First India-Jaipur Edition-18 May 2020

OUR EDITIONS: JAIPUR & AHMEDABAD

CORONA

27°C - 40°C

ALERT JAIPUR l MONDAY, MAY 18, 2020 l Pages 12 l 3.00

COVID-19 UPDATE

RNI NO. RAJENG/2019/77764 l Vol 1 l Issue No. 341

INDIA

WORLD

3,14,683 47,71,676 3,025 95,648 DEATHS

CONFIRMED CASES

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DEATHS

CONFIRMED CASES

RAJASTHAN

131 DEATHS

5,202

CONFIRMED CASES

EXIT THAT NEVER HAPPENED

Lockdown extended till May 31  At the eleventh hour, govt changed the decision to ease out lockdown after Saturday’s tally of infected people rose to 4,788  Earlier, MHA was mulling 90% relaxation across the country, barring 30 districts  Domestic & international air travel, metro rail services still prohibited  Sports complexes & stadiums allowed to reopen sans spectators  IPL may take place  Categorisation of zones and inter-state movement of buses left to states —PHOTO BY PTI

Two parrot chicks, holed up inside a tree hollow, seem to be giving us the message to stay indoors till May 31, as the government extended coronavirus-induced lockdown on Sunday.

New Delhi: Lockdown 4.0 will come into force on Monday, according to an order by the National Disaster Management Authority. This phase will be in effect till May 31 and will focus on a gradual revival of economic activities while keeping in mind the rising number of coronavirus cases across the country.

People were expecting major relaxations from Monday, but at the eleventh hour National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) on Sunday issued the order to continue coronavirus-induced lockdown measures till May 31. Accordingly, the National Executive com-

mittee has been asked to issue guidelines keeping in view economic activities.

Considering the fact that the lockdown measures need to be implemented for a further period in the country to contain the spread of COVID 19, NDMA, in the exercise of powers directed the Ministries/ Departments of Government of India, State Governments and State Authorities to continue the lockdown measures up to 31 May, 2020.

The Authority further directed NEC to issue modifications in the guidelines as necessary, keeping in view the need to open up economic activities while con-

taining the spread of COVID, the order added.

Now NEC headed by Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla will issue fresh guidelines, which will be implemented from Monday. Maharashtra, Telangana and Punjab have already announced extension till May 31.

MHA also issued following directives: Wearing of face cover compulsory in public and workplaces, spitting in public and workplaces punishable with fine, social distancing to be followed by all people at all public places and during transport, marriage related gatherings to ensure social distancing Turn on P6

WHAT IS PROHIBITED  The activities that remain prohibited across India till May 31 as per MHA’s latest order are domestic & international air travel, metro rail services, schools, colleges and other educational institutions, hotels, restaurants and other hospitality services except those housing emergency service workers or being used as quarantine facilities. Restaurants will be allowed to operate kitchens for home delivery. All cinema halls, shopping malls, gyms, swimming pools, entertainment parks, theatres, bars, auditoriums will remain closed.  While sports complexes and stadiums have been allowed to reopen, no spectators will be permitted to enter these venues.  All social, political, entertainment, academic, cultural, sports and religious functions/ gatherings also stand prohibited. Places of worship are to remain closed for the public.

SOME RELIEF  Union Territories given powers to delineate Red, Green and Orange Zones as situation demands.  Inter-state movement of passenger vehicles, buses have been allowed with mutual consent of states.  Only essential activities will be permitted in containment zones that will also be subjected to intensive tracing, house-to-house surveillance and other clinical interventions.

Last tranche to revive economy’s health!

IN GLOBAL COUNTRY TOTAL CASES USA RUSSIA SPAIN UK BRAZIL ITALY GERMANY

1,515,311 281,752 277,719 243,303 233,648 225,435 176,628

TOTAL NEW DEATHS DEATHS

90,332 2,631 27,650 34,636 15,668 31,908 8,028

+219 +94 +87 +170 +35 +145 +1

WWW.WORLDOMETERS.INFO LAST UPDATED: MAY 17, 2020, 11:00 PM

IN RAJASTHAN DISTRICT

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and MoS Finance Anurag Singh Thakur, in New Delhi on Sunday.

—PHOTO BY ANI

Aditi Nagar/ Vaishali New Delhi: Union Finance Minister, Nirmala Sitharaman unveiled the fifth and last tranche of the Rs 20 lakh crore COVID-19 economic package as part of the “Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan (Self-reliant India campaign)” on Sunday Quoting Prime Minister Narendra Modi while addressing the reporters, she said, “In order to prove the resolve of the self-reliant India, land, labour, liquidi-

ty and laws, all have been emphasised in this package,” and added that, “We have announced several reforms in this regard and shall continue with the same today.”

She detailed seven steps ranging from MNREGA, health and education related sector, businesses, decriminalisation of Companies Act, Ease of Doing Business, Public Sector Enterprises- related steps, state governments and related resources. Turn on P6

INDIAN TROOPS REINFORCED IN LADAKH

GENERAL ATLANTIC TO INVEST IN JIO PLATFORMS

New Delhi: Ladakh is being closely monitored and Indian troops are being reinforced along the border with reports of China pitching tents near river Galwan, a 1962 flashpoint that has seen aggression in recent days, and increasing construction activities.

Reports indicate that China is increasing its presence along Line of Actual Control, the de facto border between the two, which has compelled India to fortify its strength.

New Delhi: After Facebook, General Atlantic has picked up stake in Reliance Industries’ Jio Platforms, for Rs 6,598.38 crore. The Mukesh Ambani firm Sunday announced that General Atlantic’s investment will translate into a “1.34% equity stake in Jio Platforms on a fully diluted basis”. Jio Platforms is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Reliance Industries Limited that works on digital apps, digital ecosystems and the mobile service.

TOTAL CASES

AJMER 255 ALWAR 35 BANSWARA 68 BARAN 4 BARMER 22 BHARATPUR 123 BHILWARA 55 BIKANER 47 CHITTORGARH 154 CHURU 46 DAUSA 33 DHOLPUR 24 DUNGARPUR 60 HANUMANGARH 14 JAIPUR 1576 JAISALMER 47 JALORE 72 JHALAWAR 49 JHUNJHUNU 56 JODHPUR 1036 KARAULI 10 KOTA 324 NAGAUR 172 PALI 128 PRATAPGARH 5 RAJSAMAND 43 SWAI MADHOPUR 17 SIKAR 39 SIROHI 42 TONK 147 UDAIPUR 380 OTHER DIST. 7 TOTAL 5090 OTHER (Italy) 2 EVACUEES 61 BSF 49 GRAND TOTAL 5202

NEW TOTAL CASES DEATH

+1 +2 — — +4 — +5 +5 +2 +13 +1 — +18 — +60 — +3 +1 +2 +43 +1 +5 +11 +14 +1 +10 +1 +12 +10 — +17 — +242 — — — +242

5 2 1 — — 3 2 3 2 1 — — — — 66 — 1 — — 17 2 11 3 3 1 — 1 2 — 1 — 4 131 — — — 131

Now, ‘Shramik Special’ on roads too, courtesy Gehlot!  CM orders Roadways to prepare buses to ferry migrant labourers to their homes  Says, it is pitiful to see them walking in sweltering heat to their homes and appeals to other state governments to do the same

Kartikey Dev Singh

FRESH GUIDELINES ON MONDAY

Jaipur: Across the decades, the word labour has always been synonym with hardwork, meagre earning and living on the edge.

Their plight could not be bound in words, however, with Corona pandemic hitting the businesses hard, the labourers have been forced to pass the days in a pitiful situation, with lakhs of them facing a draconian, uncertain future. Such is the situation that lakhs of labourers are braving the blaring Indian summer sun and walking thousands

ACS Home Rajeeva Swarup informed on Sunday that since the guidelines for the fourth phase of lockdown were released late in the evening, hence the state government will release detailed guideline on Monday, 18th May. Till that time, the guidelines issued on May 2 and corrected orders thereon will be in effect.

of kilometers home, without enough money or food and with toddlers in hand.

In Rajasthan, pained with the sight, Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot has announced running the ‘Shramik Special Bus’ and has instructed the Roadways department to prepare buses to take labourers home.

“It is really painful to see labourers walking severa kilometers in heat with their families.

To provide them some relief, the state government will run special buses. After approval from states, the buses

will be run to ferry labourers to and from Rajasthan. It is shocking problem and it needs to be solved quickly,” Gehlot said while holding a review meeting over lockdown 4.0 at CMR, and added, “The Centre should allow to use the SDRF fund to put to use in this relief.”

Gehlot observed that the buses could be sent to those places where the number of migrant workers and labourers would be not suitable to bring them via trains.

Turn on P6

NEWS JAIPUR | MONDAY, MAY 18, 2020

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SONAR FORT: PART OF GATE DAMAGED BY SANDSTORM

Jaisalmer: The Sonar Fort, a pride of Jaisalmer and the only living fort of India has been standing strong for hundreds of years and has witnessed several fights. The gates of the fort have never allowed the enemies to enter, but the sandstorm in the city on Sunday broke a part of the front gate of the fort. Fortunately, due to coronavirus induced lockdown, no one was there, otherwise, a major accident could have happened. On normal days, hundreds of people are present in this area. Due to the falling of a part of the gate of the fort, a huge crowd gathered at the spot, and the movement to and from the Sonar Fort was stopped. After getting the information about the incident, City Council Commissioner Brijesh Rai reached the spot and inspected the area.

—SURYAVEER SINGH TANWAR

Modi govt is giving loans instead of giving direct relief: Dhariwal First India Bureau Jaipur: UDH Minister Shanti Dhariwal has criticized Modi govt for doling out a loan scheme in the name of relief package, Dhariwal said that 90% of the relief package announced has provisions of loans whereas what the poor need is cash transfers immediately.

Dhariwal also mocked at the loan scheme for MSME as these small industrialists were already debtridden so how will they further take a loan and repay. He said MSME needs grants and subsidies. He was critical of

‘CENTRE HAS BROKEN ALL RECORDS OF LYING’

UDH Minister Shanti Dhariwal

Modi govt not timely paying the state’s share of taxes.

