Mayawati expressed concern over the rising COVID-19 death toll in the country and called for making honest efforts to check it.
Tag: UP government
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COVID-19 cases continue to decline fast in UP, active tally declined by 1.06 lakh in 12 days
Express News Service
LUCKNOW: The Yogi Adityanath government in UP maintained on Thursday that the daily Covid positivity rate — the number of positive cases against the total tests done — continued to remain below 10 percent in Uttar Pradesh for the fourth consecutive day. The rate was at its highest at 16.84 percent on April 24 during the second wave of the pandemic. It has now come down to nearly 7 percent. Recoveries surpassed fresh Covid cases for the twelfth day in a row. A total of 17,775 new cases were recorded in the last 24 hours, whereas, the number of recoveries was 19,425, which has added to the positive recovery graph of the state. With daily recoveries consistently improving, more than 13,40,251 people have so far won their battle against the deadly virus. With the state managing to flatten the curve and limiting the transmission of the deadly virus, the covid-19 situation in Uttar Pradesh has witnessed significant improvement, as the number of active cases was drastically reduced by nearly 1.06 lakh in the last twelve days with swift recovery of covid patients even in home isolation, the UP government official statement said.The number of active Covid cases in the state has now dropped to nearly 2.04 lakh. The state government with its multi-pronged strategy to contain the virus has been able to restrict the number of cases much below the predicted figures by the experts while cases have started dropping since the beginning of May itself. With the aggressive approach against Covid, UP as per the target of ‘Test, Trace and Treat’ has conducted more than 43 million COVID tests, the most in the country thereby setting an example of successfully managing the pandemic. A total of 2.53 lakh samples were tested in the last 24 hours. -
Amid raging pandemic, Uttar Pradesh Congress calls for white paper on state’s COVID Care Fund
By PTI
LUCKNOW: The Congress on Sunday demanded the Uttar Pradesh government release a white paper on the state’s COVID Care Fund amid a massive surge in coronavirus cases.In a statement issued here, UP Congress chief Ajay Kumar Lallu said the COVID Care Fund was created in April 2020 through which people from different sections of society deposited money.
The MLA funds were suspended for a year, and 30 percent salary of the ministers and legislators cut and deposited in the COVID Care Fund.
It was said that the money would be used to fight the COVID-19 pandemic.
Lallu said no one knows where this fund is in the second wave of COVID-19.
“Where is the fund being spent now? The people in the state are facing a shortage of oxygen, medicines, and basic facilities. In this scenario, where is the COVID fund being spent, nothing is known,” Lallu said adding that the government should release a white paper on this issue.
The UP Congress chief also claimed that the money meant for being used to provide medical treatment to the people was diverted.
“As a result in the second wave of COVID-19, the government has left the people to die. Today because of the laxity and insensitivity of the Yogi Adityanath government, every citizen is fighting the COVID pandemic at their own level and in their own capacity,” Lallu said.
He also said the UP Chief Minister in a written reply to the UP Legislative Assembly had said that till July 2020, Rs 412 crore was deposited from various sources, of which Rs 252 crore was used to buy medical equipment and to help the migrant laborers.
“Where the rest of the Rs 160 crore has gone is not known. Any information about money being deposited in the COVID Care Fund has not been made public. Why is it so?” Lallu questioned in the statement.
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Allahabad HC takes notice of COVID-19 surge in UP, asks authorities to enforce protocol
Express News Service
LUCKNOW: In the wake of the surge in COVID-19 cases in Uttar Pradesh, Allahabad High Court ave asked upon the state authorities on Tuesday to enforce rules to make masks 100 per cent mandatory across the 75 districts of Uttar Pradesh. Moreover, the court also directed the Director-General of Police (DGP) to chalk out a programme to make people comply with the protocol to combat the ongoing surge in the cases of infection.In fact, the state breached the 5000-mark on Tuesday and recorded 5928 fresh cases during the last 24 hours. Meanwhile, 30 persons lost the battle to the deadly virus.
