c m y k c m y k

Max: 37.0OCMin: 20OC RH: 37%Rainfall: Nil

Forecast: Partly cloudy sky

WEATHER

ASTROGUIDESarvari; Uttarayana

Tithi: Chaitra Suddha Navami till2.40 am(Friday)

Star: Punarvasu till 7.21 pmVarjyam: 7.22 am to 8.58 am

and 3.05 am to 4.38 am (Friday)Durmuhurtam: 10.17 am to

11.06 am; 3.11 pm to 3.59 pmRahukalam: 1.30 pm to 3 pm

HIJRI CALENDARShabaan 7,1441 AH

PRAYERSFajar: 5.31 am

Zohar: 12.26 pmAsar: 4.28 pm

Maghrib: 6.39 pmIsha: 7.21 pm

SUNSET TODAY 6.29 PMSUNRISE TOMORROW 6.30 AMMOONSET TOMORROW 1.56 AM

MOONRISE TODAY 2.21 AM

CBSE promotesall till Class 8

New Delhi: HRD ministerRamesh Pokhriyal on Wed-

nesday directed the CBSEto promote all students of

classes 1 to 8 to the nextclass in view of the coron-

avirus outbreak. Students ofclass 9 and 11 will be pro-

moted on school-basedassessments. Whenever

CBSE can hold exams, hesaid it shall conduct for 29subjects which are crucialfor university admissions.

■ Full rreport oon PPage 44

Brahmotsavamsto be in temple

Kadapa: In view of thecoronavirus threat, the TTDhas made arrangements for

the nine-day Brahmot-savams from April 2 to 10

only in the ancient KodandaRama Swamy temple at

Vontimitta in Kadapa dis-trict.Ankurarpanam, the

seed sowing festival, alsoknown as Beejavapanam,

was performed onWednesday in the temple,

■ Full rreport oon PPage 33

GST kitty misses`1 lakh cr mark

New Delhi: Goods andServices Tax (GST) revenue

in March stood at `97,597crore, lower than over `1.05

lakh crore collected inFebruary. Of the total

`97,597 crore revenue, theCGST stood at `19,183

crore, SGST at `25,601 croreand integrated GST at

`44,508 crore.

■ Full rreport oon PPage 77

IN BRIEF

COUNTER POINT

8,65,970WORLD CONFIRMED CASES

CASES

1637DEATHS

39TS: 107AP: 111

0600

43,082+186

DEATHS

COUNTRIES,AREAS WITH

CASES

CORONA C UNT

Vol. 21 No. 213 Established 1938 | 16 PAGES | `6.00deccanchronicle.com, facebook.com/deccannews, twitter.com/deccanchronicle, google.com/+deccanchronicle

TABLOIDNot ready for the game

NATION|4Save people, forget about

GDP growth: Cong

BUSINESS|7US may force India toease drug export ban

Ration rush

A large number of people stand close to each other whle ignoring social distancing norms in a queue to collect their ration from a fair price store atSanjeevaiah Colony near NAD Junction in Visakhapatnam on Wednesday. — P. NARASIMHA MURTHY

VINEETA PPANDEY with aagency iinputsNEW DELHI, APRIL 1

Religious gatherings con-ducted before the imposi-tion of a nationwide lock-down are posing a freshchallenge for India, whichrecorded a steep rise in itsfresh cases of Covid-19.

According to the healthministry, 386 fresh caseshave been reported in the

country in last 24 hours(between 4 pm on Tuesdayand 4 pm on Wednesday).The total number of Covid-19 positive cases in Indiatill Wednesday is 1,637 and39 had died of coronavirusinfection. Out of these, thenumber of active cases are1,466 while 132 have gotcured and 1 migrated.

However, news agencyPTI claimed total numberof confirmed cases was

1,910 with 58 deaths and158 discharged.

The government hasattributed the sharp risein cases to the TablighiJamaat gathering inDelhi’s Nizamuddin areaand underlined that thisdoes not reflect the nation-al trend. “One of the mainreasons for the rise in pos-itive cases is the travel bymembers of TablighiJamat,” said Lav Agarwal,

a joint secretary in theUnion health ministry.

The official added allstates which have reportedpositive cases of the dis-ease have been asked tocarry out intensive drivesof rigorous contact tracingand testing and also send-ing those with symptomsto quarantine facilities orhospitals.

All religious gatheringsare now under scanner

after Tablighi Jamat.More such cases areexpected to come up in thecoming days from otherreligious gatherings suchas Hola Mohalla in Pun-jab, which was attended bySikh religious preacherBaldev Singh, who died ofCovid-19 on March 30. Hecame to India grom Italy

■ Page 44: BBaldev hheldmeetings aat mmany pplaces

India sees biggest jump in Covid-19 casesHealth ministry puts total cases at 1,637 in evening; total tally of state reports shows 1,910 coronavirus cases

In 24 hours, statesees 67 new casesSAMPAT GG.SAMRITAN/PATHRIRAJASEKHAR/AVINASHP. SSUBRAMANIAN/D.SIVA RRAMI RREDDY/N.S.CHOWDARY || DC VIJAYAWADA/NELLORE/TIRUPATI/KADAPA/KURNOOL/VISAKHAPATNAM, APRIL 1

Andhra Pradesh regis-tered as many as 67 freshCovid-19 cases on Wedn-esday alone, taking thetotal number of positivecases to 111 in the state.

According to a releasefrom the director of healthand family welfare, dis-trict wise positive casesregistered are as follows:Anantapur-2, Chittoor-6,East Godavari-9, Guntur-20, Kadapa-15, Krishna-15,Kurnool-1, Nellore-3, Pra-kasam-15, Visakhapatn-am-11 and West Godavari-14. According to the direc-tor of health and familywelfare, out of 373 sam-ples tested in the last 12hours, 43 turned out to bepositive while the remain-ing 330 tested negative.

Prakasam and Kadapadistricts have registeredthe highest number ofCovid-19 positive cases sofar with 15 cases each, wh-ile Anantapur has two,Chittoor, six, East Godav-ari, six, Guntur 9, Krishna

6, Kurnool 1, Nellore 3,Visakhapatnam 11 andWest Godavari 13.

The government has col-lected as many as 1,313 sa-mples including 218 of for-eign returnees, 543 fromthose who returned afterattending the religiousmeet in Delhi, 140 whichbelonged to friends andclose contacts of foreignreturnees, 269 of contactsfrom returnees of Delhimeet and 143 samples col-lected from suspect cases.

Out of 87 Covid-19 posi-tive cases detected so far,10 cases were of foreignreturnees, six of their con-tacts, 63 Delhi returneesand six their contacts, andsome others. Four morepositive cases were foundin Prakasam district tak-ing total number of casesto 15. Two more casesdetected in Nellore dis-trict took number of posi-tive cases to three. Howe-ver, one patient amongthe three was cured anddischarged from the hos-pital. Nellore collectorM.V. Seshagiri Babu saidthat they sent samples of103 suspected persons fortesting and got results of57 persons so far.

■ Page 22: TTwo ttest ppositivefrom ssuspected ccases

SRIDHARKUMARASWAMI || DDCNEW DELHI, APRIL 1

There is a “huge shortage”of essential equipment tofight the coronavirus pan-demic in India, includingventilators, N95 masks,surgical masks and per-sonal protection equip-ment (PPE) kits, and thegovernment plans toimport these wherever itis available abroad,including from China,government sources saidon Wednesday.

They added a decision

was also taken to acceptdonations from abroad tothe new PM-Cares fund.Sources said domesticcompanies were “urged toramp up production” ofsuch critical equipmentand the textiles ministrywas also working on it.

“On equipment like PPEkits, ventilators and surgi-cal masks, there is a hugeshortage... we will contin-ue to source (these fromabroad)... We are workingwith the Indian ambas-sador in Beijing,” thesources said. “We shouldbe able to get any item of

short supply. Ventilators,N95 masks, surgicalmasks are in short supplyin India. That process ison (to import) from coun-tries willing to offerthese,” the sources added.

Sources said assistancefrom China could comeeither through donationsfrom agencies there or byoutright purchase of theseitems.

On accepting foreigndonations, the sourcessaid: “Yes, a decision hasbeen taken to accept dona-tions from abroad to thePM-Cares fund.”

India scouts for protectiveequipment around world

SUNIL TTHAPLIYAL aandBHASKAR HHARI SHARMA || DDCNEW DELHI, APRIL 01

It took 36 hours to evacu-ate 2,361 people fromAlami Markaz (headquar-ters of Tablighi Jamaat)in Nizamuddin West area,Delhi deputy chief minis-ter Manish Sisodia saidon Wednesday.

T a b l i g h - e - J a m a a t ' sthree-day congregation,in which people fromacross the country andvarious countries hadgathered, has emerged as“super spreader” of thenovel coronavirus infec-tion in the country.

The operation by theDelhi government, med-ical staff, Delhi police andDTC staff continued for 36hours and the Markaz wascleared at 4 am onWednesday. “The entirebuilding has been clearedand 617 people, who hadsymptoms, have been hos-pitalised while the resthave been home quaran-tined,” Mr Sisodiaannounced on Twitter.

"Medical staff, adminis-tration, police and DTC

staff worked together inthis 36-hour operation,putting their lives at risk.Hats off to all of them,” hesaid in another tweet.

Soon after the evacua-tion, the Nizamuddin Ma-rkaz and the area aroundit was sanitised by theSouth Delhi MunicipalCorporation.

With 32 new positivecases of coronavirus onWednesday, the totalnumber in Delhi hasclimbed to 152. Of these, 53cases are linked to theNizamuddin Mazrak.

An FIR has been regis-tered against the AlamiMarkaz cleric MaulanaSaad, and six others,though he has beenuntraceable since March28 after he was served anotice by the Delhi police.

Mr Sisodia said that alist has been preparedwith the phone numbersand other details of peoplewho attended the congre-gation and handed over tothe Delhi Police's cybercell. They will trace thehistory of movement ofthese people with the helpof their mobiles phonesdetails.

2,361 shifted outof Delhi Markaz

DC CORRESPONDENTNEW DELHI, APRIL 1

Cabinet Secretary RaivGauba discussed the issue of the nationwide impactof coronavirus spread inwake of the meeting of theTablighi Markaz withhome secretary AjayBhalla on Wednesday.

They held a video confer-ence with chief secretariesand state DGPs.

Sources said the Centrehas categorically askedthe states to “identify, iso-late and quarantine’’ allthose who had attendedthe religious event. Stateswere also directed toimmediately prepare a

complete database of thesepeople and all those whocame in contact with themafter they reached theirrespective areas.

As of now, it is estimatedthat over 2,000 people from19 different states attendedthe Tablighi Markaz eventin Delhi’s Nizamuddinarea, thus making it one of

the most sensitive hots-pots in the country.

Home ministry officialssaid states were asked torope in Central para-mili-tary forces also to expeditetracing all the people andthen tracking those whocame in touch with them.

■ More oon PPage 44

Centre: Isolate Tablighi returnees MANOJ AANAND || DDCGUWAHATI, APRIL 1

Assam health ministerHimanta Biswa Sarmasaid on Wednesday 13new Covid-19 positivecases have been detectedin the state, taking thetotal to five.

“All five cases detectedin the state have the his-tory of attending the reli-gious congregation ofTablighi Jamaat atNizamuddin in Delhi,”the minister toldreporters here onWednesday.

With 117 people whowent for religious con-gregation to Nizamuddinare still not traceable,the minister said the gov-ernment wants the peo-ple to inform officialsusing helpline 104 if theycome in contact withthem.

He said four other con-firm Corona cases fromAssam are admitted in ahospital in New Delhi.

117 TABLIGHIRETURNEES INASSAM MISSING

YUSUF JJAMEEL || DDCSRINAGAR, APRIL 1

Exactly eight months afterstripping Jammu andKashmir of its special sta-tus and splitting it up intotwo Union Territories, theCentral government hasnotified a new domicilerule, which makes a per-son residing in Jammu andKashmir for at least fifteenyears eligible to be a domi-

cile of the UT. The UnionTerritory of Ladakh hasnot been included in thenotification.

As per the notification,Section 3A of the J&K Reo-rganisation (Adaptation ofState Laws) Order 2020,under the J&K civil ser-vices (decentralisation andrecruitment) Act, has beenintroduced to define domi-cile as that “who hasresided for a period of 15

years in the UT of J&K orhas studied for a period ofseven years and appearedin class 10th/12th examina-tion in an educationalinstitution located in theUT of J&K.”

Various political partiesand trade and civil societygroups in Jammu andKashmir have expressedshock and dismay at theCentre’s decision to bringin a new domicile law for

the Union Territory (UT)when the country it isstruggling hard to containthe Covid-19 scourge.

There is rage among theresidents, particularly theyouth, many of whom tookto social media platformsto pour scorn on theCentral government andallege that the new law isaimed at paving the wayfor demographic change inthe Muslim-majority

Jammu and Kashmir.The definition expands to

include “children of thoseCentral government offi-cials, all India services offi-cers, officials of PSUs andautonomous body ofCentral government, pub-lic sector banks, officials ofstatutory bodies, officialsof central universities andrecognised research insti-tutes of central govern-ment who have served in

Jammu and Kashmir for atotal period of 10 years orchildren on parents whofulfil any of the conditionsin sections.”

Additionally, personsregistered as a migrant bythe Relief and Rehabilit-ation Commissioner (Migr-ants) in the UT will also beincluded in the definition.

■ Page 44: IInsult iis hheapedon iinjury, ssays OOmar

Amid virus scare, Centre redefines J&K residentA person who stayed in J&K for 15 years can get all rights in Union TerritoryTROJAN | HORSE

N. VVAMSI SSRINIVAS || DC VIJAYAWADA, APRIL 1

An indigenous innovationby the Indian navy is allset to revolutionise thehealth care provided toCovid-19 patients, thenumber of which is wit-nessing an exponentialgrowth in the last fewdays in the country.

The successful trial ofthe innovation — multi-feed oxygen manifold(MOM) — made by theVisakhapatnam navaldockyard at the naval hos-pital, INHS Kalyani, willaddress the critical aspectof supply of oxygen topatients in large numbersat the makeshift facilities.

The navy is ready toshare the design and man-ufacture process withindustry to help the gov-ernment arrange the cost-effective oxygen supply

facilities at the local levelwith the available materi-al in the markets.

Ventilators cater to onepatient at a time and,therefore, the use of venti-lator is only five to eightper cent for emergencies.But it is very important tosupply oxygen to allpatients. “The portableMOM is developed using asix-way radial header fit-ted to a single cylinder.As of now, only onepatient can be suppliedoxygen through the cylin-der. This innovation willenable supply of oxygenfrom one cylinder to six to12 patients simultaneous-ly,” rear admiral,Sreekumar Nair, superin-tendent of the dockyard atVisakhapatnam, toldDeccan Chronicle.

■ Page 33: PPortable MMOMinstalled iin hhalf aan hhour

Navy’s ‘breather’for Covid rescue

THE LARGEST CIRCULATED ENGLISH DAILY IN SOUTH INDIAANANTAPUR I THURSDAY I 2 APRIL 2020

STATE 2DECCAN CHRONICLE | ANANTAPUR | THURSDAY | 2 APRIL 2020

TAKES

NAIDU SAYS GOVTNEGLIGENT IN

HANDLING COVIDDC CORRESPONDENTVIJAYAWADA, APRIL 1

Telugu Desam supremo N.Chandrababu Naidu said thatnegligence in tracing coron-avirus suspects was the reasonfor the rise in Covid-19 cases inthe state.

He appealed to doctors, socialactivists, scientists and profes-sionals to educate the peopleabout the virus.

Mr Naidu held an onlinevideo discussion from hisHyderabad residence withexperts on Wednesday andsaid that there should be animmediate identification ofthe positive cases and theirsegregation.

Mr. Naidu underscored theimportance of giving widepublicity to wellness tips inorder to remove any miscon-ceptions arising out of misin-formation going on in someplatforms. Social mediashould be used in a positiveway to raise awareness onhealthy lifestyles with goodimmunity to fight viral infec-tions, they said.

NO TIME FOR TDTO PLAY POLITICS,

SAYS BOTSA

KANNA URGES CMTO SAVE AQUA

FARMERS

GOVT POSTPONESIMMUNISATION

PROGRAMMEDC CORRESPONDENTVIJAYAWADA, APRIL 1

State government onWednesday put on hold theimmunisation programme forchildren as the health person-nel have been preoccupiedwith the Covid-19 emergency.

The state government issueda circular recently putting onhold the immunisation pro-gramme during lockdownperiod until April 15.

Health authorities say that,as per standard norms, eightto nine vaccines are adminis-tered to the newborns and chil-dren up to the age of one year.

Accordingly, the first dose ofvaccination is given soon afterthe infant is born followed byothers at intervals of sixweeks, 10 weeks, 14 weeks.

DC CORRESPONDENTVIJAYAWADA, APRIL 1

State BJP president KannaLakshminarayana onWednesday wrote two lettersto Chief Minister Y.S. JaganMohan Reddy, urging the latterto resolve problems of aqua-culture farmers and releasefee reimbursement due.

In his first letter, the BJPleader said that aquacultureentrepreneurs mainly inGodavari and Nellore district,and horticulturists ofRayalaseema region were fac-ing severe difficulties in get-ting feed and minimum sup-portive price due to lockdown.

Mr Lakshminarayana, in hissecond letter, urged Mr Jaganto release fee reimbursementdues.

DC CORRESPONDENTVIJAYAWADA, APRIL 1

The ruling YSR Congressasked Telugu Desam supremoN. Chandrababu Naidu to stopplaying politics at a time whenthe government was battlingone of the worst crises thestate ever faced. Taking a digat the TD chief, minister formunicipal administrationBotsa Satyanarayana said thatMr Naidu was trying todefame the YSRC governmentwhile hiding in his house atHyderabad.

Addressing a press meet hereon Wednesday, MrSatyanarayana said that ChiefMinister Y.S. Jagan MohanReddy was taking every possi-ble measure for the contain-ment of the coronavirus.

The minister said that Ashaworkers and volunteers werevisiting every household toidentify persons with symp-toms of coronavirus in thestate. He appealed to the Delhireturnees and their friendsand relatives to voluntarilycome forward for quarantine.

Mr Satyanarayana said that20,000 quarantine beds wouldbe made available in privatehospitals and select engineer-ing colleges in the state.Calling on people not to panic,the minister said the govern-ment arranged 2,000 beds forquarantine purposes andthere was no shortage of fundsto fight the disease. In additionto the existing 950 rythubazaars, 1,500 mobile rythubazaars were started acrossthe state to avoid crowding, heclarified.

DC CORRESPONDENTKADAPA, APRIL 1

Deputy Chief MinisterAmjad Basha has decid-ed to file a defamationcase against ABNAndhra Jyothi Telugunews channel for report-ing that he had attendedthe religious meeting inNizamuddin, Delhi,from where many coron-avirus cases were detect-ed. He sent a complaintto the Superintendent ofPolice KarurKarunapathi NagendraKumar Anburajan andasked him to register acase.

He told reporters at theSP Bungalow onWednesday that hewould file a petition inthe court against thechannel for defaminghim. “I had gone to Delhion March 2 and returnedto Vijayawada on March3,” he said.

DY CM TO FILECASE AGAINST TV CHANNEL

DC CORRESPONDENTNELLORE, APRIL 1

Minister BalineniSrinivasa Reddy haspromised to provideminimum support pricefor shrimp and said 13containers were trans-porting shrimp toPrakasam to be exportedto China throughKrishnapatnam port.

Addressing aquaframers at Ongole onWednesday, he said thatfurther steps would betaken to export shrimpand fish as directed byChief Minister JaganMohan Reddy.

Minister DrAnilkumar Yadav held ameeting with the APSeafoods ExportersAssociation here andurged them to procureharvested shrimp andhelp the farmers.

K. Ramgopal, specialofficer, advised the dis-trict officials to focus onpreventive steps andprovide protective gearto the staff involved indealing with the patientsand suspected cases.

“Strict monitoring willbe done for those whoreturned from the Delhimeeting and foreigncountries and their pri-mary contacts. They willbe shifted from homeisolation to quarantinewards in private hospi-tals, which have beentaken over, for twoweeks,” he told thisnewspaper.

STEPS TO EXPORTSHRIMP ANDFISH: BALINENI

DC CORRESPONDENTVIJAYAWADA. APRIL 1

Chief Minister Y.S. JaganMohan Reddy onWednesday urged peoplewho attended the TablighiJamaat meeting in Delhito voluntarily come for-ward and get tested forsymptoms of Covid-19.

“Get tested even for theslightest symptoms likecold and cough withoutattaching any stigma to it.The disease is like fever,which can be effectivelycured with proper treat-ment being provided bythe government. Patientsare being cured and alsodischarged,” the CM stat-ed while addressing peo-ple through television.

He pointed out that 80per cent of cases haveproved negative afterhome quarantine. Onlyfour per cent of peoplerequired treatment inICUs.

Mr Reddy disclosed thatof the total 87 personswho have tested positivein the state, 70 are thosewho returned from the

Delhi. “As many as 1,085persons attended theDelhi prayer meeting. Wehave tracked and takensamples of 585 persons.While 70 have tested posi-tive, results of theremaining cases areawaited. We are yet totrace 21 people,” he said.

The CM asked people todial 104 if they have anysymptoms like cold,cough or breathing diffi-culties. Expert medicalteams will visit theirhouses, take samples fortesting and advise themaccordingly, he stated,urging people to strictlyfollow government guide-lines and maintain socialdistancing.

Mr Reddy also calledupon staff of private hos-pitals and medical col-leges to engage in coron-avirus prevention work.

He thanked employeesand pensioners for givingtheir consent to makingadjustments in their pay-ments. He pointed outthat while expenditurehas increased, incomehas reduced drastically.

Attendees ofTablighi urged to self-report

150 Ayush staffmembers idling

Samples of 199sent for testing

DC CORRESPONDENTVIJAYAWADA, APRIL 1

Though the Covid-19cases in the state haveincreased to 87, a total of150 doctors of homoeopa-thy, ayurveda and unaniin the Ayush departmenthave been idling as theyhave not been assignedany work to contain thevirus outbreak.