Dhariwal said that Modi govt should have allotted extra amount to fight corona but all it was doing was giv-

ing the routine funds that too with delay. He said the relief package announced by the center takes a long term view of the problem which exists now so there is no immedi-

‘Interest free loans for Local liquor salesman 25K farmers in 20-21’ shop killed in Bundi First India Bureau

Jaipur: Cooperative Minister Udai Lal Anjana said that interestfree crop loan disbursement of Rs. 2,198 cr has been made in 1 month from the disbursement of Kharif crop loan started from April 16 in state. A total of 7,24,684 farmers have been benefited from these loans.

Anjana informed that an interest-free shortterm crop loan of Rs. 16,000 cr will be distributed to 25 lakh farmers in the year 2020-21.

First India Bureau

Udai Lal Anjana

Also, Rs 10,000 cr will be distributed in the Kharif season and Rs. 6,000 cr in the Rabi season.

This year, crop loans are being increased up to 25% and 3 lakh new farmers will be linked to crop loans.

Bundi: A salesman of a local liquor shop was murdered by unknown people by crushing with stone at Sathur Chungi check post near Bundi city.

According to the information, the deceased Raghuveer Singh has been killed by unknown people with the purpose of theft.

After the murder, the body was thrown into the drain so that it could not be traced.

ate relief for anybody in the package.

Dhariwal praised CM Gehlot for taking initiative for the stranded students in Kota and sending them to their native states despite PM

asking them to stay put.

He hailed CM Gehlot for being the first one to demand special trains for the migrant workers.

Dhariwal said it is Gehlot’s vision and monitoring which has Ra-

jasthan having such a recovery rate of corona patients. He alleged that the state unit of BJP has 3-4 people simply criticizing the govt one way or the other. He charged BJP of not behaving as a responsible opposition in the hour of crisis.

Dhaliwal said that the state govt has a positive approach and it wants to lift the lockdown slowly with caution. If a corona patient is found only the lane or colony particular will be cordoned unlike earlier. Dhariwal listed the steps taken by the UDH department to revive the real estate sector.

OFF THE RECORD ANYTHING FOR PUBLICITY? Rajendra Chhabra he collector who was covered by the national media Tpublicity for his good work seems to have been infected by the bug. So instead of concentrating on his actual

work he is resorting to petty publicity stunts. In one such attempt he reached a bank with his team and a camera person. In the bank he fined the personnel not wearing masks. Everything was according to books but this job was better left to the junior staff. Soon Karma caught with the collector when a video of an official meeting went viral. Video showed him sitting next to a female official without mask. Later he had to fine the lady officer as well.

Everybody hopes that this collector gets cured of this media bug infection at the earliest.

ALL-IN-ONE DHAKA DEDICATED TO CMR!

people are aware that Special Secretary to CM FfrontewGehlot, Amit Dhaka is also putting up a responsible as a corona warrior. Dhaka monitors all the activities

in war room at CMR. In fact he controls most of the activities of the war room. He is the one who plans all meetings, VCs and discussions held at CMR. He is the one who handles all the phone calls CM. In fact he spends all his professional hours, which are almost equivalent to the boss himself, CMR. Amit Dhaka is 2006 batch Punjab cadre IAS and currently on deputation in the state. But since he hails from Rajasthan so his dedication towards his duty in present crisis time can be understood.

Kachawa’s team ‘khakhi’ nabs 21 dacoits Shivendra Parmer/ Vinod Tiwari Dholpur: In the past fifty four days, the Dholpur police has achieved what it had not achieved in the past several years combined. Under the able stewardship of Superintendent of Police Mridul Kachawa, the Dholpur ‘khakhi’ team have successfully nabbed twenty one dacoit. Thats one dacoit every sixty hours! A phenomenal achievement considered that the terrain, one of the most difficult in the state, holds ravines, un-

dergrowth, Chambal river and the general populance, though terrified of these dacoits, reluctantly shares information about them with the cops.

It is this environment in which the khakhi clad men had to work and subdue the twenty-

one dacoits at a time when the mental tension associated with Corona virus looms large.

The young SP, however, did not loose track of the mission to weed out the dacoits off Dholpur.

Justifying his name Mridul, meaning calm and collected - Kacha-

wa’s planning and its silent and calm execution under the supervision of DIG Laxman Gaur has resulted in a record of sorts for police.

Interestingly, all of the arrested dacoits run an award on them and thus it can be fathomed that the men are indeed dangerous! Senior police officials including DGP Bhupendra Singh and ADG (Crime) BL Soni are extremely elated with the success brought about by Kachawa & bringing a semblance of security & peace in the minds of people in Dholpur.

Brahmin society to do away with Mrithyubhoj Nirmal Tiwari Jaipur: The Brahmin society has taken an important decision to abolish Mrithyubhoj (feast after death) and start the tradition of restoration of spiritual places. Members of the Vipra Foundation will take the initiative towards the steps. The decision was approved in the meeting of the Vipra Foundation National Council through video conferencing on Sunday.

Shah is all praise for Modi, Sitharaman for stimulus package The Union Home Minister termed the decision on reimagining the Public Sector Enterprise Policy as Modi’s ‘futuristic vision & commitment towards a self-reliant India.’

New Delhi: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday hailed the announcements made under the final tranche of the economic package as a step in realising the idea of self-reliant India, which will prove to be a game-changer for health, education and business sectors.

Thanking Prime Minister Narendra

Modi and Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman for the economic package, Shah said that while Modi’s leadership in handling COVID-19 has outshined several developed nations, he has resolved to prepare India for any such pandemic in the future by strengthening and revamping India’s health sector.

“Today’s announcements by Modi government will go a long way in realising the idea of Atma Nirbhar Bharat.

These steps will prove to be a game-changer for health, education and business sectors, which will provide employment to crores of poor,” Shah tweeted.

He said the additional allocation of Rs 40,000 crore under the

Union Home Minister Amit Shah.

—FILE PHOTO

Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS)

by Modi government will not only help in generating employment for the poor and migrant workers but will also help create durable livelihood assets, which will greatly boost the rural economy and infrastructure.

Stressing on the government’s decision to increase the borrowing limit of states, he said that this will give the States extra resource of

Rs 4.28 lakh crore. “The Centre had previously given: Rs 46,038 crore through devolution of taxes in April, Revenue Deficit Grants of Rs 12,390 crore and State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) funds to the tune of Rs 11,000 crore.”

The Union Home Minister termed the decision on reimagining the Public Sector Enterprise Policy as Prime Minister Modi’s “futuristic vision and commitment towards a self-reliant India.”

—ANI

RAJASTHAN JAIPUR | MONDAY, MAY 18, 2020

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& isolation for NUMBER OF CASES HIT A NEW ‘Test 21 days mandatory HIGH: 242 IN 24 HOURS; 5 DEATHS for new prisoners’ Jaipur: New corona positive cases broke all previous records and touched 242 on Sunday with total deaths also rising to 131 due to 5 corona deaths reported on Sunday.

Maximum 60 new cases were reported from Jaipur followed by 43 from Jodhpur, 18 from Dugarpur, 17 from Udaipur,14 from Pali, 13 from Churu, 12 from Sikar, 11 from Nagaur, 10 each from Rajsamand & Sirohi, 5 each from Bhilwara, Bikaner & Kota, 4 from Barmer, 3 from Jalore, 2 each from Alwar, Chittorgarh & Jhunjhunu and one each from Dausa, Jhala-

—PHOTO BY SANTOSH SHARMA

First India Bureau

Officials screening the migrant workers before allowing them to board the bus.

war, Karauli, Pratapgarh & Sawai Madhopur. The state total for corona positives stands at 5202. State has tested 231946 samples so far out of which 221764

have reported negative while reports for 4980 samples is awaited.

Jaipur leads the most positive cases tally with 1576 cases followed by Jodhpur 1036, Udaipur

State not giving enough help to farmers, says Raje Aishwarya Pradhan Jaipur: Former CM Vasundhara Raje has cornered the state govt by alleging that despite the farming community facing continuous setbacks, in form of locusts, rains, hails & storms the state govt isn’t providing them necessary relief.

She pointed that after the relief package announced by the Modi govt now the state govt will get Rs 11,000 crore

Youth abuse quarantine centre staff First India Bureau Nagaur: In Palot village of the Didwana subdivision area in Nagaur, two youths from Maharashtra created a ruckus for screening and during the quarantine in the morning, a drunken youth misbehaved with the ANM while undergoing health check-up and pushed a doctor.

They also started abusing the representatives the committee, responsible for the quarantine center, who were present there. The staff reported the matter to the police, but they did not reach the spot. After the incident, no administrative official was present on the spot.

Vasundhara Raje

over its existing limit of Rs 17,500 crore which should be used for farmers. She asked govt to waive off 3 months electric charg-

es for the farmers.

Raje came down heavily on the state govt for not taking back 2% extra tax on agricultural produce despite all MLAs requesting for it in the recent VC. Raje demanded that the state govt should use its SDRF fund and provide relief to farmers in present extra circumstances. She also criticized the govt for failing to get relief for farmers from the insurance companies.

380, Kota 324, Ajmer 255, Nagaur 172, Chittorgarh 154,Tonk 147, Pali 128, Bharatpur 123, Jalore 72, Banswara 68, Dungarpur 60, Jhunjhunu 56, Bhilwara 55,

First India Bureau

First India Bureau

Ajmer: A official Whats App group formed to share important information on coronavirus has been found infected with vulgarity virus.

Top officers of the district including many female officers are members of the group. Screenshots shared by SP Kunwar Rashtradeep show a vulgar post

by Manoj, one of the group admin.

Jaipur: Governor Kalraj Mishra will address the tenth anniversary programme of the Rajasthan University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences (RUVAS), Bikaner on Monday as the chief guest through video conferencing.

Mishra wished the students and employees

First India Bureau

Kota: A couple committed suicide by consuming poison in the Railway Colony police station area of Kota. Police sent the bodies to the mortuary of MBS Hospital.

CI Abhishek Pareek informed that the deceased Ramraj and Ranjita used to reside in Jagdamba Colony. They both were already married but were in a love affair, which created conflicts between both the families, which seems to be the reason behind the suicide. Both of them died during treatment.

central govt has shown good understanding of the current situation and has tried to convert it into an opportunity for all Indians. Rathore praised Finance Ministers Nirmala Sitaraman and Anurag Thakur for their relief measures for country.

