Hyderabad: Telangana State Minorities Commission (TSMC) chairman Mohammed Qamaruddin, today discussed over phone with the DGP Prisons Telangana State Hyderabad with regard to the action taken by him to provide facilities to the Muslim prisoners observing fast during the month of Ramzan in the State and District Jails.
Responding to it Rajiv Trivedi, IPS, Director General of Prisons informed the Mohammed Qamaruddin, that necessary steps have been taken to provide two times meals at the time of saheri i.e., before dawn and at the time of Iftar i.e., after sunset to the muslim prisoners observing fast. The meals are
getting prepared by the Non- Muslim cooks at 1:00 A.M and being served to Muslim Prisoners at Saheri time. He further stated that fruits are being provided at the time of Iftar and necessary arrangements also made for offering Namaz and Taraweeh prayers maintaining social distance.
Srinivas Superintendent Central Prison Chanchalguda informed that there are 600 muslims prisoners in the jail out of them 360 prisoners are fasting, and they are being provided meals at the time of Saheri and Iftar on time and arrangements for offering prayers also made.
Sampath, Superintendent of Cherlapally Jail informed that there are 371 muslim prisoners in the jail out of them 144 are observing fast and they are being provided fruits and meals at the time of Iftar and meals at the time Saheri.
Kalidas Darla Deputy Superintendent of Jail Warangal informed that there are 50 muslim prisoners in the jail out of them 45 are observing fast and they are being provided meals at the time of Iftar and Saheri and all necessary arrangements have been made for them for offering Namaz in the Jail premises.
Smt. Laxmi Srinadh Superintendent women’s Jail, Chanchalguda stated that there are 27 muslim women prisoners in the jail, out of them 24 women are fasting and they are being provided meals two times at Saheri and at the time of Iftar in a well disciplined manner.
The humane, empathetic call has evoked good response on the internet
HYDERABAD: Every year during Ramadan, shopping for Eid does not end until the last moment. In fact, in the walled quarter of Hyderabad, it picks up at night with the centuries-old markets doing business round-the-clock.
However, this year, the coronavirus has caused havoc in many people’s live and has also dampened the spirits of holy month of Ramadan and Eid festivities.
And keeping in with the changed situation, a campaign “I am not buying clothes for Eid. Will you?” launched in Hyderabad in solidarity with poor Muslims.
According to media reports, Nawab Najaf Ali Khan, the descendant of last Nizam Mir Osman Ali Khan is endorsing the campaign on social media.
Ali Khan is appealing to all fellow Hyderabadi Muslims to celebrate this year’s Eid without new clothes and feed the hungry souls who are facing severe scarcity because of the ongoing Coronavirus lockdown.
The humane, empathetic call has evoked good response on the internet among the well-to-do Muslim families in Hyderabad and are now vowing against materialism and gloating.
The hashtag #SayNoToEidShopping is seen both on Twitter and Facebook. On WhatsApp, messages have been shared encouraging the people to follow this wonderful initiative.
By paying ‘zakat’ (Islamic wealth tax of 2.5 per cent on their cash and other valuables) and every man who fasts paying ‘fitra’ (fixed this year at Rs.60), they can contribute to help the poor and needy survive.
Hyderabad: The University of Hyderabad (UoH) has decided to finalise its academic calendar after May 7 when the COVID-19 lockdown by the Telangana government ends.
Impact of lockdown
Following the extended lockdown announced by the Union and state governments, the Central university is working on a modified academic calendar, including pending end-semester examinations and entrance exams for admitting new students to various programmes.
A media release issued on Thursday by the UoH public relations offices stated, “As a central university that has students from all over the country, most of whom have gone back to their homes, the University is conscious of the fact that any resumption of the academic schedule must be preceded by lifting of the lockdown across the country so that students can travel back to Hyderabad.”
The UoH move comes in the wake of the guidelines on examinations and academic calendar in universities affected by the Covid-19 pandemic and the subsequent lockdown that the University Grants Commission had issued on Wednesday.
Pointing out that its own internal committees appointed for the purpose have prepared contingency plans that give priority to research students working in experimental laboratories and the graduating batch of Master’s students, the UoHA plans to stagger the return of students and complete the semester work in phases.
