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New Delhi, Jul 2  :
   A plasma bank to treat novel coronavirus started functioning in Delhi on Thursday, with Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal saying that COVID-19 patients can donate their plasma 14 days after recovery.

Addressing an online media briefing, Kejriwal said the eligibility for being a plasma donor is "very strict", and hoped that with this bank the number of COVID-19 deaths will decrease in the national capital.

Later, he inaugurated the 'plasma bank' and urged those who have recovered from the disease to donate plasma to other patients.

The government has set up the plasma bank at the state-run Institute of Liver and Biliary Sciences (ILBS).

"Today, we have started the 'plasma bank' and some people have also donated. As we all know there is no vaccine for novel coronavirus yet, but plasma therapy seems to be quite helpful for COVID patients," he told reporters after visiting the plasma bank at ILBS.

It (plasma donation) was happening in a scattered way, so the idea was to bring it at one place in an organised manner, he said

"There are strict guidelines for eligible donors. I would urge those people who have recovered from COVID-19 to come forward and donate plasma to other patients," he said.

The chief minister said people who have recovered from the virus can contact 1031 and WhatsApp number -- 8800007722 -- where they can get details for plasma donation. The donor will also be given an appreciation letter.

"A government doctor will contact the person willing to donate his plasma and get basic details regarding his medical history and other eligibility requirements.

"Thereafter, the person can come to ILBS to donate his plasma. The government will also bear transportation expenses ," he said.

About eligibility parameters for donors, Kejriwal said that those aged between 18 and 60 and weighing not less than 50 kg can donate their plasma.

He said that a women, who has been pregnant in her life, cannot donate plasma, adding that those people, who take insulin and their blood sugar level is not stable, also cannot be donors.

"Those, who have heart, kidney and lung disease, are not eligible to donate their plasma. People having a complaint of hypertension also cannot donate," he said.

Plasma therapy involves taking antibodies from the blood of a person who has recovered from COVID-19 and transfusing those into a coronavirus infected patient to help kickstart the immune system to fight the infection.

During the briefing, Kejriwal said that plasma bank will be successful only when people come forward to donate their plasma for coronavirus patients.

"Till yesterday, around 58,000 people have so far recovered from the virus. With very strict eligibility, a few people will be left, who can donate their plasma for COVID-19 patients," he also said.

"Plasma will be given based on doctor's prescription and the hospital concerned will have to approach ILBS to get the same. I request people to not approach the plasma bank directly," he added.

On Wednesday, Delhi recorded 2,442 fresh coronavirus cases, taking the infection tally in the city to over 89,000, while the death toll from the disease mounted to 2,803, the authorities said.


New Delhi, Mar 31 :  Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Tuesday said 1,548 people have been evacuated from Nizamudddin markaz (centre) here of which, 441 were hospitalised after they showed coronavirus symptoms.

In a digital press conference, the chief minister said 1,107 people, who attended religious congregation in Nizamudddin West, have been quarantined.

He said that out of 97 cases of coronavirus in the city, 24 were those who took part in the congregation earlier this month

Kejriwal slammed the organisers of the religious gathering saying it was "highly irresponsible" on their part to hold such an event at a time when thousands have died in other countries due to the pandemic.

He said that his government has already written to Delhi Lt Governor Anil Baijal recommending the registration of an FIR against the organisers.

Kejriwal further said any lapse in performance of the officers related to the Nizamuddin case will not be tolerated and strict action will be initiated.

He also stressed that there was no community transmission of coronavirus yet in Delhi and the situation was under control.

Out of 97 cases, he said 86 were stable while one was on ventilator and two were being given oxygen.

He said the Delhi government will start distributing food from around 3,775 schools and night shelters to around 10-12 lakh people from Wednesday.

Although such large number of people are unlikely to turn up for food but more distribution points will help in maintaining social distance, he said.

The industrialists trying to help should donate protective gears for medical staff, testing kits and ventilators which are much needed now, he said.


