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Tag: Shivraj Singh Chouhan

  • Rahul Gandhi spreading confusion, lies about COVID vaccination: Madhya Pradesh CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan

    By PTI
    BHOPAL: Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Sunday accused Congress leader Rahul Gandhi of spreading “misconceptions, confusion and lies” about COVID-19 vaccines, which was leading to many people “putting their lives in danger” by refusing to take the doses.

    He was reacting to a tweet by Gandhi in which the latter had taken a swipe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s radio programme Mann Ki Baat.

    “Bas Har Deshwasi Tak Vaccine Pahucha Do, Fir Chahe Mann Ki Baat Bhi Suna Do!” (Just deliver the vaccine to every citizen, and then put forth your Mann ki Baat if you want),” Gandhi had tweeted.

    Hitting back, the MP CM said the PM was providing free vaccines to all while Gandhi was “only spreading confusion”.

    “Shame on you Rahul Baba, it is prime minister Narendra Modi who is getting people vaccinated and not you.

    The prime minister is providing free vaccines to all the citizens of the country and you are only spreading confusion! You spread confusion, lied due to which many people refused to get vaccines,” Chouhan said on Twitter.

    During the day, seeking to make people shed their reservations about vaccines against coronavirus, Modi spoke to residents of Dulariya village in MP’s Betul district, and the chat was aired on the PM’s monthly ‘Mann Ki Baat’ broadcast on Sunday.

    The MP CM further tweeted, “Prime Minister Narendra Modi ji today spoke to the villagers in Dulariya village of Betul district who were not getting vaccinated due to confusion.

    Explained it to them in simple words and the villagers started taking the vaccine.

    ” While the PM had removed the clouds of confusion about vaccination, the CM said Gandhi was “putting people’s lives in danger by lying, spreading misconceptions”.

  • Sunday ‘corona’ curfew to be lifted as pandemic under control now, says MP CM

    By PTI
    BHOPAL: With Madhya Pradesh recording a steady decline in COVID-19 cases, the state government has decided to lift the “corona curfew” on Sundays, Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said on Saturday.

    However, the night curfew will remain in force in the state.

    Chouhan also said Madhya Pradesh has set a record for one more time with 9,64,756 doses of vaccines being administered till 7.30 pm since Saturday morning.

    “We are lifting Sunday’s corona curfew with immediate effect. Those who want to open their shops, continue their economic activities, can do so in accordance with COVID-19 protocol,” Chouhan tweeted.

    The pandemic has come under control in Madhya Pradesh as not a single COVID-19 positive case was registered in 35 districts in the state, he said.

    “For the first time, the number of active cases has fallen below 1,000. The case positivity rate has come down to 0.06%. In such a situation, it seems unreasonable to impose #coronacurfew on Sunday as well,” he said.

    Chouhan also said vaccination will continue at a fast pace.

    “Till 7.30 pm on Saturday, 9,64,756 doses have been administered since morning. Madhya Pradesh has again set a record,” he said.

    Madhya Pradesh on Saturday recorded 46 new cases of COVID-19 and 25 casualties that pushed the tally of infections to 7,89,657 and took the toll to 8,896, as per the state health department.

    At least 35 out the 52 districts in the central state did not record a single new case in the last 24 hours, the official said.

    As many as 204 patients were discharged from hospitals in the last 24 hours, taking the count of recoveries to 7,79,834, he said.

    With nine new cases, Indore’s caseload went up to 1,52,814, while Bhopal’s tally rose to 1,23,095 after 11 persons tested positive for the infection.

    Indore reported five casualties, taking its toll to 1,390, Bhopal’s toll stands at 972 with no new fatalities, it was stated.

    With this, Indore is now left with 160 active cases, while Bhopal has 227 patients undergoing treatment, the official said, adding that the state is now left with 927 active cases.

    As many as 68,915 swab samples were tested during the day, taking the total number of tests conducted in the state to over 1.18 crore.

    Coronavirus figures in MP are as follows: Total cases 7,89,657, new cases 46, death toll 8,896, recovered 7,79,834, active cases 927, number of tests so far 1,18,04,713.

