First India-Lucknow Edition-11 May 2021

First India Bureau
Lucknow: UP Chief
Minister Yogi Adity-
anath on Monday said
that work was under-
way to set up 300 oxygen
plants in the state and
saidthatthestateshould
not completely rely on
supply of oxygen but
should also get its own
oxygen plants as well.
He said that the sec-
ond wave of Covid-19
posed a new challenges
for the State including
supply of Oxygen for
which went up sudden-
ly
. He said that the State
was getting 1000 metric
tonnes (MT) of medical
oxygen and thanked
Prime Minister Naren-
dra Modi and the Cen-
tral government for
running special trains
to overcome the medi-
cal oxygen shortage.
“The second wave of
Covid-19 posed a new
challenge before us and
the demand for oxygen
went up suddenly. We
have to supply oxygen
to Ayodhya too, from
where it is Turn to P6
UP on course to attain O2 self-sustainability: CM Yogi
CM Yogi Adityanath interacting with a youngster receiving Covid-19 vaccine at Chargawan CHC off
Gorakhpur district during his visit to the Eastern region of UP on Monday.
lll
In Ayodhya,
Yogi thanked
PM Narendra
Modi for all the
help extended
to UP by the
Centre
UP to have 300
new plants to
make the state
self-reliant in O2
LUCKNOW TO BENEFIT SOON
Five oxygen plants of nine nm capacity each will be set
up at Mohanlalganj, Chinhat, Malihabad and Gudamba
CHC in Lucknow in addition to one in Jhalkari Bai
Hospital. Besides, three oxygen plants of 30 nm capacity
will be set up at Thakurganj TB Hospital, Rani Laxmi Bai
Hospital and Ram Sagar Mishra Hospital whereas 20
oxygen generators of 45 litres per minute capacity will be
installed at 19 community health centres and Jhalkari Bai
Hospital. Apart from this, a plant with the capacity of 50
litres per minute will be installed in the civil hospital.
New Delhi: Interim
Congress chief Sonia
Gandhi on Monday de-
manded that the party
“take note of our seri-
ous setbacks (and) put
our house in order”, af-
ter yet more disappoint-
ing performances in
elections.
She said senior lead-
ers from Assam, Kerala,
Tamil Nadu, Puduch-
erry and Bengal - the
states that went to the
polls in April-May -
would be required to
“brief us, very frankly,
on our performance...”
“We want them to tell
us why we performed
well below expectation.
These results tell us
clearly that we need to
put our house in order,”
Gandhi said, as she de-
livered the opening re-
marks at a meeting of
the CWC Turn to P6
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LUCKNOW l TUESDAY, MAY 11, 2021 l Pages 12 l 3.00 RNI NO. UPENG/2020/04393 l Vol 1 l Issue No. 150
OUR EDITIONS: JAIPUR, AHMEDABAD LUCKNOW
Convene special Parl session
on Covid: Cong to Prez Kovind
New Delhi: Congress
MP Adhir Ranjan
Chowdhury on Mon-
day asked President
Ram Nath Kovind to
convene a special ses-
sion of Parliament to
discuss the Covid pan-
demic and come up
with steps to ease the
suffering of people.
The senior Baharam-
pur Lok Sabha mem-
ber’s letter to President
Kovind comes at a time
the second wave of cor-
onavirus disease con-
tinues to rage across
the country
. On Sunday,
the country had report-
ed over 3,66,000 fresh
cases, pushing the num-
ber of active Turn to P6
Covid panic in Bihar as over 40
bodies wash up on Ganga shores
Buxar: Several bodies,
decomposed, bloated
and suspected to be of
people who succumbed
to COVID 19, were on
Monday found floating
in the river Ganga in a
Bihar district.
Officials in Chausa
block of Buxar, which
borders Uttar Pradesh,
rushed to the spot of the
unseemly sight upon
hearing the news.
“We were alerted by
the local chowkidar
that many bodies have
been spotted floating
from upstream. We
have so far recovered 15
of these. None of the
deceased happens to be
a resident of the dis-
trict,” Chausa BDO
Ashok Kumar told PTI
over phone.
More on P8
CENTRE TO SC ON
VACCINE POLICY:
NO JUDICIAL
INTERFERENCE
Sarma takes oath as Assam
CM, invites ULFA(I) for talks
Guwahati: Hours after
taking charge as Assam
Chief Minister, Him-
anta Biswa Sarma on
Monday appealed to the
United Liberation
Front of Asom - Inde-
pendent (ULFA-I) chief
Paresh Barua to give up
violence and come to
the negotiation table in
the interest of restor-
ing permanent peace in
the state.
The first time Chief
Minister extended the
appeal to other active in-
surgent groups in the
state, urging them to
comeforwardforapeace
dialogue with both the
state and the centre end-
ing armed conflict.
“Violence, kidnap-
ping, extortion can nev-
er solve problems, it
only makes things com-
plicated,” Sarma said at
a press conference.
“Therefore, our gov-
ernment appeals to all
militant groups to come
to the negotiation table
and play a role in restor-
ing peace in the state,”
he added.
In the last week of
April, top leader of UL-
FA-I, Dwipen Saud, was
gunned down after a
fierce gun battle with
the security forces in
western Assam’s Bon-
gaigaondistrict.Dwipen
Saud was the banned
outfit’s Turn to P6
Need to put house in order: Sonia
to Congress on election results
50 Palestinians
hospitalised
after clashes with
Israeli police
Delhi HC to
hear plea
seeking stay
on Central
Vista project
Jerusalem: At least 50
Palestinians were hos-
pitalised after being in-
jured in clashes with
Israeli police on Mon-
day at a flashpoint Jeru-
salem holy site, Pales-
tinian medics said.
Police fired tear gas
and stun grenade canis-
ters some of them land-
ing in the Al-Aqsa
Mosque, Islam’s third
holiestsite.Israelipolice
said Palestinians hurled
stones, chairs and other
objects at officers.
Amateur video foot-
age posted on social me-
dia showed police stun
grenades and tear gas
inside Turn to P6
New Delhi: The Delhi
High Court on Monday
agreed to hear tomor-
row a petition seeking
an interim stay on the
construction of Central
Vista during the peak
phase of the pandemic.
The court had earlier
listed the case for hear-
ing on May 17. Last
week, the Supreme
Court had declined to
entertain the plea
against the High
Court’s adjournment of
the petition and told the
petitioners to request
the High Court for an
urgent hearing.
Senior Advocate Sid-
dharth Luthra this
morning apprised the
division bench of Chief
Justice D. N. Patel and
Justice Jasmeet Singh
about the Supreme
Court order.
The petition filed by
Anya Malhotra, a trans-
lator, and Sohail Hash-
mi, a historian and doc-
umentary filmmaker,
Turn to P6
Tikri border‘gangrape’:
FIR names six accused,
Haryana police forms SIT
Gurgaon: An FIR has
been registered
against six people for
the alleged rape of a
25-year-old woman
from West Bengal
who had joined the
farmers’ protest at
Tikri border last
month and died due to
Coronavirus on April
30. The accused, po-
lice said, had accom-
panied her on her
journey to the border.
According to po-
lice, they received a
complaint regarding
the matter on Satur-
day night from the
woman’s father, who
alleged that she was
travelling with the ac-
cused, who were asso-
ciated with the Kisan
Social Army, and the
group had left West
Bengal on April 10.
Turn to P6
CORONA
CATASTROPHE
INDIA
3,66,494
New cases
3,754
New fatalities
UTTAR PRADESH
21,331
New cases
278
New fatalities
PEOPLE ARE SUFFERING: Congress leader Adhir Ranjan’s letter
to President Ram Nath Kovind sought special session of Parliament
Bihar admin
believes bodies
belong to UP
Assam will set ‘benchmark
of peace’ under Himanta
Biswa Sarma: Amit Shah
New Delhi: Union
Home Minister Amit
Shah congratulated
Himanta Biswa Sar-
ma soon after he was
sworn in as the Chief
Minister of Assam
and said that the state
will set a benchmark
of peace, progress
and prosperity under
him.
The Home Minister
expressed confidence
in him saying that the
state will set up a new
benchmark of peace,
progress and prosper-
ity under PM Naren-
dra Modi’s guidance
and his leadership.
OPPN DOING
POLITICS ON
COVID: SHAH
WHO classifies India
covid variant as being
of global concern
While addressing a
digital rally in Bihar,
Home Minister Amit
Shah launched an at-
tack at the opposition
asking what they had
done for the country
except criticize the
government’s work
during the pandemic.
The World Health Organ-
ziation said on Monday
that the B.1.617 variant
first identified in India last
year was being classi-
fied as a variant of global
concern. “We classify it
as a variant of concern at
a global level,” Maria Van
Kerkhove, WHO technical
lead on COVID-19, said.
Congress MP Adhir Ranjan.
DCP to head SIT formed.
BJP’s Himanta Biswa Sarma with party chief JP Nadda and
former CM Sarbananda Sonowal before taking oath as the next
Chief Minister of Assam in Guwahati on Monday.
PARTY PREZ POLLS POSTPONED DUE
TO COVID AFTER GEHLOT SUGGESTS
New Delhi/Jaipur: The Congress Working Committee
unanimously decided on Monday to postpone the
election to the post of party president until the
COVID-19 situation in the country improves, sources
said. Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot proposed that there
should be no election to the post of
Congress president currently in view of
the COVID-19 situation and senior party
leader Ghulam Nabi Azad seconded
him. Earlier, AICC general secretary KC
Venugopal proposed for the election.
The Congress had earlier decided to
have a new Congress president in place before June
2021 and the party’s central election authority had
proposed holding the election on June 23. However,
Gehlot was of the view that holding the election right
now would not be proper as the coronavirus situation
in the country was very grim. Turn to P6
Kathmandu: Nepal President Bidhya Devi
Bhandari Monday prorogued the country’s
Parliament after the government headed
by Prime Minister K P Oli lost a vote of
confidence following several months of
bickering among factions within the ruling
party. The vote of confidence placed by Oli
before the 271-member House of Repre-
sentatives secured 93 votes in favour and
124 against. At least 28 dissidents from
the ruling Nepal Communist Party – Uni-
fied Marxist Leninist (NCP-UML), includ-
ing former prime ministers Jhalanath Kha-
nal and Madhav Kumar Nepal, abstained
from voting, and are likely to lose their
House seats for defying the party whip.
Late Monday, the House Speaker sent
a letter to the President, informing that
Oli has lost the House majority. Oli
also met the President separately.
OLI GOVT LOSES TRUST
VOTE, NEPAL FACES
FRESH TURBULENCE
Congress chief Sonia Gandhi
New Delhi: Supreme
Court has adjourned till
Thursday a hearing into
the centre’s vaccination
policy, which has been
criticised for differential
pricing, shortage of
doses, and a slow roll-
out. The centre filed an
affidavit that defended
its policy, urging against
“judicial interference”
and saying “overzealous,
though well-meaning,
intervention may lead
to unforeseen and unin-
tended consequences”.

