<keyword id="20037655" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="India-Bangladesh-trade" source="keywords">India-Bangladesh trade</keyword>, which was disrupted in the wake of the unrest in the neighboring country and the resignation of embattled prime minister <keyword id="20024637" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="sheikh-hasina" source="keywords">Sheikh Hasina</keyword>, remained stalled on Tuesday, traders said. <keyword id="22687819" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="West-Bengal-Exporters-Coordination-Committee" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="West Bengal Exporters Coordination Committee" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="West Bengal Exporters Coordination Committee">West Bengal Exporters Coordination Committee</keyword> secretary Ujjal Saha said trade through <keyword id="20031482" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="land-ports" source="keywords">land ports</keyword> in the state has been halted due to "non-clearance of goods by Bangladesh customs, resulting in hundreds of trucks being lined up in parking lots". Trade between the two countries through land ports at Petrapole, Gojadanga, Mahadipur, and Fulbari in <keyword id="19896517" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="West-Bengal" source="keywords">West Bengal</keyword> has been affected, while some passenger movement has been reported but turnout remains low, sources said. Saha noted that a Bangladesh government notification issued on Sunday declared a three-day holiday till Wednesday, except for essential services. Trade through Petrapole in North 24 Parganas district, the largest land port, remains halted as the Benapole customs in Bangladesh remained non-functional. Security at the land ports has been increased in response to the situation, he added. Ajay Srivastava, founder of the Global Trade Research Initiative (GTRI), emphasised the need to protect factories in Bangladesh and maintain supply lines to sustain trade and economic activities. "As Bangladesh is experiencing political turmoil, it is essential for all political factions to protect garment and other factories and keep supply lines open across the border," he said. Engineering Export Promotion Council chairman Arun Kumar Garodia expressed concern over the political developments in Bangladesh, noting the significant impact on Indian exporters. Bangladesh, a key destination for Indian engineering products, saw a drop in exports to $542.1 million during the April-June period of the 2024-25 fiscal, a decrease of 8.2% from the previous year. Bangladesh is India's largest trade partner in South Asia, and India is the second-largest trade partner for Bangladesh in Asia. India's exports to Bangladesh fell to $11 billion in 2023-24 from $12.21 billion in 2022-23, while imports decreased to $1.84 billion from $2 billion in the same period. India's main exports to Bangladesh include vegetables, coffee, tea, spices, sugar, confectionery, refined petroleum oil, chemicals, cotton, iron and steel, and vehicles, while major imports are fish, plastic, leather, and apparel. Bangladesh's exports to India are heavily concentrated in textiles and garments, which constitute 56% of their exports. Hasina landed at the Hindon airbase on the outskirts of Delhi on Monday, hours after she resigned as the prime minister, following weeks of deadly anti-government protests that killed nearly 300 people.