  • Digvijaya faces BJP fire over remarks on alleged meeting between Indian officials, Taliban

    By PTI
    BHOPAL: Congress Rajya Sabha MP Digvijaya Singh faced the BJP fire on Wednesday over his tweet about an alleged meeting between Indian officials and Taliban leaders with Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan saying he has “Talibani mentality”.

    Slamming the Congress veteran, BJP General Secretary Kailash Vijayvargiya, speaking separately, claimed that “contacts” of the former CM are under the scanner.

    Sharing news reports, quoting a Qatar official, about a meeting between India government officials and Taliban leaders, Singh, in a tweet on Wednesday, said, “This is a very serious issue. The Government of India should make an immediate statement on this subject. Will BJP IT Cell take cognisance of this and put this into the category of sedition?” 

    Asked about the tweet, Vijayvargiya told reporters at the State BJP office here, “Right now, an investigation against Digvijaya Singh is underway to find out with whom he has been in contact.”

    However, Vijayvargiya did not elaborate on the nature of investigation against Singh and the agency which is conducting it.

    Reacting to the Congress leader’s tweet, Chouhan told reporters, “His (Digvijaya Singh’s) mentality is Talibani.”

    Earlier this month, the Madhya Pradesh BJP had demanded a probe by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) against Singh after the Congress leader, in a clubhouse chat, was purportedly heard saying that his party “would certainly have a re-look at the decision to revoke Article 370” (which provided special status to in Jammu and Kashmir).

    Asked about the meeting of opposition leaders at the house of NCP president Sharad Pawar in Delhi, Vijayvargiya said there is “panic” among them because of the “towering” personality of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

    “There is no one in the opposition who can even reach the knee height of Narendra Modi,” the BJP leader said, seeking to downplay the meeting.

  • Madhya Pradesh CM meets PM Modi, briefs him about efforts to check Covid spread in state

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan met Prime Minister Narendra Modi here on Wednesday and apprised him about the efforts made by the state government so far to check the spread of coronavirus, according to an official statement.

    Apart from this, the chief minister gave details of the preparations being made by the state government to deal with a possible third wave of COVID-19, it said.

    Chouhan said a public awareness campaign would be launched in the entire state from June 21 for vaccination, in which all state cabinet members, MLAs and MPs would participate to motivate the public to get vaccinated, said the statement issued by the Madhya Pradesh Information Centre here.

    The public would be informed that vaccination is the only protective shield to prevent Covid, it said.

    He said the Madhya Pradesh government has the capacity to vaccinate 5 lakh people daily and by the end of December, about 70 per cent population of the entire state would be vaccinated, according to the statement.

    The chief minister said the central government has taken significant decision by taking the work of coronavirus vaccination in its own hands, which will have far-reaching consequences.

    “Prior to this, every state government was adopting different methods for purchasing the vaccine, due to which they did not get favourable results and the work of purchasing the vaccine became lax,” the statement said.

    “Now, under the leadership of the prime minister, the central government will purchase vaccines for all the states from the market without any discrimination and the people will be vaccinated free after distributing it to all the states,” it said.

    Chouhan also discussed with the prime minister the issues of farmers such as DAP (Di-ammonium phosphate) fertilizer and fair price to moong growers.

    He said the remunerative price for moong would prove to be a boon for the farmers.

    Expressing concern over the deteriorating economic condition of the states, Chouhan said the income of the state has come down significantly due to the ‘corona curfew’.

    He told the prime minister that last year, the states were allowed to take loans to the extent of 5.5 per cent of of GDP.

    Chouhan urged that this exemption should be continued in the current year.

    It may be noted that the central government has reduced the borrowing limit from 5.5 per cent to 4.5 per cent, the statement said.

    The prime minister listened carefully to all the issues raised by the chief minister and assured all possible assistance from the central government on handling of COVID-19 and other issues raised by him, it said.

  • After row over old tweets, poll strategist Tushar Panchal refuses to join as Madhya Pradesh CM’s OSD

    By Express News Service
    BHOPAL: In a dramatic development, Mumbai-based poll and communication strategist Tushar Panchal took to Twitter on Tuesday, saying he wasn’t joining the team of Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan as an officer on special duty (OSD).

    Panchal’s announcement on Tuesday afternoon came in less than 24 hours of him having taken to the same micro blogging site to announce his joining in Team Shivraj as communication advisor.