UTTAR PRADESH
LUCKNOW | TUESDAY, MAY 11, 2021
02
First India Bureau
Lucknow: Even
though the present Yogi
Adityanath Govern-
ment has been making
hectic efforts to im-
prove health services in
rural areas, the mess
created by previous gov-
ernments continues to
be stumbling block in
this direction.
This has now been
badly exposed by up-
surge of Covid 19 in
smaller districts which
largely consist of rural
areas. According to an-
nual report of Central
Bureau of Health Intel-
ligence (CBHI-2018) Ut-
tar Pradesh second
ranked second after Bi-
har with 19962 patients
ratio per doctor.
However,Yogigovern-
ment giving thrust to
rural healthcare has
made considerable fis-
cal allocation with Rs
5395 crore in current
budget only on rural
health mission and Rs
77 crore for PHCs at
block level. The CBHI
report and data pre-
sented in Lok Sabha
pointed out indifferent
approach of the previ-
ous governments in
terms of public health
spending on health-
care in the state which
has now improved un-
der CM Yogi Adity-
anath.
In last 15 years, the
population of Uttar
Pradesh increased by
more than 25 per cent.
However, the public
health centres which
are the frontline of the
Government’s health-
care system decreased
by 8 per cent. Smaller
sub-centres, the first
point of public contact,
increased by no more
than 2 per cent over the
25 years to 2015, a peri-
od when the population
grew by more than 51
per cent. These data,
from the 2015 Rural
Health Statistics, indi-
cate how successive
state governments have
neglected affordable,
accessible and quality
healthcare for people.
Failures of previous regimes, a stumbling block in health sector
SPEED BREAKER
CM Yogi reviews preparations of covid vaccination drive at BRD
Medical College in Gorakhpur on Monday
VAXELOQUENT:YOGI ADITYANATH
TOPROMOTEJABJOBTOTHEHILT
First India Bureau
Gorakhpur: Uttar
Pradesh Chief Minister
Yogi Adityanath here on
Monday said vaccina-
tion is the biggest weap-
on in the fight against
coronavirus and the
state government is pro-
viding free vaccine
without discrimination.
The CM also directed
officials to ensure that
there is no shortage of
medicaloxygenandsaid
that it is the first time in
the country that the life-
saving gas is being sup-
plied with the help of
Air Force planes and
trains, according to a
statement.
“Vaccination is the
biggest weapon in the
fight against coronavi-
rus and the government
is providing free vac-
cine without any dis-
crimination,” he said in
a meeting with the dis-
trict administration of
Gorakhpur as part of a
review of corona man-
agement and control op-
erations.
The Boeing Company
has announced to set up
a 200-bed ICU hospital in
Gorakhpur district. The
CM inspected the con-
struction site of the 200-
bed ICU hospital pro-
posed by Boeing Com-
pany during his visit to
Gorakhpur.
Boeing, the AMERI-
CAN aircraft manufac-
turer, is going to build a
200-year-long hospital at
Veer Bahadur Singh
Sports College in Gora-
khpur.
The UP government
is trying to move to-
wards expansion of
medical facilities in the
state with the help of
government resources
as well as various corpo-
rate and multinational
companies.
CM Yogi also inspect-
ed the Integrated Com-
mand and Control Cen-
tre at Gorakhpur Collec-
torate Complex, from
where corona related
operations are being
handled. He also saw re-
ports on the progress of
Covid-19 ward being
built at Sports College
in Gorakhpur.
Yogi also took a stock of
tele consultancy being
provided to home iso-
lated patients, includ-
ing availability and dis-
tribution of medical
kits.
The UP CM said that
till April 30, the state
had 3.10 lakh active cas-
es, which now stand at
2.25 lakh, a decline of
85,000 due to aggressive
tracing, testing and
treatment across the
state. The CM also in-
spected a COVID vacci-
nation centre for people
above 18 years of age.
Later, the CM held a re-
view meeting with
Gorakhpur and Basti
division officials at BRD
Medical College. During
the inspection of the
Gorakhpur AIIMS, the
UP CM gave instruc-
tions to start the 200-bed
ward there immediately
.
He directed the officials
to ensure oxygen audit.
“Stern action should be
taken against those in-
dulging in black market-
ing,” he added.
CM advocates vaccination drive,adding that it is the biggest weapon in the fight against pandemic
Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath reviewed the preparations to combat Covid-19 in Gorakhpur and Basti zones of the state at BRD Medical
College in presence of MP Ravi Kishan, Divisional Commissioner Jayant Narlikar, DIG Dr Pritinder Singh and other officials on Monday.
GUV CONDOLES DEATH OF ACS’ FATHER
O2:Yogi govt on
drive to achieve
self-sufficiency
First India Bureau
Lucknow: In an at-
tempt to achieve self-
sufficiency in medical
oxygen production in
thestate,CMYogiAdity-
anath has ordered set-
ting up of small oxygen
generator plants in each
district.
Work has already be-
gun to establish oxygen
generator plants in Luc-
know. Similarly
, oxygen
generator plants will be
set up in each district of
the state, ending de-
pendence of hospitals
on major plants located
in other cities and en-
suring uninterrupted
supply of oxygen to hos-
pitals. The move aims at
establishing small oxy-
gen generator plants at
every hospital so that
there is no crisis even if
there is a spike in de-
mand for oxygen in fu-
ture.
Oxygen generator
plants will be set to end
dependence of hospitals
on major plants located
in other cities and en-
suring uninterrupted
supply of oxygen to hos-
pitals. Orders worth Rs
9,64,20,000 have been
placed for supply of un-
interrupted oxygen in
hospital sacross Luc-
know, which involves
supply of oxygen con-
centrators, oxygen gen-
erators and oxygen gen-
erator plants.
The UP Government
is installing 200 oxygen
concentrators with a ca-
pacity of 10 litres per
minute at Covid hospi-
tals and community
health centres.
The move will ease
burden on Covid hospi-
tals and community
health centres.
Besides, orders have
been placed for 21 oxy-
gen generators, 20 oxy-
gen generators with a
capacity of 45 litres
per minute and an oxy-
gen generator with a
capacity of 50 litres
per minute.
Yogi Speaks
Yogi Speaks
CM Yogi has
expressed grief
over death of Aditya
Kumar Awasthi,
father of ACS, Home,
Awanish Awasthi. In
his message to the
bereaved family, he
has wished peace for
the departed soul.
CM Yogi has
expressed deep
condolences on
loss of life due
to electrocution in
the Ram village of
Bahraich and has
instructed officials
to immediately give
the permissible relief
amount to the fami-
lies of the deceased.
CM Yogi Adityanth-
has directed that
all Covid hospitals
in the Uttar Pradesh
should be equipped
with CCTV cameras.
Uttar Pradesh CMr
Yogi Adityanath
has mourned death
of senior journalist
Syed Waqar Mehdi
Rizvi of Urdu Daily
Awadhnama and
has conveyed his
condolences to the
bereaved family.
CM Yogi presides over a meet to review operations of Covid-19
hospitals at AIIMS Gorakhpur, in presence of MP Ravi Kisan, DM K
Vijayendra Pandian, Commissioner Jayant Narlikar, other officials.
Wine traders seek permission to open shops
First India Bureau
Lucknow: The Luc-
know Wine Associa-
tion (LWA) has writ-
ten to the CM Yogi and
the Chief Secretary
seeking permission to
opening liquor shops
across the state of
stateof UttarPradesh,
mentioning non-fulfil-
ment of the compul-
sory quota and con-
stant losses as the
prime reason behind
the move.
Vice President of
LWA Vikas Srivastava
said, “Wine traders are
in a dilemma as the GO
of state is not clear
about the opening of liq-
uor shops. The wine
traders generate reve-
nue of more than 100
crore per day in the
state. We are given a
monthlyquotaandif we
fail to meet that, we are
under the threat to lose
the license.”
“The wine shops are
suffering a constant loss
due to closure for one
reasonoranotherthatis
whyweneedthepermis-
sion to open the shops to
minimise personal loss-
es and maximise the
revenue collection of
the state government.
We hope that Chief Min-
ister Yogi Adityanath
will understand the
problems of the wine
traders and hope that he
will allow us to open
shops for a few hours
during the lockdown
too,” added Srivastav.
—REPRESENTATIONAL PICTURE
DM announces completion
of Covid hosp at Haj house
First India Bureau
Lucknow:Abhishek
Prakash, District Mag-
istrate (DM), Lucknow
announced that the con-
struction of Covid hos-
pital being built in the
city in collaboration
with HAL has been
completed. He added
that a dry run of the
hospital was also car-
ried out yesterday
.
The DM on Monday
inspected the hospital
and informed that all
the works including
the Triage / holding
area have been com-
pleted. He added that
the 255-bed hospital
will soon be opera-
tional.
The District Magistrate
said that a system of
uninterrupted oxygen
supply will be available
in the hospital, so the
patients are not subject
to any discomfort. He
added that the hospital
is equipped with L2 and
L3 bed facility, 25 venti-
lators and 100 HFNC
have been installed
along with 130 oxygen-
ated beds. He further
added that sufficient
manpower including
doctors, nurses and
paramedical staff have
also been deployed in
the hospital. The DM
said that control room
also has also been es-
tablished there for
monitoring Covid pa-
tients through CCTV
cameras.
SN Singh slams
Akhilesh, asks
him to join C-fight
First India Bureau
Lucknow: Slamming
Samajwadi Party Presi-
dent Akhilesh Yadav
and its leaders, Uttar
Pradesh government
spokespersonSiddharth
Nath Singh on Monday
said that instead of in-
dulging in political rhet-
oric he and his people
should join hands in the
fight against Covid-19.
Launching a scathing
attackontheSamajwadi
Party, Singh said that
Akhilesh Yadav should
have visited villages be-
fore issuing any state-
ment. “Akhilesh should
see how CM Yogi has
launched a massive
campaign to stop spread
of COVID-19 in the vil-
lages,” he added. Over 4
lakh members in 60,000
monitoring committees
are involved in rural
surviellance to detect
covid positive patients
in rural areas.

In last 15 years,
population of
Uttar Pradesh
increased by
more than 25
percent.
However, public
health centres,
across the state
have decreased
by 8 per cent
MISSION O2
IAF aircraft
carrying oxygen
cylinders to
help the state
fight against
COVID-19,
lands at
Chaudhary
Charan Singh
Airport in
Lucknow on
Monday.
Sidharth Nath Singh
DM Abhishek Prakash inspects Covid Hospital being built at Haj
House in collaboration with HAL on Monday
HELPLINE LAUNCH
—
PHOTO
BY
SUMIT
KUMAR.

