Good morning,The BJP-Shinde Sena coalition won the trust vote with 164 votes, the same number it previously garnered in the Speaker’s election. The last day of the special assembly session was marked by an emotional speech from Shinde, who referred to the death of two of his children in a boat accident in June 2000. He also tried to reassure his political rivals saying: “We don’t subscribe to the politics of vendetta…”🔴 Having comfortably won the floor test, the coalition may not press for disqualification of the 15 MLAs left with Uddhav Thackeray. Highly placed sources in the BJP said the party wanted “truce”, even though Speaker Rahul Narwekar said he would seek their disqualification as they had ignored a whip issued by the Shinde side for the Speaker election.🔴 Meanwhile, the failure of 11 Congress MLAs, including former CM Ashok Chavan, to cast their vote in the floor test led to raised eyebrows within the party with senior leaders raising concern and questioning their “recklessness” and “casual behaviour”. Chavan said: “We were late by two or three minutes. They closed the gates. There is no foul play. We were stuck in traffic.”At least 26 recommendations for appointment of judges to the Bombay High Court, which is currently functioning at almost half its sanctioned strength, are pending with the government at different stages of consideration, The Indian Express has learnt. The Bombay High Court currently has 57 judges against a sanctioned strength of 96 judges. At least five more judges are expected to retire this year.Scientists in India probing the possible causes for the recent rise in Coronavirus cases said BA.2.75, one of the several sub-variants of the parent Omicron variant, was now one of the most commonly detected sub-variant in the country in recent results of genome sequencing. It has been found to have an 18 per cent growth advantage over the other currently circulating Omicron sub-variants. However, there is no evidence as of now to suggest that the BA.2.75 also causes a more severe form of infection.The government has barred hotels and restaurants from adding service charge “automatically or by default” in the food bill. It said that in case of violation, a consumer can ask the hotel/ restaurant to remove the service charge, or seek redressal by filing a complaint.As drama swirled around the Maharashtra government’s survival, one of the characters at the heart of it was a politician from Haryana, Sonia Doohan. The 30-year-old national president of the NCP students’ wing was held along with an aide for allegedly using fake identification documents to check into a hotel in Goa, where Sena rebels were staying. Doohan, who played an “important role in the fall of the three-day BJP government in 2019” according to NCP’s Dheeraj Sharma, has denied the allegations.A day after their capture of two heavily armed LeT militants, the residents of Tukson village in J&K remain firm: they will not give way to terrorists, at any cost. One of the residents involved in the capture, a BA student, told The Indian Express about how he had alerted his brother of two “unknown people posing as traders” at a dhok. This led to a gathering of seven residents, who formed a cordon, and eventually went on to overpower the duo.A year since the Covid-induced oxygen crisis, hospitals in Delhi are struggling to keep the pressure-swing adsorption (PSA) plants going. Most of them switch on the plant once a week or for a couple of hours every day to ensure that the machine remains functional. The reason for this are multiple: High operation and maintenance cost, lower quality of oxygen generated, and fear of antagonising the regular liquid medical oxygen suppliers.Mumbai’s chawl and low-income housing localities have always boasted of a community dance culture. B-Girl Bar-B, born Siddhi Tambe, took her first steps in Breaking at a similar community centre. The 18-year-old has now earned a ticket to New York after emerging India champ at the Red Bull BC One Cypher earlier this month. We take a look at her journey.Delhi Confidential: Union Minister Amit Shah annually visits his village on the occasion of Bhaidooj and the second day of Navratri and participates in the meeting of Primary Agricultural Credit Societies. Shah revealed this while responding to Cabinet colleague Parshottam Rupala, who took a jibe at cooperative leaders and asked them how they contribute to the sector, during an event to mark the 100th International Day of Cooperatives.In today’s episode of the ‘3 things’ podcast, we talk about Maharashtra’s new government clearing the floor test in the Assembly and the protests against its decision to build a metro shed in Aarey forest. We also discuss a fratricide case in BSF and the rising concern of mental health issues among police forces.Until tomorrow,Leela Prasad and Sonal Gupta
