 12 have been quarantined.

He also said the state police is taking strict action against those who assault corona warriors, with 13 persons from Surendranagar, Rajkot, Ahmedabad city and rural, Patan, and Amreli being arrested under the Prevention of Anti-Social Activities Act (PASA) in the past 24 hours. So far 37 such incidents are registered and in this connection 88 persons arrested.

State police will also use a hydrogen balloon to keep a close watch on lockdown violators. In the past 24 hours 3,267 cases were lodged against 3,753 persons for violations of public orders.

The Pirana landfill in visible from RTO Circle—about 11 km away—on Wednesday in a testament to the improved air quality in Ahmedabad. The ongoing lockdown has kept most vehicles off the roads, thus reducing pollution. —PHOTO BY NANDAN DAVE

Declare Dholka seat vacant, oppn Cong demands of Assembly Speaker First India Bureau Ahmedabad: Following the High Court’s order on Tuesday which invalidated the 2017 election of Bhupendrasinh Chudasama to the Dholka Assembly seat, the state opposition party has demanded that the Speaker declare the seat vacant.

“The Gujarat High Court has put this on

record that the election of returned candidate Bhupendrasinh Chudasama from 58-Dholka Assembly constituency of Gujarat Legislative Assembly is void. When the election itself is invalidated then the Assembly must declare the seat as vacant, based on the ruling of the court,” Paresh Dhanani, leader of the opposition, said in a letter

to the State Assembly Speaker on Wednesday.

The letter continues: “There should not be a delay and hence I have to request you to do so immediately. It may be noted that Hon’ble Gujarat High Court has declined to stay the order passed by it and hence it has become operational with immediate effect i.e., from 12/05/2020.”

Fewer tests, more discharges = illusion of wellness? reducing sample testing?

If fewer samples are collected and tested, it is likely that the number of infected patients is lower. This will ensure that fewer people will need hospitalization. Also, the new guidelines allow hospital authorities to discharge patients without testing if he or she does show symptoms associated with Sars-CoV-2.

According to data shared by the health de-

FIVE PRODUCE MARKETS

FAR AS THE EYE CAN SEE

ROSE-TINTED VISION

Haresh Jhala

The road near Jamalpur’s APMC market remains closed; with 110 fatalities, the ward has the city’s highest death toll. —FILE PHOTO

Date

Samples tested

Patients discharged

May 6

5,559

119

May 7

5,362

209

May 8

4,834

163

May 9

4,263

219

May 10

3,843

454

May 11

2,978

235

May 12

3,066

466

partment, on May 5, the state had 6,245 positive cases, and tested 4,984 samples in a day. Patients who got dis-

charged were 186 with a total of 1,381 patients receiving discharge until then.

By May 10, there

were 8,195 positive cases reported in the state and number of samples tested that day stood at 3,843 with 454 patient discharges. Until then, the state had granted discharge to 2,545 patients.

As of Tuesday, the state government has discharged 2,633 patients. The number of samples tested in the last 12 days is 55,530, owing to increase in testing to 5,000 samples per day. But now, the cycle

has returned to its old routine with a lower sample testing rate of 3,000 per day.

On Tuesday, principal secretary (Health) Jayanti Ravi even tried to justify the decreasing numbers by citing the ICMR guidelines to not test patients before discharge to avoid repeated tests. She also stated that sample testing has now been focused on those districts where fresh cases have been reported.

Justice Paresh Upadhyay on Tuesday had upheld the arguments presented by rival Congress candidate Ashwin Rathod that 429 postal ballots were cancelled illegally. This is a rare incident in which a sitting law minister’s election has been termed void by the High Court.

Chudasama now has the option to approach the Supreme Court.

Staff strike at SVP Hosp over late pay First India Bureau Ahmedabad: After an hour’s symbolic strike on Tuesday for masks, the medical staff at the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel went on strike again on Wednesday demanding their monthly remunerations, which have been delayed by a week.

“Normally we get paid by 7th of the month, but this month we have not been paid yet. There are around 150 staffers who are

performing duty in the COVID-19 ward which is a risky job. We are not asking for anything more than our own salary and in a timely manner, since have families to run,” said Jayanti Chavda, one of the housekeeping staff.

The administration assured the strikers that their dues would be cleared within 24 hours. “If they fail to keep their word, we will launch another strike,” a housekeeper said.

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PROSPEROUS FARMER, PROSPEROUS INDIA

IN-DEPTH

SWADESHI AND MSME HOG THE LIMELIGHT

DR KRISHNA POONIA

T

wo important developments marked the day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s address to the nation on Tuesday. First, Union Home Minister Amit Shah took a decisive step towards realisation of the prime minister’s “swadeshi” dream and later Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman gave a big boost to the medium, small and micro enterprises while offering them protection from foreign competition.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s announcement of Rs 20 lakh-crore package did not remove the ventilator from an economy lying in the special Covid-19 ward, but the finance minister’s measures to bail out MSMEs with the financial assistance outlined on Wednesday did put the sector on path to recovery. Will her wideranging pronouncements lead to an immediate economic revival or work like a placebo remains to be seen as the demand-supply chain lies broken and will take a while to get moving again.

A major announcement pertained to disallowing global tenders for government contracts. This is a big step towards selfreliance on which the prime minister laid stress in his speech. This is how Union Home Minister Amit Shah welcomed the move, “In these challenging times, to boost Make in India, help our MSMEs and other companies, from the, often unfair competition by foreign giants, Modi government has disallowed global tenders upto Rs 200 crore. A welcome step towards #AatmaNirbharBharatAbhiyan.

Through another tweet the home minister gave the slogan ‘Go Vocal for Local’ a leg up when he asked people to make maximum use of indigenous products and also ordered Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) canteens to sell only products made in the country. Amit Shah appealed on Twitter, “I also appeal to the people of the country to make maximum use of the products made in the country and encourage others to do the same. If every Indian pledges to use products made in India (Swadeshi), the democracy of the country can become self-sufficient in five years.”

With MSMEs holding immense potential to make India a global economic power, Wednesday’s liquidity infusion is what the sector wanted. A collateral free loan of Rs 3 lakh crore, changing the definition of MSME to allow them to remain in their respective categories despite investment and turnover beyond prescribed limits, a corpus to help them expand capacity and a Rs 30,000 crore special liquidity scheme for NBFCs funding the MSMEs would go a long way in encouraging the sector to go on stream again.

All these benefits will fructify only if the lockdown restrictions are eased further to allow movement of labour and supply chain. How will the demand revive? After prolonged lockdown and closure of markets, malls, restaurants, cinemas and tourism sector, the consumption level is at its lowest. Will this scenario change after May 17? If it does, near normal life can be expected to begin soon for the manufacturer, supplier and also consumer.

OLYMPIAN MLA

I

Lack of livelihood and facilities forced rural folks to migrate to cities, whose infrastructure began to crumble under the pressure of this migratory population. As more people moved to cities, the government also focused more on meeting their requirements; not to forget at the cost of the countryside

ndia lives in villages and agriculture is still the backbone of its economy. Hence, the economic progress of the country depends on the wellbeing of its farmers.

It was not for nothing that Mahatma Gandhi stressed on “Gram Swaraj” or village selfrule that was the centerpiece of his vision of economic development in India. The selfemployment and village industry was pivotal to this concept.

The first Prime Minister of the country Jawahar Lal Nehru had a similar vision.

He wanted to strengthen local self-government for which he launched the Panchayati Raj system from the soil of Rajasthan. The leaders and policymakers who followed him also had a similar vision of the country. They too envisaged a nation of happy farmers. That idea echoed in “Jai Jawan-Jai Kisan”.

Today, villages have changed.

But, the catalyst for this change was not villages but successive governments who kept cities in focus while framing development policies and welfare schemes. Most of the development took place in urban centers while rural India starved for basic amenities.

Lack of livelihood and facilities forced rural folks to migrate to cities, whose infrastructure began to crumble under the pressure of this migratory population. As more people moved to cities, the government also focused more on meeting their requirements; not to forget at the cost of the countryside.

Urban people were educated and aware; it had connections in power corridors, media, and businesses to get attention of the government.

However, as goes the saying “out of sight, out of mind”, the villages tucked far away from the seat of governance, were neglected. And, the worse thing was that they were not united.

Hence, it was difficult for them to let the government pay heed to them. Even, media was be-

yond their reach.

Unfortunately, this is what happening even during the corona outbreak. Farmers sow Rabi crop in OctoberNovember and went away to cities for work, leaving the responsibility of harvesting to their elderly parents.

As the luck would have it, suddenly, the lockdown was announced. Migrant workers lost their job. They struggled to survive on small saving but that too depleted fast in this crisis period.

Back in the village, the crop was ready to be harvested but there is no one to do the job.

They are stuck in a city hundreds of miles away from the home as everything has come to a standstill. There is no conveyance available - neither the bus nor the train.

The government has banned commutation inter or intrastate. The government is unfazed about the inconvenience caused to poor migrant workers by its orders that keep changing every day.

Meanwhile, the joy of looking at the photos of the crop shared on their WhatsApp is all but gone, as stray and wild animals have destroyed most of it. Whatever little the old parents managed to save meant little as much of its value got eroded.