Kolkata, Mar 24 :  Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday extended the ongoing lockdown in force in Kolkata and other urban areas of West Bengal to the entire state till March 31 to contain the coronavirus outbreak.

"After assessing the situation, it has been decided that the ongoing lockdown will be extended to the entire state from 5 pm today," Banerjee told a press conference.

The lockdown in Kolkata and several urban agglomerations had begun on Monday and was scheduled to continue till March 27 midnight.


Shimla, March 24 :  The Himachal Pradesh government on Tuesday announced a state-wide curfew to combat the spread of coronavirus.

Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur said the curfew will come into force in all the 12 districts of the hill state at 5 pm on Tuesday.

Thakur said the state government was forced to take the step as several people were not following the lockdown imposed in the state since Monday.

"Several people were moving on the roads despite the restrictions. So, the state government was left with no option but to impose curfew in the entire state," he said.

Thakur urged the people to follow the instructions issued by the state and central governments and remain indoors to defeat the virus.

Kangra is the only district in the state where three coronavirus cases have been detected so far.

However, the 69-year-old man who died due to coronavirus in Kangra on Tuesday had taken lunch in a restaurant in Una on March 21. The restaurant staff has been quarantined, officials said.


Chandigarh, Mar 23 :  Hours after announcing a curfew in Punjab to combat coronavirus, Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Monday said he was forced to take the extreme measure in the "larger interest" of the state.

Appealing to the people to voluntarily adhere to the curfew imposed to tackle the prevailing "war-like situation", Singh also warned of strict action against the violators.

The Punjab government on Monday clamped a curfew to fight coronavirus, making it the first state to take the drastic measure after finding that many people were ignoring the state-wide lockdown ordered by it.

In a video message addressing the people of Punjab, the chief minister said he was forced to take the stringent step "in the larger interest of the state, and in the interest of all of you", as he had received reports that people were moving around normally in towns, mohallas and cities defying the lockdown that took into effect on Monday morning.

He appealed to the people for their cooperation and said the violation of the lockdown by them was "unacceptable" and it was the responsibility of his government, and his duty as its head, to "save Punjab".

Making it clear that the curfew would be continuous, spanning 24 hours a day, the chief minister, in a statement here, said only those with emergent needs would be allowed to go out, after taking due permission from their respective Deputy Commissioners. The mobile numbers of DCs would be shared with the public.

Difficult decisions need to be taken in difficult times, Singh said, adding it had become necessary to impose and enforce curfew to "survive these tough times".

"Please listen to me, and bear with me," he appealed to the people, emphasising that "We must work shoulder to shoulder to fend off the crisis we are all facing".

"We must save our state, our people; we have children, families," the chief minister said, adding that as a small state, it was all the more reason for Punjab to take all possible steps "to preserve our population and ensure that everyone lives happily for years to come."

Punjab reported 21 positive coronavirus cases till Monday morning.


New Delhi, Mar 22 :  Delhi will be locked down in view of the growing coronavirus threat, from 6 am on March 23, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal announced at a joint press conference with Lt Governor Anil Baijal on Sunday.

The lockdown will continue till 12 midnight on March 31, Kejriwal said.

During the lockdown, no public transport will operate and Delhi's borders will be sealed but the essential services related to health, food, water and power supply will continue, he said.

Dairies, grocery shops, chemists and petrol pumps will remain open but persons associated with essential services will be allowed to go to their destinations during the lockdown, he said.

"We know people will face difficulties, but lockdown is necessary to contain the spread of coronavirus," the chief minister said.

He also said six of the total cases reported in Delhi were locally transmitted.
Senior Congress leader and Puducherry Chief Minister V Narayanasamy


Puducherry, Feb 1 :  Senior Congress leader and Puducherry Chief Minister V Narayanasamy on Saturday dubbed the union budget presented by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman as the most disappointing and lacking in firm measures to deal with economic slowdown.

In his reaction to the budget, the Chief Minister slammed the Centre for its "commitment to sell its stake in public sector undertakings such as LIC and the railways."

