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Cash transfers, free foodgrains for On Day 2, supply chain

poor in `1.7L cr corona package blockages ease a bit TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Govt Looks To 60% POPN TO GET 5KG WHEAT OR RICE Growth may fall
T
wo days into a 21-day
lockdown, India's
hugely disrupted sup-
Ease Impact Of FARMERS earning less than 15,000 a month in businesses to 3-decade low ply chain for essential com-
➤ Each farmer to get 2,000 in April of up to 100 workers for 3 months modities struggled to get go-
Lockdown ➤ To benefit nearly 9cr farmers and ➤ Amount to be transferred to the PF accounts of 2.6%: SBI ing in the face of a fresh set of
cost about 17,000 cr and prevent the threat of job loss challenges — truckers aban-

T
TIMES NEWS NETWORK he impact of the pandem- doning goods vehicles
FOOD SR CITIZENS, WIDOWS ic and the consequent 21- stranded on highways, man-
New Delhi: The government ➤ 80cr individuals, about 60% of population, to ➤ Govt to provide 1,000 for next day lockdown will push ufacturers running out of in-
on Thursday announced a Rs get 5 kg wheat or rice for 3 months 3 months to senior citizens India’s GDP growth to 2.6% for ventory and delivery agents
1.7 lakh crore package focused ➤ This is in addition to the 5 kg they FY21, the lowest in nearly three of e-tailers refusing to ven-
on emergency cash transfers already get SELF HELP GROUPS decades, according to an esti- ture out for fear of police ha- People queue up for essential service passes in Tirupati
into bank accounts of the poor, ➤ Limit of collateral-free lending to mate released by SBI group rassment — even as state
➤ 1 kg pulses per family for 3 months
along with providing free food-
grains, pulses and cooking gas
be raised from 10 lakh to 20 lakh chief economic adviser Sou-
mya Kanti Ghosh. Ratings
governments and local au-
thorities appeared to remove
GLITCHES THAT NEED FIXING
for three months in a bid to CASH TRANSFERS INSURANCE FOR HEALTH WORKERS agency Crisil has also slashed some of the roadblocks that ➤ Trucks are stranded on highways as
➤ 20.4cr women Jan Dhan account
cushion them from the impact ➤ 50 lakh for health professionals who meet its forecast for next fiscal to had stalled the distribution drivers and helpers are abandoning vehicles
of the coronavirus lockdown holders to get 500 p.m. for 3 months with accident while treating 3.5% from 5.2%, reports Ra- network on the first day. and hiking back home, due to which
Covid-19 patients
and economic disruption
caused by the disease.
GAS CYLINDERS ➤ Govt health centres, wellness
jesh C.
Ghosh said the total cost of
Transporters'
ations and members of the
associ- wholesale markets have been hit by shortage
➤ Free gas cylinders to 8cr poor
Announcing the relief families for 3 months centres and hospitals covered the ongoing lockdown will be at Agriculture Produce Market ➤ Packaged food companies running low on
measures, finance minister ➤ Max 3 gas cylinders ➤ About 22 lakh health workers least Rs 8 lakh crore in nominal Committee said the Centre's inventories and could run out of products in 7-10
Nirmala Sitharaman, howev- to benefit terms — an income loss of Rs decision to exempt goods days if supply chain isn’t normalised. Lack of raw
er, did not touch on loan con- MNREGA CONSTRUCTION WORKERS
1.77 lakh crore and a loss in cap- trucks from highway toll had materials has also forced cos to cut production
cessions or support for the cor- ➤ Wages to be increased by 20 per ital income of Rs 1.7 lakh crore. made little difference be-
porate sector and middle class, day from April 1, to benefit about ➤ States asked to utilise welfare cause drivers and helpers
fund created under a central Act ➤ Delivery execs of e-tailers have refused
saying other concerns would 13.6 crore families
➤ 3.5cr workers registered Sensex rises past had started abandoning
stranded vehicles in antici-
to venture out fearing police harassment
and some have gone back to villages
PF BENEFITS under the fund
FULL COVERAGE
P 2, 3, 4, 5-8, 9, 11 & 12 ➤ Non-recoverable advance of 75% 30k, but closes pation of a prolonged log-
jam.
of the outstanding amount or three DISTRICT MINERAL FUND MHA sets norms Function 24x7: Govt
be “considered separately”. It months wages (whichever is lower) ➤ States asked to use fund for
slightly lower ach
With trucks unable to re-
their destinations,
allowed from EPF for smooth supply to establishments
T
is expected that more mea- medical testing, screening and he sensex, which had ral- wholesale markets have
sures aimed at helping busi- ➤ To benefit 4cr workers under EPF other requirements to prevent lied nearly 1,600 points to been hit by a shortage of
ness could be on the anvil. Two
days ago, an extension in com-
➤ Govt to pay 24% of monthly wages of those spread of Covid -19
Total estimated cost: 1,70,000 cr ( 73,000 cr additional + 97,000 cr already budgeted*) *SBI
over 30,000 early on
Thursday, gave up part of its
agricultural produce, in-
cluding fruits and vegeta- T he Centre on Thurday laid
down standard operating
procedures to maintain the
T he Delhi government has
urged establishments dealing
pliance deadlines relating to early gains after finance min- bles. in essential goods and services to
GST and income tax filings “We have first tried to re- tion of medical professionals that banks charge. The cur- ister Nirmala Sitharaman an- "Truck drivers have supply of essential goods at function 24x7 to ensure steady
had been announced. ach the poorest of the poor so in the current crisis, there will rent package adds up to nounced a Rs 1.7 lakh crore started abandoning trucks local retail shops, large supplies during the lockdown.
The elements of Thurs- that they don’t have to worry be a special insurance scheme around 0.76% of the GDP esti- booster for the poor, while the and hiking back home, even organised retail stores and After a meeting at the LG’s office
day's announcement, such as about how to feed their fam- for doctors, nurses, other mate for the next financial market was also hoping for if these places are 200-300km e-commerce platforms, with the on Thursday, the government
free grains, is a departure ilies,” the minister said, add- health workers, safai staff and year. A one-time non-refunda- stimulus for industries hit from where they are. We re- home ministry underlining that decided to allow e-commerce
from the government’s usual ing that as things develop the Asha workers dealing with ble advance for EPFO sub- hard by Covid-19 pandemic. quest the Centre to urgently all constituents of the supply platforms to deliver essential
stand against handouts but is government will come back Coronavirus cases with a Rs 50 scribers was part of the pack- After shedding about 1,000 ask the states, particularly chain — from manufacturer to supplies, including food,
seen as a response to an un- with more steps. With most lakh cover in case they meet age, which will allow them to points, the index closed at district collectors, to supply wholesaler/retailer — should be pharmaceuticals and medical
precedented crisis caused by elements of the package in with an accident. dip into their corpus and with- 29,947, a gain of 1,411 points. In food and water to our strand- allowed to operate. devices, to homes. Px
the Covid-19 spread on the In- place for three months, the Earlier, the government draw up to 75% of the money just three sessions, the index ed drivers," Bal Malkit
dian and global economy and government seems to expect limited the first exercise to or three months wages, which- has gained nearly 17%, or Singh, chairman of the All Welfare Association esti- aged food industry running
the displacement caused by that the coronavirus crisis easing compliance burden for ever is lower. about 4,300 points. It was its India Motor Transport Con- mates that about 30 lakh out of stocks in a week to 10
the ongoing 21-day national will stabilise by end-June. individuals and companies, best three-day rally since May gress, said. "We are also un- trucks are stuck on high- days if the supply chain
lock down. Recognising the contribu- while waiving some of the fees Continued on P 7 2009. der lockdown, otherwise ways across the country. wasn't normalised immedi-
we'd be making arrange- In the FMCG sector, Bri- ately.
ments for our drivers." tannia CEO Varun Berry
VIRUS WATCH Continued on P 7
With no transport,migrants Put humans The All India Transport flagged the risk of the pack-

CMs bridge above economic

the gap on
migrants
make the long march home targets: Modi to
G20 leaders
State records third Covid
Chief ministers have
reached out to each other
TIMES NEWS NETWORK
TIMES NEWS NETWORK
death, five new +ve cases
A
new humanitarian cri-
on social media seeking
sis may be unfolding in New Delhi: As the world
help for one state’s
migrants stranded in
the country. Tens of tho-
usands of desperate people,
grapples with the Covid-19
threat, PM Narendra Modi Migrants Told To Stay Put; To Be Offered Food & Stay
another. Naveen Patnaik
mainly migrant labour redu- called upon the internatio- TIMES NEWS NETWORK
has promised to bear the
ced to joblessness by the lock- nal community to put hu-
cost of help that other Times News
down and with little or no mo- man beings, rather than Ahmedabad: Gujarat recor-
states offer to Odisha
ney or food, have been strea- economic targets, at the ded the third death due to coro-
people stuck in states,
ming out of major cities for centre of the coordinated re- navirus as a 70-year-old man
while Hemant Soren has
the past few days, attempting sponse to the global health from Bhavnagar succumbed to
sought Arvind Kejriwal’s
foot marches of hundreds of emergency. the viral infection on Thurs-
help for Jharkhand mi-
kilometres to reach their ho- Addressing a special vir- day. Five more positive cases
grants.
mes in India’s small towns and tual G20 summit where the were recorded, taking the total
villages. Some were barefoot, grouping pledged to inject number of cases to 44. In all, Co-
Permit for med stu- and one had handkerchiefs over $5 trillion into the glo-
dents to manage +ve vid-19 has claimed three lives in
wrapped around his feet and bal economy to counter the the state.
cases: In urgent mea- broken slippers stuffed into social and economic impact
sures to ramp up medical The state health & family
his pockets in the hope of repa- Dozens of migrants, most of them daily wage labourers who are now of coronavirus, Modi noted welfare department said the el-
capacity to tackle any
ir. out of job, trudge along a highway near Delhi on Thursday that the meeting was happe- derly man recently travelled to People collect food packets to be distrbuted in Shah-e-Alam on Thursday
sharp rise in Covid-19
These tides of men, and ning three months after the Delhi. After multiple symp-
cases, the government is had a toddler in his arms whi-
women and children, driven vised quarantine are stamped outbreak of what has since toms, he was hospitalized a few to the migrants to stay put. "I ors. It also announced delivery
considering facilitating le his wife walked beside him.
by the uncompromising arith- and being transported to their turned into a pandemic, and of days ago. His report arrived appeal to laborers from Rajast- of food and essential services
fifth-year MBBS students He was hoping he could hitch
metic of survival and fear of villages on buses arranged by said decisions taken by the on Thursday morning. Offici- han, Madhya Pradesh, UP and to the elderly living in six dis-
and retired but practising a ride, or several rides, home.
contracting the novel corona- the administration," Dungar- member countries would als said the man was suffering other states not to rush to their tricts most affected.
doctors to help in manag- pur collector Kanaram told Police checkposts on the
virus, pose a new challenge to shape the world's response from co-morbidities like can- native states. State govern- Rupani conducted a high-
ing patients, if necessary. TOI. outskirts of Jaipur, especially
the government’s all-out at- not just to this but also futu- cer, diabetes and heart disease. ment is making arrangements level discussion with various
tempts to contain the spread of There were thousands lea- along the Jaipur-Agra, Jai- re pandemics and calamiti- Amid exodus of thousands to provide ration and other fa- departments on Thursday and
Covid-19. ving the Delhi National Capi- pur-Sikar and Jaipur-Ajmer es.
WEATHER "Some 26,000 people have tal Region, trudging down the highways, are coming across Sources quoted Modi ex-
of workers from the state, DGP cilities". The state government said that the state would soon
Shivanand Jha on Thursday also announced setting up of a procure 156 ventilators for new-
Max reached Ratanpur, on the Gu- Yamuna Expressway and the people walking back to their horting participants to “put announced that movement on new control room to oversee ly-formed hospitals. In a video
34.0°
................................... jarat-Rajasthan border, in the expressway to Meerut. Raj Ku- villages; they had been asked human beings, rather than roads would not be allowed distribution of essential goods conferencing with Union he-
Min past two-three days. Our te- mar was one; he had set out for by their families to return ho- economic targets, at the
25.0° henceforth. The state govern- and services in Gandhinagar. alth minister Dr Harsh Vard-
Ahmedabad Forecast: Mainly clear ams are listing them, they are home with just Rs 1,000 in me. centre of our vision of glo- ment has assured to provide From Friday onwards, the han, the state reiterated de-
sky. Maximum temp will be around 35°C being screened by medical te- hand. But home was Chhapra bal prosperity and coopera- migrants food and stay facility police have allowed movement mand to allow two new testing
Times Classifieds P 6 ams. Those who have been ad- in Bihar, 1,050 km away. And he Continued on P 7 tion”. through district collectors. of home delivery services to labs in Ahmedabad and one at
CM Vijay Rupani appealed encourage citizens to stay indo- Rajkot.

Dahod policeman puts duty before self Rajkot firm

set to make 5 more deaths take corona
Rejoins Duty ning to the lockdown impo-
sed by the state government, id, “I had to return because of
Hours After Elder
Brother’s Death
did not think twice before em-
barking on a seven-hour jour-
ney to and from Ahmedabad
the prevailing conditions due
to the coronavirus outbreak.
My family too understands
ventilators
Nimesh.Khakhariya
toll to 18, total cases cross 700
DurgeshNandan.Jha
and attend the last rites in the that a policeman has to give @timesgroup.com
@timesgroup.com
Sachin.Sharma remaining few hours. priority to his duty.”
@timesgroup.com On March 24, Jadav’s brot- Jadav said that the crema- Rajkot: A Rajkot-based com- New Delhi: Five deaths from
her Hardevsinh (63) passed tion was attended by only a pany has taken up the task of Covid-19 infections were re-
Vadodara: Even before the away at 3 am in Ahmedabad few close relatives owing to manufacturing ventilators in ported from across the coun-
ashes of his brother’s pyre after prolonged illness. Jadav social distancing and lock- bulk, looking at the massive try on Thursday, the highest
turned cold, police sub-in- informed his seniors and left down. “We were looking to demand in hospitals across single-day count so far, tak-
spector P K Jadav was back at Garbada at around 5am for hold a ‘besna’ later, but the the country where Covid-19 ing the toll from the disease
his post, hiding emotions un- Ahmedabad, and rejoined du- lockdown was extended till patients are being treated. to 18, even as states regis-
der the starched uniform to ty at 3pm on the same day. March 31. It may not be pos- A meeting of various tered 71 new cases.
answer the call of duty. Also consider this, it takes sible to hold it now,” he added. stakeholders was held at the The total number of coro-
During lockdown in the around 3.5 hours to reach Ah- Gujarat Police is actively Rajkot collector’s office two navirus cases thus far in In-
wake of the Covid-19 outbre- medabad from Garbada. Out involved in ensuring the lock- days ago under the leadership dia crossed the 700 mark,
ak, tragedy of the around 10 down in a success. The force of Rahul Gupta, a special co- ending the day at 721, accord-
struck
dav, posted
Ja- LOCKDOWN hours that Jadav
was out of Gar-
is also trying to ensure that
the supply of essential com-
ordination officer appointed
for coronavirus and former
ing to reports from states.
The health ministry con- Idle trains at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus on Day 2 of
at the Garba-
da police sta- HEROES bada, he spent
around seven Gujarat chief minister Vijay
modities is smooth and those
living on the streets or shanti-
collector of Rajkot. The need
for hand sanitizers, personal
firmed six new Covid-19
deaths, which included some
the lockdown in Mumbai on Thursday

tion in Da- hours travel- Rupani appreciated P K Jadav’s es are supplied food, water protective equipment kit, and already reported by TOI. The 694. As per confirmed figures officials said. In Jammu and
hod district, when the news of ling. gesture in a tweet and also and other essentials. ventilator has risen massively total number of deaths con- from states, TOI has report- Kashmir, a 65-year-old trader
the demise of his elder brot- Jadav’s commitment to called him up Dahod police are also with the spread of the virus firmed by the ministry is 16. ed 90-plus cases on two days and preacher from Sopore
her in Ahmedabad reached duty did not go unnoticed as handling the mammoth task and hospitals nation-wide are The health ministry also this week. district became the first Co-
him. Gujarat chief minister Vijay called up Jadav to appreciate of ensuring workers from Ra- reeling under the shortage of reported 88 new cases, the Most deaths have taken vid-19 casualty in the valley.
Jadav, who was extensive- Rupani appreciated the ges- him. jasthan and Madhya Pradesh supply of these essential med- highest official single-day place in elderly people and
ly involved in duties pertai- ture in a tweet. Rupani also Talking to TOI, Jadav sa- reach home. ical equipment. count so far, taking its total to those with co-morbidities, Continued on P 7
 TIMES CITY
Kutch Ahmedabad Gandhinagar

Coronage 1 15 | 1
G U J A R A T
POSITIVE DEATHS
THE TIMES OF INDIA, AHMEDABAD | FRIDAY, MARCH 27, 2020 CASES

44 3
156 236
VENTILATORS TO BE Gujarat gets
permission from the
PROCURED BY THE STATE Election Commission of
Tested on Thursday: 60
Negative: 59
ON PRIORITY FOR SPECIALIZED India (ECI) to use COMPLAINTS FILED Positive: 1
indelible ink to mark Result pending: 0
HOSPITALS CREATED IN persons in home
FOR VIOLATION OF
AHMEDABAD, VADODARA, SURAT quarantine for easy QUARANTINE RULES Rajkot Bhavnagar Surat Vadodara
GOOD SAMARITANS: A group arranged refreshments in
Chandkheda for migrant workers walking back home
AND RAJKOT identification SO FAR 5 1 7 |1 8

LOCKDOWN
DOUBTS GUJARAT TO PROCURE 156 VENTILATORS
WRITE Patients To Be Pics: Yogesh Chawda

Neuberg lab begins

TO US Shifted To
testing in A’bad
To make your life easy during the coronavirus Specialized
lockdown. TOI invites its readers across Gujarat to
send their queries at [email protected] Hospitals TIMES NEWS NETWORK sician with their medical regi-
stration number are required
We will seek answers from Gujarat Police and other TIMES NEWS NETWORK Ahmedabad: After receiving for the test of a sample,” said
authorities. Please keep your questions brief. approval from Indian Council Dr Sandip Shah, executive di-
Ahmedabad:State health AMC DECLARES FLIGHT MAPPING CONTACTS of Medical Research (ICMR) rector, Neuberg Diagnostics.
Keep track of our edition on https://epaper.timesgroup.com
and family welfare depart- Flight Travelling from DOA (Ahmedabad) and Gujarat government, Ne- “Reporting and sample ac-
ment officials said Gujarat is DETAILS OF PATIENTS Indigo AY-121 Delhi March 13 uberg Diagnostics Private Li- ceptance will be strictly in ac-
Can I take a walk in my colony? lockdown? What are banking soon going to receive 156 ven- mited on Thursday announ- cordance with the ICMR and
What about local park? hours right now? O P Machra, DyMC, AMC, on Thursday AI-172 UK March 13
tilators for specialized hospi- ced the commencement of Co- Gujarat government guideli-
Yes, you can take a walk in The banking hours at the tals for Covid-19 patients. shared the details of the flights taken by AI-191 Mumbai March 14 vid-19 testing at its laboratory nes and will follow ICMR and
your colony but not more than moment have been restricted Jayanti Ravi, principal se- 11 of the city-based COVID-19 positive SpiceJet 0334 Dubai March 14 — Neuberg Supratech —in Gujarat government prescri-
4 people can walk at a time between 10am and 2pm. cretary (health and family patients. Machra tweeted: “If anyone from Ahmedabad. bed MRP of Rs 4,500,” he ad-
your friend and family has travelled from EY-288 Abu Dhabi March 14
such that you don’t break the As far as EMI payments are welfare), told mediapersons The laboratory chain star- ded. “A separate isolated Co-
notification under IPC section concerned, industrial and on Thursday evening that the- these flights and still not home SpiceJet 0334 Dubai March 14 tup has received ICMR appro- vid-19 collection facility has
144. Make sure you maintain an trading bodies in Gujarat re is a severe shortage of ven- quarantined, please report to 104 or Air Arabia Dubai March 15 val to offer Covid-19 RT PCR been created at our laboratory
adequate distance from each have represented the concern tilators globally due to the 155303 if he/she is from Ahmedabad (sic).” G-90489 Sharjah March 18 tests through its four laborato- in Ahmedabad, which separa-
other even while walking past regarding April EMI payments pandemic, but Gujarat has al- ries in India. Apart from Ah- tes regular patients from su-
each other. Local civic parks before the central government ready ordered 156 ventilators include 15 in Ahmedabad, 8 in medabad, itsother laboratori- spected Covid-19 patients to
have been closed and there is
no question of them opening
and are awaiting a decision. for its hospitals and these will
arrive soon. “We are keeping
an eye on a development
Vadodara, 7 in Surat, 7 in
Gandhinagar, 5 in Rajkot, 1 in
Kutch and 1 in Gandhinagar.
Couple, woman booked es are located in Bengaluru,
Chennai and Pune.
“Neuberg Supratech Labo-
ensure social distancing and
safety. All our staff involved in
collection of samples and in la-
for morning walkers

I am supposed to work from

A close relative has met with
an accident in a neighbouring
which may materialize by to-
morrow – the CM has interve-
On Thursday, the state he-
alth department launched its for quarantine breach ratory, Ahmedabad has star-
ted collecting COVID-19 sam-
boratory processing areas ha-
ve been provided with appro-
home and wanted to get a district/state. Will I be allowed ned to ensure availability of Covid-19 dashboard at gujco- TIMES NEWS NETWORK ged by the AMC health team, a ples at the lab as well as from priate PPE (personal protecti-
broadband connection at my to go there in a car locally-produced world vid19.gujarat.gov.in . “Figu- 62-year-old man his 50-year- home. Identity and address ve equipment) as per guideli-
place but not a single service Yes , you can travel to the class ventilators. Final res will be updated twice a Ahmedabad: A couple from old wife had returned from proof of the patient and requi- nes issued by CDC and WHO,”
provider is ready to come as neighbouring district or state testing of the prototype day. We will also add mo- Isanpur and a woman from Oman on March 14 and were sition/prescription from phy- he added.
but not more than two people will begin soon,” said re details over time,” Vatva were booked on Wed- home quarantined on March
everyone of them is saying
are allowed in a car. This is Ravi. said Ravi. nesday under Section 188 and 22. Police sources said that on
that police is not allowing us
to go and beating us. What is because IPC section 144 is in Ravi said that from In light of the deaths 270 of IPC and relevant provi- March 24 it was found that the FAST FACTS
force Friday onwards, all new so far, Ravi appealed to se- sions of the Epidemic Disea- couple were visiting their re- ➤ Last rites of the 85-year-old Vadodara are functional in Gujarat
the truth?
Covid patients in Gujarat will nior citizens to be extra cau- ses Act, 1897, for flouting the latives. woman from Ahmedabad was along with a private lab for testing
Internet services has 14-day home quarantine requ- “They were taken into
Can my residential society be admitted in the four major tious and follow lockdown ru- performed on Thursday. The of Covid-19 samples
been part of the 18 essential irements. The couple had go- custody and handed over to
bar vegetable vendors from cities– Ahmedabad, Surat, les, not venture out, and ma- Covid-19 patient had succumbed ➤ IAS officers have been
listed items that have been ne to a relative’s house, while the health department,” said
entering my society? Vadodara and Rajkot – at new- intain social distancing of at to infection on Wednesday night. entrusted duties associated with
exempted from present curbs. ly-converted facilities. Cumu- least 1 metre. “Even when you the woman had gone to anot- a police officer.
The Ahmedabad Municipal Health department officials said the epidemic. Anupam Anand
If the employee of your service latively, the four cities have are home, try to maintain dis- her household to offer pray- In the case registered in that protocols of proper disposal
provider shows the policeman Corporation (AMC) has would oversee work related to
2,200 beds. tance. If you suspect a condi- ers. They were booked and Vatva, on March 24, AMC te- were followed quarantine whereas Lochan Sehra
a service invoice based on launched a vegetable delivery
As on Thursday evening, tion with symptoms seen in sent to different quarantine am found a woman, 35, who
your request the person will be service where a responsible ➤ Five labs at the government would monitor urban areas and
the total number of positive Covid-19, inform the 104 fever centres. had returned from Dubai, Manisha Chandra OPD/ IPD at
allowed to go person from your society hospitals in Ahmedabad,
cases in Gujarat is 44. These helpline,” said Ravi. According to the FIR lod- was not at her home. hospitals
will take orders of individual Bhavnagar, Jamnagar, Surat and
I need to go thrice a week for members and then place
dialysis will I be allowed to go ? the bulk order on AMC’s
70 detained
What should I carry? WhatsApp helpline number
uring the last 24 hours, 70
18 face action for taking out procession Gujarat’s Covid dashboard corrected
Yes, you will be allowed to
go for the dialysis. Please carry
9408753064. AMC will provide
transportation facility to the D people have been
detained for violating the
TIMES NEWS NETWORK ce station filed an FIR against Chersang Tha- B ecause of a technical glitch, the Gujarat government’s COVID-19
dashboard showed 172 coronavirus positive cases and 12 deaths
your medical file. But not more society representative only kor, sarpanch of Adhaar village and 17 other re- in the state. Realizing the error, health department officials said the
than two people can travel in to the nearest vegetable notification of CrPC 144, Ahmedabad: Patan police have booked 18 per- sidents of the village under Section 188 of the site had been pulled down for the time being. According to the
market to carry back the bulk prohibiting the assembly of sons including the sarpanch of Adhaar village IPC for violating orders of a public servant. dashboard in the afternoon, there were 172 positive cases, 3,096
a car.
vegetables 100kg or more. four persons at one place at in the district for violation of prohibitory or- The villagers had sought permission to or- persons had been tested, zero patients had been discharged, and 12
Payments at the vegetable one time. Those detained for ders. Interestingly, even as Section 144 CrPC re- ganize a procession as part of the fair of god- had died. The government had said earlier in the day that the
How do I pay my EMI for the
market has to be made by the the section 144 violation were mains in force, the villagers were given permis- dess `Kuvarika Mata’ in the village. They were number of deaths due to coronavirus stood at three. A statement
business loan for April month
society representative. caught by Bapunagar, sion for an assembly of 50 persons for the pro- granted permission on the condition that only later issued by the health & family welfare department said,
as there has been complete Danilimda, Gomtipur, cession of a deity. The conditional permission 50 persons could participate in pulling the cha- “Today’s status: COVID 2019 positive cases till now: 43, total deaths:
Khokhra, Rakhial, Sabarmati, was granted by the sub-divisional magistrate. riot of the goddess at the two-day fair, on March 03. There was some software glitch in the dashboard for COVID-19
Questions replied to by: Police commissioner Ahmedabad Ashish Bhatia and Madhavpura and Gaekwad
Deputy municipal commissioner Mukesh Gadhvi D V Dodiya, inspector of Patan taluka poli- 23 and 24. because of which erroneous information was displayed.” TNN
Haveli police stations.

Pilgrims’
progress to
Marching with `12 in pocket on a journey of 1,300km
Ashish Chauhan
COVID-19
ROUNDUP
E-COMMERCE HOME
& Sarfaraz Shaikh TNN
CM’s appeal DELIVERY OF ESSENTIAL
quarantine M Vijay Rupani
ITEMS ALLOWED, BAN ON

Ahmedabad: A family of three

from the Narol area of the city
Ahmedabad: Ravindra Yadav,
working in a wood furniture
factory in Odhav, has embar-
C appealed to
migrants to remain
HEAVY VEHICLES LIFTED: The
city police have allowed home
delivery of essential items by
was among the last batch of pil- ked on a long journey to Bara- wherever they e-commerce portals. Any
grims to have returned from banki in UP with merely Rs 12 were promising person with a valid identity
Saudi Arabia on March 15. They in his pocket. "We have heard the government will reach card for home delivery from
were instructed to home quaran- that the government or NGOs them and give them food and e-commerce companies will
tine themselves for14 days due to will help us reach the border. It shelter. be allowed. The administration
the coronavirus threat, but they is our only hope as our sheth has also lifted ban on heavy
did not pay heed this advice and told us to leave for homes as the-
went roaming about the city. re will be no work or salary. I DGP’s warning vehicles in the city.

