Tag: Centre

  • Pinarayi Vijayan: Attempts are being made to turn India into a religious nation: Kerala CM

    Malappuram (Kerala): Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Sunday expressed concern over the alleged attempts being made to turn India into a religious nation, and accused those in power at the Centre of trying to blur the lines between religious institutions and the state.

    Without mentioning Prime Minister Narendra Modi, he said nowadays those who hold constitutional positions are turning into priests during religious ceremonies. The Left veteran was apparently referring to the recent consecration ceremony of the Ram temple in Ayodhya in which Modi was the ‘yajman (master of a yajna)’.

    “Attempts are being made to turn India into a religious nation… This evokes great concern,” Vijayan said, speaking during the valedictory session of the 10th Mujahid State Conference at Karipur in this northern district. He labelled as “pathetic” the attempts by certain leaders “even in Kerala” to justify such events. In present India, those who are in power are attempting to blur the lines between religion and the state, Vijayan further said. The chief minister also accused the Centre of sabotaging projects meant for minority communities.

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  • Farmers protest: ‘Will wait for Feb 18 meeting outcome, nothing will be done till then’, farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal – The Economic Times Video

    The marathon talks between three Union ministers and leaders of protesting farmer unions concluded without a resolution here late Thursday while Union minister Arjun Munda termed the discussion as “positive” and said that another meeting will be held on Sunday. The farmer leaders said they will continue to stay put at the two borders of Punjab and Haryana. Union Agriculture and Farmer Welfare Minister Munda, Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal and Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai represented the Centre at the meeting over the farmer unions’ various demands, including a law guaranteeing a minimum support price (MSP) for crops.

  • mamata banerjee: If Centre fails, Bengal govt will fund ‘Ghatal Master Plan’: CM Mamata Banerjee

    Kolkata: Accusing the Centre of depriving funds to West Bengal, chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday said if the central government does not provide funds, the state will implement the much needed ‘Ghatal Master Plan’ in the next 3-4 years on its own.

    Banerjee announced that ₹1,250 cr will be needed for the Plan and it will help 17 lakh people. Ghatal is a low-lying riverine area in Paschim Medinipur district that gets inundated by floods almost every year.

    The Trinamool chief, while speaking at the constituency of party leader and actor Dev, said, “my brother Dev requested it and I couldn’t ignore it. The Ghatal Master Plan will be implemented in the next 3-4 years and more that 17 lakh people in Ghatal and five adjacent areas will benefit from it.”In 2022, the Centre reportedly approved ₹1,500 cr ‘Ghatal Master Plan’, a project to dredge riverbeds and strengthen embankments of 10 rivers, people in the know said. According to the plan, the Centre was scheduled to bear 60% of the costs. However, the project did not take off.

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  • AAP: AAP vs Centre over Delhi, Punjab tableaux for Republic Day 2024 parade – The Economic Times Video

    Delhi Art, Culture and Languages Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj on Friday said the BJP-led central government rejected the tableaux of Delhi and Punjab for the Republic Day parade to “exact revenge on the AAP”, which governs the national capital and the border state. Addressing a press conference, Bharadwaj said the Centre has rejected Delhi’s tableaux for three consecutive years now.

  • Caste census an X-ray of country, we will force Centre to conduct it: Rahul in poll-bound MP

    By PTI

    BEOHARI: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday termed caste census an “X-ray” of the country that will throw light on the condition of OBCs, Dalits and tribals, and said his party would force the Centre to conduct this exercise “come what may.”

    He also accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of not speaking on the issue of caste census.

    “We will force the central government to conduct a caste census, come what may, to know the truth about the condition of OBCs, Dalits and tribals in the country. Our governments in Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh have initiated a process for it,” Gandhi said.

    He was addressing a public meeting at Beohari in Shahdol district of Madhya Pradesh, a day after the dates for the state assembly polls were announced.

    “Caste census is an X-ray of the country. Tribals, Dalits and OBCs of the country are injured. Let us check…It will clear the picture,” he said.

    “We challenged PM Narendra Modi to release the data of the caste census done by Congress. But instead of talking about it, he talks about Pakistan, Afghanistan and South. Speak on caste census,” the former Congress president added.

    Referring to a book written by Bharatiya Janata Party’s veteran leader L K Advani, Gandhi said the book mentioned that Madhya Pradesh, not Gujarat, was the laboratory of the BJP and the Rashtriya Swayamsevan Sangh (RSS).