There are three govern-ment homoeopathy col-leges in Rajahmundry,Gudivada and Kadapa inthe state. Each college hasprofessors, associate pro-fessors, assistant profes-sors and students pursu-ing graduate/post-gradu-ate courses. Ayush com-missioner P. Usha Kumarihas directed that theheads of institutions andfaculty members shouldbe available for work intheir respective head-quarters. But no work hasbeen allotted to them tocope with the present sit-uation.

Sources said the princi-pals and faculty memberswere coming to the col-leges and doing nothing.Some come only for a fewdays but sign up for allthe days with the con-nivance of the principals.

Some come in the morn-ing and leave immediate-ly.

The same situation pre-vails in the Ayurveda hos-pital in Vijayawada andUnani hospital inKurnool.

The Ayush hospitalshave not been convertedto quarantine wards andthere are no outpatientsalso there.

Ayush staff have notbeen trained to deal withthe Covid-19 cases.

The Ayush commission-er said, “We will makeuse of their services ifnecessary. The principalscan take action againstirregular staff. We haveinstructed those on leaveto report to their places ofwork immediately. Actionwill be taken againstthose who flout thenorms,” she said.

DC CORRESPONDENTANANTAPUR, APRIL 1

At least 199 samples havebeen collected, mostly ofthe Nizamuddin andMacca returnees andtheir family members inAnantapur and Kurnooldistricts, and sent for test-ing to the GovernmentGeneral Hospital here onWednesday. MedicalCollege principal DrNeeraja and DistrictMedical and HealthOfficer Dr Anil Kumarsaid the samples werebeing tested by a team ofdoctors and trained tech-

nicians round-the-clock.Normally, the lab can

test only 60 samples perday, but now more num-bers were being tested.

A total of 60 personswere kept at CRIT Collegeand 49 at the TTDC cen-tre. The Kurnool districtauthorities sent 81 sam-ples, including two fromNandyal Hospital, toAnantapur lab whichdiagnosed 20 samplesfrom Prakasam onTuesday.

A high alert wasdeclared at Hindupur andLepakshi and a sanitationdrive had been launched.

● ● The faculty membersof have not been givenpersonal protectiveequipment.

● ● Homoeopathy facultymembers and medicoshave distributed onecrore pills to preventCovid-19.

DC CORRESPONDENTVIJAYAWADA, APRIL 1

Braving the coronavirusscare, the ward/villagevolunteers started distri-bution of YSR PensionKanuka since early morn-ing on Wednesday and cre-ated a new record by dis-bursing pension among52,49,802 of the total58,08,404 beneficiaries by 5pm in 13 districts of theState.

They broke the recordthey set on March 1, whenthey covered 84.19 per centof social security pensionbeneficiaries.

On Wednesday, they fellshort of just 9 per cent asagainst their target ofcompleting the task 100per cent by night. Takingall coronavirus precau-tions, they hit the road by6 am and started door-delivery of pensions onthe basis of photo identity

cards of beneficiaries.They had to dispense withthe biometric system to

prevent communityspread of Covid-19.

The government pays

`2,250 pm to aged persons,widows, weavers, toddytappers, fishermen, singlewomen, cobblers andPLHIV (ART Pensions).Persons with disabilitiesget `3,000 per month andCKDU/dialysis patients`5,000 to `10,000 permonth.

Minister for endow-ments Velampalli Srini-

vasa Rao while distribut-ing pensions, said thatChief Minister Y.S. JaganMohan Reddy was makingrelentless efforts for thewelfare of the poor. Herefuted the allegations ofthe Telugu Desam andJana Sena that the volun-teers were working forpromoting the interests ofthe YSR Congress.

AT YOUR DOORSTEPDistrict Pensions Distributed Kadapa 329194 310768Chittoor 495769 458811Vizianagaram 326524 300138Anantapur 510975 471418Kurnool 422547 389296Srikakulam 367360 338168East Godavari 638763 571765Nellore 343856 314993Krishna 481502 435178Visakhapatnam 451359 383978West Godavari 474658 420994Prakasam 411285 363181Guntur 554612 491114

Covid-19 aid

MLA Malladi Vishnu distributes rice to people in view of lockdown due to Covid-19 in Vijayawada on Wednesday. — C. NARAYANA RAO

Braving Covid threat, volunteers disburse pensions at doorsteps

East Godavari istop in pensionsDC CORRESPONDENTVIJAYAWADA, APRIL 1

The East Godavari districttopped with the highestnumber of pension benefi-ciaries of 6,38,763 in theState. The Guntur district

is in second place in theState with 5,54,612 pensionbeneficiaries followed byAnantapur with 5,10,975beneficiaries, Chittoorwith 4,95,769 beneficiariesand Krishna with 4,81,502beneficiaries.

DC CORRESPONDENTHYDERABAD, APRIL 1

The multi-front waragainst Coronavirus(Covid-19) has suddenlybeen marked with one bat-tle of great significancefor both Telugu states –ensuring amidst the lock-down to track down andidentify persons who haveattended the Markaz atNizamuddin in Delhibetween March 15 and 17.

The combined estimateof the two state govern-ments is that thousands ofreligious practitionershave attended the congre-

gation of Islamic preach-ers at Nizamuddin organ-ised by the TablighiJamaat.

At a time when bothTelugu states were expect-ing good progress in con-taining the coronaviruspandemic, the suddenspurt in both number ofpositive cases and deathshas left both governmentsextremely worried.

A senior officer inAndhra Pradesh said thatthey have identified mostpersons who travelled ontwo trains to and backfrom Delhi for the meet-ing. He said that about 84

persons are still to betraced. He said that atten-dees of the Delhi Markzmeet are not coming out

on their own to reportthemselves.

The official furtherrevealed that unless some-one gives information, thegovernment is facing diffi-culties in tracing them. Hesaid that barring four to

five persons, all theremaining Tablighis foundtested positive for Covidare out of danger andtheir condition is not seri-ous.

He said that the govern-ment has so far identifiedaround 800 people whoattended the Delhi meet-ing while the Telanganagovernment has identified1,030 people. Both govern-ments have initiated andare undertaking a massivecontact tracing exercise toidentify all the people,where they were, and allareas they visited aftertheir arrival into the

Telugu states.The Telangana govern-

ment had estimated andwas hoping to neutralisethe threat of Covid by andlarge by April 7. AP wasshowing a flat curve, as astate, given its population,as one of the states withthe least number ofCoronavirus positivecases. But in the last twodays, the number of Covidpositive cases have signifi-cantly increased in bothstates, and touched the 100mark rapidly, leaving thestate governments appre-hensive about contain-ment plans ahead.

State identifies 800 Tablighi meet returneesTelugu states pushed on backfoot by rapid Covid spread among Tablighi returnees COVID | SCARE

● ● Around 2000 peopleattended Delhi religiousmeeting from both states

● ● At a time when bothTelugu states wereexpecting good progressin containing the coron-avirus pandemic, the sud-den spurt in both numberof positive cases anddeaths has left both gov-ernments extremely wor-ried.

● ● The minister haspromised to provideminimum support pricefor shrimp and said 13containers were trans-porting shrimp toPrakasam to be export-ed to China throughKrishnapatnam port.

Doctors refuse to wear non-standard masksSAMPAT G. SAMRITAN |DC VIJAYAWADA, APRIL 1

Government doctors haveopposed the state govern-ment’s advice to them towear face masks and pro-tective gowns made ofsurgical cloth whileattending to Covid-19 sus-pect/infected patients.

The office of commis-sioner of AP VaidyaVidhana Parisahd issueda circular on Wednesdaystating that in the wake ofshort supply of masks andprotective gowns, suggest-ing that doctors andhealth staff wear clothmasks.

The APVVP commis-sioner requested the med-ical officers to procuregreen surgical cloth andmake uniforms out of itfor doctors. The commis-sioner also issued direc-tion to them to supplyreusable face masks.

The circular was issuedto all district coordinatorsof hospital services, med-ical superintendents ofdistrict and area hospitalsand medical officers in-charge of all communityhealth centres in the stateto comply with the direc-tions.

However, the govern-ment doctors were criticalof the circular and saidsuch non-standard protec-tive gear would not pro-tect them from gettinginfected with coronavirus.They also asked the stategovernment to take theresponsibility if they got

infected with the virus.AP Government

Doctors’ Association gen-eral secretary Dr P. ShyamSundar said, “When weare in the forefront offight against the Covid-19,it is unfair on the part ofstate government toignore our safety. Suchsubstandard qualityprotective equipment willnot be effective in protect-ing us from the virus.We want the governmentto withdraw the circularand provide us with stan-dard quality protectivegear.”

● ● THE APVVP commis-sioner requested themedical officers to pro-cure green surgical clothand make uniforms out ofit for doctors.

DC CORRESPONDENT VISAKHAPATNAM, APRIL 1

After the state govern-ment declared theVisakha Institute ofMedical Sciences (VIMS)as a state-level hospital forcoronavirus, 100 housesurgeons and 100 staffnurses have been deputedto VIMS from KingGeorge Hospital (KGH)

with immediate effect,said Superintendent ofKing George Hospital DrG. Arjuna.

The KGH has decided toconduct inpatients treat-ment with limited num-ber of doctors and nurses.Special training has givento the other doctors inKGH to attend to emer-gency cases, Dr. Arjunasaid.

Govt deputes docsand nurses to VIMS

CITYDECCAN CHRONICLE | ANANTAPUR | THURSDAY | 2 APRIL 2020

V.K.L. GAYATRI | DC VISAKHAPATNAM, APRIL 1

In the wake of Covid-19outbreak and a large num-ber of foreign returneesarriving in the district,Srikakulam districtadministration hasarranged Tele MedicineSuggestion Centre(TMSC). It is for the firsttime that the TMSC wasestablished after theCovid-19 cases increasedacross the state.

Though there is nothreat due to the diseaseso far in the district, theadministration has gearedup all its machinery toface any emergency.

As part of the prepared-ness against Covid-19, theadministration is supply-ing the essential commodi-ties to the doorstep, decen-tralisation of rythubazaars and ensuringsocial distance at all thepublic spaces.

In order to minimise the

rush at the hospitals andensure hassle-free medicalassistance to the patients,the administration estab-lished the TMSC, in asso-

ciation with Indian RedCross and Indian MedicalAssociation.

TMSC will work 24x7 andone can obtain medicalassistance for any illness.The doctors of the TMSCwill suggest rushing to thehospitals in case of emer-gency.

“The TMSC medical offi-cers after receiving thedetailed informationabout the illness of thepatient will prescribemedicines and if neces-

sary, suggest moving to thenearest medical centre.This facility will ensurehassle-free medical assis-tance to the patients. Thepatients who wish to availmedical assistance canWhatsApp call on9490576658,” collector J. Nivas said.

The people who are suf-fering from symptoms ofcoronavirus can also callthe TMSC to take primarymedical assistance fromthe centre.

Tele Medicine Suggestion Centre in Srikakulam Collector’s office houses the centre that can assist patientsTACKLE | COVID-19

■ ■

PATHRI RAJASEKHAR | DC NELLORE, APRIL 1

Private hospitals andnursing homes are in a fixover inpatients undergo-ing treatment and outpa-tients visiting the facili-ties because of recentdirections of the govern-ment to make available alltheir resources, includinginfrastructure like isola-tion beds, rooms, wards,ICU premises, ventilators,testing labs, pharmacies,mortuaries, material,equipment and manpowerfor emergency response,rescue and relief to Covid-19 patients and suspects.

Even corporate hospitalsare also in a dilemma overhandling the outpatientsand patients in need ofadmission in the backdropof the government’s deci-sion to take over the hospi-tals either for isolation orquarantine of coron-avirus patients.

For instance, NarayanaGeneral Hospital inNellore has been declaredas Covid-19 district hospi-tal after the GovernmentGeneral Hospital was des-ignated as the regionalcentre for Covid-19 for 3Rayalaseema districts,apart from Nellore.

The doctors are in a fixover treating 100 odd dial-ysis patients and hun-dreds of outpatients com-ing to them every day. Thisis in addition to severalpregnant women in thehospital waiting for deliv-ery.

An official of the hospi-

tal said they were continu-ing the treatment to theinpatients and outpa-tients, who are comingfrom different parts of thecity and neighbouring vil-lages as of now and wait-ing for instructions fromauthorities.

In fact, people with ail-ments other than coron-avirus are already findingit difficult to consult doc-tors in the city as most ofthe private practitionersalready downed theirshutters.

“The staff members areunable to come to duty dueto lockdown restrictionsand the doctors are alsonot comfortable with thegovernment order torecord the details of everypatient, including theirtravel history, and referthem to GGH if they havesymptoms of the virus,” adoctor said, explainingreasons for closure ofprivate clinics.

Govt. tells private facilities to be ready to treat virus patients

DC CORRESPONDENTNELLORE, APRIL 1

In a big relief to the organ-isations involved in supplyand transport of essentialcommodities, the govern-ment has introducedonline delivery of Covid-19emergency passes to pre-vent people going frompillar to post.

Those in need of thepasses should upload theirdetails on the websiteh t t p s : / / g r a m aw a r d -sachivalayam.ap.gov.in/CVPASSAPP/CV/CVOrganizationRegistration.

According to joint collec-tor Dr V. Vinod Kumar, thepasses are meant for theorganisations which areengaged in manufactur-ing, transport, sale ofessential commodities andproviding essential servic-es, by working with limit-ed staff to ensure avail-ability of essential com-modities and services inthe state.

The pass is also meantfor private sector employ-ees who work in facto-ries/offices/establish-ments which are engagedin the production or sup-ply of essential goods orservices as listed by theAgriculture andCooperation department.

The owner/employer/head of theorganisation can apply forthe pass on behalf of allthe employees. If theowner of the organisation

requires the pass, he/sheshould also apply in theemployee category. jointcollector of the district,who is the chairman ofthe District Control Centreis the authority forapproval and rejection ofthe application. It will besent to the District ControlCentre for verification.

E-passes to those in essential services

From Page 1

The entire set up wasmade operational by themanufacture of a fineadjustment reducer andspecific adapters of requi-site dimension for con-necting the oxygen cylin-der and the portableMOM.

The assembling and pre-liminary trials were doneat the MI Room in thenaval dockyard,Visakhapatnam, followedby rapid trials at the navalhospital, INHS Kalyani.

The portable MOM wasinstalled in half an hour,Nair said, adding that thenaval dockyard had com-menced manufacture of10 units that will cater to120 patients at makeshiftlocations.

The central and stategovernments have beenfinding it difficult to caterto the ever-increasingnumber of patients in reg-

ular hospitals and madearrangements to set upmakeshift health carefacilities in railwaycoaches, school and hostelbuildings.

“The Visakhapatnamcollector and a medicalteam will test the efficacyof the equipment and willdeploy it at the earliest, ifthey prove useful,” saidRajat Bhargav, specialchief secretary, industry.He was heading the statetask force on arrangingequipment for the healthcare of Covid-19 patients.“We can replicate thesame for facilities acrossthe state,” he pointed out.

Portable MOMinstalled in 1/2 hr

DC CORRESPONDENTSKADAPA/VIJAYAWADA,APRIL 1

The ancient KodandaRama Swamy temple atVontimitta in Kadapa dis-trict is all set to celebratethe nine-dayBrahmotsavams fromApril 2 to 10 under theaegis of the TTD.

Popularly known as“Ekasila Nagaram” asthe presiding deities werecarved out of a singlestone, this architecturalmarvel is a cynosure ofdevotees from surround-ing districts apart fromKadapa.

Ankurarpanam, theseed-sowing festival, alsoknown as Beejavapanam,was performed onWednesday evening inthe temple, as a preludeto the nine-day fete.

In view of the coron-

avirus threat, the TTDhas made arrangementsfor the Brahmotsavamsonly in the temple builtby the Vijayanagararulers.

The nine-day fete com-mences withDhwajarohanam on April 2. All the ritualswill be confined to thetemple premises.

Meanwhile, the stategovernment has can-celled nine-day Navamifestivities at all otherRama temples in the statedue to the ongoing lock-down in the entire country.

Minister for endow-ments VelampalliSrinivas Rao said thatonly priests will performthe rituals associatedwith Sri Rama Navami inthe temples on April 2and public gathering willnot be allowed.

GVMC staff use mist cannon to spray sodium hypochlorite on the roads and buildings to disinfect Sanjeevaiah Colony near NAD Junction as a check the spread of Covid-19 in Visakhapatnam Wednesday. — P. NARASIMHA MURTHY

Sanitise colonies

DC CORRESPONDENTVIJAYAWADA, APRIL 1

The eldest son of apolice head constablewas tested positive forCovid-19 in Bhimavaramin West Godavari onWednesday.

According to thehealth authorities, theeldest son of the headconstable went to Delhito attend the religiousmeeting and returnedhome recently.

When his swabs werewere sent for testing, hewas tested positive forCovid-19.

All the 10 members inthe family, including thehead constable, wereshifted to a private hos-pital at Eluru for quar-antine.

Tackling Covid-19 hasposed a challenge to theofficials in AndhraPradesh after many peo-ple from the state attend-ed the religious meetingin Delhi, where a personinfected with the viruswas present. Once theyreturned homes, thevirus began spreading.

HEAD CONSTABLESON TESTS +VEFOR COVID-19

DC CORRESPONDENT VISAKHAPATNAM, APRIL 1

The government hasannounced areas wherecoronavirus positive casesare living as Red Zones inthe city.

These include Allipu-ram, Akkayyapalem, NADJunction, ITI Area, Revidivillage of Padmanabhammandal.

The government hasdirected the district

administration to supplythe essential commoditiesfrom the fair price shops tothe doorsteps of benefici-aries in the Red Zoneareas.

Joint collector L. SivaSankar held a videoconfer-ence with officials onWednesday and directedthe fair price shops shouldbe kept open by 6 am. Action will be initiat-ed against those not follow-ing this timing, he warned.

Allipuram, NAD Jn.among Red Zones

Vontimitta setfor Navami fete

DC CORRESPONDENTKURNOOL, APRIL 1

To tackle the dreadedcoronavrirus, the districtadministration has decid-ed to provide 5,000 beds forCovid-19 patients acrossthe district. As of now, 95per cent of the works havebeen completed and atpresent, 1,650 beds areavailable at differentplaces in the district, said

district collector G. VeeraPandian. He visitedSantiram Private MedicalCollege-cum-general hos-pital at Nandyal town onWednesday. He alsoinspected arrangementsmade for the Covid-19patients where 800 non-ICU beds and 50 ICUbeds were set up .

The district administra-tion has decentralisedRythu Bazaars.

KURNOOL TO ARRANGE 5,000 BEDSFOR COVID-19 PATIENTS IN DISTRICT

PALAMANERDECLARED ASRED ZONEDC CORRESPONDENTTIRUPATI, APRIL 1

With sudden spike incoronavirus positivecases in Chittoor districtin the last 24 hours, tak-ing the tally from one tosix on Wednesday, ofwhich five were linked tothe Tablighi Jamaatmeeting attendees,Deputy Chief Minister K. Narayana Swamy andminister for panchayatraj PeddireddyRamachandra Reddy hud-dled into an emergencymeeting with the Covid-19 task force atTirupati on Wednesdaymorning. Mr Peddireddydirected the districtadministration to declarePalamaner division,where three positivecases were reported onWednesday, as a red zone.

BRIEFJC does a spy job on prices

BJP to disburse15L food packets

Minister gives 10K surgical masks

No power metrereading for March

Tirupati: The Andhra PradeshSouthern Power Distribution

Company Limited (APSPDCL)on Wednesday informed that

the electricity bill of householdsto be released in April will be

computed based on the previ-ous bill issued in the month of

March. In a press release by theAPSPDCL chairman and MD H.

Harnath Rao, he said that thecompany is currently facing dif-

ficulties to send meter readersto each household in view of

the coronavirus threat andhence decided to compute theprevious month’s consumptionto issue bill for this month. The

power bill will be sent to con-sumer’s mobile through SMS on

April 4, he added.

Nellore: Industries and IT minis-ter Mekapati Goutham Reddy,

along with water resources min-ister Dr Anilkumar Yadav, hand-ed over 10,000 surgical masks

to collector M.V. Seshagiri Babufor utility by those working inCovid-19 prevention activities

here on Wednesday. He said hewould also arrange 25,000 N95

masks for the benefit of thosein the frontline in dealing with

Covid-19 virus. Speaking on theoccasion, he said he told theofficials to create all facilities

and infrastructure as per proto-col at Covid-19 quarantine and

isolation wards. At a reviewmeeting with the officials in

Atmakur constituency, hedirected the municipal officialsto carry out sanitation drive in

all the areas of the segment.

Visakhapatnam: The BJP stateunit has decided to

distribute 15 lakh food packetsevery day to the destitute inAndhra Pradesh. Former BJP

MLA P. Vishnu Kumar Raju said,in Visakhapatnam, they havebeen distributing 5,000 food

packets every day since March 25. “We are giving milkand fruits in the morning and

lunch packets withwater in the afternoon,’’ Mr

Vishnu Kumar Raju said. Theyhave outsourced the cookingand packing of food packets

and are distributing them. Vans containing the packets

visit various wards and identifythe needy. This apart, Modi Kits

containing 20 kg rice, 1 kg daland an oil packet are beinggiven to the poor across the

state, he added.

Vizianagaram: Masquerading asan ordinary customer, Joint

Collector of Vizianagaram dis-trict G.V. Kishore visited a major

vegetable market at RajivGrounds on Wednesday to find

out whether the traders werefleecing the customers taking

advantage of the situation aris-ing out of the coronavirus infec-

tion. The government alsoissued orders to take stringent

action on traders if theyincreased the prices without the

permission of the marketingdepartment. The joint collector

found that the grocers and veg-etable merchants have

increased the prices of essentialcommodities and vegetable by

5 per kg.He immediately leftthe market and discussed withthe collector senior officials on

the steps to be taken to control the prices. The traders were in

for a shock after they learntthat it was none other than the

joint collector who enquiredthem about the prices with

keen interest.