Trade via Bengal land ports disrupted amid unrest in Bangladesh

<keyword id="20037655" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="India-Bangladesh-trade" source="keywords">India-Bangladesh trade</keyword>, which was disrupted in the wake of the unrest in the neighbouring country and the resignation of embattled prime minister Sheikh Hasina, remained stalled on Tuesday, traders said. <keyword id="19896517" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="West-Bengal" source="keywords">West Bengal</keyword> Exporters Coordination Committee secretary Ujjal Saha said trade through <keyword id="20031482" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="land-ports" source="keywords">land ports</keyword> in the state has been halted due to "non-clearance of goods by Bangladesh customs, resulting in hundreds of trucks being lined up in parking lots". Trade between the two countries through land ports at Petrapole, Gojadanga, Mahadipur, and Fulbari in West Bengal has been affected, while some passenger movement has been reported but turnout remains low, sources said. Saha noted that a Bangladesh government notification issued on Sunday declared a three-day holiday till Wednesday, except for essential services. Trade through Petrapole in North 24 Parganas district, the largest land port, remains halted as the Benapole customs in Bangladesh remained non-functional. Security at the land ports has been increased in response to the situation, he added. Ajay Srivastava, founder of the Global Trade Research Initiative (GTRI), emphasised the need to protect factories in Bangladesh and maintain supply lines to sustain trade and economic activities. "As Bangladesh is experiencing political turmoil, it is essential for all political factions to protect garment and other factories and keep supply lines open across the border," he said. Engineering Export Promotion Council chairman Arun Kumar Garodia expressed concern over the political developments in Bangladesh, noting the significant impact on Indian exporters. Bangladesh, a key destination for Indian engineering products, saw a drop in exports to USD 542.1 million during the April-June period of the 2024-25 fiscal, a decrease of 8.2 per cent from the previous year. Bangladesh is India's largest trade partner in South Asia, and India is the second-largest trade partner for Bangladesh in Asia. India's exports to Bangladesh fell to USD 11 billion in 2023-24 from USD 12.21 billion in 2022-23, while imports decreased to USD 1.84 billion from USD 2 billion in the same period. India's main exports to Bangladesh include vegetables, coffee, tea, spices, sugar, confectionery, refined petroleum oil, chemicals, cotton, iron and steel, and vehicles, while major imports are fish, plastic, leather, and apparel. Bangladesh's exports to India are heavily concentrated in textiles and garments, which constitute 56 per cent of their exports. Hasina landed at the Hindon airbase on the outskirts of Delhi on Monday, hours after she resigned as the prime minister following weeks of deadly anti-government protests that killed nearly 300 people. SEE ALSO:<a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/stock-market/webstories/unicommerce-esolutions-ipo-price-band-to-risk-factors-all-you-need-to-know/slidelist/112307438.cms" target="_blank"></a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/stock-market/webstories/unicommerce-esolutions-ipo-price-band-to-risk-factors-all-you-need-to-know/slidelist/112307438.cms" target="_blank">Unicommerce eSolutions IPO – Price band to risk factors, all you need to know</a><a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/sports/news/neeraj-chopras-paris-olympics-journey-to-begin-with-qualification-round-today-top-rivals-to-look-out-for/articleshow/112311760.cms" target="_blank"></a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/sports/news/neeraj-chopras-paris-olympics-journey-to-begin-with-qualification-round-today-top-rivals-to-look-out-for/articleshow/112311760.cms" target="_blank">Neeraj Chopra’s Paris Olympics journey to begin with qualification round today – top rivals to look out for</a><a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/auto/news/electric-two-wheeler-sales-cross-the-1-lakh-mark-after-four-months-ola-electric-leads-the-market/articleshow/112288793.cms" target="_blank"></a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/auto/news/electric-two-wheeler-sales-cross-the-1-lakh-mark-after-four-months-ola-electric-leads-the-market/articleshow/112288793.cms" target="_blank">Electric two-wheeler sales cross the 1 lakh mark after four months, Ola Electric leads the market</a>

New Delhi, May 16 () The National Crisis Management Committee (NCMC) on Saturday reviewed the preparedness for the impending cyclone, which is likely to hit Odisha and West Bengal coast, and directed immediate assistance to the two states.A meeting of NCMC, headed by Cabinet Secretary Rajiv Gauba, was held here to take stock of the preparation for the impending cyclone over the Bay of Bengal, an official statement said.The cabinet secretary took stock of the current situation and preparedness for rescue and relief operations and directed that immediate assistance, as required, be provided, it said.The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) informed that the depression, which has developed over the Bay of Bengal, is likely to intensify into a cyclonic storm and cross Odisha and West Bengal coasts by May 20.Heavy to extremely heavy rainfall, accompanied by high speed winds and tidal waves are expected.During the meeting, officers of the concerned state governments confirmed their preparedness to deal with any emerging situation arising out of the cyclonic storm.Further, the state governments have adequately warned fishermen not to venture into the sea, the statement said.Cyclone shelters have been readied and areas requiring evacuation of people identified.The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), Armed Forces and the Indian Coast Guard have been put on alert and are coordinating with the state government authorities.They are prepositioning themselves adequately. The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) is also in continuous touch with the state governments and concerned central agenciesSenior officials of the Ministries of Home, Defence, as well as those from IMD, NDMA and NDRF, attended the meeting.Chief secretaries and other senior officers from the state governments participated in the meeting through video conference. ACB KJKJ

NCMC takes stock of cyclone over Bay of Bengal; directs assistance to Odisha, Bengal