UP IN SMOKE: A frontline worker refilling an emptied medical oxygen plant from a storage vessel at the King George
Medical College, a sight that brings relief to the Covid 19 patients in Lucknow, on Monday. —PHOTO BY SUMIT KUMAR
UTTAR PRADESH
03
COVID-19 UPDATE
TOTAL CASES
TOTAL DEATHS
15,742
NEW CASES
21,331
NEW DEATHS
278
LUCKNOW 1,274
GORAKHPUR 1,031
GTM B NGR 1,026
MEERUT 2,269
KANPUR 30
LUCKNOW 26
JHANSI 16
AZAMGARH 15
RECOVERED 12,83,754
ACTIVE CASES 2,25,271
15,24,767
21,331 FRESH CASES TAKES TALLY
TO 15,24,767, FATALITIES 278
Lucknow: State recorded 21,331 fresh cases that
took its tally to 15,24,767 while 278 fatalities
pushed the death toll to 15,742. With this, the
daily deaths and cases in the state have dropped
for the fourth straight day. Of the 278 fatalities,
Kanpur reported 30, Lucknow 26, Jhansi 16,
Azamgarh 15, Hardoi and Gonda 12, and Gautam
Buddh Nagar 10, the Uttar Pradesh government
said in a statement issued. Meerut reported the
highest number of fresh cases at 2,269, followed
by 1,274 from Lucknow, 1,031 from Gorakhpur,
and 1,026 from Gautam Buddh Nagar, it said. As
many as 29,709 COVID-19 patients recovered
from the disease in a day and were discharged.
With this, the total number of patients discharged
in the state has risen to 12,83,754, statement said.
GIMS GETS 100
NEW BEDS TO
TREAT PATIENTS
Hundred new beds
were made available to
COVID-19 patients on
Monday at the Govern-
ment Institute of Medi-
cal Sciences (GIMS) in
Greater Noida which has
scaled up its capacity to
350 beds now, its officials
said. Fifty of these new
beds have oxygen support
and the hospital added
20 patients to the facility
which has been started
on the fourth floor of the
building located in Kasna,
the officials said.
Janardan Misra
Lucknow: New crema-
torium was established
in Baikunth Dham with
new technology which
will reduce wood con-
sumption and protect
the environment. The
cremation process will
be completed within one
hour in ‘Green Cremato-
rium’ and it will save
about 85 percent wood.
Ajay Kumar Dwivedi,
Municipal commission-
er Lucknow said that a
green crematorium was
established at Gulala
Ghat earlier. After its
encouraging results
new green crematorium
was established at Bai-
kunth Dham. It con-
sumes less than a quin-
tal which is only 15 per-
cent of old use wood, for
cremation. He said that
2 such machines are es-
tablished in Baikunth
Shamatacostof around
Rs 54,000 only for 1 ma-
chine. For now, non-cov-
id bodies are cremated
in these machines and
the initiative has proven
beneficial for environ-
ment also. The machine
works like furnace and
it is covered by thick
iron sheet. Platforms
are made inside the ma-
chine with grills and
iron rods. After getting
torched, the fire is main-
tained by power pump
it creates more fire
ceases loss of energy
.
The machine is fitted
with big chimney which
reduce air pollution. It
was also mentioned that
if cow dung cakes are
used in the machine, the
results will be more bet-
ter. It will save trees
conserve environment.
Though it is not easy to
manage supply of cow
dung cakes in large
quantity will create
an employment oppor-
tunity in rural area.
Sources also said that
it is a new technology
and people are reluc-
tant to use the green
crematorium. Many are
interested in tradition-
al method of cremation
but due to epidemic sev-
eral issues were erupt-
ed. Shortage of wood
was major issue at cre-
matoriums and such
initiatives can control
the use of woods and
save environment.
‘Green’ cremation centre to save environment
ECO-FRIENDLY FUNERAL
THE STATE’S FRESH COVID CASES CONTINUE TO DECLINE, AND RECOVERIES GO UP
First India Bureau
Lucknow: Maintaining
apositiverecoverygraph
for the tenth consecutive
day on Monday Uttar
Pradesh recorded
more daily recov-
eries than the
number of fresh
cases in the same
span of time.
The state re-
corded a total of
21,331 new cases
in the last 24 hours,
the lowest in the last ten
days, whereas, the num-
ber of recoveries was
29,709, which is signifi-
cantly more than the
amount of fresh infec-
tions. With the state
managing to flatten the
curve and limiting the
transmission of the
deadly virus, the
covid-19 situa-
tion in UP has
been consist-
ently improv-
ingasthenum-
ber of active
cases have drasti-
cally been reduced by
85,000 in the last ten
days with swift recovery
of covid patients even in
home isolation. With
the aggressive approach
against Covid, the num-
ber of about 3.10 lakh
active cases on April 30
has come down to about
2.25 lakh now, a fall of
about 85000 in ten days.
With strengthening
the public health sys-
tem, clear risk commu-
nication and active par-
ticipation, despite being
the most populous state,
the Yogi-led state has
been able to effectively
manage the pandemic
with a steady decline in
number of fresh cases
deaths as compared to
other states like Delhi,
Maharashtra etc.
NEW 750-BED COVID
HOSPITAL IN VARANASI
BECOMES FUNCTIONAL
Lucknow: Amidst the ongoing second
wave of COVID-19, with the initiatives
of the Ministry of Defence, Pandit Rajan
Mishra Covid Hospital at Banaras Hindu
University, has been made functional on
Monday through the efforts of DRDO, the
Armed Forces and the civil administra-
tion. The 750 beds hospital has been
set up by DRDO. The Armed Forces are
providing specialists, doctors, nursing
and other medical staff, moved from
across the country on a war footing to
run the hospital in coordination with
Banaras Hindu University and the civil
administration. All beds in
the hospital will be oxy-
genated as the hospital
is well equipped with
40 KL of oxygen stored
in three tanks. Medi-
cines and food will be
provided free of charge
to all patients.
ACTIVE CASES COME
DOWN BY 85K IN 10 DAYS
Queues outside vaccination
centres in Noida, Ghaziabad
‘Increase RTPCR tests ensure
timely availability of medicines’
First India Bureau
Noida/ Ghaziabad:
Long queues were seen
outside vaccination cen-
tres in Noida Ghazi-
abad as COVID-19 vacci-
nation drive for 18 years
above commences in
11moredistricts.UPCM
Yogi Adityanath earlier
on Sunday informed
that vaccination for the
18-44 age group will be
started in 11 more dis-
tricts from Monday
.
The announcement
comeswhenthenationis
facing an unprecedented
surge in cases which has
pushed the healthcare
infrastructure to its lim-
it. “Jabs for 18-44 age
group to be launched in
11 more districts of UP
on Monday
,” said CM.
The vaccination will be
held in Aligarh, Agra,
Prayagraj, Kanpur, Gha-
ziabad, Gorakhpur,
Jhansi, Bareilly
, Meerut,
Moradabad, Lucknow,
Varanasi, Saharanpur,
Firozabad, Mathura-
Vrindavan,Ayodhyaand
Shahjahanpur Gau-
tam Buddh Nagar.
First India Bureau
Lucknow: In an inspec-
tion carried out by RRT
Monitoring Commit-
tees of Community
Health Center Red
Cross, Covid 19 in-
charge officer Dr
Roshan Jacob instruct-
ed that the two testing
units under CHC be re-
moved from Kaiserbagh
bus stand and placed at
Nari Niketan and Sadar
Urban PHC respectively
.
Testing work on the
busstandshouldbedone
byTestingCentralTeam.
Due to lack of adequate
space in CHC, the vacci-
nation camp should also
be set up in Nari Niket-
an. The exact place of
vaccination should be
reported on the notice
board of CHC so that
people could get their
vaccination done easily
.
Officer-in-Charge in-
structed to ensure avail-
ability of medicine kits,
especially Ivermectin
in Urban PHC, to be eas-
ily obtained for daily
activities by the surveil-
lance team. Instruc-
tions were given by Of-
ficer-in-Charge to en-
sure an immediate in-
crease in RTPCR tests
under the Red Cross
CHC area besides en-
suring timely availabil-
ity of medicines to Co-
rona patients, a detailed
review of the microplan
of the daily RRT team
should be ensured.
UP government
halts use of two
Remdesivir batches
First India Bureau
Prayagraj: State gov-
ernment has halted the
use of two batches of
Remdesivir injections
after complaints of the
health of patients dete-
rioratedaftergettingthe
injection. Directorate
of Medical and Health
Services (DGME) Ut-
tar Pradesh Medical
Supplies Corporation
Private Limited (UPM-
SCL) have prohibited
the use of V 100166 and
V 100156 batch Remdesi-
vir injections.
Theinstructionswere
communicated to AD
health, CMOs and prin-
cipals of medical col-
leges in the same re-
gard. The government
had managed Remdesi-
vir injections after sev-
eral deaths due to a
shortage of this injec-
tion.Theinjectionswere
distributed in every dis-
trict in several phases.
Aftergovernmenthospi-
tals, supply patients got
the benefit of that and it
curbs its black-market-
ing but after side effects
of two batches of this
injection, instructions
were issued to prohibit
the use of other injec-
tions of this batch.
CMO Dr Prabhakar
Rai here said that the
batch numbers of the
injections will be cross-
checked and if it be-
longs to that group the
orders will be followed.
Dr SP Singh, principal
of Moti Lal Nehru Med-
ical college said that the
condition of any pa-
tient was not deterio-
rated after taking injec-
tions but the batch
numbers will be re-
checked. He said it was
possible that injections
of the prohibited batch
were not distributed in
the region.
“Green” cremations use less wood and take less time than
traditional cremations. —FILE PHOTO
Remdesivir injections —FILE PHOTO
People stand in a queue to get the first dose of Vaccination, in
Mathura on Monday. —PHOTO BY ANI
Roshan Jacob during inspection
POLICE IN UTTAR PRADESH’S GHAZIABAD DIS-
TRICT HAVE LAUNCHED A HELPLINE NUMBER
9643322935 ON WHICH PEOPLE CAN REPORT
BLACK MARKETING OF OXYGEN CYLINDERS
AND ESSENTIAL DRUGS AND EQUIPMENT
NEEDED FOR TREATING COVID-19 PATIENTS.
US-BASED AIRCRAFT MAKER BOEING HAS
PROPOSED TO CONSTRUCT A 200-BED ICU
HOSPITAL AT VIR BAHADUR SINGH SPORTS
COLLEGE IN GORAKHPUR.
OVER 4.29 CRORE COVID-19 TESTS HAVE BEEN
CONDUCTED IN UTTAR PRADESH SO FAR, THE
HIGHEST IN THE COUNTRY, WITH A RECORD
2.96 LAKH TESTS IN A SINGLE DAY ON MAY 2