Also, he said he was shocked and dismayed over the failure of the Finance Minister to unveil steps for relief to farmers, unemployed youth and the poorer sections.

"No firm steps have been rolled out for promoting investments in the industrial sector," he said.

The budget has several schemes that would only fatten the rich people at the cost of the poor and have-nots, the Chief Minister said.

Further, several genuine and legitimate demands of Puducherry have been totally ignored, he said.

While there were proposals to earmark copious funds for the newly created Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh, the Union Territory of Puducherry has been left high and dry, he said.

"Our consistent plea for sanction of funds to Puducherry to meet its commitment to implement the report of the Seventh Pay Commission and also to include Union Territory in the 15th Central Finance Commission had not been conceded, he lamented.

He said he was displeased with the absence of schemes to waive loans borrowed by farmers.

"In all, the budget lacks firm measures to relieve the country of its economic slowdown, inflation and setback in industrial development," he said.
Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh


Chandigarh, Jan 29 :  Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Wednesday underlined the need for high-end equipment for security forces to detect drones used by Pakistan to smuggle weapons into the border state.

The issue was discussed during a meeting convened by the CM with Congress MPs from both the Houses and to discuss budget proposals for the next fiscal and issues pending with the Centre, a government statement said.

On the Sutlej Yamuna Link Canal issue, Singh asked the MPs to push for amendment in the Inter-State River Water Disputes (Amendment) Bill 2019, pending in Rajya Sabha, to protect Punjab's water resources, it said.

The bill seeks to expedite and streamline resolution of inter-state water disputes through a single central tribunal instead of the existing numerous ones.

The linking of the Sutlej and Yamuna rivers through a canal has been a contentious issue between Punjab and Haryana. Punjab wants a reassessment of the volume of water in Ravi and Beas rivers while Haryana seeks completion of the SYL canal to get its share of 3.5 million acre feet of the river waters.

Last week, an all-party meeting in Punjab called for a new tribunal to assess river water availability. Saying that Punjab does not have surplus water, the parties urged the Centre to ensure that the river water from the state is not transferred to non-basin areas.

During the meeting, the CM also expressed concern over the increase in activities by the Pakistani spy agency ISI near the borders and reiterated the need for developing infrastructure that can detect various kinds of drones.

Singh said he had written to the Ministry of Home Affairs back in August 2019, when the first instance of use of suspicious drones came to light.

A GPS-fitted drone was detected to have dropped weapons and money in August last year. Earlier this month, Punjab Police found two drones used for smuggling drugs from Pakistan.

During the meeting, it was also decided that Punjab Congress MPs would urge the Centre to immediately lift food grains from the state in the wake of shortage of storage facilities and tardy procurement of wheat and rice by central agencies.

The statement said 140 lakh metric tonnes of wheat and 95 LMT of rice belonging to the central pool are currently stored in the state.

As much as 70 LMT of wheat is lying in the open (covered area plinth), including 16 LMT wheat purchased under relaxed specifications (URS) during 2019-20 and 10 LMT wheat procured in 2018-19.

The MPs urged the Punjab CM to approach the prime minister over the Commission for Agriculture Costs and Prices' reported recommendation to review MSP policy, dubbing it a "serious threat" to the state's farmers.

Any change in minimum support price procurement policy will adversely impact Punjab's economy, they felt, expressing the fear that the Centre would limit procurement as the first step towards putting an end to MSP purchase.

Punjab Congress chief Sunil Jakhar said all MPs should take up in Parliament the issue of the delayed SGPC elections "to break the stranglehold of the Akalis". The tenure of the current SGPC ended in 2016.
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath


Lucknow, Jan 26 :  Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Sunday reminded people of their constitutional duties.

Addressing the closing ceremony of the Foundation Day programme of the state at the Awadh Shilp Gram here, he said, "The Constitution has given us a lot. Therefore, we should feel proud of it. We talk about our constitutional rights, but not about our duties. Along with the rights, the Constitution tells us about our duties too. India is among the few democratic countries in the world that gave voting rights to every adult citizen immediately after the Constitution came into force."