    “But Madhya Pradesh is a laboratory of several scams like medical treatment to deceased persons, Vyapam, mid-day meal, atrocities against tribals and women, among others,” he targeted the BJP government in the state.

    The single-phase assembly polls in Madhya Pradesh will be held on November 17.

    BEOHARI: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday termed caste census an “X-ray” of the country that will throw light on the condition of OBCs, Dalits and tribals, and said his party would force the Centre to conduct this exercise “come what may.”

    He also accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of not speaking on the issue of caste census.

    “We will force the central government to conduct a caste census, come what may, to know the truth about the condition of OBCs, Dalits and tribals in the country. Our governments in Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh have initiated a process for it,” Gandhi said.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2’); });

    He was addressing a public meeting at Beohari in Shahdol district of Madhya Pradesh, a day after the dates for the state assembly polls were announced.

    “Caste census is an X-ray of the country. Tribals, Dalits and OBCs of the country are injured. Let us check…It will clear the picture,” he said.

    “We challenged PM Narendra Modi to release the data of the caste census done by Congress. But instead of talking about it, he talks about Pakistan, Afghanistan and South. Speak on caste census,” the former Congress president added.

    Referring to a book written by Bharatiya Janata Party’s veteran leader L K Advani, Gandhi said the book mentioned that Madhya Pradesh, not Gujarat, was the laboratory of the BJP and the Rashtriya Swayamsevan Sangh (RSS).

    “But Madhya Pradesh is a laboratory of several scams like medical treatment to deceased persons, Vyapam, mid-day meal, atrocities against tribals and women, among others,” he targeted the BJP government in the state.

    The single-phase assembly polls in Madhya Pradesh will be held on November 17.

  • Prescribe generic medicines or face action: Centre tells doctors at central govt hospitals 

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: The Centre has warned doctors at central government-run hospitals and CGHS wellness centres to comply with the norms of prescribing generic medicines failing which action will be taken against them.

    According to an office order, the doctors at central government hospitals, Central Government Health Scheme (CGHS) wellness centres and polyclinics have been instructed time and again to only prescribe generic medicines.

    “Despite this, it has been observed that doctors (including residents) in some instances continue to prescribe branded medicines.

    This has been viewed strictly by the competent authority,” Director General of Health Services Dr Atul Goel said in an office order issued on May 12.

    This may be noted by all heads of institutions, and they may ensure strict compliance by the doctors working under them, the order said.

    It has threatened to take action in cases of non-compliance, the order further stated.

    Further, the order asked them to ensure that visits of medical representatives to hospital premises are completely curtailed.

    Any information about a new launch may be communicated by way of e-mail only.

    NEW DELHI: The Centre has warned doctors at central government-run hospitals and CGHS wellness centres to comply with the norms of prescribing generic medicines failing which action will be taken against them.

    According to an office order, the doctors at central government hospitals, Central Government Health Scheme (CGHS) wellness centres and polyclinics have been instructed time and again to only prescribe generic medicines.

    “Despite this, it has been observed that doctors (including residents) in some instances continue to prescribe branded medicines.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2’); });

    This has been viewed strictly by the competent authority,” Director General of Health Services Dr Atul Goel said in an office order issued on May 12.

    This may be noted by all heads of institutions, and they may ensure strict compliance by the doctors working under them, the order said.

    It has threatened to take action in cases of non-compliance, the order further stated.

    Further, the order asked them to ensure that visits of medical representatives to hospital premises are completely curtailed.

    Any information about a new launch may be communicated by way of e-mail only.

  • Amid uptick in Covid-19 cases, Centre writes to six states to take pre-emptive action

    Express News Service

    NEW DELHI: As Covid-19 cases are seeing an uptick, the Centre on Thursday wrote to six states, including Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka, and Telangana, to maintain a strict watch and to take pre-emptive action to control the emerging spread of the virus.

    The union health ministry directed the six states, which also included Gujarat and Maharashtra, to carry out testing, monitor new and emerging clusters of new Covid-19 cases and to monitor Influenza-like illness and severe acute respiratory infection, which is also rapidly surging across India.

    In a letter, union health secretary Rajesh Bhushan said India has observed a significant decline in the number of Covod-19 cases during the past few months.