First India Bureau

JK Lon Hosp docs’ new technique to help babies with respiratory problems First India Bureau Jaipur: New medical innovations by the doctors of JK Lon hospital will help infants suffering from respiratory problems breathe easy and also develop their lung capacity.

This new technique, to be used on infants admitted to NICU, is called Lisa. Hospital superintendent Dr Ashok Gupta said that the premature babies, who suffer from Respiratory

—Pic for representation purpose only

distress syndrome, are put on ventilator to insert surfactant in through respiratory

tube through endotracheal tube. But this may have side effects on the lungs of the baby.

Jaipur: CJ Rajasthan High Court Indrajit Mohanty has taken suo motto cognizance of spike in corona cases in Jaipur Jail. He heard the case on Sunday.

Specially constituted bench of CJ Mohanty and Justice Ashok Gaur issued notice to the Health department and gave directions to the state govt, DG (jail), RLSA and the chief secretary. ACS (Home) Rajeeva Swarup and DG (Jail) NRK Reddy personally attended the court hearing. AG MS Singhvi appeared from Jodhpur via VC for the state govt.

423 inmates have

been tested positive and patients above 55 years of age have been sent to SMS hospital. Ward no 5 has been converted in to Care Center.

Court directed mandatory tests for all incoming prisonersand a mandatory isolation of 21 days for new prisoners. Court asked to form district level committees with RLSA secretary, CMHO and secretary of local Bar Association as members to report on status of all district jails by May 22 to RLSA secretary Ashok Kumar, who will compile it with social activist Smita Chkravarty’s report and submit on May 26. Next hearing will be on May 27.

Guv to address RUVAS’s 10th anniversary event through VC

Extra marital affair: Couple kill self

Rajendra Rathore

Nizam Kantaliya

Vulgar content on WA group of top officers

‘Centre’s relief package will aid all sections of society’ Jaipur: Deputy LoP Rajendra Rathore has hailed the relief package announced by central govt and said that it will revolutionize the development process of the country with the bottom of poverty pyramid benefiting from it.

He said that the provision of transfer of Rs 413 crore to the states for health sector is a good initiative and the Rs 20 lakh crore relief package will lead the country on the path of progress and self reliance which will benefit all sections of the society. According to him,

Jhalawar 49, Jaisalmer & Bikaner 47 each, Churu 46, Rajsamand 43, Sirohi 42, Sikar 39, Alwar 35, Dausa 33, Dholpur 24, Barmer 22, Sawai Madhopur 17, Hanumangarh 14, Karauli 10, Pratapgarh 5 and Baran 4 . Apart from these 49 BSF jawans, 2 Italians, 7 from other states, 61 Indians evacuated from Iran and 460 migrant workers. 31 districts are officially corona infected as of now.

So far 3055 cases have turned negative from positive. 2655 have been discharged after treatment while rest will also be discharged after mandatory quarantine period.

Resident Dr Vijay Jhanjhadia has successfully inserted surfactant using minute catheter not using ventilator support, informed co incharge Dr Vishnu Pansari. The catheter is taken out later. The new technique helps development of the lungs of pre mature baby. The initial results of using this technique on babies weighing less than 1500 gms have been encouraging.

Kalraj Mishra

of RUVAS on the occasion. He said that the

extension of education & research in the field of veterinary and animal sciences is result of efforts of RUVAS which has reach in 19 districts of the state. Governor also praised the AIR programme ‘Dheene Ri Batyan’ prepared by RUVAS for dissemination of information on latest technique in veterinary science.

03

Ensure proper scanning: LoP to govt

Gulabchand Kataria

First India Bureau Jaipur: It is concerning that so many cases have been reported at the same time in jail said LoP Gulabchand Kataria on Sunday. He added that, state government should get scanning done properly. It is difficult to follow social distancing in jail. Kataria said that it is very important to carry out proper tests before giving entry in jail and social distancing is also necessary to be taken care of.

He demanded the presence of a required medical system in jail and said that it is our responsibility to take care of health by deploying the medical staff.

PERSPECTIVE JAIPUR | MONDAY, MAY 18, 2020

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DIFFERENT STROKES - TIMELY AND WELL CRAFTED PACKAGE

The comprehensive package is widely expected to make a difference-a perceptible difference-to the ground realities to the India of today

KALRAJ MISHRA Governor of Rajasthan

T

In line with the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi’s vision of ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’ (selfreliant India) outlined on May 12, 2020, the Finance Minister Mrs Nirmala Sitharaman announced three Special economic packages of Rs 20 lakh crores from May 13-15 2020.

This works out to 10 percent of India’s GDP. This comprehensive package is founded on the five pillars of Atmanirbhar Bharat, viz., Economy, Infrastructure, System, Vibrant Demography, and Demand.

he thesis of the inherent nature of the crisis in the capitalist system, the inevitability of the boom-and-bust cycles can be substantiated both by the incisive analysis of Karl Marx, the immediacy of the internal contradictions of capitalism and the fact that the capitalist system has moved from crisis to crisis with disruptive effects.

But the fault-lines today are truly real and worrisome.

This time is different!

In line with the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi’s vision of ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’ (self-reliant India) outlined on May 12, 2020, the Finance Minister Mrs Nirmala Sitharaman announced three Special economic packages of Rs 20 lakh crores from May 13-15 2020. This works out to 10 percent of India’s GDP. This comprehensive package is founded on the five pillars of Atmanirbhar Bharat, viz., Economy, Infrastructure, System, Vibrant Demography, and Demand. It is, therefore, contextually significant in resuscitating India’s economy and consolidating India’s position in the comity of nations at the present juncture. This package caters to various sections cottage industry, MSMEs, labours, middle class, and industries among others.

The range and sweep of the measures announced are reminiscent of the New Deal. This was a series of programmes and projects instituted during the Great Depression by President Franklin Roosevelt to restore prosperity to Americans. While the package meets the needs of various sections across the development spectrum, it is focused on the cottage industry, MSMEs, labourers, middle class, industries, etc. This provides the basic raison d’être of this extremely welcome package in driving the country’s inexorable self-reliance march and facilitating the transition from local to global products.

This package is widely expected to make a difference-a perceptible difference-to the ground realities to the India of today. It would, therefore, be of interest not only to all those engaged in the process and pattern of development but also to the marginalised and the vulnerable sections of the population - what Mahatma Gandhi called “the teeming millions of India”.

Let me clarify at the outset that this package should not be seen as a one-off measure or in the silo. It constitutes an important element of the series of ongoing measures initiated by the Government of India and the Reserve Bank of India in the last two months, viz., the economic

stimulus package announced on March 26, 2020, and the unscheduled Monetary Policy on March 27, 2020, followed by another Monetary Policy on April 17, 2020. The last four day’s big bang Policy pronouncement may well be followed by other measures in facilitating a V-shaped recovery of the Indian economy.

This wide-ranging Policy includes an important relaxation in EPF (Employees’ Provident Fund), Special Rs 30,000 crore liquidity scheme for Non-Banking Financial Companies (NBFC), Housing Finance Companies (HFC) & Micro Finance Institutions (MFI), and partial Rs 45,000 crore credit guarantee scheme for NBFC. There are also other serious measures like an infusion of Rs 90,000 crore in Discoms for improving liquidity, crucial relaxation to contractors and real estate, material moves in the realm of direct taxes, and a renewed thrust on MSMEs. The package having 1.70 lakh crore for Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojna, raising of Ways and Means Advances limits of states by 60%, liquidity enhancement of Rs 1,37,000 Crore by reducing CRR, Special refinance facilities to NABARD, SIDBI, and the NHB. In view of the constraints of space and my deep and enduring interest in MSMEs, let me here focus on MSMEs. MSMEs have a vast network of about 6.3 crore units, a share of around 30 percent in GDP, 45 percent in total manufacturing output and employment of around 11 crores, next only to Indian agriculture. But MSMEs are quite vulnerable and lack the strength to withstand the vicissitudes of an increasingly interlinked global economy- “vasudhaiva kutumbkam” (the world is a community), as we in India have said for thousands of years.

DEFINITIONAL AND CONCEPTUAL CHANGES The definition of small and medium enterprises is not uniform with 60 definitions

We are today faced with a huge crisis. But we have overcome trials of adversity in the past; with confidence, dedication, and steadfast pursuit of well-defined goals, we would emerge unscathed in the trial of prosperity. As Ram Dhari Singh wrote powerfully decades ago: Sonani! Karo prayadhan abhya, bavi itihass tumhara hai, ye nakht ama ke bujhte hai, sara aakash tumhara hai. (Commander, march on-the future history is yours. The stars of the sky are fading; the entire sky is yours.)

in about 75 countries. The main criteria relate to the size of employment and the quantum of capital investment/fixed assets. While in the European Union (EU) countries SMEs employ less than 500 employees, in East Asia SMEs employ 50-100 workers. To provide a level playing field and to foster an enabling environment, the limit for investment in plant and machinery has been significantly revised upward.

The turnover criteria, which provides a realistic measure for banks and financial institutions to evaluate creditworthiness, has also now been included to lead to cheaper and hassle-free credit access. Some startups which have taken off could also fulfill the proposed definition of MSME and thereby benefit from the liquidity provision as also fiscal and other benefits.

IMPORTANT DEFINITIONAL CHANGES ARE a. Micro: Limit revised upward Investment up to 1 crore (as against the earlier limit of Rs 25 lakh) and Turnover up to 5 crore b. Small: Limit revised upward Investment up to Rs 10 crores (earlier Rs5 crores) and Turnover up to Rs 50 crore. c. Medium: Limit revised upward Investment up to Rs 20 crore (earlier Rs 10 crores for manufacturing enterprises and Rs 10 crores for ser-

vices enterprise) and Turnover up to Rs 100 crore. d. No difference in the manufacturing and service sector for MSMEs.

RENEWED THRUST ON STRATEGIC ROLE OF BANKS Banks account for 90 percent of the total formal credit outstanding to MSMEs and NBFCs for the remaining 10 percent. Of the Rs 15 lakh crore, about a third is in loans of less than Rs 1 crore each.

This segment has also exhibited the lowest NPAs of 4-8 percent, while at the upper end, NPAs are 15-18 percent.

But banks have not been sufficiently forthcoming in supporting MSMEs for various reasons.

