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Modi govt. clarifies in Supreme Court it’s not paying for migrants travel fares
Modi govt. in Supreme Court clarified it’s not paying for migrants travel fares…
As reported in ThePrint, the Central government cleared out in front of the three-bench headed by Justices Ashok Bhushan, SK Kaul and MR Shah in Supreme Court (SC) that it wasn’t paying for the railway fare of the migrants traveling through Shramik Express and that state governments have been paying the respective ticket fares. The Centre on Thursday clarified the same to the SC during a virtual hearing vis-à-vis a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) on the problems migrants across the country have been facing due to COVID-19 lockdown.
Earlier the Centre had said it would pay 85% of the total railway fare and the state government would bear the remaining 15% of the cost. National BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra had earlier this month claimed that the Centre has been paying 85% of the railway fare for the migrants. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, who represented the Centre, in his statement to the SC clarified that either the state that sent migrants or received the migrants have paid for the rail fares.
Congress President Sonia Gandhi had earlier criticised the Centre and Railways for completely ignoring the Congress party’s demands that migrants should be made to travel free of cost to their homes. The day Congress announced to bear the entire travel cost of the migrants, Centre announced the 85:15 percent formula of cost sharing of tickets between the Centre and the concerned states.
As per ThePrint, a senior officer from an opposition-ruled state who said the back-and-forth on the issue was an ?eyewash, stated, After maintaining for so long that they (Centre) are bearing 85 per cent of the cost, at least today they have admitted that it is the states, which are paying for the travel of the migrants.
ThePrint had reported, Explaining the discrepancy, a railways ministry officer said the central government had never said it is bearing 85 per cent of the cost of the tickets, but maintained that it is paying 85 of the cost of running the trains. The ticket fare comprises 15 per cent. Running a train involves several costs. Ticket fare is just part of it. What the government has told the court today is not at odds with what was said earlier.
Also read: Migrant labourer found dead in toilet of Shramik Special Train in UP
Thane Municipal Corporation (TMC) added 25 additional beds in Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Hospital Kalwa apart from arranging a special ward dedicated to COVID-19 patients. The total number of active patients in the city stood at 252 while five succumbed to the virus. Meanwhile, TMC Commissioner Abhijit Bangar said a ‘death audit’ of patients who died of COVID would be conducted. The TMC has ensured it has additional stock of oxygen concentrators, testing kits, medicines, to name a few. Bangar told HT, “Due to the increasing number of Covid patients, it is necessary for everyone to be alert.”
He added, The number of Covid tests should be increased to stay one step ahead of the disease. As a result, the number of patients is likely to increase due to increased testing. However, as per the ‘test, isolate, treat’ protocol for Covid, it becomes necessary to isolate and treat more and more patients. The testing centres will not remain closed even for a single day. At the same time, more arrangements for testing will be made immediately in public places, markets, railway stations, malls.”
India recorded 3,095 new COVID cases and five deaths in last 24 hours.
Also read: Nagpur records 22 COVID cases in 24 hours
Politics
After Rahul Gandhi’s disqualification, his namesake who contested from Wayanad disqualified
Rahul Gandhi
An independent candidate for Lok Sabha elections named Rahul Gandhi was disqualified from contesting polls for failing to lodge account of election expenses. Gandhi, who’s name figures as ‘Rahul Gandhi K E S/o Valsamma’ in an Election Commission list of persons, had contested the 2019 Lok Sabha elections as an Independent and had received 2196 votes from the Wayanad seat in Kerala – a constituency from where ex-Congress MP Rahul Rajiv Gandhi had won with over seven lakh votes.
However, since it is mandatory for all contestants to submit their account of election expenses among other mandatory requirements under EC rules and the Representation of the People Act.
Rahul Gandhi K E S/o Valsamma stood disqualified to contest polls from September 13, 2021 till September 13, 2024. According to Section 10A, the Election Commission can disqualify a contestant for a period of three years from the date of the order if he/she has failed to lodge an account of election expenses within the time and in the manner required by law and has no good reason or justification for the failure.
Also read: ‘CBI under UPA govt. pressurised me to frame Modi,’ recalls Amit Shah
A total of 22 patients tested positive for COVID-19 in Nagpur in past 24 hours on Thursday. Almost 242 people were tested in the city, out of which 15 belonged to urban area while and 6 were from the rural areas, and one from outside Nagpur district.
At present, there are 72 active patients in the city. Three new cases of the new XBB.1.16 variant of COVID-19 were detected that took the total tally to five in the district.
India recorded 3,095 new COVID cases and five deaths in last 24 hours.
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Thane Municipal Corporation adds 25 beds as COVID cases rise
After Rahul Gandhi’s disqualification, his namesake who contested from Wayanad disqualified
Nagpur records 22 COVID cases in 24 hours
‘CBI under UPA govt. pressurised me to frame Modi,’ recalls Amit Shah
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