The aim is to maintain the high academic standards of the university, in a manner that is empathetic to the current situation of students.
University of Hyderabad provides online academic support
“Earlier, considering uneven access to the Internet and other problems raised by the students, the university had taken a decision not to insist on online classes and only provide online academic support where possible. The university had also advanced the annual summer vacation for faculty members, which will now last until May 21.” the release stated.
Previously, UoH had also announced extension of the timelines for research students pursuing M.Phil. and Ph.D. degrees. The last date for submission of applications for new admissions to all programmes has been extended to May 22. A technical sub-group of the University is also studying possibilities of conducting its nationwide entrance examinations online this year.
With the situation continuing to be fluid, the university has clarified that it aims to align its contingency plans with the spirit of the UGC guidelines that are, as the Commission has underlined, advisory in nature. A final decision will be taken keeping in mind the national as well as local contexts and the best interests of the students, it said.
Hyderabad: AIMIM Corporator Murtuza Ali and his followers confronted police constables. This incident took place in Madannapet.
As per the reports, cops have reached the mosque after they got the information about the gathering there. Soon, the Corporator and his followers reached the spot and started asking cops to show written order.
After the video went viral on social media, BJP Spokesperson, Sambit Patra said that AIMIM President and Hyderabad MP should tender an apology for the incident.
In another incident, Yousufguda Corportor Sanjay
Goud allegedly abused the cops. Later, Jubilee Hills police booked a case.
International Labour Day: Familiarly known as migrant workers, out-of-state workers are often treated as ‘not one of us’. Unfortunately, the lockdown has put them at a much bigger risk. The Kerala government has referred these migrant workers as ‘guest workers’ and the Telangana CM referred to them as ‘partners’ in the state’s development.
Even from India’s thriving diasporic community, Telangana’s own Suresh Ediga is mobilising help for these stranded migrant workers. He too believes that they are our guests and they need our support now more than ever.
Today, many of them are walking hundreds and even thousands of kilometres with their families, without any essential provisions, to their home states. There is news that many are losing their lives before they reach home.
Guests relief work
Suresh Ediga
While various states governments are ramping up their efforts to reach out to guest workers and help them, many individuals are also doing their bit to support them in any capacity they can. For these affected workers and their families, basic needs like food, shelter and other essential commodities are the difference between life and death.
Suresh Ediga is a software engineer based in New York. He has been living in the US for the last 20 years. Passionate about farming, he is associated with many farming groups in India. He is also an author and filmmaker.
He collaborated with Rythu Swarajya Vedika, Helpline volunteers and other groups working on-ground to identify people in need and ensure timely help. Suresh started an online fundraiser on Milaap to extend his help to more guest workers and their families stranded in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. His fundraiser with Milaap is receiving good response from many individuals.
Bathing soaps, detergent, milk powder and other such essentially have already been distributed to more than 4000 people on ground. Ration kits were also distributed in collaboration with Telangana Social Impact group.
The community of beneficiaries hail from across the country: Jharkhand, Chattisgarh, Odisha & Bihar. Suresh and his team are doing every bit to ensure they feel cared for as our guests, even miles away from their homes.
Suresh believes that “these guests who have left their own homes and put in their time, effort and skill in building infrastructure, roads, buildings, highways, schools etc. in our city should be taken care of.”
There were 114 containment zones in Hyderabad Parliament constituency and adjoining Nampally Assembly constituency
Hyderabad: 15 containment zones of Nampally assembly constituency were opened on Thursday. These containment zones were sealed in areas like Bazaar Ghat, Church Road, Humayun Nagar, Chintal Basti, Mallepally, New Mallepally, Moghal Ground, Bharat Ground, Habeeb Nagar, Bharat Ground 2, AC Guard, Chintal Basti, Humayun Nagar, Afzal Sagar Mallepally, Dargah Ganje Shaheedaan Asif Nagar, Muradnagar Kunta and Priya Colony. All the barricades were removed on Thursday.
AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi on Wednesday had demanded
some relaxation in containment zones which reported no new case of Covid-19 for
15 days.
The Hyderabad MP suggested that the affected household and its immediate
neighbours be treated as the containment zone while some relaxations be given
in the rest of the area.
