In Punjab, drive to trace 1,300 NRIs

Chandigarh: The police have launched a drive to trace 1,300 NRIs — among the 90,000 persons to have arrived in Punjab in the past two months. Police officials said these NRIs had not been found at the address mentioned in their documents. “There is no cause for alarm. Had any one of them been infected, he/she would have been in a hospital,” a police officer said. Meanwhile, with five more Covid cases on Friday, three from Hoshiarpur and one each from Jalandhar and Mohali, the count in the state has reached 38. TNS

In HP, all 19 samples test covid negative

Shimla: With samples of all 19 suspected Covid cases in Himachal testing negative, the number of cases in the state remains at two, both from Kangra. Meanwhile, panic-buying in the state has subsided. There was hardly any rush in the markets on Friday. Also, rainfall in the higher reaches kept many indoor. Some areas continue to witness shortage of essentials. TNS

Kashmir sees 14 cases in 10 days

Srinagar: Kashmir has seen a spike in Covid-19 cases ever since a 67-year-old woman returning from pilgrimage from Saudi Arabia was found positive for the virus on March 18. With four more, including two of her co-passengers, testing positive on Friday, the count in the Valley in the past 10 days has gone up to 14. The woman continues to be under treatment. Two grandchildren of one of her co-passengers have been infected and are admitted to JLNM Hospital, Srinagar. TNS

SpiceJet offers help to labourers

New Delhi: Budget passenger carrier SpiceJet has offered its aircraft to operate few flights from Delhi and Mumbai to Patna to fly take migrant labourers, particularly from Bihar, who have got stuck in various parts of the country due to a lockdown. The airline is already flying food, medicine and medical equipment for the government on a daily basis and has made offer for flying migrant workers as a humanitarian gesture. — IANS

SP founding member dies

Lucknow: Beni Prasad Verma, 79, founder member of the Samajwadi Party and sitting Rajya Sabha MP, died after a prolonged illness in Lucknow on Friday. Hailing from Barabanki, Verma was a major Kurmi leader of the state. During his brief stint with the Congress party, he was the Union minister for coal during Dr Manmohan Singh-led UPA-2 government. In a tweet, SP chief Akhilesh Yadav expressed condolences at his demise. — TNS