First India-Jaipur Edition-24 June 2020

OUR EDITIONS: JAIPUR & AHMEDABAD

CORONA

28°C - 39°C

ALERT JAIPUR l WEDNESDAY, JUNE 24, 2020 l Pages 12 l 3.00

COVID-19 UPDATE

WORLD

4,76,571 DEATHS

MAHARASHTRA 6,531 DEATHS 1,39,010 CASES

INDIA

92,70,233

14,483 4,55,830

CONFIRMED CASES

TAMIL NADU 833 DEATHS 64,603 CASES

RNI NO. RAJENG/2019/77764 l Vol 2 l Issue No. 18

DEATHS

DELHI 2,301 DEATHS 66,602 CASES

CONFIRMED CASES

www.firstindia.co.in www.firstindia.co.in/epaper/ I twitter.com/ thefirstindia I facebook.com/thefirstindia instagram.com/thefirstindia

RAJASTHAN

365

DEATHS

GUJARAT 1,711 DEATHS 28,429 CASES

15,627

CONFIRMED CASES

UTTAR PRADESH 588 DEATHS 18,893 CASES

TIME TO CHEER! In what may come as a major boost to tourism and also to fill up government coffers, finally after three months of long wait, the bars in clubs, hotels and restaurants will open across Rajasthan from today. This paves way for 1,000 bars—a major money spinner for Tourism Industry—to start business across state. Bar owners have been strictly told to adhere to COVID 19 guidelines.

The Lake Palace Hotel, Udaipur.

DIL CHAHE WHAT’S

Made in India!

Government enables ‘Make in India’ filter; mandates naming country of origin —PHOTO BY ANI

New Delhi: In a bid to promote Make in India and Aatma Nirbhar Bharat (Self-reliant India), the Government e-Marketplace (GeM) has mandated for sellers to spell out the “Country of Origin” of products they want to sell on the platform.

GeM, a special purpose vehicle under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, has also enabled a provision for the indication of the percentage of local content in products.

The government procurement portal has made it mandatory for sellers to enter the country of origin while registering all new prod-

Earthen pots with a face design of PM Modi are being sold at a market in Kanpur on Tuesday.

ucts on GeM, the Ministry of Commerce and Industry said in a statement on Tuesday.

With this new feature, now, Country of Origin as well as the local con-

tent percentage will be visible in the marketplace for all items.

“Sellers, who had already uploaded their products before the introduction of this new

feature on GeM, are being reminded regularly to update the Country of Origin, with a warning that their products shall be removed from GeM if they fail to up-

date the same,” the statement said.

It also said that Make in India filter has also been enabled on the portal granting buyers choice to buy only those products that meet the minimum 50% local content criteria. “In case of Bids, buyers can now reserve any bid for Class I Local suppliers (local content more than 50 percent). For those Bids below INR 200 crore, only Class I and Class II Local Suppliers (local content more than 50 percent and more than 20 percent respectively) are eligible to bid, with Class I supplier getting purchase preference,” the statement said. —ANI

India, China can solve border issues on their own: Russia Moscow: Russia on Tuesday said that India and China have shown their commitment for peaceful resolution of the border issue and the two countries do not need “any help from outside” to resolve the matter.

Speaking at the virtual RIC foreign ministers’ meeting, Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Moscow hopes that New Delhi and Beijing continue to

India to Pak: Cut mission staff by half New Delhi: India on Tuesday asked Pakistan to reduce its staff in its High Commission here by half within the next seven days and announced a reciprocal trimming of Indian strength in Islamabad, in a significant downgrading of diplomatic ties. The MEA said Charge d’ Affaires of Pakistan Turn on P6

AGREE TO ‘COOL DOWN’ TENSIONS

be committed to a peaceful resolution of disputes. “I don’t think that India and China need any help from the outside.

Turn on P6

Beijing: Chinese and Indian armies have arrived at a consensus on the ‘outstanding issues’ between them and agreed to take necessary measures to ‘cool down’ the situation at their borders, Chinese Foreign Ministry said on Tuesday. “The meeting showed that both sides wish to control and alleviate the situation through dialogue and consultation,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said.

LAC crisis due to Modi’s wrong policies: Sonia New Delhi: Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Tuesday said the current crisis on the border with China is attributable to the “mismanagement” of the BJP-led government and the “wrong policies” pursued by it.

The crisis on the border, if not tackled firmly, can lead to a serious situation, former PM Manmohan Singh said

at a meeting of the CWC on the situation along LAC. Addressing the meeting, Gandhi also hit out at the government for Turn on P6

CWC MEETING

Gehlot’s clarion call for Cong revival: Bring Rahul back! ..but Venugopal rules out any such possibility at the moment Aditi Nagar/Naresh Sharma New Delhi/Jaipur: It was almost a year back, when Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot raised a demand to christen Rahul Gandhi as the Congress President. However, what Gehlot proposed, Rahul disposed, mainly because of family and other political reasons. It

seems Rahul did not stomach well the defeat of 2019 general election and resigned on May 25 last year.

However, with the country moving ahead amid several crisis situations, Gehlot has once again given the clarion call to make Rahul Gandhi the party president.

This came about during the Congress

Working Committee (CWC) meet organised on Tuesday, which met with thumping support from other members that were part of the CWC. However, till now, there is no indication, when Rahul is actually going to take over his new challenge?

Meanwhile, a Rahul confidante and party’s General Secretary (Organisation) KC Venugopal, trying to dilute the issue, formally clarified

that Rahul’s Presidential candidature was not at all discussed during the CWC meeting.

Gehlot’s demand found more support in the

party’s youth wing as well since Youth Congress national president Sriniwas BV also echoed in unison with Gehlot. Gehlot asked that a virtual meeting be called for the purpose and Rahul Gandhi should be

named the party president thereafter.

After Rahul stepped down, his mother—Sonia Gandhi—has been handling the party’s affairs as Congress’s interim president.

Informing about the meeting, Turn on P6

During the Congress Working Committee meeting on Tuesday, Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot demanded the party leadership to reinstate Rahul Gandhi as Congress chief again. —File photo

NEWS JAIPUR | WEDNESDAY, JUNE 24, 2020

www.firstindia.co.in I www.firstindia.co.in/epaper/ I twitter.com/thefirstindia I facebook.com/thefirstindia I instagram.com/thefirstindia

02

MONSOON TO HIT RAJ SOON

Jaipur: Rajasthan, which is experiencing scorching heat these days, has good news that the monsoon is about to enter from the south. The monsoon is expected to enter the state in the next 24-48 hours. Along with this, the Meteorological Department has issued a warning for heavy rain in various areas of the state today, including Dungarpur, Sirohi, Pali, Barmer, Chittorgarh, Rajsamand, Banswara, Jhalawar, Baran, Udaipur, and Pratapgarh. Meanwhile, a deserted look of Albert Hall in Jaipur with dark clouds hovering over sky on Monday.

—PHOTO BY SUMAN SARKAR

After RS polls win, Cong leaders cross fingers for political appt!

Yogesh Sharma Jaipur: With the Rajya Sabha elections coming to an end and in Congress’s favour in Rajasthan, the next big thing for the grand old party and its workers now, are the political appointments. Both, party workers and the ministerial aspirants await fulfilling promises made in the distant & recent past on which they have kept an eagleeye in the organization and ‘power’. it is being said that the ‘screenplay’ is almost set with a change in PCC to be the likely first act, followed by the gift of appointments.

Word is that current PCC Chief Sachin Pilot, who has held the spot

Ashok Gehlot

Avinash Pande

Sachin Pilot

for a record 77 months, being replaced by a new face at the party’s state headquarters. On this topic, the view of Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot will be crucial to ensure better coordination between the party and the government. What has fanned the fire is the statement by PCC Chief advocating respect for party workers who have put up with hardships for the party when the

party was out of power.

The posts seeking suitable political appointments on offing are Commission for Farmers, Rajasthan Housing Board, RTDC, Seeds Corporation, Commission for SC, Commission for ST, Commission for Women, Devnarayan Board, Khadi Commission, Devsthan Board, Rajasthan Staff Selection Board, Sindhi Academy,

Kesh Kala Board, Hindi Academy, Youth Board, Sports Council, Parshuram Board, Mati Kala Board, along with UIT appointments have some party stalwarts in waiting. The names of leaders like Rameshwar Dudi, Pradyuman Singh, Girija Vyas, Ghanshyam Tiwari, Surendra Goyal, Manvendra Singh, Rajkumar Rinva, Dr Chandrabhan, Dr Sahdev Chod-

hary, Rajiv Arora, Raguveer Meena, Duru Miyan, Ashk Ali Tak, Rajendra Chodhary, Saeed Saudi, Pukhraj Parashar, Randeep Dhankar, Dharmendra Rathore, Shivcharan Mali, Badri Jhakar, Rehana Riyaz, Mumtaj Masih, Jyoti Khandelwal, Archana Sharma, Rukshmani Singh, amongst several other are doing the rounds.

It is worth noting that AICC General secretary and Rajasthan Incharge Avinash Pande wants the whole process of the political appointments to be transparent and based on merit. Pande wants that party should benefit from these appointments in the upcoming local body and panchayat elections.

T’gana HC notices to Centre, State on communal tweets First India Bureau Hyderabad: At a time when the world is reeling under the Covid-19 pandemic, social media has come both as a great boon and bane.

However, with irrelevant posts being shared on the medium linking with religion, it has also created a furore among people. In a PIL filed in the Telangana High Court by advocate Khwaja Aijazuddin, the division bench of Chief Justice Raghvendra Singh Chauhan and Justice B Vijaysen Reddy issued notices to both state and central governments to ensure Twitter stopped trending posts linking the pandemic to religion.

The division bench

STRICT ACTION

Raghvendra Singh Chauhan

has also directed Advocate General BS Prasad and Assistant Solicitor General N Rajeshwar Rao to file counter-affidavits and given twenty-eight days for the same. The PIL mentioned hashtags trending or used on the microblogging site and argued that the ‘Islamophobic’ posts were

hurting the religious sentiments of the Muslim community.

Moreover, the advocate also requested the court to instruct the state and central governments to ensure that on other social media platforms too such content does not circulate and criminal cases are filed against those who do so.

BJP marks death anniv of Syama Gold price nears Rs Prasad Mukherjee as Sacrifice Day 50K per 10 gram

Bhanwari case: Convict gets 1 day interim bail

Folk art to spread corona awareness

Aishwarya Pradhan

First India Bureau

Nirmal Tiwari

Jaipur: In the ANM Bhanwari Devi abduction and murder case, the convict Shahabuddin has been granted interim bail for a day.

Sabuddin’s mother had died on Sunday, after which advocate Firoz Khan applied for an interim bail of 15 days in the trial court. The trial court ordered an interim bail from 11 am to 5 pm on Wednesday.

Jaipur: The Tourism, Archaeological, and the Museum departments jointly launched a spectacular campaign for creating awareness about COVID-19.

Folk artists perform at all museums and monuments in the state. They gave a message for protection and safety measures from the corona.

Director archaeology Prakash Chandra Shar-

Jaipur: BJP celebrated the death anniversary of the founder member of Jan Sangh Dr Syama Prasad Mukherjee as the Sacrifice Day. This death anniversary is first after the abrogation of Article 370 from J&K which had been the main war cry by Late Mukherji.

Initially, Jan Sangh and then BJP had been putting up demonstra-

Dr Syama Prasad Mukherjee

tions raising rights over Kashmir as Mukherji died in Kashmir. BJP state chief Satish Poonia, National Co-organizing secre-

tary V Satish, and organizing secretary Chandrashekhar along with party workers assembled at party HQ to pay respects to Mukherjee by offering floral tributes. Speaking on the occasion, Poonia said that Mukherjee had sacrificed himself for unity and integrity of the country and had resigned from the Nehru government opposing the Nehru-Liaquat accord.

First India Bureau Jaipur: Gold always glitters whenever the economy is in crisis.

The impact of corona and border conflict with China has lifted gold prices close to Rs 50,000 per 10 gram.

Bullion traders believe that gold prices showing no sign of easing in the near future, therefore, this was the right time to buy it.

The last three months

have seen gold prices shooting up Rs 9 to 10 thousand.