Rlys offers mealsto destitutes

Visakhapatnam: Due to theongoing lockdown, migrantworkers got stranded near

Visakhapatnam railway stationarea. As a good will gesture,

Waltair Division, in associationwith IRCTC, arranged communi-

ty meals to the stranded anddestitute. Waltair DRM Chetan

Kumar Shrivastava said, “Indianrailways is always in the frontlineto shoulder social responsibility

during such national crisis.Today, IRCTC Rail Dhaba-

Visakhapatnam, prepared foodfor 500 members, out of which

250 was handed over to NGO- Rythu Mitra and remaining

250 were distributed to thestranded migrant workers.”

The Indian Railways has beenputting in efforts to continue the

supply chain by ensuring unin-terrupted running of goods

trains carrying essential com-modities. As a welfare measure

to its employees, WaltairDivision took an innovative

move to supply essential com-modities to its employees at

their doorstep. The welfareinspectors of the personnel

branch of Waltair Division devel-oped a WhatsApp link for plac-

ing orders as per requirement ofthe concerned employee.

■ ■

Two test positive from suspected casesFrom Page 1

Among them only two per-sons tested positive and 55negative.

Energy ministerBalineni SrinivasuluReddy said 14 out of the 15Covid-19 cases reported inPrakasam district are ofpeople who attended thereligious meeting in Delhi.He appealed to all thosewho took part in the Delhimeeting to voluntarilyjoin the Covid-19 designat-ed hospitals to protectthemselves and their kin.

Though Kadapa regis-tered no Covid-19 positivecases till Tuesday, itemerged as a hotspot with15 cases. The majority arereturnees from the Delhireligious meeting which59 from the district hadattended. Seven cases arefrom Proddutur, five fromKadapa, one each fromVempalli, Pulivendula andBadvel. Some had given aparty for their near anddear ones after theyreturned from Delhi 14days ago and the police aretrying to trace those whoattended.

The district administra-tion has admitted the posi-

tive patients to hospitalsand quarantined theirfamily members.

Some of them had goneto Delhi one month agoand worked as religiouspreachers in rural areas inNorth India. After themeeting, they returned toHyderabad on theRajadhani Express and toKadapa by the Kachiguda-Chittoor VenkatadriExpress.

One person fromProddutur, who tested pos-itive, had gone to Delhiwith his friends and theystayed together in theboarding area. They havedeveloped the symptomsafter 14 days. One returneeorganised a lunch for over150 people.

Chittoor registered sixcases with five fresh cases.Two person had returnedfrom the Tablighi JamaatMashoora (convocation) atHazrat Nizamuddin AuliaDargah in New Delhi andthree from a similar meet-ing held in Assam.

The tail-end district ofAndhra Pradesh, sharingborders with Karnatakaand Tamil Nadu, had onlyone positive case tillTuesday.

The sudden spike hassent the district adminis-tration into a tizzy as oneinfected person can pass itto hundreds of others. Thedistrict official machineryhas conducted a door-to-door survey in the affectedareas. Disinfectants weresprayed and the movementof people was restricted.Rapid response teamshave been deployed totrace the travel and con-tact history of thereturnees.

District collector DrNarayan Bharat Guptatold the media that two ofthe five cases were linkedto the Jamaat held inDelhi and three to theAssam event. “One wasidentified at Srikalahastiwhere the first positivecase in the district wasreported last week, twocases were at Palamaneruand one each at Yerpeduand Gangavaram,” hesaid.

The five have been shift-ed to the Old MaternityHospital in Tirupati while30 contacts were quaran-tined in government facili-ties. The samples of 20were sent for testing.

“Around 60 people with

mild symptoms were alsoquarantined at differentfacilities in the districtand their samples weresent for testing,” he added.

The district administra-tion said in a bulletin thatout of the 46 Jamaat atten-dees, 28 were kept underquarantine, one personwas yet to be traced and 17had moved to other statesand districts.

Out of the 1,816 foreignreturnees in the district,362 have completed 28days’ home isolation,while 1,454 are under 15-28days’ home isolation.

As of Wednesday, 102 hadtested negative, while theresults of 36 were awaited.As many as 127 wereadmitted to various hospi-tals in the district and 419were in quarantine at 14facilities. One amongthem was discharged onWednesday.

On the other hand, a 60-year-old man who attend-ed Tablighi Jamat meetingin Delhi died onWednesday at the KurnoolGovernment GeneralHospital. However, districtcollector G Veera Pandianclarified that the deathwas not due to Covid-19.

This was the second non-Covid death of personswho participated in theDelhi meeting. A 65-year-old man from Nannur inthe district died onMonday at the same hospi-tal.

The district administra-tion was fully prepared todeal with Covid-19 cases asa huge contingent of 400persons attended the reli-gious meeting in Delhibetween March 13 and 15,he said, and added that theisolation ward at IIITKurnool was filledovernight. “Efforts arebeing made to set up quar-antine facilities in privatehospitals in the district,”he said.

A senior police officialsaid that all the attendeeshad been identified except12. He said these 12 per-sons were suspected tohave gone to Rajasthan,Telangana andMaharashtra.

With this second death,though not related to coro-navirus, the Kurnool dis-trict officials were on highalert and admitting everyperson who had any linksto the Delhi returnees tohospital.

NATION pg 4DECCAN CHRONICLE | ANANTAPUR | THURSDAY | 2 APRIL 2020

SHORT TAKESSONIA SEEKS

ADVANCE PAY FORMNREGA WORKERSSREEPARNACHAKRABARTY || DDCNEW DELHI, APRIL 1

Congress president SoniaGandhi on Tuesday askedPrime Minister NarendraModi to pay 21 days advancewages to workers registeredunder the Mahatma GandhiNational Rural EmploymentGuarantee Act in order to mit-igate the financial reversessuffered by daily wagers dueto the lockdown in the wake ofcoronavirus pandemic. Theparty also criticised the reduc-tion in interest rates of smallsaving schemes saying itwould hurt the most vulnera-ble sections of society at theworst possible times.

In a letter to the PrimeMinister, Gandhi said, “Sinceits inception, the MGREGAwhich caters to eight crorerural workforce has been acritical lifeline for the ruralpoor, particularly during peri-ods of chronic economic dis-tress.”

She said that due to the 21-day lockdown to containCovid-19, lakhs of agriculturalworkers have been left unem-ployed during the crucial har-vesting season. “Devoid of analternative source of income,an increasingly large numberof the rural poor are expectedto demand work under MGN-REGA. However, social dis-tancing norms have renderedall works unfeasible duringthe lockdown. Furthermore,even after the works com-mence, MGNREGA workershave to wait for more than amonth to receive wages,” shesaid adding that in such a situ-ation it was imperative thatgovernment considers givingadvance wages.

MALAYALAM FILMCREW STUCK

IN JORDANGILVESTER AASSARY || DDC THIRUVANANTHAPURAM,APRIL 1

A Malayalam film crew com-prising actor Prithviraj anddirector Blessy who were sho-oting for their film ‘Aadujeev-itham’ are stranded in Jordan.

The 58-member crew wasshooting daily since it landedin Jordan early March.However, owing to lockdownannounced by Jordan, theyhad stop shooting on March 21.

The crew has sought ChiefMinister Pinarayi Viijayan’shelp for evacuation as theirvisa period is set to expire onApril 8. Since the Indian gov-ernment had ban-ned all inter-national flights, they will haveto stay put in Jordan.Meanwhile, Union minister ofstate for external affairs V.Muraleedharan Indian Embas-sy in Jordan is getting in touchwith the government there toget visa period extended.

The crew was shooting in thedesert of Wadi Rum in Jordanwhich is a popular shootinglocation. Earlier the crew,through Kerala Film Chamberhad sought CM’s intervention.Subsequently the NonResident Keralites AffairsDepartment had apprised theofficials of Indian Embassy inJordan about the requirementof the film crew.

250 PILGRIMSFROM LEH TEST

POSITIVE IN IRANPARMOD KKUMAR || DDCNEW DELHI, APRIL 1

The Centre on Wednesday toldthe Supreme Court that 250pilgrims from India in theIranian city of Qom who havetested positive for coronavirushave not been evacuated whileother over 500 have alreadybeen airlifted.

The Qom is epicentre ofCovid-19 outbreak in Iranwhich is badly inflicted withthe outbreak.

As Solicitor General TusharMehta confirmed that 250 pil-grims have tested positive, abench of Justice D. Y.Chandrachud and Justice M.R. Shah said, “We are think-ing of asking Indian Embassyto constantly monitor the situ-ation, take fresh tests and lookinto as to when they can bebrought back.”

The most of the pilgrimswho are still stranded andhave tested positive and otherswho have been airlifted arefrom Leh — a part of newlycarved out Union Territory ofLadakh.

A Leh resident Mustafa M.H.had moved the top court seek-ing the repatriation of strand-ed pilgrims which includedhis three relatives.

Solicitor General told thecourt that since the pilgrimson whose behalf the petitionwas filed have been airlifted,thus petition has becomeinfructuous.

From Page 1

“Children of such resi-dents of J&K as resideoutside UT of J&K in con-nection with their emplo-yment or business orother professional orvocational reasons” buttheir parents fulfil any ofthe conditions providedearlier.

Through the same order,the Centre has repealedthe J&K Civil Services(Special Provisions) Act.Section 5A of the newlyintroduced Jammu andKashmir Civil Services(Decentralisation andRecruitment) Act statesthat no person shall beeligible for appointmentto a post carrying a payscale of not more thanLevel-4 (25,500) unless heis a domicile of the UT ofJ&K.” The level 4 inclu-des posts like JuniorAssistant, Constable, whi-ch is considered as thelowest category of non-gazetted posts. This me-ans domiciles of J&K UT

would have exclusiveright on class-4th andnon-gazetted posts to beadvertised by theServices Selection Boardfrom now on wards. AllIndian citizens includingJ&K domiciles would beeligible for remainingnon-gazetted and gazettedposts. Before August 5, alljobs in erstwhile state ofJ&K were exclusivelyreserved for permanentresidents of the State.

Before August 5, 2019,Article 35A of theConstitution (now abro-gated) empowered J&KAssembly to define a J&Kresident and guaranteedspecial rights and privi-leges to them and therebyprohibiting non-perma-nent residents from per-manent settlement andfrom acquiring immov-able properties, govern-ment jobs and scholar-ships in the State.

The provisions of thenew law authorise theTehsildar as competentauthority for issuing the

domicile certificate, asopposed to deputy com-missioner or any officerspecially notified by thegovernment in the erst-while state by way of agazette notification in theform of a SRO. End it

Various political partiesand trade and civil socie-ty groups in Jammu andKashmir have expressedshock and dismay at theCentre’s coming up witha new domicile law for theUnion Territory at a timewhen like rest of thecountry it is strugglinghard to contain the Covid-19 scourge.

A furious Srinagar resi-dent Ghulam HassanZarkob said, “This is acompletely wicked moveby the Indian govern-ment. People have beencaught in a very difficultand perilous situationbecause of the Covid-19threat. In fact, they havebeen reduced into fright-en pigeons”. He added,“Most of the people areconfined to their homes.

Many others are in hospi-tals or in quarantine. TheGovernment of India hasby taking advantage ofthis situation only proveditself to be worst oppor-tunist.”

Former chief ministerand National Conferencevice president OmarAbdullah came downheavily on the Centreover issuing such a notifi-cation at a time wheneveryone’s attention sho-uld have been on Covid-19control. He tweeted “Talkabout suspect timing. Ata time when all ourefforts & attention shouldbe focused on the #COVIDoutbreak the governmentslips in a new domicilelaw for J&K. Insult isheaped on injury whenwe see the law offers noneof the protections thathad been promised.”

Without naming SyedAltaf Bukhari, formerminister and president ofthe newly formed JammuKashmir Apni Party, Mr.Abdullah also said, “You

can imagine how hollowthe domicile law is fromthe fact that even the newparty created with Delhi’sblessings, whose leaderswere lobbying in Delhi forthis law, have been forcedto criticise the #JKdomi-cilelaw.” Mr. Bukhari hadearlier demanded that thenew domicile law shouldbe put in abeyance till Co-vid-19 pandemic is over.

“It is most unfortunatethat such an importantorder has been issued at atime when the wholecountry is battling for itssurvival and is understrict lockdown to stemspread of deadly Corona-virus disease”, he said.He added that while hisparty had been vehement-ly demanding domicilerights on land and jobsfor the residents of J&K,the order issued by theCentre “reflects a casualexercise carried out atbureaucratic level with-out taking aspirationsand expectations of peo-ple into consideration.”

People’s DemocraticParty termed the move as“frighteningly ambiva-lent, irresolute and akinto rubbing salt to the peo-ple’s wounds”. While thePDP president MehboobaMufti remains in incar-ceration, her party gener-al secretary SurinderChoudhary in a state-ment said that the notifi-cation is “ill-timed, verybadly drafted and out-come of confused andchaotic bureaucracy”.

He added, “It seems thatthe order has been delib-erately issued at a timewhen the entire countryis facing a dreadful threatdue to Covid-19 and thewhole population is cagedin their homes”.

He alleged that eitherthose at the helm are try-ing to play a proverbialostrich or deliberatelytrying to insult the peopleby issuing an order whichcontains “ruthlessly con-fusing content which isbut akin to rubbing salt totheir wounds.”

Insult is heaped on injury: Omar on domicile law

Nation-wide search forDelhi returnees beginsCentre asks states to quarantine all those who attended the meeting

Various parties, trade & civil society groups express shock over Centre’s moveCAUGHT | UNAWARES

A woman wearing protective mask walks past near empty shelves of a supermarket at Sion in Mumbai on Wednesday during the nation-wide lock-down in the wake of coronavirus pandemic. With several localities in Mumbai and surrounding areas sealed after coronavirus positive patients werefound, the threat of community transmission of Covid-19 is looming large in the state. —PTI

DC CCORRESPONDENTSNEW DELHI, APRIL 1

With a Tablighi Jamaatcongregation in a Delhilocality becoming an epi-centre for Covid-19 spreadacross India, states arehurrying to identify andpossibly isolate those whoattended the meeting.

While Telangana saw sixfatalities, all of whomattended the congregationin Nizamuddin West inDelhi last month, TamilNadu witnessed the steep-est increase in the dailynumber of Covid-19 posi-tive cases on Tuesday at57, taking the aggregate to124. Of the 57 positivecases, 50 had attended theevent.

The Centre is closelymonitoring the nation-wide impact of the coronaspread in wake of themeeting of the TablighiMarkaz with CabinetSecretary Raiv Gauba dis-cussing the issue withhome secretary AjayBhalla on Wednesday, fol-lowing which the two helda video conference with

chief secretaries and stateDGPs.

Sources said the Centrehas categorically askedthe states to “identify, iso-late and quarantine’’ allthose who had attendedthe religious event.

States have also beendirected to immediatelyprepare a complete data-base of these people andalso all those who came incontact with them afterthey reached their respec-tive areas.

At least 400 more peoplefrom West Bengal aloneare suspected to haveattended the Delhi event.Majority of them are yetto be identified and tracedso far.

The death toll in WestBengal rose to seven onWednesday after two morepatients, with no historyof foreign travel, fell vic-tim to the virus. One ofthem is the 57-year-oldeatery owner fromAriadaha in North 24Parganas near Kolkatawho died in the morning.

Trouble, however,cropped up over the last

rites of the deceased. Thebody, which was not hand-ed over to his family as perthe protocol, was taken toDhapa Crematorium offEM Bypass in Kolkata forlast rites. But a group oflocal residents startedprotesting against the lastrites of the deceased as hewas a Covid-19 patient.

Assam health ministerHimanta Biswa Sarma onWednesday said that 13new Covid-19 positivecases have been detected,taking the total number ofcorona cases in the state tofive. The minister said,“All five cases detected inthe state have the historyof attending the religiouscongregation of TablighiJamaat in Delhi.”

Officials in Bihar havebeen asked to carry outsearches across the stateto identify people who hadattended the religiousgathering organized at aMarkaz in Nizamuddin.

According to healthdepartment officials, thestate administration hasreceived a list of 81 per-sons who had attended the

religious gathering out ofwhich 30 have been tracedin Patna and Buxar.

Taking serious note ofthe Markaz developmentthe state government hasnow directed officials tocarry out intensive screen-ing of people who havereturned from abroadafter March 18 and didn’tshow any symptoms ofCovid-19.

“We will examine allthose who returned fromabroad after March 18.This decision has beentaken after assessing a fewcases who didn’t show anysigns or symptoms ofcoronavirus during theirinitial examination buttested positive later”,Sanjay Kumar, PrincipalSecretary, Bihar healthdepartment told reporters.

The total number ofcoronavirus cases inBihar has surged to 23.

Kerala Chief MinisterPinarayi Vijayan onWednesday lashed out atthe attempts being madefrom certain quarters togive a communal colour tothe Tablighi conference.

“There seems to be intol-erance towards the peoplewho contracted infectionand their religion. Certainforces are unleashing apropaganda and misusingthe social media in a bigway for this purpose. Noone should try to exploitthe crisis situation devel-oped by Covid–19 for vest-ed communal purpose andfor unleashing communalpropaganda,” he toldmediapersons inThiruvananthapuram.

Jammu and Kashmirpolice also stepped up itseffort to trace members ofTablighi Jamaat who arereported to have attendeda meet at its headquartersin Nizamuddin area buthave not, so far, presentedthemselves before the con-cerned authorities formandatory screening andpossible quarantine.

Reports emanating fromthe Union capital said that87 people from Jammu andKashmir who were amongthe people stuck inNizamuddin area havebeen put in quarantine inDelhi itself.

CBSE to promoteClass 1-8 studentsto next classHARLEEN MMINOCHA || DDCHYDERABAD, APRIL 1

In its latest directive, theministry of humanresource development(HRD), on Wednesday,instructed the centralboard of secondary edu-cation (CBSE) to promoteall students of classes 1 to8 in the country to thenext class in view of thenation-wide lockdowndue to the coronavirusscare.

In a tweet, Union HRDMinister. Dr. R.P.Nishank. said, ‘In view ofthe current situation dueto #COVID19, I haveadvised @cbseindia29 topromote ALL studentsstudying in classes I-VIIIto the next class or grade.’

Meanwhile, promotionfor students of classesnine and eleven will be onthe basis of all the school-based assessments,including project work,periodic tests, termexams, conducted so far.

The union HRD minis-ter added that students ofclasses 9 and eleven thatfail to be promoted thistime can appear in school-based tests, online oroffline. The CBSE alsoannounced that it will notconduct pending class 10and 12 exams in schoolsaffiliated to the board inforeign countries. Theexams were postponed inview of the coronavirusoutbreak in the country.

However, the CBSE willconduct Class 10 and 12exams only for 29 mainsubjects that will berequired for admissionsin higher educationalinstitutions, said a direc-tive issued by theMinistry of HumanResource Development(MHRD), on Wednesday.

“Whenever CBSE is in a

position to hold boardexams, it shall conductfor 29 subjects by givingadequate notice,” said theUnion HRD Minister Dr.R.P. Nishank in a series oftweets.

While this decision hasbeen taken in view of theCoronavirus outbreak, itis also significant asmany exams were alsopostponed in areas ofNorth-East Delhi due tothe violence that brokeout in February.

Following are the sub-jects for which re-exami-nation will be conducted:

Class 101. For North East Delhi:

Hindi Course A, HindiCourse B, EnglishCommunication, EnglishLanguage and Literature,Science, and SocialScience.

2. For whole of India:Nil

Class 121. For North East Delhi:

English Core,Mathematics, Economics,Biology, Political Science,History, English Elective -N, English Elective -C,Physics, Accountancy,and Chemistry.

2. For whole of India:Business Studies,Geography, Hindi(Elective), Hindi (Core),Home Science, Sociology,Computer Science (Old),Computer Science (New),Information Practice(Old), InformationPractice (new),Information Technology,and Bio-Technology.

For the rest of the sub-jects, the Board will nothold examinations; theinstructions for mark-ing/assessment in allsuch cases shall be sepa-rately issued by theBoard.

Baldev holds meetsat many placesFrom Page 1

A major crisis situation isnow also building up inPunjab where formerHazoori Raagi at theGolden Temple, NirmalSingh has tested positivefor Covid-19.

The 62-year-old ‘Gurb-ani’ exponent had recent-ly returned from abroadand was admitted to GuruNanak Dev Hospital afterhe complained of breath-lessness and dizziness onMarch 30.

Police have sealed thearea around Singh’s resi-dence to check the spreadof the infection.

According to the offi-cials, Singh held a large'sammelan' (religiousgathering) in Delhi andsome other places after hereturned from abroad.Contact tracing of suchhuge gathering is now amajor challenge forhealth authorities.

Punjab has got its firstcase from 70-year-old reli-gious preacher BaldevSingh who had travelled

to Italy and Germanybefore reaching Nava-shahr. He later died ofCovid becoming first dea-th in the state. BaldevSingh had also activelyparticipated in religiousgatherings – Hola Moha-lla – in Rupnagar’s Anan-dpur Sahib between Mar-ch 7 and March 9. Severalhave tested positive in thearea now posing ques-tions on the efficiency ofairport screening that letgo all such people who arenow testing positive.

Maharashtra hasbecome the hot spot forCovid as the number ofcases reached 302 after 86new cases were found onWednesday. In a majorconcern for healthauthorities, one positivecase of Covid was report-ed from Mumbai’sDharavi which is one ofthe biggest slum area.The patient, a 56-year-oldman who was undergoingtreatment, later died. Asmany as 7 of his familymembers have been puton quarantine.

Tablighi Jamaat committed sin, says NaqviDC CCORRESPONDENTNEW DELHI, APRIL 1

Lashing out at theTablighi Jamaat for com-mitting a “Talibani cri-me,” Union minister forminority affairs MukhtarAbbas Naqvi on Wedne-sday said the Jamaat hascommitted an unpardon-able sin, after several peo-ple who attended the reli-gious event in the nationalcapital and also those wholeft for other state, tested

positive for Covid-19. “This is not negligence

but a Talibani crime com-mitted by them (Jama-at)…It is a serious crimi-nal act. When the entirecountry is fighting againstcoronavirus, committingsuch a sin is unpardon-able,” said the ministerwho posted on his socialmedia accounts messagesby Muslim religious lead-ers appealing to people tofollow the lockdown.