    “However, since the past few weeks a rise in cases has been noted specifically in certain parts of the country with a total of 2,082 cases reported in the week ending March 8 which rose to 3,264 cases in the week ending March 15.”

    He said these states are reporting higher numbers of cases indicating the possible localized spread of infection.

    The health secretary said there is a need to follow a risk-assessment-based approach to prevent and contain the infection, without losing the gains made so far in the fight against the pandemic.

    He asked all six states to examine the Covid-19 situation at the micro-level – districts and sub-districts – and maintain focus on implementation of necessary measures for prompt and effective management of Covid-19.

    Bhushan also said that the five-fold strategy of test-track-treat-vaccination and following Covid appropriate behaviour should be followed and asked the states to focus on genomic sequencing for prescribed samples of international passengers, and collection of samples from sentinel sites.

    “It is essential that the state must maintain a strict watch and take pre-emptive action if required in any areas of concern to control the emerging spread of infection,” the letter said.

    Seven districts in Maharashtra, including Pune, Mumbai and Thane, are recording a high number of Covid-19 cases. Similarly, in Gujarat, seven districts, including Ahmedabad, Vadodara and Surat, are reporting an increase in the cases in the past few weeks.

    The ministry said analysis of Telangana showed that most of the cases are being reported from Hyderabad district.

    In Tamil Nadu, four districts – Salem, the Nilgiris, Tiruppur and Tiruchirappali – are reporting an increase in Covid-19 cases, while Kerala has reported an increase in Covid-19 cases from six districts, including Ernakulam, Kollam, Pathanamthitta, Thrissur and Palakkad.

    Four districts in Karnataka – Shivamogga, Kalaburagi, Mysuru and Uttara Kannada – are reporting increased weekly cases, the ministry said.

    Meanwhile, the first case of H3N2 infection was reported in Bhopal. The patient has been kept in home isolation, a report quoting Madhya Pradesh Medical Education Minister, Vishwas Sarang, said.

    NEW DELHI: As Covid-19 cases are seeing an uptick, the Centre on Thursday wrote to six states, including Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka, and Telangana, to maintain a strict watch and to take pre-emptive action to control the emerging spread of the virus.

    The union health ministry directed the six states, which also included Gujarat and Maharashtra, to carry out testing, monitor new and emerging clusters of new Covid-19 cases and to monitor Influenza-like illness and severe acute respiratory infection, which is also rapidly surging across India.

    In a letter, union health secretary Rajesh Bhushan said India has observed a significant decline in the number of Covod-19 cases during the past few months.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2’); });

    “However, since the past few weeks a rise in cases has been noted specifically in certain parts of the country with a total of 2,082 cases reported in the week ending March 8 which rose to 3,264 cases in the week ending March 15.”

    He said these states are reporting higher numbers of cases indicating the possible localized spread of infection.

    The health secretary said there is a need to follow a risk-assessment-based approach to prevent and contain the infection, without losing the gains made so far in the fight against the pandemic.

    He asked all six states to examine the Covid-19 situation at the micro-level – districts and sub-districts – and maintain focus on implementation of necessary measures for prompt and effective management of Covid-19.

    Bhushan also said that the five-fold strategy of test-track-treat-vaccination and following Covid appropriate behaviour should be followed and asked the states to focus on genomic sequencing for prescribed samples of international passengers, and collection of samples from sentinel sites.

    “It is essential that the state must maintain a strict watch and take pre-emptive action if required in any areas of concern to control the emerging spread of infection,” the letter said.

    Seven districts in Maharashtra, including Pune, Mumbai and Thane, are recording a high number of Covid-19 cases. Similarly, in Gujarat, seven districts, including Ahmedabad, Vadodara and Surat, are reporting an increase in the cases in the past few weeks.

    The ministry said analysis of Telangana showed that most of the cases are being reported from Hyderabad district.

    In Tamil Nadu, four districts – Salem, the Nilgiris, Tiruppur and Tiruchirappali – are reporting an increase in Covid-19 cases, while Kerala has reported an increase in Covid-19 cases from six districts, including Ernakulam, Kollam, Pathanamthitta, Thrissur and Palakkad.

    Four districts in Karnataka – Shivamogga, Kalaburagi, Mysuru and Uttara Kannada – are reporting increased weekly cases, the ministry said.

    Meanwhile, the first case of H3N2 infection was reported in Bhopal. The patient has been kept in home isolation, a report quoting Madhya Pradesh Medical Education Minister, Vishwas Sarang, said.

