News Analysis India

Tag: Haryana

  • Aiming to make Haryana hub for aviation, defence equipment production sector: Dy CM Dushyant Chautala

    The state government is going to formulate a dynamic and comprehensive policy by incorporating all these suggestions, he said.

  • Farmers uproot foundation stone laid for BJP office in Haryana’s Jhajjar, FIR registered

    By PTI
    CHANDIGARH: An FIR has been registered in connection with the uprooting of the foundation stone of a BJP party office in Jhajjhar hours after it had been laid by the party’s state unit chief O P Dhankar, police said on Monday.

    The foundation stone laid for the party office on Rewari road of the district on Sunday was allegedly removed by a group of farmers protesting the new farm laws.

    The protesters, including women, were carrying black flags and raising slogans against the Centre for not rolling back the laws despite protests by thousands of farmers near the borders of Delhi for over six months.

    “Strict action will be taken as per the law,” Haryana Home Minister Anil Vij said in Ambala, responding to a question about the incident.

    Several farmer groups have been opposing public functions of the BJP-JJP leaders in Haryana over the issue of the farm laws.

    Scores of farmers have been camping at Delhi’s borders since November last year, demanding that the Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020; Farmers’ (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, 2020; and the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020 be rolled back and a new law made to guarantee minimum support price (MSP) for their crops.

    However, the government has maintained the laws are pro-farmer.

    Several rounds of talks between the farmers and the government have failed to break the deadlock over these contentious laws.

    The government last held talks with farmer leaders on January 22.

    The talks between the two sides came to a halt after a January 26 tractor parade by farmers in Delhi turned violent.

  • Kisan unions call off gherao of Haryana police stations after release of two arrested farmers

    By ANI
    FATEHABAD (HARYANA): Farmer unions have called off the statewide gherao of police stations in Haryana after the state government released the two arrested farmers on Monday morning.

    Farmers Ravi Azad and Vikas Sisar have been released from Hisar Jail in the early hours of Monday. The duo was arrested for gheraoing local Jannayak Janta Party (JJP) MLA Devender Sigh Babli’s residence on June 1.

    A large number of farmers led by farmer leaders Rakesh Tikait, Gurnam Singh Chaduni and United Kisan Morcha leader Yogendra have been staging a dharna in front of Tohana Sadar police station in Fatehabad district of Haryana since Saturday night demanding the release of arrested farmers. They have also called for a statewide gherao of police stations in Haryana with this demand.

    However, the farmer unions said the protest will continue in Tohana since there is still a demand to release another farmer Makhan Singh, who has been booked under Section 307 (attempt to murder) and end the cases filed against him.

    Farmer unions gave a statewide call to gherao police stations in Haryana from June 7 against the arrets of farmers.

    Sources said farmers are waiting for an affidavit from MLA Devender Singh Babli, mentioning withdrawal of his complaint to the senior police officers soon. The matter is likely to be resolved by this evening after which the dharna is expected to end.

    “I was heading to a government event when some people attacked me. I believe those who attacked me cannot be farmers. I made few undignified remarks in heat of the moment and apologised for it. Legal course of action to take place against those involved in violence,” the JJP MLA told ANI.

    On Sunday, Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) leader Rakesh Tikait had demanded the filing of an FIR against Babli for allegedly using abusive language against the farmers publically and threatening them. However, Babli later expressed regret for using ‘inappropriate’ words against the farmers.

    Babli posted a video clip on social media saying that he forgives those who did wrong to him on June 1. 

  • More states announce easing of COVID-induced curbs from Monday 

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI/ CHENNAI/ MUMBAI: Haryana and Sikkim were the latest to extend lockdown from Monday but have eased the curbs like several other states including Maharashtra that have announced cautious steps towards restarting or scaling up activities after over a month following a decline in COVID cases.

    “The state government is taking a calculated risk and hence people have to take care of themselves. Nothing is going to be eased immediately,” Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray said ahead of the start of the ‘five-tier’ unlock process based on weekly positivity rate and occupancy of oxygen beds in districts.

    READ MORE: Maharashtra to lift lockdown-like restrictions in 18 out of 36 districts from June 4

    Thackeray emphasised that the local administration will take decisions on whether to ease restrictions and further tighten them.

    In Mumbai, the country’s financial capital, restaurants, shops selling non-essential items and public places are set to reopen from Monday but malls, theatres and multiplexes will continue to remain shut as the metropolis has been categorised under level 3 of the ‘unlock’ plan.

    However, the national capital, which began the unlock exercise from May 31 will see further easing of restrictions from Monday, with the government allowing resumption of metro services at 50 per cent capacity and reopening of markets and malls on an odd-even basis.