In these difficult COVID 19 times, liquidity and cash crunch have increasingly emerged as a major concern for MSMEs. The manner in which the sector will evolve will have important implications for the sustenance and growth of MSMEs. Accordingly, the May 13 package launched major initiatives significantly boosting liquidity for the sector. These are: 1. Collateral Free Automatic Loan to MSME: The Rs 3 lakh crore collateral-free automatic loan for businesses, including MSMEs will benefit 45 lakh small businesses. Those MSMEs with Rs 25 crores outstanding in loans and Rs 100 crore turnover will get

credit guarantee-backed loans of four-year tenure.

Interest will be capped.

There will be a 12-month moratorium on principal repayment. The Scheme can be availed till Oct 31.

MSMEs from government and PSUs will be cleared in 45 days. This should be taken care of very diligently because the payment to MSMEs within 90 days is a major issue.

2. Subordinate Debt for Stressed MSMEs: The government will also take the burden of Rs 20,000 crore subordinated debt, benefitting 2 lakh such businesses. Government to provide Rs 4,000 crore towards partial credit guarantee support to banks.

Banks will lend money to promoters who can use it to infuse it as equity. In my view, this facility can be provided to healthy MSMEs to save them from being stressed. The Revival and Rehabilitation of MSMEs can be implemented in a more practical manner keeping in view the liquidity situation and refinance facilitates provided to Banks. RBI has already issued guidelines on this in the year 2015.

6. The MSMEs who are not using the Bank credit facilities can now be given the MUDRA type of assistance in this COVID phase.

3. Fund of Funds (FoF) for MSMEs: MSMEs face a severe shortage of Equit: Hence the government will also create a fund of funds for MSME with a corpus of Rs 10,000 crore. This Fund is expected to infuse Rs 50,000 crore equity in MSMEs with growth potential and viability. FoF will be operated through a Mother Fund and few daughter funds.

The Fund structure will help leverage Rs. 50,000 crore funds at daughter funds level. This will help MSMEs to expand size and capacity and also encourage them to get listed on the main board of Stock Exchanges.

4. Government Tenders: Global tenders will be disallowed up to 200 crores to help MSMEs to compete and supply in government tenders.

5. E-market linkage for MSME: All receivables of

CONCLUDING OBSERVATIONS We are today faced with a huge crisis. But we have overcome trials of adversity in the past; with confidence, dedication, and steadfast pursuit of well-defined goals, we would emerge unscathed in the trial of prosperity. As Ram Dhari Singh wrote powerfully decades ago: Sonani!

Karo prayadhan abhya, bavi itihass tumhara hai, ye nakht ama ke bujhte hai, sara aakash tumhara hai.

(Commander, march on-the future history is yours. The stars of the sky are fading; the entire sky is yours.)

Hence, while keeping faith in the innate dynamism and potential of the Indian people, we must look at all innovative out of box options to extricate ourselves from this vicious circle and to trigger a virtuous circle of regenerative growth and transformation to meet the challenges of today and the expectations of tomorrow. This would also widen the economic base of the country and sustain the innovative products and processes of small scale and cottage industries. The Policy would help to achieve sustainable growth both at the regional and the national level without increasing the fiscal deficit beyond manageable proportions.

As President Franklin D. Roosevelt stressed On March 4, 1933, in the wake of the Great Depression, “First of all, let me assert my firm belief that the only thing we have to fear is fear itself ”.

This Policy certainly goes some way ahead in removing this sense of fear. We shall overcome. This too will pass!

Vol 1 Issue No. 341 RNI NO. RAJENG/2019/77764. Printed and published by Anita Hada Sangwan on behalf of First Express Publishers. Printed at Bhaskar Printing Press, D.B. Corp Limited, Shivdaspura, Tonk Road, Jaipur.

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06

‘MIGRANTS SHOULDN’T WALK HOME’ It should be ensured that the workers do not resort to walking on road and on railway tracks, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said

‘COVID-19 spread high, but not affecting all parts of India’

New Delhi: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said that authorities have been asked to make sure that migrant workers stranded in the state do not face any problems amid the ongoing nation-wide lockdown to tackle the coronavirus pandemic. He said trains will be arranged for the migrants, as many as needed.

The order issued to the authorities, a copy of which was tweeted

by Kejriwal said: “It should be ensured that migrant workers do not resort to walking on road and on railway tracks.”

The migrants should be appropriately counselled if they are found walking, taken to nearby shelters and provided with food and water till such time they are facilitated to board the “Shramik” special trains or buses to their native places, the order added.

“There should be proper cooperation with railways in running of more number of 'Shramik' special trains so that travel of stranded migrant workers is facilitated at a faster rate,” it said.

The CM told officials that all “Shramik” special trains should be received without any hindrance

Arvind Kejriwal

60-YR-OLD MIGRANT DIES

Migrant labourers wait at Gazipur border to return to their native places, during the ongoing nationwide COVID-19 lockdown in New Delhi on Sunday.

‘Govt devoted towards safe return of stranded people’ Lucknow: UP CM Yogi Adityanath said that the state government is committed to ensuring the safe return of the migrant labourers of the state stranded elsewhere in the country.

“The field officers should establish communication with other state officials to ensure the return of migrant

and asked them to “facilitate faster movement of stranded migrant workers to their native places.” —ANI

labourers on Shramik Special trains. The labourers should be provided with food and water,” the Chief Minister said. “The arrangement of quarantine should also be made for them.

Efforts should be made to arrange for their employment after the quarantine period gets over,” he said. —ANI

—PHOTO BY PTI

‘Allow us to help labourers’ New Delhi: Congress leader and party general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Sunday took to Twitter and asked Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister to grant permission to help migrant labourers amid the coronavirus crisis.

She said that the buses are there at the border while thousands of “nation-building migrant workers” are walking in the sun.

“Our buses are there at the borders... grant per-

mission and let us help our brothers and sisters,” she said.

“Blank announcements and cheap politics will not work. Oper-

ate more trains, run more buses. We have asked for permission for 1,000 buses. Let us serve,” she posted in a tweet on Sunday.

There are many labourers on every side of the border of UP. They are walking in the sun, today they are being kept standing for hours. They are not allowed through. They have no work for the last 50 days. Livelihood is at a standstill,” Gandhi’s tweet read. —ANI

New Delhi: The containment policy of COVID-19 needs a differential approach in India as the virus spread is high in the population but it is not uniformly affecting all parts of country, stated the latest updated containment plan for large outbreak area. According to the document, a large outbreak is defined as a localised increase in COVID-19 cases within a defined geographic area e.g., in a village, town, or city.

So far, the health ministry has denied that country has entered the community transmission phase of coronavirus, but updated containment strategy has jotted out steps that need to be taken for a large outbreak of infection. “This suggests that while spread of COVID-19 in our population could be high, it's unlikely that it will be uniformly affecting all parts of the country. This calls for a differential approach to different regions of the country while mounting a strong containment effort in a hotspot.” —ANI

10 MORE BSF MEN TEST POSITIVE ‘Go pick up their bags, Cyclone Amphan: 17 NDRF said BSF. The nationwide tally of coronavirus cases on Sunday stood at 90,927 including 2,872 deaths and 34,109 discharged/migrated patients. —ANI

der treatment at designated COVID-19 healthcare hospitals.

“Since yesterday, 13 (all from Delhi) personnel who had tested positive earlier, have been discharged,”

New Delhi: Ten more COVID-19 cases were reported in the Border Security Force (BSF) in the last 24 hours, said officials on Sunday.

All the new positive cases reported are un-

FROM PG 1

Now, ‘Shramik...

“It is my appeal that other states should also run similar buses and send migrant Rajasthani labour home. The Centre government has allowed states to run buses after establishing mutual approval of states and thus Rajasthan government will try its level best to bring back labourers without any difficulty to them,” he said.

The Chief Minister said that as per the guidelines of the Center, it has been decided to extend the

lockdown in the state till May 31. “Detailed guidelines for this will be released on May 18 to suit the state conditions. People should maintain a full range of advisories to prevent corona infection. Labourers have come in huge numbers in Jalore, Pali, Sirohi, Dungarpur and Banswara districts amongst others and authorities should make them undergo compulsory 14-day quarantine in order to protect themselves and protect the lives

of others”.

Gehlot observed that there was no surety what form Corona could take next and instructed the officials to form a separate team for intensive monitoring of the condition of corona infection, which would provide thorough and continuous feedback on its spread and other aspects based on which the state government can formulate its strategy. He also asked officials to keep vigil on rural areas from now on.

teams deployed in Odisha, WB

do something’ New Delhi: Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman lashed out at Congress party over the movement of migrants labourers amid the coronavirus crisis and requested the opposition to come together to help stranded migrant labourers.

“I am urging the opposition party very politely, folding my hands and requesting them here. We must all come together and help migrant labourers in this crisis,” the finance minister said.

Sitharaman said that the Centre joined hands with various state governments to run special trains for the migrant labourers. “We ensured that lakhs of migrant workers reach their native places, get food, essentials. Yet many are on the roads, walking back home, it is painful,” she said. —ANI

It would have been better if he (Rahul) had walked with them while carrying their children, luggage. The Congress party terms us ‘dramebaaz’ every day, what happened yesterday? Was yesterday the time to sit and talk with migrants who were walking on the streets? Is it not ‘dramebaazi’?

Marine police personnel patrol Puri beach to prevent tourists and fishermen from venturing into the sea due to Cyclone Amphan in Puri on Sunday.

Union Finance Minister

New Delhi: Seventeen teams of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) have been deployed in Odisha and West Bengal in view of the approaching cyclone ‘Amphan’, the chief of the force said on Sunday.

NDRF Director General S N Pradhan said in a video message that the federal contingency force is “watching the situation closely from the headquarters and we are in touch with

state governments, the Indian Meteorological Department and all stakeholder agencies”.

Cyclone ‘Amphan’, according to an IMD report on early Sunday, is developing into a severe cyclonic storm in the Bay of Bengal and can become a very severe cyclonic storm potentially in the next 24 hours, he said.

Pradhan said seven teams of the force have been deployed in West Bengal. These teams

are in six districts -South 24 Parganas, North 24 Parganas, East Midnapore, West Midnapore, Howrah and Hooghly.

In Odisha, 10 teams have been deployed in seven districts -- Puri, Jagatsinghpur, Kendrapara, Jajpur, Bhadrak, Balasore and Mayurbhanj. One team of NDRF consists of around 45 personnel.

