News Analysis India

Tag: Lucknow

  • Yogi minister’s letter on poor handling of COVID-19 pandemic in Lucknow goes viral

    Express News Service
    LUCKNOW: The law minister in the Yogi Adityanath cabinet, Brijesh Pathak, has written a letter to express his angst over the lackadaisical attitude of the health authorities in Lucknow which is going through a big COVID-19 surge and topped the state tally with 5382 cases on Tuesday. The state logged 18021 fresh active cases of COVID-19.

    In his confidential letter, written on Monday, to additional chief secretary, medical health, Amit Mohan Prasad and principal secretary, medical education, Alok Kumar, the minister writes: “I am shocked to find that while government hospitals and labs are taking around 4-5 days to give the test reports, private laboratories have been asked to stop Covid testing.”

    The letter, now viral on social media, is a potential tool for opposition parties to condemn the state government’s handling of the pandemic surge.

    In a single-page letter, Pathak, a sitting MLA from Lucknow Central, has expressed his anguish over the fact that he had received a frantic call from the residence of Yogesh Praveen, an author and expert on Lucknow and Awadh, informing about his critical condition and that an ambulance was needed. “I contacted the office of the chief medical officer, Lucknow, but the ambulance never reached andYogesh Praveen ji died,” he added.

    The law minister has also drawn attention towards the alleged paucity of test kits in the state capital. He claimed that when there was a need for at least 17,000 test kits a day for the coronavirus test, hardly 10,000 were available in the state capital labs.

    “I am flooded with requests, desperate pleas from citizens of Lucknow to save their lives and often find the district health authorities insensitive and don’t find it necessary to respond to the distress calls,” said Pathak adding that when the issue was brought to the knowledge of the health minister, the officers started picking the phones but hardly to any benefit of the common man.

    Asking the higher authorities to immediately intervene to put medical infrastructure in order at the earliest, the minister wrote that patients were getting their test reports in a week’s time. “Ambulances are not reaching the patients in time, CMO office is taking two days to give referral slips to patients for admission to any COVID-facility,” wrote Pathak.

  • UP sees biggest single-day spike of 8,490 cases, situation alarming in state

    By Online Desk
    Uttar Pradesh on Thursday witnessed its biggest single-day spike in Covid cases with 8,490 infections and 39 deaths in the last 24 hours. 

    Of these, 50% of cases are from Lucknow, Prayagraj, Varanasi, and Kanpur. 

    The development comes even after the clamping of night curfew in the six cities of the state.

    After the onset of infection in March 2020, Thursday was the day when such a large number of infected people were found. Earlier, on September 11, 2020, 7103 were found infected in the state

    Now active cases have increased to 39,338 in the state. So far 9,003 people have died from this infection. State’s Additional Chief Secretary Health Amit Mohan Prasad said that 2,04,878 samples were examined in the state on Wednesday. 

    In all, 66,88,260 people have taken the first dose of vaccine so far. The second dose of vaccine has also been given to 11,79,437 people.

    In the state capital Lucknow, hospitals have stopped admission of Covid patients. The 22 Covid-19 hospitals including KGMU SGPGI, Lohia Institute, Lokbandhu Hospital, RSM Hospital, Medanta Hospital, Era Hospital, Chandan Hospital, have been fully flooded.

    The situation at the King George Medical University in Lucknow is alarming as 26 doctors and medical staff tested Covid positive on Thursday.

  • Night curfew implemented in Lucknow, Kanpur, Varanasi due to increasing cases of corona

    Yogi Adityanath’s government in Uttar Pradesh has decided to impose night curfew in Lucknow, Kanpur and Varanasi from Thursday. The curfew will be implemented from 8 April and will remain in effect till 16 April. The curfew will continue from ten in the night to six in the morning. According to an order issued by Lucknow District Magistrate Abhishek Prakash, the night curfew will be applicable only in the Lucknow Municipal Corporation area and not in the rural area. Supply of fruits, vegetables, milk, LPG, petrol-diesel and medicine will continue. Government and semi-government personnel working in night shifts and private sector personnel engaged in services of essential commodities will be exempted during this period.

