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Fact check: Centre not providing Rs 3,500 as unemployment allowance

New Delhi (NVI): There is no scheme by the Centre under the name of ‘Pradhan Mantri Berozgaar Berojgaar Bhatta Yojana’ in which it is providing an unemployment allowance of Rs 3,500 per month, the Fact Check Unit of the Press Information Bureau (PIB) clarified today.

PIB, through its special Fact Check Twitter handle informed that no such scheme is being run by the Centre. Any such claim on social media or Whatsapp is fake, it said.

“Claim: A Whatsapp message is claiming that the Indian government is providing Rs 3,500 to all unemployed under ‘Pradhanmantri Berozgaar Bhatta Yojana’.

“#PIBFactCheck: The claim and the blog link provided in the message is fake. The Central government does not have any such scheme,” it tweeted.


The fake message was doing rounds on social media, especially Whatsapp.

Record 1,074 patients cured in 24 hrs, total 11,706 so far: Health Min

Health Ministry Joint secretary Lav Agarwal at press briefing today. (PIB)

New Delhi (NVI): A total of 11,706 Covid-19 patients have been cured in the country so far, with a record 1,074 recoveries in the last 24 hours, the Union Health Ministry said today.

“So far, a total of 11,706 people have been cured. This takes our total recovery rate to 27.52%. The total number of confirmed cases is now 42,533. Since yesterday, an increase of 2,553 has been noted in the number of COVID-19 confirmed cases in India,” said Lav Agarwal, Joint Secretary, Health Ministry.

During the daily press briefing, Agarwal said that 29,453 cases are under active medical supervision currently.

The Joint Secretary added: “As of now we have 426 COVID19 testing labs in the Country. We are ensuring gradual increase in the number of labs as per need and there is no shortage of testing kits. As per sampling criteria, the testing numbers are increasing.”

According to the Ministry, outcome ratio (Recovered vs. Death) for all closed cases, which indicates the clinical management status in the hospitals was analysed since 17th April, and it is observed that there is an improvement in the country compared to that prior to 17th April 2020 (Outcome ratio was 80:20) while as of today it is 90:10.

Earlier today, Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan reviewed preparedness and containment measures taken for the management of COVID-19 in Madhya Pradesh through Video Conferencing. Narottam Mishra, Health Minister of Madhya Pradesh and Ashwini Kumar Choubey, Minister of State of Health and Family Welfare along with senior officials from both Centre and State also participated.

Various issues regarding contact tracing, surveillance, strengthening house-to-house active case finding, awareness generation among the people regarding seeking treatment for non-COVID disease management, etc., were deliberated and discussed, the Health Ministry said in a statement.

Indians stranded abroad to be brought back from May 7: Centre

(File/Representational Image)

New Delhi (NVI): The Ministry of Home Affairs today said that the Indian government will facilitate the return of Indian nationals stranded abroad amid the coronavirus pandemic, in a phased manner from May 7.

“Government of India will be facilitating the return of Indian nationals stranded abroad on compelling grounds in a phased manner,” the MHA said in a statement while adding that the travel would be arranged by aircraft and naval ships.

The Standard Operating Protocol (SOP) has been prepared in this regard, it said.

The Home Ministry said that Indian Embassies and High Commissions are preparing a list of distressed Indian citizens. “This facility would be made available on payment-basis. Non-scheduled commercial flights would be arranged for air travel. The travel would begin in a phased manner from May 7,” the MHA statement read.

Proper safety measures will be in place and medical screening of passengers would be done before taking the flight. Only asymptomatic passengers would be allowed to travel, the ministry said. During the journey, all these passengers would have to follow the protocols, such as the Health Protocols, issued by the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Civil Aviation, it said.

MHA further stated that on reaching the destination, everyone would have to register on the Arogya Setu app. The app was

launched by Centre on April 1 to track down the increasing coronavirus cases across the country.

Everyone would be medically screened and after scrutiny, they would be quarantined for 14 days, either in a hospital or in an institutional quarantine on payment-basis, by the concerned State government, the ministry added. After 14 days of essential quarantine, COVID test would be done and further action would be taken according to health protocols, it said.

In this regard, State governments are being advised to make arrangements, including for testing, quarantine and onward movement of the returning Indians, the ministry informed.

