SL court: China-built port city commission needs public assent

COLOMBO: Sri Lanka’s top court has decided that some provisions of legislation to set up a powerful economic commission in a Chinesebuilt port city violate the constitution and require approval by a public referendum to become law amid fears that the $1.4bn port city, part of China’s Belt and Road initiative, could become a virtual Chinese outpost. tisgarh, where the positivity rate dropped 13.2 percentage points, from 25.4% to 12.2% in the same time period, and Haryana, where it dropped 10.4 percentage points.

Goa features in the fourth spot in terms of most improved positivity rate (drop of 9.8 percentage points), but despite the drop, the state still has the highest positivity rate in the country. In the past week, more than a third (36.5%) of all samples tested in the state have returned positive for Covid-19. The coastal state has been in the news over the past two weeks due to severe shortage of hospital beds and medical oxygen resulting in dozens of deaths. But a drop in positivity rate offers the region some much-needed light at the end of the tunnel.

Other regions that have seen significant improvements in positivity rate are Jharkhand (a fall of 8 percentage points, from 15% to 7.0%), Bihar (down 7.5 percentage points, from 14.8% to 7.2%), Madhya Pradesh ( 19.3% to 12%), Maharashtra (down 6 percentage points from 21.7% to 15.6%) and Uttar Pradesh (down 6 points, from 11.9% to 5.9%). Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Bihar and Madhya Pradesh are four of India’s five most populous states – together housing more than 40% of the country’s population.

This phenomenon is clearly reflected in the drastic reduction on the load on India’s health care system in these regions. Pleas for help on social media for life-saving resources like hospital beds, medicines, oxygen, even ambulances had become commonplace towards the peak of the outbreak in regions such as Delhi, Maharashtra and UP. Over the past 10 days, the shortage of supply in these regions have dropped.

Nagaland, meanwhile, is the only north-eastern state where positivity rate is dropping (down 0.9 percentage points, from 21.7% on May 7 to 20.8% on May 17).

States and UTS with rising transmission

A majority of India’s south and the northeast, meanwhile, is at the other end of the spectrum. In Meghalaya, the positivity rate rose from 11.1% to 17.7% between May 7 and May 17 – a rise of 6.7 percentage points, the highest in India. It was followed by Andhra Pradesh, where positivity rate jumped from 18.7% to 24.4% (up 5.8 percentage points), and Tamil Nadu (from 15.2% to 19.8%, up 4.7 percentage points). Manipur (14.2% to 18.3%) and Karnataka (28.4% to 32.4%) both saw positivity rate go up 4.1 percentage points. Sikkim and Karnataka registered the second and third highest positivity rate in the past week – 32.6% and 32.4% respectively. Sikkim has seen the sixth highest rise in positivity rate in the past 10 days – of 3.4 percentage points.

Other states with high positivity rate (and rising) are Kerala (up 0.4 percentage points to 26.9%) and Odisha (up 0.4% to 20.9%).

One state and two UTS – Mizoram, Lakshadweep and Daman and Diu, Dadra and Nagar Haveli – were excluded from the analysis due to unavailability of consistent testing data.

During health ministry’s weekly Covid-19 briefing on Tuesday, Niti Aayog member (health) VK Paul said, “We have to be very mindful that when we are achieving declining positivity rate it is because of the results of what we are doing and that cannot be slackened. We cannot again let this go out of hand again.”

“In many states the pandemic curve is stabilising, as a result of comprehensive efforts at containment, at testing, restrictions, and all the other efforts that people of those states are carrying out -- the states such as Maharashtra, Kerala, Karnataka, Telangana, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, Rajasthan, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and so on,” he said. He added that there were still a few states where there continues to be concern such as Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and West Bengal, among others. “It is a mixed picture but there is overall stabilisation, and what we know from scientific analysis that the reproduction number (R0) is overall below 1 now,” said Paul.

Experts, however, say it is too early to let the guard down. “While most governments were reluctant to enforce lockdowns, it appears those measures are now starting to yield results... It is not a good time to celebrate decrease in numbers as we are dealing with an infectious disease and it is way too early to say which direction the spread is going to take, especially since the disease has reached rural and tribal areas where health infrastructure is weak and it won’t be able to test each and every individual there,” said Dr Lalit Kant, former head of epidemiology at the Indian Council of Medical Research.

of May 4. While Rana died the following day, his friends were injured. It is believed that Rana himself was abducted from his residence in Model Town and brought to the stadium. A clash between the two groups followed, and Rana was beaten up. There have been reports that suggest that Rana was targeted for bad-mouthing Kumar and that shots were fired during the clash.

