NATION

Centre, MP govt failed to stop Covid deaths: Nath

Indore, May 5

Senior Congress leader Kamal Nath on Wednesday held the Centre and the Madhya Pradesh governments responsible for the COVID-19 fatalities which he attributed to the failure to take timely measures to deal with the “second wave” of the pandemic.

“Should we blame the public for the deaths due to COVID-19? Both the Centre and the state governments led by the BJP are responsible for the fatalities. They are playing politics over dead bodies. They have no concern for the common people,” Nath told reporters here.

He said the national and international media had been alerting about the second wave of coronavirus for the last three months, but no preparations were made in advance. “..Rather India was exporting medical oxygen and Remdesivir injections that time,” the Madhya Pradesh Congress chief said.

Targeting the Shivraj Singh Chouhan government, Nath said the administration was indulged in politics and distributed Remdesivir injections to leaders of the ruling BJP. “The injections are being sold in the black market,” he alleged.

Attacking the Union government over the vaccination program, Nath said, “The government has no adequate stock of vaccines but still it announced the launch of the inoculation drive for the people in the age group of 18 to 44 years”.

Nath reiterated his allegation that the announcement to launch the drive for the younger lot was made in a bid to attract voters to the BJP during the recently-held Assembly elections.

“Today the people are dependent on God and not on the government. I have prayed at the famous temple of Lord Hanuman in Chhindwara (Nath’s constituency),” he said.

As of Tuesday, Madhya Pradesh’s COVID-19 tally stood at 6,12,666 with 6,003 fatalities, the state health department had said. PTI

Ministry to be sworn in on May 7, says Rangasamy

Puducherry, May 5

Puducherry Chief Minister-designate N Rangasamy on Wednesday said the new ministry would be sworn in on May 7.

The AINRC founder and NDA leader said the BJP, which is in the front, would also be part of the ministry.

“The new ministry will be sworn in on May 7… The BJP will also be part of the ministry,” he told reporters at Salem after offering prayers at the shrine of his spiritual guru Appa Pythiasamy.

Asked if there would be a Deputy Chief Minister, he hinted there would be one if the Union Government accorded approval for it.

He said his government would strive hard for the development of Puducherry and for amelioration of the welfare of the people.

The AINRC front won 16 seats in the 30 member territorial assembly in the April 6 assembly polls. The AINRC emerged victorious in 10 and the BJP, in six. PTI

‘Rivaldo’ walks freely into kraal

Udhagamandalam, May 5

Rivaldo, an elephant with injuries on its trunk and moving around in Vazhathottam village in Nilgiris district for the last nine years, walked freely into a kraal on Wednesday after many a vain attempt to capture it.

This is the first incident of an elephant walking into the kraal without tranquillisation or force, said sources in the Forest Department.

The elephant with its injuries had been roaming around the village since 2012 and the Forest Department, with the help of villagers, was giving the animal tablets mixed in various fruit juices and it had become friendly.

Giving it the name of footballer Rivaldo, the elephant damaged a few houses a few years ago and the department decided to catch it by tranquillisation and take it to the elephant camp.

Two months go, a futile attempt was made to take the elephant to Mudumalai Tiger Reserve by foot after which the department built the kraal a week ago.

Rivaldo entered the kraal kept at Vazhathottam checkpost at around 9 AM today.

Necessary treatment would be provided as was directed by Madras High Court sometime ago and after observation and treatment, a report would be submitted to the court in consultation with a team of veterinarians, the sources said. PTI

4 held for black-marketing of O2 concentrators

New Delhi, May 5

A 25-year-old man was arrested for allegedly selling oxygen concentrators in the black market at exorbitant prices in south Delhi’s Saket area, police said on Wednesday.

The accused was identified as Rahul of Palam. An oxygen concentrator was seized from his possession, they said.

“On Tuesday, information was received that one person would come to Max Hospital, Saket, for selling oxygen concentrator. Thereafter, a trap was laid and the accused apprehended,” Deputy Commissioner of Police (South) Atul Kumar Thakur said.