Mr Naqvi also said that

everyone needs to partici-pate in the fight againstthe coronavirus and anyaction or measures to com-bat it should not be seenthrough religious prism.

The Union minister saiddespite knowing that suchlarge gathering have beenbanned, the event wasorganised intentionally,which has put lives ofmany in danger and strictaction needs to be takenagainst the organisers.

Demanding strict actionagainst the organisers ofthe event at the markaz inNizamuddin, the VishwaHindu Parishad said itwas a “shameful andunfortunate incident,”

which could impact theeffects of the lockdownagainst the corona virus.

Uttar Pradesh powerminister Shrikant Sharmasaid the entire country’smedical staff, states governments, those invo-lved in sanitisation,police, media and manyfirst responders have beenworking round the clock tocombat the virus but theact of the Jamaat has hurttheir efforts against thevirus spread.

● ● MUKHTAR AABBASNaqvi says that everyoneneeds to participate in thefight against the coron-avirus and any action tocombat it should not beseen through religiousprism

PRICE OF PULSESLIKELY TO INCREASEIN MAHARASHTRASONU SSHRIVASTAVA || DCMUMBAI, APRIL 1

The supply of pulses hasbeen affected in the stateowing to the outbreak ofcoronavirus. As a result, theprice is likely to spike in thecoming days. The APMC(Agricultural Produce Mar-ket Committee) Dana Bazar(grain market) in Navi Mum-bai has informed the Mah-arashtra government that ifthe prices of pulses need tobe contained in the city, thesupply needs to be increasedin the APMC market.

The APMC Dana Bazar haswritten a letter to theController of Rationing andDirector of Civil Supplies inthis regard.

After the announcement ofcomplete nationwide lock-down for 21 days, the supplyof pulses have been badlyaffected.

According to the traders ofpulses, Navi Mumbai APMCused to see 25 to 30 trucks ofpulses every day but after thelockdown, only five to seventrucks are arriving in theAPMC market.

Washington, April 1:The US is headed for a“very tough two weeks”,President Donald Trumphas warned, advising peo-ple to be prepared for the“hard days” ahead, as thecountry was at war with adeadly Covid-19 pandemicthat the White House proj-ects could claim one to twolakh lives during the nextfortnight. Trump’s remar-ks came as Deborah Bix, amember of White HouseTask Force on Covid-19,based on a model from act-ual data from the ground,said the death toll in theUS could be between100,000 to 200,000, with thestrict implementation ofthe existing mitigationmeasures, including socialdistancing till April 30.

If no steps were to be ta-ken, the death toll couldrange between 1.5 millionand 2.2 million, Brix saidon a day when the confir-med number of Covid-19infections in the US, accor-ding to the Johns HopkinsCoronavirus Resource Ce-nter website, zoomed toover 189,500, adding morethan 25,000 new cases in asingle day and the fataliti-es rose to over 4,000.

“I want every Americanto be prepared for the harddays that lie ahead,” agrim-faced Trump told re-porters on Tuesday at a br-iefing which has now bec-ome his daily Covid-19 pre-ss conference at the WhiteHouse for more than 10days. “We’re going to gothrough a very tough twoweeks and then, hopefully,as the experts are predict-ing, as I think a lot of usare predicting after havingstudied it so hard, we aregoing to start seeing somereal light at the end of thetunnel. But this is going tobe a very painful, very,very, very painful twoweeks,” Trump said. Inthis grim scenario, wherethe daily death toll keepson jumping at an unprece-dented rate, and morethan 250 million of theAmerican population has

been forced to stay insidetheir homes, the presidentasked his countrymen tobe positive and cooperatein this war against the in-visible army of Covid-19.

“I want to give peoplehope. I’m a cheerleader forthe country,” said Trumpwho is the seeking re-elec-tion in the November pres-idential elections. Campai-

gning has come to a stand-still and it is unlikely torevive in the next few mo-nths. The country is expe-cted to face the peak arou-nd middle of April. — PTI

WORLD pg 5DECCAN CHRONICLE | ANANTAPUR | THURSDAY | 2 APRIL 2020

Virus turns lives of millions of all social classes upside downIN THE | LURCH

New York, April 1: TheCovid-19 pandemic tookBrittany Brook’s job onMarch 16, two days after ittook her husband Matth-ew Whitfield’s, leaving theNew York couple scrambl-ing as end-of-the-monthbills come due.

On April 1, Brook, an ar-tist who until recently tau-ght music at a preschoolschool, and Whitfield, anow-former waiter and ac-tor, have to pay the rentand other bills, as do milli-ons of Americans of all so-cial classes who have seentheir lives turned upsidedown by the crisis.

The decisions they make

on which bills to pay willprovide a clearer pictureof the economic damagedone by Covid-19 in a cou-ntry lacking a universalsocial safety net and whe-re many workers have lit-tle savings to fall back on.

“We have, for the firsttime in our marriage, dec-lined to pay our creditcard balances, but onlypaid the minimum ... andcalled to ask for interest fo-rgiveness,” 31-year-old Bri-ttany said. The couple alsoapplied for deferred andreduced payments for the-ir student loans. “We planto pay our power bill andanything necessary that

we can afford, but we willnot be paying rent, as thatwould deplete our savingsand emergency funds wit-hin just a few months,”says Brittany, who liveswith Matthew, 33, in a one-bedroom apartment inNew York which they rentfor $1,690 a month.

According to Amherst, areal estate analytics andinvestment firm, 26 perce-nt of US renters could ne-ed temporary help to paytheir monthly housingbill, which would total ab-out $12 billion per-month.The federal government’sunprecedented $2.2 trillionaid package will help ease

the economic pain, but the$1,200 checks promised toevery American — and$500 for each child — willnot arrive until the secondhalf of April.

A record 3.3 million Am-ericans filed for unemplo-yment during the week en-ded March 21, as thousan-ds of small and large busi-nesses were forced to closetheir doors. Tammy Devit-oe was laid off March 12from her restaurant in Al-bany, New York, and the$250 to $300 of weekly une-mployment benefits sheexpects to receive will notbe nearly enough to payfor her telephone, electric-

ity, cable, rent and carloan. She swallowed herpride and asked for dona-tions through GoFundMe,the online fundraisingplatform, where she hadmanaged to raise $2,240 bythe morning of March 31.

“I’m not used to beggi-ng,” the divorced 39-year-old mother said. “I havenegative $350 in my accou-nt. I never had a plan B,”she said. “I’m just going topray and keep begging.”Faced with the massivenumbers of layoffs andfurloughs, mortgage com-panies are bracing for awave of missed paymentson April 1. — AFP

Rent due but many Americans can’t pay Covid behind speed:Lambhorgini driverSydney, April 1: An Aus-tralian allegedly caughtdriving a Lamborghini atnearly twice the speed li-mit in Sydney claimed hewas rushing to hospital tobe tested for Covid-19, po-lice said Wednesday.

The man was undergoi-ng mandatory self-isolati-on after being pulled overfor allegedly driving 160kilometres per hour in a90 km/h zone on Monday.

He was fined for speed-ing and had his licencesuspended. Police urgedAustralians who suspectthey may have Covid-19 tocall their nearest medicalservice first. “Drivers sh-ouldn’t break the road

rules under any circumst-ances,” Assistant Commi-ssioner Michael Corboysaid. “If you think youhave symptoms of Covid-19 and want to seek helpfrom a doctor or hospital,call ahead of time to bookan appointment. “If youare experiencing a medic-al emergency, contact tri-ple zero.” Police said the35-year-old man had beentested for Covid-19 andwas now undergoing ma-ndatory self-isolation. Itwas unclear if he had te-sted positive. — AFP

● ● HE WWAS allegedly driv-ing 160 kilometres perhour in a 90 km/h zone

Two ‘tough’ weeks: TrumpPrez advises people to be prepared for ‘hard days’ in Covid fight

PAUSE H1B VISAPROGRAMME,TRUMP URGED

ASYMPTOMATIC CASES INCHINA: 2ND WAVE FEAREDBeijing, April 1: For the first timesince the Covid-19 outbreak, China onWednesday revealed the presence of1,541 asymptomatic cases carrying thedeadly novel Covid-19, raising concernsof a second wave of infections amid therelaxation of stringent measures in thecountry initiated to contain the deadlydisease. Asymptomatic Covid-19 casesare those who carry the virus but do notshow any symptoms and can cause spor-adic clusters of infections. In a surpriseannouncement on Tuesday, China’s Nat-ional Health Commission (NHC) said itwould begin to release the data of asym-ptomatic patients. A total of 1,541 asym-ptomatic patients infected with Covid-19have been put under medical observa-tion in China by the end of Monday,including 205 imported cases. — PTI

Tehran, April 1: Iran’s death toll fromthe Covid-19 has passed 3,000, the healthministry said on Wednesday, as Preside-nt Hassan Rouhani accused Washingtonof missing a “historic opportunity” tolift sanctions. Tensions have soared si-nce President Donald Trump abandoneda landmark nuclear agreement in 2018and reimposed sweeping sanctions. Teh-ran has repeatedly called on Washingtonto reverse its policy, which has beenopposed by US allies, particularly sincethe Covid-19 pandemic hit. Health minis-try spokesman Kianoush Jahanpoursaid the Covid-19 death toll in Iran nowstood at 3,036 following 138 new fatalitiesin the past 24 hours. He added that 2,987new cases had been confirmed, bringingthe total to 47,593, with 15,473 of thoserecovered and discharged. — AFP

IRAN: US MISSED ‘HISTORICCHANCE’ TO LIFT SANCTIONS

Washington, April 1: AUS body representing Am-erican technology worke-rs has urged President Do-nald Trump to suspend forthis year the H-1B visa pr-ogramme, the most soug-ht-after among the IndianIT professionals, to protecttheir interests amidst themassive layoffs in the cou-ntry due to the Covid-19pandemic.

The H-1B visa is a non-immigrant visa that allo-ws US companies to empl-oy foreign workers in spe-ciality occupations thatrequire theoretical or tec-hnical expertise.

Companies depend on itto hire tens of thousandsof employees each yearfrom countries like Indiaand China.

— PTI

VIRUS: DELAYHAJJ, SAUDIURGES MUSLIMSDubai, April 1: A sen-ior Saudi official urgedmore than 1 millionMuslims intending toperform the hajj to delaymaking plans this yearin comments suggestingthe pilgrimage could becancelled due to the newCovid-19 pandemic.

In February, the king-dom took the extraordi-nary decision to close offthe holy cities of Meccaand Medina to foreign-ers over the virus, a stepwhich wasn’t taken evenduring the 1918 flu epide-mic that killed tens ofmillions worldwide.

Restrictions have tight-ened in the kingdom asit grapples with over1,500 confirmed cases ofthe new virus. The king-dom has reported 10 dea-ths so far. The MiddleEast has more than71,000 confirmed cases ofthe virus, most of thosein Iran, and over 3,300deaths. “The kingdom ofSaudi Arabia is prepar-ed to secure the safety ofall Muslims and nation-als,” Saudi Hajj and Um-rah Minister Muhamm-ad Saleh bin Taher Bant-en told state television.

“That’s why we haverequested from all Musl-ims around the world tohold onto signing anyagreements (with touroperators) until we havea clear vision.” — AP

Virus can travel 8 metres,linger in air for hours: MIT

Inept efforts: Kyrgyz healthminister, deputy PM sackedBishkek, April 1: Twosenior members of Kyrgy-zstan’s government respo-nsible for handling theCovid-19 outbreak weredismissed on Wednesdayafter President SooronbayJeenbekov criticised theirefforts to fight the spreadof the virus.

The dismissal of healthminister Kosmosbek Cho-lponbayev and deputy pri-me minister Altynai Omu-rbekova was announced

on the president’s officialwebsite. Jeenbekov on Tu-esday had criticised thetwo who helped lead thecountry’s task force agai-nst Covid-19, calling theirwork “unsatisfactory”and saying it had allowedthe disease to spread.

Jeenbekov said the taskforce had been slow toidentify the “circle of per-sons” who had come intocontact with people whotested positive for Covid-

19. Kyrgyzstan has 111 re-gistered Covid-19 infectio-ns and no deaths, accordi-ng to official figures.

The first infections inthe Muslim-majority cou-ntry were people who hadtravelled to Saudi Arabiafor Islamic pilgrimages.Impoverished Kyrgyzstanwas the first country toreceive emergency fund-ing from the InternationalMonetary Fund after theCovid-19 outbreak. — AFP

New Delhi, April 1: Thecurrent physical distanc-ing guidelines providedby the World Health Orga-nisation (WHO) and bythe US Centers for DiseaseControl and Prevention(CDC) may not be adequa-te to curb the Covid-19 sp-read, according to a resea-rch which says the gas clo-ud from a cough or sneezemay help virus particlestravel up to 8 metres.

The research, publishedin the Journal of the Am-erican Medical Associati-on, noted that the the cur-rent guidelines issued bythe WHO and CDC are ba-

sed on outdated modelsfrom the 1930s of how gasclouds from a cough, snee-ze, or exhalation spread.Study author, MIT associ-ate professor Lydia Bouro-uiba, warned that drople-ts of all sizes can travel 23to 27 feet, or 7-8 metres,carrying the pathogen.

According to Bourouiba,the current guidelines arebased on “arbitrary” assu-mptions of droplet size,“overly simplified”, and“may limit the effectivene-ss of the proposed interve-ntions” against the deadlypandemic. She explainedthat the old guidelines ass-

ume droplets to be one oftwo categories, small orlarge, taking short-rangesemi-ballistic trajectorieswhen a person exhales, co-ughs, or sneezes.

Based on recent discove-ries, she said, sneezes andcoughs are made of a puffcloud that carries ambi-ent air, transporting with-in it clusters of droplets ofa wide range of sizes. Shewarned that this puff clo-ud, with ambient air entr-apped in it, can offer drop-lets moisture and warmththat can prevent it fromevaporation in outer envi-ronment. — PTI

PANDEMIC SPREADACROSS WORLD● ● The Covid-19 has claimed morethan 30,000 lives in Europe alone, aglobal tally showed on Wednesday.

●● Turkey on Wednesday sent healthsupplies to Italy and Spain, the twoEuropean countries worst hit by thenovel Covid-19.

●● The Covid-19 deaths crossed4,000 in the US on Wednesday, evenas top health experts projected thatthe pandemic could kill between100,000 and 200,000 Americans.

●● A Russian military plane carryingmedical equipment has departed forthe United States.

25,000 people will soon betested daily in Britain for the Covid-19 contagion as criticism of the government grew over low numbersof testing compared to those beingdone in other countries.

●● In a relief to foreign doctors,including from India, whose visaswere set to expire in October thisyear, the UK government hasextended the deadline by one yearamid the country’s fight against theCovid-19 pandemic.

864 deaths in 24 hours resultedin the Covid-19 death toll surging toover 9,000 in Spain on Wednesdaywhile the number of confirmedcases passing the 100,000 mark.

●● The number of cases in Pakistansurpassed 2,000 on Wednesday,indicating an upward trend.

●● A US body on international reli-gious freedom has expressed concernover reports of a provincial govern-ment in Pakistan "scapegoating" themarginalised Shiite Hazara ethnicminority community.

●● Pakistan’s ForeignMinister Shah MMahmoodQureshi on Wednesdayheld a telephonic con-versation with his Saudicounterpart duringwhich the two leaders

discussed the Covid-19.

●● The total number of the novelCovid-19 cases in Sri Lanka reached143 with 21 fresh cases being report-ed on Tuesday, the highest single-dayincrease so far.

●● Bangladesh on Wednesday con-firmed another death from the novelCovid-18, taking the death toll in thecountry to six while the number ofpositive cases rose to 54.

●● Japan will bar visi-tors from the UnitedStates, China andmost of Europe, PrimeMinister Shinzo AAbesaid on Wednesday,as the country seeksto stem a recent risein Covid-19 cases.

Beijing-based artist Roy Wang has paid tribute to doctors and nurses battling to treat virus patients in his latestlight painting creations. Wang and his team used the photographic technique of light painting to ‘draw’ white wingson the back of a model posing in a white hazmat suit, the protective gear that has come to symbolise medical workers fighting the virus worldwide. — AFP

IN BRIEF

Eight killed inAfghan bombingKabul: A roadside bombingin southern Afghanistan on

Wednesday killed at leasteight civilians, including six

children. The victims were allfrom a single family, accord-

ing to Helmand policespokesman Zaman Hamdard.

The family had just left thesouthern district to Greshk

when the bomb hit their car,Hamdard added. Two more

family members werewounded, he said. No one

immediately claimed respon-sibility for the attack, butboth the Taliban and the

Islamic State militants areactive in the province.

4 women killed inNY apartment fireNew York: Four women diedand one person was injured

after a fire broke out in anapartment building in the

Bronx, New York, police andmedia said late on Tuesday.

The fire broke out in thesixth floor of an apartmentand four women from twonearby apartments of the

same building were taken toBronxCare Health System,

where they were pronounceddead, the New York City

Police Department (NYPD)said. The cause of the fire is

under investigation, NYPDadded. It did not reveal the

identity of the deceased.The New York Times report-ed that an injured individual

was taken to the hospital.The New York City Fire

Department did not respondto requests for comment.

New York City Mayor Bill deBlasio had tweeted about

the fire before the news ondeaths came out.

Afghan, Talib talkprisoner swap

Kabul: Afghan governmentrepresentatives have met

with the Taliban in Kabul forthe first time to discuss a

prisoner swap aimed atjump-starting a flounderingpeace process, officials said

on Wednesday. “The twosides held face-to-facenegotiations about the

release of Afghan NationalDefence and Security

Force personnel as well asTaliban prisoners,”

Afghanistan’s Office of theNational Security Council

said on Twitter. The twosides met Tuesday after

Taliban delegates arrived inthe Afghan capital.

Turkmenistanbans ‘Covid-19’Ashgabat: The Central Asian

country of Turkmenistanclaims it has no Covid-19

cases. But if you happen toutter the word “Covid-19”

while waiting, say, for the busin the white-marbled capital

Ashgabat, there’s a goodchance you’ll be arrested.

That’s because the Turkmengovernment, run since 2006

by the flamboyant dentist-rapper strongman

Gurbanguly Berdymukha-medov, has reportedly

banned the word, accordingto Paris-based Reporters

Without Borders (RSF).

Seoul, April 1: Around 4,000South Koreans working for theUS military in their countrywere put on unpaid leave Wed-nesday as Seoul and Washingt-on bicker over funding for USforces. Washington stations28,500 troops in the country todefend it against the nuclear-armed North, but the securityallies’ relationship has been st-rained by US demands that theSouth pay billions of dollarsmore towards their costs.

The Trump administrationinitially insisted on $5 billion ayear — a more than fivefold in-crease. US officials say theyhave since “compromised” onthe figures but seven rounds ofnegotiations have failed to rea-ch a deal. The previous SpecialMeasures Agreement, as thefunding pact is known, expiredat the end of December and USForces Korea (USFK) said lastmonth it would be forced tostart putting Korean em-ployees on leave from April 1when funds to pay their salari-es ran out.

“This is an unfortunate dayfor us... it’s unthinkable...it’sheartbreaking,” USFK comma-nder Robert Abrams said in astatement on Wednesday. “Th-ese are our employees, our co-workers, our teammates, andwe consider them family,” headded. “They are vital to ourmission.” The furloughs so farapply to almost half USFK’snear-9,000 South Korean staff.

KOREANS INUS MILITARY

NOT PAID

London, April 1: A 13-year-old boy with nounderlying health condi-tions has become the UK’syoungest victim of theCovid-19 pandemic as thedeath toll continues torise in the country.

Ismail Mohamed Abdul-wahab was admitted toKing’s College Hospital inLondon after suffering br-eathing difficulties anddied on Monday. An onli-ne fundraiser organisedby Arabic educational in-stitution Madinah Colle-ge in the UK capital hasraised over £56,000 in fun-ds for the boy’s grief-stri-cken family within days.

“Ismail was only 13 yea-rs old without any pre-ex-isting health conditionsand sadly he died withoutany family members closeby due to the highly infec-tious nature of Covid-19,”the fundraiser page notes.“We at Madinah Collegewould like to appeal toour brothers and sistersto donate generously tohelp raise £4000 for the fu-neral costs and to supportthe family, who sadly alsolost their father to canc-er,” it adds.

Madinah College said ithad been “overwhelmed”by the generosity of thedonors as the appeal wayovershot the initial targ-et. It has confirmed thatany extra money raisedwill also go directly to thefamily. The schoolboyfrom Brixton in southLondon started showingsymptoms of Covid-19last week and was rushedto hospital after he hadtrouble breathing.

There he tested positivefor Covid-19 and was puton a ventilator then intoan induced coma but nev-er recovered. “We are be-yond devastated. To ourknowledge he had no und-erlying health conditio-ns,” said a statement rel-eased by the family.

King’s College Hospitalexpressed condolences tothe family as it confirmedthat the boy’s death hadbeen referred to the coro-ner. Dr Nathalie MacDer-mott, clinical lecturer atKing’s College London,said the 13-year-old boy’sdeath highlights the imp-ortance of taking precau-tions required to reducethe virus spread. — PTI

Beirut, April 1: The Cov-id-19 pandemic will plu-nge 8.3 million people inthe Arab region into pov-erty, the United Nation’sEconomic and SocialCommission for WesternAsia said on Wednesday.

ESCWA also warnedthat two million peoplecould become undernour-ished as a result. “With to-day’s estimates, a total of101.4 million people in theregion would be classifiedas poor, and 52 million asundernourished,” the UNagency said. Women andyoung adults working in

the informal sector andwho have no access tosocial welfare are amongthe most vulnerable, saidESCWA executive secre-tary Rola Dashti.

