Month: March 2020

As the country fights the deadly COVID-19, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday said that he has asked the Home Ministry and police officials to take strict action against those who are not cooperating with doctors, nurses and other professionals.

In an interaction with the people of Varanasi via video conference, the Prime Minister said, “I have told Home Ministry and DGPs to take strict action against those who are not supporting or not cooperating with doctors, nurses and other professionals who are serving us in this critical time.”

“I appeal to all the citizens, if you notice any incident wherein medical staff, doctors and nurses are ill-treated then you should take an initiative to make such people realize that they are wrong.” PM Modi added.

“In this hour of crisis, everyone who is seen in white clothes in hospitals is a form of God. They are the ones who are saving us from death today. These people are risking their lives to save our lives,” said the prime minister.

The Prime Minister was referring to the reports wherein some of the doctors who are treating coronavirus positive patients were asked to vacate their residences.

The Resident Doctors’ Association (RDA) of All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) had even written to Home Minister Amit Shah requesting appropriate action against the landlords asking doctors and nurses to vacate residences.

This was Prime Minister’s first public engagement since the announcement of a countrywide lockdown on Tuesday.

(ANI)

Former union minister P Chidambaram on Wednesday suggested a 10-point plan to augment the income of farmers, poor and vulnerable classes of the society whose earnings have taken a hit due to the lockdown imposed in the country in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak.

Chidambaram said that the 10-point plan “is intended to put cash and food immediately in the hands of the poor and the vulnerable. It is placed for the consideration of the government and for an immediate announcement of relief.”

Under the plan, the former finance minister has suggested doubling the “amount paid under PM-KISAN to Rs 12,000 and transfer the additional amount immediately to the bank account of each beneficiary and also to bring “tenant farmers under PM-KISAN…. and transfer Rs 12,000 in two installments to the bank account of each tenant farmer.”

He has further vouched for transferring a sum of Rs 3,000 to the bank accounts of registered MGNREGA workers and for the urban poor, transferring a sum of Rs 6,000 into their Jan Dhan accounts.

Provision of 10 kilograms of free rice or wheat, as a one-time measure for the 21 day period, has also been suggested by him.

He has also urged the government to ensure that the registered employers maintain the level of employment and wages in this period of crisis.

He has also asked for a ward or block-wise register to be maintained which includes all those people who are not excluded from the payments received in any of the above categories and then opening a new bank account for them.

Apart from these, he has also asked for extending the deadlines of tax payment till June 30 and that of all kinds of EMI payments to banks till the same date.

Chidambaram has also asked for cutting Goods and Service Tax (GST) rate by 5 percent on all wage goods, essential goods and services, and all goods of mass consumption between April 1 and June 30.

The 10-point plan, as per the senior Congress leader, is a measure that solves the immediate challenges, and further many such challenges, he warns, will have to be addressed in the coming days.

On Tuesday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced a 21-day lockdown in the entire country to deal with the spread of coronavirus, saying that “social distancing” is the only option to deal with the highly contagious virus. (ANI)

Armed men stormed inside a Gurdwara in Kabul’s Shor Bazar area at about 7:45 am (local time) on Wednesday. Citing a security source, Tolo News reported that at least 11 people were killed and 11 other sustained injuries in the attack, adding that “three attackers are still fighting with security forces and one has been shot.”

No group has claimed responsibility for the attack yet.

Afghan MP Nardendar Singh Khalisa had told reporters that up to 150 people were at the Gurdwara at the time the incident occurred.

India has strongly condemned the terror attack.

In a statement, the Ministry of External Affairs said that the “cowardly attack” on the places of religious worship of the minority community, especially at the time of COVID-19 pandemic, was reflective of the “diabolical mindset of the perpetrators and their backers”.

The Ministry conveyed its sincerest condolences to the immediate family members of the deceased and said that New Delhi stands ready to extend all possible assistance to the affected families of the Hindu and Sikh community of Afghanistan.

“We commend the brave Afghan security forces for their valorous response to the attack and their exemplary courage and dedication to protect the Afghan people and secure the country,” the statement read.

“India stands in solidarity with the people, the Government and the security forces of Afghanistan in their efforts for bringing peace and security to the country,” it added.

Thirty-two states and Union Territories (UTs) have announced complete lockdown to check the spread of the coronavirus in the country, informed the Central government on Tuesday.

There is a complete lockdown in as many as 560 districts of the country affecting several hundred million people.

Addressing the nation, Prime Minister Narendra Modi coined an acronym “CORONA” – Koi road par na nikle – to advise people not to venture out of their homes as the nationwide total lockdown will be in place for three weeks from 12 o’clock tonight.

Emphasizing the need for social distancing in tackling COVID-19, Prime Minister said, “You have to remember that a coronavirus infected person initially appears to be normal and doesn’t show symptoms. So maintain precautions and stay at home.”

He cautioned people, saying, “If we are not able to manage the upcoming 21 days (of nationwide complete lockdown), we will be pushed back 21 years.”

The Prime Minister said, “This lockdown is in a way a curfew and would be more stringent than Janta curfew. “We may have to pay a financial cost for this lockdown but it is important for the safety of people.”

He further stated that an estimated Rs 15,000 crore has been allotted for the virus testing facilities, PPEs, ICUs, ventilators and training medical workers.