The welfare of the country and the society would be possible only when the citizens discharged their duties honestly, the chief minister said.

The three-day programme had begun on January 24, a statement issued by the Uttar Pradesh government said.

"This programme was a platform for not only the artisans of Lucknow, but those from different regions of the state," Adityanath said.

Reminding the gathering that Uttar Pradesh was the land of civilisation and culture, he said, "We can give a lot to the country and the world. For this, the 23 crore people of Uttar Pradesh will have to discharge their constitutional duties with honesty. When every person uses his full potential, Uttar Pradesh will be among the leading states in the country.
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan


Kochi, Jan 25 :  The country's first Super Fab Lab, which will give a major push to the hardware industry in the country and the only such facility outside the U.S., was launched at the Integrated Startup Complex of the Kerala Startup Mission (KSUM) here on Saturday.

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan inaugurated the facility through remote control from Palakkad, where he attended a function at the government Polytechic College.

The Super Fab Lab will function in collaboration with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

The Fab Labs concept, the only one outside the U.S., is the brainchild of Dr Neil Gershenfeld, presently the Director of MIT Centre for Bits and Atoms, who set up the first Fab Lab in the U.S. about 17 years ago, KSUM said.

Dr Gershenfeld was in the city for nearly a week to personally supervise setting up of the Super Fab Lab.

Fab Labs are fabrication laboratories offering digital fabrication and computation.

Dr Gershenfeld asserted that the new facility, the only one outside the U.S., not only "has the tools to make anything, it also makes the tools that make things.

It will break down boundaries between the digital and physical worlds," he said.

Relying on Computer Aided Design with additive and subtractive manufacturing, the Super Fab Lab allows researchers, innovators and developers to do things beyond the purview of the states existing fab labs.

Dr Gershenfeld said the Super Fab Lab is a pioneering venture by Kerala and would let people produce what they consume

The state-of-art facility enables the state to produce machines locally, for access throughout Kerala. It can be for business, education and almost anything.

"It is an exciting initiative and the whole world is watching what is happening here so that they can follow on your footsteps", Dr Gershenfield was quoted as saying by Kerala Startup Mission in a release.

The Super Fab Lab, which is poised to give Indias hardware industry a huge leap by allowing researchers, innovators and developers to do things beyond the purview of the states existing fab labs, will function in collaboration with MIT, it said.

KSUM CEO Dr Saji Gopinath said the Super Fab Lab will give a huge boost to Keralas industrial sector.

"Innovations that happen at the Lab can soon get translated to the industrial sector and we may see quite a few startups springing up in the near future," he said.

The KSUM Super Fab Lab has state-of-the-art machines worth more than Rs seven crore in a 10,000 square feet area.

The Super Fab Lab is set to make ISC one of the countrys most sought-after investment hubs, coming as it is after electronics hardware incubator Maker Village and its biotech counterpart Bio-Nest.
Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao


Hyderabad, Jan 25 :  Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao on Saturday said the state assembly may pass a resolution against the new law like some other states did recently.

Rao said he has already spoken to many of his counterparts in other states and he may convene a conclave of regional parties and Chief Ministers here to oppose the CAA since it concerns the country's future.

The TRS is secular by its policy and nature and it had opposed the CAA, he told reporters here.

The ruling Telangana Rashtra Samithi had voted against the amendment to citizenship law in Parliament last month.

"I have already spoken to many chief ministers on this. I spoke to leaders of other parties also.

Probably, maybe, in the next one month, I may arrange a conclave of regional parties and CMs in Hyderabad to oppose this....100 per cent. Because, this concerns the future of the country. This is not good for India, where 130 crore (people) live," Rao said.

After Kerala and Punjab, Rajasthan became the third state to pass a resolution against the CAA on Saturday.
System needed to punish rape accused within six months of conviction: Kejriwal
New Delhi, Jan 18 :  Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Saturday said a system needs to be developed to ensure that rape convicts are punished within six months.