    READ MORE: Malls to reopen, shops to operate under odd-even format as Haryana extends lockdown till June 7 

    Officials said teams of police and district administration have been deployed across the city to enforce COVID-appropriate behaviour.

    Possible super spreader areas like prominent markets, malls and liquor stores that attract large crowds have been marked for strict compliance with precautions like the use of face masks and social distancing.

    In June, several states and Union Territories have begun easing the lockdown restrictions which they first started imposing in mid-April as the second COVID wave hit the country, but the Centre has cautioned that the unlock process has to be slow and that COVID-appropriate behaviour needs to be strictly followed.

    ALSO READ: CM Stalin extends Covid-19 lockdown in Tamil Nadu for one more week with a few relaxations

    “Whatever we know from possible scenarios presented by eminent people, it (COVID) will decline and June will be much much more better but the concerns are when we open up, how do we behave because the virus has not gone anywhere,” NITI Aayog member (Health) V K Paul had said last week.

    The Uttar Pradesh government also extended the relaxations in the coronavirus curfew to four more districts on Sunday.

    With this, curbs have been eased in 71 districts where shops and markets outside containment zones will be allowed to open for five days a week.

    While the count of active cases has fallen below the 600-mark in these districts, a watch is being kept on the remaining four districts of Lucknow, Gorakhpur, Meerut and Saharanpur, and a decision on these districts may be taken on Tuesday, an official statement said The Haryana government said it was extending the lockdown, clamped in the state on May 3, till June 14 as a preventive and precautionary measure though the COVID positivity rate and the number of new Covid positive cases have declined.

    While further relaxations regarding the opening of shops and shopping malls have been given, religious places are also allowed to open now with 21 people at a time.

    Corporate offices can have 50 per cent attendance after adopting social distancing norms and gatherings of up to 21 people are allowed at weddings, funerals and cremations from the earlier 11.

    The Sikkim government, while announcing the state-wide lockdown for one more week till June 14, also allowed relaxation for shops selling groceries and hardware.

    Even as the COVID situation has relatively improved in most of the northern and western states, southern and eastern parts of the country are still reporting a high number of cases.

    Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin had announced the extension of the lockdown by a week till June 14 with some easing of restrictions from Monday, except in 11 districts where the number of new cases reported was still high.

    Earlier, neighbouring Karnataka had extended the lockdown till June 14. Himachal Pradesh and Goa had also extended the ‘Corona curfew’ till June 14 with some easing of curbs.

    Ladakh on Sunday announced a gradual unlocking after a month-long ‘corona curfew’ in the Union Territory.

    India reported 1,14,460 new coronavirus infections, the lowest in 60 days, while the daily positivity rate further dropped to 5.62 per cent, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Sunday.

    With the fresh cases, the total tally of coronavirus cases in the country climbed to 2,88,09,339. The COVID-19 death toll climbed to 3,46,759 with 2,677 daily deaths, the lowest in 42 days, while the active cases dropped below 15 lakh, the data updated at 8 am showed India had reported more than 88.

    82 lakh coronavirus infections in May alone during the raging second wave of COVID-19, accounting for 31.67 per cent of the over 2.8 crore cases reported in the country so far and making it the worst month of the pandemic.

    The month of May also saw 1,17,247 fatalities due to the disease, which is around 35.63 per cent of the total 3,29,100 deaths recorded so far.

    The daily cases peaked on May 7 when the country registered 4,14,188 infections in a span of 24 hours, while daily deaths were the highest on May 19 with India reporting 4,529 fatalities due to COVID-19.

    The active cases had peaked on May 10 at 37,45,237. Here is a look at coronavirus-induced restrictions/lockdown imposed by states and union territories: *Delhi will continue with lockdown with the second phase of easing of restrictions from June 7.

    *Haryana has extended lockdown till June 14 with some easing of restrictions.

    *Punjab has extended the coronavirus restrictions till June 10.

    *Uttar Pradesh has eased restrictions in 71 districts. Night curfew and weekend lockdown to remain in the state.

    *Bihar has extended lockdown till June 8.

    *Jharkhand has extended lockdown till June 10.

    * Odisha has extended lockdown till June 17.

    * West Bengal government extended ongoing COVID-19 restrictions till June 15.

    *Rajasthan has extended lockdown till June 8 but has eased some restrictions.

    * Madhya Pradesh has extended corona curfew with eased restrictions till June 15.

    The state has announced separate unlock guidelines for districts.

    *Gujarat has extended night curfew in 36 cities of the state for a week from June 4, with further relaxation in timings.