3 CRPF personnel killed in shootout at Kashmir’s Kupwara, minor boy also dead

File Photo

Abid Bashir

Srinagar (NVI): At least three CRPF personnel were killed and one was critically injured after a patrolling party was attacked by terrorists at Kralgund area of Handwara in north Kashmir’s Kupwara district, the force officials said today.

A 14-year-old handicapped boy was also killed as he was caught in the crossfire, a police official said. Earlier, CRPF spokesperson had said that a militant was killed at the spot.

“One unidentified militant has been killed. Three CRPF men have been injured in the attack. It was an attack on CRPF party that was responded effectively,” CRPF spokesperson in Srinagar, Pankaj Singh told NVI, adding that a CRPF jawan, who also got hit in the gunbattle, is critical.

He said security forces have cordoned off the area and a search for other attackers was launched.

The attack comes a day after an Army Colonel, a Major, two soldiers and a J&K police sub-inspector lost their lives in an encounter at Chanjimulla area of Handwara. Two militants were also killed in the overnight gunfight, including a top Lashkar-e-Taiba commander from Pakistan.

Pakistan violates ceasefire along LoC in J&K’s Rajouri

Ceasefire
Representational image

Jammu (NVI): Pakistani troops initiated an unprovoked ceasefire violation along Line of Control (LoC) in Nowshera and Sunderbani sectors in Jammu and Kashmir’s Rajouri district today, defence officials said.

“…At about 1600 hours, Pak initiated unprovoked ceasefire violation by firing with Small Arms & shelling with Mortars along LoC in Nowshera Sector, District Rajouri(J&K),” they said, adding that Indian Army is retaliating.

Later, the Pakistani Army also violated ceasefire in Sunderbani sector at around 1630 hours, they added.

In another news, three CRPF personnel were killed and one was critically injured after a patrolling party was attacked by terrorists at Kralgund area of Handwara in north Kashmir’s Kupwara district.

(More details awaited)

Covid-19 deaths reach 471 in Pakistan; cases top 20,000

New Delhi (NVI): Pakistan is witnessing a rapid increase in the positive cases of coronavirus with more than a 1,500 cases being reported in the last 24 hours, taking the total cases to 20,725 with at least 471 fatalities being recorded so far.

Looking at the breakdown of cases, Sindh province has reported 7,882 coronavirus cases, highest among all the provinces, while Punjab has 7,646 positive cases.

On the other hand, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa has recorded 3,129 cases, Balochistan is at 1,218, Gilgit-Baltistan at 364, Islamabad at 415 and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir is at 71 cases so far, according to Geo News.

In addition to this, Pakistan had reported 400 recoveries in the last 24 hours taking the number of recovered patients to 4,715 in Pakistan.

Meanwhile, Sindh province has banned all religious gatherings during the holy month of Ramzan in a bid to contain the spread of coronavirus.

Coronavirus cases exceed 10,000-mark in Bangladesh

(Image source: United News of Bangladesh)

New Delhi (NVI): The total number of deaths from coronavirus continues to rise in Bangladesh as 5 more people have died in the last 24 hours, taking the total casualties in the country to 182.

Besides, a whopping 688 new cases of coronavirus infection were reported during this period, raising the number of such cases in the country to 10,143, according to United News of Bangladesh.

Meanwhile, the number of doctors infected by coronavirus reached 554, according to the Bangladesh Doctors Foundation report.

In addition to this, 9 firefighters, including an officer, of Fire Service and Civil Defence (FSCD) have been diagnosed with coronavirus so far.

Considering the worsening situation, the government is about to extend the general holiday again to prevent the transmission of the deadly virus, media reports states.

Once a Maoist, this Telangana MLA is helping tribals, poor amid lockdown

New Delhi (NVI): 49-year-old Danasari Anansuya, an MLA from Mulugu in Telangana, is busy nowadays distributing food and essentials to poor people in tribal areas of her constituency since the lockdown began.

A former Maoist for 11 years, Anasuya starts off on a tractor daily around 9 am with the supplies and spends the whole day, braving scorching heat, in distributing food and essentials at villages located in every corner of her constituency.

Anasuya doesn’t mind crossing rivulets, jungles, or rocky terrains while walking miles to feed her people who live at some places or remote villages where vehicles can’t go.

