Month: April 2022

Prime Minister Narendra Modi met Congress chief Sonia Gandhi, Samajwadi Party leader Mulayam Singh Yadav, National Conference chief Farooq Abdullah and other opposition leaders in the chamber of Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla after the conclusion of Parliaments’ Budget Session on Thursday.

Speaker Om Birla, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi were also present during the meeting.

“After the Lok Sabha was adjourned, we urged the leaders of all the parties that collective efforts are needed to enhance the dignity of the House and to raise the level of discussion and dialogue. Hope all the parties will actively cooperate,” tweeted Om Birla.

Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha were adjourned sine die a day before the schedule, marking the culmination of the Budget Session 2022 during which the two Houses passed key legislations, including the Bill to unify the municipal corporations in the national capital.

The second part of the Budget Session began on March 14 while the sittings were to conclude on April 8.

Key Bills were passed in the Parliament during the second part of the session, including the Criminal Procedure (Identification) Bill, 2022, Delhi Municipal Corporation (Amendment) Bill, 2022 among others.

On the last day of the session, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla acknowledged the participation of every member of the House and said that the ongoing session was “going well with everyone’s support”.

“In this session, productivity has been 129 per cent, with everybody’s participation…Productivity till the 8th session has been 106 per cent. Compared to the previous experiences, the ongoing session went well with everyone’s support,” Birla said.

Hoping that all Vidhan Mandal (legislature-related) proceedings will be brought on one platform by 2023, Birla said that the information would be available on the basis of meta-data.

“By 2023, we are hoping that all Vidhan Mandal (legislature-related) proceedings will be brought on one platform. Information will be available on the basis of meta-data… work underway for the same,” he said.

Meanwhile, missing the 100 per cent productivity landmark by only 10 minutes, the Rajya Sabha clocked 99.80 per cent business during the Budget session that concluded on Thursday, setting a record for the third-best performing session during the last 14 sessions since the Monsoon Session (243rd Session) of 2017.

The Upper House spent 37.50 per cent of the functional time on debates, 23 per cent on Bills, while passing 11 of them, besides the introduction of one, an official statement from the Rajya Sabha stated.

“As against the scheduled sitting time of 127 hours 54 minutes, the House functioned for 127 hours 44 minutes. The productivity of the House would have been 100 per cent but for the loss of these 10 minutes. While the functional time of 9 hours 26 minutes was lost due to disruptions and forced adjournments, the House gained 9 hours 16 minutes with Members sitting beyond the scheduled hours,” said the statement. (ANI)

Reeling from the economic crisis, the healthcare sector of Sri Lanka is also under stress as it is witnessing a major downfall due to a sudden rise in the prices of essential medicines that have been hiked upto 29 per cent after being prescribed by the government.

The doctors and the healthcare staff from the country’s premier healthcare institute on Wednesday came out on the street to protect against the government’s policies.
Speaking to ANI, Dr Chamal Sanjeewa, President, Medical and Civil Rights professional Association of Doctors, said, “There is a shortage of drugs and essential drugs in the hospitals. There is no fuel for the doctors to travel to the workplace, they have to stand in long queues at fuel refilling stations.”

He added that there is a shortage of most of the anaesthetic drugs used in the surgery. “Hypertension and life-saving medicines are also short. The pharmacists don’t have drugs. And antibiotics drugs are missing. In the coming days, we will face a big problem, we are not protesting for salary, we are protesting for life,” he said.

Another doctor Hiran Karasingha told ANI that unfortunately, the situation is getting worse in the country. “The poor people are coming to the government hospitals, however, no medical supplies are available,” he said.

Supporting the claims of the doctors, Shalintha Rodrigoa, a pharmacist working in the biggest pharma store in Colombo known as “Union Pharmacy” told the ANI team that many of the drugs come from India, however, there is a shortage of these drugs imported from India as well.

He further said that they have increased the prices of the medicines by 29 per cent as said by the government, however, many life-saving drugs including cancer medicines are also missing from the stores.

Rodrigoa added that there is a dearth of even common drugs like paracetamol and panadol in the medical stores.

Notably, Sri Lanka is facing an unprecedented medicines supply shortage while people have hit the street against the government to protest the ongoing economic crisis.

The island nation is presently facing a foreign exchange shortage which has led to a food, fuel, power and gas shortage and has sought the assistance of friendly countries for economic assistance. Sri Lanka’s currency has been also devalued by almost SLR 90 against the US dollar since March 8.

The economy of the island country that has been in a free-fall since the onset of the COVID pandemic is now in the throes of a spiralling crisis, with shortages of medicines and food and long power cuts.

Further, an emergency health situation has been declared in Sri Lanka from Tuesday because of the severe drug shortage in the country.