The farmers who grew vegetables used to get up early in the morning to pluck them. However, there was no pickup van available to carry them to the mandi.

If the vehicle was available then fare was exorbitant leaving him with nothing for his hard work.

Now, they stopped plucking veg-

Corona is a global pandemic. It has shaken the world economy to the hilt. Still, only agriculture can lent support to the economy. India can fulfill the world’s need for food grains, pulses and oilseeds

etables but spent day and night thinking about whether they should even grow vegetables or not. And, if they don’t then how would they repay the debt.

Alas! This is not the story of on village, tehsil, district, or state. This is happening from lush green Arunachal Pradesh in the East to the desert district of Jaisalmer. One doesn’t need to look far away.

Take Sikar for example.

There was bumper crop of onions but corona crashed all hopes. Many farmers had taken loan from banks; they are now in big trouble.

The governments must spare thought for them. Their policies should be aimed at providing relief to the farmers. The governments should help farmers in the same way they readily come to the aid of big industries. Farmers must be compensated for the financial loss suffered for which the government should order a survey for assessment of loss.

Sexual & reproductive health during the pandemic

T

he COVID-19 crisis has disrupted almost every aspect of life, but not sex. Both wanted and unwanted intimacy occurs during a pandemic. With reduced mobility and less access to clinics and hospitals, ensuring quality and timely reproductive health care is more important than ever.

The virus has revealed stark inequities in medicine – and not only in emergency care. Even before COVID-19, adolescent girls, migrants, minorities, people with disabilities, and LGBTQI+ people faced discrimination in doctors’ waiting rooms. The crisis is an opportunity for policymakers to support initiatives that give women and girls more power over their immediate needs and improve access to critical ser

04

vices in the long term.

The first priority is to make oral contraceptives available over the counter.

This will increase safety, access, and use. In most places, a prescription is required, which prevents women from being fully in control of their bodies.

It also may interfere with a patient’s access to care free of abuse or privacy violations. This is especially true for teenagers, gender non-conforming people, domestic violence victims, and others who fear discrimination or disrespect in clinical settings.

The benefits of making contraceptives more widely available far outweigh the low risks. Evidence shows that women and gender non-conforming people can screen themselves for counter-indications using simple checklists that accom-

The crisis is an opportunity for policymakers to support initiatives that give women and girls more power over their immediate needs and improve access to critical services in the long term pany medication. Permitting people to get a year’s supply, so they can self-administer injectables like Depo-Provera would benefit those in violent situations and others who may struggle to access healthcare.

Eliminating third-party au-

thorization requirements and lowering costs for contraceptives would help, too.

Second, we must make abortion more accessible. Regressive policies and recent lockdowns have made in-clinic abortions less available, even

though it is an essential medical procedure. Policymakers can and should take simple steps to eliminate unnecessary obstacles to abortion with pills, which would expand women’s freedom and reduce clinic visits.

Medical abortions are safe and effective. Millions of women self-terminate pregnancies every year, whether using a combination of mifepristone and misoprostol, or misoprostol alone. There is no need for

an office visit. People seeking abortions can assess whether they are eligible, follow instructions on correct dosages, and determine if the abortion is successful. All they need is accurate information, medication, and access to backup health care if necessary.

The best way to increase abortion access is to make mifepristone and misoprostol available over the counter. At a minimum, policymakers should make them easier to attain through telemedicine. This is viable and safe as long as consumers are educated about what to expect and can receive post-abortion care without judgment, stigma, or fear of prosecution. People who self-manage their abortions should not be harassed or penalized.

FOR FULL REPORT LOG ON TO WWW.PROJECTSYNDICATE.COM

Agriculture loans should be waived. Farmers should be given interest-free new loans for sowing the next crop. School and college fees of their children should be exempted. Besides, educational loans should be simple and interest-free for them.

Corona is a global pandemic. It has shaken the world economy to the hilt.

Still, only agriculture can lent support to the economy.

India can fulfill the world’s need for food grains, pulses and oilseeds. It can export not just vegetables but also processed food like pickles.

Now, the food processing industry should be set up in villages. Rather than industries, farmers should be linked with them. The day farmers get financially strong, migration to cities will stop and cities will get rid of many problems though most of which were their own creation.

Last but not the least; one positive impact of the corona is the reduction in pollution. The air is clean thanks to no industrial or vehicular movement. It is high time dumping of industrial effluents into rivers must be stopped and all industries should be handed over to villagers to implement Gandhi Ji’s vision of “Gram Swaraj”.

At the moment, farmers are in dire straits. He is helplessly watching agriculture being ruined. The governments need to pay attention to it.

This is the need of the hour.

The country needs it.

THE VIEWS EXPRESSED BY THE AUTHOR ARE PERSONAL

Top

TWEET Dharmendra Pradhan @dpradhanbjp 2500 crore EPF support for business and workers for another 3 months will provide the necessary support to local businesses facing financial stress as they get back to work benefitting nearly 3.67 lakh establishments and 72.22 lakh employees. #AatmaNirbharBharatAbhiyan Piyush Goyal @PiyushGoyal Economic package announced by FM @NSitharaman ji & @iAnuragThakur ji in #AatmaNirbharBharatAbhiyan will benefit mega job-creating sectors like MSMEs, NBFCs, Power & Real Estate etc. These measures will propel India’s growth and position India as global leader in post COVID-19.

Spiritual SPEAK

God promises to make something good out of the storms that bring devastation to your life. —Romans 8:28

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05

‘Economic crisis has engulfed middle class’ Congress gen secy Priyanka Gandhi Vadra wrote to Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi suggesting various measures for the welfare of farmers Lucknow: Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Wednesday wrote a letter to Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath suggesting various measures for the welfare of farmers and businesses in view of COVID-19 pandemic.

Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, in her letter, also suggested removing interests on home loans and suspending all EMIs for the next six months.

“As you know, everyone has been affected by coronavirus pandemic.

The poor and the working class have reached a critical stage. The economic crisis has also engulfed the middle class. Small businesses are fighting for survival. It has become necessary to help these people,” Priyanka said in the letter. In her letter,

As you know, everyone has been affected by coronavirus pandemic. The poor and the working class have reached a critical stage. The economic crisis has also engulfed the middle class. Small businesses are fighting for survival. It has become necessary to help these people.

—Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Congress General Secretary

she also expressed her condolences on the death of Yogi Adityanath’s father.

“The cost of education and home loan is a major part of the expenses of the middle class. In such a situation, waivering fee of private schools will be a big relief. Paying the EMIs of their home loan has be-

come a major challenge for the middle class. I suggest that the interest rate on home loan be reduced to zero and the obligation to deposit EMIs should be suspended for the next six months,” the letter said.

“Increased electricity rates remain a concern for farmers. I suggest that the electricity

IN THE COURTYARD

SC allows Karti to withdraw `10 cr for travelling abroad New Delhi: SC allowed Congress MP Karti Chidambaram to withdraw Rs 10 crore which was deposited with the apex court registry as a condition for allowing him to travel abroad.

The top court had on February 14 allowed Karti, who is facing criminal cases being probed by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and the CBI, to travel to the UK and France for attending a tennis tournament subject to the Rs 10 crore deposit.

A bench of Chief Justice S A Bobde and Justice L Nageswara Rao took up his application through video conferencing and allowed him to withdraw the amount.

On February 14, the

top court while taking note of the previous orders allowing Karti to travel abroad, had allowed him to travel to the United Kingdom and France between February 14 and March 1, 2020.

It had said that Karti will have to appear before probe authorities in INX Media Case and Aircel-Maxis case on such dates as may be fixed by the ED excluding the travelling period, and will cooperate with the investigating agencies. —PTI

Do not wear SC DENIES INTERIM BAIL gown to avoid infection: CJI 1984 ANTI-SIKH RIOTS

TO SAJJAN KUMAR New Delhi: SC declined to grant interim bail to former Congress leader Sajjan Kumar who is currently serving life term in the 1984 Anti Sikh Riots Case.

Sajjan kumar has been convicted for life sentence by Delhi HC in the 1984 anti Sikh riots case. He has been convicted and sentenced for life imprisonment for killing five Sikhs in the Southwest area of Delhi on November 1, 1984 and burning down a Gurudwara.

During the hearing, Solicitor General

Tushar Mehta opposing the bail submitted that Kumar was involved in the genocide and was leading the mob in the 1984 riots and thus his plea for bail should be rejected.

CJ SA Bobde, Justice Indu Malhotra and Justice Hrishikesh Roy heard the matter. —ANI

K VINAYAK RAO TAKES OVER AS MEMBER (FINANCE) AT AAI New Delhi: K Vinayak Rao, a Indian Railways Accounts Service (IRAS) officer of the 1987 batch has taken over the charge of Member (Finance) from Wednesday on the board of the Airports Authority of India (AAI).Prior to his appointment on the AAI Board, Rao was serving as a Member (Finance) in Delhi Development

Authority (DDA).Following his appointment, Rao will be the overall in-charge of Finance, Accounts and Financial operation of the organisation. During his tenure in Indian Railways, he has worked as Executive Director (Finance Expenditure) in Railway Board (Ministry of Railways) from 2009 to 2014.