During interrogation, the accused revealed he and his brother owned a shop dealing in medical equipment, the police said.

He had purchased two concentrators from Meditech Healthcare for Rs 55,000 each and wanted to sell the units for Rs 1,35,000 each, they added.

In another case, a 34-year-old taxi driver and an associate were arrested by the south district police for allegedly selling oxygen cylinders at rates higher than their actual maximum retail price near the Holy Family Hospital, the officials said.

They were identified as Shakir of Faridabad and Vijay Sharma (23) of Rajasthan, the police said, adding that an oxygen cylinder was recovered from them.

Similarly, a 47-year-old man was arrested by the New Delhi district police for allegedly hoarding and black-marketing oxygen canisters and other medical equipment.

The accused has been identified as Neeraj Banga. Nine oxygen canisters were recovered from his possession, the police said.

The man was selling an oxygen canister for Rs 1,700 while the actual price of the unit was Rs 400, Deputy Commissioner of Police (New Delhi) Eish Singhal said. — PTI

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Why no transparency, Rahul asks govt on foreign aid

New Delhi, May 5

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday raised questions of “transparency” in foreign aid received by India in its fight against the pandemic and demanded answers from the government.

“Questions about Covid foreign aid: What all supplies has India received? Where are they? Who is benefitting from them? How are they allocated to states? Why no transparency? Any answers, GOI?” he asked in a tweet. The Congress has been seeking transparency on Covid relief received from abroad and has asked the government to make public details about what has been received from where and how it has been used.

In another tweet, Gandhi alleged the Modi government had been a “complete failure” in handling the Covid-19 pandemic, vaccination and the unemployment scenario in the country.

“Neither vaccine, nor employment. People are facing the brunt of coronavirus. The Modi government has completely failed,” he said in a tweet in Hindi.

He cited a media report to say the Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy (CMIE) had claimed that in April alone 75 lakh people lost their jobs, and that unemployment rate would touch eight per cent in the country, the highest in the last four months. — PTI

BJP ‘intimidating’ panchayat poll winners: Akhilesh

Lucknow, May 5

Samajwadi Party supremo Akhilesh Yadav on Wednesday alleged the elected members in the panchayat polls were receiving threats from the BJP that was abusing power to conspire against the system.

“The BJP has never respected democracy,” he said in a statement, adding after its defeat in the panchayat elections, the saffron party was conspiring against the democratic system.

“The BJP’s strategy of intimidating elected members and misusing power through inducements is a sign of malafide intentions. The BJP will have to pay for it in the in the 2022 Assembly polls,” he said.

Akhilesh further attacked the BJP for its “faulty policies” that failed the country in Covid-19 management.

Some people were “taking opportunity of the disastrous situation” and the general public was bearing the brunt of it, he said.

He stressed that the infection was now fast spreading in rural areas of Uttar Pradesh, which were vulnerable due to their weak health infrastructure.

He said besides failing to fulfil the responsibility of managing oxygen tankers, the central government had also failed to curb black marketing of cylinders and medicines. — PTI

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Gehlot asks social workers to donate for free vaccination

Jaipur, May 5

Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Wednesday urged social workers, public representatives, donors and other sections of society to provide financial support to carry out free vaccination of people above 18 years of age against Covid.

He has already approved opening a dedicated bank account — Raj CMRF Covid vaccination account — for this purpose.

The bank account has been opened in the Jaipur Secretariat branch of State Bank of India. Its account number is 40166914665 and the IFSC code is SBIN0031031.

The contributors can transfer the support amount by cash, cheque and electronically. The donation amount thus received would be used for free immunisation of youth, they said.

Gehlot said the entire country was facing the serious threat of the Covid-19 infection. The state government was making every effort to manage this crisis, he said.

He also noted that the Rajasthan Government had urged the Centre several times to provide free vaccine to people in the age group of 18 to 44 years. But the Centre had left it to state governments, he said.

The CM added that an increased number of young, children and pregnant women were getting infected in the second Covid wave. — PTI