Owaisi, in a series of tweets, said that there were a total of
215 containment zones in the limits of Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation
(GHMC).
There
were 114 containment zones in Hyderabad Parliament constituency and adjoining
Nampally Assembly constituency, and 40 of them have been cleared, including the
areas of Karwan, Malakpet, Santoshnagar, Chandrayangutta, Charminar, Falaknuma,
Mehdipatnam and Goshamahal, he said.
Hyderabad: The Deccan Alumnii Association (DAA) and Deccan Alumnii Association of North America (DAANA) are actively helping in the Corona Virus Pandemic as practicing Physicians all across the world.
“We the association of 200 doctors from across the globe are three missions: provision of ration kits, teleconsultations and provision of PPE” said Naseem Majid, general secretary DAA.
PPE -Personal Protective Equipment
More than 100 PPE kits have been donated to Gandhi Medical collage with plans to do more distributions at Fever Quarentine Hospital, Muslim Meternity Hospital and others in the near future.
“We being doctors know how important are these PPE kits as a number of doctors are been infected by COVID-19 while treatment. Even worse, it that the government is facing shortage of these kits.”
Ration Distribution
The association have been providing more than 2000 ration kits by now. The kits consists items and basics necessities. They are distributing it in different parts of Hyderabad beside reaching out to some other organizations undertaking this noble work.
Teleconsultation by 25 doctors based on appointment
They have also established phone medical opinion -Teleconsultations – where in Telephone advise is given on some of the limited situations which can be managed over the phone. If the patients conditions is severe than they are asked to visit the nearby hospital.
The secretary of Deccan Alumni Association Dr Naseem Majid MD and President Dr M.A. Majid Adil MS emphasize that though this is a small effort as compared to the various other bigger organizations delivering help, nevertheless. It is a sincere effort on our part to help in whichever way we can in this time of unforeseen and unpredictable difficulties that the world is facing today!
Hyderabad: Jayesh Ranjan
IT Principal Secretary on Friday lauded the Telangana Information Technology
Association T-Consult’s efforts to mainstream telemedicine.
Jayesh Ranjan has written to all District Collectors to consider
implementing TConsult, the telemedicine project being implemented by software
professional body Telangana Information Technology Association.
TITA has launched a pilot of the telemedicine project on April 8
as a response to the lockdown conditions. The effort is to offer medical
consultations through a video interface. This has come handy to many due to the
lockdown. The project was first launched in Makthal mandal of Narayanapet
district.
Makthal became the first mandal to have the telemedicine
facility. Following the success of the pilot, Narayanpet District Collector
Hari Chandana had asked TITA to extend the project to the entire district.
Following the success, a similar request came in from Yadadri district
collector Anitha Ramachandran.
Through connect, consultation is offered to the patients remotely. The prescription is sent to the patients electronically. The local pharmacies are activated as patients use the prescription to buy the medicines.
In a letter addressed to all the District Collectors on April
29, IT and Industries Principal Secretary said the implementation of TConsult
in Narayanpet and Yadadri has given encouraging results. The telemedicine
channel is effective to enable the faster reach of healthcare services in rural
areas, removing many of the infrastructural challenges.
Results from Narayanpet indicate that technology is changing the way healthcare operates nowadays, the top officials said. “With T-Consult’s offerings from teleconsultations by video/chat, medical e-prescription, and more connected health options like medicine delivery via local pharmacy store during the course, the platform is well-received by the citizens with the overwhelming support of health workers and volunteers,” Ranjan said in the letter to the District Collectors recommending to consider implementing the TConsult service. More details can be had on 8123123434 from TITA, he said in the letter
TITA Global President Sundeep Makthala said TITA is all geared up to scale up the project depending on the request from the respective districts. It already has impanelled several doctors and will increase their count soon to handle the increase in the number of teleconsultations.
“It is a matter of pride for us that IT and Industries Principal Secretary has lauded the work we are doing in the telemedicine area and recommended it to be scaled up in all districts,” Makthala said adding that TITA is prepared for this.
Hyderabad: Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) President & Nalgonda MP Capt. N. Uttam Kumar Reddy said that the TRS Government was not serious towards welfare of labourers in the State, even during the crisis like Covid-19.