    *Chhattisgarh government has on May 31 extended lockdown till further orders.

    *Kerala has extended lockdown till June 9 with some concessions.

    *Tamil Nadu has extended the lockdown till June 14.

    *Puducherry has imposed lockdown till June 7.

    * Lakshadweep administration has extended lockdown till June 10.

    *Karnataka has announced an extension of lockdown till June 14.

    *Telangana has extended lockdown till June 9.

    * Andhra Pradesh has extended curfew till June 10.

    *Goa government has extended curfew till June 14.

    *Maharashtra has extended the lockdown-like restrictions till June 15, though they will be eased from June 7.

    *Assam has extended the restrictions till June 15 though on June 4 it increased the curfew relaxation by one hour.

    *Nagaland has extended the lockdown till June 11.

    *Mizoram has extended the lockdown, which was imposed in Aizawl and other district headquarters, till June 6.

    * Arunachal Pradesh has imposed complete lockdown in Anjaw, Dibang Valley, Lower Subansiri, Lohit and Tawang districts and the Capital Complex Region till June 7.

    *Manipur government has imposed curfew in seven districts of Imphal West, Imphal East, Bishnupur, Ukhrul, Thoubal, Kakching and Churachandpur till June 11.

    * Meghalaya extended lockdown in the worst-affected East Khasi Hills district till June 7.

    *Tripura government has extended corona curfew in Agartala Municipal Corporation areas and urban areas in the state till June 10.

    *Sikkim has extended lockdown till June 14.

    *Jammu and Kashmir administration has eased restrictions but night curfew and weekend lockdown will remain.

    *Uttarakhand has extended COVID curfew till June 8.

    *Himachal Pradesh government has extended the coronavirus curfew till June 14 with some relaxation.

    ALSO WATCH | Black, white and yellow fungal infections, explained 

  • Nearly half of Haryana’s total COVID-19 deaths recorded in May

    By PTI
    CHANDIGARH: Nearly half of the number of Covid-linked fatalities in Haryana were recorded in May as the state also registered a sharp spike in the cases last month, state health department data showed.

    On April 30, 2021, Haryana had a total 4,216 COVID-19 deaths, which climbed to 8,303, as on May 31. During the same period, the virus count rose from 4,87,978 to 7,56,635.

    Gurugram, Faridabad and Hisar remained the districts hardest hit by the pandemic. Between April 30 and May 31, coronavirus-related fatalities in Gurugram increased from 476 to 813, while the number of cases in the district, which falls in the National Capital Region, rose from 1,22,948 to 1,79,960.

    In Faridabad district, the death toll from COVID-19 climbed from 512 to 708, while the infection count jumped from 72,768 to 98,945.

    In Hisar district, fatalities doubled from 440 to 870 while the infection tally went up from 29,755 to 52,966 between April 30 and May 31.

    The cumulative Covid positivity rate in the state went up from 6.63 per cent to 8.39 per cent while the fatality rate increased from 0.86 per cent to 1.10 per cent during the past one month.

    As on May 31, Nuh district had the lowest number of fatalities and COVID-19 cases in the state with 93 deaths and 4,862 infections, followed by Charkhi Dadri with 110 deaths and 4,915 cases.

    The number of active cases, which was around one lakh a month ago, has now come down to nearly 18,000 at present.

    The Covid recovery rate improved from 79.14 per cent, as on April 30, to 96.45 per cent on May 31. The tests per million population increased from 2,91,694 to 3,57,014 while the vaccination coverage also increased during the period from April 30 to May 31 from 38,13274 doses to 57,12,100 doses being administered.

    To contain the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in Haryana, the state government had initially imposed a lockdown on May 3 for a week till May 10, which was later extended four times and is currently enforced till June 7.

    The state government has termed the lockdown “Mahamari Alert/Surkshit Haryana (Epidemic Alert/Safe Haryana)”.

  • HC orders uniform rates for various COVID tests in Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh

    By PTI
    CHANDIGARH: The Punjab and Haryana High Court on Thursday ordered for having uniform rates for various COVID-19 tests, including the Rapid Antigen Tests and RT-PCR, in Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh.

    The court’s directives came during a video conference hearing by a bench of justices Rajan Gupta and Karamjit Singh on the COVID-19 situation in Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh.

    The bench gave its directions noting that though the respective governments have been taking “appropriate measures” to manage the pandemic, certain issues need its intervention.

    “We direct as hereunder: the rates for RAT and RT-PCR tests in the two states and the Union territory need to be uniform,” said the bench, noting sharp differences in prices in the two states.

