As polls near, Kerala government plans advance welfare pension

TNN
March 2, 2019

Kochi, Mar 2: The state government is planning to keep welfare pensioners in good humour ahead of Lok Sabha elections by advancing pension for a month in April. CPM state secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan- while addressing party workers and sympathisers at Marine Drive where a reception was accorded to Kerala Samrakshana Yatra - said this would enable them to get two months of pension.

"Imagine how much money they would have in hand if a family has three welfare pension beneficiaries," he said, adding that this is for the first time the government is giving advance pension. Kerala government had recently hiked minimum welfare pension from Rs 1,100 to Rs 1,200.

Last week Prime Minister Narendra Modi had launched Pradhan Mantri Kisan Nidhi scheme which transferred Rs 2,000 to farmers as first instalment.

Flaying the Modi-led NDA government for politicizing the cross-border issue, Kodiyeri said BJP - which used the army's achievements in Kargil war in 2004 Lok Sabha polls - is trying the same trick in 2019. "They are trying to project military gains as the personal gains of the Prime Minister and the BJP. This is evident from statements made by Yeddyurappa in Karnataka that the crisis situation would get them 22 LS seats," he said.

Stating that the LDF government has strived to bring a change in the state through anti-hartal legislation, he said the party has also decided to stay away from political violence. "CPM has decided not to initiate political violence. But can RSS and Congress give a similar assurance?" he asked.

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Agencies
July 28,2020

Ghaziabad, Jul 28: Days ahead of Eid-ul-Adha, Nand Kishore Gurjar, a BJP MLA from Loni assembly constituency in Ghaziabad, has stoked controversy as he asked people celebrating the festival to "sacrifice their children instead of animals" on the occasion. He also claimed that "meat spreads coronavirus" so people should not be allowed to sacrifice innocent animals.

"People who want to sacrifice on Eid should sacrifice their children. I will not let people consume meat and alcohol in Loni. We will not let people sacrifice innocent animals because meat spreads coronavirus," the BJP legislator said while speaking to reporters.

"The way people have followed the guidelines of the government by not offering prayers and namaz at temples and mosques to contain COVID-19, in the same way, they must not give the sacrifice of animals on this Eid," he added.

"Earlier, sacrifices of animals used to be done in Sanatan Dharam as well. However, now coconut is offered instead. I request the Muslim brothers not to give 'qurbani' of animals. We will stop those who will perform the ritual animal sacrifice. We will not let this happen in Loni," he said.

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News Network
May 21,2020

New Delhi, May 21: As many as 5,609 new COVID-19 cases were reported in India in the last 24 hours, taking the total number of cases in the country to 1,12,359 according to the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.

Out of the total cases, 63,624 are active cases, 45,300 patients have been cured/discharged or have migrated and 3,435 deaths have been reported.

With 39,297 cases in total, Maharashtra remains the worst affected state in the country, followed by Tamil Nadu (13,191 cases), Gujarat (12,537 cases), and Delhi (11,088 cases).

The nationwide lockdown imposed as a precautionary measure to contain the spread of coronavirus has been extended till May 31.

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News Network
March 24,2020

Kochi, Mar 24: Long queues were witnessed in front of state beverages corporation outlets across Kerala on Tuesday despite the statewide lockdown to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.

As tipplers thronged the outlets unmindful of the curfew, officials asked them to ensure that they kept a one metre distance between them as part of preventive steps to check the COVID-19 transmission.

Official sources said precautionary measures have been taken at the beverages outlets to prevent the virus spread.

Only those wearing masks were allowed to stand in queues, the sources said.

Police were deployed to ensure that the people standing in queues keep a one metre distance between them, they added.

The opposition Congress slammed the CPI(M)-led LDF government for not taking steps to restrict crowds in front of the Kerala State Beverages Corporation (Bevco) outlets, apprehending that such a situation would pave way for spreading the virus.

Ernakulam district congress committee general secretary Sherin Varghese claimed if the government had implemented a 2017 Kerala high court order directing the beverages corporation to take remedial steps to end long queues in front of the outlets, such a situation would not have arisen.

"Had the beverages corporation complied with the court order, safety and security of persons standing in queues could have been ensured.

Now there is no protective measure to prevent the possible transmission of the coronavirus from a carrier to another person," he told PTI.

Meanwhile, the state government has directed that adequate distance be kept between people standing in queues.

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Monday justified the decision to keep the liquor shops open citing the "peculiar" situation prevailing in the state.

Kerala is in a total lockdown since Monday midnight till March 31 to check the virus spread.

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