Reacting to the verdict in 2013 'Gudiya' rape case, Kejriwal said it took seven years to find the accused guilty.

"Both accused in the gudiya rape case were found guilty. It took seven years. We need to all together correct this system. If we want to ensure that no one misbehaves with our sisters and daughters we need to develop a system which ensures that accused are punished within six months," he said in a tweet.

Two men accused of kidnapping and brutally raping a five-year-old girl in Delhi in 2013 were held guilty on Saturday by a city court.

Gudiya is a fictitious name to refer a five-year-old girl, who had been raped and brutalised by offenders in April 2013, barely four months after a 23-year-old female physiotherapy intern 'Nirbhaya', was raped and brutalised on December 16, 2012 in a running bus in South Delhi's Munirka area.

Nirbhaya had succumbed to her injuries in Singapore hospital where she had been shifted by an air ambulance for specialised treatment.

All four surviving convicts in the Nirbhaya fgang rape case have been ordered to be hanged till death on February 1. They were earlier ordered to be hanged on January 22, but the execution had been stayed by the Delhi High Court, pending disposal of the mercy petition to the president by one of them.

After the disposal of the mercy petition, a Delhi court issued a fresh death warrant for their execution at 6 am on February 1.


Kolkata, Jan 17 :  Citing "preoccupations" West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee will not attend an all- party meeting called by Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar on Friday, to discuss issues pertaining to two bills, a Raj Bhavan official said here.

The Chief Minister's Office informed the Governor's Secretariat that on account of preoccupations on Friday, it will not be possible for Banerjee to attend the meeting, the Raj Bhavan said in a statement on Thursday.

Dhankhar has been engaged in a face-off with Banerjee and her party, the Trinamool Congress, over a host of issues since assuming charge as the governor of the state.

The meeting was called by the governor to discuss two bills passed by the Assembly, which are awaiting his assent.

The statement said that "on account of there being no inputs from the state government and the state Legislative Assembly in spite of repeated efforts" with regard to the pendency of 'The West Bengal (Prevention of Lynching) Bill, 2019 and 'West Bengal State Commission for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes Bill, 2019', the meeting had been convened by the governor.

"The Governor has urged the Chief Minister to give priority to this matter and spare time at the earliest" for a meeting on these issues," it said.

Leader of the Opposition in the West Bengal Assembly Abdul Mannan, and Left Front Legislature Party leader Sujan Chakraborty have requested that the meeting be held on January 21, the statement said, adding that it will be scheduled on that date.

The Raj Bhavan has also been informed that the Leader of Gorkha Janmukti Morcha, Rohit Sharma, is currently bedridden, it said.


New Delhi, Jan 16 :  Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday urged the Centre to keep politics away and present a budget that is "good" for the national capital.

Kejriwal said he would write to the Centre and request special allocation for tackling pollution and ensuring cleanliness in the Union budget.

"The Centre should keep politics away from the budget and I want to request the Centre to present a good budget," he said.


Gandhinagar, Aug 8  :   Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani and his deputy Nitin Patel on Thursday thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah for the Centre's move to scrap special status for Jammu and Kashmir accorded under Article 370 of the Constitution.

While Rupani said the introduction of Article 370 was fuelling separatism in Jammu and Kashmir, Patel said the provision was a "big mistake" which has now been corrected by Modi and Shah, both hailing from Gujarat.

The two BJP leaders were speaking at a grand event organised at Mahatma Mandir here to celebrate the completion of three years of their government.

"Though our country got independence in 1947, Kashmir remained some distance away from us all these years. This Article 370 was fuelling separatism in Kashmir, which is the crown of our country.

"But, finally, our PM Narendrabhai and Home Minister Amitbhai, both sons of Gujarat, showed immense courage and conviction and scrapped that provision," said Rupani.