Experts claim that smart money has been looking for safety thus big investors have been investing big time in gold. President of Jaipur Sarafa Association Kailash Mittal said that this is perfect time to buy gold, if anyone has been waiting for a decline, they may be in for a disappointment as prices are likely to go up then fall.

ma informed that posters, banners, and standees were used to inform the public about the measures to protect from corona. Tourists enjoyed various performances by the folk artists.

STATE PREPARES TO BRING BACK ECONOMY ON TRACK Jaipur: COVID-19 has disrupted routine life and wreaked havoc on the economy. The lockdown destroyed business and snatched people’s livelihood. However, after more than two months of shutting down everything, the government has been slowly opening up various sectors. How can life get back to normal and the economy picks up the pace are vital questions with which the state government has

been dealing with.

Dr Rituraj Sharma spoke to Chief Secretary DB Gupta about them as well as some other important issues. Excerpts:  What is the state government’s planning post unlocking?

The government had constituted three task forces. I held a meeting with all three of them.

I have received their reports. The minutes of these task forces have been released; the chief minister will

take a call on them.

The central government has yet not issued guidelines for its MSME package. Wherever we have received guidelines for MSME, we are ready to provide the matching grant.

Once the guideline is released we will start implementing it. As far as the PWD task force is concerned some improvement is required.

Along with earnest money deposit, security deposit, there is a need to enhance liquidity. RTPP and WFR

rules are in offing, which has to be decided at the CM level.  The government had conducted a survey about people not included in any category. How will you link them with

CS DB Gupta

government schemes?

We conducted a survey to identify people not qualify for any w e l f a r e scheme benef i c i a r y group. Under the National Food Security Act (NFSA)

only 4.46 beneficiaries were covered but we have five crore beneficiaries in the NFSA, which means there was a shortage of provision for 54 lakh people. The monthly gap was Rs 78 crore, which we paid for. On one hand, FCI godowns were brimming with food grains on the other needy people were not getting wheat. Later, the central government gave sanction for 44 lakh migrant workers so we were able to cover this figure but

street vendors, cart pullers, and priests lost livelihood. The survey found there were 65 lakh such people. So after 44 lakh migrant workers adjusted, we spoke to union food secretary for the rest.

We expect a decision soon but even if the centre doesn’t agree, we have made arrangements. Wheat has been lifted for 47 lakh people while the process is underway for the remaining 18 lakh. Hopefully, by then, we will receive permission from the

centre.  What about migrant workers, have they been provided work?

We are trying to utilize the skills of people working outside.

There is gems & jewellery training for which the government will bear training cost.

The central government will also pay money for training.

Data of workers is available on the Rajkaushal portal. About 53 lakh people have registered on it.

RAJASTHAN JAIPUR | WEDNESDAY, JUNE 24, 2020

www.firstindia.co.in I www.firstindia.co.in/epaper/ I twitter.com/thefirstindia I facebook.com/thefirstindia I instagram.com/thefirstindia

in

BRIEF  Jaipur: CM Ashok Gehlot has approved to transfer 5.93 hectare unused land of the Narmada Canal Project colony to the forest department on which the forest department will develop a “Smriti Van”.  Barmer: In Bhadka Purohitan of Barmer, a paternal uncle killed his nephew over property dispute.

They had a fight a few days ago too, in which nephew Manohar Rajpurohit was severely injured. Unfortunately, he died during treatment.  Jaipur: Jaipur has been suffering with black marketing of water. Balaji Construction has been given the contract of supply via tankers in Transport Nagar and Paldi Meena, but the supply has not been done in the last 5 days. Instead, the water is being sold at Rs 300-400 per tanker.  Jaipur: All the government schools in the state are opening for teachers after the summer holidays from today and the teachers need to mark their attendance. The timings for the schools will be from 7:30 am -1 pm.  Jaipur: Jaipur Police Commissionerate has started an awareness campaign to prevent the spread of coronavirus infection in the state. As part it, the RAC troop played a band. The RAC band march, led by in-charge of Nirbhaya Squad ADCP Sunita Meena, reached from Badi Chaupar to Chhoti Chaupar.  Udaipur: Rajat Rath Yatra of Lord Jagdish, deity of Udaipur, was taken out at temple premises on Tuesday. In fact, this is the first time in 27 years that Lord Jagdish has gone on a tour only in the temple premises instead of visiting his city due to coron. In Udaipur, there is a tradition of taking out Lord Jagdish’s Rath Yatra on the lines of Jagannath Puri.  Jaipur: Viratnagar Police of Jaipur Rural have arrested two accused Kuldeep Singh and Hemendra Singh in the case of robbery with a businessman in Bilwadi valley and recovered Rs 13.5 lakh.

03

Tampering with Mewar’s history in syllabus receives backlash Ravi Sharma Udaipur: It is said that history can be repeated but cannot be changed.

Even if anyone cannot change history, it is very common to tamper with historical facts.

However, political power, which is surrounded by the strong tendencies of ideologies, also has the so-called ability to change history.

This time, the medium of tampering with historical facts is the new book of Class 10 of Rajasthan Board of Secondary Education ‘Rajasthan ka Itihas aur Sanskriti’. In the book, the history of Mewar

Jaipur: The state reported 9 deaths in preceding 24 hours taking the death toll to 365 so far. Tuesday saw maximum 3 deaths from Jodhpur, 2 from Bhilwara and one death each from Jaipur, Kota.

Sri Ganganagar & Sikar. In last 24 hours 395 new cases of corona surfaced taking the state toll to 15627.

Maximum 107 cases were reported from Jaipur followed by 53 from Dholpur, 40 from Jodhpur, 24 from Sirohi, 21 from Barmer, 19 from Jalore, 18 from Bharatpur, 15 from Pali, 13 from Ajmer, 12 from

Dead body of sports coach found in Jodh

Fuel prices in no rush to come down

First India Bureau

Nirmal Tiwari

Jodhpur: Dead body of a sports coach at Jai Narayan University Narendra Singh Panwar was found in the store room of the hockey ground in the college campus on Tuesday evening. It is being suspected that he committed suicide. After getting the information, police reached the spot.

The body has been kept in the mortuary of Mathuradas Mathur Hospital. The cause of death will only be known after the postmortem report.

Police informed that the relatives of the deceased had already taken him to the hospital. Panwar was a former JNVU champion as well as a cricket coach.

Jaipur: Summer temperatures might have spared the people of the state finding them fighting the tough war with coronavirus but no such empathy came from either the central or the state govt as far as the fuel prices are concerned.

The price escalation which started on June 7 continues unabated. In the last 17 days the petrol prices have shot up

by Ts 9.07 touching Rs 86.87 per liter while the diesel is at an unprecedented Rs 80.23 up by Rs 13.04 in the same period. As if that wasn’t enough the state govt increased VAT thrice from March 21 to date.

This steep rise comes

—Pic for representational purpose only

has not only been very brief, but also historical facts have not been presented correctly.

After tampering with the facts related to Mewar, the writer of these chapters in the 2017-18

session and first PhD holder on Pratap historian Dr Chandrashekhar Sharma has strongly opposed the making of the Mewar related history brief and incorrect presentation of

facts after tampering.

Tampered facts include, Maharana Udai Singh being told to be the murderer of Banvir As per historians, in 1540 AD, Banvir went to Maharashtra after get-

9 die, 395 test +ve on Tue; 107 new cases from Jpr First India Bureau

ting the news of Udai Singh winning the war of Mavli, where he suffered a natural death.

It also says that, the name of Haldi Ghati is not told to be due to the soil of Haldia colour,

but because of the war fought by the newly wedded women in the male garb. As per historians, the name Haldi Ghati was kept due to the presence of many Haldu trees in the area.

Another mistake is, Jagannath Kachhawa has been told to be the leader of the Mrigal army. As per historians, Man Singh had led the army and Jagannath Kachhawa came to Mewar in 1576, after 8 eight years of the war.

Despite all this, the students will be bound to learn these misleading facts because the Hindi version of the book has been printed.

DIYA SLAMS STATE GOVERNMENT

MIGRANTS FROM ABROAD BIG CONCERN

Bhilwara, 11 from Sawai Madhopur, 10 from Alwar, 7 from Rajsamand, 6 from Hanumangarh, 5 each from Churu, Sikar & Udaipur, 4 each from Jhunjhunu & Karauli, 3 each from Dausa, Jhalawar, Kota

& Nagaur, 2 from Bikaner and 2 from other states.

The cumulative district wise tally of the coronavirus positive cases on Monday is as follows – Ajmer 468, Alwar 368, Banswara 92,

Baran 62, Barmer 213, Bharatpur 1376, Bhilwara 239, Bikaner 200, Bundi 10, Chittorgarh 208, Churu 278, Dausa 113, Dholpur 468, Dungarpur 415, Ganganagar 48, Hanumangarh 54, Jaipur 3006, Jaisalmer 98, Jalore 252, Jhalawar 370, Jhunjhunu 318, Jodhpur 2499, Karauli 74, Kota 565, Nagaur 601, Pali 992, Pratapgarh 14, Rajsamand 215, Sawai Madhopur 86, Sikar 477, Sirohi 384, Tonk 200 and Udaipur 663.

The corona surge in Jaipur can be attributed to people flying in from abroad as 76 persons were quarantined on Tuesday.

PRATAP KHACHARIYAWAS @PSKhachariyawas If history is tampered with in any way, it will not be tolerated under any circumstances. The history of our great men is everything to us and our duty is to protect it.

amid salary cuts, layoffs and virtually zero business.

It seems that the central govt has no control left over the oil companies, who are compensating for the unpaid amount by the central govt on account of three free LPG cylinders under Ujjwala scheme.

During lockdown the fuel sales plummeted to 10% forcing the Rajasthan Petroleum Dealers Association to ask for a package from govt along with bringing the petroleum prices under GST regime. They also demanded parity in VAT slab with neighboring states to provide relief to the common people who have started moving out for work using their vehicles.

RS Poll: Poonia, Joshi spar over horse trading issue!

Lake City looking forward to having sufficient rain to fill its reservoirs

First India Bureau

First India Bureau

Jaipur: A series of political allegations and counter allegations after the recently culminated Rajya Sabha elections continue with BJP state chief Satish Poonia retaliating to Dr Mahesh Joshi’s remarks.

Poonia has said that Dr Joshi may go ahead with the defamation case and let the law take its own course but the same legal course was open for the BJP as well.

He dared Joshi to provide evidence for his al-

Udaipur: Monsoon has almost arrived in state and the water bodies of Lake City of Udaipur are expected to get ample water this time.

Udaipur is at the top in terms of availability of drinking water this time. Every year, during the summer season, the drinking water shortage is at its peak in Lake City.

Not only this, but the situation was so bad last year that drinking water was supplied in 72 hours in many areas

Satish Poonia

legations of horse trading against the BJP. Poonia said if Congress proves its charges then BJP will also put forth the proof for its allegations of vote for RIICO plot and mines barter deal.

Meanwhile, Chief Whip Dr Mahesh Joshi targeted BJP state pres-

Dr Mahesh Joshi

ident Satish Poonia on the statement made by him. Joshi has said that we will get the statement of Poonia checked and register a case against him if required.

We will file a defamation or criminal case against Poonia, said Joshi while reacting to Poonia’s claims.

THE EXPECTATION Lake Fatehsagar Pichola Badi Madar Bada Madar Chhota Devas Pratham Madri Akodra Udaisagar Jaisamand Mansi Vakal

Filled 13 feet 11 feet 32 feet 24 feet 21 feet 34 feet 34 feet 60 feet 24 feet 27.5 feet 581.2 mtr

of the city. This time, the water level in 11 of the 10 major reservoirs in the zone is in plus.

As per the experts, if

2020

4.10 23.2 23.2 14 13.5 4 0 53 15.4 18.4 575.40

there is average rainfall this time, then the water bodies of the city will be full.

The total filling ca-

pacity of 11 major reservoirs of Udaipur, is 18516 MCFT and it has about 12077 MCFT water available in it.

Poonia tries to do balancing act while listing team?

Man kills self after wife’s suicide

First India Bureau

First India Bureau

ENTERING NEW ERA

Jaipur: The countdown to the new team of BJP state president Satish Poonia has begun. Poonia after long deliberations has prepared his list to take BJP forward in a new era and has forwarded it to the central leadership for its approval.