“Arab governmentsmust ensure a swift emer-gency response to protecttheir people from fallinginto poverty and food ins-ecurity owing to the imp-act of Covid-19,” Dashtiadded. ESCWA lastmonth warned that thepandemic could wipe outmore than 1.7 million jobsacross the Arab worldthis year. — AFP

Boy, 13, with nohealth issues UK’syoungest victim

VIRUS TO PLUNGE 8M INTO POVERTYIN THE ARAB WORLD, WARNS UN

EDITDECCAN CHRONICLE | ANANTAPUR | THURSDAY | 2 APRIL 2020

Afree press is a covenant for a society’s freedom of expression.Without a free press, there is no free flow of ideas or information,no free speech, and no free thought. An authoritarian govern-ment’s self-interest is to control thought and speech, the free flow

of information and ideas, and therefore, the press.Thus, the Supreme Court’s directive on Tuesday to the media to “refer to

and publish the official version” of the developments related to the coron-avirus pandemic is of concern. It was a response to the Central govern-ment's submission that the mass movement of migrant workers wascaused by panic created by the “fake news” that the lockdown would con-tinue for three months. The court cited Section 54 of the DisasterManagement Act (2005) which provides for punishment to anyone

spreading a false alarm about a disaster’smagnitude or severity, leading to panic.

Ironically, that very night, TV channels andothers propagated fake news like“#CoronaJihad”, on the heels of the TablighiJamaat’s blunder of meeting in New Delhi’sNizamuddin area even after restrictions ongatherings began rolling out, and that its 1,800or so participants had fanned out across thecountry, potentially contributing to the com-munity spread of Covid-19.

The Centre disingenuously pointed its fin-ger at the media. No economic migrant whofled the city back for his Hindi heartland vil-lage did so because he read a newspaper;widespread reportage suggests that the main

culprit was the ubiquitous WhatsApp forward — a platform the govern-ment hardly ever seems to act against, given its importance to the rulingparty’s political messaging.

True, there is speculation in the media about the length of the lockdown— but it is based on the epidemiological uncertainty about the spread ofthe coronavirus or about India’s resources on the healthcare front. Noneof the media’s speculation was done with the intention of spreading panic,but rather to convey to readers about the continuing deliberations withinthe medical community in India and the scientific community worldwide.

With this in mind, the court’s directive is like amputating a limb ofdemocracy in response to a blister or a sprained muscle. It is unlikely thatthe directive will be applied strictly in the matter of facts and figuresregarding cases and deaths, nationally and statewise; as it is, the IndianCouncil of Medical Research’s daily briefing has been merged into theUnion health ministry’s briefing, effectively reducing the multiplesources of news available to reporters — and ultimately the public — onthe coronavirus.

2 APRIL 2020

State governments are in the forefront of the fight against the pan-demic Covid-19. They are putting in all their resources to implementthe national lockdown, treat the sick, quarantine those under obser-

vation, and take care of the destitute. Most states, however, are under a severe financial stress. The budgets of

several state governments, presented in February and March, had com-plained of the same, saying many of their programmes hinge on the time-ly disbursement of the share of GST revenue to them. The Centre, whichhas turned a deaf ear to the plea of the states, has not yet loosened thepurse strings. The pandemic has come as a bolt from the blue, and moststates have little clue as to how to raise resources to meet the contingency.

Some have deprived their own staff: Maharashtra and Telangana gov-ernments have announced deferment of the payment of their Aprilsalaries while Kerala has asked its employees to donate a month's salaryto the Chief Minister's Distress Relief Fund.

The nationwide lockdown has virtually ground the economy to a halt;nobody knows when it will be back on its feet. This means the coffers ofthe states will continue to remain empty for the foreseeable period. Thiscould translate into lethargy on the part of the states and its workmen inthe fight Covid 19, which could further endanger the very existence of our nation.

The Union government must step in now and stop the states from slip-ping into a vicious circle. It must immediately release the share of taxrevenue as per the law and come up with a package to help the states effec-tively implement measures to prevent the spread of the virus. The gov-ernment should not take refuge in fiscal conservatism and cite the FiscalResponsibility and Budget Management Act. It must help the statesinstead, be proactive and join forces in the national cause.

Loosen the purse strings

Media’s freedom is vitalas India battles Covid-19

True, there is speculation in the

media about thelength of the

lockdown — but it isbased on the epi-

demiological uncer-tainty about the

spread of the coron-avirus or about

India’s resources onthe healthcare front

April is the cruellest month,”T.S. Eliot authoritativelydeclared at the start of hisepic poem The Waste Land,

and it may well prove to be so asnations around the globe struggle tosubdue the Covid-19 pandemic amida steadily escalating death toll.

The first day of the month is alsotraditionally an occasion for japeryand generally harmless hoaxes. Theorigins of April Fool’s Day are lost inthe mists of time. One theory dates itback to ancient Rome and the festivalof Hilaria, another suggests it origi-nated with the French switch to theGregorian calendar in 1582, whenthose who continued who celebratethe new year three months later thanthe newly designated date of Jan 1were mocked as “April fools”. Otherslink it to a broader cultural trendtowards frivolous spring-time cele-brations including Holi, SizdahBedar and Purim, in the Hindu,Persian and Jewish traditions,respectively.

Be that as it may, the occasionalternatively known as All Fools’

Day can also be seen as an annualtribute to human gullibility. Our ten-dency to allow absurdity to fill theenduring gaps in human knowledgehas stood the test of time. Forinstance, around 400 years ago,Galileo Galilei was accused of heresyby the then all-powerful CatholicChurch and sentenced to life impris-onment for corroborating theCopernican theory that the Earthrevolved around the sun, not theother way around. The gaps havesteadily narrowed over the years,but the scope for perpetrating false-hoods has barely been diminished.

This is illustrated in a relativelyharmless way by the mass media get-ting in on the act. BBC televisionpitched in back on April 1, 1957, bydevoting a three-minute segment ofits news to the revelation thatSwitzerland was revelling in abumper spaghetti harvest, backed upwith images of folks chopping stringsof pasta from trees.

Back in those days, when upper lipswere resolutely stiff, received pro-nunciation still inspired awe and

spaghetti was a relatively exoticimport, the BBC’s unexpected jokesparked hundreds of queries aboutwhere the pasta bushes could be pro-cured and how they could be culti-vated. To the latter question, theBeeb reputedly responded: “Place asprig of spaghetti in a tin of tomatosauce and hope for the best.” In sub-sequent years, the BBC’s better hoax-es have included a report just 12years ago about a breed of flying pen-guins, backed up with clever com-puter animation, and, back in the1980s, a solemn report about thehands of Big Ben being replaced witha digital clock.

Inevitably, other “serious” mediaorgans got in on the act. Among themost alarming reports was an ‘inter-view’ with Richard Nixon featuredon American National PublicRadio’s widely respected Talk of theNation show in 1992, in which the ex-president seemingly declared hisintentionof running for the WhiteHouse once more, saying: “I did noth-ing wrong, and I won’t do it again.”

That got some Americans riled up

with indignant wrath — but would ithave been any more absurd if some-one five years ago had held out theprospect of Donald Trump becomingthe president of the United States?

Deliberate hoaxes such as an adver-tising campaign announcing thatTaco Bell had procured the LibertyBell or that Burger King would beoffering left-handed burgers pale incomparison with a reality wherebyTrump goes from decrying the novelcoronavirus as a hoax to claiming itwould be a good outcome if the even-tual American death toll is restrictedto 100,000.

Trump is a constant reminder thattruth is stranger than fiction, and thefact that his popularity has shot up inthe interim only serves to reinforcefears about the intellectual capacityof humanity. Ameri-ca--ns are by nomeans the only segments of thehuman race who refuse to take reali-ty at face value, but they stand outbecau--se their nation perenniallysuffers from delusions of exceptionalgreatness when in fact it lags behindmuch of the world, not least in terms

of its attitude to healthcare.It’s worth noting, though, that

many of the actions that supposedlydeveloped nations have taken inrecent weeks contradict their tradi-tional hostility to sensible social wel-fare — and raise the prospect that theworld that eventually emerges fromthe coronavirus disaster will be verydifferent from the neoliberal ‘consen-sus’ that preceded it.

Who knows what punchlines willamuse us a year from now. In theinterim, it’s probably worth recall-ing the Shakespearean warningtransmitted via King Lear: “As fliesto wanton boys are we to the gods.They kill us for their sport.” At thesame time, though, it’s useful toremember that The Waste Land endswith three cherishable words:“Shanti Shanti Shanti”. Amen tothat — even if the unfolding lock-down fiasco in India portends other-wise. The theme song of the momentought to be The Who’s Won’t GetFooled Again.

By arrangement with Dawn

April Fool’s Day:What punchlines

will amuse us ayear from now?

Lockdown, long march:Catastrophe looming

Photographs andreports of Ind-ia’s migrantworkers walk-ing down our

nation's highways in thepast week, with hunger intheir bellies and bagsperched on their heads,have exposed one of ourworst-kept secrets. Thosewho build our cities,houses, hospitals, hotels,multiplexes and do lots ofthings that make our livesin middle class urbanIndia comfortable are nei-ther an administrativenor societal priority.

The men, women andchildren who set out onfoot from Delhi and othercities for their “homes”in villages thousands ofmiles away, in the wakeof the Centre's three-week lockdown — didnot suddenly pop up outof nowhere in the middleof Covid-19.

They are part of the“informal sector” whichkeeps the Indian econo-my whirring. These arepeople who typicallyhave no contracts, norsocial security, nor anyother benefits. They arenot covered by the usuallabour laws.

Their exodus from thebig cities, once the three-week lockdown to curbthe spread of the newcoronavirus kicked inand work dried up, hasmade them a lot more vis-ible in the national dis-course. But they havebeen part of the Indiancityscape for long. Theirnumbers have been grow-ing; their lives remainprecarious. Many havechosen not to notice.

How else do youexplain the biggest lock-down in human historybeing operationalisedwithout paying theslightest heed to thestark realities of the livesof millions of migrantworkers?

The Centre has nowtold the Supreme Courtthat the exodus was trig-gered by a rumour thatthe lockdown wouldextend for three months.This ignores the fact thatmost of these people

could not have survivedthree weeks withoutearning their dailywages. Already there arereports of migrant work-ers battling acute hungerin a slum on the edge ofmiddle-class New Delhi.

Once the exodus start-ed, state governmentsopened soup kitchensand appealed to NGOs todo the same. Clearly, noone in the governmenthad thought of the possi-bility of this exodusbefore the lockdown wasclamped. The relief mea-sures that were startedin a hurry are just notenough, given the num-bers.

The Centre has nowasked state governmentsto quarantine migrantworkers for 14 days andprevent the movement ofpeople across state bor-ders to contain thespread of the new virusand prevent transmis-sion in the rural hinter-land. But many arealready home, and noone knows if they areinfected.

Public health expertshave pointed out that forany kind of Covid-19lockdown to have thedesired impact, it mustbe preceded by meticu-lous planning, so thateveryone can prepare,essential supplies areavailable to the poorestand most marginalised,there are transportarrangements for thosewho wish to get backhome and there is clearcommunication with thepublic before the lock-down kicks in.

In the absence of this,what happens is what wehave been reading aboutand seeing on our televi-sion screens for the pastfew days.

A lot of conspiracy the-ories are floating aroundabout the migrant exo-dus. But if you listen towhat many of themigrants themselves aresaying, it is clear that thesuddenness of theannouncement and thesuspension of all publictransport was what ledmany of these daily wage

labourers to attempt thejourney back to their vil-lages on foot despite thescorching sun and gnaw-ing hunger. Among thosewho embarked on suchjourneys on highways,more than 20 are dead.

As the lockdown entersthe second week, it isimportant to have anational conversationabout what these imagesof despair and abjectpowerlessness trulymean and policy anddata gaps on migrantworkers.

In the cities where theywork, politicians payscant attention tomigrant workersbecause they are regis-tered as voters in theirvillages. Another keyreason for so much ofpolicy apathy towardsthem and why their real-ities are not factored induring decision-makingis their near invisibilityin official statistics.

In a 2019 article in“Ideas for India”, an eco-nomics and policy portal,migration scholarsDivya Varma ofAajeevika, an NGO thatfocuses on migrantlabour, and Divya Ravin-dranath of the IndianInstitute for HumanSettlements pointed out:“Despite the scale ofmigration, seasonalmigrant families leadinvisible, isolated livesas they remain dispersedacross the wide canvas ofthe city. Devoid of votingrights in the urban desti-nations that they helpbuild with their labour,their lives are stripped ofany form of politicalvoice or agency.”

The Economic Survey2016-17 noted that whileCensus data is useful tounderstand certainaspects of migration, ithas limitations in cap-turing “circular migra-tion” and female migra-tion for work. Circularmigrants are individualswho migrate from place

to place for temporaryperiods. “If the share ofmigrants in the work-force is estimated to beeven 20 per cent, the sizeof the migrant workforcecan be estimated to beover 100 million in 2016in absolute terms,” thesurvey noted.

Out of the over 100 mil-lion circular migrationworkers in India, per-haps 30 million are “real-ly short-term seasonalmigrants”, saysChinmaya Tumbe, pro-fessor at the IndianInstitute of Management,Ahmedabad, and authorof the much-acclaimedbook India Moving: AHistory of Migration.

The policy apathytowards migrant work-ers also arises because ofwhat Tumbe calls “a his-torically sedentary poli-cy bias, which is onlynow changing slowly”.Public policies aregeared towards provid-ing welfare services onlyin one’s place of birth.The seasonal migrantsoften lose out on manybenefits because of this.

What really worksagainst such migrantworkers is their “infor-mal” status. They oftenhave no paper trail. Thisencourages a culture ofimpunity. Those whohire them for temporarywork feel little obligationtowards them, whichexplains why they weretossed out of their work-places when the lock-down started.

On top of that, there isinherent bias because amajority of migrants arefrom the ScheduledCastes and some fromthe Scheduled Tribes.

Exodus photos arepetering out, but thelockdown can still makethings a lot worse forthese people, even if theyhave managed to reachtheir villages. There areno sources of livelihoodthere, which is why theyhad migrated in the firstplace. How will they livenow? If the governmentdoesn't take immediatemeasures to mitigate thelarger human crisis thatthe lockdown has trig-gered, we are headingtowards a catastrophe.

The writer focuses ondevelopment issues in

India and emergingeconomies. She can be

reached atpatralekha.chatterjee

@gmail.com

The Centre has nowtold the SupremeCourt the exodus

was triggered by arumour that thelockdown wouldextend for threemonths. Most of

these people couldnot have survived

three weeks withouttheir daily wages.

Subhani

Mahir Ali

Patralekha ChatterjeeDev 360

DECCAN CHRONICLE

ADITYA SINHA T. VENKATESWARLU

DECCAN CHRONICLE offices are located at:

Hyderabad: 36, Sarojini Devi Road, Secunderabad - 500 003, Ph: 040-27803930-4; Fax : 040-27805256Vijayawada: No.C-3 & 4 Patamata, Industrial Estate, Auto Nagar, Vijayawada (A.P.), Ph: 0866-2555284/2555287; Telefax: 0866-2555234Visakhapatnam: Survey No.1/3A Beach Road, Near Kailasagiri Ropeway, Sector-9 MVP Colony,Visakhapatnam - 530 017 (A.P), Ph: 0891-2552333/2552334; Fax: 0891-2755285Rajahmundry: Vemagiri, Dhawaleswaram Rd, Rajahmundry, Ph: 0883-2417618/2417208; Telefax: 0883-2417208Anantapur: Thapovan colony, Bangalore By-Pass Road, Anantapur - 515004, Ph: 08554-276903; Fax:08554-276904Karimnagar: Survey No.1341, Vavilalapally Colony, Jagityala Road, Karimnagar - 505 001, Ph: 0878-2228908; Telefax: 0878-2220433Nellore: Survey No.527/2, Burranpur Village, Venkatachalam (M), Chemmudugunta Panchayat, Nellore,Ph: 0861-2348581/82; Telefax: 0861-2348580Chennai: SP-3 Developed Plot, Industrial Estate, Guindy, Chennai - 600 032, Ph: 044-22254747/48/50/51; Advt Fax: 22254765/22254766/42305325Bengaluru: 5th Floor, BMTC Commercial Complex, 80 Feet Road, Koramangala, Bengaluru-560 095 Ph:080-43460500; Fax: 080-22960552. Coimbatore: 77, Vivekananda Road, Ramnagar, Coimbatore - 641 009, Ph : 0422 2231255Kochi: No.3-B, 3rd Floor of DD TRADE TOWER, Kaloor-Kadavanthara Road, Ernakulam, Ph: 0484-4039408Thiruvananthapuram: �695 014 Kozhikode: Door No 6/1002 E, First Floor of City Mall, Opp. YMCA, Kannur Road, Kozhikode - 673001, Fax : 0495 4019 018

LETTERSCOVID-19 PANICAs per MyGov site, over 15lakh foreign returns werescreened at airport(Overcoming effects of ill-conceived policies, DC,April 1). Covid-19 positivecases (with mild or nosymptoms) may not bedangerous but act astransmitters. The lockdownis a great initiative. But it isonly a defence. As sug-gested by WHO we mustfind, test and isolate thosewho are affected. Pleasemake test kits, masks andsanitisers available to thestates immediatelybecause they lack them. Aconcern remains on howmany people were tested.

V. Chenna KeshavaKurnool

When air travel, trains, transportservices are banned all over India,it is surprising how the MarkazNizamuddin in Delhi happened.Were they given permission to trav-el?

Kantichand Rampuria JainSrikalahasti

INTEREST RATE CUTSHundreds of banks across the coun-try are giving loans in a big wayand increasing salary of Central,state government employees, gov-ernment pensioners and people’srepresentatives causing inflation.This at a time when even smallloans are given sparingly. We needto encourage bank deposits byincreasing interest rate. But thepresent policy of encouraging lend-ing by repeatedly reducing interestrate on the loans while reducinginterest rates on deposits is puz-zling.

K.L. RaoVisakhapatnam

Active Pak trainingfor rebel Indians

NEW DELHI, APRIL 1The External Affairs Ministryhas lodged a strong protest withPakistan against continued“help, shelter and training” torebel elements from India.The protest note handed over tothe Pakistan High commission inNew delhi was placed on the tableof the Lok sabha in a writtenanswer by Deputy externalAffairs Minister Surendra PalSingh. The noted a t e dMarch 26,said that ona number of occassions theGovernment of India was “con-strained to protest against theshelter and assistance given bythe East Pakistan authorities toinsurgent elements from Indiaincluding rebel Nagas andMizos.”

50 YEARS AGO IN

Real estate sector faces multiple woesquickINDICATORS %Sensex 28,265.31 -4.08Nifty 50 8,253.80 -4.00S&P 500* 2,490.32 -3.65Dollar ( 75.67 -0.00Pound Sterling ( ) 93.53 0.00Euro ( 82.78 0.00Gold (Oz)* ( ) 1589.20 0.37Brent crude ($/bbl)* 24.92 -5.43IN 10-Yr bond yield 6.138 0.000US 10-Yr T-bill yield* 0.605 -13.44* As of 9:30 pm IST

Rating agency Icra said thecredit quality of Indian compa-nies worsened in fiscal year2019-20 as it downgraded Rs 7lakh crore of debt and warnedof "unprecedented strain" oncredit profiles of corporatesfrom the coronavirus pandemic.Icra said it downgraded Rs 7lakh crore of debt in FY20,against Rs 3 lakh crore in theyear-ago period. Default ratessoftened to 2.3 per cent againstfive-year average of 3 per cent.

Tata Steel said the outbreak ofCovid-19 has impacted its busi-ness and operations in India andEurope. As the virus spreadsrapidly across the world, TataSteel will be reducing opera-tions at some sites. In India, thefirm said its mining operationsare running normally "but theintegrated facilities in Jamshed-pur, Kalinganagar Angul (TataSteel BSL) and Gamahria (TataSteel Long Products) have start-ed reducing production levels.

India joined a select league ofnations having the world'scleanest petrol and diesel as oilcompanies rolled out Euro-VIemission compliant fuels with-out either disruption or a priceincrease. Leapfrogging fromBS-IV grade fuel straight to BS-VI grade, equivalent to Euro-VIfuel, petrol and diesel wouldhave resulted in an up to Re 1per litre increase in cost but oilcompanies decided againstpassing this on to consumers.

The price of non-subsidisedLPG, or market-priced cookinggas, was cut by Rs 61.5 percylinder in line with a fall inbenchmark international rates.The price of non-subsidisedLPG, which a domestic house-hold consumer buys afterexhausting his quota of 12 14.2-kg cylinders at below-marketprice rates, was cut to Rs 744in Delhi. This is the secondreduction in rates since March,state-owned oil firms said.

THURSDAY | ANANTAPUR | 2 APRIL 2020

RAVI RANJAN PRASADMUMBAI, APRIL 1

In a tug of war betweenbulls and bears, Sensexand Nifty-50 fell over 4 percent on the first day of thenew financial year 2020-2021 on negative globalcues, leading to big sell-offin large-cap stocks.

The Sensex closed 1203.18points or 4.08 per centdown at 28,265.31 while theNifty-50 index fell 4 percent or 343.95 points downat 8253.80.

The broader market did

better with BSE Mid-capindex down by 2.18 per centand BSE Small-cap downby 1.06 per cent only.

Institutional selling byboth foreign and domesticentities kicked off quiteearly after the marketopened on negative globalcues, as the US struggles tocontain coronavirus conta-gion and in India too newcases are getting added atfaster rate.

Monthly auto sales num-bers were negative formajority of companies,which also dampened mar-

ket sentiments.Market sources said

Norway's Sovereign Weal-th Fund, a big investor inthe Indian equity market,holding most of the Nifty-50 stocks, withdrew arecord amount due to theeconomic crisis there andrebalancing its portfolio inthe Indian market.

Sharp drop in US marketfutures led to enhancedselling as the day pro-gressed.

The foreign portfolioinvestors were net sellersby Rs 1,116.79 crore.

SANGEETHA GCHENNAI, APRIL 1

The tiny sanitiser marketis looking forward to multi-fold rise in sales this yearand is expected to touch Rs1,000-1,500 crore by 2025, asexisting businesses areramping up productionand newer players areflocking into the segment.