Hearing a PIL relating to Covid-19, a division bench, comprising Chief Justice Govind Mathur and Justice Siddhartha Varma, directed the respective district administrations and police authorities to ensure that crowding does not happen at any place across the state.
ALSO READ: COVID-19 spreading faster than last time in India, next four weeks critical, says Centre
“If it finds that any particular place is likely to get crowded, then it should be cordoned off and see that people do not huddle”, said the bench. Referring to the upcoming Panchayat elections in the state, the court asked the authorities concerned to conduct the polls in such a manner so as to avoid crowding of people at booths.
“Be it nomination, campaigning or voting, it should be seen that the COVID-19 protocols are followed,” said the court. Moreover, the court also asked the state government to explore the viability of vaccination for everyone irrespective of age groups. “Government should explore the viability of inoculating such students who have to appear in the Uttar Pradesh High School and Intermediate Board Examinations. In fact, a door-to-door vaccination programme should be chalked out”, the court added.
Besides, the HC also directed the state government to see if night curfew could be clamped to avoid late evening social gatherings. “The state government may also examine viability to provide masks and sanitisers by utilising the amount recovered on account of violation of COVID-19 protocol”, the court directed.
READ HERE: India records over 1.07 lakh new COVID-19 cases in single day for first time
Elaborating the need for passing these directives, the court observed, “Though the state government has taken necessary steps to meet the challenge of the second wave of COVID-19, it is noticed that the directions given by the state have not been complied with by the public at large and that is an issue ofconcern. Having considered all the objective conditions, we deem it appropriate to direct the district magistrates of all the districts in the state of Uttar Pradesh to ensure strict and definite compliance of the directions issued by the government of Uttar Pradesh from time to time to meet with the threat of COVID-19.”
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Mayawati trashes ‘tall claims’ by UP, Uttarakhand, Punjab govts, says people want change
By PTI
LUCKNOW: BSP chief Mayawati on Friday trashed claims made by the BJP in Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand and the Congress in Punjab on the achievements of their state governments as they complete four years in office, saying people there want change.The three state governments this week marked four years in office with Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath addressing a press conference on Friday morning, listing what his government has achieved so far as it prepares for the next assembly polls a year away.
The Bahujan Samaj Party supremo termed it ‘tall claims’.
“There is very little truth in the tall claims of achievements put forth by the BJP government in UP on completion of four years by issuing big advertisements, press conferences, etc in an extravagant manner,” she tweeted in Hindi.
ALSO READ | UP government’s zero-tolerance policy towards crime showed positive results in last four years: Yogi
“It would have been better had their claims provided benefits to the poor people at the ground level,” she added.
Mayawati made a similar comment on the BJP government in Uttarakhand, now led by Tirath Singh Rawat, and Amarinder Singh’s Congress government in Punjab.
“Therefore, the unhappy and affected people of these three states are restless for change,” she said.
In another tweet, the BSP chief condemned a comment made by Uttarakhand’s new CM, saying it was “indecent and unnecessary”.
“Instead, he should pay proper attention on the constitutional responsibility towards public interest and prosperity of his state. This is the BSP’s advice,” she said.
Rawat had criticised women for wearing ripped jeans, his comment triggering a sharp reaction on social media and condemnation by opposition parties.
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Yogi govt high on reform, perform & transform mantra
Express News Service
LUCKNOW: Stepping into the final year of its term on Friday, the Yogi Adityanath government in Uttar Pradesh has decided to mark the event under the theme ‘Reform, Perform, Transform’. There will be week-long celebrations at all district headquarters March 19 onwards. Each day will be dedicated to a separate segment of society, such as women, traders, farmers, and others. Officials will interact with people about various initiatives and schemes.A 64-page booklet ‘4 years of service & good governance, opportunities in disaster’ released by the state government has a long list of achievements and some challenges. The list opens with the largest-ever `5.5 lakh crore state budget for 2021-22 which, the government claims, is a confident step towards making UP a $1 trillion economy.