The new team aims not only to balance the caste and regional balance but also critically include some names to

appease other major power centers in the party. Ram Lal Sharma who is a sitting MLA and hails from Brahman community has long experience of working for the party, has no camp branding and has good hold in the RSS. Diya Kumari, a sitting MP, being a glamorous Rajput face can be used to target the Mewar region. CP Joshi will get benefit of being Brahman face in Mewar who is active and is

BJP state chief Satish Poonia paying tributes to Syama Prasad Mukherjee on his death anniversary on Tuesday.

trust worthy of many central leaders.

Ritu Banawat who was party candidate from Bayana is young

dalit female face who happens to be wife of a Vaishya party leader Rishi Bansal who has led Yuva Morcha in past.

Tej Singh has been with Satish Poonia since his student politics days has long experience for ABVP. This Rajput leader has state wide relations in the party. Laxmikant Bhardwaj has been party spox for a while now and has rightfully earned Poonia’s trust. Narendra Nagar is not only a sitting MLA for the party but also holds sway over the influential Nagar community of Hadauti.

Poonia will make

sure that old guard in the party do not feel sidelined despite being active in past so veteran Madan Dilawar could be entrusted with important responsibility along with organisation secretary Man Singh.

MLA Mohan Ram Chodhary has to his advantage the relations he shares with other castes in highly volatile Nagaur. A senior RSS leader is also pushing in for sitting general secretary Bhajan Lal.

Bharatpur: A widower committed suicide by consuming poison in Deeg of Bharatpur district on Tuesday. Apparently, his suicide follows that of his wife, which happened on Monday, His wife Suman had committed suicide for unknown reasons, and was admitted to Bharatpur Hospital in a critical condition, but died during treatment.

When the police were involved in the postmortem of the woman, her husband Jagdish also committed suicide.

The police have handed over the bodies of the couple to the family after the postmortem.

Now, the respective families of the man and woman are accusing suspecting foul play in the matter.

Deeg SHO Ganpat Singh informed that the police would soon reveal the entire case.

PERSPECTIVE JAIPUR | WEDNESDAY, JUNE 24, 2020

www.firstindia.co.in I www.firstindia.co.in/epaper/ I twitter.com/thefirstindia I facebook.com/thefirstindia I instagram.com/thefirstindia

RECOVERING RENT

IN-DEPTH

GALLOPING FUEL PRICES NOW GET WORRISOME

AMIDST THE CORONA CRISIS

L

ike Jack’s beanstalk the prices of fuel are touching the sky. After a break of 82 days, oil marketing companies have resumed the daily revision of fuel prices. Prices of diesel and petrol have zoomed record high in the last 17 days ever since they were deregulated in 2002 and are gradually going beyond the reach of common man, especially farmers. In the national capital price of diesel has risen to Rs 79.40, while petrol is selling at Rs 79.76 after a cumulative increase of Rs 9.10 and Rs 9.41 per litre, respectively. The increase is not confined to New Delhi alone but is also applicable to other states.

The prices in states vary due to different slabs of local sales tax or value added tax and excise. The Centre has hiked excise duty on diesel and petrol twice in three months to give the government Rs 2 lakh crore in additional tax revenues.

The daily price reviews were started by the state-owned oil companies -Indian Oil Corporation, Hindustan Petroleum and Bharat Petroleum---from June 7.

Congress president Sonia Gandhi took up the issue with the government urging Prime Minister Narendra Modi to roll back the fuel price hike and pass on the benefit of low global crude oil price to consumers. “I am deeply distressed that in these exceedingly difficult times since the beginning of March, the government has taken the wholly insensitive decision to increase petrol and diesel prices on no less than ten separate occasions,” she said last week.

Shiromani Akali Dal president Sukhbir Singh Badal, an ally of the National Democratic Alliance, urged the government to roll back fuel prices as the unprecedented hike was hurting farmers at a time when kharif sowing is on. Besides, the common man, trade and industry have also been hit. Transporters who are already reeling under lockdown aftermath recently staged a protest against the increased prices. Demanding substantial reduction in prices, the All India Motor Transport Congress recently said that high prices have made “operations unviable”. If the prices are not lowered, the transporters will pass on the burden to consumers of all the goods they ferry.

After a sharp fall in demand for crude oil, global oil prices also plummeted earlier this year. With the global markets having recovered, the prices too have started moving upwards.

The automobile industry is concerned that the daily hike in fuel prices was adding to the already sluggish demand.

The high fuel prices do help the government fill its coffers as it has to manage budget deficit and an ailing economy.

They, however, leave a big hole in the pockets of the poor. Already reeling under the impact of job losses and pay cuts due to the pandemic, the common man may now have to shell out more for his cab ride, fruits, vegetables and other essentials.

ALOK GUPTA

The writer is a President of the Estate Agents Association of India, Central Zone One

F

Most of the tenants, as per my study, have tried to take shelter of the ‘Force Majeure’ clause in the agreement. It is rare that the said clause would have covered the situation of a pandemic or the lockdown specifically and would have allowed for a waiver of rent for the period of lockdown

irst, the debate started with whether the landlords should collect the rents for the lockdown period or not. Then, the debate shifted to whether they are even eligible to collect the rents or not. Now since the courts in India have well clarified and ruled that not only the landlords are eligible to collect the rents but also it would be unjust to them if they are even asked to waive rents for the lockdown period. Now since the lockdown doesn’t seem to end so smoothly, so soon, it is becoming a challenge for the landlords to recover rents from their tenants. I have tried to study the situation from both the sides, analyse the gravity of the lockdown compassionately and have then devised a modest methodology for the landlords to recover rents amicably and lawfully even amidst the Corona crisis.

Gardens are not made by sitting in the shade. Have a dialogue with the tenants.

Most of the time, we become victims of our assumptions.

We simply presume that the tenants do not want to pay or are unable to pay. Landlords, if they do not receive their rents, as usual, must first of all speak to their tenants and inform them that no government order mandates a rent waiver. It is in the interest of the tenants to keep paying the rents as usual rather than piling it up for a future date which may also attract interest and penalties as per the agreement.

Landlords do not have money plants in their backyard. Inform tenants of your side of problems too. As the word ‘landlord’ gives the impression, most of the time tenants presume that the landlords are the ones who quite literally have money plants in their backyards. According to their presumption, this is that sect of the society which has a lot of money, deep pockets, and no financial problem whatso-

ever. The tenants must be explained that the landlords too have to pay the EMIs, they have to pay the society bills, property taxes etc. in which they have no respite from the government. Whether the rent is received or not, the landlords are liable to pay GST, which is payable on mercantile basis not on receipt basis.

Needs must when the devil drives. Adhere to the contract as per law. Most of the tenants, as per my study, have tried to take shelter of the ‘Force Majeure’ clause in the agreement. It is rare that the said clause would have covered the situation of a pandemic or the lockdown specifically and would have allowed for a waiver of rent for the period of lockdown. The landlords need to make the tenants understand that the clause of ‘Force Majeure’, if applicable, is used to terminate the agreement. A tenant cannot use this clause to take a waiver of rent for a month or two and still keep the agreement alive and continue to use the premises. The order dated 21st May 2020 of the honourable Delhi High Court well defines this aspect.

Unwillingness easily finds an excuse. Ask for justification. It is for those tenants

A tenant must bear in mind that the landlord is neither a partner nor a stakeholder in the profits of the tenants. A landlord is asking the tenants to pay only what is due as per the contract between them

who, despite being in good financial health, are unduly withholding the rents and are simply trying to take advantage of the situation. These tenants should be asked to substantiate their act with necessary documents such as their balance sheets, Income Tax Returns, Bank Statements etc.

If these documents defeat their claims, the rents must be recovered from them.

A bird in hand is better

Virtual reality has been boosted by coronavirus

A

merican R&B star John Legend is doing a major live show on Thursday June 25 to promote his new album, Bigger Love. But can he expect much of a crowd, given that many pandemic restrictions are still in place? More than likely, since the whole performance is taking place in virtual reality.

Legend will not be appearing in person but as an avatar via the social VR platform Wave. The show is part of an experimental live concerts series that has been taking place on the platform during the pandemic.

With other artists in the series including Tinashe, the whole idea is that they perform live in an immersive and fantastical virtual world

04

that offers a new experience for audiences. Rapper Travis Scott did something similar inside the Fortnite video game in April and attracted over 12 million viewers.

There appears to have been a significant rise in such VR offerings this year, aiming to deliver safe, accessible experiences during the pandemic. A number of visitor attractions have started to offer immersive VR experiences and access to online collections via the Google Arts & Culture app. You can go on a walking tour of the ancient temples of Sicily’s Valle dei Templi, for example.

Or how about visiting a New York street art exhibition based around giant water tanks, or Hong Kong’s renowned Blue House building?

DYSTOPIA, HERE WE COME? Enthusiasts for this technology often frame the benefits of adding a VR dimension to an existing service in terms of the democratising potential – making something accessible (for free) to a lot more people.

Yet for any VR experience to take place, there are fi-

nancial and practical constraints. Users need a fast internet connection, a headset and some kind of computer or mobile device.

This hefty outlay – along with problems with the previous generation of headsets, such as seasickness – has meant that the market for VR is still relatively small. It is estimated

that there are now around 170 million VR users worldwide, with one report saying that the industry “had not lived up to its earlier expectations”.

There is also the issue of whether VR experiences can substitute real-life offerings. On the one hand, in the context of digital gaming and virtual worlds, VR technologies arguably empower individuals and often provide a much needed escape from the constraints of everyday life.

During COVID-19, the resurgence of virtual worlds like Second Life shows how they can enable a sense of community and various social interactions, from dancing in a club to walking through a busy city.

On the other hand, VR technologies perhaps only offer a pale imitation of the multi-sensory experiences

of life. VR risks removing the authenticity from cultural offerings; of turning them into little more than another commodity delivered in bundles online. It might also compound the problems with privacy and surveillance that exist with search engines and social media.

In a post-COVID-19 society, there is a real chance that we will be increasingly using VR in our daily lives. The organisations building these virtual offerings, and those who oversee these industries, have a duty to ensure it doesn’t lead us into some kind of dystopia. We could end up experiencing much of life alone at home, with no privacy, forgetting the importance of the touch and smell of cultural experiences..

FOR FULL REPORT LOG ON TO WWW.THECONVERSATION.COM

than two in a bush. Accept the part payment of rents. In some cases, where the tenants are genuinely stuck up financially and are facing some liquidity crunch, they are asked to pay at least a part of the monthly rent now deferring the balance settlement to a predecided date.

Where there is a will there’s a way. Advise tenants to take loans if so required.

If there comes a situation where neither the landlord nor the tenant is in a good liquidity situation, it should be the tenant who should be asked to take a loan from the bank or raise finance from other sources rather than imposing the same on the landlord. Why should the landlord bear the brunt?

A tenant must bear in mind that the landlord is neither a partner nor a stakeholder in the profits of the tenants. A landlord is asking the tenants to pay only what is due as per the contract between them. I do not recommend any landlord to be unsympathetic or merciless towards tenants but, he should also have the conviction that he too is a sufferer of the lockdown and he too needs his money cycle to remain intact.

THE VIEWS EXPRESSED BY THE AUTHOR ARE PERSONAL

Top

TWEET Dharmendra Pradhan @dpradhanbjp This is the first time an alternative to natural gas is being sold by @ IndianOilcl. It is a historic occasion for the people of Tamil Nadu and it is very apt that project of such national importance is being inaugurated in the august presence of Hon. @CMOTamilNadu.

Piyush Goyal @PiyushGoyal Had a meeting with representatives of Service Export Promotion Council and discussed ways to boost service exports. Our Government is committed to offer full support to stakeholders to ensure India’s skilled & young workforce serves global opportunities.

Spiritual SPEAK

No one who does good work will ever come to a bad end, either here or in the world to come. —Bhagavad Gita

Vol 2 Issue No. 18 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.

Published at 304, 3rd Floor, City Mall, Bhagwan Das Road, C-Scheme, Jaipur-302001, Rajasthan. Phone 0141-4920504. Editor: Jagdeesh Chandra, responsible for selection of news under the PRB Act

To Receive Free Newspaper PDF Daily Whatsapp: http://bit.ly/whatsappjpr

Telegram: https://t.me/firstindiajaipur Click the above link� & subscribe us on your preferred platform.