    He further said, this restriction will not apply to medical, nursing and para medical institutions. People coming to and from the railway station, bus station and airport will be able to travel by showing their tickets. There will also be no restriction on the movement of goods trains. In the last 24 hours, 1,333 new cases of corona have been registered in Lucknow, while 6,023 new cases have been registered in the state.

    In a meeting held late on Wednesday night, the Chief Minister has also instructed other district magistrates of the state that if they get more than 500 cases in their area, then they too can impose night curfew in the area. A night curfew will also be imposed in Benares from April 8, which will continue from 9 in the morning to 6 in the morning. During this time, all non-medical institutions will be closed.

  • Night curfew imposed in Lucknow as COVID-19 cases continue to surge across UP

    By PTI
    LUCKNOW: Uttar Pradesh reported 40 coronavirus fatalities, highest in recent weeks, and 6,023 new cases on Wednesday, pushing the toll to 8,964 and the tally to 6,45,930.

    In a bid to effectively control the pandemic infection in the district, the Lucknow district administration said that all educational institutions, barring medical, nursing and para-medical institutes, would remain closed till April 15.

    District Magistrate Abhishek Prakash said examinations would be allowed in recognised educational institutes with strict adherence to protocols.

    Night curfew will be imposed in areas under the Lucknow Municipal Corporation from Thursday till April 16 from 9 pm to 6 am, the official said, as the coronavirus cases continue to surge.

    Night curfew has also been imposed in Kanpur from 10 pm to 6 am and will remain in place till April 30, Kanpur District Magistrate Alok Tiwari said in a statement.

    There will be exemption on ferrying essential items and there will be no ban on movement of goods vehicles, the Lucknow district magistrate said.

    Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath held a video conference with several district magistrates.

    Districts that are reporting more than 100 fresh cases everyday and have more than 500 active cases, the district magistrate may take a decision regarding holidays, barring examinations, depending upon local circumstances.

    Stress was laid on COVID-19 testing of people at railway stations, bus stations for effective control over COVID-19 and for effective contract tracing.

    Social distancing and masks have been made mandatory.

    Fifty per cent of the ambulance should be reserved for COVID-19 patients, while rest for the non-COVID-19 patients, the state government said in a statement.

    Six employees, working in the King George’s Medical University vice chancellor’s office, tested positive for coronavirus despite having received both shots of the vaccine, a doctor said.

    This comes a day after as many as 39 KGMU doctors, including the vice chancellor, were found infected with the virus.

    “The administration of the KGMU is extremely serious to stop the spread of the infection and screening has already started.

    The administration is making every effort to stop the infection in the initial stage itself,” KGMU spokesperson Sudhir Singh said.

    The 40 new fatalities on Wednesday in the state include six from Lucknow, five from Kanpur, four from Ballia, three each from Allahabad and Varanasi, and two each from Moradabad, Ghazipur, Amroha and Fatehpur, according to a health bulletin.

    Of the 6,023 new cases, 1,333 are from Lucknow, followed by 811 in Allahabad, 593 in Varanasi and 300 in Kanpur, among others.

    As many as 6.05 lakh patients have recovered and there are 31,987 active cases, it said.

    The District and Sessions Court in Lucknow has been closed for 48 hours in the view of rising infections among some court employees.

    The court will now reopen on April 12.

    The Central Bar Association requested the district judge not to pass adverse orders in any matter if a counsel was unable to turn up to argue the cases in the present scenario.

    Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav hit out at Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath over the “grim” situation.

    “The number of infected persons and deaths is rising. But instead of making adequate arrangements, the chief minister is travelling in different states and delivering speeches as the BJP’s star campaigner,” Yadav said in a statement.

    “The BJP is making false claims over controlling COVID-19 only to garner praises. The result is that there is a second wave of COVID-19,” the SP leader said.

    BSP president Mayawati said the central and the state governments, as well as the people, should take the surge in coronavirus cases very seriously.

    “But inaction towards violation of COVID protocol, especially in election rallies and roadshows, is a matter of grave concern. It needs appropriate attention,” she added.

  • All educational institutes, barring medical ones, closed in Lucknow till April 15

    By PTI
    LUCKNOW: In a bid to effectively control the spread of coronavirus infection in the district, the Lucknow administration on Wednesday ordered the closure of all educational institutes, barring those imparting medical education.