Speaking after hoisting INTUC flag on the occasion of International Labour Day celebrations at Gandhi Bhavan on Friday, Uttam Kumar Reddy alleged that the State Government has diverted nearly Rs. 1,000 crore funds collected towards Building and Other Construction Workers (BOCW) Cess for other purposes. He said that the State Government has diverted Rs. 335 crore of BOCW Cess to Civil Supplies Corporation and remaining funds to other departments.
“These funds were exclusively meant for the welfare of building and other construction workers. Many States have transferred up to Rs. 3,000 each registered building and other construction workers during the lockdown from these BOCW Cess funds. However, instead of helping the workers, Chief Minister K. Chandrashekhar Rao has diverted their funds for other purposes,” he alleged.
Meanwhile, MLC S. Ramulu Naik informed that he has already sought information under RTI from BOC Workers Welfare Board regarding the diversion of BOC Cess collected from private workers. Further, a complaint has also been lodged with the State Human Rights Commission regarding misuse of funds.
Uttam Kumar Reddy said that both BJP Government at the Centre and TRS Govt in Telangana have been neglecting the workers since beginning. He said lakhs of migrant labourers were put to extreme hardships during the lock down period.
“The lockdown to prevent spread of Coronavirus was imposed without any planning. Instructions were not issued to the employers to retain all the workers nor were arrangements made for their safe return to their native places. Lakhs of them were left on streets with no food and shelter. Many of them reached their homes by walking several hundred kilometres and some of them died enroute. BJP Govt is responsible for creating this chaos and it was Modi Government’s misadministration that killed several workers,” he said.
The TPCC Chief said that the TRS Government has tried to play a cruel joke on migrant workers in Telangana. CM KCR made tall claims during a live press conference and promised that his government would take care of all migrant workers in the State. This was apparently done only to garner some praise in the social media.
KCR’s estimate on number of migrant workers in Telangana was nowhere close to reality. He claimed there were nearly 3.5 lakh migrant workers in Telangana.
Later, the number swelled to six lakh and on April 30 Minister Talasani Srinivas Yadav said there were over 15 lakh migrant workers in the State. He said that the Chief Minister’s ignorance on the estimated number of migrant workers clearly show that his government was not concerned about their welfare.
He said that the State Government did not provide promised help of 10 kg rice and Rs 500 even to the 3.5 lakh migrant workers who were identified when the Chief Minister addressed a press conference. He said that the Congress party would meet Governor Dr. Tamilisai Soundararajan next week to submit a representation seeking help for the migrant and other workers in the State. He also demanded that the State Government provide Rs. 3,000 each to all registered building and construction workers from the BOCW Cess fund.
Uttam Kumar Reddy said when all other governments in the world were giving huger financial packages to private companies to enable them to pay salaries to their staff, the BJP and TRS Governments are cutting down the salaries of government staff.
Even pensioners, who require medicines and other needs, have to face a 50% cut in their pension amount. “PM Modi and CM KCR are punishing the people for their own inabilities to handle the crisis in a proper manner,” he said.
The TPCC Chief said that ongoing lockdown across the globe has badly affected the workers and it would have a long last impact. He said that the Congress party was committed to the welfare of workers and it would continue to help them in whatever form they could.
Later in the evening, Uttam Kumar Reddy addressed the party cadre through social media platform Facebook on issues related to Coronavirus situation.
He appealed all Congress workers to visit the procurement centres, IKP centres in their districts to check the progress of procurement of agriculture produce. He asked them to submit information to the party headquarters so that it could be incorporated in the memorandum to be submitted to the Governor next week.
Hindu couple came forward to adopt Sania finding her abandoned after the bomb blast in Gokul Chat
HYDERABAD: When a bomb blast in Hyderabad orphaned this Muslim infant girl 13 years ago, a Hindu couple came forward to adopt her and today she is taking care of her three foster-siblings as their parents are cooling their heels in prison.
Seventeen-year-old Sania Fatima is looking after her foster-siblings Ekta (12), Umanand (8) and Pardhana (4) in the house of their father’s friend in the old city of Hyderabad where they have taken shelter during the lockdown.