Fondly called ‘Seethakka’, the Congress MLA has started a #GoHungerGo campaign, winning the internet with her videos and photos where she is seen distributing food grains, vegetables, oil and other essential commodities to people.

In her yesterday’s video post on Twitter, Seethakka said that while crossing five mountains on her way back, a twist in her leg made her return painful, but could not at all dampen her spirit to help people.

“While crossing 5 mountains on my way back a twist in my leg made my return painful, hope I see a great morning tomorrow were I enter 40th day of #GoHungerGo corona help,” she tweeted.


The MLA has been praised by Twitterati as well as other social media users for her undaunted spirit. One such tweet read: “Doesn’t the video look like that of a migrant worker waking to her village? But it isn’t! This is an MLA carrying essentials in the hot sun and rocky path to far-flung tribal villages. Seethakka has been doing this for about 39days now. Spellbound by her dedication.”

On May 3, Anasuya tweeted that it was her 39th day of helping people at a village where she reached after covering a distance of 16 km on bike and walk.

“16 kilometres with bike and walk #corona help in ponugolu village 39th Day distribution of Rice,vegetables,oil etc #GoHungerGo,” she tweeted.

A member of the Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) Jana Sakthi in the 1990s, Anasuya surrendered arms to join the mainstream in 1994 and became a politician a decade later.

CBIC, I-T Dept warn against fake GST refund messages

New Delhi (NVI): The Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) and the Income Tax department have warned taxpayers not to fall prey to fake messages on GST Refunds by clicking on unverified links.

Apart from CBIC and IT-Department, GSTN network has also asked the people to be careful with any tax refund message as it could be a phishing message to trick the assessees.

“Taxpayers Beware !!! Please do not click on any fake link which promises to give refund. These are phishing messages and are not sent by CBIC or @Infosys_GSTN. Visit http://gst.gov.in for online filings related to GST #IndiaFightsCorona #StaySafe,” CBIC tweeted yesterday. It was also retweeted by PIB’s Fact Check Unit that is an initiative by the Press information Bureau to bust fake news on the internet and social media, especially during the lockdown.

The Income Tax department also tweeted saying: “Taxpayers Beware! Please do not click on any fake link which promises to give refund. These are phishing messages and are not sent by the Income Tax Department.

https://twitter.com/IncomeTaxIndia/status/1256815018596634627

A typical fake message, designed to look like an official message from the department, reads like this:”Due to Covid-19 outbreak, central govt. has decided to provide tax refund to ALL taxpayers, in order to provide them financial ease during lockdown. Click below to claim your refund. (Phishing web link)”.

In order to help the taxpayers during the ongoing financial crisis during lockdown, the I-T Department has expedited the process of issuing all pending tax refunds up to Rs 5 lakh.

Till April 21, the department had issued nearly 14 lakh refunds involving an amount of Rs 9,000 crore to various taxpayers.

Ever since the government decided to fast track income and GST refunds to help taxpayers during the lockdown period, such fake messages are doing the round on social media.

Covid-19: Central teams being deployed in 20 worst-hit districts

Health Ministry
Representative Image

New Delhi (NVI): At least 20 Central Public Health Teams have been formed and are being sent to as many districts that are reporting the maximum number of COVID-19 cases in the country, Union Health Ministry has said.

These teams will support state governments to implement coronavirus containment measures in the affected areas.

The teams will be deployed in the following 20 districts:

1. Mumbai, Maharashtra

2. Ahmedabad, Gujarat

3. Delhi (South East)

4. Indore, Madhya Pradesh

5. Pune, Maharashtra

6. Jaipur, Rajasthan

7. Thane, Maharashtra

8. Surat, Gujarat

9. Chennai, Tamil Nadu

10. Hyderabad, Telangana

11. Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh

12. Jodhpur, Rajasthan

13. Delhi (Central)

14. Agra, Uttar Pradesh

15. Kolkata, West Bengal

16. Kurnool, Andhra Pradesh

17. Vadodara, Gujarat

18. Guntur, Andhra Pradesh

19. Krishna, Andhra Pradesh

20. Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh

These teams shall report to Additional Chief Secretary/Principal Secretary/Secretary of Health of the respective state and assist state health departments in the implementation of containment measures for COVID-19 affected areas within these districts and cities.

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