These teams are already been deployed for preparations. —PTI

districts will have infectious disease hospital blocks. This apart, public health labs will be set up at block levels.

Sitharaman also spoke about the technology-driven education through DIKSHA. She said that PM e-VIDYA programme for multimode access to digital and online education will be immediately launched. She added that there will be one earmarked TV channel for class 1-12, and there will be extensive use of

radio, community radio and podcasts, special e-content for the visually and hearing-impaired students.

Top 100 universities have been permitted to start online courses by May 30, she added.

Debts that are related to the COVID-19 shall be excluded from defaults under IBC and further added that no fresh insolvency proceeding will be initiated up to 1 year, FM said.

For MSMEs, a special insolvency framework

is going to be notified under section 240-A of the IBC. The minimum threshold to initiate the insolvency proceedings is raised to Rs 1 crore from the earlier Rs 1 lakh, this will broadly insulate MSMEs, the minister said. Under the Companies Act, majority of compoundable offences sections will be shifted to internal adjudicating mechanisms.

Direct listing of securities by the public companies can be done in permitted foreign juris-

dictions. Separately she said that private companies which list non-convertible debentures (NCDs) on the stock exchanges will not to be considered as listed companies.

MoS Finance Anurag Singh Thakur said, “Today’s press conference, part of fifth tranche of Atma Nirbhar Bharat package presents a mix of reforms and measures to meet current crisis situations in rural India, education and health. —ANI

—Nirmala Sitharaman,

FROM PG 1 Exit that... and the maximum 50 guests to be allowed, funeral/last rites related gatherings to ensure social distancing and the maximum 20 guests to be allowed, consumption of liquor, paan, gutka and tobacco in public places not allowed, shops to ensure minimum 6 feet of distance between customers and shall not allow more than 5 people at one time.

MHA also issued additional directives for

workplaces saying as far as possible, practice of work from home should be followed, staggering of work/ business hours shall be followed in offices, workplaces, shops, markets and industrial and commercial establishments, provision for thermal scanning, hand wash and sanitiser will be made at all entry and exit points and common areas, frequent sanitisation of entire workplace, common facilities and all points which

come into human contact eg door handles etc. shall be ensured, including between shifts All persons in charge of workplaces shall ensure social distancing through adequate distance between workers, adequate gaps between shifts, staggering the lunch breaks of staff. —ANI

Last tranche...

The government will allocate an additional Rs 40,000 crore over and above the budget esti-

mate, the finance minister said. The budget estimate for MNREGA scheme was Rs 61,000 crore. Sitharaman said that it will generate 300 crore more person-days of work and it will be addressing the need for work for the returning migrants. FM added that the public expenditure on health will be increased. The investments at grassroots for health and wellness centres both at rural and urban levels will be getting ramped up. All the

#Rajasthan_Satark_Hai

RAJASTHAN BEATS CORONA —GOVIND PAREEK (Joint Director) —HETPRAKSH VYAS (PRO Medical & Health Dept)

It is the alertness and the foresightedness of Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, which has resulted in a worldwide praise for the efforts made by the state government, for the containment of coronavirus in the state. Even the Prime Minister asked other Chief Ministers to follow the decisions taken

by Gehlot while praising the Chief Minister for efficient management and medical facilities to contain corona. It was constant monitoring by CM Gehlot and the micro planning by Health Minister Dr Raghu Sharma that Rajasthan didn’t let corona have a free run in the state while it brought the biggest powers in the world on their knees. Coronavirus did demonstrate its colours initially but it couldn’t damage much due to strong health infrastructure and alertness on part of the health department. A report

EXCELLENCE IN EVERY SPHERE step taken by dept Eof CMvery under visionary leadership has become an exam-

GOVT ALERT FROM DAY 1

I

t was March 2 that the Italian tourists brought in this uninvited guest to the state. Rajasthan govt was alert, true to its slogan ‘Rajasthan is Alert’, from day one. Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot and Health Minister Dr Raghu Sharma anticipated the dangers of this epidemic and started action against it from the

Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot’s visionary leadership helped the country in tackling Corona Pandemic. He was the first to announce lockdown which was the followed by the entire country. CM was also the first one to suggest bringing migrant labourers via trains.

vestigation & contact tracing plan to check suspected people.

Strategy to Contain Corona

H

ealth Minister wasted no time in holding a meeting of senior dept officials and deciding to convert SMS Hospital

and RUHS into Isolation Centres along with instruction for the private hospitals to be ready for every possible eventuality. The training for doctors, ANM and Asha Sahyogini in accordance with the guidelines from the centre also started side by side.

WORLD HAILED THE ‘BHILWARA MODEL’

W

hen the news of a corona positive doctor treating hundreds of patients in a private hospital in Bhilwara came to light the whole administration got down to save Bhilwara from the virus.

Health Minister immediately deputed top officials to rush for the spot. A well thought out plan of extensive survey and contact tracing was implemented along with imposing curfew in 1,3 & 5 Km area as per the containment plan. Pessimists had started using the terms ‘ Wuhan of China’ and ‘Italy’ for Bhilwara but an impeccable strategy by the health department and perfect coordination by the administration ensured that Bhilwara was able to break out of the corona nexus within few days and became a model for the rest of the world.

very first day. Direction for intense door to door survey and contact tracing in all districts where the Italian tourists had visited were immediately given.

ACS (Health) Rohit Kumar Singh and Secretary (Medical Education) Vaibhav Galaria started the ground work under Dr Sharma from the very first day. Rapid Response Teams were constituted at all the District Medical College level. These teams had PSMA (Medicine), Senior Professors of Microbiology & Paediatrics department and Epidemiologists as core members. They inspected hotels and tourist places visited by suspected Italian tourists along with getting hotels & places disinfected.

Teams devised an epidemic in-

ealth Minister initiated H the strengthening of the health infrastructure dur-

ing the lockdown. When the first corona case surfaced on 2 March the state didn’t have corona testing facility but today the department is conducting more than 10000 tests every day. Now the department is busy working on making CM Gehlot’s dream of 25000 tests every day true.

A

ccording to the scientists and experts around the world the key to effectively contain coronavirus was maximum tests. CM Gehlot was aware of this and therefore the plan for extensive testing was in place.

When the first corona case surfaced in the state on 2 March there was no corona testing facility available in the state but within two months the state boasts of 10000 tests per day capacity. Now the next target set by CM Gehlot is 25000 tests per day and work on it has already begun. In order to maximise the tests in Jaipur & Jodhpur the state has already purchased Cobas 8800 machines which enable them to increase tests by 4000

per day. Additionally now the automatic & manual RNA Extraction and RT-PCR, both tests are possible. After ICMR permitted tests at Bhilwara local samples are being tested there itself.

In order to increase the testing speed the CB knot machines, traditionally used for TB, have also put into use. CM Gehlot plans to have a corona testing lab in each district.

Tele Consultancy for common men

H

ealth department launched online tele consultancy portal esanjeevaniopd.in for the ease of people in lockdown or curfew. This portal lets a person get quality medical consultancy from the comfort of one’s home without spending any money.

This facility also saves the time to visit the doctor which is so important during the lockdown.

This portal can be accessed by anybody every day from 8 am to 2 pm and one can avail online services of 30 doctors for common ailments. 100 identified medical facilities from across the state will contribute to the services of this portal.

Dr Raghu Sharma along with other ministers taking stock of facilities for people at quarantine centres.

Medical vans prove to be a boon for people under curfew

A

HEALTH INFRA STRENGTHENED

Raj excelled in tests!

ple in itself. In order to save people from corona threat Raj pioneered in announcing lockdown in country followed

by Centre with a country-wide lockdown. Rajasthan was first to use Rapid Testing Kits in the country. Dept purchased Cobas 8800 machines from USA to expedite testing.

Rajasthan and Telangana have been the only states to import these machines so far.

ll the places in the state which didn’t have access to medical facilities due to ongoing lockdown or curfew were attended by 430 fully equipped medical OPD vans. Patients are benefiting from the testing and medicine dispensing facilities provided by these vans. These vans give their medical services at sub divisional headquarters and other important locations from 8 am to 2 pm. State govt will now depute 120 extra medical vans in the 6 districts where the number of incoming migrant workers is maximum.

State becomes fourth in the country to use Plasma Therapy

I

t is the successful leadership of Health Minister Dr Raghu Sharma which makes SMS hospital, Jaipur to be the first hospital in country to have treated two corona patients, on trial basis, with plasma therapy. Rajasthan is fourth such state after Kerela, Madhya Pradesh and Delhi that is capable of treating corona patients using plasma therapy. After Jaipur now Jodhpur too has been permitted by ICMR to use it for treatment. Dr Sharma believes that use of plasma therapy will further reduce death rate due to corona in state.

60% +ve patients recovered after treatment

T

his was possible only due to the charismatic leadership of CM Ashok Gehlot. It is the best possible medical facility, treatment by efficient doctors and the positive attitude of the patients that has taken Rajasthan to the top as far as the number of negatives converted from the positive patients is

concerned. 60% of the corona positive patients in the state have recovered after treatment and many have been discharged from the hospitals. The govt has also inspired the patients under isolation or quarantine for a quick recovery by providing them with best facilities at the isolation/quarantine centres.

VIGILANT RAJ EXPOSED FAULTY RAPID TESTING KITS ajasthan is the only state in the country which was responsible for the ban on R the use of Rapid Testing Kits imported from China. State was using the Rapid Testing Kits to know the factual corona situation on the ground but the results

provided by these kits were inaccurate which forced the state health department to stop using them and inform ICMR about it. State govt constituted an expert committee under Head, Microbiology and Head, Medicine to know the exact efficacy of the kits The committee concluded that the correlation provided by the kits was 5.4% against the claimed accuracy of 90%. ICMR, after receiving the feedback from Rajasthan and other states, banned the use of these kits in the country.

Dr Raghu Sharma flagging off a van carrying dry ration for poor.

Experiences are the biggest takeaway from any travel of incident. A mind that is changed by a new experience can never go back to its old self.