(Eds: Collating all stories, additional inputs) Kolkata, May 4 () The West Bengal government announced series of relaxations on Monday in various coronavirus zones, even as reopening of liquors shops witnessed tipplers giving a thumbs down to the social distancing. The state reported 11 deaths in the last 24 hours, pushing the death toll to 61 and number of cases climbed to 1,259, Chief Secretary Rajiva Sinha said. Sinha announced a host of relaxations for standalone shops in various zones -- red, green and orange. He added that these concessions might dilute the lockdown for combating the COVID-19 pandemic. Four districts, including Kolkata and Howrah, fall in the red zone, eight are in green and 11 in orange zones in the state. The Union Health Ministry has, however, identified 10 districts in the red zone. Home Secretary Alapan Bandopadhyay announced that the state had added 72 more places to the list of containment zones, taking the total number of such areas in the state to 516. The government has also launched a mobile app in its official website, 'Egiye Bangla', for people from other states who are stranded in West Bengal due to the lockdown and want to return to their native places. Sinha said though the Centre had extended the lockdown by two weeks, it had given liberty to the state governments to allow certain activities after assessing the ground situation. "We are of the opinion that these relaxations allowed by the Union government will dilute lockdown, but we would abide by it," Sinha said, adding: "we want a balance between life and livelihood." "The state government feels that the activities which the central government has asked to recommence will be beneficial for the economy and wages can be paid to workers and employees, but the way the relaxations are being given, it is diluting the lockdown," he said. Sinha said mining activities would be started in green and orange zones, and standalone shops in all the zones would be allowed to open from 10 am to 6 pm, except in the containment areas. Clarifying that those shops that are not situated within shopping malls or market complexes would be considered as standalone shops, Sinha said neighbourhood shops, sweetmeat shops, those selling beetle leaves and tea could open, but people would have to carry the tea back home where they can consume it. Appealing to the private operators to run the buses in intra-district routes, the chief secretary said intra-district private bus services had been allowed with a maximum of 20 passengers in green zones. "I have been told that in many places in green zones, buses are not operating. I would appeal to them to start services as government buses are busy in other duties," he said. Construction activities in rural and urban areas were also allowed with workers being put up at the site, he said. Noting that the private offices would be allowed to operate from 10 am to 6 pm with 25 per cent staff strength outside containment zones, Sinha said all the guidelines had to be followed as a violation of the guidelines would call for legal action under the Disaster Management Act. "Persons willing to go back to their native states can apply online through this 'Exit app' and permission for the same will be practically automatic and extremely easy," Bandopadhyay said. Reacting to state government's order on relaxations, several traders' bodies welcomed the decision, but wondered whether it would be business as usual. The bus operators however have rejected the proposal of running busses with just 20 passengers as "financially unviable". Bus Minibus Coordination Committee general secretary Rahul Chatterjee said it was not at all viable to run buses with only 20 passengers since the amount earned from ticket sale would not be enough for meeting fuel expenses. "We urge the government to requisition the buses as is done during elections for movement of polling personnel and security forces. The government can then run the buses on payment of a daily fee to the owners," he said. Meanwhile, standalone liquor shops were reopened in green, orange and red zones, except in containment areas, after 42 days since the beginning of lockdown in the state on March 23, but the police had a hard time in several areas of the city in ensuring tipplers adhere to social distancing norms. Customers were seen waiting in queues outside liquor shops. But the moment the shops opened the shutters, they started elbowing each other in many places like Dumdum and parts of Kolkata. The police had to rush to these shops to maintain law and order and some of these shops were shut within an hour. "Police had to come to maintain law and order in front of the shop and ultimately closed it down. Several other shops were also shut down by them," an official said. The liquor shop will operate from noon to 7 pm as per the latest government order, which also stated about the do's and don'ts, both for the customers and the shopkeepers. In the past week, a total of 4,042 people have been arrested for violating lockdown in the city and 684 cars have been seized. AMR/SCH/DC/BSM PNT SNSHMB