New Delhi: CJI SA Bobde, observed during a hearing that instructions may be issued soon for judges and lawyers not to wear gowns and jackets, as “it makes it easier to catch virus”.

Justice Bobde told senior advocate Kapil Sibal, while hearing a matter through vc that in his view judges and lawyers should not wear a jacket and gown for the time being, as it “makes easier to catch virus.”

The comment came from the bench, which also comprised Justices Indu Malhotra and Hrishikesh Roy. —ANI

bills for past four months of tubewells and household of farmers be waivered. Penalty and interest on their outstanding electricity bills should also be waivered,” it added.

Priyanka said that interest rate on farm loans for the past four months should also be waivered.

She also suggested that incentives should be give to frontline warriors including ASHA workers and aanganwadi workers.

“Necessary steps should also be taken for small and micro industries. These industries are no longer capable to function for a long period of time due to the impact of the lockdown.

Therefore, helping these small traders has become very necessary,” the letter said. —ANI

‘Package will help make India strong’ New Delhi: BJP president JP Nadda on Wednesday said the Rs 20 lakh crore special package announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to boost the economy will make India “strong” and “self-reliant.”

“The historic economic package announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi under Atma Nirbhar Bharat Abhiyan is not only to fight against coronavirus but also to make the country strong and self-reliant,” he said while speaking to ANI in Delhi. —ANI

‘Repackaged version of Make in India’

PM gave headline, blank page, says PC

Actual financial aid is only ` 4Lcr: Sibal

New Delhi: Congress leader Shashi Tharoor took a jibe at the Rs 20 lakh Crore economic package and “Self-reliant India Mission” announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, as being nothing new but a repackaged version of “Make in India” initiative.He tweeted a Hindi couplet to express his views on the subject.

The couplet roughly translates to: “He sold the old couplet/lion with a new name; He sold piles of dreams again.” The PM had announced a Rs 20 lakh cr special economic package for nation to become self-reliant & deal with Covid-19 crisis. —ANI

New Delhi: Former finance minister and senior Congress leader P Chidambaram reacted to PM Narendra Modi’s announcement of releasing Rs 20 lakh crore as an economic stimulus package for the country amid the coronavirus crisis.

The Congress leader said that in yesterday’s announcement, the prime minister gave a “headline” and a “blank page”. Chidambaram said that he looks forward to learning the details of the stimulus package which will be made public by Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman.

“Yesterday, PM gave

New Delhi: A day after PM Modi announced Rs 20 lakh crore special economic package for the country to become ‘selfreliant’ and deal with COVID-19, Congress leader Kapil Sibal said that out of the total package the government cash outflow amounts “only Rs 4 lakh crores”.

“PM says: Financial Package: 20 2020 Of Rs20 lakhs cr. experts say: Govt. cash outflow only Rs4 lakh cr. Rest: RBI injected into system Rs8 lakh cr. Additional govt. borrowings over Rs 5lakh cr. Rs1 lakh cr. revolving guarantee Actual financial package: 4 2020,” tweeted Sibal. —ANI

Bhopal: In view of the increasing number of patients in Bhopal’s Jahangirabad, the danger of community spread has started looming large in the area. On Wednesday, 45 new corona cases were reported in Bhopal, of which, 22 are from Jahangirabad area. The total number of patients in this area has exceeded the mark of 230. Two corona patients have been found in the rural areas of Bhopal. The

DELHI COP SEIZE DOCUMENTS OF 700 FOREIGN TABLIGHIS New Delhi: The crime branch of Delhi Police has seized documents of around 700 foreign Tablighi Jamaat members.Sources informed that all these Tablighi Jamaat members had attended the event held at Nizamuddin Markaz in March earlier this year.The documents seized include passports of these persons. Earlier on May 5, Delhi Police Crime Branch had interrogated the son of Maulana Saad, the chief of Tablighi Jamaat, and sought details about 20 people who had attended the Markaz at Nizamuddin in the national capital.

PM made India aware of its power: Naqvi

IN REMEMBRANCE...

President Ram Nath Kovind pays floral tributes to late Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed, Ex-President of India on the occasion of his birth anniversary at Rashtrapati Bhavan. —PHOTO BY ANI

Central Team visits Bhopal to review COVID-19 situation Anirudh Tiwari

us a headline and a blank page. Naturally, my reaction was a blank!” Chidambaram tweeted. “We will also examine who gets what?

And the first thing we will look for is what the poor & devastated migrants can expect after they have walked hundreds of kilometres to their home states,” he tweeted. —ANI

Jahangirabad area has been completely sealed. In order to save people from community speed, the administration shifted 500 people to another place, but the Central Investigation Team has expressed resentment on the same.

The central team comprising 2 doctors from Bhopal, AIIMS and two officers from Delhi are camping at Jehangirabad.

Meanwhile, 91 people have tested positive in Indore. The number of corona patients in

Bhopal has gone up to 907 of which 35 people have died so far. The central team has restricted the movement of people in Jahangirabad. The team along with Jahangirabad and Mangalwara Talaiya, also visited the colonies to screen people and send the actual report to the Centre.

State Home Minister, Dr Narottam Mishra held talks with various administrative officials of all these districts and asked for their suggestions over lockdown.

EAM S JAISHANKAR PARTICIPATES IN VIRTUAL SCO MEET IN DELHI New Delhi: External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar participated in the virtual meeting of Foreign Ministers of Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) member countries to discuss cooperation to fight the coronavirus pandemic.The foreign ministers and diplomats from eight different countries, discussed the global

challenges, preparedness, and response to the coronavirus pandemic.“The ministers discussed regional and global issues and particularly focus on developing cooperation within SCO in context of the spread of the Covid-19, the upcoming 75th anniversary of the Victory in WWII and the 75th anniv of the UN.

New Delhi: Union Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi on Wednesday hailed the economic package, announced

by Prime Minister Narendra Modi “PM Narendra Modi’s message was all about trust and focus on Swadeshi (locally made) goods and making a self-reliant India. The Prime Minister has made India aware of its power and potential. We have an inheritance of Swadeshi in the country, we need to be vocal about it and take it to the global scale,” Naqvi told ANI here. —ANI

Hotel premises sealed as AI staff found +ve

New Delhi: A part of a hotel premises, where COVID-19 tests of the Air India crew and pilots are being done as per the protocol, was sealed after a crew member is found to be positive for the virus. “A part of the premises which was used for conducting test has been demarcated for sanitiza-

tion adhering to safety protocols, and the crew test is shifted to a different medical office for the time being,” an Air India statement said.

The headquarters of Air India were sealed for two days on Tuesday, after an employee of the commercial department was found to be positive. —ANI

PUJA BEFORE BADRINATH TEMPLE’S OPENING Chamoli: Ahead of scheduled date for opening of the portals of the Badrinath temple, religious ceremonies were held at the Narsingh temple in Joshimath. The puja and other ceremonies of Gadu Ghada (Gadu oil pitcher) and the gaddi (seat) of Adi Shankaracharya were performed in Joshimath. Special ceremonies will also be held in the Yog Dhyana Badri temple in Pandukeshwar today, following which, the idols of Lord Badrinath, Uddhav and Kuber will leave for Badrinath temple which will open its portals on May 15.

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sees opportunity RAIL BHAVAN SHUT FOR 2 ‘inPMCorona like crises’ DAYS AS STAFF TESTS +VE The employee was in quarantine since May 6 New Delhi: Rail Bhavan, which is the HQ of the Indian Railways in Central Delhi, will be shut for the next two days after an RPF staffer tested positive for coronavirus. The employee, working as a clerk in RPF Director General Arun Kumar’s office on the fourth floor of Rail Bhavan, was in quarantine since May 6, they said.

According to an order issued, the building, which houses the Railway Board, will be shut on May 14 and 15 and intensive sanitisation of all the rooms and common areas will be done. —ANI

Medics from IDA conduct thermal screening of a cop in Mumbai.

THREE NEW CASES IN CRPF IN DELHI

Plea in HC to de-link Aarogya Setu app from site

New Delhi: A plea has been filed in the Delhi High Court seeking direction to the Centre to de-link from Aarogya Setu mobile app, a website which is promoting sale of medicines through e-pharmacies.

The plea, which is likely to come up for hearing on Thursday, said website http:// www.aarog yasetumitr.in is linked to the official mobile application Aarogya Setu in a “highly illegal, arbitrary and discriminatory manner” as the website promotes and acts as a marketing tool for e-pharmacies only.

The plea, filed by South Chemists and Distributors Association, said there is absolutely no basis for a government owned platform being used for promoting private commercial ventures.

The petition, filed through advocates Amit Gupta and Mansi Kukreja,

THE REQUEST

Pb MLAs-CS spat over liquor policy intensifies Chandigarh: The faceoff between the Punjab legislature and the administration over liquor policy intensified with a Minister here on Wednesday coming out in support of Congress legislators, demanding a probe into the Excise Department revenue losses in the past three years.

A day earlier, Chief Secretary Karan Avtar Singh was divested of the charge of Financial Commissioner (Taxation) as Chief Minister Amarinder Singh’’s colleagues, led by Finance Minister Manpreet Badal, announced to boycott a meeting attended by the bureaucrat. The charge against the CS is his son’’s stake in the liquor business.