l Vol 1 l Issue No. 150 l RNI NO. UPENG/2020/04393. Printed and published by Anita Hada Sangwan on behalf of First Express Publishers. Printed at Amar Ujala Ltd. B-5 Amausi Industrial Area Kanpur Road Lucknow.
Published at 98, Friend’’s Colony, Raheem Nagar, Dudouli Road, Madiyaon, Lucknow (UP). Editor-In-Chief: Jagdeesh Chandra. Editor: Anita Hada Sangwan responsible for selection of news under the PRB Act
PERSPECTIVE
04
here have been
many predic-
tions about how
many people
have had COV-
ID-19 and whether or not
this or that country has
reached herd immunity
. We
have seen this before in
Manaus, Brazil, and in In-
dia. The optimism is alas
always misplaced and occa-
sionally used irresponsibly
.
We have seen approaches
to naturally acquired herd
immunity proposed as
high-profile ideas for pub-
lic policy in the UK and in-
ternationally, such as the
Great Barrington declara-
tion. These proposals have
been widely decried by
health experts, including
in the John Snow memo-
randum. The World Health
Organization described the
idea as “scientifically prob-
lematic and unethical”.
There is no doubt that a
humanitarian emergency
is unfolding in India right
now. India is a catastrophic
example of a population
that has certainly not
reached herd immunity
against COVID-19. The sto-
ries of a collapsing health
system are numerous, with
reports of a lack of oxygen
for hospitalised patients
and bodies burning on
pyres in the streets.
India has locally made
vaccines, which are being
rolled out, including the
AstraZeneca vaccine. But
the proportion of the popu-
lation that is immunised is
still very low, and alas,
therearemorethanenough
susceptible people for the
virus to keep spreading.
The numbers are stark
too. The Financial Times
put together a sobering re-
view of the data, with un-
wanted new world records
being set for new con-
firmed cases in one day.
One of the most worrying
aspects is the level of un-
der-counting that will be
happening.
The test positivity rate
(the proportion of people
tested for COVID that re-
turn a positive test) in In-
dia is high – around 18%.
This is well above the
WHO threshold of 10%,
suggesting that a lot of
positive cases are being
missed because of a lack
of testing capacity and
timely reporting.
Indeed, one of the key
concerns is the lack of
high-quality real-time data
to give an informed picture
of the scenarios that are
unfolding in India. The
numbers of deaths are
starting to rise on a steep
trajectory, and that graph
will surely soar further
over the next few weeks.
When there was specula-
tion around a possible
reaching of herd immuni-
ty, India was relatively be-
calmed with much lower
levels of COVID-19, vac-
cines becoming available
and a pandemic that ap-
peared to be under control
in South East Asia.
So what changed all
that? There has been a lot
of focus on the B1617 vari-
ant, which was first detect-
ed in India. There is still a
lot to learn about this vari-
ant, such as whether it is
more transmissible and
thus contributing to an in-
creased community trans-
mission. It is a plausible
theory
, but as yet unknown.
But it is the mixing of
susceptible populations
that ultimately drives the
transmissionof respiratory
infectious diseases. There
werebolddeclarationsfrom
senior political figures,
withHealthMinister,Harsh
Vardhan, saying in early
March that India was in
“the pandemic end game”.
SOURCE: THE CONVERSATION
COVID-19 in India: an unfolding humanitarian crisis
T
Looking deeply at life as it is
in this very moment, the
meditator dwells in stability
and freedom. —Buddha
Spiritual
SPEAK
Top
TWEET
Smriti Z Irani @smritiirani
With a view to provide expert care
to children residing at Govt. Child
Care Institutions (CCI) across
the country, @MinistryWCD is
engaging with Indian Academy of
Pediatrics. This will be in addition
to medical care provided to
children under scheme for Child
Protection Services.
Ravi Shankar Prasad @rsprasad
Attended the meeting of @
BJP4Bengal Legislature Party
as Central Observer where @
SuvenduWB - MLA from
#Nandigram was unanimously
elected as the leader of BJP
Legislature Party and also Leader of
Opposition. Exhorted MLAs to work
hard for development and peace.
t is important to acknowledge
thatweallexperiencesuffering,
discontent, or dissatisfaction.
Accepting this predicament is
the first step towards under-
standing the painful experience
which is more relevant than
ever before in current excruci-
atingtimesof pandemicthatwe
all are experiencing. With eve-
rything that is currently going
on in the world, our stress levels
may likely be heightened. For
some people, the uncertainty of
this time causes a lot of anxiety
.
It’s important to give oneself a
rest and practice healthy ways
of de-stressing as we learn how
to deal with new normal every
day
. While the world is gasping
in bewilderment to save itself
from the agonizing waves of
Covid -19 which seem rhapsodi-
cal, looking back may hand us
an enshrined solution in the
form of yoga which may equip
us to fight this battle.
Yoga fosters sensitivity and
larger understanding, and it is
worth observing that sympathy
and receptivity lie at the very
root of yoga’s first principle-
helping others by helping one-
self. The yoga principles es-
pouse that profound changes
happenwithinwhenwedevelop
connectivitytothesufferingsof
others, realizing that fragility is
inherent to all of us. Yoga prac-
tice can help us develop a non-
impulsive reaction to events.
What makes yoga exclusive
is, it being inclusive. People of
allagegroups,nationalitiesand
socialbackgroundscanpractice
it because yoga is accessible to
all. There are so many different
kinds of yoga practices, so it’s
possibleforanyonetostart.Size
and fitness levels don’t matter
— there are modifications for
every yoga pose.Apart from the
real physical effect of the coro-
navirus on our populations, the
mental health implications of
the pandemic can be felt just as
strongly
. For those already suf-
fering from mental health con-
ditions or anxiety, the added
stress of a global pandemic can
feel overwhelming and unman-
ageable. Anxiety thrives on un-
certainty and being in a con-
stant state of waiting for some-
thing to happen will only in-
crease this. Anxiety and the
mannerinwhichwebreatheare
co-joint. The principles of yoga
offer a wonderful, logical expla-
nation to regulate breathing.
Do not take your breathing
for granted. Taking the time to
breathe mindfully and deeply
for a few minutes or so can al-
ready help you to see an im-
provement without even mov-
ing a muscle. The power of be-
ing still is just as important as
the power of movement. Ac-
cording to the American Osteo-
pathic Association, the purpose
of yoga is to build strength,
awareness, and harmony in the
mind and body
. Yoga allows the
body to stretch and utilize mus-
cles that would not typically get
used in standard popular prac-
ticesof workoutoraclassicrun.
But, aside from the physical
benefits, yoga also gives the op-
portunity to focus on your
breathing and allows you to
manage your stress levels.
The short-term effects of
yoga are usually felt through
breathing techniques. By learn-
ing to breathe deeply, you not
only physically allow your mus-
cles to relax, but you are also
much better equipped to con-
nect with other relaxation tech-
niques, such as meditation. In
the long term, practicing yoga
helps to build a mind-body con-
nection that reinforces much
control we actually have over
both. Anxiety disorders, and by
extension, coronavirus anxiety
,
thrives on feeling out of control
and being helpless. Over time,
yoga can help you to regain that
sense of control and allow your
mind and your body to sharpen
each other, which in turn gives
you the tools to better manage
those moments when you feel
anxious over a situation, you
can’t control. Sometimes our
biggest enemy is our own mind,
so give yourself some time to
relax your mind and focus on
yourself. It is doing more good
for your body than you know.
Breathing and yoga are often-
timesassociatedunderthesame
tumbrel. While both activities
encourage mindfulness, health,
and relaxation. Yoga can get in-
tense and serve as a workout
depending on the level. Breath-
ing, however, is effortless and
can be practiced everywhere
with being a little mindful.
Often,whenweareinastress-
fulsituation,wegetanxiousand
do not give our minds a chance
to think logically
. Breathing
rightfully supports our emo-
tional well-being by stamping
out the information overload
that we all experience daily
. It
allows us a clean space in our
mind which in turn can cast us
towards positivity
. We not only
feel revamped but we also be-
come mindful of people and
situations which lead us to a
deepconsciousnessof life-force.
THE VIEWS EXPRESSED BY
THE AUTHOR ARE PERSONAL
THE YOGIC
WARRIOR AND
POWER OF
BEING CALM
I
Yoga fosters
sensitivity and
larger
understanding,
and it is worth
observing that
sympathy and
receptivity lie at
the very root of
yoga’s first
principle- helping
others by helping
oneself. The yoga
principles espouse
that profound
changes happen
within when we
develop
connectivity to the
sufferings of others,
realizing that
fragility is
inherent to all of us
DO NOT TAKE YOUR
BREATHING FOR
GRANTED. TAKING THE
TIME TO BREATHE
MINDFULLY AND DEEPLY
FOR A FEW MINUTES OR
SO CAN ALREADY HELP
YOU TO SEE AN
IMPROVEMENT WITHOUT
EVEN MOVING A MUSCLE
DR JYOTI
JOSHI
The author is a soft skill trainer,
business coach and English language
instructor in Germany, Europe
IN-DEPTH
HUMANITY IS ALIVE
AND FLOURISHING
umans die, but humanity doesn’t. With
hospitalsoverflowingandpeoplerunning
around to find beds for their kin gurdu-
waras, temples, Haj houses have all
stepped forward to accommodate Cov-
id-19 patients providing for basic medical facilities
needed for treating them. Delhi, which was finding
it difficult to manage the crisis, found the Radha
Soami Satsang Beas offering its huge premises in
Chattarpurfora500-bedCovidhospitalwhichisrun
by the medical wing of the Indo-Tibetan Border Po-
lice. At that time the Delhi government was facing
an acute shortage of hospital beds. Likewise, the
Green Park mosque in south Delhi set up a 10-bed
quarantine centre and was taking in patients on the
basis of doctor’s prescription. In Kerala, the Catho-
licChurchofferedover1,940intensivecareunitbeds
in 200 of its hospitals to be converted into isolation
wards for treating Covid-19 patients. A Covid facil-
ity at Lucknow’s Haj House is to soon become op-
erational as a 250-bed L3 Covid-19 hospital.
It is one community which has stood out for yeo-
man’s service in the country’s hour of need. The
300-bed Guru Tegh Bahadur Covid Care Centre at
Gurudwara Rakab Ganj in central Delhi became
operational on Monday
. All beds have oxygen sup-
ply and the Centre has all the necessary drugs
needed in the treatment of Covid-19. Fifty doctors
from the Lok Nayak Jai Prakash Narayan hospital
of the Delhi government will manage the Centre.
Gurudwaras have organized ‘oxygen langar’ in
Noida, Kolkata and elsewhere. Gurudwaras are
known for their open and free kitchens but the ges-
ture during pandemic deserves special praise.
H
JOURNEY OF TWO MEN
TO THE POST OF CM
wo first time chief ministers took oath af-
ter the recent assembly elections. A politi-
cally sagacious Himanta Biswa Sarma, a
former Congressman and MK Stalin who
had to wait for ten years became chief
ministers of Assam and Tamil Nadu respectively
.
Himanta Biswa Sarma, a protégé of former
Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi who quit the Con-
gress to join the BJP in 2014, has fully assimilated
into the BJP and for that reason he stands out. He
is also the first BJP chief minister who does not
have an RSS background. That apart, Sarma has
emerged as a force in north-east politics. It was his
organizational skills and strategizing which
helped the Bharatiya Janata Party form its first
government in Assam. He demonstrated his elec-
toral skills again in 2019 when he helped the BJP
win despite the anti-CAA protests which rocked
the state. His shrewd political management has
been proven not just in Assam but the entire north-
east in recognition of which the BJP appointed
him convener of North East Democratic Alliance.
Stalin had to wait 50 years and his father M.
Karunanidhi’s passing away to be elected the pres-
ident of the DMK. His assuming charge of the
party’s leadership happened only after a bitter suc-
cession war between him and his elder brother MK
Azhagiri. Stalin’s journey as party chief and as
chief minister will be difficult as Azhagiri, who
was sidelined by his father, has Azhagiri warned
the DMK would have to face consequences if he
was not taken back into the party
. How Stalin takes
on his brother will decide his future.
T

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PM MODI EXPRESSES CONFIDENCE IN HIMANTA BISWA SARMA
‘TEAM WILL GUIDE ASSAM
TOWARDS DEVELOPMENT’
New Delhi: Prime Min-
ister Narendra Modi
greeted the Bharatiya
Janata Party (BJP) lead-
er Himanta Biswa Sar-
ma soon after he took
oath as Chief Minister
of Assam on Monday
.
The Prime Minister
also expressed confi-
dence in the state cabi-
net and said that it will
add momentum to the
development journey of
the state and fulfil the
aspirations of the peo-
ple. “Congratulations to
Himanata Biswa Sarma
and the other Ministers
who took oath today
. I
am confident this team
will add momentum to
the development jour-
ney of Assam and fulfil
aspirations of the peo-
ple,” he tweeted.
PM Modi also praised
the former Chief Minis-
ter of the state Sarba-
nanda Sonowal by say-
ingthathiscontribution
towards Assam’s pro-
gress and strengthening
the party is immense.
“My valued col-
league Sarbananda So-
nowal was at the helm
of a pro-people and pro-
development adminis-
tration over the last
five years. His contri-
bution towards As-
sam’s progress and
strengthening the party
in the state is im-
mense,” PM’s another
tweet said. Sarma was
sworn in as the 15th
Chief Minister of As-
sam at 12 noon today,
replacing former Chief
Minister Sarbananda
Sonowal. He is consid-
ered to be the chariot-
eer of BJP’s growth in
the Northeast. —ANI
Rahul slams Centre over foreign aid for Corona
New Delhi: Hitting
out at the Centre, Con-
gress leader Rahul
Gandhi on Monday
said the government’s
“repeated chest-
thumping” at receiv-
ing foreign aid to tack-
le the COVID-19 crisis
in the country is pa-
thetic, and had it done
its job, it would not
have come to this.
The Congress had
last week demanded
transparency and
urged Prime Minister
Narendra Modi to
make public the details
of all the relief mate-
rial received by India
from different coun-
tries.
“GOI’s repeated
chest-thumping at re-
ceiving foreign aid is
pathetic. Had GOI done
its job, it wouldn’t have
come to this,” Con-
gress Leader Rahul
Gandhi said in a tweet.
As India reels under
a calamitous second
wave of the coronavi-
rus infection, it has
received large amounts
of medical supplies
from a significant
number of countries,
including the US, Rus-
sia, France, Germany,
the UK, Ireland, Bel-
gium, Romania, Singa-
pore, Sweden and Ku-
wait. —ANI
Nifty ends over
14K, Sensex
rises 296 pts
Mumbai: Equity gaug-
es Sensex and Nifty ral-
lied for the fourth
straight session on
Monday on hectic buy-
ing in mainly pharma,
power and banking
shares as investors
brushed aside concerns
over rising coronavirus
cases amid positive
global cues.
At the closing bell,
the 30-share BSE index
quoted 295.94 points or
0.60 per cent higher at
49,502.41. Over the last
four sessions, the
Sensex has gained
1,248.90 points or 2.58
per cent.
Similarly
, the broader
NSE Nifty jumped
119.20 points or 0.80 per
cent to 14,942.35 taking
its total gains over the
four days to 445.85
points or 3.07 per cent.
LT was the top gainer
in the Sensex pack. —ANI
IN THE COURTYARD
Youth Bar Assn moves SC
for door-to-door vax policy
New Delhi: Youth Bar
Association of India
(YBAI) has moved the
Supreme Court seek-
ing directions for ap-
propriate measures to
be taken for the provi-
sion of door-to-door
vaccination of all the
citizens residing in the
country, particularly
the elderly, differently-
abled, less privileged,
weaker sections, and
those who are unable to
register online for
their vaccination.
“Direct respondent
to consider necessity
for providing door-to-
door COVID-19 vacci-
nation of all citizens
residing in India, par-
ticularly those who are
elderly, differently-
abled, less privileged,
weaker sections and
those who are not capa-
ble to do their online
registration for ap-
proaching vaccination
centre,” PILsaid.
Pinjra Tod activist
gets interim bail
after dad’s death
New Delhi: Delhi HC
on Monday granted 3
weeks interim bail to
Pinjra Tod activist
Natasha Narwal, who
is facing charges in a
UAPA case in connec-
tion with Northeast
Delhi riots of 2020. Her
father Mahavir Narwal
passed away on Sunday
due to COVID-19. Court
said her release is im-
perative in this hour of
grief and personal loss.
Oxy concentrators case: Court
refuses interim relief to Kalra
Lookout notice against absconding
wrestler Olympian Sushil Kumar
New Delhi: The Delhi
Police on Monday is-
sued a Look-out-Circu-
lar(LoC)against2-time
Olympic medalist Su-
shil Kumar, who is
absconding after being
named in murder of a
23-yr-old former junior
national champion in
Chhatrasal Stadium.
Sagar Dhankad, was
beaten to death during
a brawl at the Stadi-
um’s parking area. An
FIR of murder, abduc-
tion and criminal con-
spiracy was registered
against Kumar. The
victims have alleged
that Sushil Kumar was
present at the spot
when the incident took
place. —ANI
New Delhi: A Delhi
Court on Monday re-
fused to grant any in-
terim relief to Navneet
Kalra in connection
with a case relating to
the hoarding of oxy-
gen concentrators in a
restaurant in South
Delhi. Kalra appealed
for interim relief from
the police’s coercive
action in connection
with the seizure of ox-
ygen concentrators
from his restaurants.
Special Judge Sumit
Dass adjourned the
matter for tomorrow
asking Delhi Police to
file a reply on the Kalra
anticipatory bail plea.
Court is to hear
Kalra’s anticipatory
bail plea today, in con-
nection with case..
Didi keeps Home Health,
Amit Mitra retains Finance
Kolkata: West Bengal
chief minister Mamata
Banerjee retained six
portfolios while induct-
ing 20 new faces in her
43-member new Cabi-
net. Meanwhile, the
BJP elected Suvendu
Adhikari as Leader of
the Opposition. While
MamatawillkeepHome
and Hill Affairs, Per-
sonnel and Administra-
tion, Health and Family
Welfare, Land and Land
Reforms and Refugee
and Rehabilitation, In-
formation and Cultural
Affairs and North Ben-
gal Development.
After as many as 43
TMC leaders were
sworn in as ministers
in Mamata’s Cabinet on
Monday at Raj Bhavan,
Governor Jagdeep
Dhankhar issued a list
of portfolios allotted to
them.
There are 24 minis-
ters of Cabinet rank, 10
ministers of state with
independent charge,
and nine other minis-
ters of state. Among the
new ministers is former
finance minister Amit
Mitra. Even though he
didn’t contest polls be-
cause of his poor
health. The list of vet-
eran leaders, part of the
cabinet, includes Sub-
rata Mukherjee, Partha
Chatterjee, Firhad
Hakim, Jyoti Priya Mal-
lick, Moloy Ghatak,
Aroop Biswas, Dr
Shashi Panja and Javed
Ahmed Khan. 3 TMC
leaders Amit Mitra,
Bratya Basu and Rathin
Ghosh were sworn-in
virtually. Mitra is un-
well and Basu Ghosh
are recuperating .
West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee exchanges greetings with Governor Jagdeep Dhankar during
swearing-in ceremony of new minister of the State, at Raj Bhavan in Kolkata on Monday.
SOUL-SEARCHING NEEDED,’
SAYS GUV AFTER MAMATA
‘PEACEFUL’ WB CLAIMS
SURE TO GET CLEAN CHIT
IN NARADA SCAM PROBE,
SAYS FIRHAD
Kolkata: Bengal governor Jagdeep
Dhankhar on Monday came down
heavily on Mamata-led govern-
ment, moments after he admin-
istered oath to TMC ministers.
Speaking to reporters, Dhankhar
said, “Retributive violence, acts of
arson, loot now have graduated to
intimidation and extortion. This is
worrisome.” If your vote becomes
a cause of your death or property
destruction, if it leads to arson,
then that signals the end of de-
mocracy.” He said, “I expect state
govt to engage in soul searching
and book the culprits.” —Agencies
Kolkata: West Bengal Minister
Firhad Hakim on Monday said that
he was sure that “we will get a
clean chit” in the Narada scam be-
ing investigated by the CBI against
him and other TMC leaders. “I be-
lieve in the judiciary and I am sure
we will get a clean chit. It is good
that it is going to the court now
and I will say my words and the
judiciary will do justice,” he said
on being asked about Governor
sanctioning prosecution against
him in the Narada case. He alleged
Centre and PM have failed to tackle
COVID-19 situation. —ANI
‘Total lockdown will hamper livelihood’
Kolkata: West Ben-
gal CM Mamata Ba-
nerjee on Monday
held her first Cabi-
net meeting and
said strict measures
have been taken to
control spread of
COVID in state,
while also maintain-
ing that a total lock-
down, if imposed,
will hamper liveli-
hood of people.
Contending that
peace prevails in the
state, she said her
government will act
against ones circu-
lating fake videos
over post-poll vio-
lence. Urging the
Centre to facilitate
free-of-cost vaccines
for all in the coun-
try, she said that her
government won’t
be charging any-
thing for innoculat-
ing its people. —PTI
NADDA ATTENDS
Prime Minister Narendra Modi
CHHATRASAL STADIUM MURDER
Rahul Gandhi
—PHOTO
BY
PTI