  • LGBTQ+ community denounces Centre’s opposition to legal validation of same-sex marriage

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: Activists and members of the LGBTQ+ community have criticised the Centre’s opposition to granting recognition to same-sex marriage, saying despite India’s plurality and diversity the government still believes that marriage rights can only be given to heterosexuals.

    In an affidavit before the Supreme Court which is scheduled to hear the matter on Monday, the Centre has said legal validation of same-sex marriage would cause complete havoc with the delicate balance of personal laws and accepted societal values.

    It, however, added that non-heterosexual forms of marriages or unions between individuals though not recognised are not unlawful.

    Reacting to the Centre’s affidavit, equal rights activist Harish Iyer and a member of the community said India is a nation of plurality, not homogeneity.

    “Unity in diversity is a lesson we learn in our schools. Everyone is equal in the eyes of law. Yet we afford marriage rights only to the majority and not us minorities. The state in its stance has confirmed that they believe that marriage is only between a biological man and a biological woman and their offspring,” Iyer told PTI.

    Iyer further slammed the language used by the Centre in the affidavit.

    “The very language reveals that the state needs a crash course on sex, sexuality and gender. The correct terms are cis man and cis woman. Now that the Supreme Court has written down Section 377, I would like to know from the state how they define LGBT families,” Iyer said.

    In its affidavit, the government submitted that despite the decriminalisation of Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code, the petitioners cannot claim a fundamental right for same-sex marriage to be recognised under the laws of the country.

    A queer scholar and PhD candidate at the University of St Andrews in Scotland, who prefers to be identified as Q, said queer intimacies predate the Indian State by many centuries and the State has always been fundamentally heterosexual.

    “The Centre stated that the traditional heterosexual family unit is foundational to the existence and continuance of the State. This is partly correct. The State has always been fundamentally heterosexual; its institutions, its laws, its capitalist structures, even its borders veered toward the cis-heterosexual upper-caste male. The State is also drenched in its masculinity. That being said the Centre hides within these truths one distinct untruth – that the continuance of the State has never been in question,” Q said.

    Q further rued that the State will persist regardless of whether or not gay marriage exists, simply because the State exists now.

    “Gay marriage is an institutionalisation of existing relationships. What the Centre perhaps meant by that affidavit is that heterosexual marriage is foundational to the continuance of the present regime…,” Q said.

    The Supreme Court had struck down the draconian Article 377 that criminalised gay sex and since then many petitions have been filed in the apex court to legalise same-sex marriage too.

    Shubhankar Chakravorty, a Bengaluru-based consultant who identifies as a gay man, said rights and freedoms have seldom been provided in advance of a mass struggle or in anticipation of a sizeable demand and especially when it’s a matter as complex as marriage law that involves a host of related laws, there needs to be a solid case of favourable public impact.

    “India has an LGBT+ population of at least 50 million (less than 5 per cent of 1.4 billion) and still you’d struggle to find a few thousand same-sex couples in present need of marriage rights. While it’s a very real need for many people currently in long-term relationships/civil partnerships, same-sex parenting, etc., the number isn’t high enough to put pressure on the government.”

    “So, much like the movements preceding the amendment of Section 377, there need to be large-scale activities and campaigns to relay the importance of marriage equality and how it impacts hundreds of thousands of real people,” he told PTI.

    “Till then, as unfair as the government’s stand is, there isn’t much to counter it with. The LGBT+ community, which is still trying to make sense of what it means to have rights and freedom around gender, sex, and sexuality post the Section 377 ruling, needs to do more to assert the real-life outcomes of those rights and freedoms,” he added.

    NEW DELHI: Activists and members of the LGBTQ+ community have criticised the Centre’s opposition to granting recognition to same-sex marriage, saying despite India’s plurality and diversity the government still believes that marriage rights can only be given to heterosexuals.

    In an affidavit before the Supreme Court which is scheduled to hear the matter on Monday, the Centre has said legal validation of same-sex marriage would cause complete havoc with the delicate balance of personal laws and accepted societal values.

    It, however, added that non-heterosexual forms of marriages or unions between individuals though not recognised are not unlawful.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2’); });

    Reacting to the Centre’s affidavit, equal rights activist Harish Iyer and a member of the community said India is a nation of plurality, not homogeneity.