INDIA JAIPUR | WEDNESDAY, JUNE 24, 2020

www.firstindia.co.in I www.firstindia.co.in/epaper/ I twitter.com/thefirstindia I facebook.com/thefirstindia I instagram.com/thefirstindia

05

‘RAHUL GANDHI TRYING TO DIVIDE NATION’ BJP National President JP Nadda while attacking RaGa also cited 2008 MoU between Congress and China’s Communist Party

New Delhi: BJP national President Jagat Prakash Nadda raised questions over Congress’ links with China and attacked Rahul Gandhi stating that the Wayanad MP is trying to divide the nation and demoralise its armed forces.

Sharing a flow chart titled “The story of a MoU and its effect” the BJP President said that Congress surrendered land to China. “First, Congress signs MoU with Chinese Communist Party. Then, Congress surrenders land to China.

During Doklam issue, Rahul Gandhi secretly goes to Chinese embassy. During crucial situations, Rahul Gandhi tries to divide the nation and demoralise armed forces. Effects of MoU?” Nadda tweeted.

“Is it that MoU which made Congress go against national interest?” the BJP chief asked.

The BJP President tried to describe the issue through a flow chart and shared several news reports related to the issue. “China has occupied 640 square km in three Ladakh sec-

‘RaGa is discouraging & insulting Army’

BJP National President JP Nadda pays floral tribute to Dr Syama Prasad Mukherjee on his death anniversary, at BJP Head Quarters in New Delhi on Tuesday.

—PHOTO BY PTI

tors” and “600 border violations by China along LAC since 2010”.

This he said happened between the period of 2010 and 2013.

He alleged that China got a free hand to occupy the Indian territory after Congress signed an MoU with the Chinese Communist Party in 2008.

He said now in 2020

Rahul tries to divide India during the time of crisis and shared an article citing “Don’t politicize this...:Father of soldier who got injured in Galwan to Rahul Gandhi” The BJP-led Central government and Congress have been at loggerheads over the recent face-off with China in Galwan valley in Ladakh. —ANI

Jagat Prakash Nadda @JPNadda First, Congress signs MoU with Chinese Communist Party.

Then, Congress surrenders land to China. During Doklam issue, Rahul Gandhi secretly goes to Chinese embassy. During crucial situations, Rahul Gandhi tries to divide the nation and demoralise armed forces. Effects of MoU?

RJD national V-P Raghuvansh Prasad Singh resigns Patna: Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) national vice president Raghuvansh Prasad Singh has resigned from his post.

Raghuvansh Prasad Singh is closed to RJD supremo Lalu Yadav’s famiy. He is the ex cabinet minister. According to the sources Singh is unhappy, due Rama Singh, former Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) MP

from vaishali as he is joining RJD on June 29.

Singh is currently ad-

mitted to All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Patna as he was tested positive for COVID-19.

Moreover, he is also unhappy with Bihar RJD President Jagdanand Singh, earlier Raghuvansh Prasad Singh had raised a question over former’s style of working, said sorces. —ANI

Delhi violence: Pregnant Jamia student Safoora granted bail New Delhi: Delhi HC granted bail to a student of Jamia Millia Islamia who was charged under UAPA for her alleged role in the riots in northeast Delhi earlier this year.

Safoora Zargar, an MPhil student, was granted bail on a personal and surety bond of Rs 10,000.

HC said Zargar shall not indulge in activities for which she is being investigated and will also refrain from influ-

Atleast 53 people died and 400 others were injured during the riots held at Northeast Delhi in February this year. —FILE PHOTO

encing, hampering and interfering in the ongoing probe. Zargar approached the court

seeking bail on the ground that she is pregnant & has severe medical complications.

FIVE RJD MLCs JOIN JD(U) AHEAD OF BIHAR ASSEMBLY ELECTIONS Ahead of the Legislative Council elections in Bihar, five RJD MLCs joined CM Nitish Kumar’s JD (U) on Tuesday.The RJD, which has eight MLCs, is now left with only three MLCs. The MLCs who defected to JD(U) are Radha Charan Shah, Sanjay Prasad, Dilip Rai, Md Kamar Alam and Ranvijay Kumar Singh. JD (U) leader, Rajiv Ranjan Singh welcomed the five members to the party. He said, “We welcome them to the family.” Radha Charan Shah said that he decided to join JD (U) as he admired the principles of Nitish Kumar. Presence of new members in the party will make it strong, leaders said.

PM Modi’s homage to Syama Prasad Mukherjee New Delhi: PM Narendra Modi paid tribute to Bharatiya Jana Sangh founder Syama Prasad Mukherjee, on his death anniversary.

“I pay my respects to Dr Syama Prasad Mukherjee, the great son of Mother Bharati, on his death anniversary,” PM Modi tweeted in Hindi.

Syama Prasad Mukherjee founded Bharatiya Jana Sangh.

He served as the Minister for Industry and Supply in Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru’s

Bhopal: Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Tuesday attacked Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and said that he is discouraging and insulting the Army. Speaking to media Chouhan said, “Shame on the leader who raises questions on the valour of Army. Rahul Gandhi is discouraging and insulting the army.” He said that BJP has always been with the Congress government during the times of crisis. “Whenever such a situation has happened in the country, the Bharatiya Janata Party used to stand with the Congress government. But to what extent they have fallen, the former president of Congress, even at such times, he is doing dirty politics,” he said.—ANI

BJP MP Maneka Gandhi pays tribute to her husband the late Sanjay Gandhi on his death anniversary, in New Delhi on Tuesday.

—PHOTO BY PTI

New Delhi: Stepping up his attack on PM Narendra Modi on the border standoff with China, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday accused him of “destroying” India’s position and “betraying our Army” by accepting Beijing’s stand that it did not occupy any Indian land.

Addressing the meeting of the Congress Working Committee, he said there has been a “complete and total failure” of foreign policy under the Modi government.

“The established institutional structure of diplomacy has been demolished by the PM. Our relations with our once friendly neighbours lie in tatters. Our time tested relationship with our traditional allies has been interrupted,” he said.

Gandhi suggested that India should build a good relationship with the United States and other countries and must also maintain its ties with its old friends.

Rahul Gandhi @RahulGandhi We stand united against the Chinese invasion. Has China occupied Indian land?

“China has brazenly occupied our territory.

The PM has destroyed our position and betrayed our army by accepting their position that they occupied no Indian land. The Chinese can’t be permitted to get away with this unacceptable usurpation of our land,” he said, adding everything needs to be done to ensure that sacrifice of our martyrs is not in vain. —PTI

IN THE COURTYARD

HC adjourns hearing on OBC quota plea in medical colleges New Delhi: Delhi HC adjourned hearing on a plea seeking directions to Centre to follow the 27% reservation of seats for OBC category in medical & dental colleges for the academic year 2020.

A bench of Justice Jayant Nath posted the matter for further hearing on July 10 after the counsel for the Ministry of Health apprised the court that a case related to this is

pending in the Supreme Court, which is likely to be heard on July 8.

According toPIL, in the past two academic years - 2017-18 and 2018-

19 - around 5,530 seats that would have gone to students of OBC category, if reservation procedure was followed, were allotted to students of the general category. Plea alleged that after the NEET results, that were published for 2020, it was learned through various news reports that the 27% reservation to the OBCs was not followed in the admissions. —ANI

CBI summons former Manipur CM Ibobi Singh in Rs332 cr misappropriation case cabinet. However, due to difference of opinion with Nehru on several issues, he later co-founded the Janata Party in the year 1977-1979, which went on to become the BJP. —Agencies

New Delhi: The CBI has summoned Congress leader and former Manipur Chief Minister O Ibobi Singh for questioning on Wednesday in Rs 332 crore alleged misappropriation of development funds between 2009 and 2017, when he

BJP MP PRAGYA THAKUR FAINTS AT A PARTY EVENT IN BHOPAL

FLORAL TRIBUTE

‘Complete failure’ of India’s Foreign policy’

Bhopal: BJP’s Lok Sabha member from Bhopal Pragya Singh Thakur fainted during an event organised at party to pay tributes to Bharatiya Jan Sangh founder Syama Prasad Mookherjee on his death anniversary.

The incident occurred when Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and

other senior BJP leaders were paying tributes to Mookherjee at the event held at the party’’s state headquarters here.

Former Bhopal MP Alok Sanjar told PTI that Thakur has been undergoing treatment for her ailments and was taking heavy doses of medicines, which could have caused dizziness.

was the chairman of the Manipur Development Society, official said.

A CBI team has reached Imphal for questioning Singh and other accused, who will be quizzed at agency office on Wednesday.

CBI had taken over the case on November 20 last year on the request of state’s BJP government. —PTI

2 TERRORISTS GUNNED DOWN IN AN ENCOUNTER IN PULWAMA Srinagar: A Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel was killed and two terrorists were shot dead by security forces during a gunfight in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pulwama district, officials said on Tuesday. The encounter had erupted in Bundzoo area of Pulwama district early on Tuesday after the operation was launched on specific input about the presence of terrorists in the village.The CRPF personnel was injured when the terrorists fired at the cordon party and later succumbed to his injuries.

INDIA JAIPUR | WEDNESDAY, JUNE 24, 2020

www.firstindia.co.in I www.firstindia.co.in/epaper/ I twitter.com/thefirstindia I facebook.com/thefirstindia I instagram.com/thefirstindia

IMD issues orange alert for several districts in Kerala

Priests and devotees perform ‘Pahandi’ rituals of Lord Jagannath during the Rath Yatra festival, amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic in Puri on Tuesday. —PHOTO BY PTI

JAGANNATH YATRA BEGINS

SANS DEVOTEES

Puri: The annual Jagannath Rath Yatra commenced on Tuesday in Puri without devotees, amid the coronavirus pandemic and a curfew in Puri.

The city had started preparations since Monday night after the SC modified its earlier order and allowed the festival to be held but with restrictions. The Yatra celebrates the annual journey of Lord Jagannath and his two siblings from the 12thcentury Jagannath Temple to Gundicha Temple their aunt's home, some 2.5 kilometres away.

The event began today with the priests

ISKCON RATH YATRA CANCELLED IN KOLKATA Kolkata: The Rath Yatra of ISKCON (International Society of Krishna Consciousness)in Kolkata has been cancelled and rituals will be held inside the temple premises, the organisation said. “Today is Rath Yatra. Last year, around 4 lakh people participated on this day and some 16 lakh people participated in the nine day long festival. But due to coronavirus outbreak, this year it is impossible for so many people to participate and maintain social distancing at the same time,” said Radharaman Das, Vice- President and spokesperson of ISKCON. “This time, the entire ritual is happening inside the premises of the temple. We have made a replica of the three chariots, which will be pulled by monks inside the premises,” said Das. “During Jagganath Rath Yatra, prasad is very useful. But this time, due to coronavirus, we are unable to distribute it among the devotees and instead giving them hand sanitizers,” he added.

gathered at the Jagannath temple to carry the idols of Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra and sister Subhadra to the chariots.

PM Narendra Modi greeted devotees in a tweet: "My heartiest greetings to all of you on the auspicious occasion of Lord Jagan-

Narendra Modi @narendramodi My heartiest greetings to all of you on the auspicious occasion of Lord Jagannath’s Rath Yatra. I wish that this journey filled with devotion brings happiness, prosperity, good luck and health to the lives of the countrymen. Jai Jagannath!”.

nath's Rath Yatra. I wish that this journey filled with devotion brings happiness, prosperity, good luck and health to the lives of the

countrymen. Jai Jagannath!".

The former King of Puri Gajapati Maharaj Dibyasingha Deb arrived at the temple to perform the 'Chhera Pahanra' ritual where he swept the chariots with a broom having a gold handle.

The SC had allowed the Yatra to be held with coordination of the Temple committee, State & Central government without compromising with health issue pertaining to COVID-19. The court had earlier put a stay on the Yatra. Sanitisation was conducted at the temple and the road where the Yatra takes place. —PTI

Thiruvananthapuram: The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued Orange alert in Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Pathanamthitta and Idukki districts on June 26 and in Wayanad and Kozhikode districts on June 27.

As per the IMD, Thiruvananthapuram and Kollam expected to experience isolated heavy to very heavy rains. Extremely heavy rain predicted in Idukki and Pathanamthitta districts. Meanwhile, the IMD has said that the Southwest Monsoon has further advanced into re-

New Delhi: Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal wrote to Union Home Minister Amit Shah, demanding doctors and nurses from the ITBP and the Army to run a 10,000-bed COVID-19 care facility being set up in south Delhi, sources said.