INDIA
06
UP on course...
being supplied to near-
by districts. We are
thankful to the Govern-
ment of India and PM
Modi who are running
special trains for this,”
said the UP CM while
talking to media per-
sons in Ayodhya. “Apart
from special trains,
Oxygen tankers are be-
ing sent on large air-
craft of Air Force. Yes-
terday, 1000 MT of oxy-
gen was supplied to the
state. But we should not
remain restricted to
supply, oxygen plants
should be established
too,” he said adding
that work was under-
way to set up Oxygen
plants.“We have also
provided Oxygen con-
centrators to all dis-
tricts. In the first phase,
all districts have been
provided the same.
More concentrators
will also be provided,”
he said.
Convene special...
Covid cases to 3.7 mil-
lion and severely
straining the health
sector.“In this critical
situation I would urge
your kind conscience to
convene a special (Cov-
id crisis) session of Par-
liament because India
consists of a number of
constituencies and
each member of Parlia-
ment representing his/
her constituency from
the respective state has
some say about the con-
dition of people therein
and in order to find a
way to ease the lives of
suffering people,”
Adhir Ranjan Chowd-
hury, who heads the
Congress party in the
Lok Sabha said.
Sarma takes...
newly appointed west-
ern command chief. He
was appointed after for-
mer deputy command-
er-in-chief Drishti Ra-
jkhowa surrendered in
November.In the run-
up to the Assam polls,
Prime Minister Naren-
dra Modi made an ap-
peal to militants who
have not surrendered
yet to return to the
mainstream as they are
needed to create an ‘’At-
manirbhar Assam’’.In
February, 1,040 mili-
tants of five outfits sur-
rendered at an arms
laying down ceremony
in Assam.
Tikri border...
“In his complaint to us,
the victim’s father has
said that the woman
was sexually harassed
on the train while trav-
elling and on reaching
the border too, she was
raped by the accused,”
said Inspector Vijay Ku-
mar, Station House Of-
ficer (SHO) of the Baha-
durgarh City police sta-
tion, where an FIR has
been registered under
various sections of the
IPC, including Section
376-D (gangrape).
50 Palestinians...
the Al-Aqsa Mosque
during skirmishes be-
tween officers and Pal-
estinian rioters.
Israeli police clashed
with Palestinian pro-
testers at a flashpoint
Jerusalem holy site, the
latest in a series of con-
frontations that is
pushing the contested
city to the brink of
eruption.
Delhi HC...
states they are con-
cerned by the “super
spreading potential and
threat”posedbythecon-
tinuing construction at
theprojectandtheplight
of the workers who are
being exposed to the in-
fection on a daily basis.
Luthra, appearing for
the petitioners, last
week submitted before
the division bench that
they are in no manner
seeking to overreach the
Supreme Court’s earlier
judgment on the project
and the prayer is limited
to seeking an interim
stay on the construction
duringthepeakphaseof
pandemic.
Need to...
(CongressWorkingCom-
mittee)-theparty’shigh-
est decision-making
body
. The Congress is
also set to discuss elec-
tions to choose a new
President - a sensitive
subject given the divide
between senior leaders
over the leadership of
the party and its contin-
uingpoorperformances.
June23wasproposedfor
the election but the date
metwithresistancefrom
some leaders. Eventual-
ly the party decided to
delay the elections in
view of the pandemic.
party prez...
He said that instead of
going for the elections,
the party should focus
on relief works. Con-
gress leader Rahul Gan-
dhi was not present in
the CWC meeting. “Our
priority should not be
election at a time when
the entire country is
facing the horrific cov-
id situation,” he said.
Gehlot said that rising
above party lines is the
need of the hour to fight
against the pandemic.
Shortly after the start
of the meeting, Con-
gress president Sonia
Gandhi has asked Ge-
hlot to speak following
which he put his points.
He also explained the
situation in the state.
FROM PG 1
THREE IAS OFFICERS
SHIFTED IN W BENGAL
Mrs. Antara Acharya has been appointed as CEO,
Kolkata Metropolitan Development Authority
(KMDA), while Anurag Shrivastava is posted as
Managing Director, West Bengal Mineral Develop-
ment Trading Corporation Ltd. with additional
charge of Additional Secretary, IC E Department
and S Ponnambalam was made District Magis-
trate, Darjeeling.
DEPUTATION OF RAVINDRA NATH
RAI EXTENDED IN BIHAR
The deputation of Ravindra Nath Rai, Special Sec-
retary, Agriculture Department, Patna, which was
due to end on June 15, 2021, has been extended
by one year till June 15, 2022. He is a 1995 batch
officer of Indian Railway Service of Engineers
(IRSE).
ANOOP KUMAR MENDIRATTA IS
ALSO SECRETARY, LEGISLATIVE
Anoop Kumar Mendiratta, Secretary Legal Affairs,
has been assigned an additional charge of Secre-
tary, Legislative Department until further orders.
OVER 100 PIB OFFICIALS
INOCULATED
More than 100 officials and media persons have
been inoculated as a part of workplace vaccination
drive organized by Press Information Bureau (PIB)
at the National Media Centre, Delhi.
ARUN KUMAR SINGH SELECTED
AS CMD, BPCL
Arun Kumar Singh, Director (Marketing),
BPCL, has been selected for the post of Chair-
man-cum-Managing Director, Bharat Petroleum
Corporation Limited (BPCL) at a Public Enterprises
Selection Board (PESB) meeting held on May 10,
2021. As many as six candidates were interviewed
for the same.
DEPUTATION OF RAVI SHANKAR
SRIVASTAVA EXTENDED IN BIHAR
The deputation of Ravi Shankar Srivastava, In-
vestment Commissioner, Mumbai, with additional
charge of CEO, Bihar Foundation, Patna, which
was due to end on May 7, 2021, has been extend-
ed by one year till May 6, 2022. He is a 1995 batch
officer of Indian Revenue Service (IRS).
COL V RAMULU APPOINTED AS
COMMISSIONER, AYUSH IN AP
Col V Ramulu has been appointed as Commis-
sioner, AYUSH. He is a 1992 batch officer of Indian
Postal Service and on deputation to AP Govt.
TENURE OF ASHISH KUMAR BHUTANI
AS CEO, PMFBY EXTENDED
The central deputation tenure of Ashish Kumar
Bhutani as Chief Executive Officer, Pradhan Mantri
Fasal Bima Yojna (PMFBY), Department of Agri-
culture, Cooperation Farmers Welfare, has been
extended for a period of three months beyond
May 9, 2021. He is a 1992 batch IAS officer of
Assam-Meghalaya cadre.
E V BHASKAR APPOINTED AS JCIT
IN PRCCIT DELHI REGION
E V Bhaskar has been appointed as JCIT (OSD) in
the office of Principal CCIT, Delhi Region. He is an
IRS-IT officer.
TWO IRS-IT OFFICERS GET
PROFORMA PROMOTION
Chetan P S Rao and Ms Inoshi Sharma have been
given proforma promotion to the grade of CIT.
Both are IRS-IT officers.
RESHUFFLE OF IPS OFFICERS
IN TAMIL NADU
As many as nine IPS officers have been trans-
ferred and posted to different places in Tamil
Nadu. Accordingly, Md Shakeel Akhter has been
appointed as DG, Crime Branch CID, Chennai,
while P Kandaswamy was made DG, Vigilance and
Anti-Corruption, Chennai and Dr M Ravi is ADG,
Administration, Chennai.
POWERGallery
By arrangement with: http://
whispersinthecorridors.com
Slight retreat: India posts 3.66 lakh
new Covid cases and 3,754 deaths
INDIA’S TOTAL CASELOAD NOW STANDS AT 22.66 MILLION, WITH 246,116 DEATHS
Family members mourn the death of a COVID-19 victim at Patna Medical College and Hospital
(PMCH), amid a surge in coronavirus cases in record numbers across the country, in Patna on
Monday. —PHOTO BY ANI
New Delhi: India’s dai-
ly rise in Covid-19 cases
retreated from the 4
lakh mark on Monday,
while its daily rise in
deaths also fell after two
straight days of more
than 4,000 fatalities due
to the virus, according
to the Union health
ministry data.
India’s Covid-19 case-
load reached 2,26,62,575
on Monday as the coun-
try added 366,161 new
Covid-19 infections over
the past 24 hours. A to-
tal of 3,754 people suc-
cumbed to the virus in
one day, taking the
death toll due to the in-
fection in India to just
over 2.46 lakh.
India’s total caseload
now stands at 22.66 mil-
lion, with 246,116
deaths. A total of
3,53,818 Covid-19 pa-
tients were discharged
in the past 24 hours, as
per the Union health
ministry. So far,
1,86,71,222 people have
recovered from the dis-
ease, while 17,01,76,603
persons have been vac-
cinated in the country
against the Covid-19 in-
fection.
India has 37,45,237 ac-
tive cases of Covid-19.
The top five states that
have registered the
maximum number of
Covid-19 cases in the
past 24 hours are Maha-
rashtra with 48,401 cas-
es, and Karnataka with
47,930 cases. —PTI
New Delhi: Delhi reported
319 more COVID-19
fatalities and 12,651 new
infections, the lowest in
four weeks, on Monday,
with a positivity rate of
19.10 per cent. The low
number of new cases
of the infection can be
attributed to fewer tests
conducted on Sunday
(66,234). At 19.10 per
cent, the city’s COVID-19
positivity rate is at its
lowest since April 16,
according to a health bul-
letin issued by the Delhi
govt. The positivity rate in
Delhi has remained above
the 20 per cent mark.
?????: As the country
reels under the rise of
Covid-19 cases and an in-
creased need for medical
oxygen, the Indian Navy is
rendering its services and
helping the civil adminis-
tration.
As part of Operation
Samudra Setu II, Indian
Naval Ship Trikand was
deployed to augment
the shipment of Liquid
Medical Oxygen (LMO)
cryogenic containers
from Hamad Port, Qatar
to Mumbai. Indian Navy
in a statement said, “INS
Trikand entered Qatar on
May 5 in Mumbai.”
Patna: After being re-
leased from prison, Rash-
triya Janata Dal (RJD)
chief Lalu Prasad Yadav
on Monday attacked PM
Narendra Modi for alleged
poor implementation of
the Corona vaccination
programme.
“We did a world record
with the pulse polio vacci-
nation programme during
the Janata Dal govern-
ment in 1996-97. I was
the national president of
Janata Dal. We did 11.74
crore vaccinations of
pulse polio till December
7, 1996 and 12.73 crore
by January 18, 1997
despite lack of aware-
ness and misconceptions
among common people of
the country at that time,”
Lalu said in a tweet.
“At present, awareness
among common people is
higher compared to that
time,” Lalu said.
POSITIVITY RATE
DIPS BELOW 20 PER
CENT IN DELHI
INS TRIKAND
ARRIVES WITH 40
MT O2 FROM QATAR
Lalu attacks PM on Covid
vaccination programme
New Delhi: Minister of State for
Finance Anurag Singh Thakur said
the govt has provided 175.6 million
Covid vaccine doses so far to states
and union territories for inoculation
of people of all age groups and 4.6
million doses will be supplied to
them in 3 days. Thakur’s remarks
came in response to senior Cong
leader Mallikarjun Kharge’s letter to
PM Narendra Modi urging him to
use Rs 350,000 million allocated.
Goa: Government here on Monday
cleared a new Covid-19 treatment
protocol which recommends all
residents above the age of 18 to
take five tablets of the Ivermectin
drug. Health Minister Vishwajit
Rane said that the ivermectin
drug would be made available at
all health centres in the state and
should be taken by all residents,
irrespective of whether they have
Covid-19 symptoms or otherwise.
175.6M FREE DOSES
PROVIDED TO STATES
GOA RECOMMENDS
IVERMECTIN TO 18+
New Delhi: A new re-
port from the charity
Christian Aid on Mon-
day showed that India
along with other tea
producing nations, are
facing a host of climate
related impacts such as
rising temperatures, er-
ratic rainfall, and new
insect infestations.The
fate of the Indian tea
sector has a major ef-
fect on tea drinkers
around the world. The
report shows that As-
sam, the largest single
tea growing region in
the world, is particu-
larly vulnerable with
growers there already
suffering from the im-
pact of the climate cri-
sis.
In a survey of pro-
ducers in Assam, 97 per
cent of smallholders
stated that the challeng-
ing climate conditions
were a threat. —ANI
New Delhi: The SC
Monday said it will go
through the compliance
affidavit filed by the
Centre on its vaccina-
tion and hospitalisation
policies. The top court,
which is hearing a suo
motu case on the man-
agement of Covid-19
pandemic, will take up
the matter next on May
13. The Centre filed the
affidavit after the top
court had asked the gov-
ernment to rethink its
vaccine and healthcare
policy during the Cov-
id-19 pandemic. The top
court had also directed
the Centre to formulate
within two weeks a na-
tional policy on admis-
sions to hospitals in the
wake of the second
Covid wave.
In its affidavit, the
central government has
said that given the lim-
ited availability of vac-
cines, inoculating the
entire population was
not possible in one go
due to the suddenness
of the pandemic but it
will ensure its “equita-
ble distribution”.
The policy was “just,
equitable, non-discrim-
inatory and based upon
an intelligible differen-
tiating factor”, it said.
Toronto: A Cana-
dian health expert
on the federal gov-
ernment’s COV-
ID-19 Task Force
says that Canada
and the rest of the
world will most
likely see the novel
coronavirus be-
come a part of the
viral ecosystem --
akin to the seasonal
endemic flu -- due to
the spread of sev-
eral variants of
concern. Dr. Alan
Bernstein said one
way to deal with
such spread would
be for vaccine mak-
ers to adapt and
modify their shots
over the coming
years. —ANI
New Delhi: Among
the second wave of
the coronavirus, re-
ports of a rare fun-
gal infection among
the COVID-19 pa-
tients in India have
come to the fore
now. This rare fun-
gal infection is be-
ing referred to as
‘Black fungus’ or
‘mucormycosis’ in
medical parlance. It
is caused by a fun-
gus named mucor,
which is found on
wet surfaces. Cases
of mucormycosis
are rapidly rising
among COVID-19
survivors, causing
blindness or seri-
ous illness and even
death. —ANI
Tea producing nations
face climate impacts
SC to take up
Centre’s affidavit on
Covid management
COVID-19 will
be like
endemic flu
Deadly fungal
infection found
in patients
New Delhi: 2-deoxy-D-glucose (2-DG), the anti-COVID-19 drug that
has been developed by Defence Research and Development Organisa-
tion (DRDO) and been given an emergency use nod by Drugs Controller
General of India’s (DCGI), was first studied by Patanjali researchers,
claimed Acharya Balkrishna. A day after the DCGI granted permission for
the Emergency Use of this drug as an adjunct therapy.
‘DRUG MADE BY DRDO FIRST STUDIED BY PATANJALI’