PACKAGE SHOULDN’T BE A ‘JUMLA’

New Delhi: (BSP) national spokesperson Sudhindra Bhadoria said the party welcomed the economic package worth Rs 20 lakh crore announced by PM Modi, but “this should not be another jumla”. “The government has announced a huge package but this should not prove to be another jumla. In past, we have experienced many sequences of jumlas. This announcement is coming at a time when people across the country are experiencing misery, he added. —ANI

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi is known for taking “big decisions” and he sees opportunity even during difficult situations like the COVID-19 crisis, said Union Minister of State for Finance Anurag Thakur on Wednesday. He said that the Prime Minister’s resolve of making India “self-reliant” has filled new energy in people.

Addressing a press conference here, Thakur said, “COVID-19 posed many challenges to the country and the world. Prime Minister Narendra Modi sees opportunity even in these difficult situations. His resolve of making India selfreliant has filled new energy in the people.

Saad Case: Hearing adjourned till May 28 New Delhi: The hearing on the plea in Delhi High Court seeking transfer of Nizamuddin case involving Tablighi Jamaat chief Maulana Saad to National Investigation Agency (NIA) in a time-bound manner has been adjourned to May 28.

Delhi Police opposed the petition stating that investigation is going on fine. The petition was filed by Ghanshyam Upadhyay. It seeks to invoke the Act UAPA act against him.

The petition states that the case calls for “invocation of Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and entrusting investigation to NIA in the crime of organizing huge congregation by Tablighi Jamaat with delegates from for-

eign countries and its members/participants then knowingly spreading coronavirus across the Country by visiting and staying at various places in the country.”

Petition insists that as the alleged crime spans across India, so it is important that a probe agency with the capability to probe even outside of the country needs to look into the case. —Agencies

Anirudh Tiwari

India took good steps to combat COVID-19. Earlier, the Modi government gave a package of Rs 1.70 lakh crore for poor.” “Modi Ji is known for taking big decisions whether it is making Kutch stands on its feet again after an earthquake or whether it is manufacturing PPE and masks in India. This thinking is going to make India selfreliant,” he said. —ANI

V-P visits Parl on 68th years of first sitting New Delhi: Vice-President M. Venkaiah Naidu, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla visited the historic Central Hall of Parliament and the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha chambers on Wednesday on the occasion of 68th year of the first sittings of Parliament.

The V-P & LS Speaker shared memories and experiences of the first sittings of the two Houses. They were accompanied by Union Minister Prahlad Joshi, Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs, Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises Arjun Ram Meghwal and Minister of State for External Affairs and Parliamentary Affairs V Muraleedharan.

tive and parliamentary affairs, education and some other departments in the Vijay Rupani government. —Agencies

deputy public health minister, gave the new death toll of 24 at a press conference on Wednesday and said 16 were wounded in the attack.

Of those evacuated, 21 newborn babies were initially brought to Kabul’s Ataturk Hospital where physician Sayed Fared said their staff were providing medical care.

No one immediately claimed responsibility for the attack, but both the Taliban and the Islamic State group frequently target Afghan military and security forces in Kabul, as well

Bhopal: Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan called upon Governor Lalji Tandon at Raj Bhawan on Wednesday. The meeting lasted for about two hours. Speculations are rife that the agenda of the meeting was to discuss the cabinet expansion of the Chief Minister, Chouhan, which currently has five members.

Before visiting the Raj Bhawan, Shivraj Singh went to the Union Headquarters to meet

the officials. It is believed that soon the Chief Minister can add more than one and a half dozen new members to his cabinet and for this, he has also taken the opinion of the union officials.

If

sources are to be believed, the cabinet expansion may take place after May 17, the day, when the lockdown is believed to get over.

According to official sources, the CM informed the Governor,

Lalji Tandon about the face masks being prepared by the women of the state. According to sources, as a new phase of the lockdown with new rules, will start from May 18, so the state government needs to restart the functioning of various departments, and thus, the extension cannot be avoided for a long time.

According to official sources, About 8 ministers will be included in the Cabinet. It is believed that they are supporters of Jyotiraj Scindia, who joined BJP.

as civilians. —ANI

agencies will give up to 6-months extension to all contractors to complete construction, and goods and service contracts.

“Essentially this is to spur growth and to build a very self-reliant India,” she said. “It addresses ease of doing business, compliance, and due diligence and the intention is also to build local brands.”

The Prime Minister had on Tuesday evening announced the raising of spending to Rs 20 lakh crore or about 10 per cent of India’s GDP,

to help the economy get back on its feet after weeks of the lockdown.

Sitharaman said collateral-free loans will benefit 45 lakh small businesses.

The loan will have 4-year tenure and will have a 12-month moratorium, she said, adding the loans will be guaranteed by the government. Also, Rs 20,000 crore subordinate debt will be provided for stressed or loan defaulting MSMEs, she said, adding this would benefit 2 lakh such businesses. A fund of funds for

THE NEW MEMBERS

POWER Gallery SANJEEVA KUMAR APPOINTED SECRETARY, BORDER MANAGEMENT

Sanjeeva Kumar, Special Secretary, Department of Health and Family Welfare, MoHFW, has been appointed Secretary, Department of Border Management, Ministry of Home Affairs. He is a 1986 batch IAS officer of Assam-Meghalaya cadre.

VASUDHA MISHRA APPOINTED SECRETARY, UPSC

MP Cabinet expansion: Chouhan meets Guv sought direction to the Ministry of Electronics and IT, National Informatics Centre and Niti Aayog to take steps so that the name ‘’aarogya setu’’ or any identical/ deceptively similar name is not misused to sponsor commercial interests of arbitrarily hand picked entities.

“There is no mention that medicines can also be procured by the local pharmacy stores which operate offline.” —PTI

06

Vasudha Mishra, Special Secretary, Department of Agriculture, Cooperation and Farmers’ Welfare, Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare, has been appointed Secretary, Union Public Service Commission, Department of Personnel & Training in the rank and pay of Secretary. She is a 1987 batch IAS officer of Telangana cadre.

RAKESH SARWAL APPOINTED AS ADDITIONAL SECRETARY, NITI AAYOG

Rakesh Sarwal, Additional Secretary, Department of Higher Education, Ministry of Human Resource Development, has been appointed as Additional Secretary, NITI Aayog. He is a 1988 batch IAS officer of Tripura cadre.

S KISHORE APPOINTED AS ADDITIONAL SECRETARY, COMMERCE

S Kishore, presently in the cadre, has been appointed as Additional Secretary, Department of Commerce, Ministry of Commerce and Industry. He is a1989 batch IAS officer of West Bengal cadre.

ANURAG JAIN APPOINTED AS VICE CHAIRMAN, DDA

Anurag Jain, presently in the cadre, has been appointed as Vice Chairman, Delhi Development Authority, Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs in the rank and pay of Additional Secretary to Government of India. He is a 1989 batch IAS officer of MP cadre.

DEVENDRA KUMAR SINGH APPOINTED ADDL SECY, MSME

Devendra Kumar Singh, presently in the cadre, has been appointed as Additional Secretary and Development Commissioner, Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises. He is a 1989 batch IAS officer of Kerala cadre.

KATIKITHALA SRINIVAS APPOINTED AS ADDITIONAL SECRETARY, DOPT

Katikithala Srinivas, Additional Secretary, Department of Personnel & Training, Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions, has been appointed as Additional Secretary and Establishment Officer, Department of Personnel and Training. He is a 1989 IAS officer of Gujarat cadre.

SHIV DAS MEENA APPOINTED AS CHAIRMAN, CENTRAL POLLUTION CONTROL BOARD

Shiv Das Meena, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, has been appointed as Chairman, Central Pollution Control Board, Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change in the rank and pay of Additional Secretary. He is a 1989 batch IAS officer of Tamil Nadu cadre.

MANOJ AHUJA APPOINTED AS CHAIRMAN, CENTRAL BOARD OF SECONDARY EDUCATION

Manoj Ahuja, Special Director, Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration, Department of Personnel and Training as Chairman, Central Board of Secondary Education in the rank and pay of Additional Secretary. He is a 1990 batch IAS officer of Orissa cadre.

ARTI AHUJA APPOINTED AS ADDITIONAL SECRETARY, HEALTH

Arti Ahuja, Special Director, Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration, Department of Personnel and Training, has been appointed as Additional Secretary, Department of Health and Family Welfare. She is a 1990 batch IAS officer of Orissa cadre.

FROM PG 1 CEC sets... by terming it as erroneous and contended that it has failed to appreciate that his rival Congress candidate has not led positive, reliable and cogent evidence to prove any of the issues.

“That the High Court has failed to appreciate the proper facts of the case and has reached a completely erroneous conclusion in holding the successful election of the Petitioner as illegal and void,” his plea said.

Chudasama is currently the minister for law and justice, legisla-

24 dead... which is supported by the aid group Doctors Without Borders, carrying out babies and frantic young mothers.

The Interior Ministry spokesman, Tareq Arian, initially said 16 people were killed in the attack and over 100 women and babies were evacuated from the building under fire.

Wahid Majroh, the

`3 lakh cr...