2ND FRONT

—Jagdeesh Chandra, CEO & Editor, First India

POSTAL REG NO. JPC/010/2019-21

JAIPUR | MONDAY, MAY 18, 2020

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Ensure recruitments are done on time: Gehlot ‘First appointment in recruitment should be given on merit basis’ Naresh Sharma Jaipur: Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Sunday said that the state government will make every effort to ensure that the recruitments are completed on time and the candidates do not have to wait for appointment. He said that in the case of recruitments pending in the courts, effective lobbying should be done so that the pending recruitment process can be started again. The Chief Minister said that candidates have to wait for their appointment due to their the recruitments get pending in legal proceedings and this has an opposite effect on their morale and creates a negative thinking towards the system.

Gehlot was reviewing the recruitment progression in various departments through video conference at the Chief Minister’s

CM Ashok Gehlot with (from left) Kuldeep Ranka, DB Gupta and Niranjan Arya during the review meet for recruitment progression on Sunday.

comes necessary to remove these hurdles, the service rules should be amended. All the Heads of Departments should prioritize the process of recruitment in their respective departments,” he said.

Gehlot directed that the first appointment in recruitment should be given on the basis of merit and counselling, so that there will be no complaint about posting. The Chief

residence. “The state government is making efforts to ensure that RPSC and State Staff Selection Board hold recruitments as per the calendar. This work has been affected due to Covid-19 pandemic, but we will do it as soon as possible,” he said.

The Chief Minister said that many times recruitments get stuck due to hurdles of service rules. “If it be-

Minister reviewed the status of recruitments under process in Education, Medical and Health, Women and Child Development, Rural Development and Panchayati Raj, Agriculture, Personnel and other departments. “All the recruitments should be completed in a time bound frame. Appointments should be given soon to candidates whose results have been released,” he stressed.

Meghwal now improving; CM, Pande, Dy CM enquire health First India Bureau Jaipur: Social Justice and Empowerment Minister Master Bhanwarlal Meghwal is admitted to Medanta Hospital in Gurgaon since Friday. On Sunday, AICC General Secretary and Rajasthan Incharge dialed up his daughter Dr Banarasi Meghwal to enquire about his well being.

During the day, Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot and Deputy CM Sachin Pilot also talked to Dr Banarasi to know about the minister’s health. All the three leaders gave consolation to the Meghwal family.

Dr Banarasi told that after the operation on Saturday, Bhanwarlal Meghwal’s health has improved.

Meghwal was hospitalised in SMS Hospital on Wednesday night after suffering a paralytic stroke following which, he was airlifted to Medanta on Friday.

Allow us to ferry migrants: Priyanka urges CM Yogi First India Bureau Bharatpur: Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi has taken initiative for the migrant workers stranded in Uttar Pradesh wanting to reach their homes at the earliest. There are hundreds of buses arranged by Congress party which are parked on the roadsides at Uttar Pradesh border near Bahaj village in the Deeg sub division of Rajasthan. The UP administration, under instructions from CM Yogi Adityanath, is not permitting the buses to enter their state.

Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehot welcomed the initiative by Priyanka Gandhi and he sent his minister Dr Subhash Garg and AICC Secretary Zubair Khan to take stock of the situation at the border. Both tried to talk with the UP police officials obstructing the passage of the buses but no solution could be found.

Earlier in the day Pri-

Priyanka Gandhi

SACHIN PILOT @sachinPilot The UP government has stopped the buses carrying migrant workers at the border and is not giving entry. All these workers have come out facing many troubles and want to reach home. The Government of Uttar Pradesh is requested that all workers should be given entry into the state for the sake of humanity. yanka Gandhi herself tweeted a video made from her own car showing the hundreds of buses parked along the roadside near the UP border.

She has been repeatedly appealing UP CM to allow Congress to help the stranded migrant workers in UP but UP CM hasn’t responded yet, visibly, due to political mileage Congress might

Cold War in bureaucracy as CS’s seat up for grabs!

‘Consolation prize’ for Pilot loyalist Indora!

Aishwary Pradhan

First India Bureau

GAME OF THRONES

Jaipur: If you think power tussle occurs between politicians only, then let us get your facts straight.

The answer is NO! In fact, where ever there is a little power, there are internal strife, tussles and even heart breaks, and for what ? Plain and simple, more power. The same ‘power balance’ between the top bureaucracy of Rajasthan lay spilled in the open when during the meeting of the economic strategies, the ‘mathematics’ of power was disrupted.

It so happened that Chief Economic Ad-

Arvind Mayaram

DB Gupta

visor Arvind Mayaram, Chief Secretary DB Gupta, ACS PWD Veenu Gupta, ACS Finance Niranjan Arya and a horde of other senior officials were attending the meeting. During the meeting, Veenu Gupta made a comment on Niranjan Arya’s working style.

The saying, ‘jab baat

Veenu Gupta

uthegi to door talak jaegi’, apparently came alive in the meeting as Veenu’s comments found support in the top bureaucratic official and Arya’s boss DB Gupta who echoed in unison with his wife Veenu Gupta and added, ‘I have stopped speaking with ACS Finance. What ever I have to say I just men-

Niranjan Arya

tion on the files”.

Even Mayaram displayed some discontent towards Arya.

But what happened next was obvious! Finding himself cornered, Arya, by demonstrating his courage and conviction towards his viewpoint, burst out and gave a befitting reply to all concerned commenting

against his style of functioning. But now there is another question being raised in the hallowed corridors of state secretariat suspecting if Arya’s image of ‘NREGA category officer’ the main reason behind the officials finding him to be ‘different’ than them?

However, there is a flip side to this story too.

Highly placed sources reveal that internal cold war is ongoing to come on top in the ‘power balance’ since an old Gehlot loyalist Niranjan Arya is also in the race to the powerful seat of CS as DB Gupta retires in September 2020!

08

Jaipur: The Congress party has played a dalit card in Madhya Pradesh by appointing Kuldeep Indora as co-incharge along with incharge Mukul Wasnik. With more than eighty lakh dalit voters in MP, the Congress party has played a dalit card after loosing its government in the Central Indian state.

Both Wasnik and Indora have a challenge in the assembly election to be held on two dozen assembly seats where now BJP man Jyotiraditya Scindia will give them a fiery opposition. Interestingly, In-

Kuldeep Indora

dora has been given a ‘consolation prize’ in this appointment as there was a speculation that he could be given a Rajya Sabha ticket.

However, at the last minute the ticket fell in Neeraj Dangi’s kitty, who is told to be CM Gehlot’s candidate. Interestingly, Indora is reputed to be Pilot camp man.

get due to this.

Dr Subhash Garg and Zubair Khan said that the Congress simply wanted to help the stranded workers but UP CM wasn’t forthcoming and in fact is creating obstacles in the help offered. They both appealed to PM Modi to intervene and allow the buses inside UP to carry the workers to their destination.

AHMED PATEL @ahmedpatel Arrest of Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee President Anil Chaudhary

by Delhi Police is a wrong decision at wrong time. Is it a crime to help destitute and helpless laborers?

AVINASH PANDE @avinashpandeinc I deeply mourn the demise of Shri Hanuman Sahay Vyas Ji, senior Congress leader and former MLA of Shahpura-Viratnagar.

May God grant peace to departed soul.

CORONA WARRIORS

Unforeseen Demand of Housing migrants handled with panache Rajendra Chhabra Jaipur: Senior IAS Bhaskar A Sawant went to Kailash Mansarovar in 2017 as part of the official team of senior bureaucrats chosen for the task. Sawant was made the liaison officer for the team. It is well known how tough and treacherous the trek to Kailash Mansarovar is. Only men of grit, determination and physical prowess are able to complete it. The reason to mention this just to bring to light how determined, courageous & hardworking Bhaskar A Sawant is. These character traits are also clearly visible in his professional life as well.

Bhaskar A Sawant is a 1995 batch IAS who is currently Principal

Secretary of prestigious UDH department.

He also holds additional charge of three departments viz. Chairman - Rajasthan Housing Board, Secretary – Sports & Youth Affairs and Chairman – Rajasthan Sports Council. Despite heavily loaded with important responsibilities, this hard working and meritorious officer is also standing tall among the frontline corona warriors. He is Incharge of Jodhpur division and is also part of team to monitor and regulate the migration of migrant workers with responsibility of Maharashtra. Recently, Sawant has also been made the member of the team under ACS Veenu Gupta to supervise quarantine of incoming migrants. He

has been tirelessly working to ensure hassle free migration from Maharashtra. He was reported to be taking as many as 400-500 calls every day for initial period to achieve this resulting in a smooth process so far.

State govt entrusted him with setting up of quarantine facilities in Bharatpur district and sent him there from April 18 to 20. He was among the selected few to venture out in the corona infested field. Sawant has not limited himself to the corona war but has also been very active in his duties for the preassigned departments. He released around a dozen orders for the relief of common people in the first fortnight of May. The reforms in the bet-

Bhaskar A Sawant

terment levy of multi storied buildings, payment concessions for the allotted EWS & LIG houses, extending construction time limit for vacant plots, deferring cancellation of allotment of houses in

certain cases and many more such orders providing relief to common men and the real estate sector have been released by UDH and RERA with an active Sawant involved to the core.

It wasn’t easy to release so many orders without completing various official mandatory formalities which was only possible due to the cooperation he received from his sub ordinates.

Never annoying anybody, taking everybody along and silently sticking to the job assigned have been the hall mark of Sawant’s working style. This multi tasking is possible because Sawant also has support and patronage of UDH Minister Shanti Dhariwal. Sawant has a good understanding with Dhariwal as he constantly keeps in touch with him even while he is busy as a corona warrior.

Being the chairman of Resurgent Rajasthan, RHB is also one of his prime responsibilities.

He has been highly supportive of path breaking initiatives taken by RHB commissioner Pawan Arora. In fact, Sawant and Pawan Arora have been complimentary to each other in RHB progress.

There is one more feat achieved by Sawant which may be irrelevant in the current corona scenario but is important for proper understanding his silent, transparent & smooth working. Bhaskar, who also holds the post of Sports Secretary, is instrumental in ‘re-flowering’ of Rajasthan Cricket through RCA. With Cong leader Vaibhav Gehlot at helm of RCA as its President, he has been able to get land marked for RCA’s very own stadium. Be-

ing UDH Secretary, Bhaskar has the ring side view of both JDA and RCA and thus was in a better position to carry out the required work for RCA receiving the land.

He fought another battle much before the corona war soon after the new year began for the Sports & Youth Affairs department.