The administration received tate DGP Shivanand Jha said

complaints from their neighbo-
urs and the authorities picked
know the trip home is going to
be arduous, but I am a worker
and do not want to beg for my
S that no further movement
will be allowed on the roads
ESARAL APP MADE FREE
DURING LOCKDOWN: The
up the couple three days ago and food,” said Yadav. From Vapi to UP on tricycle Rajkot cops convince migrants to stay and collectors have been asked
eSaral application, used by
placed them in a government qu- students of Class IX to XII to
Ever since Gujarat was Vadodara: Tahir Khan Pathan and his brother Nazim Pathan made Rajkot: Rajkot police stopped many migrant labourers from going to make arrangements for the
arantine facility in Nikol. Their prepare for the JEE and NEET,
locked down on Tuesday follo- enough money for themselves and their family by selling fruits in to their native in Dahod and MP on Thursday. Cops intercepted migrants on the move.
son, who was on a business visit has been made free by its
wed by pan India lockdown Vapi town of Valsad. But with 21-day lockdown, the duo decided to marching migrants and facilitated their medical check-up. Later,
to Surendranagar, was quaranti- developers during the
from Wednesday, thousands of return to their home in Etah of Uttar Pradesh. With train services they convinced the labourers not to leave and asked some carried from cities.
ned in the neighbouring district. lockdown period. Kota-based
migrant workers have embar- already suspended, the duo decided to take a cycle-rickshaw and builders to provide food and shelter so they don’t need to go back. DCP, Zone -5, Ravi Teja said
Many families who returned Aditya Mittal, mentorship
ked en masse on long journeys cover the journey of over 1,200 kilometres. “We have taken our entire The Morbi district authority also held meeting with ceramic unit they are trying to convince the
after performing the Umrah at coordinator of eSaral said
on foot to their homes. luggage as we have decided never to return. We will earn less owners to convince labourers to live in local colonies till situation labourers to stay back because
Mecca and Medina, met a simi- students appearing for JEE
With their plight hitting na- money in our hometown, but we will work there,” said Tahir. TNN normalizes. TNN if only one labourer infected
lar fate after they refused to qua- and NEET this year can revise
tional headlines, police, NGOs with coronavirus reached his
rantine themselves. through video lectures.
and other stakeholders jumped times. mend the slippers. I have left for Sunil Gamit, a handicap- inty in the city is very unsett- or her village, local chains of
More than a week passed and to their rescue offering vehi- Ram Prasad Kori, 32, a fur- home with a prayer on my lips ped man on a wheelchair with ling,” said Gamit. infection will form in remote
the situation got serious for cles to drop them to nearest bor- niture polisher hailing from and resolve to go back to my fa- his family, was also seen on the Meanwhile, the queues of areas. DCP Zone-4, Neeraj Bad-
others as well, as people as is the der posts and food packets. Ho- Unnao was seen walking bare- mily,” said Kori who has his wi- road with his family moving to- migrant labourers marching gujjar said they are taking care IF IN NEED, CALL
custom, went and paid respects wever, with three weeks of lock- foot, handkerchief wrapped fe and three children in village. wards Dahod. “My sister works home became a cause of con- of migrant labourers, but they
and congratulated them on their down and uncertainty looming around his feet and broken slip- “What if they die or I die? I in a primary school but it has cern for the authorities who fe- are not ready to stay back at any
104 for fever or COVID-19
related information
successful completion of the pil- over their heads, most insisted pers stuffed in his pockets. "I want to be with my loved ones been shut and she was not gi- ar for their health and possibi- cost. “They are so desperate
grimage. Feasts were also part of they would rather go home to don't have money to buy new and not survive on charity,” sa- ven any salary. We want to esca- lity of infection spreading to re- they have started heading to 108 for health-
the programmes. their families in such difficult slippers and no cobbler to ys Kori. pe to our village as the uncerta- mote villages across India if their village on foot,” he said. related
emergencies
PAAN SHOP OWNERS SAID THAT MOST PEOPLE HAVE STOCKED UP WELL IN ADVANCE 155303 for

Smokers ration puffs, prices soar in black market After rally faux pas,
AMC-related
complaints
and

[email protected]
Ahmedabad: The 21-day lock- Burglars steal cigarettes from 2 stores
Khadia bans outsiders
it goes,” said Abhishek Amin, a
Surat-based businessman.
information
9013151515 WhatsApp
chatbox for COVID-19 related
down imposed by the state go- The increased demand for Meghdoot.Sharon stay there. At a time when the queries
ith the city going under extended lockdown along with the
vernment has left habitual
smokers in a frenzy, and many
cigarettes has also led to pack-
ets being sold in the black mar-
W nation, and scarcity of cigarettes turning them into prized
commodity, burglars struck two stores in Gomtipur on
@timesgroup.com coronavirus outbreak is a thre-
at to everybody, we have decided
1075/+91-11-23978046
National helpline
have ended up rationing the ket at 35%-50% higher rates. Ahmedabad: Following the not to allow any outsiders in.”
Wednesday night and made off with cigarettes worth lakhs of
number of cigarettes they smo- “I’m a habitual smoker and embarrassing procession last He added that although the HELPLINE FOR FOOD FOR THE
rupees. The thieves were caught on CCTV camera, and cops are
ke, one puff at a time. With the thus it is tough for me to live wit- Sunday, in which dozens of Kha- banners have barred the entry ELDERLY THROUGH NGOS:
looking for them. A burglary case has been registered at
21-day lockdown causing paan hout them. I called the owner of dia residents marched on the of outsiders into pols up to
Gomtipur police station. Police said both the provision stores are Ahmedabad: Prashant Pandya |
shops across the state to shut a roadside stall near home, streets — defeating the purpose March 31, the ban will continue
located near Badiyakaka Crossroads. TNN 155303
down completely, smokers are from where I regularly purcha- of the janata curfew — people of until the 21-day lockdown is in
struggling hard to find their se smokes and while he agreed Khadia have made amends. Se- force and if required, even be- Surat: R C Patel | 9824345560
smokes.
“I had stocked up on a few
well in advance. “Shutdown of
paan shops is certainly a reve-
to supply me, I ended up paying
50% higher price,” said Ashish
Cyber cheats trying to exploit veral pols in and around Khadia
have put up banners at entran-
yond.
Residents of Hajira ni Pol
Vadodara: Krishna Solanki |
0265-2459502
packets of cigarettes when the nue loss, but all businesses are Narayanan, a professional. Covid-19 fears, cops warn ces asking outsiders not to enter say that they have banned peo-
Rajkot: Chetan Ganatra |
state government announced facing losses due to the lock- A number of smokers have or even use pol roads to pass ple from passing through the
ity police have warned that cyber cheats are using phishing 0281-2476874
closure of paan shops in four
major cities, but that was consi-
down and we have to bear it. Ma-
ny of our regular customers
taken the lockdown as an op-
portunity to quit smoking alto- C links under the garb of providing information about the novel
coronavirus pandemic to trap unwary citizens and hack their
through.
Banners have been put up at
pol, as coronavirus-infected
persons could spread the virus. Jamnagar: A K Vastani |
0288-2553417
dering shops will reopen after purchases their stocks before gether. “I have been trying to qu- Dhal ni Pol, Hajira ni Pol, Sad “Everybody is known to each
March 31. However, I don’t shutdown,” said Paresh Chau- it smoking for a long time now phones or computers. DCP cybercell, Rajdeepsinh Jhala said Mata ni Pol, Ghasiram ni Pol, other in our pol and it is not dif- Bhavnagar: D M Gohil |
think I have enough stock to last han, who owns a city-based pa- and I feel there’s no better chan- numerous phishing links on Covid-19 have been detected on the Babur nu Delu, Saankdi Sheri ficult to identify an outsider,” a 0278-2424814
me two more weeks through an shop. ce than the lockdown. It’s tough internet. “If anyone clicks on such links received by messages or and other places. resident said.
in other forms, his or her mobile or computer may be hacked. Gandhinagar: Amit Singhai |
the lockdown period. I’ve cut “I somehow anticipated a because I smoked quite a few ci- “There are heritage hotels “Like other pols, we have
Once cheats can hack your mobile, it is easy for them to get your 9909954709
down to three cigarettes a day longer closure and therefore, garettes a day but I have stopped such as the French Haveli, banned people from entering or
from over 10,” said Sharad had stocked up cigarettes for a completely since Sunday. It has financial and personal details,” he said. Jhala said it is a serious Baghban Haveli, and Bavishi passing through Hajira ni Pol. Junagadh: Hitesh Vamja |
Sharma, an Ahmedabad-based month. I am still using them ju- gone well with me,” said Nirali issue and the cybercell is working to trace the cheats. On a Haveli in our pol,” said Parth This is necessary to ensure that 9898146865
businessman. diciously but not sure how it Shah, a Vejalpur resident. postive note, Ahmedabad police tweeted that the city crime Bhavsar, a resident of Dhal ni residents of the pol are not af- Helpline for civil supplies and
Paan shop owners said that will fare if the lockdown gets (Names of smokers have be- branch has taken a lead in #fight against Corona# by distributing Pol. “Foreigners and people fected by coronavirus,” said Vi- amenities during lockdown |
most people have stocked up extended further. Let’s see how en changed to protect identity) wheat flour, bread and milk packets for the needy. TNN from other parts of the country ral Jani, a Hajira ni Pol resident. 1070 and 079-232-51900
 TIMES NATION
| Coronage 33
THE TIMES OFOF
INDIA, AHMEDABAD
THE TIMES INDIA,
FRIDAY, MARCH 27, 2020
FRIDAY, MARCH 27, 2020
AHMEDABAD
TIMES CITY

No retail sale at Kalupur, Jamalpur HOW YOU CAN BOOST IMMUNITY

EAT FRUITS, VEGGIES; SLEEP WELL
Overcrowding SERVICES EXEMPTED FROM LOCKDOWN & ID PROOF 1,342 societies Good immunity is one of the biggest influencing factors in the anti-Covid-19 fight.
At Vegetable ➤ All government, civic body and
panchayat services | Valid call AMC For building it, eating fruits, vegetables and certain other foods is important

Markets identity card

➤ Vehicles carrying milk, fruits, for veggies WHICH FOODS HELP AND WHY
TIMES NEWS NETWORK grocery | Pass issued by TIMES NEWS NETWORK IN GENERAL PARTICULAR IMMUNITY BOOSTERS
authorities, or carrying essentials
Ahmedabad: Overcrow-
ding at Kalupur and Jamal-
only in vehicle
➤ Edible items, food items,
Ahmedabad:The scheme of
the Ahmedabad Municipal
Greens | Be it spinach, broccoli or beans,
green foods contain phytonutrients, low
sugar levels, high fibre and vitamins
1 Garlic | WHO has clarified that while
garlic has antimicrobial properties,
there is no evidence that it protects against
pur markets has forced the medicine, pest control, Corporation (AMC) to coor-
Ahmedabad municipal production of essential items and dinate buying of all daily ve- Fruits | Most fruits are low in fat, sodium and Covid-19. But raw garlic can help beat certain bacterial
commissioner and city po- civil supplies services | Valid getable for residential socie- calories. They contain nutrients that often and viral infections
lice commissioner to ban identity card or proof ties in the city received a
retail sale of vegetables
there, though bulk purcha-
➤ Medical store, dispensary,
massive response with 1,342
housing societies calling the
are under-consumed, including vitamins C
and A, folate, as well as
potassium
2 Almonds | Contain fibre,
riboflavin, magnesium
and calcium. Help lower blood
hospital, laboratory, production of
ses can be made by traders. corporation to get vegetab- cholesterol levels
medical equipment and their
From early morning on les.
research and development centres,
Thursday, people from dif-
ferent corners of the city
pharmacy and health related
services | Valid identity card
However, just 52 societies
could provide all the details 3 Apples | Contain one of the best known
antioxidants to protect cells from
damage
made a rush for these mar- prescribed in the advertise-
kets to avoid the scalding ➤ Fodder, grass for animals, ment. G H Solanki, the depu-
prices being charged by the-
ir local vegetable traders.
medicine and treatment related
items for animals | Valid
➤ Bank, ATM and finance
related services, clearing of
banks, stock exchange and
➤ All essential services related to
transportation and distribution along
with related e-commerce very
ty municipal commissioner,
handling the project said a to-
4 Mushrooms | Are rich in vitamin
B and contain antioxidants
But this led to a chaotic situ-
ation, overcrowding, and
identity card
➤ Electricity production,
insurance services | Valid
identity card
essential services | Valid proof
➤ Industries which are producing
tal of 2,144 families in 52 soci-
eties availed of the facility, 5 Watermelons | Are high in
vitamins and potassium
loss of all social distancing, and bought a total 8,095kg of
thus defeating the purpose
of the lockdown and heigh-
distribution and maintenance
services | Valid identity card ➤ Post and courier service |
Valid identity card
items round the clock and who have
enough facilities for workers | Valid
vegetables.
Solanki said that majori-
6 Yoghurt | Rich in probiotics.
proteins, vitamins D and B
➤ Internet, telephone, mobile
tening the risks of the spre-
ad of Covid-19.
service providers and IT related
services | Valid identity card
➤ Vehicles carrying
biomedical waste, waste
proof
➤ People having passes issued by
ty of calls were those who
thought the AMC was giving
7 Tea | Contains disease-
fighting polyphenols,
flavonoids
Municipal commissio- carrying vehicles, vehicles district magistrate, mamlatdar, DDO or away free vegetables and
➤ Print, electronic and social
ner Vijay Nehra went to the
Kalupur market after re-
ports of large crowds of
media | Valid identity card
➤ Water supply and sewerage
carrying food items,
vehicles carrying
vegetables, loaded or
TDO or municipal commissioner or
deputy municipal commissioner or
authority letter to visit a particular
backed out when we enume-
rated the costs.
Another set of people we-
8 Ginger | A rich source
of antioxidants, it
should be added to food
consumers crammed in the services | Valid identity card unloaded | Valid proof place | Valid identity card or Pass re placing orders for 5kg or preparations and tea
narrow lanes of the market ➤ Petrol, diesel, LGP, CNG, PNG ➤ Security services related ➤ Media people, reporter, cameraman 10kg but did not place orders
came in. He talked with the related services and production | to essential services | Valid or employee of any media house and when told the minimum re-
vegetable dealers and then Valid identity card proof or identity card their vehicles | Valid identity card
with city police commissio- SUPPLY CHAIN WHY MORE
ner Ashish Bhatia.
“We had a detailed dis-
Thursday morning. “The
individual purchasers who
400 more vehicles to quirement was 100kg.
FRUITS & VEGGIES
cussion and decided to per-
mit only wholesale purcha-
ses from Kalupur market.
The police commissioner
came were willing to buy in
bulk as retailers in their
areas were overcharging.
He said potato, which was supply vegetables
According to the scheme,
the society has have to nomi-
nate a representative who
then places bulk orders — of
5 portions
A British study
A Harvard
analysis of 4.7
lakh participants
found that a higher
has decided on heavy ban- priced at Rs 10-14 per kg was 100kg or more including all showed significant
intake of fruits and
dobust to prevent individu- being sold at Rs 30-35 per kg TIMES NEWS NETWORK mercial vehicles including vegetables — for the society health gains with at least 5
vegetables reduced
al retail customers making in many areas. So families trucks will be hired for Amul with the AMC’s WhatsApp portions of a variety of fruit and
risk of death from
purchases,” Nehra said. are pooling requirements Ahmedabad: The civic body milk distribution, mainly helpline number 94087-53064. vegetables every day. (5 portions
Nehra added that only for collective buying in will put 400 more vehicles into milk tetra packs. There will al- The civic body’s zonal re- cardiovascular
in total, not 5 portions
disease
wholesalers are permitted bulk.” distribution of food and provi- so be five large trucks that will presentative will commis- WARNING of each.)
inside the Jamalpur main The trader added that sions in residential societies take vegetables to slum areas sion a vehicle for the socie-
market, and the retailers the state government sho- and slums alike from Friday and will provided vegetables ty’s bulk purchase at the nea- Experts clarify that no
food item can ward off SLEEP IS IMPORTANT TOO Exercise | Can boost
who used to sit outside have uld fix retail rates for vege- onwards. for free. “Beginning Friday rest vegetable market. A soci- one’s mood and keep
already been shifted to Ri- tables which may be 1.5 to 2 After an encouraging re- 20,000 food packets will be dis- ety representative will have Covid-19, but a habit Apart from food,
of eating immunity- doctors advise 7 to one healthy
verfront Sunday market, times of wholesale rates. sponse to the vegetables vans, tributed to the homeless via 96 to accompany the vehicle to
where there was little chan- He said at Jamalpur main Ahmedabad municipal com- autorickshaws. The volume of the market. boosting foods helps 9 hours sleep each
ce of overcrowding. market they usually did not missioner Vijay Nehra said food and distribution of provi- Once the purchase is ma- the body fight infections night as body uses
A trader at Jamalpur sell less than 5kg to anyone, that 250 extra autorickshaws sions will be scaled up further de, the AMC’s team will help more effectively. One time for repair of Alcohol |
market said there was a but on Thursday they also including loading rickshaws in the coming days as and load the vegetables at the could get the infection if essential functions, Consumption
rush of retail customers in sold lesser amounts at a hig- have been pressed into service. when more vehicles are pres- market and unload them at one is in close contact with including the should be in
the wholesale market from her price. Nearly 48 medium-sized com- sed into service,” Nehra said. the society’s entrance. a positive patient immune system moderation

Helpline for Unseasonal showers drench Vadil Vandana scheme launched, elderly to get free meals
TIMES NEWS NETWORK cities of Gujarat. Surat can be reached on 0288-2553417. In Bhavnagar,
supply of Nodal officers have been 9824345560; in Vadodara, D M Gohil can be reached on

essential
parts of Ahmedabad Yogesh Chawda
Gandhinagar: The state
government has initiated
the ‘Vadil Vandana’ sche-
appointed in the eight citi-
es. A government release
said that Prashant Pandya
Krishnaben Solanki can be
reached on 0265-2459502;
Chetan Ganatra can be rea-
0278-2424814-15; Amit Sing-
hai in Gandhinagar can be
contacted on 9909954709;
TIMES NEWS NETWORK me, a programme to provi- in Ahmedabad can be rea- ched on 0281-2476874 in Raj- and Hitesh Vamja can be re-

items set up Ahmedabad: Heavy showers

accompanied by thunder hit
de meals free of cost to the
elderly living alone in the
ched on 155303 (AMC comp-
laints helpline); R C Patel in
kot; and A K Vastani in Jam-
nagar will be available on
ached in Junagadh on
9898146865.

TIMES NEWS NETWORK many areas in the city from pp-

Ashram Road to Bopal, Ghu- p
Gandhinagar:A control room ma, and Shela on Thursday
and helpline to facilitate the night. The IMD Ahmedabad
supply of essential items such on Thursday evening predic-
as milk, fruits and vegetables ted unseasonal weather con- rtou
has been made functional in ditions for the next four days
lOIt
Gandhinagar. A helpline has in various regions of Gujarat.
been also been set up where On Friday, light to modera- A rainswept road stretch in Navrangpura
where people can call and seek te rain or thundershower is
information about the availa- likely at a few places in the dis- Gir-Somnath, Junagadh, and and Kheda and in Saurashtra
bility of essential commoditi- tricts of Ahmedabad, Gandhi- Kutch districts. in districts such as Dwarka,
es. nagar, Banaskantha, Sabar- On Saturday, light to mo- Porbandar, Bhavnagar, Am-
kantha, Kheda, Dahod, Mahi- derate rain is likely at isolated reli, Gir-Somnath and Kutch.
sagar, Aravalli, Surat, Vado- places in Chhota Udepur, Nar- On Monday, light to moderate
dara and Anand. Similar mada, and Dahod. On Sunday, rain is expected at isolated
weather is expected in Jam- similar weather is likely in places in Banaskantha, Sa-
nagar, Botad, Morbi, Surend- districts such as Surat, barkantha, Mehsana, and Pa-
ranagar, Bhavnagar, Amreli, Panchmahal, Dahod, Anand tan.

Secretary to the chief mini-

ster, Ashwini Kumar, said,
Bar council seeks aid VIRAL DIGEST

Ahmed Patel
“The control room will be ope-
rational 24x7 and people can se-
ek assistance about availing of
for needy lawyers gives `1 cr from
essential commodities by dia- TIMES NEWS NETWORK the BCG said that there were MPLAD fund
ling1070 and 079-23251900.” nearly 292 bar associations in
Kumar said 59,000 quintals Ahmedabad: After four days the state and some 75,000 lawy- Rajya Sabha MP Ahmed
of vegetables arrived at vario- of the lockdown due to the co- ers enrolled with the BCG. Patel has issued Rs1 crore
us markets on Thursday mor- ronavirus pandemic, the Bar There were nearly 30,000 advo- from his MP Local Areas
ning. “13,655 quintals of potato- Council of Gujarat (BCG) on cates who had started their Development Fund for
es, 4,350 quintals of onions, Wednesday urged the state go- practice after 2011and many of creating better facilities
6,900 quintals of tomatoes, and vernment to extend financial them were still struggling in to fight the novel corona-
34,000 quintals of green vege- assistance to needy lawyers the field, claimed the BCG. virus outbreak in Bharuch
tables have been made availab- whose practice has been badly "Due to the government’s and tribal districts of
le,” a government statement affected due to restrictions. decision to lockdown the sta- Gujarat.
said. There are around 68 vege- The BCG has requested te, the day-to-day work and
table markets in the state. In ad- the government to extend fi- earnings of these lawyers ha- GU faculty members
dition to vegetables, 610 quin- nancial assistance of Rs 10,000 ve stopped completely. These donate a day’s pay: As
tals of bananas, 670 quintals of to nearly 30,000 advocates who lawyers are finding it extre- many as 4,000 faculty
members at Gujarat Uni-

Aiidft
apples and 1,100 quintals of have started their law practice mely difficult to maintain the-
other fruits have been made av- in the last one decade and who ir livelihood. The state go- versity decided to contri-
ailable on Thursday. are at present struggling to vernment should consider to bute a day’s salary, amo-
The government added find their feet in the field. extend aids to such lawyers," unting to an Rs 1.5 crore
that 55 lakh litres of milk is be- In its representation to said the BCG in its representa- to Rs 2 crore, to CM Vijay

E
ing sold every day. chief minister Vijay Rupani, tion. Rupani’s relief fund.

11 approvals granted for units at GIFT city

L & C E.
.
TIMES NEWS NETWORK services SEZ, which also ho-

SMART MEVE
The majority of companies that uses an International Fi-
Ahmedabad:As many as 11 nancial Services Centre

.
entities on Thursday recei-
got approvals operate in the IT and (IFSC).
ved approval to set up units ITES sector. They include Azura On March 16, total 17 com-
in the special economic zone Technologies, Ajmera Infotech, panies got approval to estab-
(SEZ) at Gujarat Internatio- Applie Infosol, Shrine lish units in the GIFT SEZ,
nal Finance-Tec City (GIFT which was already home to
City), Gandhinagar. Technologies, Silent Infotech and 180 units.
Interestingly, the GIFT Omega Cyber World GIFT SEZ is one of the
SEZ development commis- fastest growing services
sioner granted the appro- GIFT SEZ The majority of cult times they get support SEZs in India, having total
vals through teleconferen- companies that got getting for new units in GIFT City exports of services worth
cing as the applicants could approvals operate in the IT and ensure business conti- around Rs 3,740 crore as on Buying a good property at the same price as a few years

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“Today through telecon- logies, Ajmera Infotech, up CEO, GIFT City. ternational exchanges of
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11new units in GIFT SEZ and nologies, Silent Infotech and ting up SEZ units set to end very centre of Bank of Ame-
address on magicbricks. Feel smarter!
have put in place a new pro- Omega Cyber World. on March 31, there was a rica, units of 13 major
cess for the approval of “We at GIFT are always rush of IT and IT-enabled banks, 17 insurance entities
units,” said A K Choudhary, ready to provide solutions to services companies to set up and other services expor-
development commissioner, businesses so that in diffi- base in GIFT City’s multi- ters.
 4 GUJARAT | Coronage THE TIMES OF INDIA, AHMEDABAD
FRIDAY, MARCH 27, 2020

SURAT RAJKOT MEHSANA VADODARA

Nine suspected patients of Bhavnagar

man dies of
Social distancing move
COVID-19 isolated in Surat coronavirus
TIMES NEWS NETWORK
in Vadodara ignored TOI

One Of Them
Gaurang Joshi
has chalked out a plan along
with civic officials to ensure un-
Rajkot: Bhavnagar city recor-
ded its first COVID-19 death
Hundreds
Has Travel
interrupted supplies to people
after a meeting with retailers,
when a 70-year-old man succum-
bed in Sir T Hospital on Thurs-
Throng Polo
History
mall owners and wholesellers
on Thursday.
"This will help people to buy
day. Principal Secretary, health
& family welfare, Jayanti Ravi
told reporters that the man had
Ground To
To Turkey
their groceries and other essen-
tial items with ease. There will
returned from a trip of Delhi re-
cently. “The had co-morbidity
Buy Veggies
be no long queues anywhere. such as diabetes, cancer malig- Tushar.Tere &
TIMES NEWS NETWORK We urge people to maintain so- nancy and heart conditions Jay.Pachchigar TNN
cial distancing and stay at too,” Ravi added.
Surat: Two healthcare staffers home to protect themselves VJ Branwal, district deve- Vadodara: Vadodara civic
of Surat Municipal Corpora- from COVID-19,” Pani said. lopment officer (DDO), Bhavna- body and police’s aim to cre-
tion (SMC)-run SMIMER hos- SMC officials said shops gar said, “We are identifying all ate social distancing backfi-
pital and Mahavir Hospital and and malls will follow a system the close contacts of this person red with a bang on Thursday There was a sudden rush of buyers at the vegetable market in Padra
seven other people with sus- which will ensure that people and started the process to qua- when the Polo Ground wit- taluka as it remained closed due to lockdown for four days
pected symptoms of COVID-19 maintain distance from each rantine them.” nessed a massive rush of ci-
were admitted in the isolation other. Also, local courier agen- Meanwhile, the total num- tizens jostling one another hundreds swarming at the ling veggies in Khanderao
ward of New Civil Hospital SMC officials said they were now getting suspected cases with no cies have agreed to deliver vege- ber of Coronavirus positive ca- to get fresh veggies at Khan- sprawling ground near Kirti for the past 45 years. Kachhi-
(NCH) here on Thursday. foreign travel history tables from Agricultural Pro- ses in Rajkot touched five with derao market prices. Stambh to buy veggies after ya questioned the justifica-
The healthcare staffers duce Market Committee one more persons confirmed in- The historic Khanderao word spread like wildfire tion of bunching all the ven-
were a 24-year-old woman em- old woman from Adajan, with and hospitals), said, “Now, we (APMC) to residents in the city. fected on Thursday. Municipal Market – city’s largest vege- across the city. dors together at one place.
ployee of SMIMER hospital travel history to Rajkot and are beginning to get suspected Civic body and police will is- health officer, Dr. Pankaj Rat- table market – located in Va- After vendors reached “When the government is
and a 58-year-old male staffer of Amreli; a 30-year-old woman cases from people with no trav- sue passes to people engaged in hod, said, “The 42-year-old man dodara Municipal Corpora- the Khanderao market pre- advising social distancing,I
Mahavir Hospital. from Bhatar, with travel histo- el history to foreign countries home delivery of essential who tested positive is a friend of tion’s backyard - has tradi- mises at about 4.30am on don’t understand why all of
A 65-year-old male from ry to Vadodara; and a 54-year- too. Samples of all these new pa- items. "From Thursday, instead a person who had tested positive tionally been Barodians’ fa- Thursday, they were asked us had to be shifted to a sing-
Variavi Bazaar in cen- old woman tients at NCH have been sent for of people coming to vegetable two days abgo after coming from vourite place for farm-fresh to shift their stalls to Polo le spot. What was seen at Po-
tral zone, having travel from City laboratory tests. Their reports markets, we have allowed 180 Dubai.” greens at affordable prices. Ground. “We were baffled as lo Ground was exactly oppo-
history to Delhi; a 23- COVID-19 Light, with are expected to come soon.” vegetable vendors inside 216 The team of Rajkot Munici- But looking at the lockdown, the authorities didn’t in- site of what we are being
year-old male from
Adajan, having travel
PANDEMIC travel history
to Turkey,
Meanwhile, SMC has decid-
ed to allow some malls and
housing societies in the city,”
the municipal commissioner
pal corporation (RMC) has qua-
rantined eight close contacts of
VMC decided to shift the
vendors here to the Polo Gro-
form us in advance of the
plan. A few policemen told
told to do,” Kachhiya alle-
ged.
history to Hyderabad; a 28-year- were among others to be admit- shops selling essential items to said. this person including his family und on Thursday as Khande- us that we need to shift to the Another vegetable ven-
old male from Pandesara, with ted in the isolation ward of remain open for 24 hours in dif- Pani said the civic body is members. This is the third posi- rao market is too congested. Polo Ground and so we did dor, Priyank Kachhiya alle-
no travel history; a 54-year-old NCH. ferent locations of the city to av- developing city's own dash- tive case in last three days in Raj- But the decision proved accordingly. But what ensu- ged that Polo Ground had on-
woman from Ghod Dod Road, Dr Ashish Naik, deputy mu- ert crowding. Municipal com- board to keep people updated kot and all of them got infected costly as it defeated the enti- ed was total chaos,” said Jitu ly a single gate leading to
with no travel history; a 60-year- nicipal commissioner (health missioner Banchhanidhi Pani about COVID-19 developments. through local transmission. re purpose of lockdown with Kachhiya, who has been sel- overcrowding at one spot.