This decision was announced after an emergency general committee meeting of the country’s Government Medical Officers’ Association (GMOA) to discuss the imposition of the emergency law and the severe drug shortage, the Daily Mirror reported. (ANI)

Ahead of the Cabinet reshuffle, all Ministers of the Andhra Pradesh Cabinet have resigned with immediate effect.

After finishing the final Cabinet meeting today afternoon, all 24 Cabinet Ministers have submitted their resignation letters to Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy at Andhra Pradesh Secretariat on Thursday.
The new Ministers will take oath on April 11, sources said.

Bracing up for the 2024 Assembly elections in the state, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy is all set for the Cabinet rejig with as many as 19 Ministers are likely to be dropped.

The Chief Minister is likely to induct new Ministers into the state Cabinet in a matter of few days, with anticipations running that the swearing-in could even take place on April 9.

Sources said that only four of the incumbent Ministers may retain their positions. The Chief Minister, sources said, will submit the final list of new Ministers to Governor Biswabhushan Harichandran before April 9.

Reddy on Wednesday, handed over the final list of the 19 Ministers being dropped from the Cabinet to the Governor, sources added.

In the current cabinet, there are five deputy CMs. Reddy is likely to have five new Deputy Chief Ministers as part of his strategy to strike a caste balance in the state. Currently, the five Deputy CMs represent Scheduled caste, Scheduled Tribe, Backward Caste, minority and Kapu communities.

Also, there are 11 Ministers from upper castes, including four from the Reddy community, seven from OBC, five from SC, and one each from ST and Muslim communities. With the State Assembly elections scheduled in 2024 in Andhra Pradesh, this rejig holds importance.

Reddy, midway during his term after assuming the CM office, had indicated that he would reorganize the Cabinet. The rejig was scheduled to take place last December, but it was postponed due to COVID-19. Last month, Reddy had stated that the Cabinet reorganisation will take place after Ugadi, the Telugu New Year, which was on April 2. (ANI)

Russia denied carrying out a “massacre” in Bucha, a suburb of Kyiv in Ukraine, adding that there is evidence that it was in fact a “cynical false flag operation perpetrated by Kyiv itself”.

Russian Embassy in India added that the country firmly stands for bringing to justice those involved in this “outrageous war crime act”.
In its statement, the Embassy wrote, “Russia firmly stands for bringing to justice those involved in this outrageous war crime act. The main challenge is to ensure a genuinely independent and unbiased investigation.”

“Regrettably there have been so far widespread hollow allegations against Moscow while there’s evidence that it was in fact a cynical false flag operation, perpetrated by Kiev itself. It is vitally important to take this evidence into account as we seek justice,” it added.

Moreover, the Embassy also compared the “heinous attack” in Bucha with the crimes during World War II.

“The heinous crimes in Bucha bring back the nightmares of the Nazi crimes during the Second World War. It raised revulsion and condemnation in Russia and India and globally,” the Embassy noted in its statement.

Reports have said that more than 300 people have been killed and the total number of casualties was likely to increase as the whole city is being checked.

Hundreds of civilian residents were found dead on the streets in Bucha, besides their homes, and in mass graves. Ukraine accused Russia of the Bucha massacre. However, Russia has denied the allegations and said that it was Ukrainian propaganda.

The United States, along with the G7 nations and European Union (EU), has imposed severe and immediate economic costs on Russia for its “atrocities in Ukraine, including in Bucha”. (ANI)

Emphasizing the need for a good and healthy relationship with neighbouring countries, Union Minister of State for External Affairs V Muraleedharan on Thursday said India desires normal neighbourly relations with Pakistan and is committed to addressing issues adding that the onus is on Islamabad to create a conducive atmosphere.

When asked to present the view of the government in regards to media reports stating that ‘Adviser to Pakistan PM Imran Khan backs resumption of trade ties with India’ the MoS stated in Rajya Sabha, “The Government’s consistent position has been that India desires normal neighbourly relations with Pakistan and is committed to addressing issues, if any, bilaterally and peacefully in an atmosphere free of terror, hostility, and violence.”

The Government while confirming that it has seen the reports said, “In August 2019, Pakistan announced the suspension of bilateral trade with India. Pakistan partially relaxed its ban on trade with India in September 2019 by permitting trade in certain pharmaceutical products,” he added.

Notably, Pakistan is facing heavy external debt and rising inflation. As Pakistan’s economic woes continue, the country’s trade deficit has been on the rise for nine consecutive months owing to an unprecedented increase in imports while exports stagnated at around USD 2.5 billion to USD 2.8 billion a month.

The federal government debt jumped to PKR 42.8 trillion by February 2022, an addition of PKR 18.1 trillion in three and a half years, according to the State Bank of Pakistan’s (SBP) monthly debt bulletin released on Tuesday. (ANI)

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has been questioning former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister and vice president of National Conference Omar Abdullah here in the national capital in connection with Jammu and Kashmir Bank scam case, officials said.