The four-day old Shiv Sena-BJP government will face the floor test on July 4 during the special two-day session of the Legislative Assembly beginning here Sunday.The election to the post of the Speaker of the House will be held Sunday after the House proceedings begin at 11 am, an official said.Sena MLA and Uddhav Thackeray loyalist Rajan Salvi is the candidate of the Shiv Sena-NCP-Congress combine for the Speaker’s election. He is pitted against first-time BJP legislator Rahul Narvekar.Rebel Shiv Sena MLAs who support Shinde returned to Mumbai from Goa on Saturday evening on the eve of the Assembly session, and were lodged in a luxury hotel in south Mumbai, where Vidhan Bhavan, venue of the floor test, is located.NCP chief Sharad Pawar claimed that Narhari Zirwal, the deputy Speaker, can perform officiating Speaker’s duties even though a no-confidence motion is pending against him. The post of Speaker is vacant since February last year after Nana Patole of Congress quit.As many as 50 MLAs who support Shinde, including 39 rebel legislators of the Shiv Sena, on Saturday evening flew to Mumbai from Goa by a chartered flight. Shinde, who had flown to Goa in the morning, accompanied them back.Shinde has the support of 10 legislators of smaller parties and independents and 106 MLAs of the BJP in the 288-member House.Following is the party position in the Assembly: Shiv Sena 55, NCP 53, Congress 44, BJP 106, Bahujan Vikas Aghadi 3, Samajwadi Party 2, AIMIM 2, Prahar Janshakti Party 2, MNS 1, CPI (M) 1, PWP 1, Swambhimani Paksha 1, Rashtriya Samaj Paksha 1, Jansurajya Shakti Party 1, Krantikari Shetkari Party 1, and Independents 13.There is a vacancy due to the death of Shiv Sena MLA Ramesh Latke last month.Two NCP members – Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar and Food and Civil Supplies Minister Chhagan Bhujbal – have tested COVID-19 positive, while two other party legislators – Anil Deshmukh and Nawab Malik – are currently in jail.
WITH THE Speaker’s election slated for Sunday after Shiv Sena announced the candidature of its MLA Rajan Salvi for the post against BJP’s Rahul Narwekar, the stage is set for the first test for the newly sworn-in Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and his group of Sena rebels, and for BJP and the Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis.Shinde and Fadnavis were sworn in on Thursday and the Governor has called for a special session of the assembly on Sunday and Monday for the Speaker’s election followed by a floor test. The election will mark the first battle in the House between Uddhav Thackeray-led Sena which has 16 MLAs, and Shnde-led rebel group with 39 MLAs.On Saturday, Shiv Sena chief whip Sunil Prabhu issued a whip, asking all the MLAs to be present in the assembly and cast their votes in favour of Salvi.Replying to the whip issued by Prabhu, Chief Minister Shinde asserted that it does not apply to his group as they have more than two-thirds of the total 55 Sena MLAs. He said, “We will face the floor test and we will win”.Sources said a separate whip is likely to be issued by the Shinde faction for the election and the floor test.Ajay Chaudhari, Shiv Sena legislative party leader said, “We have a strategy in place but I can’t disclose it now.’’ Shiv Sena MP Arvind Sawant said, “We will fight the Speaker’s election and we believe in the Constitution. I have heard that the Shinde faction spokesperson Deepak Kesarkar said that Uddhav Thackeray is their leader. These MLAs now must obey the whip and vote for Rajan Salvi.”Shiv Sena parliamentary party leader Vinayak Raut said, “We have issued a whip that the rebel MLAs should vote for Rajan Salvi. If they don’t, it will be an added material in our case in Supreme Court for disqualifying them.”A three-time MLA, Salvi was accompanied by Shiv Sena MP Arvind Sawant, Sena legislature party leader Ajay Chaudhari, state NCP chief Jayant Patil, and Congress legislative party leader Balasaheb Thorat while filing his nomination for the election.Meanwhile, late Friday night, Thackeray sacked Shinde from the post of Shiv Sena leader in party organisation for indulging in “anti party activities’ ‘.