Her foster-parents Papalal Ravikanth and Jayshree were sent to jail by a court last month in a case relating to the dispute with neighbours in Begum Bazar. With no one to take care of them, Sania, along with her step-siblings, took shelter in the house of their father’s friend near Charminar.
“After the arrest of our parents, I was cooking whatever was available at home but now we had to take shelter in Mustafa uncle’s house,” Sania told IANS.
A student of Class 10, she is taking good care of the step-siblings, who all were born to Papalal and Jayshree after they adopted Sania.
On a request by Balala Hakkula Sangham, a NGO working for child rights, the police sent groceries to the house.
In a letter to Telangana Director General of Police Mahender Reddy, Balala Hakkula Sangham’s honorary President Achyuta Rao urged him to ensure proper care and protection of the children. He also requested that the police take steps to facilitate bail for their parents.
Sania was found abandoned after the bomb blast in Gokul Chat, a popular eatery in the city, on August 25, 2007. The Hindu couple came forward to adopt her.
The couple had complained many times that some people from both the communities were harassing them for adopting the girl.
Papalal, a painter of Hindu deities for temple walls, was arrested in 2011 following a complaint by his brother that he had attacked him and made an attempt to rape his wife.
The painter had said a false allegation was made against him for adopting the girl.
He had threatened to commit suicide if the girl was forcibly taken away from them.
In 2018, Papalal was injured in a stabbing attack by two youngsters. Though he claimed that he was attacked for adopting a Muslim girl, police found that one of the attackers Balakrishna bore a grudge against him for threatening to lodge a police complaint for moving closely with a girl in the locality in the name of love.
Hyderabad: Looking at auto-rickshaw drivers who have lost their daily earnings since was countrywide lockdown implemented last month, the Railway Protection Force (RPF) Hyderabad (Nampally) Railway Station from their personal savings on Friday distributed food grains bags to all 30 auto rickshaw drivers at their Nampally Railway Station.
Railway Protection Force officers presenting ration kits to auto-rickshaw drivers on Friday in Hyderabad.
Addressing the media personnel, MJ Chowdary Inspector RPF, said, “Due to lockdown our officers have observed that many auto-rickshaw drivers who are providing service from years at the station have lost their savings and now they are did not left with money to purchase a one-time meal, that’s why the RPF of Hyderabad Railway Station have decided to help them through our own personnel savings.”
The food grains bag includes 5 kg rice, 3 kg wheat flour and 2 kg Dal, and chili powder, salt. Sarwar Khan, ASI, Syed Rasheed HC, and other offices from RPF were present on the occasion.
Hyderabad: The Covid-19 pandemic and the resulting total lockdown have brought India virtually to a standstill position. In this crucial times, many poor people are stranded in their homes and are facing many challenges.
In these testing times, GMR Hyderabad International Airport Limited (GHIAL) stepped in to help those in need in villages surrounding Hyderabad International Airport. With the help of its Corporate Social Responsibility wing, GMR Varalakshmi Foundation (GMRVF), GHIAL has distributed around 1200 dry ration kits among these villages during the period Apr 20th – 27th. These kits contained rice, dal, cooking oil, tamarind, table salt, soaps and other essentials.
The areas of distribution were:
· 500 kits in Airport colony (Shamshabad Municipality)
· 300 kits in Gollapally (Shamshabad Municipality)
· 200 kits in Mamidipally (Badangpet Corporation)
· 120 kits in Ranganayakula Thanda (Badangpet Corporation)
· 75 kits in Charinagar (Shamshabad Municipality)
Apart from this, dry ration including 200 Kg Rice, dal, cooking oil, soaps and other essentials were supplied to the residents of ‘Aram Ghar’- A home for the handicapped and specially privileged, Shamshabad.
Local leaders participated in the distribution of the dry ration kits and welcomed the efforts of GHIAL to help the poor during this crisis.
Around 1200 dry ration kits distributed in villages around Rajiv Gandhi International Airport
Dry ration kits supplied to Aram Ghar – A home for the handicapped and specially privileged
Earlier, GHIAL had supplied migrant labour with 1000 food packets/day
Earlier too, GHIAL had helped the migrant labor who were stranded in Hyderabad due to lock down and in coordination with Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC), distributed food packets. From 6th to 14th April, GHIAL had distributed 1000 food packets per day (500 lunch packets + 500 dinner packets) to the migrant labour residing in Shastripuram area of Hyderabad.