335 beds created in Drones to track lockdown violators Digital besna held to
two Surat hospitals Rajkot Police
TOI
Surat police carry
out trial of drones
support lockdown
Warn People TOI

in a record time Gaurang Joshi

Of Stern
Surat: City police started a
trial run on using drones to
help them keep an eye on
TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Palanpur: The mood was

sombre, ‘digitally’ literally!
Legal Actions city the roads during the
lockdown from Wednesday.
While the picture of Jayanti
Darji was adorning the photo
TIMES NEWS NETWORK "We have identified a frame, there were only five
few roads in Adajan to carry members of his family sitting
Rajkot: In order to ensure out a trial of monitoring at his besna, the meet to mo-
the efficacy of the lockdown through drone, which takes urn the dead and offer tribu-
order, the Rajkot police flew a round of the area and tes.
drones over residential soci- provides aerial footage to However, hundreds of tri-
eties in different areas and the operator. On noticing a butes soon started pouring in
warned people found flou- In Rajkot city alone, 16 people were arrested for flouting orders gathering of group at the as Darji’s family members
ting the order of stern legal same spot, the operater connected with their relati- Condolence meeting of Darji in
action on Wednesday night. nitor of the drone, we went were arrested for flouting then alerts the police ves and friends through video Punsri village of Sabarkantha
The drones with cameras into the society and warned prohibitory orders. In Raj- control room," said conferencing.
captured the images of a gro- them of a stringent legal ac- kot district also, 16 people Prashant Sumbe, in-charge “Not only Darji’s relati- to stop the further spread of
One of the wards for treatment of COVID-19 patients in SMIMER up of youths playing cricket tion, if they are found viola- were caught violating the or- deputy commissioner of ves, but his own son who lives coronavirus, the Darji family
hospital of Surat in the ground of their socie- ting the order next time,” sa- der. police, zone IV. TNN in Mumbai paid his tributes should be commended for ta-
ty behind Mahila College. id H M Gadhvi, inspector In Jamnagar, a total of 35 through video conferencing. king the initiative of digital
Yagnesh.Mehta coordination with regard to “When we saw the live with Rajkot crime branch. people were detained for vio- (CrPC) which prohibits the At a time when PM is appea- besna and thereby, practicing
@timesgroup.com creation of additional beds in images of the youths playing In different areas of Raj- lating the section 144 of the assembly of more than four ling to his countrymen to social distancing,” said one of
the city hospitals. cricket on the hand held mo- kot city, a total of 16 people Criminal Procedure Code persons. strictly follow the lockdown the friends of the family.
Surat: Over 300 additional “The 100-bed facility has be-

Mass exodus of migrants continues from Surat

beds have been created at the en created at SMIMER over
city’s two hospitals on an
emergency basis for treat-
and above its existing infrast-
ructure of 100 beds. We develo- Helpline to
ment of COVID-19 patients. ped the 325-bed facility within
About 225 beds have been cre-
ated at New Civil Hospital
three days,” Patel added.
The new facility at NCH
Yagnesh.Mehta
@timesgroup.com
Gaurang Joshi
Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh
and districts of Dahod and
workers were also provided fo-
od by local non-government or-
arrest decline in
(NCH) and 100 at Surat Muni-
cipal Corporation-run SMI-
has been developed at the un-
der construction building for Surat:Migrants in large num-
Panchmahal. The announce-
ment has led to increase in the
ganizations.
“Labour department has
psychological
MER hospital. About 28 more
beds can be added to the new
stem cell hospital. First three
floors of the building have be-
bers have been leaving the city
ever since the nationwide
number of migrant labourers
wanting to return to their ho-
data of labourers working in
different industries. It should
health set up
facility at NCH for the treat- en utilized. “They were almost lockdown was announced by mes. have informed the government TIMES NEWS NETWORK
ment of coronavirus patients. complete with partitions and Prime Minister Narendra Mo- “It is true that a number of about such a possibility. I think
The facilities for COVID-19 electrification. Installation of di to contain the spread of CO- people are leaving the city, and the state government comple- Rajkot: Amid the lockdown, pe-
patients have been developed medical and electrical equip- VID-19 on Tuesday night. this needs to be stopped. Police tely failed in understanding the ople are now reporting of having
in the existing two hospital ment was required and that we Thousands of migrants will have to take strict action situation,” said Vipul Pandya, psychological problems after
buildings. The state govern- have completed,” said Jayesh can be seen at Kamrej crossro- against people coming out on to president of Bandhkam Maj- they are being forced to stay coo-
ment had announced this on Brahmbhatt, dean, Govern- ads and at a few other points the roads,” Surat district collec- door Sangathan, Ahmedabad. ped up inside their homes and
Saturday last and made the ment Medical College (GMC). on highway alongside Dia- tor Dhaval Patel told TOI. “The issue of people lea- flats. This has also led to many
project ready for operations There are 12 beds in ICU mond City and parts of south On Wednesday, several la- ving the city in large numbers starting to have anxiety stress
on Wednesday. unit equipped with ventilator, Gujarat waiting for some Many have set out on bicycles for their native villages in Dahod and bourers were sent either to the- has become a serious problem. and panic attacks resulting in
NCH already had 375-bed multipara monitor, pulse oxi- transport to leave for their ho- Panchmahal districts ir native places or to a nearer Police are trying to stop them frequent fights with spouses or
facility, including isolation meter, crash cart of medicines metowns. place by police in rural areas of but people are still managing to family members.
wards, said Mahendra Patel, and other equipment. NCH of- Curbs on private vehicles number of migrant workers ods vehicles. Surat district. This was becau- escape. We will work on some Looking at the increasing
commissioner of municipali- ficials claimed they have eno- and public transport during had also left the city on their bi- However, the state govern- se many workers and their fa- strategy to stop the movement stress levels, the Rajkot district
ties, Gandhinagar. Patel, for- ugh personal protection equ- the lockdown compelled many cycles, motorcycles and auto- ment on Thursday announced milies had walked up to the of people from the city,” police administration has launched a
mer district collector of Su- ipment kit for doctors and me- people to begin the journey to rickshaws. Some of the wor- bus facility for labourers going highway from the city in the ho- commissioner R B Brahmb- helpline on Thursday to counsel
rat, was assigned the task of dical staff. their native places on foot. A kers also travelled home in go- on foot to their hometowns in pe of getting transport. These hatt said. people who are disturbed or fel-
ling stressed out mentally. While
the main aim is to counsel people

Rajkot firm picked to make ventilators 18 rail men stuck in yard sans food,
complaining of anxiety while in
home quarantine, the helpline
will also offer its services to ge-
neral people too.
TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Rajkot: A Rajkot-based com-

TOI
Jadeja said: “We are not ex-
perts in producing ventilators
but looking at the current de-
water get help from Barodians Talking to TOI, the nodal offi-
cer for this project, Janaksinh
Gohil said, “People are social
Jay.Pachchigar TOI
pany has taken up the task to mand in the country, we are days. They also mentioned animals and when they are now
@timesgroup.com
manufacture ventilators in planning to develop this equ- that the toilets in the train too being isolated, they are panick-
bulk, looking at massive de- ipment. We will take help of Vadodara: Around 18 rail- did not have water forcing ing which is making them hyper
mand in hospitals across the experts in the manufacture way staff members working them to live in unhygienic or stressed out. Some kept under
country, where COVID-19 posi- and design of the equipment. in two trains were left to fend conditions. Diasporic Kerali- home quarantine also fear of be-
tive patients are being treated. First we will start with five to for themselves after passeng- tes living in city leant about it ing tested positive of Coronavi-
A meeting of various sta- 10 pieces, and if we are suc- er trains came to a halt on the through their relatives in Ke- rus. This helpline will try to allay
keholders was held at the Raj- cessful, we will go in for mass midnight of March 22. rala. Locals contacted rail- their fears through counseling.”
kot collector office two days production.” Soon after the announce- way officials and through in- The helpline has five num-
ago under the leadership of According to company of- ment, a group, comprising tervention of divisional-level bers which have been set up in
Rahul Gupta, a special coordi- ficials it is premature to talk coach attendants, housekee- The four were stranded without officers food and water could the collector’s office – three with
nation officer appointed for about costing of the equip- pers and air-conditioner me- food and water for two days be provided to staff members. outgoing and two with incoming
Coronavirus and former col- ment at this moment. chanics in the Dehradun-Ko- “The trains were retur- facilities. The experts will call up
lector of Rajkot. Jayanti Ravi, principal se- chuveli Express and Sri Kochuveli with these employ- ning to Kochuveli and since such people on home quarantine
The need for hand saniti- Meeting between district administration and manufacturers held cretary, health & family welfa- Ganganagar-Kochuveli Ex- ees who did not even have any these were point-to-point and counsel them while anybo-
zers, personal protective equ- in Rajkot on Tuesday re said, said that Jyoti CNC press trains, got stuck in a food or water stock with staff they were there in the dy from the general public can al-
ipment (PPE) kit, and ventila- has agreed to manufacture yard near Vadodara railway them. train,” said western railway so call up if they require any psy-
tor has risen multifold with these medical equipment at company is one of the top ma- 1,000 ventilators for the state station since the wee hours of Their miserable condition PRO Khemraj Meena. Point- chological assistance. A team of
the spread of the virus and ho- the local level. nufactures of computerized government to rise up to any Wednesday as these trains became public only after a vi- to-point staff includes those 60 people including 15 psychiat-
spitals nation-wide are ree- According to sources, Jyo- numerical control (CNC) ma- emergency challenge that CO- had already started journey deo was shared by some relati- employees who do not have rists, professors and lecturers of
ling under the shortage of ti CNC, the leading Rajkot-ba- chining used to make various VID-19 may pose in the state. from Kochuveli and had rea- ves in Kerala. In the video, the fixed working hours. Their psychology department of Sau-
supply of these essential me- sed company in CNC manu- factory tools. “These ventilators will help ched their destination sta- staff members were heard work starts when the train de- rashtra University and govern-
dical equipment. The meeting facturing machines in India, When contacted, chair- state be equipped to treat criti- tions. The trains, operated by speaking in Malayalam that parts the origin station and ment authorized counselors will
was called to explore the possi- has shown willingness to ma- man and managing director of cally ill Coronavirus patients Southern Railway, were re- they have not eaten food nor continues till the train re- remain present to attend the hel-
bility of mass production of nufacture ventilators. The the company, Prakramsinh on a large scale,” said Ravi. turning with empty rakes to had drinking water for two turns to the same station. pline calls on shift-wise duty.
 THE TIMES OF INDIA, AHMEDABAD
FRIDAY, MARCH 27, 2020 TIMES NATION | Lockdown-Day 2 5

Rate of increase in cases PM to G-20: Put humans, not Free LPG to

mitigate eco
eco targets, at centre of vision impact of
‘relatively stabilised’: Govt New Delhi: As the world reels
under the economic and social
ANI
Covid-19: Min
TIMES NEWS NETWORK
But Warns No
Piyal Bhattacharjee
ministry representative said fallout of the coronavirus out-
the Centre was working with break, Prime Minister Naren- New Delhi: Households with
Room Yet For states to resolve problems in
provision of essential services,
dra Modi on Thursday pitched
for developing a new crisis man-
‘Ujjwala’ LPG connection will
get free refills till June, a move,
Complacency including home deliveries.
“The way things are evolv-
agement protocol to deal with
global health crisis and urged
which together with the provi-
sion of free foodgrains
[email protected]
ing, we cannot take it in a re- the powerful G20 grouping to through ration shops, will put
laxed way. We are hopeful that work towards addressing food on the 'thaali (plate)' in 8.3
New Delhi: The government by following social distancing, shockwaves triggered by the crore poor households and
on Thursday said the rate of in- conducting a proper contact pandemic. help them tide over the lock-
crease in positive cases of Co- tracing and by ensuring all peo- In his address at an extraor- down.
vid-19 has “relatively stabil- ple at home quarantine are dinary videoconference of the Describing the package as
ised” in last few days even as its monitored, we will be able to G-20 leaders, Modi also urged A deserted Western Express highway in Mumbai on Thursday “an example of responsive
stressed that there was no room combat the disease,” Agarwal the grouping to come out with a governance in challenging
for complacency and alertness said. concrete action plan to fight the there was no discussion on the COVID-19 cases and 88 per cent times,” oil minister Dharmen-
had to be maintained with de- MCD workers marks safe distance block at a market in New Delhi At present, around two lakh pandemic and said human be- origin of the coronavirus or on of deaths were in G20 countries. dra Pradhan said it will “miti-
termined implementation of a people are under community ings rather than economic tar- China at the summit and that The G20 grouping shares 80 gate the economic impact of
national lockdown. cases,” health ministry joint drilled down to preparedness of surveillance across the coun- gets should be put at the centre the spirit during the delibera- per cent of world GDP and 60 the Covid-19 outbreak on the
The health ministry report- secretary Lav Agarwal said. He hospital facilities and the effi- try. The government also said of its vision for global prosper- tions was of collaborative ap- per cent of world population. rural and urban poor, farm-
ed 43 new cases and four addi- added the country was “fully cacy of the contact tracing and there was no “hard evidence” of ity and cooperation. proach in dealing with the cri- The External Affairs Minis- ers, health workers, migrant
tional deaths in last 24 hours, geared up” to fight the virus quarantine exercise. coronavirus pandemic having The powerful grouping of sis. There were no efforts to as- try said Modi underscored the workers, senior citizens and
taking the number of con- and called for a collective effort. At the government brief- reached the community trans- world's 20 major industrialised cribe blame to anyone for the need for free and open sharing other vulnerable sections of
firmed cases to 649 so far, of In an indication that the ing, Agarwal emphasised it mission stage in India and add- nations at its meeting decided to outbreak of the virus, they said. of the benefits of medical re- society”.
which 593 are active cases and Centre continues to view the was too early to read a clear ed that India continued to be in inject over USD 5 trillion into The leaders, including US search and development and Besides keeping the kitch-
42 were cured and discharged, threat as grave, health minister trend, requiring the govern- stage 2 of localised transmis- the global economy to counter President Donald Trump and sought developing an adaptive, en fire burning during these
whereas one case was migrat- Harsh Vardhan held a detailed ment as well as citizens to main- sion. “Community transmis- the social and economic impact Russian President Vladimir responsive and humane health challenging times, the free cyl-
ed. Total deaths due to Covid-19 review with state counterparts tain alertness and full adher- sion phase of Covid-19 will start of COVID-19. Putin, also agreed to contribute care systems. It said he also inders will address the prob-
stood at 13. in the afternoon that lasted ence of the lockdown. Besides, if the community and the gov- The G20 held the videocon- to the WHO-led COVID-19 Soli- sought strengthening and re- lem of low consumption by
“Though the number of more than two and a half compliance of guidelines and ernment don’t work collective- ference to discuss ways to deal darity Response Fund on a vol- forming intergovernmental or- beneficiaries — mostly due to
cases is increasing, we are see- hours. The discussion centred protocols issued by the govern- ly and follow guidelines but it with the coronavirus pandemic untary basis. ganisations like WHO and work slow pace of behavioural and
ing a relatively stable trend in on states with high numbers, ment for social distancing and will never happen in India if we which has killed over 21,000 peo- In his remarks, Modi noted together to reduce economic social change that hampers
the rate at which cases are in- with others gleaning tips on other measures will help main- follow social distancing and ple and infected more than the alarming social and eco- hardships resulting from CO- sustained usage of LPG for
creasing or a little bit of reduc- how to prevent and combat tain the trend and overcome the treatment properly,” Agarwal 470,000 globally. nomic cost of the pandemic, VID-19 particularly for the eco- cooking.
tion in the rate of increase in such situations. The discussion problem, he said. The home said. Government sources said adding that 90 per cent of the nomically weaker nations. PTI The Comptroller and Au-
ditor General’s report in De-
cember 2019 pegged the an-

Vet hospitals Let media do its job: Editors Guild Govt lays down
Beijing blocks
nual average refill consump-
tion at 3.66 among beneficiar-
ies who had completed a year
to stay open TIMES NEWS NETWORK norms for till March 2018. It said analysis
for 3.18 crore PMUY benefici-
New Delhi: Realising the
threat posed by hungry stray
animals, especially dogs, in
residential areas due to lack of
New Delhi: Editors Guild of
India has urged law enforce-
ment agencies around the
country to not prevent jour-
smooth supply
of essentials
UNSC meet on aries as on December 31, 2018
showed that refill consump-
tion declined to 3.21 refills a
year.
food during the lockdown pe-
riod, mny states, including
Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarak-
hand, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka
nalists from doing their job
and reporting the coronavi-
rus outbreak during the 21-
day lockdown announced by
TIMES NEWS NETWORK

New Delhi: Laying down stan-

dard operating procedures for
coronavirus PTI
AP court jails 13
[email protected]
and Goa, have stepped in to is-
sue passes to individuals to
Prime Minister Narendra
Modi. It has also urged the
maintaining supply of essential
goods at local retail shops, large
for 2 days over
feed such animals.
Besides, the home minis-
government to put in place a
system of regular media
A shopkeeper peeps out from his shop during the second day of the
lockdown in the wake of novel coronavirus pandemic in Bengaluru
organised retail stores as well as
e-commerce platforms, the
New Delhi: China blocked a
discussion in the UN Security
lockdown violation
try has also revised its lock- briefings at the ministerial home ministry on Thursday un- Council on the coronavirus Vijayawada: In a first in
down guidelines to allow vet- level to ensure communica- the state response,” the state- “The Guild, therefore, derlined that all constituents of pandemic sweeping the world, the country, a court in And-
erinary hospitals and phar- tion about the outbreak does ment said. urges all law enforcement the supply chain — from manu- sought earlier this week by Es- hra Pradesh on Thursday
macies to remain operational not suffer. “The job of the police is agencies to let the media play facturer to wholesaler/retailer tonia, in a sign that reflects the sentenced a group of 13 peo-
during the period. The move The Guild, in a statement not to impede journalists’ its role as smoothly as possi- — should be allowed to operate, limitations of the apex body of ple to two days of imprison-
will help take effective action issued Thursday, said that it work, especially under cur- ble. It also urges the govern- while ensuring social distanc- global governance to debate A worker sprays disinfectants on ment and a penalty of Rs
to prevent animals from suf- had noted with concern that rent circumstances, but to fa- ment to put in place a suitable ing during the lockdown period. the burning issues of the day. a street in Mumbai on Thursday 1,000 each for violating the
fering without medical aid. high-handed and arbitrary cilitate their functioning. The mechanism to facilitate min- These constituents, home Estonia, which is a non- lockdown imposed to battle
The addition to the guide- police action has obstructed State and Union Territory ister-level regular briefings secretary Ajay K Bhalla stated permanent member, had a discussion when the G-20 the Covid-19 spread.
lines came after the the issue many journalists from re- governments and the police during the ongoing coronavi- in a communication to chief sec- asked for a meeting on the pan- leaders sat down on Thursday While people have been
was flagged by Animal Wel- porting on the coronavirus also need to be reminded that rus crisis, so that communica- retaries/administrators of all demic last week. The docu- for a unique virtual summit, booked for violating the na-
fare Board of India (AWBI) outbreak in many parts of the media has been exempted as tion does not suffer as it states/Union territories, in- ment stressed the “growing there was no questioning for tionwide shutdown im-
and many animal rights country. “Such action is self- an essential service under the doesn’t give the media ade- clude suppliers of essential concern about the unprece- transparency or origin of the posed by Prime Minister
groups and individual includ- defeating when media free- current lockdown guidelines quate opportunity to ask goods like restaurants supply- dented extent of the Covid-19 virus. Official sources said the Narendra Modi two days
ing BJP MP and former Union doms are critically important of the Union home ministry,” questions,” the statement ing home delivery of cooked outbreak in the world, which conversation was collabora- ago, this is the first instance
minister Maneka Gandhi. TNN for covering the outbreak and a Guild statement said. added. food items; storage facilities like may constitute a threat to in- tive and cooperative, which of a court sentencing people
godowns and warehouses; ternational peace and securi- means the US and China may to jail for the crime. Under
transporters, drivers and load- ty". have put their mutual acrimo- Section 51 of the Disaster

Alternative medicine isn’t quackery.

ers from the place of manufac- The proposal, however, did ny behind for the moment. Management Act, a person
ture to wholesalers/retailers; not go far, with both China and In 2015, the Security Coun- can be jailed for a term
and manufacturing units of es- Russia nixing the idea. Sourc- cil did hold a similar meeting which may extend up to one
sential goods including drugs, es said it did not appear as if when the Ebola virus was a year for violating the orders
pharmaceuticals, medical de- the P-5 were overly keen to hold looming threat, particularly to of the government during

It is proven traditional wisdom Getty Images

vices, their raw material and in-
termediaries.
The SOPs forwarded to
states/UTs said all facilities in
a meeting on a subject that is
devastating countries and the
global economy, virtually with-
out any early end in sight.
UN missions in Africa. But
this time it’s different. Not only
is China the source of the pan-
demic, the US-China rivalry is
lockdown.
The court of Pileru sec-
ond class magistrate in
Chittoor district sentenced
Bhaswati Bhattacharya the supply chain — whether in- Some reports said the Esto- playing out in the background every person in the group of
volved in manufacturing, nian proposal called for “trans- as well with President Donald 13 to two days of imprison-

A
lternative medicine has always wholesale or retail of such goods parency” which China was re- Trump insisting on referring ment and a penalty of Rs
been under assault from so- through local stores, large brick portedly unwilling to address. to the disease as ‘China virus’. 1,000.
called rationalists like Amit and mortar stores or e-com- Beijing has been facing a volley According to recent re- Pileru circle inspector
Varma (‘Beware of quacks’, TOI, merce companies— should be of allegations that it hid the in- ports, the UN Security Council Sadiq Ali said the officials
March 22). This is a nation where modern allowed to function through the cidence of the highly infec- has not met since March 12. had been creating aware-
medicine is the youngest among eight lockdown period. tious coronavirus for over a Calls for virtual UNSC meet- ness about the lockdown
coexisting and distinct systems of medi- Employees and persons en- month before reporting cases ings in the era of social dis- through loudspeakers after
cine, each with its own logic, validity, and gaged in supply chain shall be al- of unexplained pneumonia in tancing and lockdowns have al- PM’s address, but many of
ardent followers. Yet such columnists lowed to commute with e-pass Wuhan in late 2019. so found no merit with either the residents ignored the
ignore the jagged interface between and a valid photo ID. While the UN stonewalled China or Russia. call to down shutters. TNN
medical disciplines. Real medical science
requires translation into clinical prac-

Ramayan and
Covid-19 scare becomes
tice. They ignore clinical realities, such
as the successful use of urine therapy’s It is not unscientific to
nitrogen to clear the gut. They are not use herbs but to deny
interested in understanding healing or their existence Mahabharat of
children’s nightmares
creating larger frames of reference to
resolve inconsistencies.
Modern physicians cry quackery
(ENT+respiratory channel) resolve pa-
tients’ self-reported post-nasal drip and
and reiki to be clinically as good or better
than “evidence-based” pharmaceutical
1980s set for a
though their own medicines cannot
show patients how to control chronic
respiratory discomforts. The herbs tulsi,
vasa, neem, licorice, kantakari, ginger,
medicine. The NIH Consensus Confer-
ence on Acupuncture was published in DD comeback Priyanka.Kakodkar
Ram

diseases or treat cancers. Ancient San- cinnamon, cardamom and long pepper JAMA in 1998, showing acupuncture as [email protected] @timesgroup.com LIMIT CORONA TIME,
skrit texts contain some of the human have been observed for their effects on excellent for asthma.
race’s oldest preserved clinical wisdom. the lung, and analysed for a dozen centu- The defence of peer-reviewed jour- New Delhi: Public broadcaster Mumbai: A few days after GIVE +VE MESSAGE
Why ignore these texts by branding them ries. Placebo? Who cares when the throat nals in modern medicine is also de- Prasar Bharati is working out school closed, the nightmares
Do not talk endlessly of virus
as religion? Is it because scientists can’t feels better the same day? bunked when major publishers admit the technical and logistical is- began. Eight year-old Jahnavi
It is not unscientific to use herbs. It is that many studies are financially incen- sues related to the repeat telecast (name changed) would arrive Try not to panic in front of children
How can we generate clinical unscientific to deny their existence, when tivised, promoting manipulated data, of the1980’s blockbuster epics se- at her parents’ bedroom at Do not expose them to images
the scientific clinical literature is full of and not a scientific gold standard. The
evidence about Ayurveda good studies. The best scientific sources assertion that “no homoeopathic medi-
ries Ramayan and Mahabharat. 3am, saying she was scared. related to the pandemic
The historical drama-epic “This went on for three days.
when properly designed admit that, unlike pharmaceutical drugs cine has ever passed” the placebo test is series produced by Ramanand Then she finally said she had Spend time reassuring children,
stress pandemic can be controlled
studies are not funded or which are usually one chemical, herbal outdated. Several RCTs show that ho- Sagar and B R Chopra, respec- been getting a stomach ache in
medicines contain pleiotropic molecules moeopathy works. The greater problem tively, were first telecast on Door- the evenings and was scared Give them a daily routine to help
have panels that are biased? (a single molecule affects many molecu- is that the medical physics of water and darshan in the late1980’s and had she had contracted the corona- normalise the situation
lar mechanisms, usually in different dilutions cannot yet be explained by entertained an entire genera- virus,” said her mother, who
parts of the body). It is also unscientific biochemists. Yet chemists and physi- tion of TV viewers in an era works in an advertising agen- He refused to go down to the It’s best to tell children sim-
understand the logic, or patent formula- not to visit PubMed to search for scien- cists accept blindly that water has un- where the entertainment chan- cy. building garden, much before ple facts, said Chavda. “We can
tions as intellectual property? tific studies on herbs before making com- explained properties in vivo. nel boom had still not taken Last week, 12-year-old Ad- the lockdown was declared. tell them these germs have
Frontier research in neuroscience, ments that herbs have no scientific basis. Unproven medicines remain un- place, and there was no internet vay (name changed) had a The biggest change after come to our city from other
oncology, gastroenterology and pulmo- Market power should also speak loud- proven, just as India remains Covid-free and OTT platforms. panic attack. “He suddenly the lockdown is social isola- countries and we have stay
nology today points to more effective ly to rationalists. Over 700,000 Ayurvedic while it remains untested: when proper Both Ramayan and Mahabh- said he couldn’t breathe. After tion: no school, hanging out home for some time to be safe.
treatments than just surgery, pharmaceu- physicians and their patients use herbal tools will be used correctly, to test ac- arat, understood to be among the he calmed down, he told us he with friends or playing End on a positive note, saying
ticals and radiation. Examples include formulations. People in the West spend curately, by competent people, true data most successful TV series in the was scared that we (his par- downstairs. “Suddenly the it will certainly get better,”
panchakarma, thermography, acupunc- billions of dollars to get herbs. If herbal will emerge. history of Indian television, ents) would be killed by the whole normality has added Chavda.
ture, laser therapies, molecular ple- “unproven” medicines did not work How can we generate clinical evi- were viewed by over 650 million coronavirus,” said his moth- changed. Children don’t go “It’s important to limit
otropism, electromagnetic-field thera- clinically, why would highly educated dence about Ayurveda when properly people spread across 55 coun- er, who teaches in an interna- to school and their parents, corona-time so the child is
pies, and herbal medicines. Scientific people continue to use them? They can designed studies are not funded, when tries. Prasar Bharati chief exec- tional school. who may have been work- not exposed to this all day,”
studies ground their clinical usefulness. use anything, yet choose “alternative the committees that fund them are com- utive Shashi Shekhar Vempati With the pandemic shut- ing, are at home all the said Subramanyam. “Among
Where are the studies for antibiotics used medicines”, rejecting the easy-to-get, al- posed of single-discipline scientists full acknowledged the popularity of ting down schools and offices time,” said Dr Alka Subra- the big triggers for children
for viral infections? And for combination most free pharmaceuticals. Something of bias, and when proper training and the TV shows and said the pub- and news about its spread and manyam, associate profes- are visual images. Even dur-
use of pharmaceuticals that have never other than placebo is at play. ethical research are not standard caster is in the process of firm- impact being discussed non- sor of psychiatry at BYL ing 9/11, children who
been tested for drug-drug interactions? Varma attempts to define real medi- among “experts”? ing up the schedule of the series. stop in homes, the anxiety is Nair Hospital. watched images on television
Hundreds of scientific references de- cine as treatments that work, using out- In this nation, where plural medical TOI has learn that copyright is- leaving its mark on children. Children are bound to be were more prone to stress,”
scribe the anti-viral properties in Indian dated ideas of epidemiology. Most scien- systems highlight its commitment to di- sues related to both series have As parents discuss the death affected by the anxiety dis- she added.
plants such as guduchi, haldi, neem, in tist-clinicians and epidemiologists in the versity, respect for ancient wisdom, and been ironed out, and only techni- toll, panic about how to keep played by parents, psychia- “A routine is vital to nor-
the laboratory and the clinic. Vaidyas use Cochrane Collaboration admit that infinite potential, the bias of claiming all cal and logistical issues need the disease at bay and whether trists say. “I have been inun- malise things during an ab-
guduchi at the change of seasons, rtusan- double-blind, placebo-controlled, ran- therapies as quackery when they don’t ironing out. their groceries are running dated by calls from friends normal period. Also, we
dhi when summer arrives with its flux domised-clinical-trials are not the best match the ideology of the best-funded The 21-day lockdown an- out, children cannot escape its and clients who either think should not focus so much on
of viruses. Herbs that work in the gut are way to judge the true effectiveness of all system is simply that — bias. nounced by the government to impact. they have it or are not doing schoolwork during this time.
used to keep the digestion clean, the gut treatments, but they surrender with, ‘it The patient ultimately seeks relief. rein in the spread of the corona- Long before schools closed enough to prevent it. Not Instead, parents should reas-
microbiome happy, and prevent the im- is what we have’. They also admit that Most do not care which system they fol- virus pandemic has triggered a down, Covid-19 was already on sleeping, having paranoid sure children and spend qual-
mune system from being preoccupied placebo-control designs are biased in fa- low, if their treatment really works. fresh demand for entertainment everyone’s radar. “I was scared thoughts and so on,” said ity time with them. The em-
with indigestible antigens. The proof is vour of pill-based interventions, which The writer is MPH MD (Family options and led to many requests to go to school. If someone Kersi Chavda, consultant phasis should be on getting
in the morning toilet and sink. No clinical can be single-, double-, or triple-blinded. Medicine) PhD (Ayurveda-BHU), and to the public broadcaster to tele- sneezed on me, I thought I was psychiatrist and former through this together as a
trial needed. Many clinical studies have surpassed Fulbright Specialist in Global Public cast other popular shows such as going to get it,” said nine-year president of the Bombay family,” advised Subrama-
Herbs for prana-vaha-srotas study design barriers and shown yoga Health/Integrative Medicine 2018-2021 Chankaya and Malgudi Days, old Jahaan (name changed). Psychiatric Society. nyam
among others.
 6 TIMES NATION | Lockdown-Day 2 THE TIMES OF INDIA, AHMEDABAD
FRIDAY, MARCH 27, 2020