CM has also invited Shah to visit the facility being set up on the sprawling campus of spiritual organisation Radha Soami Satsang Beas (RSSB).

Kejriwal has sought doctors and nurses from the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP)

New Delhi: Maharashtra & Delhi, the worstaffected states due to coronavirus pandemic in India, have received the maximum number of ‘Made-in-India’ ventilators from Centre which are being procured under Prime Minister’s Citizen Assistance and Relief in Emergency Situations (PM CARES) Fund.

Amid surging cases of coronavirus in India, PM CARES Fund has allocated `2,000 crore for supply of 50,000 ‘Madein-India’ ventilators to govt-run COVID-19 hospitals in states & UTs.

—PHOTO BY PTI

States to get 50k ‘Made in India’ ventilators

A worker sanitses an area as people wait to undergo COVID-19 tests at a mobile swab collection bus in Vijayawada on Tuesday.

and the Army to run the centre, the sources said.

The lush green RSSB campus is located near the Delhi-Haryana border.

The COVID-19 facility, which will be 1,700 feet long and 700 feet wide, will have 200 enclosures with 50 beds each.

—PTI

when it comes to country issues. They can solve them on their own. In recent events, New Delhi and Beijing showed their commitment to a peaceful resolution,” Lavrov said when asked whether Russia would help China and India in resolving the matter.

“They started meetings at the level of defence officers, foreign ministers and neither of the two sides made any statements which would indicate that any of them would pursue non-diplomatic solutions,” he added.

External Affairs Min-

ister S Jaishankar and his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi took part in the trilateral meeting.

It was held days after June 15 Galwan Valley violent face-off between Indian and Chinese troops as a result of an attempt by China to unilaterally change the status quo during de-escalation in eastern Ladakh.

India has said that the situation could have been avoided if the agreement at the higher level been scrupulously followed by the Chinese side.

India lost 20 of its soldiers in the violent faceoff in the Galwan Valley and 10 Indian sol-

POWER Gallery 16 IPS OFFICERS RETIRING IN JUNE

As many as 16 IPS officers of various cadres and batches are retiring in June, 2020. They are: Ashok Kumar Verma of Bihar; DB Vaghela of Gujarat; Dr Kushal Pal Singh and K K Mishra of Haryana; Dr S K Shrivastava and Manohar Singh Verma of Madhya Pradesh; Dr Pramod Asthana of Manipur; Ashok Kumar Das, KP Shanmuga Rajeswaran and V Varadharaju of Tamil Nadu; B Malla Reddy, Dr T Prabhakar Rao, Dr V Ravinder and A Venkateswara Rao of Telangana; Reeta Rai of Uttar Pradesh and Jagat Ram Joshi of Uttarakhand.

11 IRS OFFICERS INTERVIEWED FOR MEMBER CBIC POST

As many as 11 officers of IRS were interviewed in February by Committee headed by Cab Sec for interview for four posts of Members vacant and falling vacant in CBIC. Ajay Jain, Vivek Johri, Nagendra Kumar, Sungita Sharma, APS Suri, Dadich, Ranjan Sahoo, are among the senior most eligible for Members. By August all the Members will retire and only Chairman will be left to run the CBIC. When will the results be out?

NO SUITABLE CANDIDATE FOUND FOR CMD, HUDCO; MINISTRY TO SELECT THROUGH SCSC/CSB

The Public Enterprises Selection Board (PESB) has failed to find suitable candidate for the post of Chairman-cum-Managing Director, Housing & Urban Development Corporation Limited (HUDCO) despite having interviewed four candidates at a selection meeting held on June 22, 2020. The Board has advised the concerned Ministry to choose an appropriate course of further action for the selection including SCSC/appointment through CSB.

4 IB OFFICERS EMPANELLED IN GOI

Out of the 15 empanelled IPS officers in the Government of India to the rank of DG, four are from the Intelligence Bureau. They are Sunil Bansal, A Seema Rajan, Swagat Das and AK Mishra.

VIKRAM MISRI MAY BE CALLED FOR BRIEFING IN PMO & MEA? maining parts of north Arabian Sea, most parts of Kutch, some more parts of Gujarat region, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh and some parts of Uttarakhand.

“Conditions are becoming favourable for further advance of southwest monsoon into remaining parts of Gujarat, MP, UP, entire Western Himalayan Region, Haryana, Chandigarh & Delhi, Punjab & some parts of Rajasthan during next 48 hours,” IMD said. —ANI

CORONA UPDATE

Kejri writes to Shah seeking meds from Army for facility ops

06

‘Indian pilgrims will not travel to Saudi for Haj’ New Delhi: The government has decided that Muslims from India will not travel to Saudi Arabia for Haj 2020 after the kingdom conveyed that pilgrims should not be sent this year in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, Minority Affairs Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said on Tuesday.

The decision was taken after Saudi Arabia’’s Haj and Umrah Minister Mohammad Saleh bin Taher Benten telephoned last night and suggested not to send pilgrims from India for

Haj this year, he told reporters.

Saudi Arabia on Monday said it has barred international visitors from making the Islamic pilgrimage, in a bid to control the coronavirus pandemic.

The money will be refunded through online Direct Benefit Transfer mode into bank accounts of applicants, the Minority Affairs Minister said, adding this will be the first time since Independence that pilgrims from India will not be going for Haj. —PTI

sion which was based on instances of alleged involvement of Pakistani officials in “acts of espionage” and dealings with terrorist organisations.

In a statement, the the MEA also cited the recent abduction of two Indian officials in Islamabad and the “barbaric treatment” meted out to them by Pakistani agencies as reasons for downgrading of the diplomatic ties.

“The behaviour of Pakistan and its officials is not in conformity with the Vienna Convention and bilateral agreements on the

treatment of diplomatic and consular officials.

On the contrary, it is an intrinsic element of a larger policy of supporting cross-border violence and terrorism,” MEA said. —ANI

Whispers are in that India’s Ambassador to China Vikram Misri may be called in both PMO & MEA for a briefing in the coming weeks.

PADMA T, PRINCIPAL REGISTRAR, CAT, NEW DELHI MAY GET TENURE EXTENSION

The service tenure of Padma T, Principal Registrar, Central Administrative Tribunal, New Delhi, is ending on August 31, 2020. Speculations are rife that she might get a short service extension.

SMITA GOPAL PROMOTED AS PRINCIPAL DIRECTOR OF AUDIT, CENTRAL BENGALURU

Smita Gopal, Director in the office of Central, Hyderabad, has been promoted to the grade of Accountant General (Senior Administrative Grade). She will take over as Principal Director of Audit, Central Bengaluru. She is a 2004 batch IA & AS officer.

BIG GAP AMONG BATCHES IN MEGHALAYA POLICE

There is a big gap of batches among IPS officers posted in Meghalaya. Presently, R Chandranathan, DGP is a 1986 batch IPS officer. After that two ADGs are posted. One ADGP belongs to 1992 batch while other ADGP is from the 1994 batch. Between DGP and ADGPs, the gap is of six to eight batches. Similar gap is visible in IGPs also. Presently, the Meghalaya Police has three IGPs from 1996 and 2002 batches having a gap of six batches. Meghalaya is a part of Assam- Meghalaya cadre. According to sources, many officers of this cadre prefer to remain in Assam or go on deputation. And since the IPS officer is posted in Meghalaya reluctantly, there is a big gap of batches in Meghalaya police.

DR AJAY KUMAR APPOINTED JOINT SECRETARY, LOK SABHA

Dr Ajay Kumar, presently Deputy Chief of Mission, Kathmandu, Nepal, has been appointed as Joint Secretary in Lok Sabha Secretariat. He is a 2002 batch IFS officer. Will he be relieved from Kathmandu ?.

IPS OFFICER ASHUTOSH PRATAP SINGH AGAIN APPOINTED AS DIRECTOR, PUBLIC RELATIONS IN MP Ashutosh Pratap Singh has been appointed as Director, Public Relations in Madhya Pradesh. He is a 2010 batch IPS officer. This will be his second Stint as DPR.

IIS OFFICERS GET ADDITIONAL CHARGES OF DD & AIR

Mayank Agrawal, DG, DD, News, has been given the additional charge of DG, Doordarshan for six months while Ira Joshi gets the additional charge of DG, AIR till July 31. Presently, she is DG, AIR News and is scheduled to retire in July. Both are IIS officers.

FROM PG 1 Gehlot’s clarion...

Congress spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said, “This is a sentiment of each Congress worker but today the discussion was on issues before the nation like the Chinese transgression, extreme conditions due to the pandemic and fuel price hike over the past seventeen days and reminded that the Modi government has earned Rs18 lakh crore by increasing the duty twelve times in the past six years.”

India, China...

I do not think they need to be helped, especially

diers also were held captive and later released. Indian intercepts have revealed that the Chinese side suffered 43 casualties including dead and seriously injured.

Indian Army 14 Corps Commander Lt Gen Harinder Singh and his Chinese counterpart on Monday held 11 hours meeting at the Border Personnel Meeting Point at Moldo to reduce the tensions between the two countries. —ANI

India to...

High Commission was summoned and informed about the deci-

LAC crisis... “mercilessly” raising petrol and diesel prices for 17 consecutive days, even when global prices of crude oil were falling.

On the LAC crisis, Gandhi said, “The future is yet to unfold but we hope that mature diplomacy and decisive leadership will inform the government’s actions in protecting our

territorial integrity.”

She said though the Congress party was the first to offer its total support to the armed forces and the government, there is “a growing feeling among the people that the government has gravely mishandled the situation”.

“We urge upon the government that peace, calm and the restoration of the status quo ante along the LAC be the only guiding principles in our national interest. We will continue to closely watch the situation,” she said.

On the COVID-19 pandemic, Gandhi said,

“Despite assurances of “the prime minister, who centralised all authority in his hands, the pandemic continues to rage”, she said.

Endorsing Gandhi’s remarks, Singh said, “The pandemic is not being tackled with the courage and magnitude and effort needed to tackle the crisis. Another instance is the crisis on the border, which if not tackled firmly, can lead to a serious situation.” As coronavirus-induced lockdown halted economic activities, Sonia said the economic crisis has only become worse.

—ANI

TALKING POINT JAIPUR | WEDNESDAY, JUNE 24, 2020

www.firstindia.co.in I www.firstindia.co.in/epaper/ I twitter.com/thefirstindia I facebook.com/thefirstindia I instagram.com/thefirstindia

07

While India’s border situation with China and Pakistan has stains of bloody historic past, the recent provocative actions by Nepal has certainly come as a surprise. With passing of new map showing territories of dispute with India, the ‘friendly’ Himalayan neighbour has opened a new chaotic front against India

WHAT’S IN A MAP that triggered

MOHD FAHAD

The author is Jaipur-based journalist

India-Nepal rancour Limpyadhura Kalapani, Lipulekh and Limpiyadhura (disputed)

The solidarity, with no one opposing the constitution amendment Bill, shows that we stand together on the issue of national unity and that no effort from any side to divide us will succeed.

CHINA

Kalapani

INDIA

—KP Sharma Oli, Nepal Prime Minister

Nepal was left with other option to bring the new map on the floor of the National Assembly as India, without engaging us, had called the disputed areas as its own and built a road in the region.

Lipulekh Pass

Uttarakhand

NEPAL

—Radheshyam Adhikary, Member of Opposition in Nepal

Sudurpashchim Pradesh ON THE OFFENSIVE

KNOW THE AREAS NEPAL CLAIMS IN NEW MAP KALAPANI LIPULEKH

 Nepal has converted its Changru border outpost near

its newest claim Kalapani region as a permanent one.

Unlike before, now the post will consist of armed police personnel

 Previously, baton-wielding cops would administer

the post.

 This border post earlier remained shut from the

month of November to March

 Significantly, Nepalese army chief PC Thapa had on

June 17 inspected the upgraded Changru post

BONE OF CONTENTION  Defence Minister Rajnath Singh inaugurated the

Dharchula-Lipulekh road on May 8 this year. The road is crucial for India as it is part of the sacred Mansarovar Yatra trail.