    All government and non-government schools, colleges, coaching institutes and other educational institutes, barring medical, nursing and para-medical ones will remain closed till April 15, Lucknow’s District Magistrate Abhishek Prakash in a statement on Wednesday.

    He, however, said examinations including the practical examinations, will be allowed in recognised educational institutes with strict adherence to the anti-Covid protocol.

  • Month after being shot at by Nepal police, man succumbs to injuries in Lucknow

    By PTI
    LUCKNOW: A 30-year-old man hailing from Pilibhit district, who was allegedly fired at by the Nepalese Police last month, died at King George Medical University (KGMU) here, officials said on Tuesday.

    Confirming the death, an official of KGMU said Gurmeet Singh (30) died in the ICU of the medical university on Monday.

    A police official posted at Chowk police station said Gurmeet died at KGMU and his body was handed over to his family members.

    On March 4, a young man was killed after the Nepalese Police allegedly fired at three Indians who had gone across the border from Pilibhit district.

    The then SP of Pilibhit Jai Prakash Yadav said the incident took place at the Belori market in Nepal’s Kanchanpur where Bhumidan Raghavpuri Tilla Chaar village residents Govinda Singh, Gurmeet Singh and Pappu Singh had gone to a fair.

    According to Hazra police in Pilibhit district, the Nepalese authorities have alleged that the three were Indian smugglers and they have recovered “brown sugar”, a pistol and a machine used to print fake currency notes from the youth who was killed.

    However, the then Pilibhit SP said though Nepalese officials termed it a case of smuggling, the locals said the firing took place following a minor argument.

    “The Nepalese Police cordoned them off and opened fire around 7.30 pm, in which Govinda Singh (24) was seriously injured. He succumbed to his injuries at the Belori primary hospital,” Yadav said.

    Pappu Singh was seriously injured and was admitted to a hospital in Lakhimpur Kheri district from where he was referred to a Lucknow hospital for treatment.

    According to the SP, Gurmeet is said to have escaped from the spot and returned to Indian territory but his whereabouts were initially not known.

  • Lucknow district courts closed for two days after four judges, 13 staffers test COVID positive

    By PTI
    LUCKNOW: The Lucknow district court campus was on Thursday closed for two days after some judges tested positive for the coronavirus infection.

    Orders have been issued for sanitisation of the entire court premises on April 2 and 3, when all courts will remain closed, a government communication said.

    A communication issued by the Lucknow chief medical officer said District Judge D K Sharma, Additional District Judge Pradeep Singh, Chief Judicial Magistrate Sushil Kumari and Additional Civil Judge Priyanka Gandhi were found corona-positive on Wednesday.

    Besides the judicial officers, 13 court employees too were found infected, the CMO communication said.

  • Uttar Pradesh man held under anti-conversion law after attempting to set wife, kids afire

    Express News Service
    LUCKNOW: In a case of attempted forcible conversion in the state capital Lucknow, a Muslim man was arrested for marrying a Hindu girl by hiding his real religious identity and attempting to allegedly burn her and two kids alive when she refused to change religion and did not allow khatna (circumcision as per Islamic tradition) of her son.

    As per police sources, the man posed as Rajiv, an orphan, and married a Hindu girl on February 13, 2009. However, his real name was Mohammed Afzal Siddiqui. The girl came to know about his real identity when she moved into his house in Thakurganj area of Lucknow. She lodged several complaints against him with the police but to no avail.

    The girl alleged that her husband continued to force her to embrace Islam and used to thrash her on her refusal. Police sources said that the victim claimed that for the past one year, Siddiqui was asking her to have sexual relations with at least seven persons to convert to Islam. But she refused.

    Siddiqui then started mounting pressure on the girl for the ritual khatna (circumcision) of their son so that the kids were raised as per Islamic traditions but the girl refused that also.bInfuriated over this, Siddiqui locked the victim and his two kids in a room and poured kerosene and set the room afire to burn all three alive.

    The wife, somehow, dialed 112 and sought help. Police and a fire tender were rushed in time to douse the rising flames from the house. She and her kids were saved before the fire engulfed the room.