One impact of the spreadof the deadly virus was thesudden shift in the pur-chasing behaviour of cus-tomers in favour of saniti-zation and personalhygiene products. In thefirst two weeks of Marchitself, sanitisers witnessed1400 per cent growth on e-commerce platforms.

As a result, Indian sani-tiser industry, valued Rs 40-60 crore before the Covid-19outbreak, is expected togrow at a robust pace andbecome a Rs 300-400 croremarket by the end of thisyear, finds a research doneby hygiene brand PeeSafe.

Further, several business-es are coming out with newlaunches of hand sanitis-ers and new companies areentering the segment, help-ing it touch the four-figuremark in five years. "After

the current spike, thegrowth might taper down abit once the epidemic iscurbed, but still the behav-ioural change will result ina higher growth than pre-Covid times," said VikasBagaria, founder, PeeSafe.

Among the companiesthat have joined the sani-tiser bandwagon, ITC hasrepurposed its perfumemanufacturing facility inHimachal Pradesh andcommenced production ofSavlon Sanitisers to caterto the soaring demand. Thefacility will produce anadditional 1,25,000 litres ofSavlon hand sanitisers .

Hindustan Unliver hasramped up the productionof Lifebuoy sanitisers,Lifebuoy Handwash liquid

and Domex Floor Cleanersand will be scaling it upeven further in the comingweeks.

PeeSafe had launched itsRaho Safe mass marketbrand in February and thishas hand sanitisers anddisinfectants.

The pioneer of satchetrevolution in India,CavinKare has launchedhand sanitisers under itspersonal care brand Chikin a 2 ml sachet pack pricedat Re 1. It has also intro-duced hand sanitiserunder its other personalcare brand Nyle and pro-fessional brand Raaga.Another FMCG companytapping the opportunity isDabur India, whichannounced the launch ofthe brand Dabur Sanitize.

Some of the liquor pro-ducers like JagatjitIndustries, Diageo Indiaand Simbhaoli Sugars toohave started commercialproduction of ethanol-based sanitisers. JubilantLife Sciences too has comeup with a similar sanitiserformulation.

Further, several newcompanies have startedselling sanitiser productson e-commerce platforms.

MICHAEL GONSALVESPUNE, APRIL 1

The Indian automobileindustry, the world’s fourthlargest, has taken a disas-trous hard sales hit amidstnation-wide lockdown tocontain Covid-19 virus con-tagion.

Passenger vehicle sales atmarket leader MarutiSuzuki and Hyundai, sec-ond biggest car maker, hitrock bottom at 48 per centat 76,976 units and 41 percent at 26,300 units inMarch respectively whichis likely to continue overthe next few months.

Other automakers havereported similar trends. InIndia, vehicle dispatchesfrom factory gates to deal-erships are counted assales.

The drop in volumes hasbeen reported amidst theongoing Coronavirus pan-demic crisis that forcedautomakers to shut shop

temporarily in a bid to pre-vent virus infection.

“It is not surprising thatthe economic lockdowntriggered by Covid-19, hassharply impacted the salesin the automobile sectorwhich was already reelingunder the effect of a struc-tural slowdown,” SumanChowdhury, president– rat-ings at Acuité Ratings &Research told FinancialChronicle.

While the leading passen-

ger vehicle players haveseen a drop in factorydespatches by over 40 percent, the decline is farsharper for commercialvehicle players and reflectsnot only the shutdown ofthe operations from thelast week of March but alsothe production constraintsin BS-VI vehicles due toglobal supply chain disrup-tions and above all, a high-ly weak demand market, hesaid.

“Such a scenario is likelyto prevail in Q1FY21 unlessthere is an earlier thanexpected revival from theongoing disruption,”Chowdhury pointed out.

Kia Motor maintained itsthird spot, clocking sales of7,466 units during March,based on two productsSeltos and Carnival. Thereare no comparable sales forthe same month last yearas Kia debuted in India inthe middle of last year.

Sales at Tata Motors,India’s biggest automakerby revenues, fell 68 per centat 5,676 units, down from17,810 units sold last year.“Vehicle sales was affectedby the Covid-19 outbreakand the subsequent nation-wide lockdown,” MayankPareek, president, PV, TataMotors, said.

Mahindra dispatched 88per cent less vehicles at3,384 units last month,down from 27,646 units inMarch 2019.

FC BUREAUNEW DELHI/CHENNAI,APRIL 1

After a gap of fourmonths, GST revenuecollection once againregistered a negativegrowth of 8 per cent inMarch and fell far belowthe government's target.However, for the entirefiscal, GST revenuesgrew by 4 per cent.

In March 2020, thegross GST revenuestood at Rs 97,597 croreagainst Rs 1,06,577 crorein the year-ago, adecline of 8.4 per cent.

The revenue depart-ment had in Januarytargetted for GST collec-tions of Rs 1.15 lakhcrore for February andRs 1.25 lakh crore inMarch. The targetswere earlier Rs 1.1 lakhcrore for each month.

The GST collectionsfor March from domes-tic transactions stood atRs 78,700 crore andshowed a negativegrowth of 4 per over Rs82.165 crore during thesame month last year.The GST on import ofgoods showed a nega-tive growth of 23 percent versus March 2019.

For the full financialyear 2019-20, the GST fordomestic transaction atRs 9,44,414 crore regis-tered a growth rate of 8per cent over the previ-ous year. However, GSTfrom import on goodsfell down by 8 per centfor FY20 compared toFY19. Overall, grossGST revenues grew at 4per cent over the previ-ous year's GST revenue.

GST revenue collec-tions have been record-ing positive growthsince November and thecollections had gone upabove Rs 1 lakh croretill February.

New Delhi, April 1:Smartphone companyRealme on Wednesdayannounced first ever hikein prices of handsets fol-lowing the government'sdecision to increase GSTrate on mobile phones to18 per cent and devalua-tion of the rupee.

The hike in prices ofRealme handsets willvary from product toproduct and will be appli-cable on both old and newdevices.

The government inMarch increased GSTrate on mobile phones to18 per cent from 12 percent.

Realme said the Covid-19 pandemic has highlyimpacted the smartphoneindustry leading to sup-ply shortage and pricehike of components.

"Further, the Indiarupee rate has been con-tinuously fluctuating andfacing depreciation cur-rently. This has impactedthe overall cost of thesmartphone device,therefore many smart-phone brands havealready increased the

price of smartphones in2019 and 2020," the compa-ny said.

Realme has also extend-ed warranty on its mobilephones till May 31 andhas allowed replacementperiod for additional 30days for customers whobought devices betweenMarch 15-April 30.

Other handset makerslike OnePlus and Oppohave also extended war-ranties on their productsto cushion customersduring the lockdown.

Electronics giant Sam-sung has also extendedthe standard warrantyacross its product portfo-lio till May 31, for prod-ucts for which warrantyexpires between March 20and April 30.

OnePlus phone users,whose warranty ondevices ends betweenMarch 1 and May 30, canget extended warrantyuntil May 31.

Oppo is also following asimilar extended time-line, and has started anonline repair service tohelp customers with trou-bleshooting. —Agencies

Realme increasessmartphone prices

Mumbai, April 1: Mostprivate sector lendershave decided to go for the"opt-in" option on loanrepayment moratorium,putting the onus on thecustomer to take the ini-tiative of informing thebank of their choice to gofor the three-monthbreather offered by theReserve Bank of India.

HDFC Bank said itwould encourage cus-tomers with adequatefunds to continue repay-ments to avoid the extrainterest charges and tenorextension of the loan.

The RBI last Fridayannounced a three-monthmoratorium on loanrepayments in the wake ofCovid-19 crisis for dues tobe paid during March-May 2020 and left it to thebanks to implement thesame.

A slew of state-runbanks, which control overtwo-thirds of the system,have gone for an "opt-out"option where the repay-

ments automatically getdeferred unless a cus-tomer informs of her will-ingness to pay.

Experts have alreadymade it clear that this isnot an interest waiver, buta deferment of payments,meaning the additionalinterest costs will have toborne by the customers.

"If you do not want theEMI moratorium, no fur-ther action is requiredfrom your side. We willcontinue to bank yourrepayment instructions,"HDFC Bank said on itswebsite.

Kotak Mahindra Bankasked customers to writeto an email ID for "optingin" for the moratorium.

The bank would be charg-ing the interest, at theoriginal contracted rate,for the moratorium peri-od on the outstandingamount of loan.

ICICI Bank took a differ-ent approach, wherein ithas decided to make themoratorium as "opt-in"for the loans generallyavailed of by salaried cus-tomers, while for loanstaken by micro-borrowersand traders, whose cashflow may stand to getimpacted, it is "opt-out".

In a note to customers,state-run State Bank ofIndia said "interest shallcontinue to accrue on theoutstanding portion ofthe term loan during themoratorium period". Theinterest will be collectedas additional EMIs fromborrowers who opt for themoratorium.

Bank of Baroda said it isoffering retail customersthe option of getting arefund of the EMI deduct-ed in March. —Agencies

Loan moratorium: Privatebanks go for ‘opt-in’ version

ASHWIN J PUNNENMUMBAI, APRIL 1

The nation-wide lockdownhas hit real estate develop-ers badly as residentialsales have come to a stand-still, while mall developersare seeing tenants invok-ing the 'force majeure'clause as malls across thestates have shut down.

Several multiplex own-ers, like Inox and PVR,have also indicated thatthey have written to malldevelopers and propertyowners to invoke 'the act ofgod' clause to protect themfrom further losses.

Analysts said the realestate players across thecountry have been hitsince there is a minimumguarantee clause in theiragreement with tenants tomaintain good businessrelations. Accordingly,mall operators would haveto either lose rental onaccount of force majeureor share loss with theleaseholders.

Force majeure clause in acontract frees both partiesfrom contractual liabilitiesdue to extraordinaryevents beyond human con-trol like aural calamities,epidemic or riots.

In a recent conferencecall with analysts, the PVRmanagement said: "We areprotected in most of ourcontracts, I would say 90per cent+ of our contractshave force majeure clauses,which allow us to suspendthe rent and CAM pay-ments in the period of ourclosure." CAM is short forcommon area mainte-nance.

Rentals, one of the fixedcost components for multi-plexes, would come off too,as the force majeure clausewith malls would getinvoked, analysts said.

Retailers and multiplexoperators want mall own-ers to either forgo rent for

the period of the shutdownor lower rent in the eventthe mall is open but foot-falls are low, sources said.

However, lack of consen-sus between retailers andmall owners could result inlitigation growing in thecoming months, analystssaid.

Emkay Global FinancialServices said if multiplex-es close their operationsfor the entire June quarter,FY21 operating profit(Ebitda) of both PVR andInox would decline by 60-65per cent.

Experts said the residen-tial sales momentum coulddecline in the near futuresince customers coulddefer their purchase deci-sions.

Moreover, with severalauspicious festivals, likeGudi Padwa, Yugadi andNavrathri, falling withinthe lockdown period, realestate players face steepvolume loss.

Construction could alsoget disrupted near-term, aslabourers will have toreturn to the sites fromtheir villages.

Car sales skid in March, Q1 looks bleak

NEHA DASGUPTANEW DELHI, APRIL 1

India will likely relaxsome export restrictionson pharmaceutical prod-ucts soon due to intensepressure from the UnitedStates, which is worriedabout drug shortages asthe number of coron-avirus cases surge, twogovernment officials said.

India , which suppliesmore than a quarter of theworld's generic drugs, lastmonth restricted exportsof 26 pharmaceuticalingredients and the medi-cines.

An easing of thoserestrictions will probablycome within two days andwill likely include parac-etamol, a common painreliever also known asacetaminophen, the gov-ernment officials in NewDelhi said.

"There is so much (US)pressure on the govern-ment. For US what mattersis paracetamol, it mattersto them significantly," saidone official, adding thatIndia had adequate stockof the drug for domesticuse for at least fourmonths. —Reuters

Only 5% of 90 lakhtrucks operatingNew Delhi, April 1: Only5 per cent of around 90lakh trucks across Indiaare plying at the momentdue to shortage of driversand labourers at loadingand unloading points,thereby severely hamper-ing transportation ofgoods, a truckers bodysaid.

The All-India Motor Tra-nsport Congress (AIMTC)said even after the notifica-tion by the Union homeministry on Sunday allow-ing movement of non-essential goods during thelockdown period, thingshave not changed at theground level as many driv-ers have either abandonedtrucks and went to nativeplaces, or have moved tohalt at places where basicamenities like food andshelter are available.

"There are around 90lakh commercial vehiclesthat we represent allacross the country with3,500 state, district andtaluka level bodies affiliat-ed with us... What we feel isthat only around 5 per centof them are operating now.These are mainly LPG andother petroleum productscarriers and short distancemilk tankers," AIMTC corecommittee chairman BalMalkit Singh said.

He said fruit and vegeta-bles that are available inthe market are transportedby farmers through theirown means.

Singh said before thenationwide lockdown wasannounced on March 24,there was already partiallockdown, as some stateshad already sealed bordersand lakhs of trucks were

Export curbson paracetamol

may be lifted

GST mopupfalls below1 lakh crore

Market loses 4% in bull-bear tussle

New Delhi, April 1:Indian Oil Corporationhas declared forcemajeure on crude pur-chases from four of itsbiggest suppliers--SaudiArabia, Iraq, UAE andKuwait--as refinery runrates have been cutdown in view of plum-meting fuel demand.

Sources said IOC hasasked the four suppliersto defer some of the vol-umes they were to deliv-er in April. The compa-ny has reduced process-ing at its refineries by atleast one-fourth. —PTI

IOC DECLARES FORCEMAJEURE ON OIL BUY

FALAKNAAZ SYEDMUMBAI, APRIL 1

The Reserve Bank ofIndia (RBI) on Wednes-day announced anotherset of measures to dealwith disruptions causedto global trade by coron-avirus pandemic such asrelaxation in timelinefor realisation of exportproceeds and allowingstates to borrow morefrom the apex bank. TheRBI also decided not toactivate the counter-cyclical capital bufferwhich would give banksrelief in terms of capitalrequirement.

The RBI granted relax-ation in timeline forrealisation of exportproceeds by six monthsto 15 months from cur-rent nine months forexports made up to July31. Experts said that thisoperational flexibilitywill allow exporters toextend longer creditperiods to overseas buy-ers and help them nego-tiate contracts better.However, this does notentail extension of exist-ing forwards booked,which will have to berolled over at maturityafter three days graceperiod if the collectionis not received. Cashloss, if any, on cancella-tion and rebooking willnot be averted.

Also in order to helpthe states and UTs tideover the liquiditycrunch, the RBI hasincreased the ways andmeans advances (WMA)limit by 30 per cent.

RBI announcesmore steps to

deal withCovid-19

GAMES pg 8DECCAN CHRONICLE | ANANTAPUR | THURSDAY | 2 APRIL 2020

Sporting bodieschip in moneyNew Delhi, April 1:Hockey India onWednesday pledged todonate `25 lakh towardsthe PM Cares Fund for thecountry’s fight against theCovid-19 pandemic.

The decision was takenby the HI Executive Boardafter Prime MinisterNarendra Modi announceda special emergency fundfor the nation to fight thecoronavirus outbreak.

“In these difficult times,it is the absolute need ofthe hour to come togetheras a nation to help fight thecrisis and fulfil our dutiesas responsible citizens. Itwas a unanimous decisiontaken by the Hockey IndiaExecutive Board to con-tribute `25 lakh towardsthe PM Cares Fund,” HIpresident MohdMushtaque Ahmad said ina release.

“Hockey has alwaysreceived tremendous loveand support from the peo-ple of this country and wewant to do whatever littlewe can to help our country-men and women emergeout of this pandemic asvictors,” he added.

“Hockey India has alwaysstepped up for any noblecause and in these difficulttimes when the world isgrappling with the Covid-19 pandemic which hasimpacted millions of livesworld over, we wanted toextend our support infighting this crisis” HI sec-retary general RajinderSingh said.

“The Government ofIndia is doing everythingthey can and we urge allIndian citizens to actresponsibly and stay home,stay safe during this lock-down. We can fight this

global crisis together,” headded.

AIFF SCORES WITH `25L

The All India FootballFederation (AIFF) onWednesday pledged todonate `25 lakh to the PMCares Fund for the coun-try’s fight against theCovid-19 pandemic.

“In wake of the crisiscaused by Covid-19 pan-demic, All India FootballFederation has pledged tocontribute `25 lakh to thePrime Minister ShriNarendra Modi’s PMCARES Fund,” the coun-try’s apex body for footballsaid in a media release.

The outbreak has alsoaffected the Indian footballcalendar and AIFF presi-dent Praful Patel acknowl-edged the need to fight thepandemic unitedly.

“The love, care and sup-port from countrymen hasprovided us motivation allthroughout. Hence, now isthe time to pay back ourcountry in whatever man-ner we can. We need tostand together and helpeach other hoping to over-come the crisis,” Patelsaid.GANGULY DONATES RICE

The Indian Cricket Board(BCCI) president SouravGanguly on Wednesdaydonated 2,000 kilograms ofrice at the Belur Math, theheadquarters of theRamkrishna Mission, inhis bid to help the needy inthe wake of the coron-avirus pandemic.

“Visited Belur Math after25 years, handed over2000kgs of rice for theneedy,” Ganguly wrote onhis Twitter account.

— PTI

Buttler to auctionWorld Cup jerseyLondon, April 1:England’s flamboyant bats-man Jos Buttler is auction-ing the shirt he wore dur-ing their World Cup-win-ning final last year, to raisefunds for hospitals battlingthe Covid-19 pandemic.

In a video message postedon Twitter late on Tuesdaynight, Buttler said theshirt would be auctioned toraise funds for the RoyalBrompton and HarefieldHospitals charity.

“As we all know, hospi-tals, doctors, nurses andthe NHS are all doing quitean incredible job at themoment. And in the weeksand months to come theyare going to need our sup-port even more,” Buttlersaid.

The light-blue jersey,which Buttler wore duringthe final at the Lord’swhere England defeatedNew Zealand to win theirmaiden ODI World Cup, issigned by the squad.

$7.5M RELIEF FROM ECB

The England and WalesCricket Board (ECB) hasannounced a 61 millionpound package to help thesport “withstand” thefinancial impact of theCovid-19 pandemic but didnot declare any immediatecut in the players’ salaries.

According to the ECB,financial assistance will bemade available at everylevel of the game acrosscounties, boards and clubs.

— AFP

Madrid, April 1: Spanish league’s online music festi-val on Saturday raised more than a million euros thatwill be used to buy medical equipment for the fightagainst coronavirus, the Spanish football league saidon Wednesday.

The funds will be put towards ventilators, protectivesuits, gloves and masks as Spain continues to battleagainst the virus that has caused more than 9,000deaths in the country, according to Wednesday’s latestfigures. Spanish league said that the concert, whichwas broadcast on more than 100 platforms simultane-ously, commanded an audience from 182 differentcountries and connected more than 50 million peopleonline. The 1,003,532 euros ($1.1 million) raised fromdonations will be used to buy 1,115 non-invasive venti-lators, 1,435,000 high-risk masks, 12,595 protectivesuits and 500,000 protective gloves. Sergio Ramos,Gerard Pique and Rafael Nadal were among the ath-letes taking part in the festival. — AFP

LA LIGA RAISES $1MFOR PANDEMIC FIGHT

Corona forces Wimbledon offTennis top tourney cancelled for first time since WW 2London, April 1:Wimbledon was canceledon Wednesday because ofthe coronavirus pandem-ic, the first time sinceWorld War II that the old-est Grand Slam tennistournament won’t beplayed.

The All England Clubannounced after an emer-gency meeting that theevent it refers to simply asThe Championships isbeing scrapped for 2020.

Wimbledon was sched-uled to be played on theclub’s grass courts on theoutskirts of London fromJune 29 to July 12.

Instead, the next editionof the tournament will beJune 28 to July 11, 2021.Also Wednesday, the ATPand WTA announced thatthe men's and women'sprofessional tennis tourswould be suspended untilat least July 13. Theyalready had been on holdthrough June 7.

Wimbledon first was

held in 1877 and has beencontested every yearsince, with the exceptionof two stretches: from1915-18 because of WorldWar I, and from 1940-45because of World War II.

“It has weighed heavilyon our minds that thestaging of TheChampionships has onlybeen interrupted previ-ously by World Wars, clubchairman Ian Hewitt saidin a press release, but, fol-lowing thorough andextensive consideration of

all scenarios, we believethat it is a measure of thisglobal crisis that it is ulti-mately the right decisionto cancel this year’sChampionships, andinstead concentrate onhow we can use thebreadth of Wimbledon’sresources to help those inour local communitiesand beyond.

Wimbledon joins thegrowing list of sportsevents called off com-pletely in 2020 because ofthe Covid-19 outbreak.

That includes the TokyoOlympics which havebeen pushed back 12months and the NCAAmen’s and women’s col-lege basketball tourna-ments.

Wimbledon is the firstmajor tennis champi-onship completely wipedout this year because ofthe coronavirus. The startof the French Open waspostponed from late Mayto late September.

As of now, the U.S. Openis still scheduled to be

played in New York fromAugust 31 to September13.

Wednesday’s decisionmeans Novak Djokovicand Simona Halep will notget a chance to defendtheir Wimbledon titlesfrom 2019.

The cancellation alsotakes away what mighthave been one of RogerFederer’s best chances totry to add to his 20 GrandSlam titles, including arecord eight atWimbledon. — PTI

Swim Worlds in deep waterRome, April 1: Afternew dates wereannounced for the TokyoOlympics, swimming’sgoverning body is goingback to the drawing boardto figure out when to holdits next world champi-onships.

The biannual aquaticsevent was scheduled forFukuoka, Japan, fromJuly 16 to August 1, 2021.But on Monday, the TokyoGames were pushed backa full year by the coron-avirus pandemic andmoved to July 23 toAugust 8, 2021.

That likely leaves FINA,swimming’s governingbody, with two options forits biggest event: A moveto the end of Septemberand the beginning ofOctober 2021, or May-June 2022.