Lockdown: Bengal announces relaxations, liquor shops reopen

(Eds: Collating stories, adding inputs) Kolkata, May 5 () The resumption of economic activity on the first day of the lockdown relaxations evoked tepid response across West Bengal on Tuesday, even as chaos continued to prevail outside liquor shops where tipplers threw social distancing norms to the wind. The first train carrying over 1,100 stranded labourers and pilgrims from Rajasthan arrived at the Dankuni railway station in Hooghly district. They were subjected to thorough medical check-up and then sent back to their homes, where they will remain in home quarantine for the next 14 days. A handful of standalone shops, which sell non-essential items, reopened on Tuesday -- after a gap of 42 days -- only in few green zones despite the state government announcing a host of relaxations on Monday to perk up the economy. Such outlets and business establishments remained shut in the red and orange zones, and the containment areas. All shops, barring the ones selling essential items, in the state have been closed since March 25, when the nationwide lockdown was imposed to contain the novel coronavirus pandemic. Serpentine queues were seen outside standalone liquor shops, with the either police or local administration on toes to ensure that boozers maintain social distancing. Chaotic scenes were witnessed outside various alcohol shops as tipplers giving thumbs down to social distancing. In some parts of the state, police had to either use force or close down liquor vends for an hour to control the huge crowd gathered outside the outlets since morning. The reopening of liquor shops, however, boosted the state's dwindling coffer, with a record sale of liquor. An astounding Rs 40-crore liquor sale was recorded on the first day of reopening of the standalone shops on Monday, said Sushmita Mukherjee, assistant secretary of the West Bengal Foreign Liquor-CS On and Off Shops and Hotel Owners Association. "Seventy per cent of the state's liquor shops located in red, orange and green zones reopened yesterday," Mukherjee said. The remaining 30 per cent shops are in containment zones. The sales of Tuesday are expected to be higher than Monday as the shops functioned for the entire seven-hour period from noon to 7 pm, she said. The government's proposal to permit private buses to ply intra-district in green zones with not more than 20 passengers did not find resonance among the operators, who cited the offer as "economically unfeasible". However, autos and rickshaws were seen running in various parts of the state. Bus Minibus Coordination Committee general secretary Rahul Chatterjee had said it was not at all viable to run buses with only 20 passengers since the amount earned from ticket sale would not be enough for meeting fuel expenses. A few shops reopened in green zones across the districts after the state government allowed the standalone shops in all the zones, barring the containment areas, to remain open from 10 am-6 pm. "There is panic among traders as the number of COVID-19 cases is rising with each passing day," Confederation of West Bengal Trade Unions president Sushil Poddar said. "In most parts of the city and the state, shopkeepers preferred not to open their shops, both due to anxiety and low level of business," Poddar said. "In green zones, a few shops have opened, but most of the traders are waiting for public transportation services to resume." The traders' body, which has a membership base of 10 lakh across the state, has issued an advisory to its members about how to stay safe and sanitise their outlets. Four districts, including Kolkata and Howrah, fall in the red zone in Bengal, while 11 have been classified in the orange and eight in the green zones. A train carrying 1,186 passengers arrived at Dankuni station from Ajmer in Rajasthan on Monday morning. Another train from Kerala, which left Thiruvananthapuram on Monday, is scheduled to reach Baharampur in Murshidabad district on Wednesday, sources added. Meanwhile, instances of violence over relief and ration distribution were reported from various parts of the state, including North 24 Parganas and West Midnapore district. The West Bengal Police on Tuesday said over 40,000 people had been arrested from different parts of the state for defying lockdown norms since its beginning on March 25. BSM/AMR/DC/SCH/SUS PNT SNSHMB