“Dear Shri Shinde, You have been indulging in anti-party activities and have also voluntarily given up your membership of Shiv Sena. Therefore, in exercise of the powers vested in me as the Shiv Sena Paksha Pramukha, I remove you from the post of Shiv Sena leader in the party organisation,” the letter issued by Thackeray read.The move came after Shinde and Devendra Fadnavis took oath as CM and deputy CM respectively on Thursday. Sources in Shinde camp said that they will challenge the letter legally.Ahead of the Speaker’s election, the rebel Sena MLAs and Independent MLAs returned to Mumbai on Saturday evening after spending almost 11 days out of the state — first in Gujarat, then in Assam, and then in Goa. They arrived in Mumbai on a special flight and will be camped at a south Mumbai five-star hotel along with BJP MLAs.Addressing them, CM Shinde asserted that the whip of state legislative leader Bharat Gogawale, who is a part of his group, will be applicable to them, and not that of Shiv Sena’s which has been reduced to a minority.Security was beefed up in Mumbai and police security was deployed along the route from Mumbai airport to South Mumbai hotel to avoid any untoward incident.As the floor test is also scheduled on Monday, Shiv Sena president and former CM Uddhav Thackeray held meetings with party leaders to carve out a strategy. Congress MLC Bhai Jagtap and Congress working president Charan Singh Sapra also met Thackeray at Matorshree Saturday afternoon and all MVA leaders held a meeting in the evening.The NCP legislature party will hold a meeting on Sunday morning to decide their strategy. State NCP president Jayant Patil said, “I feel elections should not be held. All three parties gave a letter… We have a deputy Speaker, Narhari Zirwal, and he has the right to run the House… When the government has changed, Koshyari has allowed elections for a Speaker and people are watching these developments.”Congress spokesperson Atul Londhe said, “Earlier, MVA demanded election of Speaker and it was denied by the Governor quoting law related to elections. Now, we can’t understand the reason to have elections. The Governor should not forget that he is a constitutional authority, and not a BJP worker.”
PANAJI: Health minister Vishwajit Rane said people must follow Covid-19 appropriate behaviour and that the government cannot bring in curbs. "Economic activity and health must coexist," he said. He, however, appealed to people to wear masks in crowded places. "Citizens feel that the government has to do everything," he said. "With active cases crossing 200, there is a rising trend and we all have to stay safe," Rane said in a video message to citizens. He appealed to people with flu symptoms and bodyache to get tested. State epidemiologist Dr Utkarsh Betodkar said the state's positivity rate has been above five per cent over the past four days. "During week 15 of this year, weekly cases dropped to as low as 13. But now we are seeing 176 cases a week. This is definitely a rise, a small rise. Whether it will turn into a major wave will have to be seen," he said. "If the Omicron variant continues to be dominant, the admission rate will be low and death rate under control," Betodkar said. He added that after 68 samples were recently tested at the new genomic sequencing lab at Asilo hospital, the only variant in circulation appeared to be Omicron, which was the same one present during the mild third wave. When asked whether masks should be made compulsory for schools and government establishments, director of health services Dr Geeta Kakodkar said, "Nothing should be made compulsory. It should be a social responsibility to wear masks." Regarding advice to government officials and ministers holding large functions, and whether these should be allowed at all, she said, "All are adults and can choose whether to go or not."
Panaji: Health minister Vishwajit Rane, while appealing to citizens to follow Covid-appropriate behaviour, said the government cannot be expected to bring in restrictions as Goa is a tourist-oriented destination. “Economic activity and health must coexist,” he said. He, however, appealed to people to wear masks in crowded places. “Citizens feel that the government has to do everything,” he said. “With active cases crossing 200, there is a rising trend and we all have to stay safe,” Rane said in a video message to citizens. He appealed to people with flu symptoms and bodyache to get tested. State epidemiologist Dr Utkarsh Betodkar said the state’s positivity rate has been above five per cent over the past four days. “During week 15 of this year, weekly cases dropped to as low as 13. But now we are seeing 176 cases a week. This is definitely a rise, a small rise. Whether it will turn into a major wave will have to be seen,” he said. “If the Omicron variant continues to be dominant, the admission rate will be low and death rate under control,” Betodkar said. He added that after 68 samples were recently tested at the new genomic sequencing lab at Asilo hospital, the only variant in circulation appeared to be Omicron, which was the same one present during the mild third wave. When asked whether masks should be made compulsory for schools and government establishments, director of health services Dr Geeta Kakodkar said, “Nothing should be made compulsory. It should be a social responsibility to wear masks.” Regarding advice to government officials and ministers holding large functions, and whether these should be allowed at all, she said, “All are adults and can choose whether to go or not.”
