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India's economic growth may tank below 5% to a new low, fear experts

Agencies
November 20, 2019

Nov 20: India's economic growth probably hit a new low last quarter, with early forecasts showing expansion below 5 per cent.

Economists at State Bank of India, Nomura Holdings Inc. and Capital Economics Ltd. lowered their growth forecasts for the quarter ended September to between 4.2 per cent to 4.7 per cent. The government is scheduled to publish the data on November 29.

Growth of 4.2 per cent would be the lowest since authorities adopted a new base year for gross domestic product data in 2012. The economy expanded 5 per cent in the three months through June.

"We now believe GDP growth did not bottom in" the April-June period, said Sonal Varma, chief economist for India and Asia at Nomura in Singapore, who is predicting 4.2 per cent growth for last quarter. "High-frequency indicators have plunged and domestic credit conditions remain tight amid weak global demand."

The Reserve Bank of India has cut interest rates five times this year to boost growth, with the monetary easing complemented by fiscal measures, including $20 billion of tax cuts for companies.

"We now expect larger rate cuts from RBI in December," said Soumya Kanti Ghosh, chief economic adviser at State Bank in Mumbai, whose growth estimate matches that of Nomura's Varma. "However, such rate cut is unlikely to lead to any immediate material revival."

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman last week said it was too early to say if the slowdown had bottomed out. Companies are planning new investments which might take time to materialize, she said.

"We doubt that these tailwinds will have been enough to offset the weakness elsewhere," said Shilan Shah, senior India economist at Capital Economics in Singapore, who is forecasting a 4.7 per cent expansion. "It is clear that the recovery in growth we have been forecasting has so far proved elusive."

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coastaldigest.com news network
May 31,2020

Udupi, May 31: As many as 10 people have been tested positive for coronavirus in Udupi district today. 

The district has registered a total of 187 positive cases so far. Majority of the positive cases in Udupi district have inter-state travel history to Maharashtra.

Meanwhile, 14 people including three children who recovered from COVID -19 discharged from Government Hospital in Kundapura, in Udupi district.

Kundapura AC Raju, DHO Dr Sudhirchandra Sooda, taluk medical officer Dr Nagabhushan Udupa handed over a rose to all the discharged. With this, a total of 64 persons have been recovered and discharged in the district.

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News Network
April 8,2020

Bengaluru, Apr 8: In another incident of health staff involved in coronavirus containment facing trouble, two ASHA workers were allegedly manhandled at Kudachi in Belagavi district in Karnataka on Tuesday while undertaking a survey following detection of four COVID-19 cases with Tablighi links in the area, police said.

The district authorities have intensified door-to-door survey in Kudachi after four people who had attended the Tablighi Jamat religious conference in New Delhi last month tested positive for coronavirus in nearby Raibagh.

“Today when two ASHA workers went to Kudachi, some miscreants snatched away their phones. We are investigating whether they were beaten up also,” a police officer investigating the matter told PTI.

A few days ago, four ASHA workers here were manhandled when they went for a door-to-door survey and police have arrested five people from a minority community. They have been remanded to judicial custody by a court.

Former prime minister H D Deve Gowda had on Monday condemned incidents of attacks on doctors and health department workers and sought protection for them.

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News Network
July 27,2020

Bengaluru, Jul 27: Former Karnataka Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy said that when COVID-19 has made life and livelihoods difficult, it is unfortunate that charges have been levelled of irregularities in the procurement of COVID-19 equipment.

"The Congress which has levelled charges against the ruling BJP has not so far filed a complaint with any investigating agency. Instead, the Congress has limited itself to getting publicity. On the other hand, the ruling BJP instead of coming clean by ordering a probe into the main charges is indirectly admitting the scam," Kumaraswamy said on Sunday.

"By washing dirty linen in public, both the Congress and the BJP are playing a cruel joke on people instead of protecting their lives," he said.

Hitting out at the BJP, he asked, "Why is it that the BJP is not ordering an investigation into the Rs 2,000 crore Covid 19 corruption charges levelled against the government by the Congress? Why is the government keeping quiet on the corruption charges?"

He said, "Is this the leadership provided by Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa? There could be political pressure on seeking resignation of his Ministers. But why has no action been initiated against any officers? Is there any effort to destroy the evidence by retaining officers in their existing postings?"

"Hunger for publicity is evident when we look at the press conference by five Ministers at a time," he said.

The government has countered the charges of the Congress but backtracked on ordering an investigation, he said.

"Would this not give rise to suspicion that the government is involved in the scam?" he asked.

He also asked why Congress leaders have not filed a complaint before any investigating agency despite "possessing documents to prove the charges".

"Are the Congress leaders trying to get publicity or are they concerned about the welfare of the people? The Congress Legislative Party leader is seeking an account (Lekka Kodi) while the BJP president is seeking answers (Uttara Kodi). Is it enough to give such questions and answers?"

Is there a concrete legal plan to deal with the irregularities? he asked.

"Looking at the way the Congress leaders have addressed media conferences and taken to social media campaigns, it appears that they are trying to get publicity," he said.

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