Kumar has been absconding since and the Delhi Police has announced a cash reward of ₹1 lakh for any information that leads to his arrest. It is believed he may have left Delhi for Haridwar and then Rishikesh.

Senior advocate Sidharth Luthra, representing the accused, told the court that Sonu, present during the brawl, is a history sheeter and is a member of a gang headed by Kala Jatheria.

Sandeep alias Kala Jatheri is an alleged gangster from Haryana’s Sonepat. Jatheri had escaped from the custody of the Haryana Police in Faridabad after his seven accomplices waylaid the prison van in which Jatheri was being escorted from Faridabad court to Bhondsi jail on February 1 last year. “These people, who I am up against, are criminal-minded people and I will suffer at their hands,” Luthra told the court on behalf of Sushil Kumar. In his plea, Kumar claimed that the investigation against him is biased.

Luthra also said Kumar has no connection with the alleged firing. The lawyer added that Kumar is willing to join the investigation.

Additional public prosecutor Atul Srivastava, appearing for the police, said that there is electronic evidence showing Kumar assaulting the deceased with a stick.he also said that his passport has been taken away by the police with an apprehension that he may flee the country.

Inspector Dinesh Kumar submitted that Sushil Kumar’s custodial interrogation is required to unearth the conspiracy.

“He is the main accused in the whole incident who has played a key role in the commission of offence. Data retrieved by FSL (forensic science laboratory) experts confirms his active role in commission of crime,” the officer told the court. were dependent. We cannot replace these lives or reduce their grief. We are only trying to help them, for which we have four announcements,” Kejriwal said at an online briefing.

He added the relief measures await a formal Cabinet approval and can be notified for implementation only after that.

“First, Delhi has a large number of people who are poor but still do not have ration cards. They too will be eligible for free ration being distributed by the Delhi government.”

He said people won’t have to show income certificates to avail ration.

“Second, families who lost relatives because of Covid-19 will get ₹50,000 ex gratia.

“Third, families which have lost their breadwinners to Covid-19 will be entitled to an ex gratia pension of ₹2,500 per month over and above the ₹50,000 ex gratia.”

Kejriwal said the money will be credited to the accounts of the spouses in cases where those who have died were married and that of parents of those who were unmarried.

“Fourth announcement is for children who have been orphaned. It includes those who lost both parents to Covid-19 as well as children who lost their only surviving parent to Covid-19. Such children will be entitled to ex gratia assistance of ₹2,500 per month till the age of 25 and their education will be free – taken care of by the government.”

Kejriwal said his ministers have been discussing the measures for the last few days and the finance management to enable these schemes.

“People must be wondering where the money will come from. Six years ago, you voted for an honest government. With our anti-corruption model and efficient management of resources, we have saved money on many fronts. We have drawn a proper model considering all aspects where money can be saved. All our ministers have been working on it over the last few days,” he said.

The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) and Delhi Commission for Protection of Child Rights (DCPCR) have taken note of social media posts with adoption requests for children who have lost their parents in the current surge. The DCPCR has launched a helpline and has begun compiling data on how many children may have been orphaned.

The ruling Aam Aadmi Party’s rivals questioned the government’s initiative. “Last year, the Delhi government had announced ₹1 crore compensation for health workers and front line workers who died of Covid-19. An order was issued with regard to this. However, families of large number of health care workers, sanitation workers, security personnel and government officials are still to receive the compensation amount,” said Delhi Congress vice president Mudit Agarwal. “Before making such big announcements today, CM Arvind Kejriwal should have resolved the old issues. Now that he has announced compensation for all Covid-19 deaths, he must keep his promise and ensure that the compensations are cleared in priority,” he added.

Delhi BJP spokesperson Praveen Shankar Kapoor said: “There is a big difference in making big announcements and ensuring that they are implemented. Mr Kejriwal does not have a good track record in this regard. He must ensure that the financial assistance reach families who lost their support system because of Covid-19.”