Panaji: Health minister Vishwajit Rane on Friday said that 95% of the eligible population has completed the second dose of Covid-19 vaccine. He also said that there is no shortage of oxygen in the state. Rane said that Covid-19 patients infected with the Omicron variant mostly opt for home treatment and that there are few hospitalisations. “Omicron is prevalent all over the country and we have to deal with it. In anticipation that there could be a rise in cases, we have made all provisions on what needs to be done at stage 1, stage 2 and stage 3 and level 1, level 2 and level 3,” Rane said. Asked if there is a need to impose lockdown or curfew to control the spread of Omicron, he said, “When you take a decision, it has to be an overall decision. Any such decision has to be thoroughly deliberated by the government. Isolation days have been reduced from 10 to seven. The situation is evolving in different ways. Let’s us see how things move ahead and accordingly we will take a decision. We are closely monitoring the situation every day to ensure it does get out of hand.”
Panaji: Over 7,500 15-18-year-olds took first doses of their vaccines on Tuesday. State immunologist Dr Rajendra Borkar said that Monday’s count was updated and stood at 8,500. Similarly, Tuesday’s count will also be updated. “We have been able to vaccinated 20% of the 15-18 target population in two days. We hope to finish this population within a week before vaccination begins for healthcare and front-line workers on January 10,” Dr Borkar said. When asked about any adverse effects following vaccination of the adolescents, Dr Borkar said there hasn’t been a single serious case. “We have had two cases of fainting which can happen with any injection but they recovered within five to ten minutes and went back,” he told reporters. “It is necessary to get this age group vaccinated to protect them as well as the elderly and those with comorbidities before they could become super-spreaders. All parents must bring their children to school to get vaccinated,” he said. Reacting to Whatsapp messages claiming expired vaccines were being used, director of health services, Dr Ira Almeida told reporters on Tuesday that Goa has received around 75,000 doses of Covaxin which expire in September 2022 and that people should not worry. Dr Almeida said most of those who have fallen ill and have succumbed to Covid-19 are those who are unvaccinated. She added, “With 95% of the population vaccinated, the state doesn’t have to panic as there is a major difference between the second and third waves.” Vaccination for the 15-18 year category is being held on rotation basis in schools with some yet to begin their vaccination sessions. Although health ministry guidelines don’t make written consent from parents mandatory, the health department had initially circulated the forms and schools are ensuring that parents give their assent. The target population of the 15-18-year-olds is 74,192 and the state that has already received around 75,000 doses is expecting another one lakh doses. The adolescents will take the second dose of their Covaxin after 28 days. State epidemiologist Dr Utkarsh Betodkar told reporters that Covid patients currently hospitalised are those who are either unvaccinated or have comorbid conditions, of which uncontrolled diabetes tops the list. Another 796 persons in the 18+ category took their first dose of the vaccine on Tuesday and 2,478 their second dose.