 This irked Nepal, which then released the modified

map, claiming the road area falls under the jurisdiction of Nepal

 The Kalapani territory is an area under Indian administration as part of Pithoragarh district in the Uttarakhand state, but is also claimed by Nepal since 1998. According to Nepal's claim, it lies in Darchula district, Sudurpashchim Pradesh.[8] The territory represents the basin of the Kalapani river, one of the headwaters of the Kali River in the Himalayas at an altitude of 3,600–5,200 meters. The valley of Kalapani, with the Lipulekh Pass at the top, forms the Indian route to Kailash–Manasarovar. It is also the traditional trading route to Tibet for the Bhotiyas of Uttarakhand and Tinkar valley.

The Kali River forms the boundary between India and Nepal in this region. However, India states that the headwaters of the river are not included in the boundary. Here the border runs along the watershed. This is a position dating back to British India.

 Lipulekh (elevation 5,200 m or 17,060 ft) is a Himalayan pass on the border between India's Uttarakhand state and the Tibet region of China, near their trijunction with Nepal. Nepal has ongoing claims to the southern side of the pass, called Kalapani territory, which is controlled by India, and now shown in new map. The pass is near the Chinese trading town of Taklakot (Purang) in Tibet and used since ancient times by traders, mendicants and pilgrims transiting between India and Tibet. The pass was the first Indian border post to be opened for trade with China in 1992. This was followed by the opening of Shipki La, Himachal Pradesh in 1994 and Nathu La, Sikkim in 2006. Presently, Lipulekh Pass is open for cross-border trade every year from June through September. Products cleared for export from India include jaggery, misri, tobacco, spices, pulses, fafar flour, coffee, vegetable oil, ghee and various miscellaneous consumable items. The main imports into India include sheep wool, passam, sheep, goats, borax, yak tails, chhirbi (butter) and raw silk.

 India continued to maintained that the road was

within its territory, but has expressed disappointment after the map was passed

 Nepalese PM KP Sharma Oli had promised to reclaim

the areas from India

OCCUPYING LAND IN UP, DISRUPTING WORK IN BIHAR  Since the new map came into existence, there have

been reports of either Nepalese citizens or border force occupying lands on India side at various locations.

 A complaint was lodged by Seema Suraksha Bal

(SSB) in Lakhimpur Kheri district of Uttar Pradesh, where Nepalese citizens had encroached ‘no man’s land’. The SSB also stated in its complaint, submitted with the District Magistrate, that Nepalese forces have also set up five new posts on the border.

 Similar reports came from Bihar’s Champaran

district, where Nepal has restricted works of dam threatening low-lying areas of the region with major flood just on the onset of monsoon season.

 Nepal has also stopped repair works in Madhubani.

LIMPIYADHURA

W

hile India still at odds with China in the Galvan Valley following the violent clashes between the two forces, its other neighbour Nepal has turned the tables on the country with passing the new national political map including three territories with India.

Nepal’s Rashtriya Sabha on June 18 passed the new map with over two-thirds of members voting in the favour. President Bidhya Devi Bhandari also signed the Bill on the same day it was cleared by the National Assembly, thus, making the new map official.

The map first came into being on May 20, 2020 when it was released by the Nepal government. India had conveyed strong displeasure after the map included Kalapani, Lipulekh and Limpiyadhura areas that fall under Uttarakhand’s Pithoragarh district on the Indo-Nepal border.

Since then India claims it tried to initiate diplomatic talks with Nepal and urged its neighbour not to go ahead with passing of the map. After June 18 move, India had rejected Nepal’s claim on these territories calling the move a violation of its current understanding to hold talks on outstanding boundary issues. According to India Foreign Ministry, the move to make new map constitutional law by Nepal will impact talks on border issues, which could have been otherwise solved peacefully.

The three territories have been a subject matter of dispute from the colonial times when the British has annexed the whole area of Kalapani into India, but Nepal always believed that since the border over the course of years shifted to the banks of Kali river and has religious significance, the entrie region falls under its demarcation.

The victory in Assembly gives a major boost to Nepalese PM KP Sharma Oli, who had promised to reclaim the areas from India. During the debate, Member of Opposition Radheshyam Adhikary urged the government to take full administrative control of the new areas acquired in the map.

The bone of contention began with Defence Minister Rajnath Singh inaugurating the Dharchula-Lipulekh road on May 8 this year. The road is crucial for India as it is part of the sacred Mansarovar Yatra trail. This irked Nepal, which then released the modified map.

Adhikary said that Nepal was left with other option to bring the new map on the floor of the National Assembly as India, without engaging us, had called the disputed areas as its own and built a road in the region.

While the ruling party was agitated with India’s move, some former leaders advised restraint and asked the government to settle disputes through talks. They also warned of the situation becoming complex in the absence of a fruitful dialogue.

With the map becoming constitutional law, it will now be the only official version and will also be included in the national emblem.

Nepal’s border with India runs with India through three states of Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. Since the new map came into existence, there have been reports of either Nepalese citizens or border force occupying lands on India side at various locations. A complaint was lodged

by Seema Suraksha Bal (SSB) in Lakhimpur Kheri district of Uttar Pradesh, where Nepalese citizens had encroached no man’s land. The SSB also stated in its complaint, submitted with the District Magistrate, that Nepalese forces have also set up five new posts on the border.

Similar reports came from Bihar’s Champaran district, where Nepal has restricted works of a dam threatening lowlying areas of the region with major floods just before the monsoon season. It has also stopped repair works in Madhubani.

While border situation with China and Pakistan have caused issues at regular intervals, the current provocative actions on Nepal’s part has certainly come as a surprise for India. It is left to seen whether India plays the hardball or exercise restraint through diplomatic channels with its Himalayan neighbour.

 According to the intellectuals, the "Kali River" is in fact the Kuthi Yankti river that arises below the Limpiyadhura range.

So they claim the entire area of Kumaon up to the Kuthi Valley, close to 400 km2 in total. Up to 2000, the Nepalese govern-

ment did not subscribe to these expansive demands. In a statement to the Indian Parliament in 2000, the Indian foreign minister Jaswant Singh suggested that Nepal had questioned the source of the Kalapani river.  But he denied that there

was any dispute regarding the matter. On May 20, 2020, Nepal for the first time released a map that followed through with the more expansive claims, showing the entire area to the east of Kuthi Yankti river as part of their territory.

DESIGN: SITARAM SHARMA

Words are good but don’t trust words. Life is action, it happens through actions. Trust movement and action.

—Jagdeesh Chandra, CEO & Editor, First India

POSTAL REG NO. JPC/010/2019-21 www.firstindia.co.in I www.firstindia.co.in/epaper/ I twitter.com/thefirstindia I facebook.com/thefirstindia I instagram.com/thefirstindia

2ND FRONT JAIPUR | WEDNESDAY, JUNE 24, 2020

08

‘House-that’: RHB ‘Blitzkrieg’ gets MLA housing project moving Shivendra Parmar Jaipur: Quickfire!

Probably that is the apt word to describe Rajasthan Housing Board’s mode of functioning.

Whether it is the RHB’s massive sale of houses that have created records, or the planning and ground breaking of its projects, specially the education hub in Pratap Nagar, all of its achievements have been made in record time. So why should the MLA flats be any different? In its previous meeting, RHB Commissioner Pawan Arora had sought a fortnight to prepare a detailed plan and present be-

fore Assembly Speaker CP Joshi and housing committee.

On Tuesday, Arora gave a detailed presentation about the project that was handed over to RHB by taking its off JDA’s hands. In the meeting, Arora gave presentation of concept plan and unit plan for flats which were appreciated by UDH Minister Shanti Dhariwal, Agriculture Minister Lalchand Kataria, Cooperative Minister Udaylal Anjana and Revenue Minister Harish Choudhary.

“To give more space the number of flats has been reduced from 176 to 160. It would double area

(Above) Pawan Arora giving the presentation. (Left) CP Joshi, Shanti Dhariwal, Udaylal Anjana, Lalchand Kataria, Pramil Kumar Mathur, Bhaskar A Sawant, Pawan Arora, T Ravikant, RK Vijayvargiya and KC Meena during the meeting.

for central lawn. The central lawn would be 36,000 sq feet,” Arora said. Till the project is completed, MLAs would be shifted to Aravali and Dwarka twin schemes in Mansarovar. They will be given notice to shift immediately. Initially, MLAs would get flats against rent allow-

ance but if they wanted to purchase, they would get concession.

The assembly secretariat would get present MLA houses in Jyoti Nagar and Jalupura vacated. It will then hand them over to RHB in 25 days following which the board will then start demolishing them. According to Arora, the

flat design has received principal approval but the new architect firm will prepare layout plan which would be finally approved by Dhariwal.

As per building bylaws, building height cannot be more than 15 meters but MLA residential project has been given special status subsequently it would re-

MODI’S GOVERNANCE FORMULA HOLLOW, CLAIMS AHMED BHAI Darshan Desai

Ahmedabad: Known for his otherwise low profile approach, Congress veteran Ahmed Patel has in recent months been taking a swipe at the Narendra Modi Government – often at where it hurts the most.

In his latest jibe, Patel, a close confidante of the late prime minister Rajiv Gandhi and political adviser to Congress President Sonia Gandhi, has ridiculed the BJPled Government for the frequent rise in petrol and diesel prices during

trast between preaching and practice)”. When asked about this, Ahmed Patel told First India, “These are only the sample of people

Ahmed Patel

the last week even as the global crude oil prices are at a low.

On Tuesday, he sent out a strong tweet that spoke little but showed more. Patel put out videos of Narendra Modi, the late Arun Jaitley and union minister Prakash Ja-

vadekar questioning former Manmohan Singh Government for hike in petrol prices.

Patel, in a tweet, then taunted central government over prices of petroleum products, asserting that there is a stark difference in “kathni aur karni (con-

EXCLUSIVE who made allegations on the Manmohan Singh Government between 2009 and 2014 when the crude prices were high. And now, do they have a reply?”

Patel said in response to a question, “Every single thing of this government is a study in

contrast. It has no consistency of policies and is incompetent.”

He went on, “PM went to China and had as many as 18 meetings with Zinping but never once conveyed anything to him. Modi has had personal meeting with Chinese premier, but even there he didn’t tell him anything.” The AICC treasurer reasserted, “This government has no idea of ground realities.

Modi’s claim to “minimum government, maximum governance” is all hollow and meaningless.”

Patanjali launches Ayurvedic cure for coronavirus Haridwar: Patanjali on Tuesday launched ‘Coronil and Swasari’, what it claims is the Ayurvedic cure for treating COVID-19, which they said has been shown 100 per cent favourable results during clinical trials on affected patients, at Patanjali Yogpeeth.

While thanking Director, National Institute of Medical Sciences, NIMS University, Jaipur, and all other doctors and scientists for their help,

‘STOP ADVERTISING DRUGS’

Baba Ramdev (C) along with Acharya Balkrishna (R) launches Ayurvedic medicine kit.

Yoga Guru Ramdev said, “with the help of NIMS, Jaipur we conducted the clinical control study on 95 patients.”

“We are launching medicines Coronil and

Swasari. We conducted two trials of these, first clinical controlled study, which took place in Delhi, Ahmedabad, among many other cities. Under this 280 patients were in-

cluded and 100 per cent of those recovered,” he added. Meanwhile, RTI activist Sanjeev Gupta has filed complaint against Baba Ramdev at Gandhi Nagar police sta-

tion for publicising drug without permission. Station incharge Anil Jasoria is investigating the complaint filed against Baba Ramdev and Acharya Balkrishna.

ceive some relaxations

by UDH department. It would approve the layout plan but the height cannot be more than 28 meters so that assembly building is not affected.

To expedite the project, a meeting was held

by CS DB Gupta. Two decision were taken which included transfer of land in RHB’s name

from the JDA. The land in Jalupura is in the name of GAD, it would be transferred to RHB at no cost. The CS has asked the officials to complete formalities in a week.  New MLA Residential complex will have G+8 towers.  Each flat will have 3,200 square feet built up

area and 4 bedrooms, 1 drawing room, 1 dining room, one big kitchen, ne entry lobby, one store and a servant room with attached bathroom.  The housing complex will have club house, swimming pool, indoor and outdoor games facilities and a 12 rooms guest house.