Hyderabad: ReaGene Innovations Pvt. Ltd., a start-up company incubated at the ASPIRE-BioNEST, a plug-and-play life sciences incubator, formed in collaboration between the BIRAC of Department of Biotechnology (DBT) and the University of Hyderabad (UoH) entered into an agreement with the USA based Prodigy Biotech, Inc. to develop novel immunotherapeutics for COVID-19.
ReaGene will use its discovery and development expertise to exploit Prodigy’s platform technologies for therapeutics directed to mitigate COVID-19. Prodigy is guided by Dr. Susan Weiss who is a Professor at the University of Pennsylvania in PA, USA, a world’s leading Corona virologist. In addition, ReaGene will collaborate and partner with DBL Pvt. Ltd. of Vadodara and Dr. Tamishraha Bagchi to complete the development of the COVID-19 product(s).
An immunotherapeutic approach to neutralize the virus and prevent its entry into human cells, will not only prevent onset of infection, but also reduce transmission by infected persons; a critical unmet need in reopening the economy.
Dr. Subrahmanyam Vangala, CEO of ReaGene said, “we are excited to collaborate with Prodigy and its leadership & scientific advisory team to work on the new treatment modalities to COVID-19. Prodigy’s technology brings a unique strategic approach to the various treatment modalities available to tackle COVID-19”.
Dr. Uday Saxena, Co-founder and Chief Ideator at ReaGene said “I find this to be a wonderful complementary collaboration to attack a major global health burden “
Dr. Subra Iyer, Chief Scientific Officer of Prodigy added, “We look forward to the partnership with ReaGene and extremely excited to be able to offer a cornerstone technology to eliminate COVID-19”.
Hyderabad: Telangana reported six new Covid-19 cases on Friday, taking the state’s total tally to 1,044.
After a sudden spurt with 22 cases on Thursday, the numbers again declined to single digit. Unlike the previous day when three fatalities were reported, there were no deaths on Friday.
Health Minister Eatala Rajender told reporters that the death toll stands at 28.
He also announced that 22 people were discharged from hospitals after their recovery. With this the number of recoveries rose to 464.
Currently, there are 552 active cases in the state, he said.
Amaravati: Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jaganmohan Reddy today asked officials to keep a constant watch on all the quarantine Centers of the state by keeping in view of the influx of foreigners and outsiders into the state after the possible relaxations to be announced by the central government. He also asked them to prepare a comprehensive action plan on the issue to keep Covid 19 virus at bay. He also asked them to focus on facilities to be provided at the quarantine Centers to meet the demand. He issued these orders during his review meeting on the status of corona virus in the state.
Speaking on the occasion, he asked the officials to hold regular review meetings on the facilities to be provided at the quarantine Centers, food for the inmates and sanitation issues. He asked senior IAS officer to inspect the Centers at regular intervals. The officials told the CM that they were taking the feedback from all inmates of the quarantine Centers on the facilities, food and medicines being provided to them.
They also told the CM that they have the phone numbers of all those who are kept at the quarantine Centers and added random calls from command control room were being made to the inmates to interact with them. Citing that those who land in the state from foreign countries will have non-Covid 19 certificate, the officials told the CM that they would keep all such foreign returnees into home quarantine. The officials told the CM that they had conducted 1,00,997 Covid 19 detection tests in the state so far. They said that AP had secured the first place in the entire country by conducting 1919 tests per million people
HYDERABAD: The issue of COVID-19 testing is building up to a political slugfight between the ruling TRS and the opposition BJP in Telangana.
Launching a counter attack, Telangana’s Health Minister E. Rajender on Friday asked the BJP to explain why it permitted the Tablighi Jamaat congregation in Delhi to take place, in the first place.
He was responding to the BJP state President Bandi Sanjay’s recent allegation that the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) government stopped COVID-19 tests in view of Ramzan.
Laying the blame at the BJP’s doorstep for the spread of coronavirus to various parts of the country, the minister said the BJP acted irresponsibly to allow the meeting at Markaz or Tablighi Jamaat headquarters.