Lockdown relaxations evoke tepid response in Bengal; liquor shops see huge crowd

<ul class="summary-list"><li>A second <keyword id="8763838" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="covid-19">COVID-19</keyword> wave is devastating <keyword id="3658" type="COUNTRY" weightage="60" keywordseo="India">India</keyword>, where a new "double mutant" virus variant emerged.</li><li>Insider spoke with people on the ground and experts about the threat and ways to address it.</li><li>Politicians so far have largely been unwilling or unable to apply strict restrictions.</li></ul>Hospitals in India are overwhelmed as the country grapples with a second wave of COVID-19.There is a severe shortage of beds, the drug remdesivir, and medical oxygen. Desperate patients have been traveling hundreds of miles, searching helplines and social media, to find hospitals with enough capacity. The worsening situation forced British Prime Minister Boris Johnson this week to cancel a visit to the country. The UK and the US have also issued strong travel advisories for India.On Saturday, when 261,394 new cases were reported in the country, Prime Minister Narendra Modi <a href="https://twitter.com/ndtv/status/1383419909128933377?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1383419909128933377%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_c10&amp;ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.bloombergquint.com%2Fcoronavirus-outbreak%2Fhope-and-heartbreak-on-indian-covid-twittertter">boasted</a> about the size of his election rally in West Bengal, where a huge crowd was crammed together.Rallies have taken place in West Bengal and three other states, with thousands attending, without much adherence to COVID-19 precautions.This reflects how dramatic India's turnaround has been with the coronavirus. Early this year, experts hypothesized that this country of 1.3 billion people had reached herd immunity as cases steadily fell. The government's own modeling study suggested the country's outbreak would be over by February. In January, a health minister <a href="https://www.livemint.com/news/india/india-has-flattened-covid-19-curve-no-new-cases-in-one-fifth-of-country-govt-11611824857809.html">said</a> India had "successfully contained" COVID-19.Weddings, functions, and political rallies resumed as politicians encouraged a return to normal.Now, India has more than 2 million known active cases, compared with 200,000 in January. Daily reported cases are three times as high as the peak of the first wave in September, with 314,835 announced on Thursday.<div type="image" title="COVID Daily cases India graph" height="2400" width="3400" msid="82202329" hostid="261"></div>A "double mutant" variant - which contains notable mutations that had been separately identified in two previous variants of the original virus - has taken hold.Insider spoke with people on the ground about the extent of devastation this wave has caused as well as the constant challenge of enforcing restrictions at mass gatherings."Things have worsened this time around," said Dr. Sonali Vaid, who previously worked for the World Health Organization and is now helping patients find beds in New Delhi."Many patients with severely low oxygen-saturation levels have had to manage at home, some with dire consequences, due to lack of beds," Vaid added. "Things weren't as bad last year."Despite this, the country's largest religious gathering went ahead. The centuries-old Kumbh Mela sees tens of millions of Hindu pilgrims travel to bathe en masse in rivers in a ritual meant to cleanse them of their sins. It has brought millions this month to Haridwar, north of Delhi."The flow and blessings of Ma Ganga" - Mother River Ganges - "will ensure that coronavirus does not spread," said the chief minister of Uttarakhand, the northern state where the event is taking place for all of April.The <a href="https://scroll.in/latest/992233/kumbh-mela-cant-be-compared-to-nizamuddin-markaz-claims-uttarakhand-cm">government</a> shortened the event from four months to one and insisted it was following Health Ministry guidelines on containing the coronavirus - such as mandatory negative test results and discouraging older, more vulnerable people from taking part.But Deepak Rawat, a government official who runs the event on behalf of the state government, said these were impossible to enforce during the days of Shahi Snan, or royal bath, when devotees bathe in the Ganges.<div type="image" title="Shahi Snan April 12 2021 water bathing" height="2595" width="3900" msid="82202332" hostid="261"></div>On a single day, an estimated 2.1 million pilgrims were taking part, most of them neither wearing masks nor socially distancing."Enforcing COVID-19-appropriate behavior during these processions would be a folly, and we would be risking a stampede," Rawat told Insider.A senior official at the festival <a href="https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20210416-top-seer-at-india-religious-mega-festival-dies-from-covid-19">told AFP</a> on Friday that they had "around 2,000 positive cases" in the previous four days. That week a senior priest was taken to a hospital from the site and died after a positive test.Facing a backlash, Modi later tweeted appealing for the Kumbh Mela to be scaled back.Dr. T. Sundararaman, the global coordinator for the health-activism network People's Health Movement, said the Kumbh Mela should have been restricted in line with religious ceremonies elsewhere like the annual Islamic pilgrimage to Mecca."What you now have is a runaway celebration with a great potential to act as a superspreader event," he added.In Lucknow, the capital of Uttar Pradesh, which neighbors Uttarakhand to the south, <a href="https://www.indiatoday.in/coronavirus-outbreak/video/rows-of-burning-pyres-in-lucknow-authorities-place-barricades-around-crematoriums-1791333-2021-04-15">videos</a> emerged of crematoriums full of rows of burning pyres, raising fears official figures were missing many who were dying without having been tested.The double-mutant variant of the virus that emerged in the country, B.1.617, may be behind the surge in cases.Authorities don't yet have the data to prove this, though the variant has mutations that were found in others to make them more transmissible and less likely to confer immunity on people who recover, said Gautam Menon, a physics and biology professor at Ashoka University."This wave is far more transmissible than the first one," said Dr. Lancelot Pinto, a consultant in respiratory medicine at P. D. Hinduja Hospital in Mumbai, which was badly hit during both waves.During the first wave, it was common for only one or two members in a family to be infected, but Pinto said he was seeing entire families testing positive now."We are getting many younger patients - those in their 30s and 40s - with moderate to severe disease," he said, adding: "This could be because of the new strain or just because of the sheer numbers of infection this time."<div type="image" title="Public meeting" height="2656" width="3992" msid="82202334" hostid="261"></div>Vaccination has offered other countries a glimmer of hope, but while India has been able to vaccinate millions of people in a single day, only about 8% of its enormous population have had a first dose so far.<a href="https://www.livemint.com/news/india/covid19-at-current-vaccination-pace-india-won-t-reach-70-coverage-until-yearend-11618797627025.html">At its current pace</a>, India would not vaccinate 70% of its people until December. It has authorized Russia's Sputnik V for use, amid severe shortages of Covishield and Covaxin, which are made domestically.Two political parties campaigning in West Bengal have called off rallies, while Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party <a href="https://www.hindustantimes.com/elections/west-bengal-assembly-election/bjp-limits-rallies-to-500-people-in-west-bengal-amid-surge-in-covid-19-cases-101618844234707.html">decided </a>this week to limit its rallies to 500 people, two days after the prime minister boasted about the size of his crowds. The Kumbh Mela is continuing until the end of the month.In a Tuesday public address, <a href="https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/pm-modi-to-address-nation-on-covid-19-situation-at-8-45-pm-today-live-updates-101618929630164.html">Modi said lockdowns</a> should be only a "last resort" because of the damage they would do to workers' livelihoods. He said making everyone over 18 eligible for vaccination starting in May would ensure laborers were inoculated sooner.He asked states to focus instead on containing specific sites of outbreaks.Delhi began a weeklong lockdown on Monday - closing businesses and ordering people to travel only for essential reasons - saying the city's health system had reached a "tipping point." Maharashtra, the worst-affected state, is severely restricting travel until the end of the month.Dr. Srinath Reddy, the president of the Public Health Foundation of India, who sits on national committees on COVID-19 management, said that for six weeks the country should ban gatherings of more than five people and require masks to be worn outdoors - the type of measures the country eschewed when it thought it was all over.