    I have decided to not accept the responsibility offered to me by @chouhanshivraj ji and have communicated my inability to the CM.
    — Tushar (@tushar) June 8, 2021

    The dramatic development of Tushar not accepting the responsibility as OSD to the MP CM reportedly happened, owing to his old tweets which were dubbed by BJP and RSS cadres as “anti-Hindu” and critical of PM Narendra Modi.

    On Monday afternoon, Tushar had tweeted, “Today, my destiny has placed me inside the office of MP Chief Minister @ChouhanShivraj as his communication advisor. Please wish me luck. More details later.”The MP government too had issued an order  on Monday, appointing Tushar as OSD in the CM Office.

    Today, my destiny has placed me inside the office of MP Chief Minister @ChouhanShivraj as his communication advisor.Please wish me luck. More details later.
    — Tushar (@tushar) June 7, 2021

    However, less than 24 hours later, the Mumbai based poll-communication strategist again took to Twitter, saying, ” I have decided to not accept the responsibility offered to me by @chouhanshivraj ji and have communicated my inability to the CM.”

    The dramatic development was the fallout of BJP and RSS leaders and sympathisers, including Delhi BJP spokesperson Tajindar Bagga and RSS Delhi State Executive member Rajiv Tuli sharing screenshots of Tushar’s old “anti-Hindu” and “anti-Modi” tweets and questioning the MP CM about the need to appoint such a man in his team.

    Not only the BJP, RSS and other right wing Hindu leaders and sympathizers took to the Twitter on Monday and Tuesday questioning Tushar’s appointment as OSD in MP CM’s office, but the opposition Congress too used it as an opportunity to pit the MP CM against the country’s PM.

    As per informed sources in MP BJP, Tushar’s company had managed the social media war room of the MP CM and government during the 2018 Assembly polls in the central Indian state. With the COVID-19 pandemic’s second wave denting the MP government’s image, the MP CM decided to make Tushar his communication advisor with OSD designation to spruce up his and government’s image. 

  • MP: Weekend COVID curfew to continue despite unlocking from June 1

    By PTI
    BHOPAL: Though the Madhya Pradesh government has approved a phase-wise unlocking of the “corona curfew” restrictions beginning June 1, the weekend lockdown will continue to be in force across the state, Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said on Saturday.

    There will be separate sets of unlocking guidelines for the places having the COVID-19 positivity rate above five per cent and below 5 per cent, Chouhan told a meeting of the crisis management groups at the village, block, ward and district level in a televised address in the evening.

    The weekend curfew from 10 PM on Saturdays to 6 AM on Mondays will continue irrespective of unlocking of coronavirus-induced curbs, he said.

    “Based on these guidelines and local COVID-19 situation and circumstances, the crisis management committees at the district, ward, block and village levels will take decisions about unlocking theirrespective areas from June 1,” Chouhan said.

    The CM asked the crisis management committees to hold a meeting on Sunday to take a decision.

    Chouhan said cultural, political, social, sports, fairs and entertainment activities will not be allowed.

    He said school, colleges, educational institutions, cinema halls, shopping malls, theatre, auditoriums and picnic spots will continue to remain closed.

    Chouhan also said that Morena district crisis management committee has already decided to continue the “corona curfew” given the spike in COVID-19 cases.

    On Saturday, the state government came up with separate guidelines for villages falling under the green zone (zero active cases), ‘yellow’ zone (four or less than four active cases) and ‘red’ zone (five or more than five cases).

    There would be stricter guidelines for the red zone.

    ALSO READ | MP COVID situation eases, positivity rate dips to 2.1 per cent: Shivraj Chouhan

    Similarly, the coronavirus-induced restrictions will continue in those urban areas where the positivity rate is more than five per cent.

    As per the guidelines, the number of people attending a marriage is capped at 10 from each side (total 20).

    It is mandatory to furnish the list of guests to the local administration in advance.

    A maximum number of 10 people can participate in a funeral procession.

    Not more than four people will be allowed to worship at religious places in the state.

    Government offices, except those involved in essential activities, will be allowed to run in the presence of 50 per cent of employees and 100 per cent of officers.

    Gathering more than six people at any place will not be allowed.