“UP is ahead of other states in implementing 44 development schemes… this record has been achieved when the world was struggling with Covid-19. By making arrangements to handle it properly, the state turned this disaster into an opportunity,” it says. It claims the state’s GSDP has gone up in the last four years from Rs 10.9 lakh crore to Rs 21.73 lakh crore, establishing UP as the second biggest economy in the country and getting out of the list of ‘BIMARU’ states.
It refers to a report of the Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy to make a point about the rate of unemployment coming down from 17.5% in 2017 to 4.1% on February 28, 2021 in the state. However, the state government is tasked with filling a large number of vacancies across various departments.
“In the global scenario of negative growth during the pandemic, where India suffered a negative growth of nearly 25% for a while, UP showed exceptional tax buoyancy. Almost all taxes showed high buoyancy, which may be reflective of the extraordinary resilience that the state demonstrates,” said Arvind Mohan, professor of economics at Lucknow University.
However, Yashvir Tyagi, former professor of economics, cautioned the government over per capita income. He suggests that the government should continue to make investment in areas such as education, health and social welfare so as to improve its rank in human development.
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UP govt asks legislators to buy tablets for paperless budget session
By PTI
LUCKNOW: The Uttar Pradesh government has asked members of the state’s legislative assembly and council to purchase tablets for a paperless budget session.According to Deputy Chief Minister Dinesh Sharma, each legislator will be reimbursed Rs 50,000 to buy Apple iPads.
There are 403 MLAs and 100 MLCs in the state.
“All MLAs and MLCs in the state will get iPads. Each iPad is expected to cost around Rs 50,000 and the cost will be reimbursed,” Sharma, who also holds the portfolio of electronics, information technology told PTI.
He said the state’s ministers have attended a training programme in this regard, and the MLAs and MLCs too will be trained before the budget session commences.
On February 2, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath had directed that the state cabinet should hold a virtual meeting in future for which ministers must be given training.
Adityanath had said, “Modern technology is extremely helpful in performing various works quickly and in a transparent manner.
Ministers should be imparted training for e-cabinet meetings at their official residence and office.
Information regarding the security features for the e-cabinet meeting should be given to them.”
He said the initiative will help the state cabinet go paperless.
“Efforts should also be made to make the state budget paperless on the lines of the Union Budget,” he said.
On February 1, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman had read out the Union Budget speech in the Lok Sabha from a tablet instead of a conventional paper document.
Adityanath said before the commencement of the session of the state legislature on February 18, all members should be given tablets and training sessions be held for them to ensure effective use of the device.
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Yogi Adityanath launches app to give people access to UP government directory
By PTI
GORAKHPUR: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Thursday launched a mobile application that will let people access the state government’s directory.Speaking at an event, Adityanath praised the information department for coming up with the digital directory app and said that it will help people connect to their representatives and officials of government departments.
The directory also contains information of Union ministers, he said.
“We can provide better facilities to people with technology people can get pension in their Jan-Dhan account while sitting at home. Under the guidance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, it has become possible to provide help to 2.35 crore people every month through technology,” he said.
The additional chief secretary of information department, Navneet Sehgal said, “Anyone can download the UPIDINFO app through play store on a mobile phone and it is free. Till now, everyone was not able to get access to it (directory).”
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Now, 224 ex-babus back law on love-jihad
By Express News Service
LUCKNOW: In a strong rebuff to 104 former civil servants who had written a letter to UP CM Yogi Adityanath urging him to withdraw the state’s new ordinance against religious conversions, 224 retired civil servants, including IAS, IPS, IFS officers, retired judges of various High Courts and retired defence personnel, have written a letter in support of anti-conversion ordinance and released it to the media here on Monday.Last week, over 100 ex-bureaucrats had written an open letter to UP CM saying that new anti-conversion law of Uttar Pradesh had turned the state into “the epicentre of politics of hate, division and bigotry”. Having written the letter as members of ‘Forum of Concerned Citizens’, the signatories reiterated their belief in Indian democracy while dubbing the 104 ex-bureaucrats as “visibly biased with an anti-establishment attitude despite overtly posing as non-political.”“This group seems to have usurped the Constitutional power of Judicial Review to put every law of the land to the test of their own whims,” says the letter.