Package reflects govt’s NEET-UG

likely to be
S Korea shows way to fight
commitment to poor: BJP
TIMES NEWS NETWORK AFP
postponed
Manash.Gohain
@timesgroup.com
Covid-19 — without lockdown
Discharges 41% Of 9k
4STEPS SEOUL TOOK TO
New Delhi: BJP on Thursday New Delhi: The National Eli-
welcomed the announcement gibility cum Entrance Test-
CONTAIN THE SPREAD
of Rs 1.7 lakh crore relief pack-
age for the poor in view of the
Under Graduate (NEET UG)
2020 scheduled for May 3, Patients After Recovery
lockdown due to coronavirus 2020, is likely to be postponed Pradeep.Thakur fections through the Ko-
spread, saying the decision re- as a result of the 21-day lock @timesgroup.com rean Centre for Disease
flects the commitment of down. The National Testing Control, simultaneously
Prime Minister Narendra Mo- Agency (NTA) on Thursday New Delhi: No cities have with all stakeholders, in-
di to ensure that no one is left decided to not issue the admit been locked down, no cluding the media, on
hungry in the country. card that were to be down- transport closed and inter- where, when and how the
“The package will help the loaded by the candidates on national entry is still open. infections were discovered
poor, farmers and other needy Friday. The Joint Entrance Well, that’s South Korea and investigated,” a report FIRST SECOND
sections of the society when Examination (Main) will al- which has not only man- released by the UNDRR Transparency in Containment and mitigation:
the nation is on a 21-day lock- so be rescheduled as the lock aged to flatten the curve of said. sharing information Containment started as early
down to fight the coronavirus A labourer sleeps on sacks of onions at Azadpur Mandi wholesale down will continue till April rising coronavirus cases in The lessons learnt from on new infections; as the first case was identified
pandemic,” BJP President J P market in New Delhi on Thursday 14. The NTA will issue a noti- the country but has done a the MERS (Middle East Re- on where, when and in China on December 30.
Nadda said in a statement, add- fication on the status NEET- remarkable job of fully cur- spiratory Syndrome) out- how infections were Focus on identifying infected
ing, “Prime Minister Naren- UG 2020 on Friday. ing 41% of its 9,137 infected break in 2015 were handy, discovered patients and isolating them
dra Modi has announced a Cong welcomes govt relief package as Deciding not to issue the citizens, keeping the death as a result there was no
admit cards for the time be-
‘huge relief’ for the poor in this
hour of crisis.”
first step in right direction ing, a senior NTA official
count at just 126 as on
Wednesday.
confusion among the pub-
lic about the drills to be fol-
Home minister Amit Shah said, “We will not be issuing South Korea has dis- lowed during a pandemic
New Delhi: Congress on Thursday welcomed the government’s
said the announcement shows the admit cards on March 27, charged 3,730 of its 9,137 to avoid spreading the vi-
announcement of a financial assistance package to deal with job
the sensitivity of the govern- 2020, as scheduled. The new confirmed Covid-19 pa- rus. “No cities have been
losses and hardships in the wake of coronavirus-forced lockdown
ment towards the poor and oth- date for downloading of ad- tients who have fully reco- locked down, no transport
as it called it the first right step in tackling the crisis.
er vulnerable sections of socie- mit cards will be issued later vered, Dr Lee Wang-jun, closed and international
After days of criticising the Modi government for what he called FOURTH THIRD
ty. following a review. A final CEO of Myongji Hospital entry is still open,” Dr Lee
lapses and callousness while demanding economic steps like cash The main weapon is Implements triage and treatment
In his tweets, Nadda noted call will be taken jointly by and chairman of Korean said.
transfers for the poor, former Congress chief Rahul Gandhi said, diagnostic kits, massive system developed during 2015
that over 80 crore poor people the ministries of health and Hospital Association, said The second policy was
“The government’s announcement of a financial assistance screening combined MERS outbreak. A triage system
will get an additional five kg family welfare and human on Wednesday at a special- containment and mitiga-
package is the first step in the right direction. India owes a debt to with drive-through of five isolation hospitals created
each of wheat and rice besides resource development.” ly organised webinar by tion — tracking all suspect
its farmers, daily wage- earners, labourers, women and the elderly and walk-through for critical and severe cases,
one kg of pulses for three The health and HRD min- the UN Office for Disaster cases and tracing all con-
who are bearing the brunt of the ongoing lockdown.” test centres. Weekly mild to moderate cases sent
months to ensure that every- istries are in talks regarding Risk Reduction (UNDRR). firmed ones.
Earlier in the day, Congress president Sonia Gandhi wrote to diagnostic capability to a network of community
one gets adequate amount of the dates for the issuing of ad- The video conference was Mitigation involved
Prime Minister Narendra Modi demanding that the Centre provide of 4.3 lakh through hospitals. Hotels, gyms and
food. mit cards. Based on the direc- organised by the UNDRR lowering the peak of the
fixed cash transfers to workers in the unorganised sector and a 100 labs working residential centres revamped
Farmers, daily wagers, tions, NTA will issue a notifi- and the WHO for 900 disas- outbreak through a social
special risk allowance to health workers engaged in the fight round the clock for new hospital beds
poor women, people with dis- cation on Friday on the fu- ter management and distancing campaign in-
against coronavirus. TNN
abilities and senior citizens ture course of action. Ac- health specialists from 105 troduced just after the big
will also get monetary relief such important decisions and months. cording to reliable sources countries to learn from the outbreak in Daegu at the
through direct benefit transfer, this relief package,” he said. BJP general secretary Bhu- from the government the Korean experience. end of February, Dr Lee spread of Covid-19 to Dae- moted massive screening
he said. Nadda also hailed the gov- pender Yadav said the govern- new schedule is unlikely to Dr Lee explained the Ko- said. Daegu, with a popula- gu with 85% of all cases. and fast-tracking of sus-
“On behalf of every BJP ernment’s announcement of ment stands solidly with the be announced during the pe- rean strategy as contain- tion of 2.5 million, report- Though it decided to close pect cases, underpinned by
worker, I thank the PM for this insurance of health profes- poor and other segments of riod of the lock down till ing four key policies. “The ed 735 infections in a single all schools and imposed accelerated production of
relief to the poor, farmers, sionals and the decision to give population and is committed to April 14 and the exams are first policy is one of com- day as against Seoul’s 75 voluntary restrictions on emergency diagnostic kits
women, youth, senior citizens free LPG cylinders under the the country getting over the likely to be rescheduled to ei- plete openness and trans- with a population of 25 mil- large gatherings, no cities with a weekly diagnostic
and the organised sector for ‘Ujjwala’ scheme for three coronavirus epidemic. ther third week of May or parency in sharing updat- lion. Korea has managed to were put under lockdown. capability of 430,000,” Dr
even later. ed information on new in- restrict the community “The fourth policy pro- Lee said.

Man escapes from quarantine, tracked Jhunjhunu district only to be brought back by authorities

Jaipur: A 21-year-old coronavirus positive patient triggered

a scare after he escaped from a quarantine facility in
after he was found at his home. Health department officials
have taken the samples of 10 other family members of Tayub
(21) and kept all of them in an isolation ward. PTI
Seamless delivery Prof develops simulator to
of relief measures
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TIMES NEWS NETWORK
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cancelled. Two of her relatives said he wears a mask and does not
were the only mourners present. touch the family of the deceased
EXCLUSIVELY AVAILABLE ON Covid-19 has not only upended during the ceremony.

magicbricks
I 1 1

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airport departures, but also final Muslim funeral processions
iii departures. The logistics of grief, have had to do away with namaaz

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India ' s No .1 Property Site too, is virally changing shape as read in the outer portion of the
NO as pn canScmTnal UV Dec 2013 0 Mq 2019 the dead are quietly making their masjid before the body is taken to
way from the hospital or home to the cemetery. Masjids have been
Readers are recommended to make appropriate
enquires and seek appropriate advice before
To Buy O : 7290032777 cremation grounds in ambulanc-
es bereft of mourners.
risking infection by getting the
body home or holding a ceremo-
locked down so the namaaz has to
be read at home. “A government
s
To Rent/Sell O : 7876400400
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G Over the past week, Nitesh ny,” says Mehta, who had to hire notification allows not more than
9898590009
medical recommendations or entering into any
commitment in relation to any advert isement Mehta, who runs ‘Sarvapooja’, private ambulance drivers at the 20 people at the cemetery. Mourn-
published in this pubication . The Times Of India EXCLUSIVELY AVAILABLE ON
G, li .r:
has fulfilled an unprecedented re- last minute to do the job as not ers are anyway unable to travel

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Advert isers of products and serv ices. The Printer, quest from at least 15 families. many are ready to work amid the with no means of transport availa-
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body to be fetched directly from The lockdown has also affect- tration officer at Mahim Muslim
9924036655
consequences in the event such c l a m s are not India ' s N o . 1 Property Site
honored bytheAdv ertise rs.
14.1 as peenmkm TOW U9 Def . 2013 m May 2019 the hospital as they were wary of ed the export of remains. “With Kabrastan.
 THE TIMES OF INDIA, AHMEDABAD
FRIDAY, MARCH 27, 2020 TIMES NATION | Lockdown-Day 2 7

Centre may rope in 5th-year Govt uses existing schemes

to hand out benefits to poor
medical students, retired docs ANI
Continued from P1

No Of Doctors Mamata urges A

one-time non-refundable
advance for Employees’
Provident Fund Organi-
Waiting To Appear CMs to provide sation (EPFO) subscribers was
part of the package, which will
For Final Exam Is aid to stranded allow them to dip into their
corpus and withdraw up to
Around 50,000 Bengal workers
75% of the money or three
months wages, whichever is
[email protected] lower. Besides, for those earn-
New Delhi: West Bengal chief minis- ing under Rs 15,000 and work-
New Delhi: In urgent measures to ter Mamata Banerjee has written to 18 ing in entities that have less
ramp up medical capacity to tackle chief ministers of the country, asking than 100 employees, for the
any sharp rise in Covid-19 cases, the them to provide aid to the workers time being, the government  Cops provide fruits and ration to poor amid curfew in Bathinda on Thursday
government is considering facilitat- from the state who are stranded in dif- has decided to take over the
ing fifth-year MBBS students and re- employee and employer’s con-
tired but practising doctors to help in
ferent regions due to the lockdown
over the novel coronavirus pandemic. tribution – which adds up to
`31k-cr fund for construction workers: Govt
managing patients, if necessary. "Bengal has many workers - semi 24% of the salary. New Delhi: The Centre on Thursday announced the use of welfare
The health ministry and the Board West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee makes a circle for social distancing skilled and unskilled, working in dif- A key theme of the PM Ga- fund to provide assistance and support to building and
of Governors in Supersession of Med- during the lockdown, at a market in Kolkata, on Thursday ferent parts of the country. Due to rib Kalyan Yojana, unveiled by construction workers, who have been rendered jobless due to the
ical Council of India (BoG-MCI) is complete lockdown in the country for Sitharaman at a press confer- lockdown on account of the coronavirus pandemic. The central
looking at senior medical students be- ence, aims to provide addition-
ing given a provisional permit to prac- DGCA extends ban on int’l passenger flights COVID- 19 pandemic, many Bengal
workers could not travel back and are al foodgrains free of cost for
government has collected around Rs 31,000 crore as welfare fund
for building and other constructions workers. Finance minister
tise and manage Covid-19 cases, sourc- New Delhi: All international commercial passenger flights will remain stuck at different places," Banerjee the next three months along Nirmala Sitharaman said states are being asked to utilise the fund
es said on Thursday. suspended till April 14, aviation regulator DGCA announced on Thursday, amid a said in the letter. with the supply of one kg puls- to provide relief to these workers. There are around 3.5 crore
The suggestions include allowing nationwide lockdown to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus. The chief ministers of Maharash- es per family. As reported by registered workers in the fund. TNN
specialist doctors in vital specialities The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on March 19 had tra, Uttar Pradesh, Kerala, Delhi, Od- TOI on Monday, the govern-
like anaesthesiology, pulmonology, announced that no international commercial passenger flight operations will isha, Karnataka and Punjab were ment is using the massive around the world. So, 20.4 crore sought to use existing schemes
cardiology and radiology who are take place in India from 1.30 am on March 23 to 5.30 am on March 29. among those who received the letter. stockpile of wheat and rice women Jan Dhan account to hand out benefits to the poor.
waiting to appear for the final exam "In continuation of circular-II dated 19.3.2020 issued on the subject "We have received information available with the Food Corpo- holders will get Rs 500 a month As part of the package, the first
with a “Board Eligible” degree so that cited-above, it has been decided that all scheduled international commercial that many such workers who are ordi- ration of India. into their bank accounts for instalment of Rs 2,000 under
they assist in medical management. passenger services shall remain closed till 1830 hrs GMT (0000 hrs of Indian narily resident of Bengal are stuck in The Centre's use of the three months. Similarly, se- PM-Kisan will be given imme-
They could get “Board Certified” de- Standard Time) of April 14, 2020," the aviation regulator said. "However, this your state too," Banerjee said. "We are ‘JAM Trinity’ – Jan Dhan ac- niors, poor widows and the diately, while wages under the
gree later after passing the exam. restriction will not apply to international all-cargo operations and flights getting SOS calls from them." counts, Aadhaar and mobile physically challenged will get Mahatma Gandhi National Ru-
Estimates show there are around specifically approved by the DGCA," it said. The government suspended They are generally in groups of 50- phones – could well amount to a one-time transfer of Rs 1,000 ral Employment Guarantee
50,000 such specialist doctors who can domestic passenger flight operations from midnight on March 24. PTI 100 and can be easily identified by the what may be among the largest each. Act are being increased by Rs
play a significant role in critical care local administration, the chief minis- cash transfer experiments Besides, government 20 a day.
management if the number of hospi- potential to address the shortage of tals for other consultations. ter said.
talisation cases of Covid-19 increases doctors, mainly specialists in the Around 17 states have started "Since, it is not possible for us to re-
in the coming weeks. The proposal al- country. Such doctors, along with working at dedicated Covid -19 hospi- .na rr ,rr ,. -'0- argfE,i l
so includes relaxing norms and giving nurses and paramedics, are absolute- tals. Besides, the government has also
ach any help to them, I take the oppor-
tunity to request you to kindly ask
turn
"
n4r-i zrz ar-r No.A2/76/2020/SJD 0/o Secretary,
temporary licence to those who have ly essential to tackle any community earmarked beds for isolation and your administration to provide them
JAWAHARLAL INSTITUTE Of
POSTGRADUATE MEDICAL EDIKATW N Social Justice Department,
pursued medical education from for- spread of the disease. treatment of Covid-19 patients in both with basic shelter, food and medical AND RESEARCH IJIPMER)
(rarz+u i' 0 a iR tea + ' 3 dra Government of Kerala
C."m , , n- -') . a.a,0 .rrtr. 4S"TA
eign universities in Russia and China Though India’s strategy against public and private hospitals. support during this period of crisis," (An Institution of National Importance under NOTICE FOR APPOINTMENT
and are waiting to clear MCI’s eligibil- Covid-19 is focused on breaking the Despite a focus on isolation to she said. the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare),
ity test. Such doctors can be allowed to chain of transmission, there are con- break the chain of transmission, the "We, in Bengal, are taking care of Dhanvantri Nagar, Puducherry 60$ 008 Applications are invited for appointment to the post of " MEMBERS
Phone: 0413 - 2296022 Website: xww jpmer.edu.n
work in hospitals under senior doc- cerns over a rise in mortality and the government is simultaneously aug- such stuck people in our State," Ba- D127.032020
(4 VACANCIES ) IN KERALA STATE COMMISSION FOR PROTECTION OF
tors to tackle the current situation. need for ramped up critical care in- menting its testing facilities and labo- nerjee said in the letter. CORRIGENDUM CHILD RIGHTS"
Health minister Harsh Vardhan is frastructure to tackle the menace. ratories. In the advertisement for recruitment
She stated that the chief secretary of faculty posts on contract basis for For further details , please visit the following Websites
understood to have asked Niti Aayog The government and the BoG have Currently, there are 119 public lab- would pass on the details of such peo- AIIMS (Bibinagar) by JIPMER 1. www .kerala .gov.in
member V K Paul, who also heads the already legalised telemedicine and is- oratories under the Indian Council of ple to the respective state chief secre- published in dailies on 26.03.2020
vide Advt. No.JIP/AIIMS(Bibinagar)/ 2. www.kescpcr.kera la.gov.in
BoG-MCI, to review the proposal, sued guidelines for the same in order Medical Research (ICMR) capable of taries to speed up this entire process 2020/Contract/01 , the post name Bilu Prabhakar AS.
sources in the ministry said. to make healthcare accessible in re- conducting 12,000 Covid-19 tests every of humanitarian support in this hour mentioned in the column 6 should be Date: 22.03.2020 Secretary,
The proposal is crucial as it has the mote areas as well as decongest hospi- day. of crisis. PTI read as ASSISTANT PROFESSOR .
DIRECTOR
(R0 745/F4/2020H&PRD) Social Justice Department

Govt hopeful of containing FORM G

INVITATION FOR EXPRESSION OF INTEREST
(Under Regulation 36A ( I ) of the Insolvency and Bankruptcy (Insolvency Resolution Process for Corporate Persons)

the spread of coronavirus 1. Name of the corporate debtor

Re gulations , 2016
RELEVANT PARTICULARS
M/ S Eagle Cotton Private Limited
Continued from P1 ported eight new cases. Kerala
has had 137 Covid-19 patients so Many staples 2. Date of incorporation of corporate debtor
Authority under which corporate debtor is incorporated / reg istered
18 January 2012
R egistrar of Companies, Ahmedabad
3.
A
nother death was report- far, the highest in the country,
ed from Rajasthan, where
a 73-year-old resident of
followed by Maharashtra (130),
Karanataka (55), Telangana already off
virus-hit Bhilwara succumbed (45) and Gujarat (44). 4. Corporate identity number / limited liability identif ication number of corporate debtor IN: U 1712 1 GJ2012PTC068665
to Covid-19 on Thursday. “The
patient was suffering from dia-
Total four new cases of Co-
vid-19 were confirmed from Del-
the shelves 5. Address of the registered office and princi pal office (if any) of corporate debtor O ffice No. 13, Sarathi Complex. Opp.
betes, chronic kidney disease hi on Thursday, taking the Continued from P1 Diamond Market, Liliya Road, Amreli-
and stroke,” state health minis- state’s total to 39.
6560I Gujarat.

B
ter Raghu Sharma said. Lav Aggarwal, joint secreta- ritannia CEO Varun Berry
Madhya Pradesh also re- ry in the health ministry, said said, "The food industry
ported its second death. A 35- while the number of COVID-19 supply chain is disaggregat-
year-old man, with no history of cases was increasing, there ap- ed and dependent on inter-state 6. Insolvency commencement date of the corporate debtor 16/08/2019 (Order received by IRP)
foreign travel who was hospital- pears to be relatively a stable movement of goods. Due to the
ised with fever, cough and trend or even little bit reduction nature of the materials, invento- 7. Date of invitation of expression of interest 6/03/2020
breathing difficulty and later in the rate at which they are in- ries across the chain are low. If
tested positive for Covid-19, died creasing. “This however does even one link in the supply chain 8. Eli gibility for resolution app licants under section 25(2)(h) of the Code is available at: an be provided on request to
during treatment in Indore. not establish a clear trend and is broken, the country could run Email: ionradeep.eagle l) mail.com
Earlier, a 65-year-old woman in no way are we relaxed about out of stocks of packaged food in
from the state, who had tested anything at this point,” he add- the next 7-10 days.”
positive for Covid-19, had suc- ed. Many staples have already 9. Norms of ineli gibility applicable under section 29A are available at: A vailable on the Website of
cumbed to the illness. Agarwal said the ministry vanished from the shelves of su- IBBI://I BBI.GOV .IN/W EBFRONT/LEG
Gujarat recorded the death is hopeful of containing the permarkets and local kirana
LFRAMEWORK.PHP
of a 70-year-old man and five spread of the coronavirus by stores. The movement of raw ma-
new positive cases on Thursday, the social-distancing policy, terials has been curtailed too, 10. Last date for receipt of expression of interest 10/04/2020
taking the total number of posi- conducting a proper contact forcing companies like Britan-
I. Date of issue of provisional list of prospective resolution applicants 12/04/2020
tives to 44. Covid-19 has claimed tracing of positive cases and by nia, Parle and Unibic to cut pro-
three lives in the state. The lat- ensuring that all people at duction.
12. Last date for submission of objections to provisional list 17/04/2020
est victim, a resident of Bhav- home quarantine are moni- Berry’s remarks have been
nagar, had recently travelled to tored. one of the strongest by an FMCG
Delhi. He urged people to support company. Parle had previously 13. Date of issue of final list of prospective resolution app licants 19/04/2020
He was also suffering from the lockdown announced by the expressed concerns, and Metro
cancer, diabetes and heart dis- prime minister, saying social Cash & Carry India had said it 14. Date of issue of information memorandum, evaluation matrix and request for resolution 1 7/04/2020
ease, local authorities said. distancing can be an effective was unable to open its wholesale plans to prospective resolution applicants
There have been no Covid-19 intervention to break the chain stores because of police. Biscuit
deaths in Kerala so far, al- of transmission and all the ef- maker Unibic, whose sole factory 5. Manner of obtaining request for resolution plan . evaluation matrix , information he Resolution Professional Will Share
though the state reported the forts will go into waste even if on the outskirts of Bengaluru memorandum and further information he Request for Resolution Plan/
highest number of new cases, one person does not follow the has been shut since Sunday, has valuation Matrix/ Information
19, on Thursday. Maharashtra, policy for containment of the been facing problems in trans- emorandum in Electronic Form After
the other Covid-19 hotspot, re- disease. porting raw materials.
V erification Of KYC, Capacity To Invest ,
apability To Manage And Eligibility
Under Section 29a Of IBC, 2016 And Pre-
Bhilwara Scale of migration has Q ualification Criteria, If Any A pproved
By CoC.
collector
‘takes over’ senior officials worried 16. .
17.
Last date for submission of resolution plans
Manner of submitting resolution plans by a prospective resolution App licant to In electronic Form to the Email Id mention
8/05/2020 by 18:00 Hours

Continued from P1 resolution professional against Serial no . 21

5 pvt hosps 18. Estimated date for submission of resolution 'p lan to the Adjudicating Authority for 12/05/2020
Jaipur: After 19 persons test-
ed positive for Covid-19 in Ra-
T OI visited the Jaipur-Agra
highway near the Goner
road and found many walking on
app roval
jasthan’s Bhilwara, the collec- the road, carrying bags and lug- 19. Name and registration number of the resolution professional 'A Pradeep Kabra
tor has now “taken over” five gage. "My village is nearly 110 km IBBI/IPA-001/IP-P0 1 104 /2017-18/ 11790
private hospitals to scale up from Jaipur. I have no option but
the number of isolation facili- to go back. The police stopped us
ties for coronavirus patients at a few places but, when con- 20. Name , Address and e-email of the resolution professional, as reg istered with the Board A Pradeep Kabra
in the district. vinced that we had no other 19-21 , Metro Tower, Ring Road, Surat-
As of now, 50 persons are choice, they let us carry on," said 395002, Gujarat, India.
in isolation — 35 in the district Kishan Mahawar a daily-wage LONG WALK BACK: A migrant Email:- ippradeepkabra (-r)gmail .co m
hospital and 15 in these five labourer. worker walks to his village with
private hospitals. "On Wednesday night we family amid the nationwide com-
The district administra- have stopped a truck carrying plete lockdown in Ghaziabad on 21. Address and email to be used for correspondence with the resolution professional A Pradeep Kabra
tion has also “booked” 1,500 vegetables and asked the driver Thursday 19-2 1, Metro Tower , Ring Road , Surat-
rooms in hotels across the city. to drop five workers to Kishan- 95002, Gujarat , India.
At the moment nearly 600 peo- garh," said Sultan Singh, a cop ranged for food and water for
ple are kept in these hotels, dis- posted at Poorani Chungi. The these migrating workers.
Email:- i ppradeep [email protected]
trict collector Rajendra Bhatt, scale of movement is so large On the Gujarat-Rajasthan 22. Further Details are available at or with an be obtained by sending email at
told TOI. The Covid situation that it frightened senior officers border, patwaris were preparing iI2pradec D.e a& [email protected] o m
in Bhilwara plunged into a cri- at the Jaipur police commission- lists of the arriving population
sis after the death of a 73-year- erate when they were told by sub- according to the areas to which 23. Date of publication of Form G 6/03/2020
old person on Thursday and ordinates that hundreds of work- they belong and medical teams of
his son and granddaughter ers were walking towards Trans- 20 doctors and 40 nurses have
too testing positive for the in- port Nagar. been working day and night gyp Q
Regd . No. ^ Pradeep Kabra
fection. "A migration is on… We have screening them. Most of them do
So far, 19 people in the dis- spoken to many of them who not have money and had not eat- '4 Ie4tE391 8, P
` / final for M XaggleCotton Private Limite d
trict have been found infected said they are left without any en properly, Kanaram, the collec-
* IP-POl1 1Q(1-4 9- , Metro Tower, Ring Road, Surat - 395002.
1 2017-18/11790
with the virus. A huge team of money. Yesterday we helped tor, said, adding that though it
was a large number of people,
Date: 26.03 .2020 Email: ippradeep.eagle (tDgmail.com.
1,500 health workers and 2,400 some of them reach their villag-
police personnel undertaking es," said Jaipur commissioner they were adhering to the social Place: Surat I Reg istr IBBI/IPA-001/ IP-P01 104 /2017- 18111790

e Y PcoEe
the country’s largest screen- Anand Srivastav. A few volun- distancing protocol.
ing exercise. TNN tary organisations have ar- Full report on www.toi.in
8 TIMES NATION THE TIMES OF INDIA, AHMEDABAD
FRIDAY, MARCH 27, 2020

10 Faces Of Corona Infections In India...

From March 15 to March 25, the number of Covid-19 cases across India has grown more than five times. Since the first Indian
case was reported on January 30, the country has seen an average of about 10 new cases per day. But it’s not been a uniform
... and a new way of looking
picture across the country. Some states, like Gujarat, remained free of Covid-19 cases for long, then saw a spike. Some, like
Uttar Pradesh, have seen a steady accumulation of cases. Here is a snapshot of how the cases have grown in the top 10 states
at geographic spread
On March 16, 15 states/UTs, or
The vertical axis – or the y axis, as it is usually called – is not uniform in the charts; for instance, in the 2 out of 5 of total 36 states/UTs, 1 50
Ladakh
case of Kerala, the y axis goes up to 100, whereas the peak point in a state like UP is less than 40 had confirmed cases. A little 13
over a week later, the total has
DAILY CASES IN 10 STATES REPORTING MOST CONFIRMED COVID-19 PATIENTS gone up more than 5-fold to over Punjab
Haryana 29
600, with 25 states/UTs reporting 28
cases, that is 2 out of 3 Delhi
Maharashtra Kerala Karnataka 50
Rajasthan 31 UP
CASES 128 RECOVERED 1 DEATHS 3 100
CASES 109 RECOVERED 4 100
CASES 41 RECOVERED 3 DEATH 1 Looking at the Covid-19 36 37
STEADY GROWTH: Cases are largely HOCKEY-STICK RISE: From Mar 21 SHARP SPIKE: Karnataka saw a spike in spread district-wise, Gujarat
concentrated in the urban Mumbai to 24, number of cases in Kerala cases on Mar 21 – since then, cases MP
there are some key 38 14 9
and Pune districts, and have has roughly doubled from 40 to 95, have nearly tripled, and at least eight
been steadily 50 but the state is also conducting 50
districts are affected
clusters — like in West
rising since the most tests Maharashtra and Bengal
mid-Mar Kerala — where cases Maharashtra 128
Telangana
0 0 0
are concentrated 35
MAR 11 MAR 25 MAR 11 MAR 25 MAR 11 MAR 25 Karnataka
41 Andhra
9 Pradesh
Gujarat
50
INDIA Uttar Pradesh 50
Kerala
CASES 38 DEATH 1 CASES 37 RECOVERED 9 109 18 Tamil Nadu
LATE START: Number of cases
quadrupled between Mar 21
606 STEADY GROWTH: Cases doubled within a
week. Lucknow, Agra and Gautam
REPORTED CASES Buddha Nagar reported the
and 23. With 13 cases,
most cases (8 each)
Ahmedabad district is the
worst affected 43
RECOVERED
0 0
MAR 11 MAR 25
10 MAR 11 MAR 25

DEATHS 50
Rajasthan 50
Telangana
CASES 36 RECOVERED 3 CASES 35 RECOVERED 1
LATE START: Between Mar 19 and 20, A LATE LEAP: Almost a third of the
cases doubled, and then again state’s cases are foreign nationals;
between Mar 21 and 25. Largely the Mar 19-20 spike is a result of
rural Bhilwara district has eight of a group of 13 Initially, 75 districts across
the most cases at 13 Indonesians testing positive India that had reported Covid-19
cases were put under lockdown.
0 0
Thereafter, when the case count was
MAR 11 MAR 25 MAR 11 MAR 25
MAR 11 MAR 25 hovering near 500, the Union health
ministry had listed 103 districts
Delhi Punjab Haryana as having reported cases, which
50 50
CASES 31 RECOVERED 6 DEATH 1 CASES 29 DEATH 1 CASES 28 RECOVERED 11 50
means about one out of seven of
SPIKE MIDWAY: Since mid-Mar, cases PLATEAUED? Between Mar 20 and LATE BUMP: Haryana not only has the most the more than 700 districts in India
have been rising steadily. Eight of 11 22, cases grew by 10 times, from 2 foreign nationals (14) who tested positive, it
districts have been affected. Notably, to 21. Shaheed Bhagat Singh also has reported the most recoveries (11). The all-India lockdown can serve to restrict
CM Arvind Kejriwal recently said Nagar district, with 14 cases, has A majority of its cases were in Gurgaon
that six cases were from emerged as a hotbed Covid-19 cases to the clusters with identified
local transmission cases and ensure that focus can be given to
Figures as of March 25 at 7pm contain and combat its spread
0 Data: Ministry of Health, Popper.ai
0 0 Note: State-level map shows top 15 states
Map courtesy: covindia.netlify.com
MAR 11 MAR 25 MAR 11 MAR 25 MAR 11 MAR 25 and UTs with confirmed cases
Design: Sajeev Kumarapuram