Abdullah appeared before the investigators around 11 am at ED’s headquarters. The Jammu and Kashmir National Conference (JKNC) leader was earlier summoned by the ED and was asked to visit its office on Thursday here.

The ED officials are taking the statement of Abdullah who is accused of opening several accounts in the Jammu and Kashmir Bank with the help of his close aides including Ahsan Mirza, who was authorized to sign cheques.

Mirza, though not an elected office bearer, was appointed “treasurer” of JK Cricket Association (JKCA) by Abdullah its president, while parallel accounts of JKCA were opened in the Jammu and Kashmir Bank in connivance with a senior executive of the bank, claimed sources.

The role of the senior executive of the Jammu and Kashmir Bank, now retired, is also under scrutiny for helping the former Chief Minister open the accounts with the bank based on “inadequate” documents.

In 2007, the then-elected treasurer of JKCA Mir Manzoor Gazanfar, brought these “illegal” transactions to the notice of JKCA president Abdullah who allegedly ignored the anomalies.

Gazanfar has informed ED that it was Mirza, who was appointed treasurer in 2003 and was transferring the money to unauthorized accounts at Abdullah’s instance.

The ED had also questioned Abdullah in July 2019 based on the statements of Mirza and his other associates who had earlier been questioned by the agency. (ANI)

Fearing bulldozer action by the police, five men accused of gang rape of a minor girl surrendered to the police in Uttar Pradesh’s Ambedkar Nagar on Thursday, said the police.

The gang rape took place in the village Jiuli under district Ambedkar Nagar police station, Jaitpur area on March 29, 2022, added the police.

The accused along with their families surrendered at the police station in the morning and apologized for their actions by joining hands in front of SHO Jaiprakash Singh.

“The five accused of gang-raping a minor girl surrendered after coming to the police station of Jaitpur, fearing bulldozer warning, fear of bullets and Ambedkar Nagar police’s swift action, ” tweeted the Ambedkar Nagar police. Earlier following the incident and after verification and identification of culprits Police threatened their families of using bulldozer over their houses if they fail to surrender, which yielded the result. (ANI)

As the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) concluded its roadshow and rally in Himachal Pradesh’s Mandi yesterday, both Bharatiya Janata Party and the Congress shared the opinion that the state has no place for a third force.

BJP state chief Suresh Kashyap said that the kind of politics AAP’s national convenor Arvind Kejriwal does not work in Himachal Pradesh.

“Kejriwal speaks of corruption, but Himachal is already free from corruption. There is no place for a third party in the state. The voters of Himachal are intelligent and know what their choices are,” he said.

The state Congress President, Kuldeep Singh Rathore said that the gathering at the rally which seemed to be of lakhs consisted mostly of “tourists” from Punjab and Delhi who “would go back”.

“The people of Himachal have rejected them. The upcoming elections are a contest between the BJP and the Congress only; Himachal does not entertain a third party,” Rathore said.

Slamming Kejriwal, the party’s state president said that his claims of not knowing politics are false.

“Kejriwal claims that he can only build hospitals and schools, but what about the previous government? Have they never built hospitals, schools and educational institutes?” Rathore questioned while saying that AAP is daydreaming about forming a government in Himachal Pradesh.

AAP held a roadshow and a rally in Mandi where Arvind Kejriwal was accompanied by Punjab’s new Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann.

Meanwhile, buoyed by its landslide victory in Punjab, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) will now contest all 68 seats in the Assembly elections in Himachal Pradesh slated to take place later this year.

Earlier, Delhi Health Minister and AAP leader Satyendar Jain also announced that the party would contest the Shimla Municipal Corporation election.

Talking about the poll promises, Jain announced that the AAP government if comes to power would provide free electricity and water to the people of Himachal as well as education and health facilities.

The AAP leader further informed that the organisation has been constituted in all the 68 assembly seats and will now be expanded till the elections.

Sidelining Congress as a state challenge after the party’s debacle in the recently concluded Assembly elections in the five states, Jain said AAP’s competition is with the BJP.

“Congress cannot defeat BJP. Aam Aadmi Party has the mantra to defeat BJP,” he said. (ANI)

India reported 1,033 new COVID -19 cases in the last 24 hours, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare informed on Thursday.

With the new cases, the active caseload stands at 11,639 which accounts for 0.03 per cent of the country’s total positive cases.

Meanwhile, 1,222 patients recovered from the disease in the last 24 hours taking the total recoveries to 4,24,98,789.

The current recovery rate is at 98.76 per cent and the daily positivity rate is at 0.21 per cent.

With 4,82,039 tests conducted in the last 24 hours 79.25 crore COVID tests have been conducted in the country so far.

A total of 185.20 crore vaccine doses have been administered so far under Nationwide Vaccination Drive. (ANI)