NEWS
07
First India Bureau
Lucknow: The Defence
Minister Rajnath Singh
will be reaching Luc-
know on Tuesday to in-
spect the two Covid Hos-
pitals being built by the
Ministry of Defence in
the city
.
The Defence Ministry
is setting up a 255-bed
Covid Hospital at the Haj
House in Lucknow and a
505-bed Atal Vihari Vaj-
payee Covid Hospital is
being built at the Awadh
Shilpgram. The Defence
Minister during the in-
spection will interact
with the DRDO officials
and scientists who de-
signedtheCovidhospital
and he will also interact
with military doctors,
MNS officers and para
medical staff engaged in
savingthelivesof corona
infected patients.
The Defence Minister
during his visit to the
capital will be meeting
Chief MinisterYogiAdi-
tyanath to discuss the
current Covid situation
in the state. After meet-
ing the Chief Minister,
hewillproceedtotheHaj
House to review the pro-
gress of the Covid hospi-
tal. The Defence Minis-
ter then will travel to
DRDO’s Covid Hospital
AwadhShilpgramwhere
he will review the treat-
ment being given to the
hospitalizedCoronapos-
itive patients from the
Green Zone of the ad-
ministrative building.
Singh after completing
his inspections of the
two Covid hospitals will
be leaving for Delhi di-
rectly
.
The Defense Minister
was scheduled to visit
Lucknow on May 5th to
inaugurate the DRDO’s
Covidhospitalbutdueto
unforeseen reasons he
was unable to come after
which the hospital was
inaugurated by Chief
Minister Yogi Adity-
anath. The DRDO Covid
hospital is currently op-
eratingonly250-bedsout
of the505-bedcapacity
,it
believedthattheremain-
ing beds will soon be op-
erational from Tuesday
.
First India Bureau
Lucknow: WHile ini-
tially the Department
of Health had to appeal
for vaccination, but
now people are on their
own coming for it. Like-
wise earlier people used
to visit vaccination cen-
tres to enquire as to
which was better Cov-
ishield and Covaxin but
now the situation is
that whatever is availa-
ble is being accepted by
them.
Presently demand for
vaccination has regis-
tered a sharp rise in
comparision to its sup-
ply which has been re-
duced to only 10 to 20
percent. For vaccina-
tions starting from
Monday, on Sunday, the
slots till May 15 were
filled in just 15 minutes
which makes it clear
that the demand for vac-
cination was very high
these days.
District Immunisa-
tion Officer Dr MK Sin-
gh said only 4,000 peo-
ple aged above 18 years
have been given vacci-
nation slots. Till May
15, this slot has been
filled. After this, the
slot will be reopened
when the vaccine ar-
rives. This time, Kov-
ishield will be adminis-
tered at all 11 centers
and no vaccination
would be done at pri-
vate centers.
He told that the
frontline workers,
health workers, the el-
derly and the sick
would continue to re-
ceive the first and sec-
ond doses as before.
This time the vaccina-
tion has been made 100
percent online and
those who are not able
to book online, would
remain deprived of it
for the moment.
The vaccination is
being carried out at
KGMU, SGPGI, Lohia
Institute, Lokbandhu,
Balrampur Hospital,
RLB, BRD, Civil and
Urban BMC etc.
Poor and less educat-
ed people are being de-
prived of vaccination
because of vaccination
process being made
completely online.
Those who do not have
smart phones or are
less educated are not
able to register for on-
line vaccination.
Rajnath in Lucknow
today, will inspect
two covid hospitals
4,000 people will
get jab everyday
First India Bureau
Aligarh: The Vice
Chancellor of Aligarh
Muslim University
(AMU) has raised his
suspicion about possi-
ble presence of a new
and dangerous variant
of Corona. Vice Chan-
cellor Prof Tariq Man-
soor has collected
some samples and sent
it to Jawaharlal Nehru
Medical College, Delhi
and Indian Council of
Medical Research
(ICMR).
Prof Tariq Mansoor
has also written a let-
ter to DG of ICMR re-
questing an inquiry
into these samples. It
may be mentioned that
in last 18 days, Corona
has caused death of 16
working professors of
AMU. Former Procter
and Dean Student Wel-
fare Professor Jam-
shed Ali Siddiqui was
the first casualty who
died on April 20 from
Corona at the univer-
sity. All these profes-
sors resided at differ-
ent places in Aligarh
city.
The AMU Vice Chan-
cellor in a letter wrote
to ICMR that ‘16 AMU
teachers, many retired
teachers and employ-
ees who lived in the
university campus and
surrounding areas
have died of Corona.
Its numbers have in-
creased rapidly in the
last few days. It is be-
lieved that a different
type of virus is spread-
ing in the civil lines
area adjacent to the
university. You should
get the Covid 19 sam-
ples sent from our lab
checked in your lab, so
that it can be known
how dangerous this
new strain of virus is.
So that we can adopt
other methods of res-
cue in time’.
Further, a new strain
of Corona has recently
been found in Andhra
Pradesh. It is named
AP Strain and N440K.
Scientists at the Cent-
er for Cellular and Mo-
lecular Biology
(CCMB) claim that the
new variant is 15 times
more dangerous than
the current strain in
India.
Patients infected
with the new variant
succumb to hypoxia or
dyspnea within 3-4
days. In this situation,
the breath stops reach-
ing the lungs of the pa-
tient causing his death.
According to ex-
perts, if its chain is not
broken in time, then
this second wave of Co-
rona can become even
more frightening, be-
cause it is more dan-
gerous than the exist-
ing strains B.1617 and
B.117.All the offices of
Aligarh Muslim Uni-
versity will remain
closed till May 16. How-
ever, online classes
will continue in the
meantime. AMU regis-
trar Abdul Hameed
(IPS) said that emer-
gency services includ-
ing medical facility,
sanitation, electricity,
water supply, residen-
tial hall services, cen-
tral automobile work-
shop, telephone de-
partment, land and
garden department,
proctor’s office and
computer center will
remain open.
POSSIBLE PRESENCE OF NEW, DANGEROUS COVID
VARIANT IN AMU? V-C SENDS SAMPLES TO ICMR
THE LDA’S
MISSING FILES
Strange are the ways of
functioning of Lucknow
Development Authority (LDA).
A development body, which is
supposed to help the people,
seems to be a big trouble maker
for them. The babus are expert
in making the files of people
“disappear” at will. You keep on
taking round of the LDA office,
the Babu will never trace the file
of the allotment of your land or
house. The mystery was exposed
when some of the almirahs of
the office were broke open and
hundreds of “missing” files
tumbled out. The officers were
shocked to see the “missing
records” for which concerned
people had to take round of
the office unsuccessfully over
the years. When the officers
broke open the almirahs at first
and sixth floor of the building
they found files which could
otherwise have helped the
allottees. There were 32 files
of Gomtinagar which were
connected with the registration
documents of the allottees.
The story doesnot end here.
There is dispute with a scanning
company PN Writer which was
given files more than 1.50 lakh
but 23000 files for scanning. The
LDA has accused the company
for disappearance of files.
—M Tariq Khan
FAKE MADARSAS
DISAPPEAR FROM
UP PORTAL
AAround 3,000 Madarsas
running only on paper have
disappeared following the
UP government decision for
compulsorily registration of
all other them on UP Madarsa
Portal. UP government had
launched a madarsa portal on
August 18, 2017 for getting
accurate picture of these
institutions. Before the launch
of portal 19123 accredited
institutions were registered
with Madarsa Parishad. But
now only 16222 are seen on
portal. Thus around 3000 fake
institutions have disappeared.
Government gives grants only
558 institutions, rest are running
on donation. —First India Bureau
A worker supplies oxygen from a tanker to the oxygen plant at Swaroop Rani Nehru Hospital for COVID-19 patients, in
Prayagraj on Monday. —PHOTO BY PTI
Covid norms go for toss as thousands
attend funeral of Islamic cleric; FIR filed
First India Bureau
Badaun: While India
continues to battle the
coronavirus pandemic,
visuals of large gather-
ings are still being re-
ported from different
parts of the country
. In
a latest instance, a large
congregation was wit-
nessed at the funeral of
an Islamic cleric, Qazi
Hazrat Abdul Hameed
Mohammed Salimul
Qadri, in the Badaun
district of Uttar
Pradesh.
Thousands of follow-
ers of the cleric were
seen flouting social dis-
tancing norms and oth-
er Covid protocols as
they gathered together
to attend the funeral.
Salimul Qadri, of
Dargah Alia Qadria had
died early morning on
Sunday at the age of 65.
Several videos that have
been shared on social
media show thousands
of people who joined
his funeral procession
withoutwearingamask
and maintaining social
distancing. There was
also a ruckus among
the followers of Qazi
Hazrat Abdul Hameed
Mohammed Salimul
Qadri, over taking his
mortal remains for the
funeral. The attendees
thronged the madrasa
Alia Qadria from Mon-
day morning. Despite
the Covid-induced cur-
few in place till May 17,
the crowd at the funeral
procession continued to
swell with the police
failing to prevent the
gathering.
Thousands of people
from all over the dis-
trict are reported to
have attended the fu-
neral.
The police have filed
a case against unknown
persons after alleged
videos of the funeral
went viral on social me-
dia. Additional Super-
intendent of Police,
Pravin Chauhan, said
that due to it being a re-
ligious matter and a fu-
neral the police main-
tained restraint. But a
case has now been reg-
istered against un-
known persons and an
investigation is under-
way. Releasing a video
statement, the police
have ensured that strict
action will be taken
against violators
caught using available
evidence.
Screengrab showing the
massive crowd at the funeral.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh
AMU V-C Prof Tariq Mansoor
The slots till May
15 were filled in
just 15 minutes
on Sunday
OXYGEN RELIEF!