Sawant successfully organised the first ever State School Games from January 3 to 7, 2020 in which around 8,000 students participated in 18 sporting events. Organising such a mammoth sports event wasn’t a mean task but Sawant accomplished it to the satisfaction of the state govt. He was felicitated by the state govt with a appreciation certificate for the same on 26 January.

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09

JAIPUR, MONDAY MAY 18, 2020

WHITE IS NOT A MERE ABSENCE OF COLOUR, IT IS A SHINING AND AFFIRMATIVE THING, AS FIERCE AS RED, AS DEFINITE AS BLACK. CITY FIRST EXPLORES THE POWER OF THIS MILDEST AND STRONGEST OF COLOURS!

WHY WHITE? ANITA HADA

anita.hada@firstindianews.com

I

t’s been almost 2 months since the #Lockdown and if you are increasingly only wanting to wear white colour, don’t worry. Many people use white as a reminder of better days like youth, a time when their lives were easier and less complicated. White also indicates the completion of a cycle in your life, the desire for white may increase when your life is moving in a new direction maybe a new job or a relationship.

White is inherently a positive colour associated with understanding, goodness, innocence and spirituality. In heraldry, white depicts faith and purity. As the opposite of black, movies, books, print media, and television typically depict the good guy in white and the bad guy in black.

White has a predominant association with sterility and cleanliness which is why it is the colour of choice for hospitals etc. It is only lately that the softer hues of blue and green have entered the medical arena, earlier white was the only colour used in medical institutions.

The human eye sees white as a bright and brilliant colour which can cause headaches in case of bright light.

Like any other colour the cultural ethos of white differs. In the West, it is the colour worn by brides while in the East, white is the colour of morning and funerals. Angels wear white and also white gemstones are said to help create new

beginnings, remove prejudice and pre-conceived notions, to see the innocence in others, and to clear emotional clutter and silence the inner critic. White pearls remain an eternal favourite. White is an inclusive, impartial colour, favouring no single hue and its basic feature is equality, implying fairness and impartiality, neutrality and independence.

Babies come into the world with a perfect balance of white, a plain canvas ready to colour with the richness of all their life experiences.

Sponsored by Shree Salasar Oversease Pvt. Ltd.

ETC

JAIPUR | MONDAY, MAY 18, 2020

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10

NATURE’S LOCKDOWN

NASEEM AKHTAR

W

ell before March, a pair of pigeons made this birdhouse in our balcony, their home, nested, laid eggs, hatched them, two chicks - we saw them grow. The chicks, who were fully grown, were big shammers. They refused to fly. Guess they had taken the Lockdown too seriously, and having grown under the shadow of a retired Fauji, and a strict disciplinarian at that were not willing to defy Modi’s Lakshman Rekha. Two of them plus the

A

midst this Lockdown, Mother Nature is at her best in our Balcony. We have visitors who pay flying visits, maintaining Social Distancing norms. Sparrows, besides nightingales, doves, 7-sisters, hummingbirds, bluebirds, wren, etc visit the artificial waterpoints created for them, & generally chirp & enjoy the three-tiered balcony garden.

Father Pigeon & the Mother Pigeon played havoc in our balcony.

We could not switch on the fan, lest any of them gets injured. We could not switch on the AC for a month, because it would cause discomfort to the chicks. Having had enough of their quarantining, and enough of dust & dirt, I decided to set them free. I brought a stool, climbed up to the birdhouse, caught both these shammers, & set them free. Off they went on their Air Experience sortie, cleared especially by a Qualified Flying Instructor. What graceful fliers, the two of them, a pleasure to see them taking wings.

T

hoping like e! as seen below, ome spice to the tal ves would do e th at a mad, th How can you have condufind this place more Fauji & be deprived of -free. ict cive, relatively confl Border skirmishes? doves e th , For 2-3 days We had ain, ag me Well, here you are ca , ed ey of doves came, surv and , off w been spotting a pair fle , ks loo me. had closer ho w ne a d fin I to . wanting with twigs not ap- retur ned did ily fam A n eo es. pig ey e Th lieve my sing in couldn’t be prove of this trespas er of twigs, mb nu ge lar g in fretheir area, resultin the balcony, was a it was dropped in quent clashes. That ator that the in to sure-shot dic es pir Um ird Th the time for attempted building to me to doves had t lef s wa it e, en erv int t - only to be seen to keep a nest & lef do the balancing act, er balcony, at logI shifted in the oth everyone happy. So with the pigeons, wooden gerheads the location - got a . installed once again bracket fabricated &

hen better sense prevailed. The doves returned to their new ho me.

Now, it was the tur n of the pigeons to resor t to border violations. My wife had had enough of the pigeons . Unilaterally, she assumed the role of the Independent UN Ob server & raised the issue befor e the UN Security Council. I wa s assigned the role of the sole UN Peacekeeping Force. I stepp ed in, lock stock and barrel, ar med to the

S

teeth, sacrificing my after noon sleep, compelling the pigeons to withdraw. With war clouds vanished from the ho rizon, the doves returned to the ir territory, and have been seen ne sting. All through, it has been observed, with great seriousness , that my wife, being the sole UN Independent Observer, wa s indeed biased, with the scale tilting in favour of the doves. Th is lack of the Element of Neutr ality is going to be hotly deba ted in the next session of the UN Security Council Meeting.

FA CE OF TH ED AY

Air Commodore Naseem Akhtar, SC, VSM

YOUR DAY Horoscope by Saurabbh Sachdeva

ARIES

TAURUS

GEMINI

CANCER

You may feel low because of minor health issues. You may feel a little bothered due to not being able to pay the loan payments on time. In professional life, your competing and extrovert nature may bring you to the limelight in the eyes of those who matter to you.

To maintain a good health to need follow the prescribed treatment. Now is the time when you will gain the financial stability. Lots of distractions at workplace can make you lose your focus and pose hindrances in completing the work within the deadline.

You are strict with your exercise and fitness routine which helps you to maintain the perfect health.

Be wise and careful before you make any decisions related to your finances. You will receive the help from your friend or colleague in completing the over load of work.

You are in good shape and you have a good health.

Due to too many expenses you may try and search for more ways to make money. It may be a struggle with you to cope with the work load today. You will spend nice time with your family, full of laughter and bliss.

MAR 21 - APR 20

MAY 21 - JUNE 21

JUNE 22 - JULY 23

LEO

VIRGO

LIBRA

SCORPIO

You must take care of what you eat, it’s the key to the good health. You must exercise to feel fit and energetic. You may by something expensive that you wanted for a long time. Work harder to get the promotion or raise. Make best efforts to mend relationships.

You must learn to keep calm and cool when you are in stressful situations to maintain good physical health. Money may prevent you from overspending today. You will feel content because of your hard work and dedication and also because of your capacity to handle workload.

You will get the reward of eating right and working out, in the form of good health. Your extra earning may tempt you to spend more in luxury items. On professional front, because of workload you may get forced to devote more hours in office.

You are happy with your health and you continue to exercise to remain in shape. It may be a hard time for you to decide whether to spend the money you have in enjoying with friends or to save for the odd moments. You may struggle with loss of content or the file.

JULY 24 - AUGUST 23

AUG 24 - SEP 23

SEPT 24 - OCTOBER 22

OCT 23 - NOVEMBER 22

SAGITTARIUS

CAPRICORN

AQUARIUS

PISCES

Avoid dieting or following any extreme methods to loose weight as it may have reverse effects. Spend wisely or you may land up exhausting all your savings. All your hard work in office today will help you in the future.

Avoid using any hard words with having conversation.

Your health remains fine therefore you can afford a cheat meal today. Money will flow into your life from all the directions. On professional front, the work allotted to you will completed efficiently on time. The bachelor in your family may have to wait for the right moment.

It’s the time to start minding what you put in your belly as it has direct impact on your health and how you feel. You must have enough savings in your account to cater to your needs during adverse times. If you bad want to do something in life, your family will show you hundred percent support.

You will be satisfied with your health today. Don’t take financial decisions unless you are sure of its future implications. You will leave no stone unturned to convince your seniors that you’re a capable candidate for the promotion. You may soon meet people.

NOV 23 - DEC 22

JANNAT ZUBAIR, Actor

APR 21 - MAY 20

DEC 23 - JAN 20

JAN 21 - FEB 19

FEB20 - MARCH 20

ETC JAIPUR | MONDAY, MAY 18, 2020

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Time to

CHOP!

11

A

lia Bhatt on Sunday shared a picture of her chopped hair, revealing the haircut has been done by her ‘multi-talented’ loved one.

“Yes I cut my hair at home - thanks to my multi-talented loved one who rose to the occasion when I was in need of a chopchop,” Alia wrote on Instagram.

Alia’s caption has left netizens wondering if it’s Ranbir Kapoor who cut her hair short. Apart from flaunting her short hair, Alia also shared that she has become ‘stronger’ and ‘fitter’ by working out and eating right during lockdown. “60 days later - stronger, fitter, better at burpees, much better at skips, much, much better at

... her post

pushups, obsessed with running, super obsessed with eating right and waiting to get back onto the next challenge,” she added. —IANS

Lady Gaga

Back to Back!

J

ust last month, Lady Gaga confirmed that her eagerly awaited music album, ‘Chromatica’, will feature collaboration with Ariana Grande. And now, she has announced that she will drop the song titled ‘Rain On Me’ on May 22, exactly one week before releasing the whole album. The 34-year-old songstress shared the release date along with a cover of the track featuring her with Ariana. After putting the release of her upcoming ... her post music album on hold due to the Coronavirus pandemic, earlier this month Lady Gaga she will release her sixth studio album on April 10.

—IANS

Alia Bhatt

BIRTHDAY WITH FAMILY!

A

ctress Nushrat Bharucha, who turned a year older on Sunday, feels blessed to be with her family amid the coronavirus pandemic.

“At this point I am completely blessed and grateful to be with my family. I have family in Gujarat, in the US too and they are all safe. This phase has allowed me some time for self-reflection about how we were living our life’s worth, whatever ways and means we had and believed to have it forever.”

“No one ever imagined or prepared for a situation like this. But now I feel this is a new normal. I feel extremely happy, grateful, and content with whatever I have at this very moment,” Nushrat said.