    Industrial activities, hospitals, nursing homes, petrol pumps, pharmacies, ration shops, agricultural activities etc will be allowed during the unlocking phase.

    Taxis will be allowed to ply with two persons but they need to follow the COVID-19 guidelines.

    The COVID-19 case tally in Madhya Pradesh on Saturday rose to 7,77,349 with 1,640 fresh cases of infection coming to light, the state health department said.

    Death toll reached 7,959 with 68 new fatalities.

    This was the third consecutive day when less than 2,000 cases were reported in the state.

    Further, the state has been reporting less than 3,000 cases for six straight days.

    Earlier in the day, Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan had said that the case positivity rate was now 2.1 per cent while the recovery rate was above 95 per cent.

    As many as 4,995 patients were discharged from hospitals in the last 24 hours, taking the count of recoveries in the state to 7,38,491, the department said.

    With 504 new cases, Indore’s caseload went up to 1,48,952, while that of Bhopal rose to 1,20,363 with addition of 324 cases.

    ALSO READ | Madhya Pradesh to reopen national parks, tiger reserves from June 1

    With four and three deaths, the toll in Indore and Bhopal rose to 1,335 and 931, respectively.

    Indore is now left with 5,207 active cases while Bhopal has 7,561 such cases.

    The active cases in the entire state stand at 30,899.

    With 75,933 new tests, the total of samples tested for coronavirus in Madhya Pradesh crossed 97.42 lakh.

    Madhya Pradesh has recorded 2,14,022 coronavirus cases and 2,343 fatalities in May so far.

    Coronavirus figures of MP are as follows: Total cases 7,77,349, new cases 1,640, death toll 7,959, recovered 7,38,491, active cases 30,899, number of tests so far 97,42,593.

  • PPE kit reuse video: Invoke NSA, Digvijaya Singh tells Madhya Pradesh CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan

    By PTI
    BHOPAL: Senior Congress leader Digvijaya Singh on Friday said those involved in the washing and packing of used PPE kits for resale in Satna district in Madhya Pradesh must be charged under the stringent National Security Act.

    Singh, citing media reports on the issue, in a letter to Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, said this was a “highly inhuman act” and was akin to “playing with the lives of others”.

    “Some news reports are stating that in Satna district’s Badkhera-based Indowater Biowaste Disposal Plant, PPE kits and gloves are being separated from the bio-medical waste arrived in the unit for safe disposal, and repacked after washing for selling them in the market,” he said in the letter.

    “It is surprising to know that this act was going on in the Badkhera unit for nearly a year and the government is not aware of it. It might be a very big scam,” Singh added, and asked Chouhan to book those involved in it under the NSA and ensure such stock was traced and destroyed.

    Meanwhile, Satna district Sub Divisional Magistrate (SDM) Rajesh Shahi told reporters the collector had ordered a probe after taking cognisance of the video showing PPE kits being readied for reuse in a unit in Badkhera.

    Pollution control board officials are carrying out the probe and action will be taken as per their report, Shahi added.

  • Shivraj Chouhan asks Sonia to take action against Kamal Nath for remarks on pandemic

    By PTI
    BHOPAL: A war of words broke out between Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and state Congress president Kamal Nath on Monday following registration of an FIR against the latter for allegedly creating panic over the COVID-19 pandemic through his remarks.

    Chouhan asked Congress president Sonia Gandhi to take action against Nath for his “Indian variant” and other remarks related to the pandemic.

    On the other hand, Nath said an FIR cannot suppress his voice and asserted he will keep fighting for people and raise issues of public interest.

    On Sunday, the Crime Branch of the Bhopal Police had filed an FIR against Nath following a complaint by BJP leaders who alleged the former chief minister has been creating panic over the coronavirus pandemic through his remarks.

    “Sonia Gandhi should take action against Kamal Nath ji and if she agrees with his views, then let the country know so that the public can be aware about the Congress stand,” Chouhan said in a tweet on Monday.

    In another tweet, Chouhan said the government is trying to control the COVID-19 infection with cooperation of people and the affected families, while the Congress is playing with public sentiments.