    “We feel that the state of Haryana and the UT of Chandigarh need to reconsider the rates prescribed and act accordingly,” noting the lower prices prescribed by the Punjab government for the purpose.

    Taking note of the Chandigarh administration reducing the HRCT (high-resolution CT-chest) to Rs 1,800 in the Union Territory, the bench said Punjab and Haryana too should ask private diagnostic centres in their areas to reduce the HRCT rates.

    Pointing out that patients’ relatives cannot be left to their plight in the absence of information about their medical conditions, the bench also emphasised the need for having ‘ICU Control Rooms’ in hospitals.

    Senior Counsel Anupam Gupta had earlier raised the issue of the need of the patients and their relatives staying in touch with each other and pointed to the bench that PGIMER, Chandigarh, had set up such ICU Control Room.

    Endorsing Gupta’s argument, the bench asked the two states and the UT to set up similar control rooms in all hospitals to ensure that the patients and their relatives stay in touch with each other and people remain aware of their patients’ health conditions.

    The bench also touched upon the issue of overcharging by private hospitals in the treatment and asked authorities to keep a report of their probe into the complaints of overcharging ready to be submitted to the court as and when they are sought by it to examine if they require court’s action.

    The court was also apprised by the two states regarding black fungus cases.

    The court felt that guidelines issued by the Centre for screening, diagnosis and management of mucormycosis be examined by the two states and the UT and necessary steps be taken.

    Senior advocate Rupinder Khosla, who was appointed amicus curiae by the court, had earlier raised various issues including those of overcharging patients for their treatment by private hospitals, high costs for CT scan, HRCT (Chest), the regulatory mechanism for various rates to be charged by laboratories.

    UT’s counsel earlier informed the court that in pursuance of its orders, the HRCT rate for private diagnostic centres in Chandigarh has been fixed at Rs 1,800 while the RT-PCR and RAT test rates have been fixed at Rs 900 and Rs 500 respectively.

    Haryana Advocate General Baldev Raj Mahajan earlier told the court that private diagnostic centres in the state charge Rs 2,100 for HRCT, while his Punjab counterpart Atul Nanda said his state government has stipulated that private labs would not charge more than Rs 350 for the Rapid Antigen Test and Rs 450 for the RT-PCR test.

    Before fixing June 28 as the next date of hearing the issue, the bench said, “Lastly this court shall be failing in its duty if it does not recognize the work done by front line workers who have rendered their services in this need of the hour.”

    “At the same time, those who shirk their duties in these difficult times, their particulars shall be furnished to the nodal agencies formed to deal with crises created by COVID-19 which this court shall examine at an appropriate stage.”

  • Beyond comprehension why Haryana government has not convened all-party meet on COVID issue: Bhupinder Singh Hooda

    Bhupinder Singh Hooda said he has continuously tried to awaken the government and also tried to raise awareness among the people.

  • After data ‘mismatch’, Haryana says only 2-3 per cent vaccine wastage in state

    Express News Service
    CHANDIGARH:  The Haryana government has said the Covid-19 vaccine wastage in the state has come down from 6 per cent, as per the data recently released by the Centre government, to 2-3 per cent. The state health department said the vaccine wastage percentage was relatively higher in the data released by the Centre as there was a data “mismatch” and the districts have rectified it.

    The state has, so far, administered a total of 53.72 lakh doses, with Gurugram reporting the highest at 6.34 lakh followed by Faridabad (5 lakh). Additional chief secretary (health) of the Haryana government Rajeev Arora said in a data recently released by the Centre government, Haryana had a 6 per cent wastage of Covieshield and 10.2 per cent wastage of Covaxin.

    Thereafter, the officers of the health department immediately swung into action and identified that there was a data mismatch. He said the officers concerned corrected the data mismatch and subsequently, the wastage percentages dropped from 6 per cent for Covieshield to 3.1 per cent and 10.2 per cent of Covaxin to 2.4 per cent. Thus, the average wastage percentage is between 2 per cent to 3 per cent.

    He elaborated that director of the National Health Mission, Haryana, Prabhjot Singh, along with the state immunisation team held two orientation programmes with all officers of the health department involved in vaccine administration of all districts through video-conferencing. Thereafter, the districts with high wastage were identified and separate consultation was given to them.

    Arora said the districts which reported high vaccine wastage were Hisar, Palwal, Nuh, Kaithal, Rohtak and Bhiwani. Arora said 2,07,892 healthcare workers (HCWs) have been administered the first dose of vaccine and 1,33,828 HCWs have been administered the second dose of vaccine. 