India in touch
Yesteryear bollywood star Nimmi no more
Cops shoot at truck driver for refusing bribe: Three police constables
were arrested on Thursday on charges of opening fire at the driver of a mini
truck in Danapur locality after he refused to give them Rs 5,000 as bribe to
allow the potato-laden vehicle cross the pontoon bridge over the Ganga. with Kabul attack
The driver was rushed to hospital. His statement was recorded on Thursday
after his relatives took up the matter with senior police officers. TNN victims’ kin: MEA [email protected] Nimmi’s debut in ‘Barsaat’ coincided with that of music
New Delhi: The Indian Em- New Delhi: Nimmi, who swept to star- director Shankar-Jaikishan, who composed some
bassy in Kabul is in touch dom with her debut film, Barsaat, and crackling melodies for the film. The teenager got to
with family members of the went to earn acting plaudits in box-of-
RURAL WATER SUPPLY & SANITATION DEPARTMENT victims of the dastardly ter-
lipsync superhits such as ‘Jiya beqarar hai’, Among her
fice winners such as Aan and Daag,
Office of the Engineer -in-Chief , RWS&S , 'C' Block , 5th Floor, ror attack at a gurudwara in passed away in Mumbai on Wednes- recognized films are: Amar, Aandhiyan, Deedar, Sazaa,
Vasudha Shelters, Saipuram Colony, Gollapudi , the Afghan capital, External day. She was 87. Mere Mehboob, Akashdeep and Pooja Ke Phool
Vijayawada -521225 , ANDHRA PRADESH Affairs Minister S Jaishan- The actor was brought to a subur-
Email address :cewatergrid @gmaiLcom kar said on Thursday. ban Juhu hospital after complaining lightning rapidity.” to name just two.
Eol No.1/AE/DEE/Water Grid/HAM/20 Dt: 20.3.2020 Twenty-five people were of breathlessness. She died in the eve- Her performance in director Ami- “Daughter of a well-known song-
Government of Andhra Pradesh has proposed to take up Drinking Water killed after gunmen stormed ning, family sources told PTI adding, ya Chakrabarty’s box-office hit, Daag, stress Wahidan Bai, art seems to run
Supply Projects in 6 Districts of the State with an estimated cost of the gurdwara in Kabul and that the Agra-born heroine of 1950s inspired by Billy Wilder’s The Lost in the family, because her mother also
Rs_1 2, 308.00 Cr under Hybrid Annuity Model (HAM). Eligible agencies opened fire at the people in- was “unwell” for some time. crackling melodies for the film. The Weekend (1945), earned her high used to work in films. So did her aunt
may submit their Expression of Interest (Eol) to execute the projects on side on Wednesday. Among her other recognized films teenager got to lipsync superhits such praise. “Dilip Kumar and Nimmi are Jyoti…her father Janam Abdul Ha-
Hybrid Annuity Model. Eol document with full details can be accessed from One of the deceased was are: Amar, Aandhiyan, Deedar, Sazaa, as Jiya beqarar hai. the stand-outs of the picture. Both act kim Sahib was a well-to-do military
the website: rwss.ap.nic.in from 25.03 ,2020 onwards. Tian Singh, a 71-year old Del- Mere Mehboob, Akashdeep and Pooja Her rise was meteoric. A profile sympathetically with Nimmi display- contractor of Rawalpindi and she had
Contact Phone No.9618341349 Sd/-Engineer -in -Chief , hi resident. Ke Phool. published in Stars of the Indian ing the more consummate act,” wrote a happy childhood,” the write-up in
R No:458PP ADVT 1 2019-20 :26-03-2020 RWS&S , Gollapudi , Vijayawada The Islamic State terror- In an interview for Rajya Sabha Screen (1952), edited by the legendary The Times of India in its 1952 review. Stars of the Indian Screen (1952) said.
ist group has claimed respon- tv’s show, Guftagooo, Nimmi said that Baburao Patel, described her in the fol- Nimmi is also remembered as the Her marriage with film writer S
sibility for the attack which she was spotted by Raj Kapoor after lowing way: “Delicately built and of spunky girl whose love for Dilip Ku- Ali Raza was also a blockbuster suc-
Rajasthan Medical Services Corporation Ltd. came weeks after a historic she had gone to see the shooting of little height, the most striking fea- mar in Aan goes unrequited. “At one cess. Raza, who wrote the dialogues of
(A Govt. of Rajasthan Undertaking)
Gandhi Block , Swasthya Bhawan, Tilak Marg, Jaipur-302005 , India deal between the US and the Mehboob Khan’s Andaz. Kapoor tures about Nimmi are her beautiful time, I would ask for Rs 3 lakh -- equiva- classics such as Mother India and An-
Phone No: 0141-2228066, 2228064 Website : www.rmsc.heahh.raj asthan.gov.in Taliban to bring lasting christened her Nimmi; her real name eyes, her fascinating smile and well- lent of what any top actor was get- daz, passed away in 2007.
CIN:U24232RJ20115GC035067 E-mail : edo rmsc@gmai l.com
peace to Afghanistan. PTI was Nawab Banu. During the shooting shaped arched eyebrows…Nimmi has ting,” she told TOI in an interview in With Nimmi’s demise, another
F.02(285)/RMSC/Proc ./Three Layer Mask /NIB-10/2020/606 Dated :24 .03.2020
of Barsaat, she tied rakhi to Kapoor an indomitable spirit and one has only 2006. In an interview, she claimed to fond chapter of Hindi cinema comes to
Notice Inviting E-Bids for a particular scene. He treated her to see her flashing eyes to recognize have received offers from Hollywood. an end. Filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt fit-
Short Term E-bids are invited up to 3.00 PM of 28.03.2020 for like his sister thereafter. the artist in her. Her eyes move fast Many songs lensed on her are Viv- tingly tweeted, “You may win your
PROCUREMENT OF THREE LAYER MASK. Details of NIB-10/2020.(UBN No. COMPLETE MANAGEMENT Nimmi’s debut in Barsaat coinci- and quick carrying with them a idh Bharati favourites: Dil ka diya jala heart’s desire, but in the end you are
MSC1920GLOB00118) may be seen in the Bidding Documents at our office or AND MAINTENANC E OF ded with that of music director Shan- wealth of expression which is trans- ke gaya (film: Akashdeep) and Tum na cheated of it by death.” Goodbye Nim-
at the website of State Public procurement Portal htt0 ://s000 .rai.nic.in, RUNNING ROOM kar-Jaikishan, who composed some lated into emotion on the screen with jaane kis jahan mein kho gaye (Sazaa), miji.”
E tender Notice No ; DRM(M) ADU25I
w w w . d ii r o n l i n e . o r g, h t t o : / / e D r o c . r a i a s t h a n . g o v . i n ., - .
2019 20 Dtd 20 03.2020; Tender No: M
www.rmsc.health . raiasthan.gov.in and maybe downloaded from there. 377/35/ RR-BLDI/2019 -20; E-tender is
invited from eligible contractors for the
Note:- If any amendment is carried out in the tender specifications and
terms & conditions following pre-bid meeting, the same will be uploaded on
following work:- Name of the Work:
Contract work for Complete Management
and Maintenance of Running Room -
ON LINE TENDERING Administration of U.T. of Dadra Heat may slow corona
the Departmental website www.rmsc.health.raiasthan.Rov.in. sppp.raj.nic.in Road & Building Depart ment
and https:// eproc .rajasthan .gov.in. In case any inconvenience is felt, please
Bhildi (BLDI) including Subsidized Meals
and Crew Box handling for a period of 3
Years. Estimated Cost of work:
Government of Gujarat & Nagar Haveli, Daman & Diu, but early summer
contact on telep hone number i.e. 0141-2228064
Raj .Samwad/C/19/6326 Executive Director Procurement
( 3 ,68 ,45,864.44/- (Rupees Three Crore
Sixty Eight Lakh Fort y Five Thousand
1 1 1 Office of the onset unlikely
Eight Hundred Sixty Four and Palsa Forty
Four Only). Earnest Money Deposit:
In the name and on behalf of Governor of Gujarat State the
Executive Engineer , District (R&B) Division , Opp. Jasani
Directorate of Medical & [email protected]
Administration of U.T. of Dadra & Nagar Haveli, T 3 ,34 ,200/- (Rupees Three Lakhs Thirty
Four Thousand Two Hundred Only), Date College , Rajkot-360002 , Ph. No. 0281-2465014 invites bid Public Health Department
Daman & Diu, & Time of Tender Closing : Closing at
15:00 hrs on dated 20/04/2020 , Date & second try from the intended experienced , competent and File No. DMHS/P&T/2019-20/85 New Delhi: Many Indians have been praying
Office of the Directorate of Medical & Public Health Department. Silvassa Time of Tender Opening : Opening at Registered Contractors to undertake the "Construction of Six Silvassa for an early onset of peak summer this year in
15:30 hrs. on dated 20/04/2020 . Website
"Tel.No.0260.2642940, 2640615" e-mail Id: syt)ch.sil@o mail.com Lane Fly Over Bridge on Madhapar Junction Connecting the light of some studies that have shown that
particulars Notice Board location where Date: 25/03/2020
File No. DMHS/P&T/2019-20/83 Date: 24/03/2020 complete details of tender can be seen Road from Rajkot to Jamnagar & Vehicular Underpass on transmission of Covid-19 infections may slow

Short e-Tender
& address of the office of tender inviting down in high heat. That hope may be dashed,
Short e-Tender Notice A u t h o r i t y : http://www . ireps .gov.1 n ,
Divisional Railway
Manager
2"° Floor ,
Connecting Road from Rajkot City to Morbi side at Rajkot"
whose Estimated Project Cost is Rs. 5601.50 Lakhs Document
with met department forecasts showing that
The Director of Medical & Health Serv ices, Dadra and Nagar Haveli, Daman ( M e c h a n i c a l ), (W. Rly),
Mechanical Branch, Near Chamunda ps://rnb.nnrocure.com upto Dt.21-04-
shall he upload on ih
the chances of summer setting in early are low.

Notice
& Diu on behalf of President of India , invites online tender on Ms.// Bridge , Naroda Road , P.O. Saijpur Temperatures across most of India are
dnhtenders.gov.in/nicgep/aoo from the Reputed Manufactures/ Authorized Bogha,Ahmedabad 382345 - 2020 at 18:00 Hrs. (Any Modification / Correction will be likely to remain below normal at least over the
f display on website only.) MAHITVRAJ/157af2o
next two weeks, the India Meteorological De-
Dealers/ Suppliers for supply of below mentioned items. The Director of Medical & Health Services ,
partment’s extended range forecast reveals.
1) e-Tender ID No. 2020 UTDNH_4588 1):_ Purchase of Hand Sanitizer for Dadra and Nagar Haveli , Daman & Diu The forecast, which gives weekly outlooks
D&NH/DD under Medical & Health Department , D&NH. Estimated Cost:
CHHATTISGARH I BOARD DIVISION 1 on behalf of President of India, invites for the next 28 days, shows that the probability
T 39.75 Lacs. Last date of submission of Bid: 27.03.2020. online tender on https://dnhtenders, of the mercury hitting 40°C, even in central In-
2) e-Tender ID No. 2020_ UTDNH 4589_ 1):- Purchase of Surgical 3 Layer gov .in/nicgep/aao from the Reputed dia, are low till the second week of April. Sum-
Mask for D&NH/ DD under Medical & Health Department , D&NH. ESTIMATED NOTICE INVITING TENDER Advt. No. 66 mer arrives earlier in south and central India
Manufactures/ Authorized Dealers/
CosT : Z , 45 ,45 Lacs. Last date of submission of Bid: 27.032020. Invitation of online Bids & lender in Form 'F (Lump-Sum) CPWD LPC mode 3 ; tum Key) from eligible contractors and expert construction than the north because these regions are clos-
agencies/firms in field of Monolithic Technology as detailed in the "Pre-Qualification document and registered in CLASS-A with Unique Suppliers for supply of below mentioned er to the equator.“Several parts of north and
3) e-Tender ID No. 2020 UTDNH 4590 1):- Purchase of Mufti Parameter registration system or equivalent class registered in Govt . of India & other experienced contractor through et endering under two bid system
detail in the Pre-qualification" Document for the following work as per detail" given below. The document can be purchased and downoaded
items. central India rainfall are likely to get rain over
Patient Monitor & Syringe Pump for Shri Vinoba Bhave Civil Hospital &
Khanvel Sub District Hospital under Medical and Public Health Department ,
from- https ://eproc .cgstate .gov.in on before 30 .04 .2020 up to 17:30 hours. 1) e-Tender lD No.2020_UTDNH_4592_1) the next two-three days under the influence of
DNH, Estimated Cost: T . 97.75 Lacs. Last date of submission of Bid:
Name of work Tender Earnest Cost of Time Allowed :- Purchase of Machinery, Instruments very active back-to-back western disturbanc-
Amount Money Tender Fon d for Completion es (WDs). Again, next week, some rain is ex-
27.03.2020. Construction of Township for NMDC Ltd As. As . As. 50,000.00 24 Months
and Kits for starting of COVID-19 PCR
pected in north India, particularly over the Hi-
4) e-Tender ID No. 2020_ UTDNH_ 4587_ 1):- Purchase of Adult Ventilator at Niyanar, Jagdalpur, C.G. SH: Total Land 1768.56 17.79 (Non (i./c. rainy Laboratory under Medical & Health malayas,” said Mrutyunjay Mohapatra, head
Area 118 Acre and 2062 Nos. Residential C(ore Croce refundable) S easo n )
for Khanvel Sub District Hospital under Medical & Public Health Department , Quarters including Hospital Block, VIP Guest Department , D&NH. Estimated Cost: of IMD. He added that temperatures aren’t ex-
D&NH, Estimated Cost: Z , 92,50 Lacs. Last date of submission of Bid: House , Club, Dormitory, Community hall , Z 19.22 Lacs. Last date of submission pected to rise significantly over most parts of
Auditorium , School , Sports , Commercial
27.03.2020. Block & Allied buildings etc. (All Residential of Bid: 31.03.2020. Tender can be India over the next two weeks or so.
Multistoried building shall be constructed An analysis by scientists at the Massachu-
5) e-Tender ID No.2020_UTDNH 4586 1): Purchase of Adult Ventilator for
with monolithic concrete technology) including
downloaded from www.dnh.nic.in and
setts Institute of Technology had shown that
Shri Vinoba Bhave Civil Hospital under Medical & Public Healt h Department , all Development Works (Civil & Electrical on www .vbch.dnh.nic.in.
EPC Mode 3 including Operation and coronavirus infections may transmit at the
D&NH. Estimated Cost: Z. 92.50 Lacs. Last date of submission of
Bid: 27.03 .2020 . Tender can be downloaded from www .dnh.nic.in and
Maintenance for 2 years. (C.G.) Director, Medical & Health slower rate in places where the weather is hot.
The study is not definitive, nor has it been peer
www.vbch. d nh. nic.tn.
Note:-1) Prequalifi cat ion criteri a and al other condition s can be seen on website (2) The bid document can be downlcaded and suonlissicn
of from website https://eproc.cgstate .gov .in up to 30.04.2020 (3) Pre-Bid meeting will be held on 16-04-2020 at head office "Paryawas Services , U.T. of DNH & DD reviewed. In general, India’s high summer pe-
Director, Medical & Health Services, Bhawan" North Block Sector- 19 Nava Raipur Atal Nagar 492101 (C.G) (4) Any other information can be obtained fro m the off ice of the "Tel.No.0260-2642940, 2640615" riod sees the least number of virus infections.
Execut ive EngineerC C Housing Board Division Jagdalpur during the office hours. (5) Amendment in tender if any will only be uploaded on
U.T. of DNH&DD the website and shall not be published in any news paper or inform by mail to any contractor. e-mail Id: [email protected] Full report on www.toi.in
NoJPONFr 1 1 '.2020 A - D.24.C02020 Executive Engineer No.IP/DN W 1 13/2020 SiAassa Dt.26.032020
 TIMES GLOBAL
ANYONE WHO HAS NEVER
MADE A MISTAKE HAS NEVER
TRIED ANYTHING NEW
— ALBERT EINSTEIN
THE TIMES OF INDIA, AHMEDABAD | FRIDAY, MARCH 27, 2020

IDRIS ELBA REFUTES ‘STUPID’ CLAIMS THAT HE IS COURTENEY COX, WHO PLAYED MONICA ON ‘FRIENDS’, SAYS
BEING PAID TO LIE ABOUT CORONAVIRUS DIAGNOSIS SHE IS REVISITING SERIES DURING HER HOME-STAY PERIOD

NEARLY 5,00,000 PEOPLE INFECTED GLOBALLY Reuters

Time To Act Was Two Months Ago: Kosovo is first

EU nation to see
WHO Chief Scolds World Leaders AFP
govt topple over
virus response
K
Madrid: The number of coro- Hans Kluge, the head of the osovo lawmakers ousted
navirus infections closed in WHO’s European office. PM Albin Kurti, becom-
on a half-million worldwide Germany has had a high ing the first nation in
on Thursday, with both Italy number of infections at more Europe to vote out a govern-
and the US on track to sur- than 39,000 people, but just 222 ment over the way it handled
pass China, and a record- deaths — which has widely be- the coronavirus outbreak.
shattering 3.3 million Ameri- en attributed to early and ag- The government collapsed
cans applied for unemploy- gressive testing, among other on Wednesday, just months af-
ment benefits last week in a factors. EU leaders were hol- ter it took office. The vote was
stark demonstration of the ding their third summit in called by a junior coalition
damage to the world’s biggest three weeks on the virus to ma- partner who criticised steps
economy. Health care sy- nage the havoc it is wreaking taken to curb the contagion.
stems in Europe and New on their 27 economies. As the Kurti ordered a curfew and
York buckled under the stra- number of deaths in Europe banned public gatherings to
in, with Spain’s death toll President Putin said on Thursday Russia could defeat coronavirus in less soared past 12,000, Spain exten- stem the spread, defying Presi-
climbing to more than 4,000. than three months if it imposed tough measures quickly as authorities ded a state of emergency that dent Hashim Thaci, who want-
At least 2.8 billion people, or suspended all regular and charter flights to and from the country from will allow it to impose broader ed to declare national emergen-
more than one-third of the Friday. Moscow authorities said they would close all shops apart from lockdowns, while France lau- cy. The two officials have been
Earth’s population, are under food stores and pharmacies from this weekend as Russia reported its nched “Operation Resilience”, at odds all along, mainly on
severe travel restrictions. But biggest one day rise in cases yet, bringing its official tally to 840 a military-backed response to how Kosovo should mend ties
the head of the World Health the crisis. France began evacu- with Serbia and which of them
Organisation, Tedros Adha- ... This is a second opportuni- than 2,500 cases and 59 deaths. ating infected citizens from the should lead those efforts.
nom Ghebreyesus, scolded ty, which we should not squan- Spain has become the co- hotspot of Alsace using a speci- Kurti remains in charge as
world leaders for wasting pre- der and do everything to supp- untry in Europe where the out- al high-speed train. RIVER OF SOLACE: Medical workers at a riverside park by the Yangtze River in Wuhan, China caretaker premier for up to
cious time in the fight against ress and control this virus.” break is spreading the fastest. China’s cases have slow- two weeks. During that time,

US weekly jobless claims

the virus that has already kil- In Brazil, the country’s On Thursday, the health mini- ed, with only 67 new cases re- his party may propose a new
led more than 22,000 people and governors are defying Presi- stry reported reported nearly ported, all recent arrivals. The government leader but it may
infected over 480,000, and rava- dent Jair Bolsonaro over his 8,600 new infections and 655 de- leaders of the Group of 20 struggle to find a coalition
ged the world economy. call to reopen schools and bu- aths, bringing the total cases to largest economies held a video partner. More than 70 people
“The time to act was actu- sinesses, dismissing his argu- over 56,00 and more than 4,000 conference to better coord- have been infected with the vi-
ally more than a month ago or
two months ago,” he said Wed-
nesday. “We squandered the
ment that the “cure” of wide-
spread shutdowns is worse
than the disease. As of Thurs-
fatalities — second only to Ita-
ly’s death toll of about 7,500.
The rate of increase in Italy
inate a response to the outbr-
eak, amid criticism that the
world’s wealthiest nations ha-
soar to record 3.3 million rus in the landlocked nation of
1.8 million. BLOOMBERG

first window of opportunity. day, the country had more has slowed slightly, noted Dr. ve not taken cohesive action. AP
Washington: Nearly 3.3 mil-
AP
Pope reportedly
Spain sends substandard lion Americans applied for un-
employment benefits last week
— almost five times the previ-
tests -ve after
ous record set in 1982 — amid a Vatican scare
testing kits back to China widespread economic shut-
down caused by the coronavi- Vatican City: Pope Francis
rus. The surge in weekly appli- was reported on Thursday to

S
pain’s health ministry, cations was a stunning reflec- have tested negative for the no-
which is struggling to deal tion of the damage the viral vel coronavirus after a person
with a surge in coronavi- 3-yr-old Indian girl outbreak is inflicting on the in his residence was said to ha-
rus patients, said it was send-
ing back to China about 9,000
among S’pore’s 73 TRACKING OUTBREAK economy. Filings for unemplo-
yment aid generally reflect the
ve contacted Covid-19. Several
Italian newspapers with repu-
test kits because they did not new virus cases pace of layoffs. Virus deaths in table sources in the Vatican sa-
meet the required criteria. Countries Infected Death the US neared 1,050 and at least id the Italian clergyman who
175 US TOLL TOPS 1,000: Filings for unemployment aid generally reflect
China’s embassy in Ma-
drid said on Twitter that
Spain had acquired the sub-
A three-year-old Indian girl
was among the 73 new Co-
vid-19 cases that have been re-
China 81,782 3,291 countries/
70,000 people are infected.
The latest numbers, re-
leased by the labour departm-
the pace of layoffs. The virus toll in the US topped 1,000 on Wednesday
got sick had lived for years in
the pope’s Saint Martha’s resi-
dence. The daily La Stampa sa-
Italy 74,386 7,503 regions hit
standard test kits from a com-
pany that had not received an
ported in Singapore in a day,
taking the tally to 631. Of the United States 69,246 1,046
ent on Thursday, are some of
the first hard data on the eco- Terror charge on US man who id the unnamed person has be-
en hospitalised in Rome and
official license to sell such new cases, 38 people have tra- 4,92,603+ nomic toll of the coronavirus that his office has been disin-
products. The embassy said
that the bulk of the medical
vel history to Europe and No-
rth America, while the rest we-
Spain 56,188 4,089 infected globally pandemic, which has shut do-
wn whole swaths of American
coughed and said he had virus fected. The newspaper Il Mes-
saggero later reported that the
Germany 40,585 229
A
equipment ordered by Spain re locally transmitted cases. life faster than government New Jersey man was infected with the virus. pope himself was tested for the
had not yet left China. Eighteen cases were linked to
Iran
22,184+ statistics can keep track. Just charged with making Falcone later told two virus and came out clean.
Problems with test kits a kindergarten centre where 29,406 2,234 have died three weeks ago, barely 200,000 a terroristic threat af- other store employees that The 83-year-old pontiff has
from China have also been mostly staff were infected. PTI France people applied for jobless bene- ter he intentionally coug- they were lucky to have remained largely secluded at
25,604 1,333 fits, a historically low number. hed near a supermarket jobs, officials said. his residence since coming do-
raised in Germany. “I get ev-
ery hundreds of emails every ers on Wednesday.“Our insti- Switzerland 11,575 172 1,19,918 As staggering as the new employee and told her he Falcone was charged wn with a cold last month. AFP
day with people saying, ‘Buy a tutes are testing these and have recovered figures are, they almost cer- had the coronavirus, au- with making a terroristic
United Kingdom 9,241 467
million quick tests from Chi-
na,’” Jens Spahn, Germany’s
looking at them, and they are
not sensitive and specific
South Korea 9,642 131 Source: Johns Hopkins
tainly understate the prob-
lem. Some part-time and low-
thorities said on Tuesday.
The man, George Falco-
threat in the third degree
and fourth-degree of ob- Malaysia’s king
health minister, told report- enough.” NYT NEWS SERVICE wage workers don’t qualify ne, 50, was shopping for structing administration
and queen under
University

for unemployment benefits. groceries at a Wegmans of law, Grewal said. Falco-

‘Extending curbs will prevent a second wave’

Nor do gig workers, independ- store on Sunday evening ne would face up to 7 years
ent contractors and the self- when a worker asked him
to move away from her and
in prison and a fine of up to
$26,000 if convicted.
quarantine
employed, although the emer-
gency aid package being con- a food display because he “These are extremely di- Kuala Lumpur: Malaysia’s
AFP
was too close, the state at- fficult times in which all of

E
xtending school and work Lancet Public Health journal Tropical Medicine (LSHTM), sidered by Congress would king and queen are under
closures at the coronavi- suggested continuing Wu- who co-led the research. broaden eligibility. The sud- torney general, Gurbir us are called upon to be con- quarantine after seven palace
rus’ ground zero in China han’s shutdowns until April The study used mathemati- den rush of layoffs has led to Grewal, said. The authori- siderate of each other — not staff members tested positive
may delay a second wave of in- would push a potential second cal modelling to simulate eit- jammed phone lines and over- ties said that Falcone lea- to engage in intimidation for Covid-19. The palace said on
fections, researchers said on wave of Covid-19 until later in her extending or relaxing whelmed computer servers at ned in close to the worker to and spread fear,” Grewal sa- Thursday that seven staff were
Thursday, urging the rest of the year. That would give he- school and workplace closures unemployment offices across cough and allegedly laug- id. Falcone has denied of hospitalised on Tuesday and
the world to take note. alth services more time to re- in Wuhan, a city of 11 million the country, leaving many hed, telling her that he was making any threat. NYT health authorities were trying
With containment measu- cover and expand, potentially people. By lifting control mea- people unable to file claims. to identify the source of the
res largely successful and the saving lives. “The city now ne- sures now, a second rush of in- With layoffs surging, a sig- ment aid that states provide. gig workers and others who are transmission. It said King Sul-
epidemic’s epicentre now in eds to be really careful to avoid fections may occur in late Au- nificant expansion of unem- Another provision would sup- not on company payrolls. tan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad
Europe, China has loosened a prematurely lifting physical gust, the analysis suggested. ployment benefits was includ- ply 13 additional weeks of ben- Separate legislation pas- Shah and his wife Tunku Azi-
two-month lockdown in the ci- distancing measures, because But keeping lockdown measu- ed in an economic relief bill efits beyond the six months of sed last week provides up to $1 zah Aminah Maimunah Iskan-
ty of Wuhan where the new co- that could lead to an earlier se- res until April would likely de- nearing final approval in Con- jobless aid that most states of- billion to states to enhance dariah were tested for the vi-
ronavirus is thought to have condary peak in cases,” said lay a second peak until October gress. One provision in the bill fer. The new legislation would their ability to process claims. rus, but both were negative.
GROUND ZERO: An aerial view jumped from wildlife to people Kiesha Prem, a specialist at the — giving healthcare workers a would provide an extra $600 a also extend unemployment But that money will take time Malaysia has reported 21
of Wuhan, China, on Thursday late last year. But a study in the London School of Hygiene & chance to regroup. REUTERS week on top of the unemploy- benefits, for the first time, to to be disbursed. REUTERS deaths and 1,796 infections. AP

OTHER TOP STORIES

Twitter bans site promoting AROUND THE WORLD
Venezuela prez is NZ shooter pleads

charged in US with
guilty to murder
T he man who slaughtered 51
worshippers at two Christch-
‘Chickenpox parties’ in US AFP
A 2018 South Korean
drama about an
outbreak goes viral
racter, “We must do more
research, but it looks like a
mutant coronavirus.” To which
she asks, “Corona? Then
Mers?” “Mers, Sars, the com-

T
urch mosques unexpectedly witter on Wednesday
mon flu. They all fall in the

drug trafficking pleaded guilty to all charges on

Thursday. The sudden turn in the
case took survivors and relatives
temporarily locked the
account of a conservati-
ve website after it promoted an
S outh Korean drama “My
Secret, Terrius” may have
predicted a novel coronavirus-
same gene family with the
same gene information,” the
doctor says. “The coronavirus
by surprise, and brought relief to article suggesting that the me-
Katie Benner and members of the largest like pandemic two years ago, attacks the respiratory sy-
people across New Zealand. dical community should con-
rebel group in Colombia, the believe Netflix users. Earlier, it stem,” the doctor adds. The
Tarrant, 29, pleaded guilty to 51 sider intentionally infecting
Washington: President Ni- Revolutionary Armed For- was Steven Soderberg’s 2011 agent then asks, “But that’s
counts of murder, 40 counts of people with the coronavirus at
colas Maduro of Venezuela ces, known as FARC, which film “Contagion” which was not serious enough to be used
attempted murder and one count “chickenpox parties” to help
was charged in the US on has long drawn its financing being watched for its similar as a weapon. Am I wrong?”
of terrorism at the Christchurch slow the spread of the virus.
Thursday with drug traf- from the cocaine trade. Few plot to the crisis. A clip from The doctor says, “Like I said,
high court. He had previously The article, titled, “How
ficking crimes after an in- details of the charges were the 10th episode of the series’ this is a mutant virus. Someo-
pleaded not guilty and his trial Medical ‘Chickenpox Parties’
vestigation by federal aut- not available early on Thurs- first season is going viral on ne tweaked it to increase the
was supposed to start in June. AP Could Turn The Tide Of The
horities in Was- day, but the charges social media which shows a mortality rate to 90%.” Howe-
Wuhan Virus,” argued that a
hington, New York included narco-ter- doctor handing over a file to ver, the clip floating on the
“controlled voluntary infec-
and Florida, people rorism conspiracy another character. In the viral Internet does not specifically
briefed on the mat- and conspiracy to Have no knowledge tion” programme could allow
young people to return to work
BE CLOSE, BUT FROM AFAR: A Covid-19 warning sign at a Dublin park clip, the doctor tells the cha- address the Covid-19 outbreak.
ter said. The char- import cocaine into
on ex-FBI agent: Iran after contracting and recove-
Consuming volcanic ash to using UV
Reuters

ges were expected the United States. ring from the virus. Such a
to be announced on
Thursday morning
The charges co-
me a month after T ehran has no knowledge abo-
ut the whereabouts of a for-
strategy, the article stated, co-
uld promote “herd immunity”
lamps: Fake cures running wild online
at a live-streamed Nicolas Maduro President Trump, in
video news briefing his State of the
by the head of the US justice Union address, called Madu-
mer FBI agent who disappeared in
Iran in 2007, spokesman for the
Iranian mission at the UN, Alireza
and help save the economy.
Twitter said the article
posted by The Federalist viola-
F rom being duped into taking poisonous “cures”, to avoiding
life-saving medication, people are suffering devastating
real-world impacts of a deluge of online virus misinformation. As the
department’s criminal divi- ro “an illegitimate ruler, a Miryousefi, wrote on Twitter. The ted the firm’s rules. Benjamin new coronavirus that has killed more than 20,000 people causes
sion in Washington and the tyrant who brutalises his pe- family of the man, Robert Levin- Domenech, the publisher, and markets to crash, rumours and false claims are fuelling confusion
top federal prosecutors in ople,” and vowed that “Ma- son, said earlier that he had died Mollie Hemingway, a senior and deepening the economic misery. The effects can be tragic — in
New York and Miami, accor- duro’s grip on tyranny will in Iranian custody. US President editor, did not respond to ema- Iran, more than 210 people died from drinking toxic alcohol after
ding to a news advisory. be smashed and broken.” Trump said he had not been told ils seeking comment on Wed- claims circulated online that it could treat or ward off Covid-19, the
In addition to Maduro, For years, watchdog gro- that Levinson was dead. White nesday. Dr Douglas A Pered- official Irna news agency reported. Dangerous fake cures debunked
charges are also expected to ups have accused Maduro’s House national security adviser nia, who wrote the article, sa- include consuming volcanic ash and fighting infection with UV
be announced against near- aides of working with drug Robert O’Brien said later that an id he disagreed with Twitter. lamps or chlorine disinfectants, which health authorities say can
ly a dozen others, including lords to line their pockets investigation was on but “we “They are reacting to the he- harm the body if used incorrectly. Another remedy that “kills the WE SHALL OVERCOME: Children in St Helens join thousands
the Venezuelan government and prop up the crumbling believe that Levinson may have adline, but are not reading the coronavirus”, according to misleading social media posts, is across Britain in drawing rainbows and hanging them on their
and intelligence officials state. NYT NEWS SERVICE passed away.” REUTERS article itself,” he said. NYT drinking silver particles in liquid, known as colloidal silver. AFP windows to brighten up people’s days during the pandemic
10 AN ECSTASY OF IDEAS THE TIMES OF INDIA
FRIDAY, MARCH 27, 2020