    “Unity in diversity is a lesson we learn in our schools. Everyone is equal in the eyes of law. Yet we afford marriage rights only to the majority and not us minorities. The state in its stance has confirmed that they believe that marriage is only between a biological man and a biological woman and their offspring,” Iyer told PTI.

    Iyer further slammed the language used by the Centre in the affidavit.

    “The very language reveals that the state needs a crash course on sex, sexuality and gender. The correct terms are cis man and cis woman. Now that the Supreme Court has written down Section 377, I would like to know from the state how they define LGBT families,” Iyer said.

    In its affidavit, the government submitted that despite the decriminalisation of Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code, the petitioners cannot claim a fundamental right for same-sex marriage to be recognised under the laws of the country.

    A queer scholar and PhD candidate at the University of St Andrews in Scotland, who prefers to be identified as Q, said queer intimacies predate the Indian State by many centuries and the State has always been fundamentally heterosexual.

    “The Centre stated that the traditional heterosexual family unit is foundational to the existence and continuance of the State. This is partly correct. The State has always been fundamentally heterosexual; its institutions, its laws, its capitalist structures, even its borders veered toward the cis-heterosexual upper-caste male. The State is also drenched in its masculinity. That being said the Centre hides within these truths one distinct untruth – that the continuance of the State has never been in question,” Q said.

    Q further rued that the State will persist regardless of whether or not gay marriage exists, simply because the State exists now.

    “Gay marriage is an institutionalisation of existing relationships. What the Centre perhaps meant by that affidavit is that heterosexual marriage is foundational to the continuance of the present regime…,” Q said.

    The Supreme Court had struck down the draconian Article 377 that criminalised gay sex and since then many petitions have been filed in the apex court to legalise same-sex marriage too.

    Shubhankar Chakravorty, a Bengaluru-based consultant who identifies as a gay man, said rights and freedoms have seldom been provided in advance of a mass struggle or in anticipation of a sizeable demand and especially when it’s a matter as complex as marriage law that involves a host of related laws, there needs to be a solid case of favourable public impact.

    “India has an LGBT+ population of at least 50 million (less than 5 per cent of 1.4 billion) and still you’d struggle to find a few thousand same-sex couples in present need of marriage rights. While it’s a very real need for many people currently in long-term relationships/civil partnerships, same-sex parenting, etc., the number isn’t high enough to put pressure on the government.”

    “So, much like the movements preceding the amendment of Section 377, there need to be large-scale activities and campaigns to relay the importance of marriage equality and how it impacts hundreds of thousands of real people,” he told PTI.

    “Till then, as unfair as the government’s stand is, there isn’t much to counter it with. The LGBT+ community, which is still trying to make sense of what it means to have rights and freedom around gender, sex, and sexuality post the Section 377 ruling, needs to do more to assert the real-life outcomes of those rights and freedoms,” he added.

  • No separate law to prohibit violence against doctors, healthcare professionals: Centre

    By Express News Service

    NEW DELHI: The Central government has decided not to enact separate legislation for prohibiting violence against doctors and other healthcare professionals, the Rajya Sabha was informed on Tuesday.

    In a written reply, Union Health Minister Dr Mansukh Mandaviya said that a draft of the Healthcare Services Personnel and Clinical Establishments (Prohibition of Violence and Damage to Property) Bill, 2019 was prepared and was also circulated for consultations.

    “Thereafter it was decided not to enact a separate Legislation for prohibiting violence against doctors and other health care professionals,” he said to a question on the reasons for the withdrawal of the Bill, which intended to protect healthcare professionals and institutions.

    Mandaviya said that the matter was further discussed with relevant ministries and departments of government as well as all stakeholders, and an ordinance namely The Epidemic Diseases (Amendment) Ordinance, 2020 was promulgated on April 22, 2020.

    However, the government, on September 28, 2020, passed the Epidemic Diseases (Amendment) Act, 2020 under which acts of violence against healthcare personnel during any situation were considered cognizable and non-bailable offences.

    Speaking with TNIE, Dr Rohan Krishnan, National Chairman, FAIMA Doctors Association, said that there have been many cases of violence against doctors and health professionals in the past few months inside the government hospitals, but the union health ministry has not taken their demand to have a separate law for providing safety and security to healthcare workers and doctors seriously.

    “The government needed us during the Covid-19 pandemic and came out with rules and regulations. We also felt safe and secure. But now that Covid-19 is declining and we were able to bring normalcy, the government is showing its true colours. It is shameful,” he said.