The minister also extended by three months the government support to companies with less than 100 employees to meet retirement fund obligations.

For all companies, the statutory obligation to pay 12 per cent of basic salary as employer’s share to employee provident fund (EPF) contribution has been reduced to 10 per cent to boost their liquidity.

To boost construction, all government

MSME is also being created, which will infuse Rs 50,000 crore equity in MSMEs with growth potential.

The government also changed the definition of MSMEs to allow units with higher investment as well as introduced turnover criteria to allow more companies to remain small businesses to get fiscal and other benefits.

Also, to help them get more business, global tenders for government procurement up to Rs 200 crore will be barred.

The Finance Minis-

ter announced a Rs 30,000 crore special liquidity scheme for non-banking financial institutions (NBFCs), housing finance firms (HFCs) and microfinance institutions (MFIs) with a view to provide credit support to them and create confidence in the market.

Further, Rs45,000 crore partial credit guarantee scheme 2.0 was also announced for NBFCs, HFCs, and MFIs with low credit rating to help them extend a loan to individuals & MSMEs. —Agencies

TALKING POINT AHMEDABAD | THURSDAY, MAY 14, 2020

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07

INSOFAR AS THE WORLD ECONOMY WAS ALREADY ON A FRAGILE, UNSUSTAINABLE PATH, COVID-19 CLARIFIES THE CHALLENGES WE FACE AND THE DECISIONS WE MUST MAKE. THE FATE OF THE WORLD ECONOMY HINGES NOT ON WHAT THE VIRUS DOES, BUT ON HOW WE CHOOSE TO RESPOND

T

he global economy will be shaped in the years ahead by three trends. The relationship between markets and the state will be rebalanced, in favor of the latter.

This will be accompanied by a rebalancing between hyper-globalization and national autonomy, also in favor of the latter. And our ambitions for economic growth will need to be scaled down.

There is nothing like a pandemic to highlight markets’ inadequacy in the face of collective-action problems and the importance of state capacity to respond to crises and protect people. The COVID-19 crisis has raised the volume on calls for universal health insurance, stronger labormarket protections (including of gig workers), and protection of domestic supply chains for critical medical equipment. It has led countries to prioritize resilience and dependability in production over cost savings and efficiency through global outsourcing. And the economic costs of lockdowns will grow over time, as the massive supply shock caused by the disruption of domestic production and global value chains produces a downward shift in aggregate demand as well.

But while COVID-19 reinforces and entrenches these trends, it is not the primary force driving them. All three – greater government action, retreat from hyperglobalism, and lower growth rates – predate the pandemic. And while they could be viewed as posing significant dangers to human prosperity, it is also possible that they are harbingers of a more sustainable, more inclusive global economy.

MAKING THE BEST OF POST-PANDEMIC WORLD DESIGNING A LARGER ROLE FOR GOVERNMENT onsider the role of C the state. The neoliberal market fundamen-

talist consensus has been in retreat for some time now. Designing a larger role for government in responding to inequality and economic insecurity has now become a core priority for economists and policymakers alike. While the progressive wing of the Democratic Party in the United States fell short of clinching the party’s presidential nomination, it has largely dictated the terms of the debate.

Joe Biden may be a

T

he US and China are the countries that set the tone here. But Europe, perpetually on the verge of greater fiscal union, provides little counterweight. During this crisis, the European Union has once again backed away from cross-national solidarity and emphasized national sovereignty instead.

The retreat from hyper-globalization could lead the world down a path of escalating trade wars and rising ethnonationalism, which would damage everyone’s

centrist, but on every policy front – health, education, energy, the environment, trade, crime – his ideas are to the left of the party’s previous presidential candidate, Hillary Clinton. As one journalist put it, “Biden’s current set of policy prescriptions would … be considered radical if they had been proposed in any previous Democratic presidential primary.” Biden may not win in November. And even if he wins, he may not be able or willing to implement a more pro-

economic prospects.

But that is not the only conceivable outcome.

It is possible to envisage a more sensible, less intrusive model of economic globalization that focuses on areas where international cooperation truly pays off, including global public health, international environmental agreements, global tax havens, and other areas susceptible to beggar-thy-neighbor policies. Otherwise, nation-states would be unencumbered in how they prioritize their

gressive policy agenda.

Nevertheless, it is clear that the direction in both the US and Europe is toward greater state intervention.

The only question is what form this more activist state will take. We cannot rule out a return to an old-style dirigisme that achieves few of its intended results.

On the other hand, the shift away from market fundamentalism could take a genuinely inclusive form focused on a green economy, good jobs, and rebuilding the middle class. Such a re-

orientation would need to be adapted to the economic and technological conditions of the present moment, and not simply mimic the policy instincts of the three golden decades after World War II. The return of the state goes hand in hand with the renewed primacy of nation-states.

The talk everywhere is about de-globalization, de-coupling, bringing supply chains home, reducing dependence on foreign supplies, and favoring domestic production and finance.

EXPORT-ORIENTED INDUSTRIALISATION

ut once again, Bcentuates COVID-19 only aca pre-existing

growth problem. Much of the growth in the developing world outside of East Asia was based on demand-side factors – public-investment and natural-resource booms in particular – that were unsustainable. Exportoriented industrialization, the most reliable

RETREAT FROM HYPER-GLOBALISATION

vehicle for long-term development, appears to have run its course.

Developing countries will now have to rely on new growth models.

The pandemic may be the wake-up call needed to re-calibrate growth prospects and stimulate the broader rethink that is needed.

Insofar as the world economy was already

economic and social problems.

Such a global order would not be inimical to the expansion of world trade and investment. It might even facilitate both insofar as it opens space for restoring domestic social bargains in the advanced economies and crafting appropriate growth strategies in the developing world.

Perhaps the most damaging prospect the world faces in the medium term is a significant reduction in economic growth, especially in the

on a fragile, unsustainable path, COVID-19 clarifies the challenges we face and the decisions we must make.

In each of these areas, policymakers have choices. Better and worse outcomes are possible. The fate of the world economy hinges not on what the virus does, but on how we choose to respond.

developing world. These countries have had a good quarter-century, with notable reductions in poverty and improvements in education, health, and other development indicators.

Aside from the massive public-health burden of the pandemic, they now face significant external shocks: a sudden stop in capital flows and steep declines in remittances, tourism, and export receipts.

SOURCE: PROJECT SYNDICATEW CONCEPT: DIVYA HEMNANI DESIGN: ABHISHEK GUPTA

One of the most important things one can be in these times is to ‘Be Compassionate’, just to listen and be supportive is a good deed when so much of the ‘normal’ is unseen.

2ND FRONT

—Jagdeesh Chandra, CEO & Editor, First India

AHMEDABAD | THURSDAY, MAY 14, 2020

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Lockdown cracker: 92% workers didn’t get wages

A survey by independent bodies found 59% went without salaries in Maharashtra First India Bureau Ahmedabad/Mumbai: In a shocking revelation, a rapid survey has found that a staggering 92 per cent workers in Gujarat were not paid any wages during the lockdown, while the number was 59 per cent in the neighbouring Maharashtra.

The survey was carried out between April 23 and May 1 by the Centre for Labour Research (CLRA), Habitat Forum (Inhaf), Mashal and sociology department of Savitribai Phule University, Pune.

As many as 61 per cent labourers in Gujarat also complained to the surveyors about the adverse change in behaviour of employers after the lockdown was imposed. In the case of Maharashtra, a similar grouse was raised by some 33 per cent workers. Another 12 per cent rued that their employers were not helping them during this dif-

Tata Motors restarts production at Gujarat unit First India Bureau Ahmedabad: Tata Motors on Wednesday announced it has resumed manufacturing operations in a calibrated manner at its facilities in Sanand in Gujarat and Pantanagar in Uttarakhand.

The company’s plants had been shut since the last week of March when Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced a nationwide lockdown in the wake of the Coronavirus pandemic.

While Tata Motors’ Pantnagar plant caters mainly to the production of light commercial vehicles and some SUV models, its Sanand facility manufactures passenger vehicles and electric models.

Lakhs of workers not paid wages in Gujarat and Maharashtra.

ficult period.

In what flies in the face of the Gujarat Government’s claims that not a single worker is going hungry, the survey has revealed that relief assistance to labourers had been mostly provided by NGOs with focus on food ration.

Almost 47 per cent labourers in Maharashtra said they had received no help from the government, the percentage was over 35 in the case of Gujarat.

COLD SHOULDER

When the surveyors reached them, almost 30 per cent workers in Gujarat had left for their native places, while 76 per cent who were

still stuck were desperate to go home.

The numbers were five per cent and 42 per cent respectively in the case of Maharashtra.

Now, angry workers pelt stones in Kutch First India Bureau Gandhidham (Kutch): In yet another incident, this time in Kutch district, hundreds of migrant workers on Wednesday blocked a main highway passing through Gandhidham pelted stones at some vehicles.

Impatient to go home, these migrants claimed that though they had finished the necessary registration process there was no response from the administration about their return.

The windscreen of a truck was damaged by the stone-pelting, while vehicles were forced to stop near a cargo area on the GandhidhamKandla highway.