A thought for today

If you’re going through hell, keep going
WINSTON CHURCHILL
Never Waste A Crisis
The positive outcomes and learnings of HIV-AIDS can help control coronavirus

Go Big On It Bachi Karkaria

The human immunode-

ficiency virus warned
to proper disinfection, disposables and
disposal protocols which were earlier
heeded most cavalierly. The loose nuts and
bolts have to be again tightened before the
Relief package will help the vulnerable us not to have unsafe sex.
The novel coronavirus
inevitable onslaught on hospitals.War-
footing is needed going by the embattled
but is too limited to revive the economy merely asks us not to have condition of quarantine centres.
unwashed hands. But As for the lay precaution of washing

F
inance minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced a Rs 1.70 lakh condom use is still not universal even hands, let me digress to Atul Gawande’s
crore relief package named Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojana though there were still 1.1 million AIDS- 2007 book, Better: A Surgeon’s Notes on
yesterday, to mitigate the hardship caused by the 21-day lockdown related deaths in 2018, 20 years after its Performance. The very first chapter
imposed by the government. The package uses existing government peak. India has been ordered into a deals with the difficulty of implementing
21-day lockdown because on our own we correct hand hygiene in his prestigious
welfare channels to get relief in cash and kind across to more than
were incapable of following the simple Boston hospital. In the slim margin
half the country’s population. The highlights are that the package is precaution of hand-washing and its fol- between good and perfect, ‘lives are lost’.
designed to be broad-based and the bulk of the beneficiaries will be the low-on, social distancing – the only way We are correctly making a big deal of
urban poor and vulnerable rural families who supplement household to rein in a catastrophe that’s running this frontline barrier to infection, but
income through short-term unskilled work in urban centres. Another amok across the globe. Today’s is a bigger think about the millions without easy
key feature is the package’s benefits are of limited duration. need. Unlike HIV, SARS-CoV-2 infection access to soap and water.
The Covid-19 outbreak is an unprecedented shock to the economy isn’t limited to sexual partners (and, sadly, Third, safe blood-bank supply was
their unborn offspring). The hapless the most quantifiable success of India’s
and the damage has been exacerbated by the speed with which large
bystander gets shot. Like that dreaded AIDS control, and this cleanup continues
parts of the world have shut down activities. The informal segment is bell, it will take a toll on all of us. to save lives generally. Blood from
the worst hit in this scenario. They Is there any less grim comparison? compromised donors was one way of the
also lack the cushion to cope with a Well, at an individual level, Covid-19, four ways of contracting HIV. It’s not as

Chad Crowe
lockdown. Softening the blow to them the illness caused by SARS-CoV-2, will major a factor in Covid-19 control, but
must take priority and the govern- inflict less of the long-term traumas the lesson teaches us to ensure that the
ment has done well to prioritise. once suffered by HIV+ persons. From sick don’t get sicker thanks to something
the little we know, this new mutation meant to make them better. Apparatus is
Government granaries are over-
will not trigger those debilitating While we were spared the devastating in the hands of professionals, and there-
flowing with cereals currently. The opportunistic infections of full-blown epidemic of Africa, it had gone beyond fore easier to sanitise than changing
decision to increase the disbursal of AIDS. The social stigma smeared on the high-risk-behaviour categories. Each of us today is in the mulish human behaviour.
both cereal and pulses at no additional HIV-afflicted were as destructive, and Stigmatised sex workers dropped out 1990s predicament of sex Which brings us to Factor 4. The
cost for three months is expected to one hopes that early community sensiti- of surveillance when they went under new virus’s trusted accomplice is our
cover around 800 million people. sing will temper the anguish faced by ground and continued spreading infec- workers, HIV’s worst victims. determined resistance to personal
Separately, the direct benefits Mumbai’s first Covid-19 case, his family tion; the kin of the Govandi woman who Individually and collectively hygiene and civic responsibility. Unlike
and even their part-time help. succumbed to Covid-19 are now untrace- with HIV, today’s high-risk behaviour is
transfer programmes through banking
But the economic impact is staggering. able. HIV-AIDS reached the tertiary stage
we must ensure safe not confined to 3-4 groups, it’s a national
channels are being utilised to put Ironically so because those most – migrant workers/ truckers infected their behaviour, and have the trait. How do we sensitise an entire
extra cash in the hands of people or advance transfer payments. This susceptible to today’s virus are the country to safe sneezing? In our ‘what
should help vulnerable sections trying to cope with a loss of earnings.
wives who, in 33% cases, transmitted it to courage to call out anyone
elderly, not HIV’s reproductive age group foetuses – because in the early controllable goes of your father’ self-centredness,
Most of the measures have a shelf life of three months. The key which was also the most productive age years we sanctimoniously dismissed it as refusing to comply how can we load the prevention-bullet of
question is: Are these measures enough? No, because the scale of the group. Covid-19’s voracious appetite is ‘only a disease of the decadent West’. This hand hygiene, respiratory etiquette and
economic shock is extraordinary. Even well run businesses are being knocking down an economy already on time too we’ve been focussing on ‘travel for those tasked with Covid-19 control. physical distancing unless there’s a
its knees. Yesterday’s hastily upped relief history’ when the larger community has The lesson from AIDS is that there must forced lockdown?
swept away by the measures needed to cope with the pandemic.
package of Rs 1.7 lakh crore is a small already been infected. be enough, and they must be reliable. The answer lies in AIDS lesson 5,
This means the government cannot afford to delay a more indication of the hit which will be taken Five sparks emerged from the gloom False positives and false negatives were empowerment. Each of us today is in the
comprehensive response to the shock. To illustrate, the US which was by the economically most vulnerable. of AIDS, and these could light our way the bane of HIV’s frontline ELISA test. 1990s predicament of sex workers, HIV’s
experiencing a record period of economic expansion has unveiled Because this virus is so individually out of Covid-19. These were foolproof ICMR recently called for price quotes for worst victims. Individually and collecti-
a humongous $2 trillion stimulus package complemented by the central and nationally destructive, because testing, safe hospital practices, the 10 lakh more kits, and coopted 100 vely we must ensure safe behaviour, and
bank’s measures to revive the economy. The longer the government delays as a people we physically can’t or cleaning up of blood supply, behavioural government labs plus 30 private ones. have the courage to call out anyone
a bigger response, the greater are the chances that even sound busi- irresponsibly won’t take the essential change and the empowerment of sex Their long footprint is not enough to keep refusing to comply. Knowledge is our
precautions, and because our rickety workers who, caught between life and up with the epidemic’s galloping pace. enabler. So, official strategy too must
nesses will go belly up. Therefore, the Narendra Modi government must
health network will collapse under the livelihood, finally took control of their Two, the terror of contracting HIV- boost the proven strategy of informa-
now ready an economic package, in conjunction with RBI, to use all means sheer weight of numbers, it’s worth own destiny. Let’s see how each of these AIDS forced hospital staff to treat every tion, communication, education. ICE,
available to help the economy bounce back quickly. Such a package is learning what helped cage India’s HIV- applies to our real and present danger. patient as a potential carrier of the virus. regularly and correctly applied, works
essential to prevent large scale job losses. Time is of the essence. AIDS. It isn’t a far-fetched comparison. One, testing is the primary weapon Self-preservation more than mandate led as effectively for national afflictions.

Hello Doctor ‘A pandemic shows interconnectedness like

Telemedicine has been around. It took a calamity
for government to recognise its benefits nothing else. We are all in this together’
■ Your book offers a graphic and

T
he adage of crisis triggering reform in India is coming true yet John M Barry is the author of The Great later waves should be less dangerous. Sustaining compliance is much more
again amid the Covid-19 outbreak. The world over, policy shifts Influenza: The Story of the Deadliest grim description of the impact of 1918 ■ When millions die in a very short difficult. People have to keep doing these
hanging fire for years are getting fast-tracked in days. On Pandemic in History. India was among influenza in India and estimates that span due to a disease, it impacts things for weeks. They get tired, but it
the worst hit by that pandemic in 1918-19, in the subcontinent close to 20 million human behaviour deeply. How did the matters. In SARS many healthcare wor-
Wednesday, government issued guidelines for doctors wishing to which is estimated to have infected died. What explains such a huge toll? influenza of 1918 influence people? kers were infected and died. It seems some
practise telemedicine, which will enable online and telephonic one-third of the global population. In an I’ve never heard a good explanation. In I don’t know what happened in India. of them infected themselves taking off
medical consultation. In 2018, an adverse Bombay high court judgment email interview, the New Orleans-based fact differences could be dramatic. In the In the US it varied. Everywhere there their personal protective equipment. They
was interpreted as questioning the legitimacy of telemedicine. Since author tells Avijit Ghosh about the British army, Indian soldiers had was fear of course. And national may have known what to do and they did
then medical bodies have been petitioning MCI and government to extent of death caused by the 1918 global a case fatality rate of 22%, while leadership lied, saying it was it most of the time, 90% of the time, maybe
Jissue clear guidelines. The sheer scale of challenges facing the influenza, popularly known as the Spanish British troops at the same location “ordinary influenza by another 97% of the time. But the routine is tedious
public healthcare system due to Covid-19’s infectiousness appear to flu in India, and how world leaders should had case fatality rates of 9%. name”. In cities where local and if they slipped just a little they got
react to the Covid-19 pandemic today: Medical care was roughly the leadership echoed that, trust infected. Do the right thing every time,
have now expedited the policy shift. same. I would hypothesise two things: broke down not only between the public all the time. It makes a difference for
Telemedicine draws on advances like 4G One, it’s conceivable that other influenza and leadership but between everyone. yourself and your society.
technology facilitating video calling and offers viruses had not circulated widely in India, Society began to fray, so much that in ■ Historian Yuval Noah Harari
even greater possibilities with a range of sensors so Indians had no natural immune protec- some areas people starved to death be- recently wrote, “Humanity needs to
beginning to be deployed on smartphones tion. They were “virgin populations”, and cause no one had the courage to bring make a choice. Will we travel down the
and handheld devices that allow readings of it’s well-known such populations are very them food. The head of the army’s divi- route of disunity, or will we adopt the
temperature, blood pressure, heart and pulse susceptible to new pathogens. In the West sion of communicable disease wrote, “If path of global solidarity”? In times
other influenza viruses had circulated the current rate of acceleration continues when our lives are more collectively
rate, blood sugar levels, etc. While many Indian continuously, providing some cross- for a few more weeks, civilisation could interlinked than ever before, how
cities and southern states outperform the WHO protection to the new virus which was still easily disappear from the face of the should we as a global community react
recommended one doctor per thousand popula- an influenza virus. That’s one possibility. earth.” But in places where leadership to this macabre dance of death?
tion, healthcare facilities are nonexistent over Another is population density. was blunt and truthful, those places con- I agree with that. A pandemic
large rural swathes. Doctors are also unwilling to move away from ■ The 1918 pandemic happened tinued to function and though afraid those demonstrates interconnectedness like
cities, and in this context telemedicine spares many patients the ordeal in waves. It returned a few cities came together as a community. nothing else. We are all in this together.
and expense of travelling to urban areas for medical help. months later after an early ■ What are the biggest lessons to be In the scientific community this has
onslaught. As you write, learnt from the 1918 pandemic today, occurred far more than with earlier
With reports of unemployment and underemployment of doctors “India too suffered more especially for the top world leaders? threats from bird flu. For the larger
in some states, telemedicine can also bridge the medical field’s when it returned in Septem- Tell the truth. That and what we now geopolitical community, that takes leader-
demand-supply anomalies. In public healthcare, government can press ber 1918.” Another lesson call “social distancing”. The two are ship. I’m not confident we’re getting it
auxiliary nurse-midwives and ASHA workers into service to act as for everyone there? inter-related. If you expect people to from political leaders. On the ground,
intermediaries between doctors and patients. This will improve I expect this to come in comply with public health recommenda- where I am right now, New Orleans,
diagnosis and ensure better compliance with prescriptions. Already waves as well, but with or tions, they have to trust the people which is a hot spot, I am seeing a commu-
without vaccines, as people’s making those recommendations. Other- nity come together. Hopefully that will
web portals and mobile apps providing rudimentary telemedicine
immune systems become better wise they will not comply. And getting become true generally, and globally. But
facilities exist and they can now scale up. Tight regulation of these able to respond to the virus, compliance is very, very difficult. as they say, hope is not a plan.
services can curb malpractices, protect both patients and doctors,
improve documentation, and through informed consent even make
available medical data for research and cloud computing purposes.
dilbert Sacredspace
Free Yourself
River sutra In your true nature, you are free
the moment you see it’s not in you.
If you have a pain, observe it
Waterways are the arteries through which happening in the body.
flows the life-blood of civilisations If there is tightness or joy in your
Jug Suraiya
mind, observe that it is tight, sad,
unhappy or happy. Just observe …
I am in Kaliabor in Assam, 200 km from Guwahati, and before me as though it is happening
stretches the immense expanse of the Brahmaputra. It is the dry elsewhere.
spell before the pre-monsoon rain squalls come sweeping in grey
sheets of water, turning the dry land into iridescent green, and Sri Sri Ravi Shankar
the great river is shrunken, revealing sandy beaches.
But even in its reduced state the river is a stupendous sight,
its width, spanned by a bridge, stretching over 2.7 km. And i’m told that farther
upriver, beyond Dibrugarh, it broadens out to an incredible 52 km, its shimme-
ring surface stretching out to a horizon unbounded by the farther bank.
India is indeed blessed with its rivers. In Goa there is the majestic Mandovi,
The Virus Can Give Your Life More Meaning
and the mighty Zuari, which makes me catch my breath every time i see it, Deepak Chopra & Rudolph E Tanzi isn’t enough. Feeling safe and secure is a homeostasis and prevents a cascade of of yourself in service, when you find
which i’ve done, over and over, through the years. state of awareness. It exists in us when we imbalances that can occur in hormones, resources of strength and resilience

O
Rivers are the currents of history and they give rise to civilisations. The annual ne way to respond in a crisis is to reach deeper than the everyday self. The for example. Stress is a powerful trigger inside yourself, and when you discover
flooding of the Nile, a phenomenon which leaves behind a rich deposit of silt that reduce its threat. The other way is everyday self cannot feel permanently for hormone imbalance, among other who you really are.
ensures bountiful crops, led to the pharaonic dynasties and the building of the to add to the threat. No matter how safe. Outside forces loom too large and things. It has been linked to chronic Viruses have no motive except
great pyramids. The Indus gave birth to Mohenjo-daro, the Covid-19 pandemic resolves itself – threatening. This is the time to take up inflammation, for example, which seems self-preservation and replication. All of
the first city of the South Asian subcontinent. something no one can predict – you can meditation or return to it if you have to be present in acute and chronic disease. us have the same instincts; they are built
jugularvein Imperial Rome, whose legions conquered the world, personally choose right now to reduce its lapsed. Your goal is to connect with Vagal breathing is centred on into our evolutionary past. But where
rose out of the Tiber. London, which spawned an empire threat. If you consciously make that your deeper awareness, the place stimulating the vagus nerve, which human evolution excels is at the level of
on which it was said that the sun never set, was a gift of the Thames. choice, three positive things will happen. where self-control and runs from the brain to heart, consciousness that goes beyond instinct,
When i first saw both these rivers, i was amazed as to how small and insigni- You will feel more in control; you will be security comes from. lungs, intestinal tract, and into the realms of empathy and
ficant they looked compared with India’s huge waterways. They seemed mere on the side of healing; and you will add to Healing is a mind-body elsewhere. By breathing in to self-awareness.
streams, little more than rain-fed nallahs of no particular consequence. the meaning of your life. process. If you are sad, a count of four, holding your During times of crisis, we naturally
Perhaps the most revered river in the world is our holy Ganga, worshipped Act responsibly, following what stressed, depressed, breath for a short pause, and take time to appreciate what we have and
as Mother Goddess by thousands of millions. And the great Indian tragedy is disease control experts advise. By now anxious, helpless, hopeless, breathing out to a count of place greater priority on what is most
that we’ve poisoned it almost to the point of extinction with untreated everyone is aware of the need to stay at panicky, or feel out of four, you tell the vagus nerve important to us. The question is how to
effluents, and sewage, and excrement. home, self-quarantine if you show any control, every cell in your that you are in a calm, carry this on after the crisis of Covid-19
Civilisations are born through rivers, and live by them, and those who let symptoms, keep 6-10 ft away from other body gets that message. Therefore, do balanced state. In response, it helps passes. Your life will be more meaningful
their rivers die put themselves in mortal jeopardy. people in public, don’t take long plane everything you can to send the opposite maintain mind-body balance. if you contribute to meaningful solutions
As i watch the setting sun turns the Brahmaputra into a life-tide, the colour flights, and wash your hands frequently. message. Meditation can restore mind- Follow a healthy diet and avoid / that reach far, far beyond the rampage of
of blood. This is all useful advice, but it doesn’t body balance. But you also need to be minimise alcohol, tobacco, and drugs. this virus. Everything, including being in
[email protected] address where being in control comes vigilant on two other fronts: sleep and Life becomes more meaningful when control and being a healer, is wrapped up
blogs.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/jugglebandhi from, which is mental. Positive thinking stress. Good, sound sleep maintains you feel you have purpose, when you give in that.
 TIMES BUSINESS
Great recession (2007-2009)
Swift recovery seen 100
84%
after 2009 recession 80
Early 80s recession (1981-1982)
Data shows that the 60
48%
recovery from the 2009 S&P 500 THE TIMES OF INDIA, AHMEDABAD | FRIDAY, MARCH 27, 2020
return gains
40 42% Average (1948-2009)
recession was the fastest after most
followed by the gains recent US
20 12% Savings & loan crisis
(1990-1991)
after the recession recessions 0
in early 80s (in %) 3% 9/11 downturn (2001)
-20
Source: Statista 1 year from trough 2 years from trough

Sensex hits
30k again,
COVID-19: HOW THE DEADLY VIRUS
IS CHANGING CONSUMER BEHAVIOUR FY21 GDP growth may crash
to 3-decade low on Covid-19
From hygiene products to daily staples, Indians are prioritising their
but closes weekly expenses as infection concerns rise, according to a Nielsen study
While hygiene product sales see a surge, e-comm orders witness huge jump
a tad lower TRADITIONAL TRADE GROWTH E-COMMERCE ORDER GROWTH
TIMES NEWS NETWORK
Mid Feb to Mid March
144% 2019 vs 2018
Avg Weekly: Mar ’20 vs Feb ’20
Hand Sanitiser 1425%
SBI Cuts Forecast To 2.6%, Crisil To 3.5% | Curfew May Cost `8L Cr
2020 vs 2019
Mumbai: The sensex gave up [email protected] from 5.2% expected earlier.
part of its early gains after the
72% Face Mask 408% WHAT THEY PROJECT This assumes two things: A
finance minister announced a Chennai: The impact of the 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 normal monsoon, and effect of
42% 39%
Rs 1.7 lakh crore financial 28% coronavirus pandemic and Moody’s lowered India’s GDP growth forecast the pandemic subsiding mate-
package for the poor while the 6% 7% 8% Hand Wash 86% the consequent 21-day coun- to 5.3% from earlier 5.8% for FY 2021
Some sectors rially, if not wearing out, in the
market was expecting a stimu- Hand Liquid Hand Antiseptic Toilet trywide lockdown will push likely to be April-June quarter. The slump
Floor & Toilet Cleaner 5.3% 5.8%
lus for the industries hardest Sanitiser Wash Liquids Soaps 77% India’s GDP growth to 2.6% for worst affected in growth will be concentrated
hit by the nationwide lock- Source: Nielsen RMS unprojected data from Source: Nielsen E-analytics; FY21, lowest in nearly three Revised Earlier
Projection Projection
Agriculture, in the first half of next fiscal,
down. These included hospita- 18,000 retail stores; India Value Sales Avg No of Order: Feb (4 weeks) March (2 weeks) decades, according to estimate transport, while the second half should
lity, aviation, banking & finan- released by the group chief ec- Fitch hotels, trade and see a mild recovery.”
cial services and automobiles. Precautionary pantry stocking drives sales of staples & processed foods onomic advisor of the coun- 5.1% 5.6% education Several research houses,
As a result, the sensex, TRADITIONAL TRADE GROWTH E-COMMERCE ORDER GROWTH try’s largest lender State Bank OECD IMF has warned of economists and brokerages
which had risen rallied nearly Mid Feb to Mid March Avg Weekly: Mar ’20 vs Feb ’20 of India, while ratings agency a global recession have slashed the country’s
1,600 points to over 30,000 in anti- Crisil slashed its forecast to 5.1% 6.2% in 2020, which GDP growth estimates
2019 vs 2018 2020 vs 2019 STAPLES
cipation of an overall economic 3.5% from the earlier 5.2%. SBI could be worse against the backdrop of the
package, shed about1,000 points. BRANDED PULSES Cooking Oil (Refined + Non-Refined) 106% The total cost of the ongo- than the 2008-09 Covind-19 outbreak as several
2.6% 5.7%
However, short-covering late in 21% Cooking Medium (Spices, Salt, Ghee Etc) ing lockdown will be at least Rs global financial sectors of the economy have
16% CRISIL
the session led to a rally that hel- 8 lakh crore in nominal terms, crisis, and has been hit hard and businesses
16% Packaged Atta
ped the sensex close with a gain 72% an income loss of Rs 1.77 lakh 3.5% 5.2% called for all have come to a grinding halt
Source:
of 1,411points, at 29,947. SNACKING & PROCESSED FOODS Nielsen crore and a loss in capital in- efforts to meet the due to the 21-day lockdown.
ICRA
PACKAGED ATTA Source: Nielsen
Salty Snacks 84% E-analytics; come of Rs 1.7 lakh crore, said challenges posed The Indian economy was
NEED MORE IN 20%
RMS unprojected Avg No of Soumya Kanti Ghosh, group 4.7% 5.2% by the pandemic already facing a slowdown and
data from 18,000 Soft Drinks (CSD+NCSD) 68% Order: Feb (4
chief economic adviser at SBI. the government had unveiled a
ECO PACKAGE 25%
retail stores;
India Value Sales 31% Biscuit
weeks) March
(2 weeks) Estimates showed that social consumption chan- mates could also see a down- series of measures to boost
In just three sessions, from over a 60-year period, global nels, SBI research showed. ward revision from 5% to growth but the impact of the
its recent low at 25,639 on Behaviour thresholds give early signals of spending patterns across mkts GDP declined only once an- “We estimate another 1.7% 4.5% with Q4GDP growth at virus outbreak will prompt the
March 24, the index has gai- nually in 2009 by 1.7%. Assum- impact on real GDP because of 2.5%,” the SBI note said. government to unleash more
ned nearly 17% or about 4,300
points. It was the best three-
day rally for the Indian mar-
1 Proactive Health-
Minded Buying
Interest rises in products that
2 Reactive Health
Management
Prioritise products essential
3 Pantry
Preparation
Pantry stockpiling of shelf-
ing that global GDP declines
at nearly a similar rate in 2020
and given India’s share in
the 21-day lockdown in FY21
resulting in at least 70% of the
economy at a standstill. We
Crisil said the advers ef-
fects that will follow can dwarf
the gains from the sharp drop
measures to reverse the slow-
down and help the poor and
business. Before the outbreak,
ket since May 2009, data sho- global GDP at 3.5%, it implies thus peg our FY21 GDP esti- in crude oil prices. Said Dhar- the government had estimated
support overall maintenance to virus containment, health stable foods and a broader
wed. Market players said with a contraction of 2% of real mate at 2.6%, with a clear makirti Joshi, chief econo- growth to slow to an 11-year low
of health and wellness and public safety, such as assortment of health-safety
the March derivatives cont- GDP in FY21 due to India’s in- downward bias, with Q1FY21 mist, Crisil, “We have slashed of 5% in 2019-20 and the eco-
racts expired on Thursday, it
face masks products; spike in store visits; tegration with the global GDP numbers witnessing a our base-case GDP growth nomic survey had forecast it to
needs to be seen if the rally growing basket sizes economy through trade and contraction. FY20 GDP esti- forecast for fiscal 2021 to 3.5% recover to 6% to 6.5% in 2020-21.
continues on Friday. The day’s COUNTRIES CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC ANGOLA, BELARUS

Bajaj pledges `100cr, Godrej `50cr

gains came despite selling by
Quarantined
5 Restricted
6 Living A New
foreign funds who recorded a
net outflow figure of Rs 485
crore. Domestic funds, which
were net buyers for over three
4 Living Preparation
Increased online shopping, a
Living
Severely restricted
Normal
People return to daily routines TIMES NEWS NETWORK marked Rs 50 crore for com- government hospitals, procure livelihood intervention us-
weeks now, turned net sellers decline in store visits, rising shopping trips, online (work, school, etc) but operate munity support and relief ini- medical devices such as ventila- ing a revolving fund model.”
on Thursday at Rs 770 crore. out-of-stocks, fulfilment is limited, price with a renewed cautiousness Mumbai: The Bajaj Group has tiatives. “This is an initial out- tors (which are in huge de- Jamshyd Godrej said the Co-
According to Motilal Os- strains on the concerns rise as limited about health. Permanent committed Rs 100 crore to In- lay and we hope to supplement mand), enhance testing capaci- vid-19-solidarity response fund
wal Financial Services head supply chain stock availability impacts shifts in supply chain, the dia’s ongoing fight against the it over time,” said Godrej & ties and to set up isolation facili- will back initiatives focused on
(retail research) Siddhartha pricing in some cases use of e-commerce and coronavirus disease. The funds Boyce chairman Jamshyd Go- ties. The healthcare infrastruc- public health and essential sup-
Khemka, the finance mini- hygiene practices will be used to upgrade “key” drej in an e-mail to employees. ture support will be mainly in plies. Godrej Group has donat-
ster’s economic package aims MEXICO, RUSSIA INDIA, EU, US CHINA healthcare infrastructure, pro- Bajaj, the vehicle maker-to- Pune, where the group is head- ed 115 beds to government hos-
to protect the poor from the vide basic essentials to the financial services provider, is quartered, and in nearby areas. pitals in Maharashtra, which
Panic-buying boosts struggling FMCG cos | P 15
ongoing Covid-19 crisis. needy and to support economic the fourth enterprise to set Bajaj, 81, added that in the accounts for 21% of coronavi-
aid programme in rural areas. aside Rs 100 crore to combat the last few weeks, there has been rus cases, and has also helped

Swiggy ready for grocery Mega bank “Working with the government
and our network of 200-plus
NGO partners, we will ensure
outbreak in the country. Earli-
er, Vedanta, Axis Bank and
Hindustan Unilever pledged Rs
a reverse migration to villag-
es. “We are thus committing a
significant portion of our
set up a 75-bed quarantine cen-
tre at Seven Hills hospital in
Mumbai. Additionally, it will
consolidation these resources reach those
who need it the most,” said Bajaj
100 crore each for public health-
care and other initiatives.
support towards an economic
aid programme in rural ar-
donate medical equipment and
protective supplies to the gov-

services in 150 top cities on track: FM

New Delhi: The government
Group chairman Rahul Bajaj.
The Godrej Group has ear-
The Bajaj Group will use
the funds to upgrade ICUs at
eas, which includes a direct
survival grant, followed by a
ernment agencies, the soaps-to-
real estate enterprise said.