    The CM further said, “I want to ask Madam Sonia Gandhi, whether she agrees with Nath’s statement of setting (public sentiments) afire?. Does Madam Sonia Gandhi agree with Kamal Nath’s statement of ‘Indian Corona’? If Kamal Nath is saying this on his own, then why are you (Sonia Gandhi) watching it as Dhritarashtra (a key figure in the Mahabharat who was blind)?”

     Chouhan was apparently referring to a video circulated by the BJP in which Nath is purportedly heard saying to a person “this is the time to set (sentiments) on fire” during a discussion on problems being faced by farmers.

    The Congress, however, claimed the video was doctored.

    On the other hand, a defiant Nath, in a statement issued to the media on Monday, said, “The Shivraj government wants me to keep quiet, not to raise public’s voice, not to fight for their rights but I will not sit quiet. I will keep fighting for public interest till the last breath of my life, an FIR cannot suppress me.”

    The Leader of Opposition alleged the BJP government in the state has left people at the mercy of God at the time of the coronavirus crisis.

    Nath said the BJP government is hiding data on COVID-19 deaths and alleged people were dying in absence of hospital beds, shortage of medical oxygen and essential medicines, including Remdesivir, a claim repeatedly rejected by the state administration.

    “Thousands of people have died in the state due to carelessness and negligence of the state government,” the Congress leader said, adding despite being alerted, the BJP administration did not arrange for medical oxygen and adequate hospital beds.

    “When people are in trouble, the medical system is in tatters, people are dying, the Shivraj government wants me to keep quiet,” he said.

    The MP Congress president said the state government was trying to divert people’s attention from real issues by filing FIR against him.

    He demanded that people who have died of COVID-19 be given an ex-gratia of Rs 5 lakh instead of Rs 1 lakh announced earlier.

    On Sunday, Nath was charged under section 188 (disobedience to order duly promulgated by a public servant) of the IPC and section 54 (making or circulating a false alarm or warning as to disaster or its severity or magnitude, leading to panic) of the National Disaster Management Act 2005 in the FIR registered at the Crime Branch Station in Bhopal, an official said.

    The BJP leaders, in their complaint, alleged that Nath had said at a press conference at Ujjain on Saturday said that, “Corona, which has spread in the world, is being known as the Indian variant of the virus.”

    Nath’s statement is creating confusion and defaming the country internationally, the complaint said.

    The former Union minister has disobeyed the World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines to stem COVID-19 and his act amounts to sedition under the IPC, the complainants said.

    Besides, the complaint said Nath’s “false allegations” that the government was hiding real COVID-19 deaths amount to creating fear and the act falls under the category of criminal offence.

  • COVID: MP to ease curfew from June; state sees first case of white fungus

    By PTI
    BHOPAL: Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Saturday announced that the coronavirus-induced restrictions in the state would be gradually relaxed from the next month.

    “Our target is to free our state of COVID-19 by May 31. We will have to unlock the coronavirus-induced-curfew gradually from June 1. The world has to move but we will need to unlock in such a manner that COVID-19 doesn’t spread again,” he said at a meeting to review the coronavirus situation.

    Lockdown-like restrictions to contain the spread of coronavirus infection — termed as `curfew’ by the state government — are in force in many cities and towns of MP.

    In most of the districts including Bhopal they have been extended till May 31.

    Several localities in major cities would already be free of COVID-19 infection, Chouhan said in the meeting, a video of which was tweeted by his official Twitter handle.

    “Identify the spots where coronavirus infection is still present and make micro-containment zones. Infected persons should either be isolated at home or shifted to COVID Care Centres,”, the chief minister said.

    The ongoing restrictions should be strictly implemented to break the chain of infection, Chouhan added.

    The positivity rate of COVID-19 — the proportion of infections found among those tested — has come down to 4.82 per cent as of Saturday, he noted.

    At the peak of the second wave in the state, the positivity rate had crossed 20 per cent.

    In 79,737 tests conducted in the state on Saturday, 3,844 persons tested positive, while 9,327 patients were also given discharge during the day, the chief minister informed.

    The recovery rate in the state has gone up to 90.86 percent, Chouhan added.

    The third phase of `Kill-Corona’ campaign in the state will be completed on May 24 and the fourth phase should be started after that, he instructed.