Indian politicians encouraged a return to normal as COVID-19 cases fell. Now hospitals are overwhelmed as a 'double mutant' variant takes hold - but mass gatherings continue.

By Ananya Sengupta New Delhi, Apr 9 () Mapping all its 13 lakh employees and identifying potential quarantine facilities for each of them is part of the protocol drafted by Central Railway to insulate its staffers from COVID-19.The document – 'Rail Pariwar Dekh Rekh Muhim' (Drive to take care of the railway family) – lists a series of steps to be followed by zonal railways to keep employees safe.All 17 zones of the railways, India's largest employer, are preparing to implement the steps recommended, officials said. COVID-19 has infected more than 5,700 people and claimed at least 166 lives in the country. "All employees over the respective divisions/ workshops/HQ to be mapped. That is employees name, current residential address, phone numbers should be maintained in such a way that their location (area wise) can be ascertained and they can be contacted anytime...For each employee (including their dependents) a potential quarantine facility/isolation facility should be identified or marked,'' the paper says. Sources said the protocol is already being implemented in some zones following the deaths of two railway employees in the pandemic.On April 5, a a 53-year-old technician with no travel history died at a hospital in Siliguri in West Bengal, prompting authorities to order home quarantine for his 12 colleagues and as many medics who treated him. On March 23, an official died of the disease in the West Bengal capital Kolkata. All concerned senior officials have been advised to keep the complete mapping of employees with them at all times. They have also been told to create a database of healthy employees and volunteers, sources said. The protocol states that special care must be taken with employees and their dependents who have co-morbidities, the presence of other health complications such as hypertension and diabetes.It suggests that local level committees be immediately formed. These would help in monitoring home quarantine, availability of grocery and daily requirements to quarantined employees and their dependents."They would also coordinate with medical teams, police and other local authorities and follow other instructions issued from time to time such as increasing awareness for protection against COVID-19, family counseling,'' it says.All leave sanctioning authorities and senior and immediate supervisors of all departments will have to check every day with their staff, if they or any of their family member is showing COVID-19 symptoms.The protocol states that the personnel department will be tasked with tracking connections of COVID -19 identified cases to avoid community spread."A core team to be made in each unit which will receive information regarding new cases and start tracking possible connections. Additionally, a weekly telephonic contact to be made with each employee. A record of this to be maintained and a daily report to be submitted to respective higher officer. In this their medical conditions to be enquired and instruction to be given to 'contact immediately' when any such symptoms, related to COVID-19, is found,'' the paper states. ASG MINMIN