Inoculation against COVID-19 for 15-18 age group in 529 schoolsPanaji: The state will kick-start COVID-19 vaccination for children in the age-group of 15-18 from Monday.The Directorate of Health Services (DHS) is targeting to complete the first dose of vaccination for an estimated 72,000 eligible beneficiaries in the 15-18 age group in the next four days. Children can register and book vaccination slots online on CoWin portal or do spot registration when the DHS team visits their schools.Last week, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had informed about the decision of his government to expand the country’s COVID-19 vaccination drive so as to include children between 15 and 18 years of age.All such teenagers in the state will be administered the first dose of Covaxin at their respective government, government-aided and private secondary and higher secondary schools from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. A special vaccination room has been made ready for the purpose in altogether 529 schools around the state.These youngsters – mostly students from class X to XII – will receive their second dose 28 days following administration of the first. The educational institutions will also provide manpower to the officials of the DHS during the vaccination exercise.Director of Education Bhushan Sawaikar informed this daily that the parents of the teenagers receiving the vaccine would have to sign a related consent form. He further informed that those teens between 15 and 18 years, who are not studying in any school or are dropouts can visit health centre near their place of residence and avail the facility of the vaccine.The students will be kept under observation for half-an-hour following the administration of the vaccine.In the event of the youngsters failing to take the first dose of vaccine during the week-long vaccination drive, they would be referred to the nearby health centre. Such students will be allowed to take the vaccine at the health centre every Wednesday.The students will also be provided with a helpline number so that they can get replies to their pre-vaccination as well as post-vaccination queries.Meanwhile, Health Minister Vishwajit Rane informed that necessary arrangements and preparations have been made by the DHS to roll out the vaccination and added that multiple teams of healthcare workers and professionals have been formed to inoculate the children.Earlier in the day, Rane attended a virtual meeting, along with senior health officers, that was chaired by Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya to review the state’s preparedness to tackle the worsening of COVID-19 situation and also to intensify vaccination drive to further improve coverage.“There is a need to flatten the (rising COVID-19) curve to stop the spread of the virus. I have suggested that there should be a uniform guideline for every state and if required freedom to tweak and implement it,” Rane said interacting with media persons after the meeting.He claimed that “several” passengers of a cruise ship that arrived from Mumbai to Goa have tested positive for COVID-19.“The particular ship has over 2,000 passengers and several of them have been found to be positive. I have issued directions that they shouldn’t be allowed to dock the ship until everyone is tested,” Rane said.
Panaji: Health minister Vishwajit Rane said on Sunday that 72,000 students in the 15-18 age group would be administered the first dose of the Covid vaccine Covaxin within four days, beginning on Monday. Last week, PM Narendra Modi, in a public address, had opened the vaccination drive to this age group, as well as to senior citizens with comorbidities. Rane said that the government is ready to administer the first dose to students aged 15-18, and added that the state has sufficient vaccines to vaccinate them. The students will be administered the vaccine across 529 schools. The health department is planning to vaccinate as many students as possible in this age group within the next four days, so that the vaccination doesn’t overlap with the third wave, said director of health services Dr Ira Almeida. The director said this would also leave students with enough time to build immunity, so that they do not contribute to the spread of the virus. The expert committee recently recommended that all schools be shut for 15 days during the current surge in Covid-19 cases. Immunisation officer Dr Rajendra Borkar said that consent forms from parents are not mandatory, and children can get vaccinated at their schools, which are coordinating with the health department. Those who have comorbidities or are anxious about taking the vaccine can opt to get it done at a district hospital or primary health centre on Wednesday mornings, he said.