Every tower will have guest lobby and a big and a small meeting hall at ground level.  There will be multi purpose hall for residents. Every tower will have two lifts for residents and one for servants.  Two underground parking with capacity of 1200 vehicles.

Raghu raps pvt hosps for demanding hike in charges Vikas Sharma Jaipur: Health Minister Dr Raghu Sharma has taken a strict view of a section of private hospitals demanding a hike in the rates prescribed by the state government for treatment of corona patients. Dr Sharma said that this careless attitude won’t be allowed when the whole state is hailing the role of doctors, nursing and medical staff and para medical staff as Corona Warriors. He said that anyone having any complaint against any government or private hospital in the state should call the Medical and Health Control Room on 0141-2225624. He said that nobody will be allowed to fleece the corona patients and the private hospitals will have to provide facilities at the rates prescribed by the state government else they will be penalized by legal action. Dr Sharma assured that the state government wasn’t against anybody but everybody will have to share the responsibility. He called on the private hospitals as well in case they had any problem.

Meanwhile, Dr Raghu Sharma accepted that

Dr Raghu Sharma

the spread of coronavirus has been rapid during the unlocking phase but he assured that there wasn’t any danger of community spread as the government is actively handling the situation. It is noteworthy that the 45 per cent deaths of total have occurred during 23 days of June while there has been a 42 per cent rise in active cases of corona in the same period. The total number of active cases was 8,831 till May 31 but it swelled past 15,000 in 23 days of June.

The death toll stood at 194 till May 31 giving it an average of 2 deaths per day but this picture changed completely in June when 162 people died of corona in 23 days increasing the average to 7 deaths daily.

Dr Sharma is hopeful of containing the infection and relevant figures with the awareness campaign

launched by the government. While denying community spread, he said that the cases that have surfaced in Bharatpur are due to ‘Super Spreaders’ from UP. He said some vegetable sellers from UP have been cause of Bharatpur emerging as a new hot spot in the state.

The solace is that with rise in number of active cases, recovery rate in the state at 78 per cent is not letting situation go out of control. It should be hoped that the people of the state, especially in the rural areas, become aware of the fact that their safety lies in their precautions. The people of the state have not let the faith CM Gehlot has reposed in them so far and if the same trend continues one can soon see the numbers down as the CM aspires to achieve from the awareness campaign launched in the state.

‘Seasoned’ Pilot signals his likely departure from PCC Nirmal Tiwari Jaipur: Will it be curtains in the coming days for what has been the longest innings in the Pradesh Congress Committee as its President? If not anything else, at least PCC Chief Sachin Pilot’s statement on Tuesday gives a hint as his likely departure from the position that he has held for six years and five months - a record in itself.

Generally, any politician sitting on a power-

ful position would give a hint that personally, his departure would not go well with him, however Pilot gave an opposite and befitting impression of a dedicated party worker. On Tueday the PCC Chief was asked during media interaction on likely change of guard at PCC to which, a seasoned Pilot said in a dignified and decent manner, “This decision has to be taken by the AICC. We carry out the responsibilities delegated to us. Who remains in organisation and

power, is decided by the AICC. Till now I have carried out my responsibility properly. When I was made the President, we had 21 seats, today we have our government in the state because Pradesh Congress worked intensively for which the workers need to be given the credit for it.” Interestingly, at this moment, while referring to the rise of Congress from 21 to 99 seats in the last assembly poll, Pilot did not make any reference to Gehlot’s “contribution”, who was the face of Con-

Sachin Pilot inspecting the construction work of Bassi-Lalsot State Highway on Tuesday.

gress’s election campaign in 2018.

Giving a scathing reply to BJP state Chief Satish Poonia’s jibe, the deputy CM, while paying his re-

spects to Late Sanjay Gandhi on his death anniversary, said “Now Rajya Sabha elections have passed and our MLAs stayed united. What I had

said, came to be true.

The rumors that were floating around were proven wrong.”

Pilot hailed Sanjay’s role in strengthening Congress in a short span of time. Speaking to the media on sidelines he called the Modi government “insensitive”, as it had allowed unabated rise in the fuel price for consecutive 17 days. He said, “this was a critical time where people should be relieved of their problems. On the contrary the fuel price hike will lead to an increase in poverty.”

Pilot, who was touring the Bassi assembly constituency for inspecting the state highway 24 on Tuesday for the state government’s “Quality Control Week” said that there can be no compromise with the quality of PWD work and even got the quality of the state highway tested by a mobile quality testing lab. “During the quality control week PWD officials should examine various construction works and test their quality not just during this week but in future also to ensure the

quality,” he said.

He also asked them to ensure establishment of test lab in the field. Pilot was accompanied by Bassi MLA Laxman Meena, PWD secretary, chief engineer (quality control), incharge of quality control lab and other engineers.

During the day Pilot also met Chief Whip Dr Mahesh Joshi, Randeep Dhankar, Ashk Ali Tak, Karn Singh Yadav, Suresh Mishra, Jyoti Khandelwal and other party leaders at PCC.

www.firstindia.co.in I www.firstindia.co.in/epaper/ I twitter.com/thefirstindia facebook.com/thefirstindia I instagram.com/thefirstindia JAIPUR, WEDNESDAY JUNE 24, 2020

WILDEST Dreams City First brings you the inevitable reappearance of animal prints, that has been forming the cornerstones of our wardrobes for years!

KARISHMA GWALANI

Karishma.gwalani @firstindia.co.in

I

n the fashion i n d u s t r y, trends come and go, but there are some, which remain evergreen, earning their keep year after year.

Showing the power of embracing your wild side, animal prints are gracing the markets yet again but with some reinvention of course! The natureinspired look has made its way into fashion as far back as the 18th century. One of the biggest movies during 1932, ‘Tarzan the Apeman’, came out, where MGM’s Johnny Weissmuller and Maureen O’Sullivan wore animal print clothing. It caught the eye of the audience. For them, they saw it as adventurous, exciting, and attractive. Suddenly, manufacturers and designers came out with more and more animal print blouses, scarves, coats, belts, bodycon, bikinis, footwear, purses and what not?

At its start, it became popular because of its potential for giving those who wear it for a sense of power and

an elevated status of wealth and luxury. If one goes back to history, kings and higher class people considered it as a symbol of royalty and high status. Cut to today, it still displays sophistication, style and versatility. They’re entirely man-made, so they’re also an animalfriendly choice. Since we don’t see them going anywhere anytime soon, we’re giving you a timely fashion brief for your styling convenience.  Take your fashion game to the

next level by pairing your animal print with a faux-fur coat to jazz up any outfit.

 The trend this year has

been to clash animal prints, so alongside your leopard print, you might choose to style cheetah, tiger, zebra or snake.

 When it comes to ani-

mal prints, leopard is the king of the jungle, its sexy, naughty, sumptuous look is still the most popular of all.

 Animal prints can be worn

anytime, irrespective of the season, weather or style. Moreover, many people think that animal prints can be worn by women alone, but the fashion world has offered animal print garments for men as well.

 Last but not the least, the

golden rule to remember while wearing animal print is never dress head to toe with this print. Here, the fashion trend is ‘less is more’ so as to keep the look sophisticated and stylish.

09

ETC www.firstindia.co.in I www.firstindia.co.in/epaper/ I twitter.com/thefirstindia I facebook.com/thefirstindia I instagram.com/thefirstindia

JAIPUR | WEDNESDAY, JUNE 24, 2020

10

If you enjoyed Stranger Things but are actually an adult, then you’ll want to watch Dark, a sophisticated, grown-up, German -language thriller that revels in its own distinct and foreboding vibe

S

tranger Things for grown-ups” is the TV shorthand that’s stuck for Netflix’s new German-language thriller, Dark. Is that a little too simplistic?

Perhaps, but when a storyline includes odd goingson at a mysterious government facility in a small town, the disappearance of a child and huge dollops of 80s nostalgia, it’s hard to argue with. Still, it’s clear that Winden, the small southern German town where the action is set, is no Hawkins. From the first moments of the show, when a deep, gravelly voice talks about time travel and we witness a suicide, it’s obvious that this is something rather more adult.

JONAS

FA CE OF TH ED AY

the main character and son of Daniel Kahnwald, the man who took his own life – is struggling to cope with his father’s death and fit back into an everyday routine in the small, myopic community. Things only get more complicated when, during a late-night mission to unearth some hidden weed stashed by a friend

who has been missing for a week, he’s the last person to see Mikkel Nielsen, who has apparently vanished into thin air as well.

Advertisement That inscrutable voiceover starts to make more sense when it is revealed that Mikkel has managed to make his way to 1986. Far from being the moment Dark’s creator, Baran bo Odar, jumps the shark, the switch back to the mid 80s is when Dark really gets interesting. There’s no for Mikkel, though, who returns to his house only to find an angsty, thrash metal-loving version of his father (Ulrich), who has little interest in helping out a lost child, even though his own brother disappeared a few months earlier. The 1986 version of his mother isn’t any more sympathetic, so it’s left to the town’s police chief and a lonely nurse to look after him.

After the disappearances, things begin to go awry in modern-day Winden, too.

Sheep are dying during the night, old men are wandering into town hall meetings and mumbling nonsense, and everyone is slowly understanding that this just

A classy, knotty, time-travelling whodunnit for TV

YOUR DAY Horoscope by Saurabbh Sachdeva

they were copy-and-pasted from a daytime soap, but everything else is tuned into the show’s dense and foreboding frequency. The similarities to Stranger Things are, in truth, a distraction from Dark’s own quality, although it might have made more sense to tone down the echoes of Netflix’s other disappearing child show so that it could stand on its own. But for fans of slow-burners, such as Les Revenants, this will fill a noirish hole and bring a bit of classy obsidian darkness to the yuletide binge schedule.

Source:https://www.theguardian. com/tv-and-radio/2017/dec/01/darkreview-a-classy-knotty-time-travelling-whodunnit-for-tv

ARIES

TAURUS

GEMINI

CANCER

Overexcited people around you are making you lose it.

Find a place on your own to work. Your body needs to unwind and would feel better for it. Go for relaxation, before you feel too tensed up. You will know how to deal with the setbacks in your love-life.

You’re going to see positive results from something you started four weeks ago. You feel ready to tackle anything that gets in your way, and you will be able to - you’re in a brilliant mood! Your emotional life will focus itself on brotherhood, friendships, family, or children.

You’re gaining a wider perspective of the world, and you’ll find it hard to put up with narrow-minded people. You could do with some time to breathe and work things out - you’re tired, don’t deny it. You will be going through a process of consolidation and stability.

There’ll be a light mood in the air today. You’ll feel more free to do what you want to do with your life.

Your vitality is here to stay, and you’ll find it hard to hold yourself back.

Don’t confuse rashness with speed.

You will be going through a process of consolidation and stability.

MAR 21 - APR 20

APR 21 - MAY 20

MAY 21 - JUNE 21

JUNE 22 - JULY 23

LEO

VIRGO

LIBRA

SCORPIO

You are going to find useful support, which will come into its own next month. It’s a good time for making contacts! Your inner well-being would benefit from a bit more concentration on your home comforts and improving your daily life in this respect.

You need to get over an inner hurdle to move up to a higher gear. There are gaps in your diet which it would be a good idea to look at, so you can regain your your highest energy levels. You will have a better understanding of certain vague aspects of your partner.

You’ll have a natural way of avoiding difficulties and showing where your limits are. Your decisions are final and you don’t compromise. If you manage to quieten your doubts, you’ll be able to keep up your mental energy. Questions about money will less tricky than normal.

While you may be feeling very optimistic, try not to take on too many commitments. Chances run high you’ll find a lot of interesting things to engage your mind. The day might be busier than you’d like, but also a great time for creative ideas and warm, hopeful exchanges.

JULY 24 - AUGUST 23

AUG 24 - SEP 23

SEPT 24 - OCTOBER 22

OCT 23 - NOVEMBER 22

SAGITTARIUS

CAPRICORN

AQUARIUS

PISCES

You will make an effective go-between between two people. You are feeling on top of the world, but are starting to feel tired. Youre not getting enough sleep and that’s a fact, so recharge your batteries. Venus comes to reconcile, spreading an aura of peace across your love life.

Your need for freedom makes you attractive in other people’s eyes. You’re really coming out of your shell! You are more aware of your practical needs and will be able to turn these into an asset. You will achieve a better balance between rest and action.