"Both our leaders have been saying that Kashmir is an inseparable part of India and there can never be a compromise on that stand.

"And now, when both the Rajya Sabha and the Lok Sabha have given their consent to scrap Article 370, our country finally became one. I thank both of them on behalf of entire Gujarat," Rupani said in his speech.

On a similar note, Patel, in his speech, said the Gujarati duo of Modi and Shah corrected a "big mistake" by revoking the provisions of Article 370 that granted special status to the militancy-affected state.

Later, while talking to reporters, Patel slammed Pakistan for suspending bilateral trade with India to protest the Centre's actions on Jammu and Kashmir.

"Revoking Article 370 is India's internal matter. Yet, Pakistan is interfering in it. It shows their fear and desperation.

"By suspending bilateral trade, Pakistan is harming itself. Pakistan is taking decisions which would only bring disrepute to them," said the deputy chief minister.                        [Agencies]


Lucknow, Aug 7   :   Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Wednesday expressed deep condolences on the demise of former External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, saying she was known for a clean and dignified politics.

The standards of clean politics she set were etched in minds of people, he said in New Delhi after paying tributes to the veteran parliamentarian.

The chief minister said, "Sushmaji's departure is a big loss for the whole country. Sushmaji was an inspiration for all of us." 

He said Swaraj made a significant contribution to politics for over four decades and served the country with the same devotion she had on entering the public life.

She performed all responsibilities given to her by the party and it was because of people like her that the respect for women grew, he said.

Adityanath, who visited the BJP office in Delhi to pay tributes to the departed leader, said, "Sushmaji was always ready to share her experiences. She would often tell us as to how to present oneself in Parliament. She was a great orator and guided us on how to address people on different occasions." 

He recalled that despite being unwell, Sushmaji was continuously contributing towards the success of Pravasi Bharatiya Divas in Varanasi.

"The way she was working for the success of Pravasi Bharatiya Divas from 7 am to 12 pm is truly admirable. Her contribution will always be remembered," he said, according to an official release issued here.                                                      [Agencies]


Bengaluru, Jul 11 :  With his government fighting for survival following the resignation of 16 Congress-JD(S) MLAs, Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy sought to know on Thursday why should he step down from the post.

"Why should I resign? What is the necessity for me to resign now?," Kumaraswamy shot back to reporters here, amidst the speculation that he could put in his papers in the wake of the crisis that has pushed his coalition government to the brink of collapse.

He recalled that in 2009-10, 18 MLAs, including some ministers, had "opposed" the then chief minister BS Yeddyurappa of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) but he had not resigned.

The chief minister held discussions with senior Congress leaders on Thursday, after the coalition government headed by him suffered a fresh jolt with two more Congress legislators resigning on Wednesday, talking the tally of MLAs who have put in their papers to 16.

The Congress-Janata Dal (Secular) coalition faces the threat of losing its majority in the Assembly if the resignations are accepted as its current tally is 116 in the 224 member House.

Congress MLAs MTB Nagaraj and K Sudhakar submitted their resignations to Assembly Speaker Ramesh Kumar at his chamber in Vidhana Soudha, the state secretariat, on Wednesday.

The Karnataka unit of the BJP, led by its chief Yeddyurappa, staged a protest at the Vidhan Soudha on Wednesday demanding the resignation of Kumaraswamy, who they claimed had lost majority in the House.

Yeddyurappa and other BJP leaders also petitioned the governor in this connection.

Of the 16 MLAs who have resigned, 13 are from the Congress and three from the JD(S). The coalition's strength in the House is 116 (Congress 78, JD(S) 37 and BSP one), besides the speaker.

With the support of the two independents, who resigned from the ministry on Monday, the opposition BJP has 107 MLAs in the 224-member House, where the halfway mark is 113.

If the resignations of the 16 MLAs are accepted, the ruling coalition's tally will be reduced to 100.


New Delhi, Jul 1 :  Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal Monday said installation of CCTV cameras has started across the city and asserted that safety and security of Delhiites, especially women is "most important" for his government. 