Many states and UTs are soon expected to achieve 100 per cent vaccination very quickly, the statement said. (File photo/PTI)Schools Shut, Offices Allowed With 50% Workforce from Monday: Bengal Govt Issues Covid Curbs. Check HereThe West Bengal government on Sunday announced to re-impose stricter Covid-related restrictions due to the surge in the number of coronavirus cases in the state. At a press conference, Chief Secretary HK Dwivedi said the new restrictions will come into effect from January 3 and will be in place till January 15. READ MOREGoa Aims to Vaccinate All 72,000 Children in 15-18 Age Group with First Dose in Next 4 Days: MinisterThe Goa government is aiming to inoculate all 72,000 children in the 15-18 age group against COVID-19 with the first dose in the next four days after vaccination opens for them on Monday, state Health Minister Vishwajit Rane said on Sunday. Rane attended a meeting of Health Ministers of states chaired by Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya. READ MORETMC"s Presence in Goa to Help BJP in Polls, Claims Sanjay RautGoa Reports 1,789 Covid-19 Cases; Positivity Rate Up to 23.25 PcKareena Kapoor Khan Praises Brother-in-Law Kunal Kemmu’s Caption Game on This Adorable Pic With Soha Ali KhanKareena Kapoor Khan, who shares a very close bond with her sister-in-law Soha Ali Khan and her husband Kunal Kemmu was recently impressed by the latter and that too for his caption game. The actor took to Instagram to share a couple of photos with her, in one of which they can be seen embracing each other. READ MOREAAP Slams Channi Govt for Not Arresting Majithia as His Photos Surface OnlineAAP leader Raghav Chadha on Sunday slammed the Charanjit Singh Channi government in Punjab for not arresting Akali leader Bikram Singh Majithia who has been booked under the NDPS Act. Alleging that Majithia is roaming around openly, Chadha claimed that pictures of the Akali leader surfaced on social media on Saturday showing him paying obeisance at the Golden Temple. READ MOREIt’s Been a Pleasure to Work With Someone Like Virat Kohli: Rahul Dravid Hails Test Captain’s LeadershipTeam India head coach Rahul Dravid heaped huge praise on Virat Kohli for his leadership qualities and keeping the morale high of the group after arrival in South Africa. Kohli has been under a lot of scanners for his off-field controversies with the BCCI regarding his T20I captaincy relinquishment but the head coach feels that the 33-year-old has been absolutely phenomenal over the last 20 days. READ MORE2 Tourists Found Dead in Uttarakhand’s Chamoli Were from Mumbai: PoliceThe two tourists, who were found dead at a snow-laden alpine meadow in Chamoli district, were from Mumbai, police said on Sunday. They were identified as Sanjiv Gupta (50) and Sinsa Gupta (35), Joshimath station house officer Rajendra Singh Kholia said. Sanjiv and Sinsa had travelled to Auli, a famous skiing destination in the state, by a ropeway on December 31, Kholia said. The cause of their death is being investigated, he said. READ MORERead all the Latest News, Breaking News and Coronavirus News here.
Goa will set up a genome sequencing machine in the next 15 days to avoid delay in the testing of suspected Omicron var.iant samples (Representative image/PTI)Panaji: The Goa government is aiming to inoculate all 72,000 children in the 15-18 age group against COVID-19 with the first dose in the next four days after vaccination opens for them on Monday, state Health Minister Vishwajit Rane said on Sunday. Rane attended a meeting of Health Ministers of states chaired by Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya.He said Mandaviya reviewed preparations for rolling out the vaccination drive. "Goa has already received 72,000 doses to vaccinate the children between the age group of 15 to 18 years, which would be administered within 3-4 days from January 3 onwards," Rane told reporters. He said teams of medical professionals will visit schools if needed. Rane said the Goa government was taking all measures as per protocols to flatten the COVID-19 curve. Responding to a query, the health minister said a cruise ship with 2,000 passengers on board was not allowed to dock at Goa port on Sunday. Operators of this cruise ship have been asked to conduct COVID-19 tests on all the passengers through the Vasco-based Salgaonkar Medical Research Centre (SMRC) Hospital before allowing them to alight.Rane also said Goa will set up a genome sequencing machine in the next 15 days to avoid delay in the testing of suspected Omicron variant samples, which are currently sent to the Pune-based NIV. He said Chief Minister Pramod Sawant will hold a meeting of Task Force on Monday in which certain measures are likely to be announced to curb the spread of coronavirus infections. .Read all the Latest News, Breaking News and Coronavirus News here.Panaji: The Goa government is aiming to inoculate all 72,000 children in the 15-18 age group against COVID-19 with the first dose in the next four days after vaccination opens for them on Monday, state Health Minister Vishwajit Rane said on Sunday. Rane attended a meeting of Health Ministers of states chaired by Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya.He said Mandaviya reviewed preparations for rolling out the vaccination drive. "Goa has already received 72,000 doses to vaccinate the children between the age group of 15 to 18 years, which would be administered within 3-4 days from January 3 onwards," Rane told reporters. He said teams of medical professionals will visit schools if needed. Rane said the Goa government was taking all measures as per protocols to flatten the COVID-19 curve. Responding to a query, the health minister said a cruise ship with 2,000 passengers on board was not allowed to dock at Goa port on Sunday. Operators of this cruise ship have been asked to conduct COVID-19 tests on all the passengers through the Vasco-based Salgaonkar Medical Research Centre (SMRC) Hospital before allowing them to alight.Rane also said Goa will set up a genome sequencing machine in the next 15 days to avoid delay in the testing of suspected Omicron variant samples, which are currently sent to the Pune-based NIV. He said Chief Minister Pramod Sawant will hold a meeting of Task Force on Monday in which certain measures are likely to be announced to curb the spread of coronavirus infections. .Read all the Latest News, Breaking News and Coronavirus News here.