Madhav.Chanchani on Thursday said the mega

@timesgroup.com
DELIVERY CO’S WISH LIST bank consolidation plan is ve-

TIMESPOINTS
ry much on track and will take
Bengaluru: Swiggy’s oper- For expanding its delivery Swiggy has stressed that effect from April 1 despite the
ations may have been disrupt- services to beyond food, the supply chain of groceries onslaught of the coronavirus
ed since the ‘Janta Curfew’ Swiggy wants the govt from factories to shops pandemic throwing the coun-
was announced on Sunday. to ensure that grocery must not get disrupted try out of gear. The Union Cab-
But the online food delivery stores remain open inet earlier this month ap-
company has said it is willing Of Swiggy’s entire fleet, proved amalgamation of 10
to start delivering groceries It also wants authorities 80-85% is currently idle, public sector banks into four
in up to 150 top cities across to help its delivery fleet which it says can be leveraged global sized lenders, begin-
the country if the supply operate without harassment for grocery deliveries ning next financial year.
chain starts opening up. Swig- Asked if the government is
gy currently delivers food cleared. During normal oper- delivery personnel, and ven-
from restaurants, but also has ational days, Swiggy was do- dors supplying raw material ‘FROM APRIL 1’
a grocery delivery service ing over 1.5 million deliveries like vegetables & meat — to be considering extending the dead-
called ‘Stores’ in two cities — a day until earlier this month. allowed to operate. But Sundar line for merger of public sector
Gurugram and Bengaluru. Swiggy and rival Zomato optimistically estimated that banks, finance minister Nirma-
The company is willing to have been struggling with op- food delivery operations may la Sitharaman said “at the mo-
leverage its fleet of 2.5 lakh erations as local authorities normalise by the weekend. ment there is nothing on that”.
across 500 cities to deliver es- in major cities have shut “Our cancellation rates Banking secretary Debas-
sentials as the country re- down restaurants, stopped were 10x normal rate as res- ish Panda said the merger
mains in a lockdown till April trucks supplying materials to taurant staff was stuck or the process is very much on track
14, so that consumers can stay kitchens and delivery person- delivery boy was not allowed and expressed hope that the
at home as PM Narendra Mo- nel have also taken a beating to move. We are still strug- banking sector would be able to
di has recommended. The gov- from the police. Sundar said gling with beat cops on the meet the challenges thrown by

6,ol vel
ernment also said that online Swiggy has been in discus- ground even in cities like Ben- the pandemic. “That is very
delivery of both cooked food sions with police commis- galuru, which is in the best op- much on the track. It's parallel
and groceries is an “essential sioners, political leadership erational state in the country activity going on. As far as fund

AMORK
service”, which should be al- and bureaucrats in all the ci- right now,” he said. Oper- transfers, etc, are concerned,
lowed to remain open. ties where they are operation- ations in Tamil Nadu, Punjab necessary arrangements will
“This is wartime. We can al to get deliveries started. and Uttar Pradesh have been be made,” Panda said. The
open in as many cities as The appeal to these state completely shut as state gov- statement assumes signifi-
needed as it will take 1-2 governments has been to allow ernments, despite central cance as there has been de-
days,” said Swiggy COO Vi- anyone who is associated with government’s directive to al- mand from some quarters for
vek Sundar. He added that the the making of food — staff of low online deliveries, have deferring the deadline due to
E
O
pathway for it needs to be cloud kitchens & restaurants, asked the services to stop. coronavirus outbreak. AGENCIES

Amid lockdown, banks, ATM cos LL H0M

Iz

warn of rush for salary, govt dole In the wake of COVID-19,

TimesPoints urges you to stay home and stay safe.

[email protected] ager-cashier and sub-staff,

TAKING ACCOUNT OF PMJDY even this is proving to be a
Mumbai: Banks and ATM Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana accounts (in cr) challenge. Banks are getting USE THIS TIME TO
service providers are bracing staff to take turns in attend-
Rural/semi-urban
for an intense week following
bank branches
22.6 ing office. In some regions,
Watch videos & Answer interesting Read articles & Write comments
the government announce- the managers have taken a
ment of direct benefit trans- Rural-urban female call to operate branches on al- listen to podcasts on questions on watch videos on on
20.5

N BT
fer (DBT) into crores of ac- beneficiaries ATMs ternate days, but there is no
counts, which coincides with
salary and pension payouts.
Urban metro
bank branches
15.7 2.1L instruction from the head of-
fice allowing for closure of TOI HAPPYYMES NEWSPOINT

Even as many branches are

Total beneficiaries
branches. Most banks have website & m-site on daily newspaper App website
not able to operate because of 38.3 exempted people with disabil-
a staff shortage, banks are
warning of large crowds in
RuPay debit
cards issued
29.3
ities from attending office and
are treating this as paid leave.
& EARN TIMESPOINTS
branches as Pradhan Mantri For SBI, which has been at 0
Jan Dhan Yojana (PMJDY) ac- and cash-in-transit compa- day. “Law enforcement au- the forefront of distributing
count beneficiaries, unfamil- nies to do their job,” said NCR thorities should be able to government benefits, anoth- 0
Y
_

iar with debit cards, approach India MD Navroze Dastur. identify people providing es- er issue is government pen- USE THESE POINTS TO AVAIL EXCITING OFFERS ACROSS CATEGORIES °
branches for withdrawal. He said that the ATM em- sential services and provide sion payouts. Pensioners col-
Meanwhile, ATM service ployees should be given cur- protection so that they can lect their money from the
providers say their employees few passes to be able to attend continue to provide services. branches and do not use the
0 0 0
Opp
are not being recognised as to the cash machines. “Our These are not normal times ATM as they are required to 0 0
‘essential services’ by police employees are doing a diligent and there is a need for every- be present at the branch for SHOPPING FOOD & DINING ENTERTAINMENT RECHARGES GROCERY & MANY MORE
at the ground level. “If the gov- job. But if they are beaten on one to get together to make life certificate verification.
ernment is going to put in the streets, they will say, ‘Why things work,” said Electronic “Next week will be critical
more funds through DBT ac- should we go out?” he added. Payment and Services foun- because of the salary and
Use Referral Code: SAVELIV ES
counts, the last-mile reach is ATMs are the backbone of der-director Mani Mamallan. pension payment, ” said Mah- Scan this QR code
provided by the ATM network. cash disbursement as they While bank branches have arashtra State Bank Employ- while signing up to get
Government agencies should can store up to Rs 20 lakh and been instructed to operate ees Federation general secre- to login to TimesPoints today
help ATM service providers enable over 200 withdrawals a with a skeletal staff of man- tary Devidas Tuljapurkar.
100 TimesPoints
 TIMES SPORT THE TIMES OF INDIA, AHMEDABAD | FRIDAY, MARCH 27, 2020

EVERY ATHLETE’S WORST FEAR HAS COME TRUE: MANCHESTER UNITED LEADING RACE TO SIGN
WRESTLER VINESH ON OLY POSTPONEMENT JADON SANCHO FROM BORUSSIA DORTMUND

GALLERY IOC working

Time spent with Ricky
at MI was magic: Rohit RACING towards
July-August

AGAINST
Mumbai: Star Indian opener and Mumbai
Indians captain Rohit Sharma felt that the
time he spent with Ricky Ponting at the
2021 Olympics
Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise was Tokyo: The International
“magic.” Ponting was captain of MI in 2013, Olympic Committee (IOC) is

FATHER
when they were yet to win an IPL title. He working with sports bodies to
resigned from the post and handed it over arrange a July-August win-
to Rohit but stayed on as part of the coach- dow for the postponed Tokyo
ing staff. “Ricky Ponting to me was magic,” Olympics in 2021 and hopes to
said Rohit on Thursday in an interaction confirm the schedule within a
with former England captain Kevin Pie-

TIME
month, Japan’s Yomiuri
tersen on Instagram. “The way he handled
the team when he was captain during the
SIX STARS FOR WHOM newspaper reported on
FEDERER Thursday.
first half and then he gave the captaincy to OLYMPICS 2021 MAY John Coates, the IOC’s co-
me midway. That takes a lot of guts and
after that to be as involved as he was as a COME TOO LATE... ordination commission chief
for Tokyo, told the Yomiuri
support staff member. He was supporting the Games would have to be
all the younger players in the team and he z Williams already has held between the tennis
With the 2020 Olympics postponed until
was guiding me in captaincy,” said Rohit. four Olympic gold medals: Grand Slams of Wimbledon,
next year, there are fears the delay will
shatter the gold medal hopes of many singles at London in 2012 and slated to end in mid-July, and
ICC opens up archives of match foot- women’s doubles with the US Open, which starts in
age: As the whole world has been sent into a ageing athletes. We look at six
evergreen stars for whom the delayed sister Venus in 2000, late August.
lockdown due to coronavirus pandemic, the “We want to more or less fi-
Games might be a bridge too far... 2008 in Beijing and
International Cricket Council (ICC) on nalise the dates in four weeks’
London four years later.
Thursday opened up its archives of match ROGER FEDERER time,” the paper quoted
footage and programming to its broadcast z Perhaps the greatest tennis player of all TIGER WOODS Coates as saying.
partners. This will give the fans throughout time, the 20-time Grand Slam champion Coates, who is also presi-
z The legendary golfer
the world an opportunity to relive some of will be 40 in August 2021. dent of the Australian Olym-
will be 46 in December downed in the JUSTIN GATLIN
the greatest cricketing moments of the last pic Committee (AOC), said the
z He won Olympic gold when he partnered next year and would have semifinals by great rival
45 years as they stay at home due to the z Gatlin had planned to summer scheduling would be
Stan Wawrinka to the men’s doubles title struggled to make the US team for the Lee Chong Wei, the man he
pandemic. The move can now watch cricket retire in 2020 after dependent on avoiding clash-
at the 2008 Beijing Games. Federer was a Games if they had remained in their 2020 had beaten in the 2008 and
matches, highlights and ICC films at a time competing in his fourth es with the world champion-
quarterfinalist in singles in China, silver slot. He is currently only the sixth-ranked 2012 Olympic finals.
when live sports programming stands Olympics at the age of 38. ships for swimming (July 16-
medallist in 2012 in London before injury American with just the top four
disrupted. Now, the controversial Aug 1) and athletics (Aug 6-15).
forced him skip the 2016 Games in Rio. guaranteed to make the squad. ALLYSON FELIX
American wants to carry on World Athletics boss Se-
ICC postpones World Cup qualifiers: z In Sydney, in 2000, Federer made the z Woods, the winner of 15 majors, has z The only female track and field
till the next Tokyo Games. bastian Coe has said the world
The International Cricket Council (ICC) said semifinals in singles but he still been fighting a recurrence of a back injury athlete in history to win six
z Gatlin, the 2004 Olympic champion, will athletics championships in
on Thursday that all qualifying events for remembers Australia fondly, as it was the so at least the delay to 2021 for the Olympic gold medals, Felix
have a hard task qualifying, given the Eugene, Oregon could be
the 2021 Twenty20 World Cup and 50-overs place where he first started his romance Olympics gives him renewed hope of a had spent the last two
depth of the US men’s sprinting squad, moved back to 2022 if neces-
version in 2023 that were scheduled to be with Mirka Vavrinec, who is now his wife. golden swansong. years preparing for a
with Christian Coleman and Noah Lyles sary.
held before June 30 have been postponed “Overall it (2000) was probably the most golden farewell at the Coates told the newspaper
LIN DAN the favourites in the 100m and 200m.
due to the coronavirus pandemic. India host unbelievable Olympics I ever had,” said Tokyo Olympics. the hope was to follow the
next year’s T20 World Cup and the 50-overs Federer, who was also Switzerland’s flag- z The colourful and
z Felix, who turns 35 at FINALLY, TWO WHO same arrangements next year
event in 2023. As many as eight events will bearer in Beijing and in Athens in 2004, controversial Chinese
the end of this year, will HAVE ALL THE TIME! that had been planned for
now be postponed due to the ICC decision. where he exited early in badminton superstar
find it harder as she z Syrian table tennis 2020, including holding the
“In light of the significant global health the second round. will be 37 by the time
attempts to improve her medal tally in player Hend Zaza was marathon in the northern city
concerns at the current time and the re- the next Games roll
what will be her fifth consecutive of Sapporo instead of Tokyo
strictions on movement imposed by govern- SERENA WILLIAMS around. Lin already has set to become the
Olympics appearance. to escape the heat.
ments across the world, the ICC has taken z The US tennis great gold from Beijing in 2008 youngest athlete at
The AOC confirmed the
the decision to postpone all events up until too will be 40 in and London four years later, adding to z She is by no means the oldest woman to Tokyo this year, at just
Yomiuri report’s veracity and
the end of June subject to further review,” September next year, his five world titles. chase Olympic glory in sprint events. 11 years old.
also told Reuters in a state-
Chris Tetley, ICC head of events, said. although her desire to z There is a hint of unfinished business Merlene Ottey was 40 when she anchored z Skateboarder Sky Brown, only five ment that Coates had “prof-
play in Tokyo might not be for Lin, who was defeated in the bronze Jamaica’s 4x100m relay team to a bronze months older, was also hoping to compete fered a view but confirms a
Buttler, Stokes up for ‘shortened’ IPL: as pressing as that of Federer. medal match in Rio in 2016, having been medal in 2000. for Great Britain. AFP range of options are on the ta-
England wicketkeeper-batsman Jos Buttler ble for the IOC”. REUTERS
and allrounder Ben Stokes are hoping for at
least a curtailed IPL this season, aware that
it would be difficult to conduct the “massive
tournament” in the wake of Covid-19 pan-
demic. “Obviously, it’s such a massive Staying home is like ‘nirvana’ Finally, stubborn Fide Postponement gives
tournament for world cricket, so hopefully
stops Candidates
some of it can go ahead — perhaps a short-
ened tournament,” Buttler said in a Skys-
ports podcast. Meanwhile, Stokes said: “At for Australian players: Langer [email protected]
‘undercooked’ Neeraj
the moment my next competitive cricket is
going to be in the IPL. That hasn’t changed
yet so I have to think I will be playing on
Melbourne: Staying home
during the national lock-
down to contain the coronavi-
Getty Images Chennai: The Candidates chess tourna-
ment, being held in Yekaterinburg, Russia,
was the only high-profile event going as per
time to plan and train
April 20. I have to get my head round that I rus is like “nirvana” for Aus- schedule amidst the Covid-19 pandemic that [email protected] and I complete-
am playing even though in the back of my tralian cricketers as they has seen mass cancellations of sporting ac- ly support the
mind I know I am probably not. I have to generally have to live out of a tivities across the globe. But on Thursday, New Delhi: When javelin postponement.
build up and get myself physically in a suitcase, head coach Justin Candidates too met with the same fate as the thrower Neeraj Chopra re- We athletes
position that if it does happen I am good to Langer has said. other events. turned to action at the ACNE knew it (post-
go.” “The truth is for me per- The world chess body (FIDE) finally de- League meeting in Potchef- ponement of
sonally and for all the play- cided to stop the tournament after the con- stroom, South Africa, earlier the Olympics)
Stranded Iain O’Brien resorts to crowd- ers, this is like nirvana in the clusion of 7 out of the 14 rounds. The main this year, he immediately was inevitable and that’s why
funding for flight back home: Desperate fact we’re home with our fam- reason given by FIDE was the stopping of all made the cut for the Tokyo it doesn’t come as a shock to
to reunite with his family in the UK, stranded ilies, we sleep in our own flights going out of Russia from Friday. “The Olympics with a throw of me,” he said. “While we were
former New Zealand pacer Iain O’Brien has beds, we eat home-cooked government of the Russian Federation an- 87.86m. The Olympic qualifica- looking forward to Tokyo 2020,
resorted to crowd-funding to arrange for his dinners and we can still work nounced that starting March 27, 2020, Rus- tion mark was 85m. It was his the environment wouldn’t
tickets after his flights were cancelled due to in one degree or another sia interrupts air traffic with other coun- first tournament after nearly a have been appropriate for the
the Covid-19 pandemic. The 43-year-old from from home,” Langer told re- tries without indicating any time frames. year. The 22-year-old had mis- event to be celebrated the way
is seeking donations through social network- porters on Thursday. FIDE can’t continue the tournament with- sed the entire 2019 season due it should be. I would say we
ing site Twitter to fund his way back home. Langer said the impact of Justin Langer has been a father-like figure for Australian cricketers out guarantees for the players’ and officials’ to an elbow injury. After quali- should look at this positively as
“Ok, so trying to raise some money to pay for the virus had hit close to safe and timely return home. In this situa- fying, Neeraj went to Turkey it would allow us a year more to
this flight back to the UK,” O’Brien wrote on home. “I’ve got four daugh- tough time.” the lucrative T20 tournament tion, the FIDE president decided to stop the for training but had to return plan and train for the Olym-
his handle. “I have an idea. If anyone would ters at home and three of Australian cricket is in its has been postponed at least tournament,” the sport’s governing body to India when the government pics, which is the biggest sport-
love a 20 min Skype/vid call, one on one, talk them have lost their jobs,” he off-season and has been until mid-April and may end said in a statement on Thursday. decided to close its doors to ing event for many athletes. It
about all things cricket, politics, sausages, said. “It’s a great eye-opener largely insulated from the up being scrapped like many Emil Sutovsky, secretary general of passengers from several coun- totally works for me.”
mental health, Sachin, etc. If you’d like that & to me, how careful we have to impact of the coronavirus other tournaments that have FIDE, said that a decision on when and tries, including Turkey. From He added: “There are ex-
can spare a couple of $£, DM me.” O’Brien be. Talk about being pre- outbreak, which has sus- succumbed to the pandemic. where the remaining rounds will happen is then onwards, Neeraj has been perts at the IOC and World Ath-
played 22 Tests, 10 ODIs and four T20Is for pared for rainy days. pended all of the country’s Government contain- going to be taken in the coming days. The in self-isolation at the National letics who will take everything
New Zealand but now lives with his wife “This is certainly more major sporting competitions ment measures to shut down tournament rules clearly state that it will re- Institute of Sports in Patiala. into consideration before mak-
Rosie and two kids in the UK. than a rainy day. Whether it’s that run during the autumn virtually all non-essential sume with the same number of points. After On Tuesday, Neeraj learnt ing a decision (on new dates).
a footy club or my daughters and winter. businesses have already hit the completion of 7 rounds on Wednesday at his hostel room in NIS that So I think it would be best at
Mithali wants women’s IPL next year: all losing their jobs ... I have Some Australian players the economy with thousands night, the eight-player tournament had Ian Tokyo 2020 will now be Tokyo this point for us all to focus on
BCCI should not “wait forever” to start the great empathy for so many are signed with teams in the of workers laid off or stood Nepomniachtchi and Maxime Vachier-La- 2021. Neeraj is one of India’s overcoming this challenging
women’s IPL, said India women’s ODI captain people going through this Indian Premier League but down without pay. REUTERS grave in joint-lead with 4.5 points apiece. prime medal contenders at the situation with our health in-
Mithali Raj, urging the board to make it Olympics. But since his injury tact for now, and then work to-
happen next year on a smaller scale before and subsequent return, he has wards the Olympics next year
gradually developing it. “I personally feel
Turkish boxers Deferred Olympics might give
hardly got any competitive ac- depending on the eventual de-
they should start a women’s IPL by next year, tion – especially with a tough cision that is taken.”
even if it’s on a slightly smaller scale and field. Neeraj knows he would Neeraj believes every inter-
with some changes in rules, such as, say,
get corona, have gone into the Olympics – national athlete “has to take
have five to six foreign players in the first
edition instead of four as is the case with the
men’s IPL,” Raj told ESPNCricinfo. IOC criticised Leander another year on circuit had it taken place in 2020 – a tri-
fle undercooked. That’s why he
relieved that the Games have
the situation in his or her
stride”, and start their prepa-
rations “only after the corona-
Damayanti.Dasgupta Reuters an Olympic Association, for mak- been postponed. virus pandemic is brought un-
Michel Hidalgo, who coached France London: The International @timesgroup.com ing sure that all the athletes and “Health is the top priority der control”.
to Euro 1984 glory, dies: Michel Hidalgo, Olympic Committee (IOC) sports lovers are looked after in
the coach who led France to the 1984 Europe- has been accused of irrespon- Chennai: At the end of last year, tough times like these,” the veter-
an Championship title and the 1982 World

Wimbledon 2020
sibility after two Turkish box- Indian tennis legend Leander an said.
Cup semifinals, has died. He was 87. The ers and a trainer caught the Paes called time on his career, ear- Being holed up at home is not
French soccer federation said on its website coronavirus during a qualify- marking 2020 as his farewell sea- what Paes had in mind, he is not
that Hidalgo died Thursday. Hidalgo coached ing event in London this son in International tennis. With complaining. “I have lived my life
his country’s national team from 1976-84 and
led host France to its first major title at Euro
1984 with midfielder Michel Platini scoring
nine goals at the tournament. Les Bleus
month.
According to the Turkish
Boxing Federation website,
his cupboard overflowing with
hundreds of trophies, including
18 coveted Grand Slam doubles ti-
out of a suitcase. I have travelled
continuously for tennis since my
early days. Now that I am forced to
could be cancelled
athlete Serhat Güler and tles, the 46-year-old wanted to sign stay at home I am doing a lot of Ben Burrows tive Richard Lewis said: “We
reached the World Cup semifinals two years trainer Seyfullah Dumlupı- off after featuring in his record ONE LAST ATTEMPT: Leander Paes things I couldn’t do before. I am are working hard to bring cer-
earlier but lost to West Germany in a penalty

T
nar contracted the virus at eight Olympics. spending a lot of time with my he All England Lawn tainty to our plans for 2020 and
shootout. the European Olympic box- But fate clearly had other would be honoured to represent aged father and my daughter and Tennis Club will decide have convened an emergency
ing qualifiers. plans. With the Covid-19 pandemic my country for that one last time, it’s something that I have missed. whether to go ahead with meeting of the AELTC main
Bundesliga’s big four clubs pledge “While the world was tak- wreaking havoc on humanity, the but it’s to early to tell,” the 1996 At- Also, at times like these you are this summer’s Wimbledon board for next week, at which a
financial aid for rivals: Four of Germany’s ing extreme measures to deal International Olympic Associ- lanta Olympic medal winner said. forced to sit back and take stock of championships during an decision will be made.”
biggest football clubs have pledged 20 with the virus, I am baffled ation (IOA) was forced to postpone Paes lauded the decision taken your life. Trying times like these emergency board meeting Elsewhere, the Profession-
million euros ($22 million) to help Bundesli- that an IOC taskforce and the the Tokyo Olympics by a year and by IOA to postpone the Games by a help you understand what your next week. al Footballers’ Association has
ga rivals facing financial difficulty in the British government allowed that might just prolong Paes’ ca- year. “It is a very smart decision priorities are.” Pressure has been growing called for urgent talks with
coronavirus crisis, the German Football the tournament to start even reer by a year. that the IOA and the Japanese But Paes is ready to go once the on organisers to make a deci- both the Premier League and
League (DFL) announced Thursday. Bayern though many of us had con- “Nobody is ever prepared for a Committee has taken. I am sure it pandemic is over. He is keeping sion, with the SW19 tourna- English Football League.
Munich, Borussia Dortmund, Bayer Lev- cerns and almost every other situation like this and it is indeed was not an easy one. The planning himself as fit as possible at home ment one of the biggest sport- Some football teams, and
erkusen and RB Leipzig — all of whom sport had shut down,” federa- very tough on athletes. Preparing for the Olympics takes years and and is also working on his mental ing events still remaining on clubs in other sports, are re-
qualified for this season’s Champions tion president Eyup Gozgec for Olympics takes lots of hard when it gets postponed so close to strength. “I am working on the fit- the calendar for June and July. ported to have already imple-
League — said they would make the funds was quoted as saying by the work and then you are suddenly the Games it means a huge loss. ness of both my body and mind at Bosses have ruled out play- mented wage reductions or
available for crisis-hit clubs in the top two Guardian. forced to deal with something like But right now nothing matters but home. I want to be ready to go out ing the tournament, which is non-playing staff have been
German divisions, which are run by the DFL. London’s Copper Box are- this pandemic and you don’t know lives. Not just the athletes but I al- and play again once this pandem- due to start on June 29, behind ‘furloughed’ onto 80 per cent of
AGENCIES
na hosted the official Olympic what to do,” Paes told TOI. so feel sorry for the thousands of ic is over. I am also keeping an eye closed doors and admitted wages.
Road Surcharge of Rs.2.00 will be applicable on this edition for all locations except
qualifying tournament, fea- “My team and I will take a deci- people who had booked their tick- on my diet. When you are forced to postponing it would be diffi- The organisers of the 2020
Abu,Ahmedabad,Anand, Ankleshwar, Baroda, Bhuj, Bharuch, Ghandhi-
nagar, Gandhidham, Jamnagar.Mundra, Nadiad, , Rajkot, Surat, Udaipur.
turing boxers from 40 nations. sion once this calamity has passed ets to go to Japan for this sporting stay indoors you are bound to get cult. All professional tennis is European Athletics Cham-
RNI Regn No. 15047/68 published by Mr Montoo Jain for the proprietor, Ben-
nett, Coleman & Co. Ltd. at 139, Ashram Road, Ahmedabad 9 and printed by him at
It continued for three days and I can assure you it won’t be an extravaganza. bored and as human beings we currently suspended until the pionships, meanwhile, are
Vardhaman Publishers Ltd Vejalpur and Plot No. 465, POR-Ramangamdi, GIDC
Industrial Estate, Village, POR, Taluka & District : Vadodara. Editor (Ahmedabad
despite virtually every other easy one. My team wants me to go “I thank the IOC, the Japan tend to kill that boredom with start of the grass-court season hopeful that the August event
Market) : Harit Mehta Responsible for selection of news under PRB Act ( C ) All
rights Reserved. Reproduction of whole or in part without written permission is
sport being suspended be- for my record eighth Olympics Olympic Committee and all peo- food. So I am trying hard to be as on June 7. in Paris will go ahead as sched-
Prohibited : NO. 72 VOL 53 cause of the pandemic. REUTERS and so does my father. Personally I ple concerned, including the Indi- strict as possible,” Paes said. Wimbledon chief execu- uled. @THE INDEPENDENT
CHEFS, CELEBS PAY
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Veteran star Nimmi passes away With no big releases lined up till April 15

N
immi, the doe-eyed star of 1950s and ’60s
Hindi movies such as Aan, Barsaat and
Deedar, died on Wednesday after
prolonged illness. .
Dhollywood braces for challenging
times ahead amidst #LockdownIndia
The actor was brought to a suburban Juhu hos-
pital after she complained of breathlessness. She
died in the evening, family sources said.
“She was admitted to the hospital on Wednesday
afternoon after she complained of breathlessness.
She passed away this evening. She had been unwell [email protected]
for quite some time. She had been in and out of hos-
pital this year,” the source added on Wednesday. ith the nation going into a 21 day lockdown, the
The actor, born as Nawab Banoo, came to be
known by her screen name ‘Nimmi’, which was giv-
en to her by filmmaker Raj Kapoor, who first spot-
ted her as a shy teen on the sets of his film Andaz.
W entertainment industry in India, which has already
taken a massive hit after malls and multiplexes were
closed down due to the #Coronascare, is staring at huge losses.
With uncertainty looming large about when normalcy will be
Raj Kapoor cast her as the second lead in Barsaat restored, filmmakers are a worried lot. However, unlike
in 1949. The film had three popular songs, Barsaat Bollywood, the Gujarati film industry seems to be in a safe place
Me Hamse Mile Tum, Hawa Me Udta Jaye and Meri as of now. With no big films slated to release till April, the industry
NIMMI 1933-2020 Patli Qamar Hai, picturised on her. is breathing easy, as there are no immediate threats about
PTI suffering BO losses. However, industry insiders feel that this
lockdown might impact the Gujarati entertainment industry in
the long run. As of now, Dhollywood is preparing for the coming
months that might see an overdose of Gujarati films, thanks to
pending releases, big ticket BO clashes and unavailability of
screen space and good shows.

The Aditya Lakhia and

Karan Patel starrer
Khape is now planning
a film festival release

#21DAYSLOCKDOWN Parth Oza and Simran Natekar’s Rang

Jo Lagyo is in post production stage

Stay at home, staysafe: Bollywood

is currently working on his next to be re-
leased in May or June. Even those, who
were planning for summer releases,
seem to be managing well when it comes
to working and finishing their projects
from home. Filmmaker Kirtan Patel,
As Prime Minister Narendra Modi declared a 21-day lockdown across the ‘THANKS TO NO UPCOMING BIG and the IPL. To avoid this ‘slow’ period, who finished shooting for his next in ear-
ly February, says, “Fortunately, we fin-
most Gujarati filmmakers were planning
nation to fight the coronavirus pandemic, B-Town welcomed the decision RELEASES, THE INDUSTRY IS IN A to finish their projects by the month of ished our shooting well before the lock-
SAFE SPACE RIGHT NOW’ May, thus putting Dhollywood in a safe down happened. Now, instead of working
Hansal Mehta Mahesh Bhatt After a good start to the year, most Gu- place. “The good thing about this situa- from our studios, I’m working from home
Came to the village for Taapsee Pannu We are now at a jarati filmmakers were eyeing for sum- on the post-production of my film. But
tion is that there were no big releases
a week’s isolation. 21 days ! Not a collective turning mer releases, as vacations are considered planned for March and April. Usually we aren’t announcing the trailer release
Now here for next 21 lot for us in return point, where we must to be the ideal time for good BO collec- filmmakers avoid releasing their films date or other updates, as we are not sure
days. Now missing of our lives. Let’s stop, listen & help the tions. March and April, on the other during these two months. So, the indus- till when we will have to stay at home.”
home too. But the do this everyone! government implement hand, are considered as less productive try will not face any immediate impact,”
And hopefully by months for business due to board exams says filmmaker Krishnadev Yagnik, who CONTINUED ON PAGE 4 
lockdown was essen- the 21 days all India
tial and this too shall the end of THIS lockdown. The time of
pass. After this tragic lockdown we great fear requires
intervention we might actually inhabit surely will have a reason and time solidarity, humanity, sacrifice & ROME
a more sensitive, united and civilised
planet. That hope keeps me going.
to celebrate. Until then let’s get
through one day at a time.
hope.Not hysteria & rumour
mongering. #21daysLockdown IN THE TIMES Seat of an ancient civilisation
and housing some of the world’s
famous monuments, life in the

Anil
Kapoor
Anushka
Sharma
Riteish Deshmukh
Jai Hind!!! together OF CORONA: THE busy Italian capital has come
to a standstill

WORLD STANDS
It is extremely as a nation we can
Please stay important for overcome this
home, calm, ALL of us to pandemic.
safe & aware! follow the 21

Nimrat Kaur
Together we will
fight this!
day lockdown
laid down by
our PM Shri
@narendramodi ji. Please stay at
Shahid Kapoor
Be at home. Stay
DESERTED
A much needed and home to help contain the spread
Busy cities and monuments of the
safe. Stay mentally,
powerful decision of the virus and follow the safety emotionally and world are now in lockdown mode
by the honourable protocols physically strong. because of coronavirus scare PAGE 3
PM @narendramodi Spread love. Have
One hundred Sonakshi Sinha faith. Pray often.