  • Post Covid-19 effects, third wave main challenges ahead: Haryana CM

    By ANI
    CHANDIGARH: Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar on Monday said that post Covid-19 effects and a likely third wave are going to to be the main challenges in the days ahead.

    While addressing a press conference, the Chief Minister said, “Post Covid-19 effects and third wave are challenges for us. We have to be ready for the third wave. We are launching Sanjeevni Pariyojna an integrated program for Covid-19.”

    The CM also highlighted the Covid-related efforts in the state.

    He said, “We have 20,000 oxygen beds including ventilators while Covid-19 Centres have 30,000 beds.”

    Haryana, which is currently facing a surge Covid-19 cases, has also reported cases of black fungus.

    Khattar said, “We have to break the chain of the virus. We are using services of 200 students for online medical consultation. Doctors will supervise them.”

    Taking note of the black fungus situation in the state, the Chief Minister said, “We only got 1200-1400 injections for treating Black Fungus. We had 400 patients around two days back. The demand for injections is varying daily.”

    Mucormycosis or black fungus is a rare infection. It is caused by exposure to mucor mould which is commonly found in soil, plants, manure, and decaying fruits and vegetables. As of now, Amphotericin-B, an anti-fungal drug is being used for the treatment of the Black Fungus disease.

    Haryana Health Minister Anil Vij on Sunday said, “We have made a requisition of 12,000 injections of Amphotericin-B from the Central government.”

    He also said that presently there are 1,250 vials of Amphotericin-B available for the treatment of patients.

    He added that so far 421 cases of black fungus have been reported in the state and people affected are being given treatment in various hospitals in the state. The highest number of 149 cases of black fungus have been found in Gurugram. Besides this, there are 88 cases in Hisar, 50 cases in Faridabad, 26 cases in Rohtak, 25 cases in Sirsa, 17 cases in Karnal, 15 cases in Panipat, 11 cases in Ambala, 8 cases in Bhiwani, and the remaining in other districts. 

  • Suspend stir, it’s spreading COVID to villages: Haryana CM Manohar Lal Khattar to farmers

    By PTI
    CHANDIGARH: Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar on Thursday urged farmers to suspend their stir against farm laws amid the grim Covid-19 situation, claiming that their movements to and from dharna sites were spreading the infection in villages.

    Khattar said farmers may resume their agitation later if they wish, but they must stop it as of now.

    “If they wish to restart these dharnas once the situation is under control, they are free to do so,” Khattar told a news conference digitally.

    He said he had appealed to farmers’ leaders even a month earlier to suspend their dharnas so that the disease does not spread.

    Referring to farmers’ movement to and from dharna sites, Khattar said, “What is coming to the fore now is that because of these dharnas, this (infection) has spread.

    “In many villages, hotspots have emerged because their people are regularly coming and going back from dharna sites,” the chief minister added.

    Farmers have not only been sitting in protest near the Singhu and Tikri borders but in many other parts of Haryana too.

    “Their leaders should understand the situation even now. They keep ranting that they will take the vaccine but will not get themselves tested. If they do not get tested, one doesn’t know who might have been impacted by COVID,” said Khattar.

    “They should come forward to be tested so that those found positive can be treated and other necessary measures can be taken accordingly,” he added.

    Referring to protesting farmers’ reluctance to be tested for the infection, the chief minister said “everyone should have faith in the health and medical system. If we start doubting it, it displays our narrow-mindedness. So, I appeal to farmers sitting on dharnas to get their tests done”.

    Amid a surge in Covid-19 cases, Khattar had earlier nearly a month ago too had urged farmers to withdraw their stir on “humanitarian grounds”.

    He had then said while it is the constitutional right of every person to protest and the state does not have a problem with anyone doing so in a peaceful manner, the situation due to rising COVID cases is a matter of concern.

    Days after the CM’s appeal last month, Haryana BKU leader Gurnam Singh Chaduni had then said protesting farmers should not be compelled to get themselves tested or vaccinated and if health workers tried to force them, they will not allow them to enter protest sites.

    Khattar, meanwhile, was also asked to comment on the allegations that a woman from West Bengal, who died after showing COVID-like symptoms, at a hospital in Bahadurgarh, had been raped by two men she had accompanied to a farmers’ protest site at the Tikri border.

    “Police are conducting investigations. Whosoever is found guilty in investigations, strict action will be taken against them as per law,” said Khattar.

    Haryana Police had on Sunday formed a special investigation team to probe the allegations after the 25-year-old woman’s father lodged a police complaint.

    Six people, including two prime accused, have been named in an FIR lodged on a complaint by the father of the deceased woman on Saturday.