08
2NDFRONT
First India Bureau
Lucknow: Humane act
of quenching the thirst
of a stray dogs by a po-
liceman catches the
eye of an IPS who
shared the photo for
everyone to appreciate.
A photo of a police-
man from Varanasi
taken while the police-
man pumped a hand-
pump to provide water
to a stray dog has gone
viral on the social me-
dia. The policeman in
the photo has been
since then receiving a
lot of well wishes. Peo-
ple in the social media
are praising the police-
man and many stated
that everyone should
learn from the police-
man to help a human
or an animal.
IPS officer Sukirti
Madhav Mishra who
shared the picture
wrote “If anyone loves
dogs, then he is a good
man. If a dog loves a
man, he is a good per-
son.” The photo has
ever since been posted
has been liked by more
than 25,000 people and
has garnered 2,500
retweets.
The comment section
of the uploaded post is
filled with praise for the
people of the Varanasi
with many users men-
tioning that every per-
son in the world should
be compassionate and
considerate towards an
animal.
One user in particu-
lar had written “If
there is no mercy for
the creatures, then wor-
shiping and doing pil-
grimage is all useless.
Surely today Mahadev
is seated in the street of
Varanasi, wearing a
khaki.”
The picture of the
policemen quenching
the thirst of the dog
has won the hearts of
people and has taught
that humanity is the
biggest thing in the
world.
First India Bureau
Lucknow: The Bihar
state government has
accused Uttar Pradesh
of spewing sickness
after reports of bodies
being spotted in large
numbers in the Ganges
River.
In the Buxar district
of Bihar, several corps-
es were seen floating in
the Ganges River on
Monday morning. The
bodies that were seen
floating were bloated
and such incidents
show the crisis that is
being faced by our
country due to Covid.
On Monday, about a
dozen corpses were re-
portedly seen lying on
the banks of the Gan-
ges in Chausa city ad-
joining Bihar and Ut-
tar Pradesh. The spot-
ting of heavily decom-
posed bodies floating
in the river caused
panic among the peo-
ple. The local adminis-
tration believes that
the dead bodies seem
to have originated in
UP and might be of
people who lost their
life to Corona. Chausa
is about 10 kms from
headquarters of the
border district of Bux-
ar, adjoining eastern
UP. It is being believed
that the family of the
patients who passed
away might have dis-
posed the body in the
river as per local reli-
gious belief.
Officer Ashok Ku-
mar said at Mahadev
Ghat in Chausa dis-
trict - about 40-45 dead
bodies were seen float-
ing in the water. He
added that it seemed to
him as if the dead bod-
ies have been dumped
into the river.
According to anoth-
er officer KK Upad-
hyay, the bloated bod-
ies mean that they may
have been in water for
5 to 6 days and they
will have to ascertain
from which city in Ut-
tar Pradesh, they could
have originated from.
The sighting of dead
bodies in the river has
spread panic among the
people near the banks
of the river. They fear
that the infection might
spread from the corpses
and contaminate the
river water.
Narendra Kumar a
resident of a village on
the bank said that peo-
ple are afraid of the get-
ting infected and that
they will have to bury
the corpses. He added
that an officer from lo-
cal administration had
offered Rs. 500 for the
job. The residents of the
village have demanded
deployment of an offi-
cial at the cremation
ground and inquiry.
Policeman’s ‘dogged’ efforts to quench strays’ thirst hailed
ALL PRAISE
The policeman helping the stray dog in quenching the thirst.

Picture posted
by IPS officer
Sukirti
Madhav has
been liked
by over 25K
people
garnered 2500
retweets
ENDLESS WAIT
A vermicelli vendor waiting for customers during Ramadan in old city of Lucknow on
Monday. —PHOTO BY SUMIT KUMAR
BIHAR GOVT DEALS A ‘BODY’ BLOW TO
UTTARPRADESHOVERROTTINGGANGA
Several corpses were seen lying on the banks of Ganges in Chausa district adjoining Bihar and UP
A JCB machine in action to clear the river of a corpse like the one (inset) found floating on Monday.
PATHETIC
COVID positive wife
not admitted by hosp
for 3 hrs, claims MLA
First India Bureau
Lucknow: An Uttar
Pradesh BJP MLA has
claimed that his corona-
virus positive wife was
not admitted to an Agra
hospital for over three
hours, with officials cit-
ing non-availability of a
bed. Upset over this, Fi-
rozabad’s Jasrana MLA
Ramgopal Lodhi made a
video over the issue and
posteditonsocialmedia.
His wife was given a bed
at the hospital following
the district magistrate’s
intervention, the MLA
claimed.
Lodhi, however, al-
leged that his wife was
not given medicine and
water on time. The
MLA’s video had sur-
faced on social media on
May 8 when his wife was
referred Agra’s SN Med-
ical College.
‘’What would hap-
pen to a comman man
when an MLA’s wife
cannot be given proper
care,’’ Lodhi said in
the video, alleging that
his wife had to lie on
the floor and was not
admitted to the hospi-
tal for over three
hours. Lodhi had too
tested positive for cor-
onavirus and had re-
turned home after re-
covering from the in-
fection on May 7.
Ramgopal Lodhi
SP leader Azam Khan’s condition
deteriorates, shifted to ICU
First India Bureau
Lucknow: Samajwadi
Party (SP) senior leader
and MP Azam Khan was
shifted in Intensive Care
Unit (ICU) after her
healthconditiondeterio-
rated on Monday
.
In a statement re-
leased from Medanta
hospital it was men-
tioned that Azam Khan
was admitted in hospi-
tal along with his son
Mohammad Abdullah
Khan on May 9 after
suffering from Corona
virus infection.
Critical care team of
hospital has shifted
Azam to Covid ICU af-
ter his health condi-
tion deteriorated and
he required more oxy-
gen supply while con-
dition of Abdullah was
stable and satisfactory,
hospital said adding
that both of them were
under supervision of
team of expert doctors.
Azam was shifted in
Medanta hospital after
he refused to get ad-
mitted in Sanjay Gan-
dhi Post Graduate In-
stitute of Medical Sci-
ences hospital. SP MP
and his son were jailed
in Sitapur district jail
on February 27, 2020.
He was attending
court’s hearing
through video confer-
encing and his regular
medical check-ups
were conducted. Both
Azam Khan and his
son Abdullah had test-
ed positive for Corona
virus infection on
April 29.
First India Bureau
Lucknow: An FIR has
been filed against for-
mer IAS Surya Pratap
Singh in Varanasi alleg-
edly for spreading false
information on social
media.
The Varanasi police
after investigating the
video posted on social
media have decided to
register a case against
Surya Pratap Singh in
Lanka police station
under the Pandemic
Act and the IT Act.
The former IAS of-
ficer upon receiving in-
formation on case being
filed wrote on his twit-
ter handle ”when 54
transfers in my 25 year
career couldn’t change
my stance, what effect
will an FIR have. Truth
will always prevail over
falsehood. Jai hind”. He
in another tweet stated
that by having filed a
case against him, if pa-
tients are receiving oxy-
gen, poor people get
medicine and bed, then
hedoesn’tmindthecase.
The former IAS Surya
PratapSinghhadrecent-
ly shared a video on
Twitter which ques-
tioned the working style
of the Yogi government
and he had even written
thattheCMneedsimple-
ments his plans rather
than boast about it.
Azam Khan
Surya Pratap Singh
Maya asks govt
to prevent virus
spread in villages
First India Bureau
Lucknow: BSP supre-
mo Mayawati on Mon-
day said that the states
that underwent assem-
bly polls in the last few
months should pay spe-
cial attention to the
spread of virus in rural
areas.
Noting the Supreme
Courts directions to the
Centre regarding the
supply of oxygen, she
said steps should be tak-
en in this regard shortly
.
Mayawati demanded
that the government
should prevent the
spread of COVID in ru-
ral areas of the state on
a war footing.
‘’There are heart-rend-
ing reports about the
spread of coronavirus
in UP villages after pan-
chayat polls. There is
fear among people. The
government should
work it on a war footing.
That’s BSP’s demand,’’
Mayawati tweeted.
Mayawati
ElectionsforBlockChief,district
PanchayatPresidentafterJune15
Ex-IAS officer booked for false info
First India Bureau
Lucknow: In view of
the perilous condition
of the state due to the
Corona second wave, it
has been decided that
the elections for Block
Chief and district Pan-
chayat President have
been postponed.
These elections will
now be held after June
15. The election for the
Panchayat President
was supposed to be held
between May 15 and 20.
The postpone of the
elections has meant
that candidates for the
75 district Panchayat
President seats and 826
Block Chief seats will
have to wait for some
more time.
The newly elected
3050 members will elect
75 district Panchayat
President while the
75,845 Kshetra Panchay-
at members will vote to
elect 826 Block Chief.
Since the Panchayat
elections were not con-
tested under party sym-
bols, it is going to be an
enormous task for the
elected members to
choose their respective
heads. In the election
for the posts of district
Panchayat President
and Block Chief, the
role of independent
candidates will be more
important apart from
the elected members of
major parties.
The number of inde-
pendent candidates this
time around is the high-
est among the elected
members, hence their
decision will influence
who goes on to become
district Panchayat Pres-
ident or Block Chief.
What is to be seen is
what effect will money
power and muscle pow-
er will have in the elec-
tionsfortheBlockChief
and district Panchayat
President.
Art and Beauty bring a
semblance of joy to a human in
the turbulent times, to gaze upon
a serene painting or a captivating face
amid chaos, brings solace.
—Jagdeesh Chandra, CEO Editor-in-Chief, First India