    Siddiqui was arrested by the police on Wednesday. An FIR was registered against him, his parents and a few clerics  under the Uttar Pradesh Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Act, 2021 and relevant Sections of the IPC. He was produced before a local court on Friday and sent to 14 days judicial custody.

    As per senior police officials, the couple had been having a discord for quite some time. Both had been levelling charges of infidelity against each other. A few days ago, Siddiqui had faced police action for breaching the peace.

  • Over a dozen cities in Uttar Pradesh set for makeover, fresh master plans to be drawn

    Express News Service
    LUCKNOW: Over a dozen cities of Uttar Pradesh have been identified to be transformed in accordance with the growing urban requirements. Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s parliamentary constituency, Varanasi, also figures among the 14 cities selected by the state government, which has decided to draw fresh master plans for them.

    According to official sources, besides Varanasi, state capital Lucknow, Gorakhpur and Gautam Buddh Nagar (Noida) in the National Captial Region (NCR) are also on the list. The other cities are Kanpur, Chitrakoot, Prayagraj, Agra, Moradabad, Jhansi, Mathura, Bareilly, Meerut and Saharanpur. Meanwhile, the Awas Vikas Parishad, the department of housing, has been entrusted with the onerous task of drawing fresh development plans for these cities.

    According to officials, the department has started the process of selecting a consultant for the project. While the master plans will be based on the Geographic Information System (GIS), the government also plans to initiate changes in land use to identify proper places for all the amenities to be provided as part of the new plan which will include work to preserve historical sites and the general beautification and makeover of the cities.

    The sources said the consultant preparing the master plans would be expected to determine land use as per the current and future needs of the cities including waterworks, sewage treatment plants, and garbage disposal centres along with rivers, airports, bus stands and military areas. It will also have the provision of the conservation of historical and religious sites, ponds, reservoirs, lakes, wildlife sanctuaries, if any, reserved forest areas and other protected areas. Army firing ranges will be declared “sensitive” areas.

  • Lucknow diary: Uttar Pradesh’s first female modern dastango enlivens the past

    Express News Service
    INGKA retail destination coming up in NoidaThe UP government recently allotted 12.3 acres to IKEA, the Swedish furniture giant, which is about to bring a ‘meeting place’ venture comprising a shopping, entertainment and business centre around the IKEA store in Noida. The plot was allotted to INGKA Centres India Pvt Ltd, which is a subsidiary of the INGKA group that owns most IKEA stores. The company began negotiations with the Noida Authority in 2019 over terms of payment and the deal was finalised after it paid Rs 850 crore. The company will develop an anchored retail destination and INGKA’s 45th ‘meeting place’ globally at Noida.

    AIMPLB plans online series to clear doubtsThe All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) is planning to clear its stand on various court cases pertaining to the personal law to the people through an online interactive series. The idea was first mooted by AIMPLB member Dr Asma Zehra in 2017 but was given a go-ahead only during its executive council meeting held on February 21. Members unanimously agreed that there was a need to spread awareness about legal stance taken up by the AIMPLB on religious subjects. The AIMPLB executive council accepted the proposal by Hyderabad-based Dr Asma Zehra who has been made the coordinator of the online series. The series will be interactive where viewers would be able to ask questions and it can also be in the format of legal panelists discussing a case being fought by the AIMPLB. 

    UP’s first female modern dastango enlivens the pastAs Pragya Sharma begins narrating the valour of the mighty queen of Jhansi, she creates an imagery of the first freedom movement of 1857 enliven with her words and gestures. The 29-year-old economist brings every moment of those days of yore to life through her narration. Having tasted success in holding her audience in attention, she has becoming the first female modern ‘dastango’  (story teller) of UP.  “I never knew I could perform in front of a live audience and in the art form of dastangoi,” says Pragya, who has five shows on Rani Laxmibai to her credit.

    All schools may not reopen in MarchWith fresh surge Covid-19 cases in around half a dozen states, a majority of missionary and a few private schools have decided not to reopen schools for students of classes I to V from March 1. Some have decided to reopen after a month, while others said they would continue with the online classes. All the prominent missionary schools, associated with the Catholic Diocese of Lucknow, said they would reopen from April 6 for students of standard I to V and not from March 1. At present, schools are almost done with classes and annual examination are underway.