Your need for freedom makes you attractive in other people’s eyes. You are more aware of your practical needs and will be able to turn these into an asset. You will achieve a better balance between rest and action. New ideas will come and enrich your perception of Love.

There are interesting discussions in sight. Don’t hesitate to get legal advice.

Don’t allow yourself to be put upon by other people’s needs, which would be to the detriment of your own. You can’t allow that. Now’s the time to sort out domestic problems that are polluting your life.

NOV 23 - DEC 22

KOMAL SANKHALA, Model

might have something to do with an almost identical case two decades earlier.

The action is actually split between three time zones – modern day, 1986 and 1953.

It’s a whodunnit, combined with a who did it (back then), that’s knotty without getting incomprehensible.

As things progress, the connections between the different eras and families of Winden start to reveal themselves, and the motive of the show’s villain – who seems bent on torturing children with 80s German television and Euro-pop – begins to emerge.

There aren’t many missteps in Dark. The super slo-motion anguished screams of Ulrich look as if

DEC 23 - JAN 20

JAN 21 - FEB 19

FEB20 - MARCH 20

ETC www.firstindia.co.in I www.firstindia.co.in/epaper/ I twitter.com/thefirstindia I facebook.com/thefirstindia I instagram.com/thefirstindia

JAIPUR | WEDNESDAY, JUNE 24, 2020

11

Steve Bing,

HEROES

& ENTERTAINERS I

n a tribute to the Indian soldiers and police force, veteran actor Paresh Rawal on Tuesday proposed that the country must refer to actors as ‘entertainers’ and forces as ‘heroes.’

Conventionally, actors in lead roles in films are mostly referred to as ‘heroes.’ Rawal took to Twitter to share his thought with his fans and followers. “We Should Start Calling Actors As ‘Entertainers’ And Our Army & Police As ‘Heroes’ for Our Next Generation To Know The Actual

Meaning Of Real Heroes,” he tweeted.

The thought of the Bollywood veteran has received several likes and has been shared by on Twitter over 25,000 times on Twitter.

This comes a week after the violent face-off of Indian soldiers with China in Ladakh’s Galwan valley in which twenty personnel of the Indian Army were killed.

Indian intercepts revealed that the Chinese side suffered 43 casualties including dead and seriously injured in the violent clash.

—ANI

SUSHMITA

Paresh Rawal

No More

A

merican businessman Steve Bing, the wealthy financier and writer movies of such as ‘Kangaroo Jack’, has died. He was 55.

According to People Magazine, the authorities are investigating Bing’s death after he was found on the floor of a luxury apartment Steve Bing building in Century City, California on Monday, reported Deadline. A Los Angeles County Coroner spokesperson told People Magazine, that a man was pronounced dead at the scene at 1:10 pm. (local time) in a reported suicide although a final determination for a cause of death and identification of the deceased is pending.

Bing wrote the script for 2003’s ‘Kangaroo Jack’ and is credited as a producer on films such as ‘Get Carter’, ‘Every Breath’ and was a financier on Tom Hanks’ ‘The Polar Express.’

Bing was also a financier for 2007’s ‘Beowulf ’ and Martin Scorsese’s Rolling Stone concert film ‘Shine a Light’.

—ANI

Too pretty to be Jewish!

ON SURVIVING

W

NEPOTISM T

inona Ryder, most recently seen playing Joyce Buyers in ‘Stranger Things’, recently opened up about her Jewish identity and said how she was told that she looked too Jewish to play a particular role in a period film. The actress spoke ahead of the release of the drama series ‘The Plot Against America’. “There are times when people have said, ‘Wait, you’re Jewish? But you’re so pretty!” Winona Ryder recalled.

She also spoke about a period film that she was a part of. “There was a movie that I was up for a long time ago, it was a period piece, and the studio head, who was Jewish, said I looked ‘too Jewish’ to be in a

he debate on nepotism has raised many issues after the untimely demise of the Bollywood actor Sushant Singh Rajput a few days back.

Various celebrities have come out with their experience and journey in the Bollywood industry, and recently, Sushmita Sen took to Twitter and wrote ‘Ask Me Anything’. On this, she was asked about her experience with nepotism as a twitter user wrote, “@thesushmitasen how you survived Nepotism in Bollywood??” To this, Sushmita answered, “By focusing on my Audience...YOU GUYS!!! I will continue to work as an actor as long as YOU want to see me!! #simpleenough #AskAarya.”

Sushmita’s fans got a treat on the weekend that went by, as her new web-series ‘Aarya’ released on Disney+ Hotstar, with Chandrachur Singh, Namit Das, Sikander Kher, and many more in key roles.

— Agency

Winona Ryder

KISSED

blue-blooded family,” Winona Ryder told the newspaper. Winona lost her family to the Nazi regime and hence it is a sensitive matter for her. “It’s a hard thing for me to talk about because I had family who died in the camps, so I’ve always been fascinated with that time,” she revealed.

—Agency

by the sun

I

leana D’Cruz has uploaded a video on Instagram where she feels the’’ sun- kiss.’’

She has one of the most interesting Instagram accounts in the Hindi film industry. Her posts and pictures are a combination of fun, frolic, but also some inspirational quotes. She not only keeps sharing candid pictures and videos from her daily life and frequent vacations but also talks about the days when she’s low and imparts life lessons as well.

Her latest post is yet again a candid one. She took to her Instagram account and shared a short video where she could be seen enjoying the sunlight finally falling on her skin.

One of her fans commented, “Best Girl.” This was followed by a heart. Another user wrote- “Beautiful,” with multiple fire emojis.

The actress, in her acting career, has successfully dabbled in the South Indian and the Hindi film industry.

—Agency

RUTHLESSLY misogynistic Hollywood

M

Sushmita Sen

...her post

Ileana D’Cruz Megan Fox

egan spoke out after fans expressed outrage in response to a viral thread detailing her mistreatment in the industry and the media. The actress thanked her fans for their support and clarified some of the stories emerging online. She wrote, “These specific instances were inconsequential in a long and arduous journey along which I have endured some genuinely harrowing experiences in a ruthlessly misogynistic industry.”

In a recent interview, Megan, 34, told Jimmy Kimmel, 52, about being cast to wear a bikini at a bar in a Michael Bay movie at age 15. Jimmy laughed at the anecdote and said that all men think that way — leaving Megan looking uncomfortable. Fans rushed to point out that she had been over-sexualized by adults in the film industry at a young age, and was then criticized for it.

—Agency

CITY BUZZ www.firstindia.co.in I www.firstindia.co.in/epaper/ I twitter.com/thefirstindia I facebook.com/thefirstindia I instagram.com/thefirstindia

HAPPY READING! Books, books, books.

They will increase your lifespan, lower your stress and boost your Intelligence!

JAIPUR | WEDNESDAY, JUNE 24, 2020

12

HAPPY BIRTHDAY! RAJASTHAN: Tourism Minister Vishvendra Singh celebrated his birthday on 23 June, Tuesday simply with his family at home in Bharatpur. Governor Kalraj Mishra, CM Ashok Gehlot, Deputy CM Sachin Pilot, his colleagues in the cabinet greeted him on Social Media, as did BJP State President Satish Poonia and Diya Kumari among other leaders.

Vishvendra Singh made a point of replying to each tweet, conveying his gratitude to them for remembering with a brief personal message included in each tweet.

WHAT’S HAPPENING! My all-time favourite has to be ‘Mother of 1084’, by Mahasweta Devi. First first written in Bengali and later translated to English by Samil Bandopadhyay, the book is about a mother’s loss, a lover’s grief and a deluded society. It is a poignant narrative rich in colour and contrast. A definite must-read that will leave one hoping that it was just that, a fictional story.

—BHAVIKA VASANDANI

In my opinion, a book is best read than reviewed. So, sparing myself the embarrassment of trying to emote my reverence, I would simply put it this way: If there was a book, I could trust to father my children right; It would be The Man- Eaters of Kumaon by Jim Corbett.

CITY FIRST RAJASTHAN & GUJARAT

L

osing yourself in a great book is one of life’s most enduring and dependable joys. Job satisfaction comes and goes, partners enrapture and abscond, but you can always fall back on the timeless ability of literature to transport you to a different world. From Jane Austen’s mannered drawing rooms to the airless tower blocks of 1984, novels do something unique. They simultaneously speak to the heart and mind. They teach you about the history of our world, the possibilities of our future and the fabric of our souls.

Voracious readers love books but we all have a favourite book or two. It is the book we turn to when we need comfort and guidance. It is a book which somewhere changed our life. City first talks to a few its readers about which is their favourite book and why? cityfirst@firstindia.co.in

RAJASTHAN: Pali District Olympic association celebrated World Olympic Day on 23 June, by organizing tree plantation and distribution of Sanitizers among Sports associations and Administrative officers. They reached out to the players also and went across to the office of the Collector, SP and others for distribution to all employees. Pali District Olympic association President Mahipal Singh (right) presents a box of Sanitizer Pens to Pali Collector Ansh Deep on Tuesday.

—KARAN ALI KAK My favourite book is “Death: An inside story for all those who shall die” written

by Sadhguru. Death is an undeniable part of our life, and everyone has to and we need to accept it. This book gave me an insight that life is immortal and death should be taken up gracefully and for this let the person who goes be happy where they are and to learn the detachment of life.

To me, Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni’s ‘Palace of Illusions’ is a definite page-turner.

We have always heard innumerable tales of Mahabharata since our childhood.

But this book revolves around the life of Draupadi and looks at the events of the Mahabharata through her eyes. It’s definitely a book that makes you put yourself in her shoes and the end brings tears into the reader’s eyes. This kind of impact establishes a deep connection with the audience.

—DR CHITRALEKHA SISODIYA

—SHWETA PRASAD

REACHING HEIGHTS

CITY FIRST, RAJASTHAN

A WE CARE!

City First reminds you to wear a mask whenever you step out, sanitize regularly, maintain physical distance and stay strong during the Corona time!

nother milestone was achieved in the academic pursuits of the Jaipur National University (JNU) Medical College, a Cadaveric Dissection Skill Lab was inaugurated by Dr Sandeep Bakshi, Chancellor of Jaipur National University. Along with the Inauguration, the Institute was host to another World wide Webcast session on ‘Nose, Paranasal Sinuses & Beyond’ in a Session ‘Explore with legends’, that

GUJARAT: Amidst the ongoing semi-lockdown, a Robo Rath yatra was performed at the residence of Jay Makwana, on Tuesday.

GUJARAT: In a rare donation of its kind, a pacemaker was donated by the kin of a 73-yearold Meenakshi Joshina, who breathed her last on Monday.

“We were in shock but we decided to donate her organs so that it can help someone else,” said son-in-law and Former president of Southern Gujarat Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SGCCI), Rohit Mehta.

RAJASTHAN: As a part of the ongoing ‘Online Learning – Children’s Summer Festival’ being organised by Jawahar Kala Kendra (JKK), viewers witnessed a visual arts session on ‘Mandana’

by Shakuntala Mahavar. The session focused on the history of ‘Mandana’, the technique of the art form and the materials used. This was followed by a session on ‘Figurative Composition’

by Ram Chandra Shivaji Kharatmal.

The artist taught the basics of figurative composition, sketching, colour composition and much more.

was being conducted by Dr Satish Jain, renowned ENT Surgeon of Jaipur at JNU IMSRC. Specialists from around the world have applauded the inauguration of this skill lab for its need and popularity within the medical and surgical community to gain further and deep knowledge on human gross anatomy. It will be of great help for researchers and students of the region to determine the origins of deadly diseases or disorders. cityfirst@firstindia.co.in

RAJASTHAN: India Tibet Cooperation Forum, Jaipur unit paid a tribute to the brave soldiers of India, who were martyred during the dispute with the Chinese soldiers in the Balwan Valley. A candle march was also taken to the Collectorate Circle, on Tuesday, in honour of the martyrs and an effigy of Chinese President, Xi Jinping was burnt.

RAJASTHAN: To celebrate the occasion of International Yoga Day, Rajasthan-based Dr Jyoti Joshi conducted a workshop on yoga in Germany to spread awareness about the wonderful traits of yoga.

GUJARAT: On the occasion of International Yoga Day, a Surat-based carving artist, Dimplebhai Jariwala, uniquely celebrated the day by carving every step of the Suraya Namaskar on a Peepal leaf.