21-year-old girl from
Jharkhand, Soni Kumari
is an independent, pas-
sionate and successful
model. She completed
her schooling from her
home town Bokaro Steel
City and then came to
Jaipur to pursue her
higher studies i.e.
engineering. When
asked about her
journey in model-
ling, she shared that
while participating in
various fashion shows
in college, her interest
grew in this field. She used to
get many compli-
ments for her walk and then one
day she realised that modelling is
her actual passion, not engineer-
ing. After realising her interest
area, she registered herself for the
auditions of Elite Miss Rajasthan
and after clearing all the rounds,
she made it to the top finalists.
She said, “Gaurav Sir, Director
of Elite Miss Rajasthan and
Akanksha Ma’am were always
there to support me. I had no idea
about this field and everything
was new for me, but because of
theirguidance,todayIhaveproved
myself.”
“I belong to a very stereotyped
family where modelling was not
considered a good field, that is
why I gave auditions in Elite Miss
Rajasthan without informing my
parents, but when I got selected
and I told them about this, my fa-
ther was the happiest person and
he convinced the whole family to
support me”, Soni said.
Her role model is Gigi Hadid
who started her modelling career
fromscratchsameasSonidid.She
wants to become a supermodel in
future and for that, she is working
continuously to groom herself.
In a very short period, she has
achieved a lot. She walked in
Jodhpur Couture Show and many
other fashion events. Along with
this, she has also done various
shoots for famous designers.
We asked her that what message
she wants to give to the young girls
who want to pursue their career in
modelling, to which, this gorgeous
and talented girl replied, “In the
beginning, everything seems to be
verydifficult,everyonearoundyou
will try to stop you from chasing
your passion. But you are the only
one who can take a stand and fulfil
all your dreams. Once you are suc-
cessful,everyonewillstartsupport-
ingyou,sojustdon’tstopandfollow
your passion.”
LUCKNOW, TUESDAY
MAY 11, 2021
www.firstindia.co.in I www.firstindia.co.in/epaper/ I twitter.com/thefirstindia
facebook.com/thefirstindia I instagram.com/thefirstindia 09
In an exclusive interview with City First, the young
and talented model Soni Kumari from Jharkhand,
shared her journey and dreams by which many of
us can get inspired!
MANSI BACHANI
cityfirst@firstindia.co.in
A

10
ETC
F
A
C
E
O
F
T
H
E
D
A
Y
ISHETA SARCKAR, Blogger
LEO
JULY 24 - AUGUST 23
It is best to make some
lifestyle changes to save
money rather than become
monetarily tight. You will
manage to pick up the threads from
where you left on the professional
front. Much happiness is foreseen on
the home front. This is a good time to
finalise property.
LIBRA
SEPT 24 - OCTOBER 22
It is best to take the
opinion of others before
you put in your money. A
household remedy may
come in handy for those suffering
from body aches and pains.
Something that you wanted to get
done on the home front is likely to be
initiated now.
ARIES
MAR 21 - APR 20
Something included in
your diet is likely to have a
positive effect on your
overall health. A glib talker
may try to confuse you so be aware.
Disturbances at home will need to be
curtailed to retain a peaceful
environment. You will get the
motivation to push yourself.
SAGITTARIUS
NOV 23 - DEC 22
Keeping a close tab on
spending will leave you with
much to splurge later. You
may take some time in
bouncing back on the work front. No
problems are foreseen on health and
financial fronts. You manage to play
your cards well and avoid getting
involved in a contentious issue.
GEMINI
MAY 21 - JUNE 21
Window shopping is all
that you can do in order to
conserve money. You are
likely to swim with the tide
on the professional or academic
front. Indulging in excesses may
prove bad for health. Issue regarding
an ancestral property is likely to be
settled amicably.
AQUARIUS
JAN 21 - FEB 19
You may spend on
something not previously
catered for. You can struggle
to keep pace on the work
front. Condition of those ailing is set to
improve by leaps and bounds and get
them firmly on the road to good health.
Those starting on a romantic journey
will find the going smooth and joyful.
TAURUS
APR 21 - MAY 20
Money loaned may take
some more time to be
returned. You will need to
keep your priorities right
on the professional front. Joining
health conscious people in daily
workouts is likely to keep you fit and
energetic. Someone on the home
front can irritate you.
CAPRICORN
DEC 23 - JAN 20
You can become con-
cerned about a recent
heavy expenditure incurred
on something that you just
couldn’t help. Something important
may be entrusted to you at work
today. You may take up some activity
or sport just to keep trim and slim.
Good news may greet you.
VIRGO
AUG 24 - SEP 23
Money is hard to come by
for everyone, so contribute
your share if someone is
spending on you. A lot of
activity is foreseen on the work front
and you will be right in the midst of
it. Some issues that seem unlikely to
get resolved on the family front will
begin to move towards a solution.
CANCER
JUNE 22 - JULY 23
Repayment of a loan may
force you to make
adjustments. Changes
happening on the
professional front can have you
worried, but will turn out favourable.
More interest is required on the
health front. Family life will cruise
along smoothly.
PISCES
FEB20 - MARCH 20
Financially you may need
to be more secure than you
are now. There is a need to
come up with something
original, if you are in a creative field.
You will be motivated to get back into
shape and may even join a gym.
Those thinking of selling a property
will be able to get buyers.
SCORPIO
OCT 23 - NOVEMBER 22
You may go for a cheat
meal all as a reward for
maintaining good health. If
you have been struggling
with money then that’s a thing of a
past now as money will flow in from
all the directions. In office, you will
support your colleague by sharing
his/her work pressure.
YOUR
DAY
Horoscope by
Saurabbh Sachdeva
aipur on the basic
precautions to
take during the
pandemic and
how lack of
awareness could
be fatal!
1
For the people who
have to go out to
work what are the
basic precautions
they should take for the
following:
A. WEARING A MASK :
Masks are very impor-
tant and we must keep
the nose and mouth
fully and securely cov-
ered at all times. N95
are recommended for
health workers and in
high-risk areas. Surgi-
cal masks and Double
masks should be used
in combination. One
should note that fancy
cloth or other synthetic
masks are not enough.
Reusable masks should
be washed regularly. Al-
ways remove masks
correctly and wash
your hands after han-
dling or touching a
used mask. Include
your mask with your
regular laundry and
use regular laundry de-
tergent to wash it, dry
in the sun.
B. EATING AND DRINK-
ING OUTSIDE : Eating
and drinking outside
can be dangerous as
masks are removed and
normally people sit to-
gether closely for this.
Sanitisation and clean-
liness are very impor-
tant as the virus are
susceptible to alcohol-
based disinfectants and
soaps and detergents.
Wash your hands prop-
erly before eating, do
not eat in a group, do
not share food with col-
leagues and avoid food
from outside.
C. SOCIAL DISTANCE :
Social distancing is a
must as the virus
spreads via droplets
and sneezing cough-
ing. It can be spread by
the breath of an infect-
ed person so a distance
of six feet can reduce
the chances of a person
to person transmission.
2
If one has to go out
to work what pre-
cautions should be
taken on return-
ing home daily?
 take off the footwear
outside.
 Go directly to the
cleaning/ washing
area and disin-
fect your wal-
let/bag/ keys
and phone.
 Wash your
hands with
soap and water
for at least 20 sec-
onds.
 Take off your clothes
and immediately soak
them in warm water.
Wash with regular de-
tergent and dry in the
sun.
 In case they need to be
dry cleaned- then put
them in a plastic bag,
seal it and put it away
for a minimum of 72
hours before handling
them again.
3
In case one
comes in con-
tact with a ‘pos-
itive person’
what precautions should
be taken?
In that case, one must do
gargles immediately
and can take steam in-
halation. One must iso-
late himself and take
the test for covid after 5
days. Keep a close
watch for the develop-
ment of symptoms and
may also take
some immuni-
ty-boosting vi-
tamin.
4
The symptoms in
the second strain
of COVID are
varying from per-
son to person – what are
the main symptoms to
watch out for?
 There have been chang-
es in the pattern of
symptoms. For the sec-
ond strain watch out
for:
 B a s i c
cough and cold
accompanied
with or with-
out fatigue and
body ache.
 Unusual
Cough: Cough has
been the main symptom
of COVID-19 but a persis-
tent cough with a sound
different from the usual
cough is one of the symp-
toms. One should not con-
fuse it with a smoker’s
cough.
 Pink eye: Pink eye or
conjunctivitis can be a
sign of COVID-19 infec-
tion.
 Breathlessness: Diffi-
culty in breathing with
uneasiness in the chest,
and heart palpitations
are some of the symp-
toms.
 Stomach Trouble:
The COVID-19 infection
impacts the upper res-
piratory system, al-
though, a new study
says that diarrhoea,
vomiting, abdominal
cramps, nausea, and
pain are signs of coro-
navirus. If you are fac-
ing any digestive dis-
comfort, you must get
yourself tested.
 Loss of Taste and
Smell: COVID-19 has
various symptoms and
one of the most annoy-
ing of them is the loss
of smell and taste. Los-
ing the functions of
your olfactory senses
can be frustrating and
hard to cope up with.
5
After recovering,
how long is one
protected from
the virus?
There is an immune re-
sponse to infection
with activation of in-
herent immunity
which is said to give
protection for approxi-
mately 3 months but
this can vary depend-
ing on the individual’s
response to previous
covid infection. So,
please continue to take
precautions after test-
ing negative.
Health is the
Health is the
TRUE WEALTH
DR. ANITA HADA
anita.hada@firstindianews.com
J
take off the footwear
Go directly to the
cleaning/ washing
area and disin-
fect your wal-
hands with
soap and water
for at least 20 sec-
Take off your clothes
and immediately soak
them in warm water.
Wash with regular de-
tergent and dry in the
In case they need to be
dry cleaned- then put
them in a plastic bag,
seal it and put it away
for a minimum of 72
hours before handling
them again.
3
In case one
comes in con-
tact with a ‘pos-
itive person’
what precautions should
be taken?
In that case, one must do
gargles immediately
and can take steam in-
ment of symptoms and
may also take
some immuni-
ty-boosting vi-
tamin.
son to person – what are
the main symptoms to
watch out for?
 There have been chang-
es in the pattern of
symptoms. For the sec-
ond strain watch out
for:

out fatigue and
body ache.

Cough:
been the main symptom
of COVID-19 but a persis-
tent cough with a sound
different from the usual
cough is one of the symp-
toms. One should not con-
fuse it with a smoker’s
cough.
 Pink eye:
conjunctivitis can be a
sign of COVID-19 infec-
tion.
 Breathlessness:
culty in breathing with
uneasiness in the chest,
and heart palpitations
are some of the symp-
toms.
 Stomach Trouble:
The COVID-19 infection
Anita Hada in conversation with Dr Puneet Saxena, senior professor and
unit head, Department of Medicine, SMS Medical College and Hospital!
Dr Puneet Saxena

First India-Lucknow Edition-11 May 2021

First India-Lucknow Edition-11 May 2021

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