“The Delhi Police are in your control. The law and order is in your hands. Why did you allow people from other countries to gather at Markaz despite the fact that coronavirus was spreading in various parts of the world,” asked Rajender at a news conference.
Pointing out that the visiting team from the centre, has praised the state for its efforts in containing coronavirus, the Health Minister said the BJP was unable to stomach the praise, and is raising doubts about the findings of the central team.
“Don’t you want the state to come out of coronavirus situation? Do you want the lockdown to continue? Do you want to see people continue to suffer?” Rajender asked the BJP leader.
The minister said that neither the BJP’s efforts to communalise the issue nor the Congress’ attempts to politicise the issue, would succeed in Telangana.
He declared that the number of COVID-19 cases came down due to the effective steps taken by the state government.
Stating that the state successfully identified and tested 1,244 people who attended Markaz meet and traced 10,000 of their contacts, Rajender said if the state had not done this it would have the largest number of cases in the country.
“If lockdown was not implemented properly, we would have become another Kurnool or Guntur,” he said referring to Andhra Pradesh districts which reported a large number of cases.
He claimed that it was Telangana which alerted the country about the Jamaat, when 10 Indonesians who had come to Telangana by train after visiting the Markaz, were identified and tested positive on March 16.
The Health Minister however conceded that 90 per cent of 1044 positive cases in the state are linked to Nizamuddin Markaz attendees or their contacts.
He also revealed that when police and health personnel were trying to trace 1,244 Markaz attendees they came under attack. “Those people were saying that ‘we don’t have any symptoms’ but we said ‘Nothing. you have to cooperate’. Out of these 1,244 people, over 250 tested positive,” he said.
Hyderabad: GHMC sealed Gunj Market located at Malakpet after two traders and one helper tested positive for COVID-19.
As per the reports, on Thursday, police and GHMC officials reached the market and asked everyone to close the shops immediately. To seal the market, barricades have been placed at the entrance.
Police picket deployed
After sealing the market, police picket has been
deployed at the spot.
It may be mentioned that the decision to shut the market will impact the shop owners as they were expecting some business during the month of Ramadan.
Reason for sealing Gunj Market
Citing the reasons for the decision, a GHMC official said that people were violating the social distancing norm at the market and it is very close to Malakpet Red Zone.
Now place all your food and grocery orders from the comfort of your home.
Hyderabad: As we continue our fight against COVID-19, India’s most loved hypermarket chain, Big Bazaar, is trying all possible means to help its customers in this time of need. They have launched their mobile site, Shop.BigBazaar.comwhich has been created for the benefit and ease of all customers. Extremely easy to use, customers just need to add their area pin code, select their nearest Big Bazaar store and fill the cart with daily essentials. The order will be delivered at the customers Door Step maintaining contactless and safe delivery.
Apart from this,customers can also place their orders via Phone Calls and Whatsapp and get it delivered at their Homes.In addition, to reduce the shopping time a customer takes at any Big Bazaar store, they can select the Store Pick-up option wherein they can pay online and visit the store to just pick the order.From the moment the lockdown has started the Big Bazaar team has been reinventing itself and learning new ways of serving its customers every single day. For large societies Big Bazaar introduces ‘Big Bazaar on Wheels’ service. Under this a tempo truck filled with essential food and groceries will be parked in your society and all residents can easily refill all their pantry requirements.
Hyderabad: While the lockdown has been extended till May 17 and Telangana has been marked as red zone state, several citizens are coming forward to display humanity in this crisis.
The face masks which were once sold at Rs.5 are now
available at Rs.15 or more.
Springfield owner Mr. Riaz Sanai along with his wife
is distributing face masks among poor for free. About 20,000 masks have been
distributed till date.
Widows and needful have been employed for manufacturing
the products.
50,000 masks have been prepared with the help of not only Muslims but also Hindus.
Hyderabad: As the first Shramik train chugged out of Lingampally Station on the outskirts of Hyderabad around 4.50 a.m. on Friday, there was a big smile on the face of its 1,225 passengers.
Their 40-day ordeal was coming to an end and they were finally heading home. This moment will always be cherished by the migrant workers from Jharkhand who boarded the first special train operated to transport stranded workers anywhere in the country since the lockdown began in March to check the spread of coronavirus.