Railways drafts protocol to protect its 13 lakh employees from COVID-19

(Eds: Combining related stories) New Delhi, May 23 () COVID-19 cases in India on Saturday saw the highest single-day spike for the second consecutive day with 6,654 new infections reported in a 24-hour span, taking the tally to over 1.25 lakh, while the death toll rose to 3,720 after 137 more fatalities, according to the Union Health Ministry. In a significant development, a high-level committee of experts was formed by the government to recommend reforms in India's drug regulatory system so that approval processes can be fast-tracked. Faced with the ominous threat of the coronavirus infection, a number of steps such as fast-tracking the approval process for drugs, research and vaccine development were taken. A health ministry official said the aim of the panel is to identify and institutionalise these measures. Meanwhile, 11 municipal areas in seven states and union territories that have accounted for 70 per cent of India's coronavirus case load were asked by the government on Saturday to step up monitoring in old cities, urban slums and other high density pockets like camps and clusters for migrant workers for management of COVID-19 cases. These 11 municipal areas are from Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, Delhi, Madhya Pradesh, West Bengal, Rajasthan and account for 70 per cent of active case load, the Union health ministry said. Union Health Secretary Preeti Sudan who held a high-level meeting through video conferencing with principal health secretaries and municipal commissioners along with other officials from the 11 municipal areas urged them to focus on prevention through active screening of high risk and vulnerable population along with effective and sturdy clinical management of the admitted cases to reduce fatality rate. During the meeting, a presentation was made to highlight the trend in case trajectory with respect to total confirmed cases, case fatality rate, doubling time, tests per million and confirmation percentage, the ministry said. "It was told that major challenge lies in those corporations having shorter doubling time, higher mortality rate and a higher confirmation rate than the national average," the ministry said in its statement. The officials were briefed about the factors to be considered while mapping the containment and buffer zones and the activities mandated in containment zone like perimeter control, active search for cases through house to house surveillance, contact tracing, clinical management of the active cases. They were also asked to undertake surveillance activities in the buffer zone like monitoring of SARI/ILI cases and promoting social distancing and hand hygiene among others. "Maintaining high vigilance and monitoring in areas of old cities, urban slums and other high density pockets along with the camps/clusters for migrant workers are important steps in COVID-19 management in the urban areas," Sudan said. The officials were also urged to focus on prevention through active screening of high risk and vulnerable population and groups, and effective and sturdy clinical management of the admitted cases to reduce fatality rate. While many have operationalised 24x7 state control rooms, others could also follow the lead and start such units which shall not only provide assistance to the people for various facilities and services regarding COVID-19 management, but also have a panel of domain experts and doctors to provide round the clock support and mentoring for clinical issues which shall effectively contribute to reducing fatality rate, the statement said. "It was pointed out that testing needs to stepped up in some municipal areas to ensure early detection of cases, timely clinical management and a reduction in fatality rate," it said. They also need to be mindful of ramping up the health infrastructure to ensure preparedness for the next two months with special focus on isolation beds with oxygen, ventilators and ICU beds. Other issues that need focused attention include active coordination with government and private labs to address delays in sample collection, partnership with private hospitals to augment the health and bed capacity, waste disposal, management of camps for migrant labourers and creating awareness regarding issues such as stigmatisation of patients in local languages, by involving community leaders, youth groups among others. The measures taken and best practices followed by the municipal corporations for the management of COVID-19 cases were also discussed, the statement stated. Mumbai Municipal Commissioner briefed about establishing close cooperation between private hospitals and municipal authorities to pool the health infrastructure like ICU or oxygen beds etc. They shall also soon make public the online portal displaying the bed availability with unique ID numbers for each bed, and also set up a GPS backed online ambulance tracking system, the statement said. According to the ministry bulletin, the active cases of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) rose to 69,597, while 51,783 people have recovered and a patient has migrated. "Thus, around 41.39 percent patients have recovered so far," a ministry official said. The total of 1,25,101 confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus pandemic includes foreigners. Of the 137 deaths reported since Friday morning, 63 were in Maharashtra, 29 in Gujarat, 14 each from Delhi and Uttar Pradesh, six from West Bengal, four from Tamil Nadu, two each from Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Andhra Pradesh, and one from Haryana. Of the total toll of 3,720, Maharashtra tops the tally with 1,517 deaths, followed by Gujarat at 802, Madhya Pradesh at 272, West Bengal at 265 and Delhi at 208. The number of deaths due to the contagion in Rajasthan is 153, while 152 people died in Uttar Pradesh, 98 in Tamil Nadu and 55 in Andhra Pradesh. The COVID-19 death toll reached 45 in Telangana, 41 in Karnataka and 39 in Punjab. There are 20 fatalities in Jammu and Kashmir, 16 in Haryana and 11 in Bihar. Seven people have succumbed to the disease in Odisha, and four each in Kerala and Assam so far. Jharkhand, Chandigarh and Himachal Pradesh each have recorded three deaths each, while there is a fatality each in Meghalaya and Uttarakhand, the ministry said. More than 70 percent of the deaths are due to comorbidities, according to the ministry website. PLB ASK ZMN