Earlier, the complete lockdown was imposed in 30 districts, as of now, almost the entire country is in lockdown to restrict public movement in an attempt to break the chain of transmission of coronavirus.

Three states — Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Odisha — have announced lockdown in select districts with the governments continuously monitoring the situation and ready to extend the restrictions to other districts as well.

The Union Territory of Lakshadweep has announced restrictions on certain activities.

The Indian Railways has suspended all passenger train operations till March 31 in view of coronavirus. (ANI)

Former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah was released on Tuesday after more than seven months in detention in Srinagar.

Abdullah was among the several political leaders who had been put under house arrest after the Central government revoked Article 370 of the Constitution that accorded special status to Jammu and Kashmir. In February, he was slapped with the Public Safety Act (PSA).

The National Conference leader was seen sporting a long white beard as he walked out of the detention in Srinagar today.

The detention of Abdullah under the Public Safety Act (PSA) was revoked earlier in the day.

Omar Abdullah’s father Farooq Abdullah was released from detention earlier this month, while PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti is still under detention. (ANI)

Amid a COVID-19 lockdown, Delhi Police on Tuesday cleared the Shaheen Bagh protest site where a large number of people were agitating against the Citizenship Amendment Act. A few protesters were also detained for “unlawful assembly” during the lockdown.

“People at the protest site in Shaheen Bagh were requested today to clear the site as lockdown has been imposed. But after they refused, the action was taken against violators as the assembly was unlawful. Protest site has been cleared. Some protestors have been detained,” RP Meena, DCP South-East district.

On Monday, the number of protestors who have been on a sit-in protest against the CAA was reduced significantly.

Speaking to ANI, Maryam, a protester said, “We respect and obey the decision taken by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. It has been urged that a minimum number of people should gather at one place so people are coming here in shifts, in groups of five. We are ready to combat with coronavirus. We are following what has been told like wearing gloves, masks and using sanitisers.”

Many protesters at the site were seen donned in masks and maintaining distance to mitigate the chances of spreading the deadly virus.

Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has announced a lockdown in the national capital territory of Delhi from 6 am on Monday to midnight on March 31.

(ANI)

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman unveiled a series of relaxations for statutory and regulatory compliance matters on Tuesday and said the government will soon announce an economic package to absorb the negative impact of the coronavirus epidemic.

For income tax-related matters, she said the last date for filing returns pertaining to the financial year 2018-19 has been extended to June 30. For delayed payments, the interest rate has been reduced from 12 per cent to 9 per cent.

All GST returns for March, April, May and composition returns too have been extended till June 30.

At the same time, bank charges are being reduced for digital trade and transactions, said Sitharaman. There will be no minimum balance requirement fee imposed by banks and ATM withdrawal from any bank will be free for the next three months.

The date for Aadhaar-PAN linking and ‘Vivad Se Vishwas Scheme’ has also been extended till June 30 with no additional 10 per cent payment.

During this period, those paying indirect tax will not be charged any interest fee. The date to opt for the composition scheme also extended to June 30, said the Finance Minister.

“All compliances under Income Tax Act, Wealth Tax Act, Benami Transaction Act, Black Money Act, Vivaad Se Vishwaas, have been extended to June 30,” she said.

To help the business and trading community, she said, the customs will be performing as an essential service 24×7 until June 30 even during the lockdown.

Sitharaman said the mandatory requirement for holding board meetings has been relaxed by 60 days for the next two quarters.

“For 2019-20, if independent directors of companies have not been able to hold even a single meeting, that will not be seen as a violation,” she said.

For newly incorporated companies, there is a requirement to file a disclosure of commencement of business within six months. This is extended by six months.

If a company director does not comply with the minimum residency requirement, it will not be treated as a violation. The deadline to maintain a deposit reserve of 25 per cent by April has been extended to June 30.

On the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC) rules, the threshold for default was raised to Rs one crore from Rs one lakh earlier.

“We are raising the default threshold to prevent triggering of IBC for MSMEs. If the situation does not improve till April 30, we can suspend sections 7, 9 and 10 for six months,” said Sitharaman.

On the financial market, she said all regulators and the Ministry of Finance are working together to monitor the developments.

“SEBI has come up with certain guidelines to ensure stability in the stock market. We are consciously monitoring the stock market thrice in a day. A lot of inputs have come, the task force is also looking into them,” she said. (ANI)

Four people were arrested and 25 lakh masks, including 3 lakh N95 masks, with total worth Rs 15 crore kept for black marketing, were seized from godowns here in Andheri and Bhiwani, said Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh on Tuesday.

“Police have seized 25 lakh masks from godowns in Andheri and Bhiwandi including 3 lakh N95 masks with total worth Rs 15 crore. Masks were stored for black marketing,” Deshmukh told ANI here.

While four men have been arrested under the Essential Commodity Act, two are absconding, he said.

The raid comes at a time when masks are in heavy demand in the country since novel coronavirus cases started emerging in the country.

The tally of COVID-19 cases in Maharashtra reached 101 on Tuesday with three new cases in Pune and one in Satara, the state’s health department said. The Maharashtra government has announced a curfew in the state to curb its spread.On Monday, Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray said that all district borders, along with the state borders, will also be sealed to prevent the spread of coronavirus in the districts which are not affected by it.

However, essential goods will remain available to the public amid such times of a health crisis.The total number of active COVID-19 cases reported so far in the country stands at 482, according to the Indian Council of Medical Research. (ANI)