Sharing a glimpse of her ‘house birthday party’, Nushrat posted a video on Insta Story in which she is seen grooving along with her mother to Madhuri Dixit Nene’s song ‘Dum Duma Dum’. On the work front, Nushrat will be seen opposite RajKummar Rao ... her post in ‘Chhalaang’.

—IANS

No-lockdown for SKIMS!

K

im Kardashian is not letting the pandemic come in way of her business. The business mogul has been launching new products and promoting them aggressively on social media. From adding a new perfume to her KKW Fragrances line to launching new makeup products, Kim has been doing it all. Recently, she also launched face masks on her SKIMS website and it sold out within hours. Offering 5 shades, Kim made the face maks available on Saturday morning and announced a restock on Twitter. “Unfortunately our @skims face masks have sold out today but we’re working with our local partner in LA to produce more as quickly as possible. The next batch will be available next week - please sign up to receive more details coming soon, and thank you for your support,” Kim tweeted .

As the lockdown demands people to put on masks in order to prevent Coronavirus from spreading, Kim’s face masks are bringing her great business. —IANS

Nushrat Bharucha

Kim Kardashian

Spaghetti with Cream-n-Cheese sauce A fantastic and easy dish for friends and family, anytime Prep Time: 15 min

Cook Time: 15 min

INGREDIENTS

 Cream Sauce  1 ½ cup heavy cream  ½ cup mozzarella cheese  ½ cup milk  1 tbl sp of red chili flakes  1 tbl sp of mix Italian herbs  Pinch of salt  Pinch of pepper

SPAGHETTI

 300 grams of Spaghetti  6 tbl sp of olive oil  50 grams of broccoli  Jalapeno

METHOD

Spaghetti (part 1) Bring the water to boil in a large pot, put few tea spoons of salt, olive oil and add the Spaghetti. Do not break the spaghetti, it will gradually immerse in to the water, add cut jalapeno to the spaghetti.

Boil for 10 min or till done as per your liking and drain the water. Set aside in a separate pot with cold water to cool, so the spaghetti does not stick together.

CREAM SAUCE & BROCCOLI

 In a sauce pan, put the heavy cream, milk, mozzarella cheese, and the spices and bring to a slight boil, keep stirring till the cheese is completely melted and the ingredients are well mixed.  Blanch the cut flowers of broccoli for a few minutes in boiling water, drain and set aside.

SPAGHETTI (PART 2)

 Drain the Spaghetti and place in a pan drizzle with olive oil on high heat for 2 minutes. Lower the heat and add the cream sauce and wrap around the spaghetti gently till mixed well. Add the broccoli to the dish and your spaghetti with cream cheese sauce with ready to be served.

Sumeet Kumar

Sumeet Kumar is the owner of TIF Kitchen Cafe & Restaurant at Civil Lines.

He has 25 years of experience in the hospitality industry, across the world.

TIF has an exclusive affordable menu, ranging with cuisines from the Middle East, Italy and Mexico, and imports herbs and spices to maintain the taste.

CITY BUZZ JAIPUR | MONDAY, MAY 18, 2020

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LOCKDOWN 4.0 A

CITY FIRST JAIPUR & AHMEDABAD

Entering the fourth phase of the National Lockdown, City First gets in touch with its readers from Rajasthan & Gujarat to know their opinion on the same!

fter almost 2 months since the National Lockdown has come into action, and people are eagerly waiting for the time when they can step out and have a happening schedule again. The lockdown which was supposed to be lifted on 17 May, has now been extended (AGAIN!) to 31 May and is literally testing the patience of everyone.

Keeping the guidelines in mind, the airports remain closed, the hotels and restaurants remain shut, the operation of the metro is not allowed, the religious places will not be allowed to open, and so on. But there is a piece of good news for the sports lovers- the sports matches will take place, but without any audience; everything will be telecasted LIVE. City First got in touch with a few of its readers to know about how they have been dealing with the current situation- are they making the best use of the time available, or are they getting frustrated with every passing day?

Let’s find out.

It has not been easy sitting at home for more than 50 days, especially for someone like me! But, thanks to this lockdown, I started doing so many things which I never would have otherwise. I started cooking and also dabbled in yoga. I have utilized this time explore cinema and books too. Lockdown 4.0 was disappointment and frustrating for sure.

Every day, there is a different battle. For freelancers like me, the uncertainty is very testing both financially and mentally. Being used to managing two to three projects at a time, to not being able to do anything is definitely a phase I never thought I would experience. But, I remind myself everyday that this lockdown has been worse for some people.

—POOJA VASAVA

—NAZIYA KHAN

Although I am itching to go out and have a normal life again, I have not let the lockdown extension sadden me. Instead, I am choosing to stay positive and hone my skills which would help me in my profession, and eventually make the best and most of the time, that I wouldn’t have had otherwise.

Since I live in Mumbai, this lockdown has been a blessing in disguise for me, because I got a chance to spend more time with my parents in Jaipur. But I still hope that everything comes back to normal as soon as possible so that we can all go back to work. Till then, I hope everyone is staying safe and positive.

—ALMIRA D’COSTA

—KAPIL MITLANI

I agree that it is really difficult to stay at home and not being able to work, but at the same time, I believe it’s time to pursue something that you always wanted to do, but didn’t have enough time for it. I feel it’s really important for us to plan our future very thoroughly, as we have enough time to think about how we want to move forward in life.

—SHUBHAM JAIN

A

Sheher Mahro Jodhpur - RV SWATI JANGID

swati.jangid@firstindia.co.in

HAPPY B’DAY!

IPS A Ponnuchamy (top) and IPS HG Raghavendra Suhasaa celebrated their birthdays on 17 May, Sunday. We wish them all the best!

R

aghuveer Singh Rajpurohit, a common boy turned singing star from Nagore, Makrana had a dream to make good songs and entertain people. He used to write speeches from his school time and his elder brother Dinesh told him that, “One day, you will become a rapper.” After completing his schooling, he came to Jodhpur for further studies, and side by side developed his talent for singing and writing rap songs. He wanted to make a career out of it, but he wasn’t financially stable. His schedule throughout the day wasstudying during the day at college and working during the night at a call centre. Wasting no time, he launched his first song ‘Mahre Desh Padharo’ with Ismile Khan Langa Group. Finally, RV got into the track of becoming a star. He worked with Karan Kundra in MTV heticket, Bindass Play’s

‘Bollywood Republic’ and many more artists not only from Rajasthan, but also from Punjab, Delhi and Mumbai too. His songs released one after the other, ‘Dug Dug’, ‘Sheher Mahro Jodhpur’, ‘Raja’, and so on. Finally, he got selected at the reality show ‘India’s Got Talent’, where he performed with Ismail khan Langa group, and he went up to the semifinals in the same.

Raghuveer Singh Rajpurohit

WHAT’S HAPPENING! Rajasthan: Vaibhav Gehlot paid his condolences, through social media, on the death of Senior Congress leader Shri Hanuman Sahay Vyas and prayed to Almighty to grant the family courage in this hour of grief.

In a separate post on Facebook, on the occasion of World Telecommunications Day, he also gave a message of Stay Safe and remain in touch through telecom methods in these COVID-19 times.

Rajasthan: During the ongoing global pandemic, a Jodhpur based Electronic Engineer, Srinath Bohra, developed an application that can help police personnel in communicating information amongst the people on a large scale, in just a few minutes.

Rajasthan: Amidst the ongoing pandemic, Adarshnagar MLA Rafiq Khan, along with the Captain of Rambagh Golf Club, Yogendra Singh, met UDH Minister Shanti Dhariwal at his residence and handed over a cheque of Rupees 7.50 Lacs as a contribution to Rajasthan’s Chief Minister Relief Fund on behalf of Rambagh Golf club on Saturday.

HELPING HAND!

midst the countrywide lockdown, the tourism industry is believed to impact almost 10% of GDP and has already seen over one-quarter of accumulated losses.

To ensure the survival of the tourism industry, FAITH has proposed a dedicated interest and collateral-free long term fund for paying salaries and operating costs for a minimum of 12 months of complete waiver of fixed central, state statutory and banking liabilities without any penal or compounding interest.

12

RV became the star of rap fusion, and all the Bollywood stars sitting in the jury panel appreciated his work. While interacting with City First, Raghuveer said, “One should see dreams and continuously work hard to fulfil them.”

He is also about to launch Rajasthan’s first hip-hop rap album with Mr Maxx and Dev Singh in the coming month. RV is blessed with great writing skills and he will always thank Jodhpur for loving him and his songs.

Rajasthan: CREDAI Rajasthan Woman Wing organised a Zoom session on the topic ‘Enabling Finances in Disabling Environment’ on Saturday, in which more than 3000 CREDAI members took part. During the webinar, the key speaker Indian Banks Association Chief Executive Sunil Mehta discussed the problems and opportunities to be faced by the real estate finance industry post-COVID-19. The session was moderated by CREDAI Rajasthan Woman Wing State Coordinator, and Mangalam Build Developers Director Amrita Gupta.

Rajasthan: Dr Sribhavani Rakesh, who is a freelance Medical Writer and winner of beauty pageant ‘Mrs United Nations World 2018’, is spreading awareness on Women Health issues on various platforms. She firmly believes in the concept of universal sisterhood, which embarks on the strong pillars of love, integrity, respect and joy. She had also organised ‘The Women Achievers Awards’ in Bengaluru in 2019, where women from various fields and backgrounds across the globe were recognised for their work.

Rajasthan: On the fourth day of the ongoing ‘Online Learning – Children’s Summer Festival’, the visual arts online learning sessions will begin with ‘Calligraphy’ at Jawahar Kala Kendra (JKK) on today from 10 am to 11 am.

It will be conducted by visual artist, Harishankar Balothia. At the session, viewers will be guided through the basics of modern calligraphy, typography, ink flow, pen pressure, shapes and learn to develop their own unique style.

Rajasthan: Kusum Yadav wrote a letter to the Chief Medical and Health Officer for the people who came in contact with Corona positive patients and are being kept isolated under their observation for more than 14 days. She asked to put the people in home quarantine now for another 14 days, after relieving them from hospitals. Ajay Yadav also submitted a memorandum regarding the same issue to the Chief Medical and Health Officer Dr Nauratam Sharma during their meeting and said that quarantining at home will provide them a better mental and emotional support to deal with the situation.