As per the government's plan, around three lakh CCTV cameras will be installed in Delhi as part of a project to boost security in the city.

The Arvind Kejriwal-led government has already begun work on installation of 1.4 lakh CCTV cameras.

"Safety and security of our citizens esp women is most imp for us. I am glad that CCTV cameras are finally being installed all across the city in such a big way. Cooperation, support and participation of citizens has made it happen (sic)," Kejriwal tweeted.

In every assembly constituency, 2,000 CCTV cameras are being installed.

Last month, Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, Labour Minister Gopal Rai and Urban Development Minster Satyendar Jain had launched CCTV camera project in their respective constituencies.

At an event in his Patparganj constituency on June 23, Sisodia had said about three lakh CCTV cameras would be installed in the national capital as part of a project to boost security.


Mumbai, Jun 25 :  Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Tuesday said those who were imprisoned during the Emergency will be provided pension and a citation.

Speaking in the state Assembly during the Question hour, Fadnavis said "pension was an honour more than money" for those who served jail term during the Emergency.

"Many people refused the pension. But some are still poor who lost jobs after being arrested for no fault of theirs," he noted.

Earlier, Minister of State for Relief and Rehabilitation Madan Yerawar, while responding to a question by NCP member Ajit Pawar, said 3,267 applications for pension were approved so far.

Out of these, 1,179 applications were approved on the basis of the Rs 100 stamp paper submitted to prove that the applicant served a jail term during the Emergency.

Pawar asked how can the pension be given without proof and what was the guarantee that the stamp paper was genuine.

To this, Yerawar said the applications were scrutinised by a committee headed by the district collector concerned and only genuine ones were approved.

"A budget of Rs 42 crore was finalised for the pension scheme and out of this, Rs 28 crore to Rs 29 crore has been disbursed," he said.

BJP member Parag Alavani then said those imprisoned during the Emergency are now senior citizens and finding it difficult to make frequent visits to the collectorate.

"It is not true that the pension can be availed by just submitting an affidavit. There should be a separate cell in the collectorate office to handle the pension scheme," he demanded.

Subhash Patil (of the Peasants and Workers' Party) said his father and uncle served 18 months in jail during the Emergency and that his family had to face lot of hardships.

"Those who served in jail during the Emergency want honour more than money. It would be good if the pension amount is increased to Rs 25,000 and a citation is also given," he said.

However, Fadnavis rejected the demand for an increase in the pension amount, saying, if needed, it would be considered in future. But, he agreed for a citation along with the pension.

As per the government's decision, those who were imprisoned for a month will be given a monthly pension of Rs 5,000 and those jailed for more duration will get Rs 10,000 per month.

If those imprisoned have died, their kin would be given a monthly pension of Rs 2,500 (for jail term of a month or less) and Rs 5,000 (for jail term of more than a month).

Congress member Basavraj Patil demanded an increase in the pension amount for those who participated in the 'Marathwada Mukti Sangram' (liberation of Marathwada).

To this, Fadnavis said pensions for those who took part in the freedom struggles for Goa, Marathwada and India are on par and have recently been hiked.

Emergency was imposed in India from June 25, 1975 to March 21, 1977 by the then prime minister Indira Gandhi.                                  [Agencies]


Kolkata, June 23 :    West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee condoled the death of 14 people due to collapse of a pandal during a religious programme in Rajasthan's Barmer district on Sunday.

"Saddened at the deaths after the tent collapse in Barmer, Rajasthan. My condolences to the grieving families.

Our prayers that the injured recover quickly," Banerjee said in a tweet.

At least 14 people were killed and about 50 injured after a pandal fell on them due to strong winds and heavy rains during a religious programme in Barmer district of Rajasthan.

A 'Ram Katha' was organised at a school ground near Rani Bhatiyani temple in Jasol area of the district. The pandal was uprooted by strong winds, trapping the people sitting under it, police said, adding hundreds of devotees were attending the programme.                  [Agencies]