Sabko pata tha Mujhse Shaadi Karoge

percent in solidarity #NationalLockdow Speak to all those who matter
with the upcoming n... galti se bhi daily. Meditate. Read. Cook. See
21 day national bahar mat dikhna the sky turn bluer every day. 21
lockdown. Stay in (only limited to days. Will pass. Keep it real and
to stay safe. Let’s people I can spot make it count you all.

mein kisi ki shaadi nahi honi hai: Aanchal

do this from my window)

[email protected]

#CoronaOutbreak: I
deally, she should have been revelling in
her Mujhse Shaadi Karoge (MSK) win
after Paras Chhabra chose her as his
‘connection’. However, Aanchal Khurana,
AANCHAL
KHURANA

Kailash Kher penning a

who joined the reality show on March 9 as a
wild-card entrant, was busy doing the
rounds of hospitals. After being hospi-
talised for severe gas-
tritis in Mumbai, the

song to create awareness

actress, who is cur-
rently in her home-
town, Delhi, had to
make rounds of sev-
eral hospitals follow-
ing an attack by stray
[email protected] this current crisis dogs. In a chat with
that has emerged due to coronavirus.” AT, she talks about
hile the world is facing a her tryst with hospi-

W
The singer adds that he has com-
lockdown due to the coron- pleted writing the song and he will be tals, her equation
avirus pandemic, online releasing it online by next week. “I will with Paras and her
music concerts and live sessions by be sending it to my sound production stint on MSK.
musicians from across the globe have team soon and will record it. I am look- Excerpts…
come to the rescue of music lovers. ing at releasing it on social media by While you should Paras Chhabra
Keeping with the times, some mu- next week.” have been celebrat-
sicians are also coming up with songs Kher says that now is the time when ing your win on MSK, we hear that you
to create awareness on Covid-19 and each one of us should be looking at had been doing the rounds of hospitals.
encourage people to practise social dis- sharing something positive with each What went wrong?
tancing and self-isolation. After Bap- other. “Music has emerged as a bind- I didn’t get the time to celebrate because I
pi Lahiri recently revealed that he has ing force during this time. I am just was doing the rounds of hospitals. I was
composed a song for the world to join doing my bit in spreading some posi- hospitalised in Mumbai on the very night
forces and contain the pandemic,
Kailash Kher told us that he is also
tive message,” he says. the shoot wrapped up (March 17) abruptly
in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak.
PARAS AND I SPOKE ON THE
writing a song to create awareness on The next evening, I left for Delhi and on PHONE HALF AN HOUR BEFORE HE
the current situation. He says, “I have I WANT TO CREATE March 19, I went to a hospital for further UNFOLLOWED ME THE FIRST TIME.
medication. My pet dog was with me, when
been home for the last 10 days now and
each day, I am taking out time to write.
AWARENESS THROUGH suddenly, three stray dogs attacked him.
MAYBE, MAHIRA (SHARMA) DOESN’T
I am in the process of writing a song, THE SONG AND SHARE When I tried to save him, they attacked me APPROVE OF HIS FRIENDSHIP WITH
Mai Hi Mera Rakshak Hu. I want to A MESSAGE WITH EVERY- as well. Thankfully, some people came to my
rescue. I immediately went to get an anti-ra-
ME. THAT’S OKAY. PEOPLE TEND TO
create awareness through the song
and share a message with everyone ONE OUT THERE THAT bies shot, but because of the coronavirus BE POSSESSIVE OF EACH OTHER
out there that it is our responsibility IT IS OUR RESPONSIBILITY Kailash pandemic, it was not available in most hos- WHEN IN A RELATIONSHIP
to stay safe. We all have to contribute Kher pitals. I had to run from pillar to post to get
to make things better and come out of TO STAY SAFE the shots, but I am better now. CONTINUED ON PAGE 4 
2
AHMEDABAD TIMES, THE TIMES OF INDIA
VARIETY/MUST SEE MUST DO FRIDAY 27 MARCH 2020

TIMES HITORI LOOP THE LOOP

How to play
1. A number
may appear
just once in
Rules
■ Connect adjacent dots with vertical or
horizontal lines, creating a single loop (Fig
A).
■ Crossovers or branches are not allowed
‘I was looking forward to
climbing Mt. Everest, I will
each row or
column. (As shown by dotted lines in Fig B). (Fig A) Not allowed
Eliminate ■ Numbers in the (Fig B)

ENGINEERING | MANAGEMENT | MEDIA | LAW repeat num- puzzle

bers by indicate the number

not give up on my dream’

of lines that should
SUDOKU CHALLENGE darkening
cells. (see surround
example) it, while empty cells
HOW TO PLAY
2. Darkened may be surrounded
Fill in the grid cells must by any number of
so that every
horizontal row,
never be
adjacent in
lines.
■ You can’t draw Says avid mountain climber from Mumbai,
lines around
every vertical
column and
a row or
column. zeroes. Harshvardhan Joshi, whose plans to scale
3. Unmarked ■ Each puzzle has
every 3x3 box
contains the cells must just one unique so- the mountain was put on hold, owing to
digits 1-9, create a single 5. Any cell "sand- lution.
without continuous area, wiched" between How to begin: the coronavirus outbreak
repeating the undivided by neighbours of the Example (Fig A) -
numbers in the darkened cells. same value can Begin with the zero
same row, 4. Every time you be circled. next to 3. Since no
column or darken a cell, you (e.g. 6 4 6 ) lines can be drawn around zero, mark crosses around it, as shown. Now
box.You can’t can automatically 6. A "triple" is a there is a cross in one space around 3. So we know the three lines of 3
change the digits circle its vertical special case of can only be drawn in the remaining three spaces. Next, these lines can
already given in and horizontal sandwich. Circle only be extended in one direction each. Continue, using the same logic.
the grid. Every neighbours, the centre cells, Hints: Keep eliminating possibilities by marking crosses in spaces be- Harshvardhan Joshi at an
puzzle has one which means and darken the tween dots where a line isn’t possible, i.e., if you have already complet-
ends.
expedition in Uttarakhand
solution. they cannot be ed required lines or where a line extension may create a branch or
Level: Medium eliminated. (e.g. 6 6 6 ) (Fig A) cause a deadend (Fig B)

H E A LT H C A P S U L E SCRAMBLE
Rearrange the letters in the four word jumbles, one letter to
each square/circle, to make four ordinary words
GARFIELD

HOW TO PLAY
MNAEE
Now arrange the
LMIIT letters in the circles
to form the answer
APYDLM to the riddle or to fill
in the missing word
EHRUMY as indicated

Whatever must happen ultimately should happen ____. -

Robert F. Kennedy (11)

MINDBENDER
H AG A R T H E H O R R I B L E

I have many feathers to help me fly.

I have a body and head but I’m not alive.
It is your strength which determines how far I go.
You can hold me in your hand but I’m never thrown. [email protected] tempt Everest. It’s something I
Question: What am I?
have been cherishing.” From the
he outbreak of coronavirus

T
word go, it involved a plot of
Covid-19 has thrown life off planning, prep and effort. He af-
kilter in more ways than firms, “Every summer, in these
V SPELLATHON you can count. The world’s major last few years, I stay in the Hi-
S E Today’s Ratings: 07 - average 08- good 10-outstanding events — political, social, sports, malayas for six to seven months. I
How many words of four or more letters can you make from the letters shown in fashion and more — have been was born and brought up in Vasai,
G A
today’s puzzle? In making a word, a letter can be used as many times as it appears cancelled and postponed indefi- but now I spend most of my time
A in the puzzle. Each word must contain the central letter. There should be at least nitely, in addition to schools and in Ladakh, climbing and training
L one seven letter word. Plurals, foreign words and proper names are not allowed. colleges and places of work being hard. I have been a mountain
British English Dictionary is used as reference.
shut. And recently, all expeditions guide for many westerners. That
to Mount Everest were cancelled, is out of passion, but it’s also to
THE DAILY CROSSWORD just ahead of the climbing season. train for Everest. In winter, I also
Harshvardhan Joshi from Mum- go to Kashmir for skiing, for a
PEANUTS

bai, an avid climber who was to month.” He’s definitely got the call
make his first attempt at scaling from the mountains, then! “Defi-
the mountain, chats with us about nitely! I’m a Ladakhi by heart. I
how his big dream to scale Mount was trying to settle there, too, in
Everest will have to wait. “I have 2018, but I couldn’t, so I thought
mixed feelings. I was really let’s focus on Everest first.
looking forward to climbing Mt.
Everest, and at first, I was very
disappointed. People around me
— my parents and friends — know
I THOUGHT
how much it mattered. But of I WOULD CARRY
course, at this point, things are SOLAR PANELS
C A LV I N A N D H O B B E S

not in our control. My Everest

dream awaits. I will not give up on TO REMOTE
it and I hope to climb there next VILLAGES IN THE
April,” he says.
‘IT HAS BEEN A DREAM
EVEREST REGION
SINCE 2016’ – Harshvardhan Joshi,
This 24-year-old IT engineer has mountain climber
been nurturing his dream since
the last four years. He says, “In GOING SUSTAINABLE WITH
2106, I decided that I would at-
SOLAR ENERGY
Harsh also planned to make it a
completely solar-fuelled ascent,
BIRTHDAY TODAY SCORPIO October 23 - November 20 in keeping with the trend of
You have plenty of energy and
Y ou should avoid indulging sustainable travel. He says, “My

FinQlex n-
-
* in impulsive buying and pay willingness to take a big risk. It is very aim was also to create awareness
more attention to your savings. important for you to have an active
Tip: Your lucky colours are about solar energy. I believe in
green, cream, white, gold, yel- relationship now. You have awesome
impact tourism, which is about
,
low, orange and golden brown. spur-of-the-moment ideas now. You ...at Mt.
FORTUNE Anupam V Kapil Your lucky gems are jade, are sure of your feelings and need to Himlung
going to a place and developing it
pearl, moonstone, topaz, amber revitalise them by sharing them sustainably. I thought I would
Himal in
& diamond
openly with your loved one. carry solar panels to remote
Fo r pr Ono-re; ns Illd n, anupamvkap [email protected] You share your birthday with: Nepal
or S MS on 9822042295. Mariah Carey SAGITTARIUS November 21- villages in the Everest region. I
December 20 You may discover a calculated the carbon offset — by
ARIES March 20 - April 18 You are Your hard outer shell may be put to test sentimental and sensuous side to your understanding how much my
able to gain a great deal and establish in terms of its ability to protect your nature that you had not known before. sherpa and I would reduce carbon
a whole new perspective by opening soft, vulnerable insides. It is advisable to maintain attention and emissions by switching to solar
your eyes a little wider in order to LEO July 22 - August 21 Take concentration. If you are in love but have energy.
include what you normally shrug off. matters into your own hands and not expressed your feelings, it proba- If we can be completely solar
Your feelings for friends and your actively pursue your goals. Dreaming bly would be a good time to do it. dependent in such fragile envi-
emotional responses to life in general or hoping for the best won’t help you CAPRICORN December 21 - rons, then we can do so in the city,
are deeper and more intense. make the right decision. You need to January 19 You have a delightful too. That said, the bottomline is,
TAURUS April 19 - May 19 You will resolve circumstances to be more or- surprise from a close friend. Don’t be we all need to consume less, no
have attention to detail and good ganised and in control. A lighter mood alarmed; be cautious about lashing out matter where we are.”
concentration. Your combative instinct will help relations with other people. at people for no reason whatsoever.
is working overtime. Relationships, VIRGO August 22 - September 21 You Focus on home, family and recent
especially with opposite sex, will be do all the things that are in your issues.There will be conflicts between SOLUTIONS TO GAMES/PUZZLES
stressful. You might be asked to con- power to please a customer or work and family life. Don’t expect
tribute to charities. Give loans to only complete a particular project. You are anything to go as planned. TIMES SUDOKU LOOP THE LOOP TIMES HITORI
those people whom you know very well. relentless about completing tasks. You AQUARIUS January 20 - February 18
GEMINI May 20 - June 20 You could have a lot to do and a busy schedule Those who work for themselves could
feel quite overwhelmed. Life will but you may need to take time out from encounter hitches, difficulties in EVENTS
become quieter and you will be more your normal routine and check out the communicating with others or feel tired
introspective today. Fulfil all promises situation with a relative. Impulsive de- while completing urgent duties.You are IF IT ISN’T HERE,
and meet your responsibilities.You will cisions made now will not materialise. straightforward and reliable. You can IT ISN’T HAPPENING
feel like hiding away on the weekend. LIBRA September 22 - October 22 circumvent problems with others.
Good things are coming your way, it is Plan activities that get everyone PISCES February 19 - March 19 You Mail your event details to us two days in advance
with details, preferably with a photograph: MINDBENDER SCRAMBLE
likely that you will experience great involved. Add your unique touch and may not take kindly to someone you
have no personal attachment to telling Events Ahmedabad Times, 139, Ashram Road, Arrow Robert F. Kennedy
generosity from people. don’t imitate others.Trust your instincts mately should happen immediately. -
Fadia Chambers, Ahmedabad 380009.
CANCER June 21 - July 21 A and move in that direction. Intensify you how to do things but you have SPELLATHON Answer: Whatever must happen ulti-
Email: [email protected]
situation will make you feel uncertain. your feelings and shed the tendency little choice in the matter. The fact is You can follow us on
Words: Enema, limit, damply, rheumy
You may feel as if someone is poking to be moody and secretive. Never fear that they are better at doing certain Facebook: @AhmedabadTimesTOI
sage, SALVAGE, savage
WHATZIT?
you in the side today. Go over the fine that you will ever be thought of as dull things than you are, so be smart and Twitter: @AhmedabadTimes
alga, algae, gala, gale, gave, gavel, saga,
Up the creek without a paddle
print carefully and follow procedures. and boring. Use strength and vigour. learn from what they say.

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FRIDAY 27 MARCH 2020
AHMEDABAD IS TALKING ABOUT... AHMEDABAD TIMES, THE TIMES OF INDIA
3

EMPTINESS: CORONAVIRUS LOCKDOWN MUTES THE WORLD

The outbreak of coronavirus has led to a lockdown across towns, around
the globe, emptying out the usually busy streets. Here’s a glimpse of some
NEW YORK CITY
Times Square, one of the busiest places
in the world, the business hub that’s an
of the world’s iconic and busiest landmarks that are now deserted iconic global landmark, appears forlorn
without the bustling crowds it’s used to

PARIS
One of the wonders of the
world, the Eiffel Tower and
the surrounding areas stand
eerily empty and silent

VENICE
The old land and by-lanes of
Venice have gone silent with
people forced to stay indoors

BERLIN
The Victory Column in Berlin is a
popular tourist destination and a place
where the locals like to hang out. From
its viewing platform, you can see the
whole city. But there's no rush now

BEIJING
It’s one of the world’s most populous
cities in China, but the coronavirus out-
break has brought the country to a halt

RIP chef Floyd Cardoz: The world loses a culinary genius

Chefs, celebrities pay tribute to Floyd Cardoz, who
passed away on Wednesday due to coronavirus BOLLYWOOD REMEMBERS
[email protected] and bay Canteen in Mumbai on March 1 and was
A WARM, TALENTED CHEF
Melissa.D’[email protected] also said to be filming a web series in India. Several actors took to social media to pay tribute to chef
He is survived by his mother Beryl, wife Floyd Cardoz as well
nternationally renowned chef Floyd Car- Barkha and sons Justin and Peter. Cardoz

I
Rishi Kapoor, who was in New York last year, took to
doz, who had a large was best known for In- Twitter to write: “RIP. Floyd Cardoz. Will cherish the meal
number of well- RIP CHEF FLOYD CARDOZ dian American fine din-
you made for us at your restaurant “Paowala” at Spring
known patrons, died of ing, and the news of his
COVID-19 complications in New York City on passing threw the culinary world into shock Street. NY. And several times at the “Bombay Canteen”
March 25. The 59-year-old had tested positive with names, like Top Chef host Padma Lak- (Phoenix Mills) and “O Pedro” (BKC) all in Mumbai.
for the novel coronavirus 10 days ago and even shmi, American chef Ruth Reichl and TV Sonam Kapoor posted: “RIP chef”
posted about his health on Instagram. In host David Chang paying tribute to him and
Mumbai, he was the co-owner of two restau- his vast body of work in the culinary field.
Soni Razdan quoted a news post about his death and
rants – Bombay Canteen and O Pedro – and Back in India, friends, colleagues and well- added, “Yes. This is just unbelievable.”
had recently launched his third venture Bom- wishers also expressed grief and shared their Hansal Mehta added: “This is really tragic. Just a month
bay Sweet Shop. Cardoz had reportedly at- thoughts on his sudden demise. ago I’d recreated a recipe from his book
tended the fifth anniversary party at The Bom- – With inputs from [email protected] Flavorwala. It was a meat stew and it was stunning. What a
loss...”
CHEF CARDOZ INTRODUCED AMERICANS TO THE Athiya Shetty posted: “This is just too sad. RIP. Strength to
MAGIC OF INDIAN CUISINE: RASHMI UDAY SINGH all his loved ones”
Food critic and author Rashmi Uday Singh said, “Words are not
Rahul Bose tweeted: “Shocked to hear the passing away
apt to describe how I feel about the loss of the affable and bril- of @floydcardoz. Apart from enjoying sterling meals at his
liant chef Floyd Cardoz. He was down to earth, helpful and various restaurants in New York & Bombay, he was a won-
introduced Americans to the magic of Indian cuisine. Almost 25 derful man – always warm, gracious and funny. Any pan-
years ago, I had visited NYC to participate in a panel discussion demic always gets more ominous when you know those
on Indian restaurants and that is when I met Floyd for the first who have succumbed. RIP Floyd.”
time. That was also the first time that I dined at his restaurant
Tabla. I enjoyed meeting Floyd, he was such a gifted chef, and
■ Chef Floyd Cardoz, who was raised in Mumbai, attended the Global Hospitality HIS LEGACY WILL
I’ve always loved his food. Over the years, I met him several
Management School at Les Roches in Switzerland and moved to New York.
times... at the LA food fest, in NYC and Mumbai. At his Mumbai
restaurants – Bombay Canteen and O Pedro – it was a delight
■ He opened the Indian restaurant Tabla in 1998 with Danny Meyer. Later, he opened CONTINUE TO INSPIRE
to taste his interpretation of Indian food. A few months ago, I
Pao Walla in Soho, New York City and followed that up with Bombay Bread Bar. US: RIYAAZ AMLANI
■ He won the third season of Top Chef Masters in 2011.
met him in NYC in his new job as culinary director at the iconic restaurant Estiatorio Milos Restaurateur Riyaaz Amlani said, “The entire
■ Chef Floyd was the author of two cookbooks – One Spice, Two Spice: American Food,
and recently in Mumbai when I met along with The Worlds 50 Best director William Drew. industry is stunned to hear the tragic news. He
Indian Flavors (2006) and Floyd Cardoz: Flavorwalla: Big Flavor. Bold Spices. A New Way
Floyd was bubbling with ideas and enthusiasm. In fact, at our Times Food & Nightlife was not only the finest ambassador of Indian
to Cook the Foods You Love (2016).
Awards in Mumbai this year, we were going to award him and his team.” cuisine, but also a great chef and human being.
His legacy will continue to inspire us.”

HE WAS A GREAT GUY AND HE WAS ONE OF THE RARE CHEFS

INNOVATOR: HEMANT OBEROI HE HAS ALWAYS BEEN WHO WAS DRAWN TO THE INDIAN WHEN WE MET EARLIER THIS MONTH,
Hemant Oberoi, restaurateur and AN INSPIRATION: CHEF KITCHEN: CHEF MELDAN D’CUNHA LITTLE DID I KNOW THAT IT WOULD
ex-grand executive chef, Taj Group VICKY RATNANI Chef Meldan D’Cunha, who had worked with BE OUR LAST ENCOUNTER: CHEF
of Hotels, Luxury Division, who had
worked with chef Cardoz, said, “I
Chef Vicky Ratnani him at Oberoi Towers, said, “Floyd was five PRATEEK SADHU
says, “I met Floyd10 years junior to me. He was very hard-working. He was one of the most famous Indian
had met him in New York years years ago and even ate He would come in at 11am and go home post
ago, and we did a promotion chefs while I was a student at the Culinary
at Tabla and Bread Bar midnight, daily. He used to handle the Indian Institute of America. It’s a huge loss for the
together there at his restaurant in NYC. He has always section of the banquet when I was working as
Tabla. A great guy and innovator, Indian culinary landscape. He broke
been an inspiration a chef at Oberoi Towers in the late 80s. At a barriers for Indian food and chefs in ways
he always wanted to do something and was like a brother time when most Indian chefs were not as inter-
different. I couldn’t meet him in India when he was we can’t count. When we met earlier this
to us. That’s how dan- ested in Indian food, and most were keen to month, little did I know that it would be
here. It’s a loss to the entire fraternity. He brought gerous this virus is. So, learn about French food, he was one of the rare
Indian comfort food onto the menu and nobody can our last encounter. My condolences to his
people of the world – chefs who was drawn to the Indian kitchen and family and his teams at his restaurants.
take that away from him. He was quite an let’s fight this and pray made a name for himself with those skills. It’s
enthusiastic guy who was hands-on in the kitchen.” for this loss.” a tragic loss to the culinary world.”
4 AHMEDABAD TIMES, THE TIMES OF INDIA
BACKBEAT FRIDAY 27 MARCH 2020

Hrithik’s ex-wife Sussanne moves in

with him in times of #CoronaCrisis n times of crisis, often the unthinkable
With the ongoing countrywide lockdown, the duo
has moved in together for the sake of their kids
I happens. India is battling the coron-
avirus outbreak, and the country is in
lockdown mode. The situation has intro-
duced a positive change in the lives of
Hrithik Roshan and his ex-wife Sussanne
Khan. The couple had divorced in Novem-
ber 2014. Over the years, they have been do-
ing an amazing job of co-parenting their
sons, Hrehaan and Hridhaan. That in-
volved everything from going on vacations
together to doing whatever they could in-
dividually, to give their kids a good up-
bringing. Yesterday, Hrithik took to Insta- The multi-starrer film
gram to announce that Sussanne has Vickida No Varghodo
moved back into his home for the sake of is likely to release in
their children, as during these times of so- June-July
cial distancing and self-quarantine, it will
be best for their kids to stay with both their
parents. With this, the two have set greater

#LockdownIndia: D-Town works from

#parentinggoals for those around them.
In his social media post, Hrithik wrote,
“It is unimaginable for me, as a parent, to
think of having to be separated from my
children at a time when the country is
practicing lockdowns. It is heartwarming
to see the world come together as one in
this time of deep uncertainty and possibil-
ity of months of social distancing and po-
tential lockdowns for several weeks per-
haps. While the world talks about humani-
ty coming together, I think it represents
more than just an idea, especially for par-
home for upcoming summer releases
 CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 ‘OUR FILM INDUSTRY SHOULD NOW BE PREPARED
ents sharing custody of their kids. How to FOR CHALLENGING TIMES AHEAD’
keep their kids close to them without in- Even though the industry is not facing the lockdown heat, most
fringing on the right of the other who also believe that the coming months will pose some serious chal-
has an equal right to be with his/her chil- lenges. Once the lockdown is over, most big budget Hindi films
dren. This is a picture of dear Sussanne and franchise Hollywood releases will line up at the BO, giving
Hrithik Gujarati films little scope to find good show timings and screen
(my ex-wife), who has graciously volun-
Roshan and space. “Once everything is up and running, there will be a del-
teered to temporarily move out of her
Sussanne uge of big ticket Bollywood and Hollywood films queuing up to
home so that our children are not discon-
Khan with release and so, regional films will not get the best slots or screen
nected indefinitely from either one of us.
sons Hrehaan space,” says filmmaker Rahul Bhole. He adds, “We might have to
Thank you Sus-
and Hridhaan wait a bit longer before we find a safe slot to release our films.”
sanne for being
so supportive Also, a lot of planning, rescheduling, re-releasing of marketing
and under- and promotional material will be required, adding to the overall
standing in our production cost. “Those films that were still shooting and had to
journey of co- halt their shoot would definitely feel the financial pinch,” says
parenting. Our Aditya Lakhia. He adds, “But the silver lining is that once all of
children will this is over, when theatres reopen, people who have been home
tell the story quarantined for so many days will flock to watch new films. We
can look forward to the coming months with this hope.”
THIS IS A PICTURE we create for
them. I hope Well, D-Town will certainly hope that the audience will queue
OF DEAR SUSSANNE and pray that up to watch good Gujarati films once the lockdown is over.
(MY EX-WIFE), WHO in order to
safeguard the
HAS GRACIOUSLY health of
VOLUNTEERED TO ourselves For more
and our
TEMPORARILY MOVE OUT loved ones,
on how
D-Town is
OF HER HOME SO THAT we all find planning the work
OUR CHILDREN ARE our way to
express
rescheduling
amidst lockdown,
NOT DISCONNECTED love, empa- visit our
INDEFINITELY FROM t h y ,
courage,
Facebook page
EITHER ONE OF US strength with an open heart The makers of this untitled film starring Janki Bodiwala
– Hrithik Roshan The picture that Hrithik Roshan
posted on his social media handle
(sic).” and Yash Soni are planning a June or July release @AhmedabadTimesTOI

I was shocked that Paras unfollowed Ariana Grande is

WORLD RAP
me on Instagram: Aanchal Khurana dating a real estate
 CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
Aanchal Khurana
agent, say reports
riana Grande is
Talking about Mujhse Shaadi Karoge, it was sup-
posed to be a wedding reality show with Paras and
Shehnaaz Gill (Bigg Boss 13 contestants) looking
out for a prospective life partner. However, eventu-
and (inset) Paras
Chhabra and
Shehnaaz Gill in
Mujhse Shaadi
A reportedly dat-
ing high-end
real estate agent Dalton
Gomez. According to a
ally, it turned into a poorer version of Bigg Boss. Karoge website, the couple has
With Shehnaaz openly professing her love for Sid- been “seeing each other
harth Shukla and Paras being linked with Mahira for several months” and
Sharma, the show didn’t seem real right from the is rumoured to be social
word go... distancing at her place.
I feel that it was a wrong decision to come up with He is the same man
a show like this immediately after Bigg Boss, be- the 7 Rings hitmaker
cause we saw two strong connections — between was seen kissing
Shehnaaz and Sidharth, and Mahira and Paras. months ago, the reports
The makers just picked one contestant each from added. Followers are Ariana Grande and
the two pairs and made a show on them. I think also convinced the two (inset) Dalton
that didn’t work, because the audience would are together after they Gomez are
have liked to see the four of them together and spotted Dalton’s tattoo rumoured to
their chemistry. I know Paras ki life mein kya chal in a story Ariana be social
raha hai and Shehnaaz is totally into Sidharth. posted. distancing at
So, it was more of a joke for everyone. Sabko pata Agencies her place
tha wahaan kisi ki shaadi nahi honi hai.

MEANWHILE, DEMI LOVATO IS

LINKED TO ACTOR MAX EHRICH
Demi Lovato and Young And The Restless online recently, and they were also spot-
actor Max Ehrich sparked romance ted getting flirty on Instagram. According
rumours after photos of the duo shop- to a US publication, they met a few
ping together on March 15 surfaced weeks ago and are dating. Agencies

Max and Demi were spotted shopping together

Billie & Mariah to take part in benefit

IT WAS A WRONG DECISION TO COME
UP WITH A SHOW LIKE MUJHSE SHAADI
If you are friends, why has Paras
unfollowed you on Instagram?
He unfollowed you a couple of
days after the show wrapped up,
concert dedicated to health workers ariah Carey, Billie Eilish and Tim
Did Paras tell you that he won’t get
engaged or married on the show
because he is already in love with
KAROGE AFTER BIGG BOSS 13, BECAUSE
WE SAW TWO STRONG CONNECTIONS —
BETWEEN SHEHNAAZ AND SIDHARTH, AND
only to follow you back a few
hours later. However, he has un-
followed you again. Also, though
M McGraw will headline a benefit
concert on Sunday, playing from
their homes, to raise money to help fight the
he chose you as his ‘connection’ spread of the coronavirus.
Mahira?
I also assumed him to be in a relation-
MAHIRA AND PARAS on the show, he is busy posting The one-hour special, to be hosted by Elton
John, is the first major event in the United
ship with Mahira, but he told me, ‘Mahi- pictures with Mahira on his so- States to harness celebrity power to help those
ra is a very good friend’. While he wasn’t too sure and get engaged. For me, it was all about making cial media pages. Where does affected by the disease. The iHeart Living Room
of getting married, he was open to an engage- a genuine connection even if it didn’t materialise your equation with him stand? Concert for America will also feature per-
ment on the show. ‘Kisi se achha connection bann into anything bigger. I was real, more mature, Even I am shocked, because we spoke on the formances by Alicia Keys, Backstreet Boys,
jaata hai toh why not?’ These were his exact practical and honest than others. I didn’t suck up phone half an hour before he unfollowed me the and Green Day frontman Billie Joe Armstrong.
words. We needed more time to know each other to Paras to win the show. Even he acknowledged first time. Maybe, Mahira doesn’t approve of his The special is aimed at paying tribute to
better. You don’t get married on a lark. After going that I was the only girl who came with the pur- friendship with me (shrugs). That’s okay. People health workers and those on the front lines try-
inside, I told Paras that if not him, I would want pose of settling down. The others just faked it tend to be possessive of each other when in a re- ing to cope with the pandemic, which has over-
Mariah Billie
to meet someone else, date that person and even- with an intention to win the show. However, I lationship. Though he didn’t say it openly, it was whelmed hospitals. It will also encourage view-
Carey Eilish
tually get married. I don’t want to get into any- don’t see a future with him. I didn’t get enough quite evident that there was something more than ers to donate to charities. Reuters
thing frivolous. I went with a clear mind that if I time with him and also, we friend-zoned each oth- just friendship between him and Mahira. It’s just
Reg No GUJENG/2002/7254
get along with Paras, we will date for six months er. We are better off as friends. that they haven’t accepted it yet. Published by Mr Montoo Jain for the proprietor, Bennett, Coleman & Co. Ltd. at 139, Ashram Road, Ahmedabad 9 and printed by him at Vardhaman Publishers Ltd Vejalpur. Editor ( Ahmedabad Market ) : Somashukla Sinha Walunjkar
- Responsible for selection of news under PRB Act ( C ) All rights Reserved. Reproduction of whole or in part without written permission is prohibited. No. 84 Vol XIX.