Postponing for a fullyear would be complicat-ed due to the already fullschedule of aquaticsevents in July andAugust, 2022, includingCommonwealth Gamesand European swimmingevents. Holding worldsbefore the Games is unde-sirable because it wouldconflict with nationalOlympic trials around theglobe.

World Athletics hasalready announced thatits world championshipsin Eugene, Oregon, willbe pushed back to 2022but has not selected dates.

Holding the worlds —which in addition toswimming also includesdiving, water polo, artis-tic swimming, open-water swimming and thenon-Olympic sport ofhigh diving — twomonths after the Gameswould mean risking thatmany top athletes mightnot come. — AP

In this file photo, Novak Djokovic (left) poses with the Gentlemen’s Singles Trophy and Simona Halep holds the Venus Rosewater Dish after win-ning the women’s single title at the 2019 edition of Wimbeldon.

BEIJING WARYOF ’22 WINTEROLYMPICS

INDIAN CHESSBOSS SACKSSECRETARY

Beijing, April 1: Beijing2022 organisers said theyface “a special situation”after the postponement ofthe Tokyo 2020 Olympicsmeans less than sixmonths between theSummer and WinterGames.

The Tokyo Olympics arenow scheduled to runfrom July 23 to August 8,2021 after they were putback a year because ofthe coronavirus pandem-ic.

However, with theBeijing Winter Gamesbeginning on February 4,2022, there is the unusualchallenge of almost back-to-back Olympics.

“The new dates of theTokyo Olympic andParalympic Games meanwe are faced with a spe-cial situation where theSummer Games andWinter Games are to beheld in half-a-year,” aBeijing 2022 official toldXinhua news agency.

“We will have a detailedassessment of how thenew dates of Tokyo 2020will affect the Beijing2022 Games.

“In the meantime, willkeep close communica-tion with the IOC(International OlympicCommittee) and theOlympic family to handlethe situation properlyand push forward ourpreparation in allaspects.”

China, where the coron-avirus emerged inDecember, says that itspreparations for 2022 areon schedule, despitemuch of the countryshutting down inFebruary. — AFP

Chennai, April 1: Thewrangling between theAll India ChessFederation (AICF) presi-dent P. R. VenketramaRaja and secretaryBharat Singh Chauhancontinued with the for-mer dismissing the latterfrom his post andappointing VijayDesphpande of AllMarathi ChessAssociation in his place.

In a letter dated March30, Raja listed out variousomissions and commis-sions of Chauhan andsaid that under the pow-ers vested with the AICFpresident under Article15(a) of the the federa-tion’s constitution, thelatter is removed from thepost of secretary.

Chauhan on his part, ina letter dated March 31hit out at Raja for dis-missing him and said,“an office-bearer can beremoved only with thesupport of two-thirdmembers of the CentralCouncil by passing a reso-lution.” Chauhan claimedthat he remained the sec-retary of AICF.

He also pointed out thatRaja has not onlyattempted to remove himas the secretary, but alsoappointed Deshpande inhis place without anyelection. “The presidenthas no authority toappoint any person as anofficer-bearer of AICF,”Chauhan contended.

He alleged that Rajaseems to have taken thedecision as the govern-ment of Maharashtra hasbeen asking the AllMarathi ChessAssociation to submit theaccounts for the `2 croregrant given to it for hold-ing the World YouthChess Championship in2019 in Mumbai. — PTI

The president has noauthority to appoint anyperson as an officer-bearer of AICF (All-India ChessFederation).

— BHARATSINGH

CHAUHAN,sacked AICF

secretary

The Olympic Flame is displayed at the J-VillageNational Training Centre after the handover ceremonyof the lantern containing the Olympic Flame fromTokyo 2020 to Fukushima in Naraha town onWednesday. — AFP

In this file photo, Jos Buttler poses with his family afterwinning the 2019 ICC World Cup.

Washington, April 1: Former U.S.Davis Cup captain Patrick McEnroesays in a video posted on social mediathat he tested positive for the coron-avirus. McEnroe, younger brother ofeight-time major champion John, saidhe did a drive-through test in upstateNew York after developing what hecalled “minor symptoms” 10 days ago.

Patrick McEnroe said: “The goodnews is I feel fine. My symptoms havepassed. I feel, really, 100 per cent.”

As a player, he won one tournamentin singles and 16 in doubles, includingthe 1989 French Open. He succeeded hisbrother as Davis Cup captain andserved for nearly a decade, leading theUnited States to the title in 2007. — AP

PATRICK McENROE CATCHES COVID-19

Flame on displaytill month-endTokyo, April 1: TheOlympic flame will be ondisplay until the end ofApril in Japan’s north-eastern prefecture ofFukushima.

Tokyo Olympic and pre-fecture officials held anofficial handover cere-monyon Wednesday atthe J-Village NationalTraining Centre inFukushima.

The public will havelimited access to view theflame, and organisershope to limit the crowdsize because of restric-tions in place for thecoronavirus.

The flame arrived inJapan from Greece onMarch 20 and the torchrelay was to have startedlast week fromFukushima. The flamehas remained in the pre-fecture with Wednesday’sevent merely ceremonial.

The Fukushima prefec-

ture is the region ofJapan that was devastat-ed in 2011 by an earth-quake, tsunami, and thesubsequent meltdown ofthree nuclear reactors.Olympic officials havepostponed the TokyoGames until next yearwith the opening now setfor July 23, 2021.

The officials have how-ever not confirmed as towhere the flame will go atthe end of the month.

However, the emphasisof the Olympics nextyear is likely to shift tothe recovery from thecoronavirus pandemicthat has spread acrossthe world. — AP

● The biannualaquatics event wasscheduled forFukuoka, Japan,from July 16 toAugust 1, 2021. Butwith the TokyoOlympics beingpushed back a yeardue to thepandemic the bodyis forced to look fornew dates.

● After thepostponement ofthe 2020 TokyoOlympics, theBeijing WinterGames organisersare in a tricky spotto hold a back-to-back Olympics.

● The grass majorwas scheduled tobe played on theoutskirts of Londonfrom June 29 toJuly 12 this year.● Instead, the nextedition will be heldin the Englishcapital from June28 to July 11, 2021.

● The Olympicflame will be openfor public until theend of April inFukushima, Japan.

CORONA | CONTRIBUTIONSHORT

New Delhi: Even a shortenedIPL with just Indian players

would be good enough in these“extraordinary times”,

Rajasthan Royals ExecutiveChairman Ranjit Barthakur saidon Wednesday, revealing that a

final call on the glitzy event’sfate is unlikely to be taken

before April 15.The top executive spelt out his

franchise’s wish even as thenumber of positive cases and

death toll due to the pandemiccontinued to rise across the

world. The BCCI is yet to take adecision on the 13th edition of

the lucrative league, whichremains postponed at least till

April 15 It was originally sup-posed to start on March 29.

“We are open to a shortenedtournament with only Indian

players, at the end of the day itis the Indian Premier League.

These are extraordinary timesand the BCCI will do the best it

can when things improve,”Barthakur said. — PTI

ROYALS SAYTHEY’RE OPENTO SHORT IPL

TAKES

Hit by virus, Clubpresident dies

UEFA fines City,Bayern, Frankfurt

Ganguly leader of Warne’s India XI

Dakar, Senegal: Pape Diouf, aformer president of French

football club Marseille, has diedin Senegalafter con-

tracting thecoronavirus,

the WestAfrican coun-

try’s firstCovid-19-

relateddeath. He

was 68.Senegalesehealth offi-

cials saidDiouf died on Tuesday. He hadbeen treated since Saturday inintensive care at Fann Hospitalin Dakar, said Abdoulaye Diouf

Sarr, the minister of health.Relatives say he was meant to

be moved to France. He had recently traveled to

several countries in the region, including Ivory Coast.

Senegal President Macky Sall offered condolences toDiouf’s family in a message

posted on Twitter. — AP

Nyon, Switzerland: BayernMunich and Eintracht Frankfurt

have been fined for fans dis-playing offensive banners atgames, UEFA said Tuesday.Bayern was ordered to pay

20,000 euros ($22,000) for“transmitting a provocative

message of an offensivenature” during a ChampionsLeague game at Chelsea in

February.Fans unfurled banners in

English protesting the “pricinginsanity” of clubs charging

away fans for tickets.UEFA also fined Bayern an

extra 20,000 euros ($22,000)for crowd disturbances at

Stamford Bridge, where theGerman champion won 3-0 in

the first leg of the Round of 16.The return game has not been

played.Eintracht fans displayed pro-fane slogans aimed at UEFAand opponent Salzburg at a

Europa League game inFebruary.— AP

New Delhi: Australian spin leg-end Shane Warne has named

former skipper and currentBCCI President Sourav Ganguly

as the captain of his all timeIndia XI, which includes master

blaster Sachin Tendulkar andNavjot Singh Sidhu.

Warne said he ignored formerskipper Mahendra Singh Dhoniand current captain Virat Kohlibecause he picked only those

Indian players against whom hehad played.

“I am only picking players that Iplayed against and that’s why

M. S. Dhoni and Virat Kohli arenot going to be a part of theside. While Dhoni is probably

the greatest wicketkeeper-bats-man to have played the game,

Kohli is one of the greatestbatsmen across formats,”

Warne said in an Instagram live post.

Warne also ignored V.V.S.Laxman, who was once consid-

ered his nemesis. — PTI

Pape DDiouf

Regd. No. H/SD/509/2018-20Printed and Published by T.

Venkateswarlu on behalf of DeccanChronicle Holdings Limited. Printedat Deccan Chronicle Press situatedat Plot No. 9 Alwal Village, VallabhNagar Taluk, Medchal MalkajgiriDist. Telangana and Published at36, S.D. Road, Secunderabad-3.RNI Registration No. 3081/1957.

Editor: Aditya Sinha

“The lockdown will also give athletes a break.Meanwhile, to ensure that they remain fit, we are

tutoring them online for general and minimum fitness training like cycling,treadmill, stepping, skipping, abdomen exercise, etc”DR PULI RAVINDRA KUMAR, senior Gymnastic Coach, Sports Authority of India (SAI)

SASHIDHAR AADIVI

DECCAN CHRONICLE

The Coronavirus hasbrought the world to agrinding halt, and the

world of sport has not beenexempted. The sports land-scape has been significantlyaltered. Athletes andsportspersons are working outat home, but the question is,will home-based exercisingadequately compensate for thelack of the usual heavy-dutyfitness regimens at the gym?Will it be tough for thesportspersons to meet fitnessnorms post the lockdown?

Dr Vamshi Kiran Badam,Consultant Arthroscopy and

Sports Injuries Specialist, saysthe fitness levels of athletesworking out in a gym will notbe the same as those achievedby home sessions. He pointsout also that the equipmentavailable at training centresare superior and body specific.

“The lockdown period willcertainly affect the players’preparation in terms of the fit-ness programme. Home work-out sessions may keep the ath-letes fit, but not necessarilytournament-ready,” heexplains. “Athletes should justmake use of the minimalresources available at home.They shouldn’t try to matchthe regimen carried out at fit-ness centres because that

might lead to an injury,” DrVamshi Kiran cautions,adding that it is imperativethat sportspersons stay injuryfree.

He stresses the need to con-tain the NovelCoronavirus by what-ever means possible.

TAKE IT AS TRANSITION TIME

Coaches andtrainers view thecurrent lock-down period as a‘transition phase’.Dr Puli RavindraKumar, SeniorGymnastic Coach,

Sports Authority of India(SAI), Hyderabad, says theperiod is a transition for ath-letes who have been undercontinuous training.

TURN TOPAGE 2

Not readyfor thegame

Sportspersons are doing what they can tostay in shape, stay fit, during the lockdown,

but it isn’t a patch on the heavy-duty fit-ness regimens they follow everyday. It willbe tough for them to meet fitness norms

once tournaments are resumed

(L-R)Crickerts —

Virat Kohli andHardik Pandya— working out

at theirhomes.

glam sham

3 >>

Chiru asks for more donations!

tollywood

5 >>

THURSDAY | 2 APRIL 2020

c m y k c m y k

rayalaseemaCHRONICLE

PC on the way tomotherhood?

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“The lockdown periodwill certainly affect theplayers’ preparation interms of the fitness pro-gramme. Home workoutsessions may keep theathletes fit, but definite-ly not tournament-

ready” Dr Vamshi Kiran Badam, Consultant Arthroscopy andSports Injuries Specialist

“Since athletes workoutthroughout the year, theyneed a 20-day ease-offtime; they can use thistime for that — a transi-tion phase. They can takerest during this time;

allow the body to rejuvenate so thatthe core muscle will be strength-ened”Srikanth Varma Madapalli, P.V. Sindhu’s strength and condi-tioning coach

2Thursday 2 April 2020

Deccan Chroniclecity life

SWATI SSHARMA

DECCAN CHRONICLE

Schools across the coun-try are shut because ofthe coronavirus out-

break, forced to end the acade-mic year without conductingfinal exams. Yet, some schoolsare doing all they can to com-plete the academic portionsand keep their studentsengaged.

In the wake of this emer-gency, educational institutionshave embraced online learn-ing. Recently, Minister ofMA&UD, Industries and IT&C,K.T. Rama Rao, took to socialmedia and tweeted photos ofhis children studying online.“Online schooling during thesetesting times. My son & daugh-ter doing their thing,” his cap-tion read.

Even director Sanjay Guptaposted a photo of his sonShivansh attending an onlineclass and captioned it, “Newage learning. Entire class andteachers online (sic).”

We spoke to teachers and par-ents to find out their move toensure education is not dis-rupted even as they keep kidsengaged.

NEED OF THE HOURIncidentally, UNESCO also

suggests that learning plat-forms can help students accessquality education remotelyduring times such as these.

If Coursera, BYJU’S,Mindspark and Toppr providefree lessons to students, teach-ers are adopting technologicalsolutions and providing studymaterial to their studentsremotely via Google class-room, Blackboard,Microsoft Teams, Zoomor Skype, with onlineclasses starting at 9am to 12.30 pm.Institutions such asNaranyana andHyderabad PublicSchool have alreadybeen using Zoom,Extramarks andMindspark apps to helpstudents and teachersconnect live and to discussacademic work.

The online classes for stu-dents of Classes 12 and 10 arebelieved to ensure they do notmiss out on their academics.While students will receive anactivity daily through SMS andIVR, Latha Shankar, Principal,P. Obul Reddy Public School,feels students of Classes 10 and12 must strive to complete their

syllabi on time.“We have start-

ed with online class-es for 10th and 12th.

More work for the teachers asthey must plan the sessions inadvance. However, it is the onlyway out. The other classes havebeen given subject enrichmentactivities to keep themengaged,” adds Latha.

NO HOLIDAY, THISHowever, March/April is atime when one semester ends

and a summer break isdeclared, with classes resum-ing only in June. How doesthat work for the teachers as awhole?

Gita Karan, founder princi-pal and director of GitanjaliGroup of Schools explainsthat they started with virtualclasses so that students andteachers aren’t pressurisedlater because the schools areclosed now. “I know the worldis going through difficulttimes. These classes are right

from pre-primary toClass 12. Parents areinvolved as they aresent the timing andthe subjects theywill have. It’s notonly about acade-

mics but also aboutdrawing experiments

and research. We alsogive them homework,

which they must submitonline. Children are kept busyfor three hours,” she adds.

Interestingly, some schoolssuch as St. Mark’s ProgressiveSchool are conducting classesthrough WhatsApp. “We start-ed with the primary classesand now we are doing it for allgrades. We have registered foran app where teachers canconduct tests and send theresult to the students. We willsoon be starting a websitewhere we will have onlinevideo classes,” says G. CynthiaPriya, Administrator.

(With inputs from D ShreyaVeronica)

Minister of MA&UD, Industries and IT&C, K.T. Rama Rao, tweeted photos of his children studying online.“Online schooling during these testing times. My son & daughter doing their thing,” his caption read.

Ed-tech, the way forwardWith schools

closed because ofthe lockdown,

online education isthe way to go

Not readyfor thegameCONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

“The lockdown will also give athletesa break. Meanwhile, to ensure thatthey remain fit, we are tutoring themonline for general and minimum fit-ness training like cycling, treadmill,stepping, skipping, abdomen exercise,etc,” says Dr. Ravindra.

STRETCH IT!

Endorsing the view that the lockdowntime should be considered a transi-tion period, Srikanth VarmaMadapalli, the strength and condi-tioning coach of Olympic medallist P.V. Sindhu, feels the time can beutilised for the body to rejuvenate.

“Since athletes workout throughoutthe year, they need a 20-day ease-offtime; they can use this time for that,”he says. “Athletes can take rest duringthis time; allow the body to rejuvenateso that the core muscle will bestrengthened, suggests Srikanth, whohas been advising his athletes to justdo only some basic stretching.

NO PRACTICE, NO PERFECTION

While fitness is one aspect thatsportspersons have to keep front andcentre, there is also the question ofpractice. Some sports require playersto step out of the house and train.

Although it doesn’t look as if anymajor tournament is going to be heldin the immediate future, sportsper-sons are concerned about the inade-quacy of practise sessions.

Praveen Kumar Gaddamidi, who ispart of the current Indian RollerHockey team that is getting ready forthe selection trials for the AsianChampionship in China in October2020, says his preparation has beenaffected. “Roller hockey requires aspecific surface to practise on, apartfrom our fitness training. Now it hasbecome difficult for us as we need tostart all over again after this lock-down to get back into the groove,”rues Praveen.

POSITIVELY SUPPORTIVETrue, in these testing times, schools and parents are scram-bling alike to do whatever they can to keep young minds pro-ductively engaged.

However, how realistic is it to suddenly shift large amountsof teaching to the online platform? Gita Karan shares herthoughts. “No robot can replace a teacher in class. A robotmust be uploaded with the curriculum by humans. The per-sonal touch, encouragement and emotional support that achild gets is lacking,” she says.

Gita Karan believes that one of the downsides is that stu-dents miss out a lot on the interaction and discussion clear-ing their doubts. “Also, it is very challenging for parents tokeep their children busy as they are not used to having theirchildren 24×7,” she adds.

That said, parents consider the online classes initiative asuperb one and a wonderful experience. “Undoubtedly,knowledge can be shared beyond lockdowns and curfews,”say Umitha and Nagendra, parents of Manya Trivedi fromGitanjali School.

We have started with online classes for 10thand 12th. More work for the teachers asthey have to plan the sessions in

advance. However, it is the only way out. Theother classes have been given subject enrich-ment activities to keep them engaged— LATHA SSHANKAR, principal, P. Obul Reddy

Public School

No robot can replace ateacher in class. A robot

must be uploaded with the curricu-lum by humans. The personal touch,encouragement and emotional supportthat a child gets is lacking— GITA KKARAN, founder principal and director.

Gitanjali Group of Schools.

EDU-TECH☛ Coursera, BYJU’S,Mindspark, Extramarksand Toppr provide lessonsto student

☛ Teachers are adoptingtechnological solutionsand providing study mate-rial to their studentsremotely via Google class-room, Blackboard,Microsoft Teams, Zoom orSkype.

☛ Vedantu is expected toprovide uninterruptedclasses to the students inBengaluru, New Delhi,Kerala and Hyderabad

DC CCORRESPONDENT

Sources in the knowshare that PriyankaChopra is indeed on

the way to motherhood. “Itlooks like PC has taken theplunge (into pregnancy).The announcement won’thappen anywhere soonbecause Indian mothers aresuperstitious about pro-claiming pregnancies untilthree months have passed,”says a friend of the Dostanaactress.

Sources in New Yorkreveal that the pregnancyrumours in Mumbai werenot unfounded. “Priyankaand her husband NickJonas have been consider-ing parenthood for a whilenow. They both love kids.They are so fond of Nick’sbrother’s children (KevinJonas’ two daughters) andthe kids love Nick andPriyanka as much as theirown parents,” says oursource, adding that therumour can be confirmedonly when the couplemakes a formal announce-ment.

Meanwhile, on the workfront, Priyanka hasannounced a biopic on thecontroversial Ma Sheela —right-hand woman and con-fidante to the super-contro-versial Acharya Rajneesh— but no headway has beenmade on the project sincethe announcement. Thefilm is now unlikely to hap-pen until Priyanka’s mater-nity leave is over.

DC CCORRESPONDENT

Heidi Klum, the formerVictoria’s Secret supermodel, is

having the time of her life with herthird husband Tom Kaulitz, who is16 years her junior. While she’s cur-rently enjoying the marital blisswith her musician husband, it hasn’tbeen smooth sailing on the parent-ing front with her ex Seal.

The 46-year-old model shares threechildren with the British musician,who she was married to between2005 and 2014, separating in 2012. Inan interview with the Red magazine,Heidi opened up, saying that co-par-enting with the Kiss from the Rosesinger is “not all rosy-rosy.”

Opening up further, she said: “Sosometimes it’s hard, but then youhave to all come together as a familyand sometimes everything is justlike hopping on clouds. It’s just theway it is.”

Meanwhile, talking about her hus-band Tom, who she tied a knot withlast year, she said, “He is cool with

my kids, mykids are

cool withhim —he’s a 30-year-oldman, so

t h e r e ’ sjust a dif-

ferent lifeand spirit

a b o u thim.”

25

glam sham Deccan Chronicle

Thursday 2 April 2020 3

Urmila spending her time reading books

SUBHASH KK JJHA

Urmila Matondkar has always been abit of a recluse, and so she is naturally

also the least perturbed by the enforcedlockdown and the lack of physical move-ment.

“I’ve always been a home bird so it’s notan issue as such as of now,” says the Pinjaractress, who is keeping busy with her dogsand a whole lot of reading. She and herhusband Mohsin Akhtar Mir have beengiving each other company during thesetimes of prolonged isolation. “This is cer-tainly a good time to introspect on many

aspects of our living and lifestyle,” shenotes.

However, Urmila admits the lockdownhas made her a bit lazy. “The sleepinghours and the eating frequency haveincreased, but it’s a phase of life so it has tobe taken in one’s stride,” she smiles.

On a more serious note, the actress alsofeels this is the moment when we need torealise how fickle life is. “It’s frankly awake-up call for all humankind to be grate-ful, stay humble, and grounded. It wouldbe nice for everyone to realise what’s beenmissing from his or her life and alter thethinking process accordingly,” she avers.