It was a pleasant surprise for the workers and it came as a Labour Day gift for them. Only a few hours ago they had no idea that they will be heading to their destination.
The Telangana government and railways carried the entire operation with such secrecy that barring a few top officials, no one had any information about the train.
It was around 10.30 p.m. Thursday that Sangareddy Collector Hanumantha Rao and Superintendent of Police Chandrashekhar Reddy reached Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Hyderabad campus at Kandi. They went to the camp where migrant workers hired for construction of IIT buildings were living since the lockdown began in March.
Hyderabad:Migrant workers stage a protest at IIT Hyderabad, Kandi, Wednesday, April 29, 2020. Peeved over denial of wages, hundreds of migrant workers working at IIT Hyderabad in neighbouring Sangareddy district today allegedly attacked some officials of construction companies and threw stones damaging a police vehicle and injuring a Sub-Inspector and two policemen. (PTI Photo)
Hyderabad: Police officials appeal to protesting migrant workers to maintain calm at IIT Hyderabad, Kandi, Wednesday, April 29, 2020. Peeved over denial of wages, hundreds of migrant workers working at IIT Hyderabad in neighbouring Sangareddy district today allegedly attacked some officials of construction companies and threw stones damaging a police vehicle and injuring a Sub-Inspector and two policemen. (PTI Photo)
It was only two days ago that 2,464 workers at IIT campus had staged a violent protest demanding wages and the arrangements to send them back to their homes.
The district officials had made the construction company pay their wages on April 30. When the collector and SP reached the camp on Thursday night, everyone thought they came for further talks with them.
Instead, the officials segregated the workers from Jharkhand. They were made to sit in an open place with face masks tied and the health personnel screened their body temperature.
In the meantime, 56 buses of Telangana State Road Transport Corporation (TSRTC) reached the campus. The state-owned transport corporation had arranged the buses at a very short notice.
It was then the workers sensed that they were being sent home. Carrying their luggage, they boarded the buses around midnight. They thought they were heading home by road.
However, after travelling for about 30 km, the buses stopped at Lingampally Railway Station. The workers were asked to get down and enter the station in a disciplined manner while maintaining the social distance.
Lingamapally: Migrants board a special train for Hatia in Jharkhand, amid the nationwide lockdown, at Lingampally Station in Telangana, early Friday morning, May 1, 2020. This was the first special train to transport the stranded migrants. The 24-coach train, which usually seats 72 people in a compartment, contained only 54 people in each in accordance with social distancing guidelines. (PTI Photo)
The station was thoroughly barricaded by Railway Protection Force (RPF) and the local police to prevent entry of unauthorized people
“The entire operation was a closely guarded secret to avoid any gathering or chaos at the railway station seen at few places in the country recently,” said an official involved in the operation.
The special train comprised 22 bogies – 18 sleeper coaches and four general. Every 3-tier sleeper coach will normally have 72 berths. However, to ensure social distancing the railways removed the middle berths. Thus 54 people were accommodated in each sleeper coach.
The officials gave tickets, water bottles and food packets to the workers. They were also provided masks, sanitisers and gloves.
AAs the train chugged out of the station, the officials and other personnel clapped to give a warm send-off to the migrant workers, who were relieved that their agony was finally coming to an end. They were served another meal enroute and after an 18-hour non-stop journey the train reached Hatia at 11.15 p.m.
It was a well-coordinated operation, monitored by Telangana Chief Secretary Somesh Kumar. Senior officials like Principal Secretary for Municipal Administration Arvind Kumar, Panchayat Raj Secretary Sandeep Kumar Sultania and Additional Director General of Police (Law and Order) Jitender worked out the strategy.
On April 29, when the Centre decided to allow stranded migrant workers, students and tourists to return home, the state government had appointed Sandeep Kumar Sultania as the nodal officer for to and from movement of stranded persons. Jitender was named police nodal officer.
Telangana government’s request for the special train to send back migrant workers to Jharkhand was immediately accepted by the Centre. Thus the first train to transport stranded workers left from Telangana. The state government paid Rs.5 lakh to the railways for the special train.
“This shows our concern and commitment for their welfare. We don’t call them migrant labourers. We consider them as partners in the development of Telangana,a said Health Minister E. Rajender.