    “The government is not standing up to its promise of bringing a separate law to prohibit violence against doctors and healthcare professionals,” he added.

    “On the one hand, it has failed to provide mental and physical safety and security to the doctors and healthcare professionals; on the other hand, instead of having verbal communication with us regarding this matter, the government is denying any scope of providing a separate law in the future. This is a very serious issue. We will raise this issue at every level,” Dr Krishnan said.

    Under the Epidemic Diseases (Amendment) Act, the commission or abetment of acts of violence or damage or loss to any property is punishable with imprisonment for a term of three months to five years, and with a fine of Rs 50,000 to Rs 2,00,000.

    In case of causing grievous hurt, imprisonment shall be for a term of six months to seven years and with a fine of Rs 1,00,000 to Rs 5,00,000.

    In addition, the offender shall also be liable to pay compensation to the victim and twice the fair market value for damage to property.

    Since, law and order is a state subject, State, and Union Territory governments also take appropriate steps to protect healthcare professionals/institutions under provisions under the Indian Penal Code (IPC)/Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC), the minister said.

    To another question on the number of security guards hired/outsourced by government hospitals in the country, the Minister of State for Health Dr Bharati Pravin Pawar said that public health and hospitals are state subjects, therefore no such data is maintained centrally.

    NEW DELHI: The Central government has decided not to enact separate legislation for prohibiting violence against doctors and other healthcare professionals, the Rajya Sabha was informed on Tuesday.

    In a written reply, Union Health Minister Dr Mansukh Mandaviya said that a draft of the Healthcare Services Personnel and Clinical Establishments (Prohibition of Violence and Damage to Property) Bill, 2019 was prepared and was also circulated for consultations.

    “Thereafter it was decided not to enact a separate Legislation for prohibiting violence against doctors and other health care professionals,” he said to a question on the reasons for the withdrawal of the Bill, which intended to protect healthcare professionals and institutions.

    Mandaviya said that the matter was further discussed with relevant ministries and departments of government as well as all stakeholders, and an ordinance namely The Epidemic Diseases (Amendment) Ordinance, 2020 was promulgated on April 22, 2020.

    However, the government, on September 28, 2020, passed the Epidemic Diseases (Amendment) Act, 2020 under which acts of violence against healthcare personnel during any situation were considered cognizable and non-bailable offences.

    Speaking with TNIE, Dr Rohan Krishnan, National Chairman, FAIMA Doctors Association, said that there have been many cases of violence against doctors and health professionals in the past few months inside the government hospitals, but the union health ministry has not taken their demand to have a separate law for providing safety and security to healthcare workers and doctors seriously.

    “The government needed us during the Covid-19 pandemic and came out with rules and regulations. We also felt safe and secure. But now that Covid-19 is declining and we were able to bring normalcy, the government is showing its true colours. It is shameful,” he said.

    “The government is not standing up to its promise of bringing a separate law to prohibit violence against doctors and healthcare professionals,” he added.

    “On the one hand, it has failed to provide mental and physical safety and security to the doctors and healthcare professionals; on the other hand, instead of having verbal communication with us regarding this matter, the government is denying any scope of providing a separate law in the future. This is a very serious issue. We will raise this issue at every level,” Dr Krishnan said.

    Under the Epidemic Diseases (Amendment) Act, the commission or abetment of acts of violence or damage or loss to any property is punishable with imprisonment for a term of three months to five years, and with a fine of Rs 50,000 to Rs 2,00,000.

    In case of causing grievous hurt, imprisonment shall be for a term of six months to seven years and with a fine of Rs 1,00,000 to Rs 5,00,000.

    In addition, the offender shall also be liable to pay compensation to the victim and twice the fair market value for damage to property.

    Since, law and order is a state subject, State, and Union Territory governments also take appropriate steps to protect healthcare professionals/institutions under provisions under the Indian Penal Code (IPC)/Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC), the minister said.

    To another question on the number of security guards hired/outsourced by government hospitals in the country, the Minister of State for Health Dr Bharati Pravin Pawar said that public health and hospitals are state subjects, therefore no such data is maintained centrally.

  • Judges are not elected, so can’t be replaced but people are watching them: Rijiju 

    The minister's remarks at a Republic Day function organised at the Tis Hazari courts complex here came amid a tug of war between the judiciary and the executive.