Urmila takes it easyThe actor is unperturbed by the lockdown, using thistime to introspect and catch up on sleep

Heidi’s co-parentingstruggle with her ex

Priyanka and her husband Nick Jonas have beenconsidering parenthood for a while now. They

both love kids. They are so fond of Nick’s brother’schildren (Kevin Jonas’ two daughters) and the kids loveNick and Priyanka as much as their own parents

— Source

PC on the wayto motherhood?The actress will reportedly make the announcement only afterthe first trimester, like all Indian mothers do as they feel it’sinauspicious to talk about it before completing three months

PH

OTO

CR

EDIT

: IN

STA

GR

AM

4Thursday 2 April 2020

Deccan Chroniclebodylicious

NIVI SSHRIVASTAVA

Even though the coron-avirus lockdown hasresulted in several missed

salon appointments, your skinneedn’t suffer during this time.An easy at-home facial will notonly lift your spirits but yourskin game as well.

Cosmetologist Seema Nanda,founder of Estetico — The FacialBar, shares that the same suppleskin can be achieved with prod-ucts found easily at home. Shesays: “Firstly, tie your hair back asyou need your face to be clear ofany obstructions for a thor-ough facial. Washingyour hands is veryimportant as theycarry germs thatcan lead to break-outs on your skin.Wash your facewith warm waterand pat it dry.Take one table-spoon of honey andapply it on the face ina circular motion.Either wash it with warmwater immediately or after 10minutes for a deeper cleansingactivity. A natural makeupcleanser, coconut oil is a miracleproduct. It not only removesmakeup from the skin but alsomakes it softer in the process.Take a few drops of coconut oil ora scoop of solid coconut oil on acotton ball to gently wipe off themakeup from your eyes, cheeks,lips, face, and neck.”

Neeti Chopra, owner of Unwindsalon and café, adds that simpleorganic pantry items can be usedto make cleansers and masks at

home as well. She says, “One canuse raw honey as a face cleanser.Those with normal to dry skincan make a scrub by blending oat-meal, honey, and olive oil or justsugar and any oil suitable to theirskin. For oily skin, one can blendoatmeal, sugar, and water tomake an instant scrub. Whilesteaming your face and neck, adda few drops of any of yourfavourite essential oils — laven-der, chamomile or rosemary — toadd to your relaxation process.Use rosewater or diluted applecider vinegar to use as a toner for

your skin. Pick up any oilavailable in your pantry

— coconut, almond orargan — to massage

your skin and giveit that extra doseof nourishment.Opt for items likemultani mitti(Fuller’s earth),

banana, yogurt,and milk to make

your face mask. Incase you have a tan, use

the pulp of a tomatomixed with milk or buttermilk toget rid of it. Another evergreenface mask is a mixture of turmer-ic and rose water for adding aninstant glow to your face.”

Meanwhile, Vibhuti Arora,owner of House of Beauty notesthat while you try the homefacials, add an extra ten minutesfor facial yoga to keep the facemuscles active and blood circula-tion flowing. It takes about 30-40minutes to do the entire proce-dure, but you can always pick andchoose the parts you like the bestfor your daily skincare routine,

she suggests. “After cleaning yourface and removing makeup, use agentle exfoliator made of sugarand natural oil. Then pick a face-mask with ingredients that willcalm and hydrate your skin. Amask that contains oats or oat oilwill help soothe irritated skin,avocado will boost hydration, andhoney helps clear up acne. Rinseor remove the mask after 10-15minutes. Massage an anti-ageingvitamin C serum into your skinfor adding collagen. End yourfacial by rubbing a pea-sizedamount of moisturizer onto yourface,” she adds.

It is important to rememberthat while dealing with facialskin, one ought to be careful alltimes. Make sure that you areaware of products that your skinis allergic to and ones that areokay. Do a patch test just to besure before beginning any ritual.Make sure that the face scrub andpack are always made fresh toachieve maximum results. RitikaJayaswal, the founder of NourishMantra, informs, “For peoplewith dry skin, I would like to sug-gest a very simple homemadescrub: Mix two teaspoons of fine-grained sugar with 1/4th cup ofcoconut or olive oil to make a finepaste. Apply it in a circularmotion with your fingers andleave it on for five to ten minutesand then wash with lukewarmwater and pat dry. Since coconutoil is heavy, it should be used onlyfor dry to normal skin types. Youcan repeat this facial once ortwice a week. And don’t forget toplay your favourite music in thebackground to enhance your me-time.”

Customise your

Use nnatural ppantry sstaples tto ccreate aa qquarantine skincare rregimen tthat ccan rrival eexpensive ssalon ttreatments

Itis importantto remember

that while dealingwith facial skin,one ought to be

careful alltimes

home facial

Oils that nourishFrom coconut to castor, everytype of oil serves a different

function when applied to the hair

Be it the traditional champimassage or a more elabo-

rate hair mask, hair oils havebeen an integral component ofhair care. Oiling your hair notonly helps it absorb less water,but it also fills the gaps betweenthe cuticle cells and preventsthe aggressive substances fromentering the hair follicle.

However, with the marketflooded with all varieties andcombinations of hair oils, it canbe difficult to choose the bestone for your needs. We soughtout and broke down the mostpopular hair oils so you can cre-ate your own magical hairelixir. Here are some of the oilsthat nourish your hair andscalp.

COCONUT OILThis oil is proven to reduce pro-tein loss from the hair shaft.The fatty lauric acid present incoconut oil penetrates the hairshaft, forming a protective film.This makes coconut oil ideal tocondition and protect normalhair as well as treat hair issueslike dryness and frizz. It hasheat-protecting properties andprevents UV damage. Coconutoil is also rich in anti-bacterialand anti-fungal properties,which makes it perfect forweekly use.

ARGAN OILA popular ingredient in haircare products today, argan oil isrich in tocopherols, polyphe-nols and is rich in antioxidants,linolenic acid, and Vitamins A,C, and E, which makes the oilan excellent nourishing agentand conditioner. Since argan oilis a great antioxidant, it alsohelps to reduce scalp inflamma-tion and itchiness, dandruff,and also medical conditions likepsoriasis. The best way to useargan oil is in a hair mask,applied to wet hair for about 15-20 minutes. Not only does thisform a protective barrier overthe hair shafts, it also seals the

split ends of the hair, thusreducing breakage.

TEA TREE OILA native product to Australia,tea tree oil is used as a cosmeticingredient for its anti-inflam-matory properties. The activeingredient is well known for itsantibacterial and antifungalproperties, which makes it idealfor hair care products as well.Tea tree oil can be used to treatdandruff, seboherric dermati-tis, follicular infections, andeven lice.

CASTOR OILCastor oil is an age-old remedyto hair fall and hair thinning,but how it helps remains a mys-tery until now. Extracted fromseeds of Ricinus Communicusplant, castor oil is rich in mono-saturated acids, which are greathumectants. This property ofcastor oil helps lock and seal themoisture in the hair, preventingdryness. The ricinoleic acid inthis product stimulates themicrocirculation of blood on thescalp, hence providing moreoxygen and nutrients to the hair.

Inputs by Dr Pallavi Sule,Dermatologist and Aesthetic

Physician

1. Heat your oil of choice lightlybefore applying it to the scalpwith your fingertips. Massageit into the scalp for at least tenminutes to increase circulation

2. Use a wide-toothed comb todetangle the hair before tyingit into a loose bun.

3. Use a hot towel wrap or steamthe scalp, which will better thechances of the oil penetratingthe hair.

4. Leave the oil on overnight orfor 30 minutes before washingit off.

5. Repeat at least twice a week.

How to apply hair oil

No takers for NTR’srole in Thalaivi

Jr. NTR and Balayya both turneddown offers to play N.T. Rama Rao

5Thursday 2 April 2020

Deccan Chronicletollywood

—Snippets by Suresh Kavirayani

‘Natural calamities tooshould have insurance cover’

Vivek Kuchibotla, who isworking with theA n u s h k a - s t a r r e r

Nishabdam and other films likeA1 Express, has called for a mod-ification of existing insurancepolicies to suit the current sce-nario. “I insured my upcomingfilm A1 Express and the insur-ance company will compensateme if there is an accident ordamage whileshooting. Butthe companywill notreimburseme forlosses dueto a

national calamity like the pre-sent one caused by the coron-avirus,” Vivek said.

In Hollywood, things are differ-ent, he said, and added that afriend of his from there had toldhim that in the event of a filmrelease being delayed due to situ-ations like the present one,insurance companies will payup. “That kind of policy shouldbe available here in India too,”he said.

Vivek pointed out that produc-ers put a lot of money into films,and also have to pay interest (onloans) “So we are looking for atleast some compensation fromthe insurers.”

He hoped that in the nearfuture, filmmakers would dis-cuss such new type of policies.

Meanwhile, Nishabdam wasscheduled for release on April 2,but this has been indefinitelypostponed because of the coron-avirus crisis. Only three days ofshooting are necessary to com-plete A1 Express.

Says ProducerVivek Kuchibotlawho explainsabout the hugelosses producersare likely toincur due to thecoronaviruslockdown

The late Tamil NaduChief Minister J.

Jayalalithaa was knownto be close to actor-politician N.T RamaRao, himself a for-mer chief minister of

the erstwhile undivid-ed State of Andhra

Pradesh. The makers ofThalaivi, a biopic on

Jayalalithaa, wanted to showcasethe relationship by including NTR in

the biopic.NTR’s grandson Jr NTR was the

first choice for the role, but he turnedit down. “He has repeatedly said ininterviews that he never wants toplay his grandfather in any film,and so he rejected the offer immedi-ately,” says a source close to theactor.

The next choice was actorBalakrishna. “Vishnu Induri, oneof the producers of the biopic onNTR, approached Balakrishna, but

Balayya, who had played the titlerole in that biopic, didn’t want to play thepart again,” according to the source.

It may be recalled that Jayalalithaa andNTR had acted together in several filmsand maintained a friendly relationshipwith each other even after NTR enteredpolitics.

Kangana Ranaut plays actor-politicianJayalalithaa in Thalaivi, directed by A.L.Vijay.

The actor says his charity fund fordaily wage earners has collected`6.2 crore so far, appeals for morepeople to contribute

Megastar Chiranjeevi has announced that his‘Corona Crisis Charity’ for daily wage earners in theindustry who need help during this crisis has attracted

a total of `6.2 crore as donations so far. He has issued an appealon Twitter for more people to contribute.

While many male Telugu actors have donated to the charity,among the heroines, so far it’s just Lavanya Tripathi who con-

tributed. And much is being discussed aboutthis in Tollywood!

However, according to someone whomanages several top actresses, many ofthem are expected to announcetheir donations in a couple ofdays. “Most of the actressesare working in multiplelanguages, like Telugu,Hindi and Tamil. So,they want to contribute

to all the States equally,”he says, and attrib-

utes the delay incontributions tothis reason.

Chiru asks for more donations!

NTR’s grandson Jr NTR was the firstchoice for the role. He turned it down ashe had repeatedly said in interviews thathe never wants to play his grandfather in

any film. The next choice was actorBalakrishna, but since he played the titlerole in the NTR biopic, he didn’t want to

play the part again

TamannaahPooja Hegde

Jr NTR

Rakul Preet Singh Balakrishna

6

Deccan Chronicle

Thursday 2 April 2020

coffee-break

Taurus: Singles might find a suit-able life partner. There might beminor obstacles on the work front.It’s time you convinced and win

your parents’ confidence.

Gemini: Join a personality-develop-ment programme. You’ll benefitfrom a new project. Some might beoffered additional responsibilities

around new targets.

Leo: Healthy competition at workbrings out the best in you. Somefind attraction in materialisticthings. You may reconnect with an

old flame. Get serious about your career.

Virgo: It’s time to begin workingon the latest projects, which willbenefit you in the long run.Responsibilities at work may

increase. However, don’t shirk them;instead, prepare to shoulder them.

Cancer: There’ll be pressure to cleardebts. Romance is exciting butshare your views with your partner.Do more work for the desired

results. You’d have fun with friends.

Capricorn: Weather change couldcause problems. Beware of a petty,jealous man at work, vying for yourposition. Maintain balance in rela-

tionships, finances and business ventures.

Aquarius: Realise your ultimate lifeand career goals. You want it all inthis lifetime — friends, family,wealth, fame and success. Set

your sights high and work accordingly.

Pisces: Adjust your expectations,but never lower your goals unlessnecessarily. Do things that youenjoy with your family, maybe

play boardgames. Rejoice, rejuvenate andrecharge your spirit and sense of family-bonding today.

Scorpio: A social gathering thisevening brings pleasure and oppor-tunities to build network. Avoidovereating and alcohol; they’ll have

detrimental effects on your health.

Libra: Work harder to match yoursenior’s expectations; you maysucceed. Be cautious of casualacquaintances seeking financial

assistance. Don’t allow others to play withyour emotions.

Sagittarius: Hard work and stressmay wear down your nervous sys-tem. Drink juices and other fluids.Be clear before starting a new

business venture.

Aries: You may defeat your enemyand find joy in the company of yourloved ones. Finish pending tasks.Expect an auspicious occasion in

the family. Your efforts are successful.

Your day today

By Dr C.V.B. Subrahmanyam

Ajay Devgn,Bollywood actor. Heis best known for hisroles in Zakhm, HumDil De Chuke Sanam,Company, Gangajal,

Omkara, Golmaalseries, Singham

series, Bol Bachchanand Tanhaji amongst

others.

You share your b’day with

When you pick up areally powerfulhand, it gives you

a momentary glow ofpleasure. But then youwonder how to steer thebidding to find out whatyou need to know frompartner.

East suffered badly ontoday's deal, which wasreported in New ZealandBridge. It occurred inNorfolk Island, anAustralian territory tothe north of NewZealand.

East had never seen a 28-point hand before. Tryingnot to smile, she openedone club, strong and arti-ficial. South's overcall ofone no-trump showed atleast 5-5 in any two suits.West's two diamonds wasnatural and indicatedfewer than 9 points (adebatable choice in myview). North was happy

to compete with twohearts, expecting that tobe one of his partner'ssuits. South's rebid of twospades was a surprise toNorth, but he handled itimaginatively and bril-liantly. Knowing that Eastwouldn't sell out to twospades, North passed!Then, over three no-trump (East not knowingwhat else to do), North"sacrificed" in fourspades.

East doubled, of course,but the contract wasunbeatable. South ruffedthe heart lead and imme-diately attacked clubs.East switched to thespade king, but declarerplayed a second club.South's 10 tricks were thespade ace, four diamondruffs in the dummy, fourheart ruffs in hand and aclub.

Note that East-West canmake six no-trump orseven hearts -- but only ifthe latter contract isplayed by West.

When did you last bidand make a game with acombined 8 points?

Copyright United Feature Syndicate

bridge

PHILLIP AALDER

TRICKS ARE BETTER THAN POINTS

Across

1. Expression (6)

3. Wan (4)

7. Row (4)

8. Eventual outcome (6)

10.Exploded cereal (7)

13.Graveyard inscription

(7)

16.Lyrical (6)

17.Stagger (4)

18.Position (4)

19.Deal in (6)

Down

1. Tug on (4)

2. Haphazard (6)

4. Throb painfully (4)

5. Property (6)

6. Perform surgery (7)

9. Doubter (7)

11.Noisy disturbance (6)

12.Drapes (anag) (6)

14.Finest (4)

15.Smokestack (4)

QUICK CROSSWORD

YESTERDAY’S ANSWER

Across: 1. Influenza, 6. Panda, 7. Punch,9. Goya, 10. Fossil, 12. Eyelet, 14. Loaf,17. Tinge, 18. Model, 19. Disregard.Down: 2. Nanny, 3. Leak, 4. Employ, 5. Zones, 6. Pigment, 8. Helpful, 11. Veneer, 13. Ennui, 15. Order, 6. Smug.

scrabble brand | G2 R1 As Ms S1

DIRECTIONS: Make a 2 to 7-letter word fromthe letters in each row. Add points of eachword, using scoring directions at right. 7-letter words get 50-point bonus. “Blanks”used as any letter have no point value. AllJudd’s words are in the Official ScrabblePlayers Dictionary (Merriam-Webster) andOSW Official Scrabble words (Chambers).JUDD’S Solution Tomorrow

TODAY’S RATINGS: 7 AVERAGE; 8 GOOD; 10 OUTSTANDING

Word Mine

How many words of four or more letterscan you make from the letters shown intoday’s puzzle? In making a word, each

letter may be used once only. Each wordmust contain the letter at the top of thepyramid. There should be at least one

nine letter word. Plurals, foreign wordsand proper names are not allowed.

AD O O

S O T T L

ANSWERS: also, last, load, salt, slat, soda, toad, TOADSTOOL, toast,total

WHAT TO DO

Fill in the gridso that every

row, everycolumn, and

every 3x3 boxcontains thedigits 1 to 9.Every puzzlehas only one

correctsolution.

YESTERDAY’S ANSWER

SU◆DO◆KU

YESTERDAY’S ANSWER

SU◆DO◆KU 2

Did yyou tthink tthe

SU◆DO◆KUon tthe lleft wwas eeasy?

Try tthis. CCheck tthe solution ttomorrow.

Tips aavailable aat www.sudoku-xls.com

DC-AAGE SSU DO KUFORUM: Discuss theSU DO KU puzzlesprinted and con-

tribute mind teasersof your own at

www.sudexel.com/forum

hocus focus

C A L V I N A N D H O B B E S | B i l l W a t t e r s o n

25

coffee-break7Thursday 2 April 2020

Deccan Chronicle

jumble

Dennis the Menace

B L O N D I E | D e a n Y o u n g a n d J o h n M a r s h a l l

A N D Y C A P P | R e g S m y t h e

T A R Z A N | E d g a r R i c e B u r r o u g h s

T H E W I Z A R D O F I D | P a r k e r a n d H a r t s d

A R C H I E | B i l l H e n r y S c a r p e l l i & c r a i g b o l d m a n

Three years ago, SS Rajamouli wanted to make a film onMahabharata and had spoken to Aamir Khan as well about it.

And while the filmmaker went on to make the Baahubali seriesand now has RRR up for release soon, the buzz on his film of epicpromotions has still not died down. The chatter has been particu-larly loud since national broadcaster Doordarshan revived itsiconic Mahabharata and Ramayana series.

It seems that this has also gotten filmmakers to renew their inter-ests in films that are based on epics. Veteran writer and historianImtiaz Baghdadi notes: “It is the time for such films. As writers,we derive a lot of stories from the Mahabharata and theRamayana. They are stories written years ago — you have all

kinds of characters in these epics. There areso many of them these days. There isAamir Khan who is himself doing aMahabharata — Rajamouli had wantedto make one for sure — DeepikaPadukone is looking at making aMahabharata through the eyes ofDraupadi, and then Chitra BanerjeeDivakurni wrote a book called The

Palace Of Illusions from the viewpoint of Draupadi, whichhas been acquired by filmmaker Babloo Pachisia to make asa film that I believe Anand Neelakantan is developing.”

As for the Ramayana, while Nitesh Tiwari himself is pen-ning one for Allu Aravind and Madhu Mantena, and the lastname has also partnered with Deepika Padukone for theDraupadi perspective. In the meanwhile, Hum Tum direc-tor Kunal Kohli was also planning his version of the epic awhile ago. “All these projects have now received a shot inthe arm as the younger generation will be more aware ofthese stories. Forget the special effects or what we calledas trick photography used in those days – there is astory being told in those epics, which is missing inmany films today,” adds Baghdadi.

—Sanskriti Media

8Thursday 2 April 2020

Deccan ChroniclematineeNo SRK until 2022

SUBHASH KK JJHA

Not having seen himon screen sinceAanand L Rai’s ill-

fated Zero in December 2018,the actor’s fans have beenholding their breath for himto sign another film, but KingKhan was in no mood tooblige.

Rather than sign anythinghalf-heartedly after the Zerodebacle, he opted out of theRakesh Sharma biopic that hehad signed as he didn’t wantto shoot off into space again(like in Zero).

It was clear that Khan

wouldn’t be visible to his fansin 2020, and now it seems hewon’t be on the big screen in2021 either.

An informed source shares,“Shah Rukh has given the nodto Rajkumar Hirani’s next. Itwas supposed to go on thefloors at the end of 2020, butnow with the coronavirus sit-uation being what it is, theHirani-SRK collaboration willgo on the floors only in 2021.”

This, in practical box officeterms means that no SRK fortwo years. We can see his fansgetting withdrawal symp-toms, but these are harshtimes.

Battle of epic proportions

Fresh off the suc-cess of Malang,

filmmaker Mohit Suriand actor Aditya RoyKapur have united onceagain for the sequel of2014’s blockbuster EkVillain. The upcomingfilm is a joint produc-tion between EktaKapoor and BhushanKumar.

Aditya has divedstraight into the prepfor the sequel, which isexpected to go on floorsin the second half of2020. A source reveals,“A few weeks ago,Mohit and Aditya wereat the lat-ter’s farm-house. Thiswas beforethe coron-avirus pan-demic hitIndia. Theytalked thescript of the sequel andthe way forward to keepthe preparatory workgoing. Aditya even dis-cussed his characterand the scale of actionthat is being planned with Mohit.”

Our source adds, “Both Mohit and Aditya are observ-ing self-isolation and working from their respectivehomes and will be doing so until the lockdown is lifted.They have taken to video calling each other almostevery day to discuss characterisation and plot in greatdetail.”

Meanwhile, Mohit says that Aditya brings out the bestin him. “Whenever I am working with Adi, I feelresponsible to give him my best. That’s the nature ofour relationship. This time, we are trying to just raisethe bar even higher. It’s the first time that Adi is play-ing the villain; it’s going to be so much fun!”

The Ek Villain sequel stars John Abraham, AdityaRoy Kapur, Disha Patni and Tara Sutaria in the lead.

—Sanskriti Media

Aditya dives intoEk Villain 2

The actor’s only confirmed film at the moment, withRajkumar Hirani, will now only hit the floors next year