    Medical kits should be provided to every suspected COVID-19 patient with symptoms such as cold and cough, he said.

    On Friday, the state had reported 4,384 new coronavirus cases and 79 deaths, taking the caseload to 7,57,119, and death toll to 7,394.

    Meanwhile, a 55-year-old man who recovered from COVID-19 in Jabalpur has been detected with the white fungus or Aspergillu Flavus infection, making him the first to have the ailment in Madhya Pradesh, a health official said on Saturday.

    The man was operated on May 17 after his headache and eye pain did not subside, and a test on Friday detected the white fungus infection in his nose, Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose Medical College’s ENT Department head Dr Kavita Sachdeva told PTI over phone.

    White fungus is curable with medicines and does not need injections like Mucormycosis, better known as black fungus, not is it as deadly as the latter, she said.

    Both affect people with uncontrolled sugar levels, Sachdeva said, adding that white fungus “is not rare and many people have been cured of it earlier”.

    Meanwhile, MP Medical Education Minister Vishwas Sarang said the state had 650 confirmed cases of black fungus, a rare and dangerous fungal infection being found in people with COVID-19 as well as those who have recovered.

    The state had recently declared black fungus a notified disease.

    The state on Saturday saw 3,844 new COVID-19 cases and 89 casualties that raised the tally of infections to 7,60,963 and pushed the toll to 7,483, an official from the state health department said.

    At least 9,327 patients were discharged from hospitals in the last 24 hours, taking the count of recoveries to 6,91,427, the official said.

    With the addition of 863 new cases, Indore’s caseload went up to 1,44,472, while Bhopal’s tally rose to 1,17,130, after 649 persons tested positive for the infection, he said.

    With seven fatalities, the toll in Indore rose to 1,301, while 10 deaths raised Bhopal’s toll to 905, he said.

    Indore and Bhopal now have 9,432 and 9,773 active cases respectively, he said, adding that 62,053 patients are currently undergoing treatment in the state.

    With the addition of 79,737 swab samples tested during the day, the total number of tests conducted in the state has crossed 92.28 lakh.

    Coronavirus figures in MP are as follows: Total cases 7,60,963, new cases 3,844, death toll 7,483, recovered 6,91,427, active cases 62,053, number of tests so far 92,28,270.

  • Madhya Pradesh announces Rs one lakh ex-gratia for kin of COVID-19 victims during second wave

    By Express News Service
    BHOPAL: Every family in Madhya Pradesh, which lost its member due to COVID-19 in the pandemic’s second wave, will get Rs one Lakh as ex-gratia sum, Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan announced on Thursday.

    Holding a virtual meeting with BJP legislators during his visit to Indore, the CM announced that kin of all COVID victims in pandemic’s second wave in the state will be rendered Anugraha Rashi (ex-gratia) sum of Rs one lakh.

    “We tried our best to save the loved ones of every family, but many families lost their members, despite all our efforts. Words of sympathy aren’t enough for such families, as they’ve suffered irreparable loss. So every family which lost its member due to the deadly viral infection during the pandemic’s second wave will be granted Rs one lakh ex-gratia sum,” Chouhan announced.

    Since March this year, when the second wave of the pandemic hit MP, the state has officially lost around 3500 lives due to the killer viral infection.

    This announcement by Chouhan makes MP second only to Delhi to announce ex-gratia to families who lost their loved ones to the current wave of the COVID-19 pandemic.

    Two days back, the Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal had announced that every family that has had a death due to COVID-19 second wave will get Rs Rs 50,000 as ex-gratia.

    On May 14, he had announced Rs 5,000 monthly sum for all COVID-19 orphaned kids, besides announcing free ration and free education and interest free loan to their kin for bringing their life back on track.

    Three days later, Chouhan had announced twin schemes for families of government employees killed by COVID pandemic’s second wave. He had announced government jobs for one family member of each government employee who died due to COVID and also announced Rs 5 lakh ex-gratia sum to be payable to every such deceased government employee.

    Meanwhile, the state officially reported 4952 fresh COVID cases (lowest single day spike in last 41 days), 88 deaths and 9746 recoveries during the last 24 hours. The day’s positivity rate too declined on Thursday to 6.3%, which was the lowest single day positivity rate in the last 65 days.