Record jump in COVID-19 cases for second consecutive day, 137 more deaths

By Asim Kamal(Eds: EXCLUSIVE) New Delhi, Apr 9 () The strength of federalism has come to the fore in the fight against the coronavirus pandemic with many chief ministers coordinating with each other to help out people stranded outside their home states, Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren said on Thursday.Soren said he spoke with chief ministers of various states, including Kerala, Maharashtra and Delhi, where people of Jharkhand were working and they promised all support.In an interview to , he said based on the total calls received at the migrant helpline being run by the state's labour department, there are about 7 lakh Jharkhandis who are currently outside the state, Soren said lifting the lockdown is a "big challenge" and must be given a considered thought. Though the spread of the coronavirus has been kept in check in Jharkhand, things could change if a large number of people return to the state from various parts of the country, he said. "The prime minister (Narendra Modi) did not ask the states while imposing the lockdown and now he is asking states for suggestions to open the lockdown," he said.The nationwide lockdown was imposed from March 25 by the Centre to prevent the spread of the coronavirus that has claimed 166 and infected 5,734 people across the country.Soren said his government started work early and that had helped in keeping COVID-19 cases in check."About two lakh people came into our state after the lockdown somehow, but we had put mechanisms in place to deal with the situation. Now details of 1.75 lakh out of those people are with us. Some people belong to Jharkhand, while others are from West Bengal and other states," he said.They are in home quarantine and information on them could be obtained as the committees were formed by the state government at the district, block, village and panchayat levels, Soren said."We have also set up information centres. There is one for people within the state and the other is for people from our state stuck in other states," he said.The chief minister also said Jharkhand was largely dependent on the Centre for resources and would need a dedicated financial package to deal with the crisis."Due to the imposition of the GST, the central government has already broken the back of states. We would need a dedicated package from the Centre. We would also need more health equipment," he said.Soren said the Centre had given about Rs 250 crore to Jharkhand from the package announced by it nationally and it also received some pending dues, but that is not enough.The Jharkhand chief minister also asserted that India's federalism had manifested itself during the COVID-19 crisis and many chief ministers were coordinating with each other."In this time of crisis, the strength of the federal structure has come to the fore. I spoke personally with various CMs-Kerala (Pinarayi Vijayan), Maharashtra (Uddhav Thackeray) and Delhi (Arvind Kejriwal) -where our people are stuck," Soren said."Based on total calls received in the Migrants Helpline control room, approximately 7 lakh of our people are outside the state. There are two nodal officers appointed for each state, they have also done good work. I would like to thank the CMs of other states who have helped our people," he said.Soren said the Kerala chief minister had even told him that people from Jharkhand will even be provided "chawal (rice) and dal" instead of South Indian food, but they must stay put.An example of cooperation among chief ministers was witnessed earlier this week when Soren asked Tamil Nadu Chief Minister E Palaniswami to act over the issue of about 200 women being forced to work at an apparel firm in Tamil Nadu. The Tamil Nadu chief minister ordered immediate action and the women were rescued.Asked about the impending decision on whether to open the lockdown at the end of the 21-day period, Soren said, "Opening of the lockdown is a big challenge. It needs to be assessed keeping in mind that social distancing and health services do not collapse."He said the lockdown has to be opened like shifting the gears of a car."We are focusing on social security and the health sector. When the lockdown ends, our people stuck in various places where the effect of the coronavirus is high, like in Delhi, may return and if a coronavirus infected person comes in and goes to the villages, it can lead to spike in cases," he said.The medical facilities that the state has are very limited and it is dependent on assistance from the Centre, he said."Till now we have demanded 1,500 ventilators but have got none. Similarly, there are just 8 testing machines, out of which only 4 are operational," Soren said, underlining the limited resources his state has in fighting the coronavirus crisis.Till now, at least 13 cases of COVID-19 have been reported in Jharkhand with one death.Asked about the state having a very low number of cases, he said Jharkhand has its advantages as well as disadvantages and while it is among the most backward states, it has hilly areas and settlements are scattered helping in the implementation of social distancing. ASK ANBANB

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