In a video of the incident, police personnel can be seen rushing towards the mob

The survey report stated, among several key findings, that most workers in both the States had Aadhar cards but as against that very few had bank accounts or ration cards.

Only 60 per cent labourers in Maharashtra had bank accounts, while in Gujarat 54 per cent had them. Ration cards are with around 58 per cent of workers in Maharashtra, while the number was 57 per cent in Gujarat.

PIL seeks HC order on Covid test for jail inmates

Zimbabwean student jumps off moving truck

Birthday revelry amid lockdown costs BJP ward chief heavily

First India Bureau Vadodara: A Zimbabwean student studying at a private university in Vadodara died after he jumped off a moving truck on National Highway-48 on the outskirts of the city early on Wednesday, Blessing Muchangwara, 23, the deceased, and his friend Anishu Regi were going to the former’s rented house on Dabhoi Road near Kapurai Chowkdi.

Police said they had taken lift from an unidentified truck driver on the highway to reach home from their friend’s house. As the truck crossed Kapurai bridge and the driver did not stop, Muchangwara jumped off the vehicle.

According to Regi, the truck driver did not stop even after that. He stopped only on reaching Tarsali bridge from where Regi walked back three kilometres to reach the spot where Muchangwara had jumped. According to police, Muchangwara had died by then as an unidentified vehicle had run over him.

Vadodara BJP ward president and seven others were arrested for birthday celebrations amid lockdown

First India Bureau Vadodara: A Bharatiya Janata Party ward president and seven others were arrested in Vadodara after they were found celebrating a birthday party violating the lockdown norms, police said on Wednesday.

The incident occurred late on Tuesday night when those arrested converged at the residence of Anil Parmar, the BJP president of ward 7, in Tulsiwad area of the city to celebrate Parmar’s birthday.

Following the celebrations, the photographs posted by the attendees on various social media sites had gone viral. The photographs show the resi-

Five inmates flee from jail

Huge police force was deployed near Gandhidham in Kutch after migrant workers pelted stones on highway.

and Kutch-East Superintendent of Police Parikshita Rathod asking migrants to calm down using a loud speaker mounted on a police vehicle.

“Out of frustration, these migrants came out and blocked the highway. The windscreen of a truck got damaged in stone pelting,” said an official of Kutch-East

police control room.

Gandhidham-B division Police Inspector SS Desai said the situation was under control now.

Meanwhile, with 37 more trains leaving Gujarat on Wednesday the State is the only one to have deployed Shramik Express in three digits at 262, which took as many as 3.45 lakh workers home.

dents standing in close proximity to each other, eating cake while posing for the camera.

“They had shared the videos and photographs from which we have identified eight persons so far. We are identifying the rest.

All of them have been sent for medical examination as per protocols,” said Karelibaug police inspector RA Jadeja.

The persons identified from the photograph and named in the FIR apart from Parmar include Manish Parmar, Nakul Parmar, Dakshesh Parmar, Mehul Solanki, Chandrakant Brahmbre, Rakesh Parmar and Dhaval Parmar.

Forestor faces sexual harassment charges First India Bureau

First India Bureau A non-government organisation has moved a Public Interest Litigation in the Gujarat High Court seeking a directive to jail authorities to conduct corona tests of all jail inmates.

The petitioner has also pleaded for release of prisoners of 60 years and above or those suffering from severe illness on bail or parole.

Samvedna Charitable Trust, the non-government organisation based in Ahmedabad, has moved the petition seeking the intervention of the high court. The petitioner has drawn the attention of the court towards the fact that some jail inmates have even got infected with SarsCoV-2 and if this spreads in the jail, it could cause a huge problem.

08

First India Bureau Surendranagar: Five prisoners, including four facing murder trial, escaped from a jail in Surendranagar district early on Wednesday.

They broke locks of the barrack where they were lodged in Dhrangadhra sub-jail and then escaped by climbing the prison wall, Deputy Superintendent of Police, Dhrangadhra, Rajendra Devdha said.

While four of them were facing murder trial, the fifth is an accused in a theft

case, he said.

“The five prisoners somehow managed to break locks of the barrack and then escaped after jumping off the prison wall. We have formed teams to nab them,” Devdha said.

This is the second incident of jailbreak in Gujarat during the coronavirus-enforced lockdown.

On May 1, as many as 13 inmates escaped from a sub- jail in Dahod district. While nine of them were later nabbed, four are still at large, according to police.

Sabarkantha: Forest authorities in Sabarkantha district of north Gujarat received a complaint of sexual harassment against a forester level officer who was holding the additional charge of Range Forest Officer in the social forestry division of the district earlier this month. Following the complaint, Sabarkantha Deputy Conservator of Forests, Social Forestry Division, relieved the officer of the RFO charge.

An inquiry into the complaint is pending.

Sources said that some beat guard level women staff in the district had lodged a complaint against the forester-level officer. In the complaint, the women have made a range of sexual harassment allegations against the officer.

CORONA BLUES

Migrants vacillating between life and death First India Bureau Ahmedabad: It isn’t just the corona victims, but even the starving migrants fleeing back home are vacillating between life and death. A tragic accident took the lives of a migrant woman and her child returning to their native village in Uttar Pradesh, but in another case a smiling woman gave birth to a baby girl in a

bus on the GujaratMadhya Pradesh border.

The injured were sent to district hospitals in ambulances with the assistance of locals, and they have been referred to Kanpur for further treatment.

Additional SP Anoop Kumar rushed to the spot after the accident, accompanied by a police force.

RAY OF HOPE

A young migrant woman ga ve birth to a baby girl while on way home to Madhya Pradesh.

A new life came into being when a 25-year-old woman, Patlibai, delivered a baby girl in a bus near Dahod on the Gujarat-Madhya Pradesh border. She was accompanied by her husband Dipu.

The driver informed ASP Vijay Dawar about the matter and called the paramedical staff of Choyal Hospital in Petlavad who helped her deliver the baby girl in the bus. Since she was born on the border of the two states, the child was named “Seema.” Migrant laborers from Alirajpur district of Madhya Pradesh, they had reached the Pitol border by bus from Amreli in Saurashtra.

“The DCM truck carrying the migrants rammed into the stationary truck. Two people have been killed in the accident while many were seriously injured. The police force has reached the spot and the relief and rescue operation is underway,” he said.

The deceased woman has been identified as Hiraman Ali, 50, wife of

Akbar Ali, and was a resident of Panwapur, Utraula in Balrampur District in UP. The injured migrants belonged to different districts of the state.

Earlier, 18 migrants on their way home to Kaushambi district in Uttar Pradesh from a quarantine center were hurt in a road accident. They were on their way to Chhattisgarh, police said.

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09

AHMEDABAD, THURSDAY MAY 14, 2020

Selena Gomez

KILL ‘EM WITH

COOKING! KIRTI CHAUHAN

kirti.chauhan@firstindia.co.in

P

op star Selena Gomez is set to host a quarantine cooking show, where she will dish out a few treats.

The singer-actress will headline the cooking series, where she will be putting her culinary skills to test with the help of a different master chef in each episode. The singer will also serve as executive producer on the show for streaming platform HBO Max, reports hollywoodreporter.com.

The 10-episode series is inspired

by Gomez’s kitchen adventures during the coronavirus pandemic.

“I’ve always been very vocal about my love of food. I think I’ve been asked hundreds of times in interviews if I had another career, what would I do and I’ve answered that it would be fun to be a chef,” said Gomez, adding: “I definitely don’t have the formal training though! Like many of us while being home I find myself cooking more and experimenting in the kitchen.”

In each episode, Gomez will be joined remotely by a different master chef. They will then take on all types of cuisine, share tips and tricks. The episodes will also highlight a food-related charity.

Gomez will executive produce via her July Moon Productions, along with Eli Holzman and Aaron Saidman of Industrial Media’s The Intellectual Property Corporation.

HBO Max is set to launch May 27.

It will feature many originals, and come with a wide library including ‘Friends’, ‘The Big Bang Theory’, ‘Game of Thrones’ and ‘The Sopranos’.

Also, amid the lockdown due to the coronavirus pandemic, pop star Selena Gomez has set up a small studio at her home, and is working on new music.

The singer took to Instagram to share a picture of her home recording studio.

In the picture, the 27-year-old is seen sitting on the floor next to her furry slippers in front of a studio,

with a professional microphone, mic stand, and insulated walls.

She is wearing a grey tee with a pair of dark blue pants, she also has a book with a sketch on one side and another book with notes kept in front of her. “Makeshift studio so I can work from home” she captioned the image.

In 2017, Billboard reported that Gomez has sold over 7 million albums and 22 million singles worldwide. Gomez has received various accolades throughout her career, and was recognized as the Billboard Woman of the Year in 2017. She has a large following on social media, and was at one point the most-followed individual on Instagram, before being surpassed by soccer player Cristiano Ronaldo. Gomez’s other ventures include a makeup line, a clothing line, a handbag line, a fragrance line, and a production company named July Moonhead Productions.

She has worked with various charitable organizations and became a UNICEF ambassador at age 17.

