News Analysis India

Tag: Bhubaneswar

  • Naveen Patnaik: CM Majhi, DyCMs, Naveen Patnaik take oath as member of Odisha Assembly

    Bhubaneswar: Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, deputy chief ministers – KV Singh Deo and Pravati Parida – and BJD president Naveen Patnaik took oath as member of the 17th Odisha Legislative Assembly on Tuesday. Pro-tem Speaker Ranenda Pratap Swain administered the oath of office to the newly elected MLAs including the chief minister and Patnaik here on Tuesday.

    The oath-taking by newly elected members will continue till June 19. The election for the Speaker will be held on June 20.

    As per tradition, the chief minister and other newly-elected MLAs paid floral tribute at the Mahatma Gandhi statue on arriving at the Assembly. In the recently concluded Assembly elections, the BJP secured a majority by winning 78 Assembly seats followed by BJD (51), Congress (14), CPIM (1) and Independents (3). In the 147-member Odisha Assembly, as many as 82 are first-time MLAs.

    While Majhi is the leader of the House, BJD president and former chief minister Naveen Patnaik is expected to be unanimously elected as the Leader of the Opposition (LoP).

  • Covid-19: UP govt makes face masks mandatory in public places in Lucknow, 6 districts

    Express News Service

    LUCKNOW: In the wake of the re-emergence of Covid-19 cases, the Uttar Pradesh government on Monday made face masks compulsory in public places in the state capital Lucknow and six national capital region (NCR) districts.

    The increase in Covid cases has had an impact on the districts falling under NCR. Keeping this in mind, the government has made use of masks compulsory in public places in Gautam Buddh Nagar, Ghaziabad, Hapur, Meerut, Bulandshahr, Baghpat as well as capital Lucknow, said an official spokesperson here.

    In the last 24 hours, 65 new Covid cases have been confirmed in Gautam Buddh Nagar, 20 in Ghaziabad and 10 in Lucknow, the official said, adding that Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has ordered “close monitoring” of the situation.

    The state figures have gone into three digits. In view of the improving COVID-19 situation, the Uttar Pradesh government had given relaxation in wearing face masks earlier this month.

    Yogi Adityanath also directed the officials concerned to identify the unvaccinated people in the NCR districts and complete their vaccination at war footing. He also directed the respective district authorities to make optimum use of the public address system to make people aware of the latest situation and increasing Covid cases and ask them to follow Covid protocol.

    According to health authorities, the genome sequencing of Covid inflicted persons has established the presence of Omicron variant in cases emerging in NCR. In UP, the total active cases are 695. Over 83,864 tests were conducted in the state during which 115 persons were found to be COVID positive.

    BHUBANESWAR:

    The Odisha government has asked district administrations to remain ‘alert’ and urged people to ‘exercise caution.’

    However, State Public Health director Dr Niranjan Mishra on Monday said though Odisha is still reporting cases of Covid-19, there is no need to panic as the number is negligible and the daily test positivity rate (TPR) has remained drastically low.

    “There is no alarming situation in the State. New infections are being reported only from seven to eight districts in the State, that too in single digit. However, district administrations have been asked to keep a watch and take containment measures as per the need,” Mishra said.

    The public health director, however, advised people to exercise caution wherever it is required to check the transmission.

    He also said that the tests are being carried out as advised by the Indian Council of Medical Research. The fresh surge in Covid-19 cases has triggered apprehensions of another wave of thepandemic in the State. Mishra, however, said, “No new variant has been detected in the state and the situation is under control.”

    Health officials said that even if there is any rise in the infections count, it would be less severe than during the third wave due to large-scale vaccination.

    The State recorded 13 new cases in the last 24 hours. There, however, were no fatalities reported for the third consecutive day.

    The new cases were reported from Sambalpur, Balasore, Balangir, Kendrapara, Khurda, Puri, and Sonepur.

    A total of 18,886 tests were carried out in the last 24 hours in which the daily TPR remained 0.06 percent, health officials said.

    They said the State now has 107 active cases. As many as 13 districts have zero Covid cases.

    India registered 2,183 fresh infections and 214 deaths in the last 24 hours.

    (With inputs from Sudarsan Maharana)

  • Injured Pacer Bhuvneshwar Kumar Ruled Out For Another Six Months

    India pace bowler Bhuvneshwar Kumar, who has been out of action after injuring his thigh muscle during an Indian Premier League (IPL) game on October 2, will remain out of action till the 2021 IPL edition likely to begin in early April. The 30-year-old bowler, who is recuperating at Bangalore’s National Cricket Academy (NCA), will complete his rehab next month.

    Overall, he would remain out of action for six months since the date of injury.”He will be able to play only during the IPL as he is out of competitive cricket for six months,” an official in the know of things told IANS.Bhuvi has also not been picked in the Uttar Pradesh team for the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy T20 tournament next month. While the domestic season is likely to be a curtailed one, India play a full international series against England prior to the IPL.

    The national team touring Australia is already struggling with pace bowling options after Mohammed Shami joined the ranks of the injured last week after fracturing his arm on Saturday during the first Test. Ishant Sharma was ruled out of the Test series on November 27. India are now left with only two senior pace bowlers in Jasprit Bumrah and Umesh Yadav and will have to depend on youngsters for third seamer’s choice in the absence of Ishant, Shami, and Bhuvneshwar Kumar.