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AHMEDABAD | THURSDAY, MAY 14, 2020

10

YOUNG & BEAUTIFUL O

ne of the destabilizing and pleasurable aspects of “Young and Beautiful,” a story about a 17-year-old girl named Isabelle (played, hauntingly and effectively, by newcomer Marine Vacth) who decides to go to work as a prostitute is that writer-director Francois Ozon does not trouble himself with trying to diagnose, explain, or provide a backstory. There is not an inciting event that one could point to and say, “This is why Isabelle does what she does.”

Isabelle’s actions are presented simply and nonjudgmentally, the camera following her up and down escalators, up and down hallways, and catching her mirrored reflection in various hotel rooms. “Young and Beautiful” has a very formal and elegant structure, broken up into four seasonal chapters, each one attached to a thematicallyappropriate Francoise Hardy pop song. The structure provides a huge echoing space, evocative of the blank dissociation accompanying much of the sex seen in the film.

The

bearable sadness and loneliness rises up into her beautiful face. She glances off to the side, and sees herself standing there, looking on. It is a curious and powerful moment suggesting the level of her dissociation.

Her sexuality, at that young age, is somewhat abstract.

The next time we see Isabelle, she is back in the city with her family, starting her senior year, and working as a prostitute after creating a profile on an adult site that sets girls up with clients.

She meets these men in various high-end hotel rooms, stealing a gray silk shirt

mood is one of yearning restless adolescence, sometimes melancholy and sometimes dangerous; familiar territory to Ozon.

“Young and Beautiful” opens in summer with a middle-class French family on holiday by the seaside. Isabelle is first seen sunning topless on the beach through the lenses of binoculars held by her younger brother Victor (Fantin Ravat). From the very first image, we see Isabelle through another’s eyes.

She loses her virginity to Felix on the beach one night.

We see her lying beneath him, and a look of u n -

from her mother to wear under her conservative blue suit. She doesn’t seem to get any pleasure out of the sex, and goes through the motions with a poker face.

Until she meets Georges (Johan Leysen), an elderly guy who becomes a regular.

Their scenes together are amazing. He is curious about her, and she is detached and cold. But there is a kind of tenderness that opens up between them, and she feels comfortable during her times with him.

When things with Georges go south, alarmingly, swiftly, she is shaken. Isabelle has devoted her life to sex that has no meaning, outside of the monetary reward. But something opens up in the air between her

and Georges, through the sex, that is perhaps more adult than she is ready to confront or even experience.

Her parents are caring individuals, and openminded, but they have no idea what is going on with their daughter. Isabelle’s mother (the wonderful Geraldine Pailhas) also has a secret, and it isn’t revealed until later in the film. Isabelle’s reaction to the reality of her mother’s sexuality, still in operation, still trying to get its needs met,

is one of hurt and loss.

When her mother discovers Isabelle’s secret, the comfortable family relationships break apart, and the unspoken understanding that families “know” one another is shattered. Pailhas loses it, in a confrontation scene both painful and violent.

The film, from its first shot of her through the binoculars, shows how very precarious and thrilling it can be, being a young and beautiful girl.

Source: https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/young-and-beautiful-2014

FA CE OF TH ED AY

YOUR DAY Horoscope by Saurabbh Sachdeva

ARIES

TAURUS

GEMINI

CANCER

Some can expect fortune in form of inherited property.

On academic front, you must play your cards to grab an important opportunity which may never come again but if you do what you need to then your life will change forever. You are financially really fine.

This is the time to bond with people with whom you haven’t been in touch for long time. Invest time in self introspecting and practice meditation therapy at home to get a clearer mind. Have faith in yourself and almighty, you will surely find ways to boost you bank balance.

You will increasingly become health conscious now and you will make healthier life choices. Your spouse will shower all the love on you and make sure to do the same in return. Good day to work towards enhancing your career prospects as things will be favourable for you.

You will handle ritualistic matters with competence.

Your desire to thrive on academic front with keep you in sync with achieving your goal on academic front. Every time your luck steers you to safety but you never learn so value yourself and your life and also your blessings.

MAR 21 - APR 20

MAY 21 - JUNE 21

JUNE 22 - JULY 23

LEO

VIRGO

LIBRA

SCORPIO

You will spend some exciting time with family today. You love to explore new things and you are someone who is never bored. Even in the difficult times you know how to keep yourself and those around you entertained. You are a perfect homemaker who cater to needs.

You may not be able to go an trip considering the current times but you will definitely have the same fun at home. You are someone who is never ready to settle for anything less than what you deserve and because of the same quality you will win even in such trials times.

You will keep your family entertainment whether by being with them or through technology. You love to take care of people and this quality get you many blessings. You will go out of your way today to help those in need. You are someone who always counts your blessings.

You are a self motivator and you are someone who never stops and always keep forging ahead. You have a good grasping power and this quality will be really helpful for you on academic front. You will resolve all your issue amicably. You are an example of success and intelligence.

JULY 24 - AUGUST 23

AUG 24 - SEP 23

SEPT 24 - OCTOBER 22

OCT 23 - NOVEMBER 22

SAGITTARIUS

CAPRICORN

AQUARIUS

PISCES

You will get an opportunity to venture into new field of business during this time.

You may crave for your family if you are living in different city or country altogether. You will soon have a place which you can call home, earned by yourself and your dedication.

Your life will change.

You will make your work out stand by sincerely giving thousand percent to it. Take care of needy if you can at this time, because wealth is a blessing which can be used for self and others when we need it the most.

You will be able to easily resolve tensions arising at home.

Devoting time to spiritualism will prove to be beneficial for you. You will experience immense joy in the company of your family. Keep yourself and other entertained by playing indoor games and reliving your childhood. For students, study every day even if a little and make sure to work on your skills.

You will travel overseas but after some time. You are someone who like to dig deep in things and books can become your best friend right now. Don’t worry about property related matter as the things will work in your favour once everything will calm down.

NOV 23 - DEC 22

KIRAN YADAV, Model

APR 21 - MAY 20

DEC 23 - JAN 20

JAN 21 - FEB 19

FEB20 - MARCH 20

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AHMEDABAD | THURSDAY, MAY 14, 2020

11

Bored in

the house! ... her Instagram post

L

ike many other Indians who are trying to kill boredom during the coronavirus-induced lockdown, actor Sonam Kapoor Ahuja too is ‘bored in the house.’ The ‘Delhi 6’ actor expressed that she is trying really hard to kill time by posting a stunning throwback picture from one of her photoshoots.

The picture features Sonam wearing a shimmery golden coloured gown with sequins on it. The 34-year-old actor quoted a trending song ‘bored in the house’ in the caption.

“Bored in the house in the house bored,” she captioned the picture. Earlier on Tuesday, Ahuja expressed her desire to fly out in the sky by posting a picture of herself.

—ANI

Bhumi Pednekar

Spills positivity!

K

Sonam K Ahuja

UPCOMING Happy Quarantine!

PROJECTS! M

H

ollywood star Cate Blanchett has joined the cast of James Grays upcoming movie ‘Armageddon Times’ and Adam McKays next directorial venture ‘Dont Look Up’.

The report comes after the news about Blanchett joining the adaptation of the popular video game ‘Borderlands’, through which she is also reteaming up with director Eli Roth. There’s no update about when ‘Armageddon Times’ and ‘Don’t Look Up’ will go into production given the lockdown orders amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

—IANS

Cate Blanchett

odel Hailey Bieber is glad that her husband and singer Justin Bieber, who postponed his tour due to the coronavirus pandemic, has more time to deal with health issues before he performs again. The 23-year-old model appeared alongside Justin in their new Facebook series, ‘The Biebers On Watch’, where they talked about their lives together. Justin was set to go on his ‘Changes’ tour starting May 14 before the coronavirus outbreak. Hailey expressed that the postponement isn’t the worst thing in the world. “You know what, I honestly feel like with that whole thing, everything happens for a reason, and I’m almost happy that I feel like you have even more time to just be strong and healthy and prepare,” Hailey told her husband. —IANS

FELT

WRONG! A

Hailey Bieber Ellie Kemper

HOLLY

ctress Ellie Kemper says kissing Daniel Radcliffe for a scene felt wrong. The two actors puckered up in the upcoming digital show, ‘Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt: Kimmy vs. The Reverend’. During her appearance on ‘The Ellen DeGeneres’ show, the actress opened up about kissing her costar in the show. “Oh my gosh, I kissed him multiple times, Ellen,” Kemper told the host Ellen DeGeneres. “And I felt so bad for him. Because A, I’m three times as old he is. But B, I was pregnant at the time of us shooting. And I just -- felt so bad he had to kiss this old pregnant lady over and over again,” added the 40-yearold. The actress gave birth to her second child back in October last year. “And there was a moment when he, like, grazed my belly. And I was like first, it felt wrong, but I also... he’s a trooper. He’s very lovely. I’m sure you’ve met him. He’s a class act,” she said.

—IANS

HOLLYWOOD HOLLYWOOD HOLLYWOOD HOLLYWOOD HOLLYWOOD

HOLLYWOOD HOLLYWOOD HOLLYWOOD HOLLYWOOD HOLLY

icking off morning blues with her million-dollar smile, actor Bhumi Pednekar on Wednesday posted a picture of herself.

The ‘Pati Patni Aur Woh’ actor took to Instagram to post the picture.

The monochrome picture features Pednekar sitting and laughing her heart out.

“Good Vibes ... her Instagram post Only #goodmorning #insta #fam #stayhomestaysafe #gratitude #love #blackandwhite #mood,” she captioned the picture.

Pednekar will be soon seen as a leading lady in the Akshay Kumar’s ‘Durgavati’ and award-winning director Alankrita Srivastava’s ‘Dolly Kitty Aur Woh Chamakte Sitaare.’

—ANI

Hitched!

Rana Dagubatti with Miheeka Bajaj

A

ctor Rana Dagubatti took to social media on Tuesday to announce his engagement to Miheeka Bajaj, founder of Dew Drop Design Studio in Hyderabad. The ‘Baahubali’ star shared a photo of himself and Miheeka on Instagram, and captioned it, “And she said Yes :) #MiheekaBajaj.”

According to reports, their wedding date is likely to be finalised after the coronavirus lockdown is lifted. Rana Daggubati will soon be seen in films such as Virata Parvam and Haathi Mere Saathi.

Miheeka is based in Mumbai and born and brought up in Hyderabad, according to reports.

Bollywood celebrities and his south Indian film industry colleagues immediately flooded the post with congratulatory messages. South megastar Chiranjeevi Konidela said that the mighty Bhallala Deva (Daggubati’s character from ‘Baahubali’) is finally getting hitched. “Lockdown leads to wedlock”, he wrote. Welcoming Rana to the family, actress Sonam K Ahuja said that the couple were going to be amazing together.

—Agency

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When Ehsaan

HAPPY B’DAY! Rajasthan: Anand Srivastava, the dynamic Police Commissioner of Jaipur spent a ‘working’ birthday on 13 May, Wednesday.

He was deluged with calls and messages from his department and friends, on his 53rd birthday but barely had time to accept them as he attended the marathon VC and then late in the day started the planning with his officers for the point to point details to keep Jaipurites safe as lockdown is eased after 17 May. However, Smita Srivastava, his wife ensured that he made time to donate food items among the needy on this occasion.

AHMEDABAD | THURSDAY, MAY 14, 2020

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comes calling..

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Rajasthan: Revenue Minister Harish Chaudhary spent a quiet birthday on 13 May with his family due to the ongoing Corona crisis. CM, Deputy CM, Speaker, Vasundhara Raje, Satish Poonia and the complete cabinet wished him on his birthday.

WHAT’S HAPPENING! Rajasthan: JK Tyre and Industries Ltd. have taken yet another step towards its commitment to the nation by producing the hand sanitizers under the brand ‘Total Control Hand Sanitizers’. Dr Raghupati Singhania, Chairman and MD, JK Tyre and Industries Ltd. said, “The JK Tyre Total Control Hand Sanitizer is our latest contribution towards ongoing relief measures of the government in countering the pandemic. This Sanitizer has been developed and produced strictly in accordance with the standards. We will continue with our efforts to fight this pandemic.”

Rajasthan: National Secretary, AICC Vivek Bansal has been constantly working towards coronavirus prevention.

Bansal, along with his team members sanitized the areas near Barola Bypass on Tuesday and also distributed masks to the people in the locality.

During the process, thermal screening of the people seen on road was also done by him.

Later, he distributed food items to the needy people in Balmiki Basti situated at Nagla Mallah.

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n a freewheeling chat on social media platform Instagram Live, veteran musician Ehsaan Noorani (of Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy) spoke to city-based vocalist and musician Nicollete Gore, of Sunday Secret Sessions. Sharing a mutual love for music, the musicians spoke about the music scene in India and Gore’s latest musical compositions.

Talking about her Live session with Noorani, Gore said, “I was having my dinner when I suddenly got an invite from Ehsaan for an Instagram Live session. So, I gobbled up my food and sat down for a chat.

He asked me about the kind of music I play, the songs I have released. I told him about a suicide prevention song that I

For a Greater

CAUSE!

Ehsaan Noorani

had written ‘Not a Sad Song’, which he appreciated because of its message. He also requested me to sing one of my original compositions, so I sang ‘Nomad’ from one of my latest albums.”

When asked about her equation with Noorani, she said, “I met him for the first time when

I sang on the reality show ‘The Stage’. He is conducting these Live sessions with musicians every day and it is very motivating for musicians like me. It has given people the opportunity to perform without any qualms and has helped promote musical talent. cityfirstgujarat@gmail.com

Nicollete Gore

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Rajasthan: The members of National Youth Volunteers and Youth Board Officers, who are associated with Nehru Yuva Kendra, have come forward in the battle against coronavirus. The young corona warriors have taken the initiative to sanitize different rural areas as well as public places in collaboration with District Administration and Gram Panchayat in Rajasthan. In this deed, volunteers Harimohan Rajoria and Kuldeep Verma, from Jaipur District, sanitized five villages, schools, hospitals, prayer places and police stations in nearby localities. To date, the members have sanitized more than 50 villages.

Rajasthan: Jaipur’s art and culture hub, Jawahar Kala Kendra (JKK) will begin its ‘Online Learning – Children’s Summer Festival’ with a Performing Arts session on ‘Story Making in Theatre’ from today. The session will be conducted by theatre artist, Vishal Bhatt, which will aim to teach the nuances of story-making in drama, its techniques, use of props, words and much more.

Rajasthan: Seva Bharti honoured the corona warriors, cleaning personnel and police officials, on Wednesday at Jaipur Railway Station, and also distributed homeopathy medicines to fight against the virus. On the occasion, Regional campaigner of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, Nimbaram and Seva Bharati Chief Shiv Lahiri along with other members including Tulsiram, Dharmendra, Dinesh Sharma, Rakesh Sharma and Vishnu Sharma were also present.

Rajasthan: In order to get rid of COVID-19 and maintain world peace, Navakar Mantra will be recited by the saints and devotees from all across the world, connected through online portals, for 99 crores times, which will start at 8:41 am on 31 May. This was informed by the founder of Ahimsa Vishwa Bharati, Jain Acharya Dr Lokesh.

efore the beginning of the second phase of ‘Vande Bharat Mission’, the issues that OCI cardholders and the Indians in the US, either on the work visa or on Green Card having children who are American citizens by birth are facing, is taking a lot of attention on social media platforms. Jaipur Foot USA Chairman, Prem Bhandari appealed to the government for permitting travel of those passengers to and through Germany. The information pertaining to passengers who are permitted to enter Germany for family reasons are: 1. Accompanying the German spouse or the registered Life partner to live in or take up residence in Germany. 2. Reunification with a spouse or a registered resident in Germany Life partner (German or beneficiary) to the place of residence or to establish a common residence. Thirdcountry nationals can only enter the country if they already have the D visa available. 3. Accompanying German children by the legal guardian Germany to take up residence, even if the German spouse or Life partner abroad remains. 4. Visiting spouses (or registered partners) if one the partner is domiciled in Germany. 5.

Custody and handling matters for the care of underage children birth of the wife, registered partner or Partner. 6. Attending a funeral to second-degree relatives too of the spouse: children, grandchildren, parents, grandparents, siblings. cityfirst@firstindia.co.in

Rajasthan: During the ongoing online musical series ‘Sumiran’, initiated

by Rajasthan Forum, in association with Shree Cement and Raghu Sinha Mala Mathur Charity Trust amid the nationwide lockdown, Jaipur-based Bhajan and folk music Singer Gopal Khinchi gave a mesmerising performance while interacting with the audience during the fifteenth session on Wednesday.

dren, men ,women and the elderly were living in a village area of Nagar and Hathijan without access to two square meals a day. So, we decided to help them and started a communal kitchen. Apart from cooked food, we also distributed grain kits to them.” cityfirstgujarat@gmail.com

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n a noble gesture, Vivekanand nagar police rushed to the aid of 100 homeless people in the city and distributed 1,000 grain kits to them. One of the officers at the police station, RB Rana, PSI, said, “Around 100 homeless people including chil-

Short Film for Big Cause CITY FIRST

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n 18 years old Eshan Harsh from Jaipur, has been awarded the Outstanding Achievement Award in Panjim International Film Festival 2020 for his short film ‘Jaipur Activists’ on Tuesday.

This film ‘Jaipur Activists’ is made under the guidance of the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) Pune. Prior to this, the film’s World Premiere was held in

Eshan Harsh and the poster of the film

January at the 6th Rajasthan International Film Festival.

Apart from this, the film was also selected in the LiftOff Global Network Sessions held in the UK and was the finalist in Climate Changemaker Teen Film Festival held in the USA. This film is designed to bring awareness that just by putting some posts and stories online and creating awareness online to clean the city is not enough.

Rajasthan: The results of the International News Media Association (INMA) were announced on Sunday, where Rajasthan-based newspaper ‘Rashtradoot’ was in the bonus category finalist ‘regional/ local brands’ group for ‘Best Initiative in Response to the COVID-19 Crisis’.

BUZZ! KALAM

A virtual session ‘Kalam’ is going to be organised

by Prabha Khaitan Foundation today at 5:30 pm, over the zoom app, where an Indian lyricist, playback singer, writer, and actor, Swanand Kirkire is going to talk about his award-winning journey.