An emotional day for Pranab as CWC bids farewell

June 25, 2012

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New Delhi, June 25: The Congress today bid a warm farewell to Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee, poised to become the country’s President, with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh saying that the veteran leader will be missed.

At a special meeting of the Congress Working Committee (CWC), party chief Sonia Gandhi personally bid farewell to the chief trouble-shooter of the party and the UPA and expressed confidence that he would win the July 19 Presidential election with a huge margin.

‘A true congressman’

A visibly emotional Mukherjee, who had held a number of posts in the party and the government, said he has got much more from the party than what he had given.

He said he always considered himself as a true Congressman and did whatever is good for the party.

Mr. Mukherjee recalled his long association with the CWC and thanked the party for nominating him for the President’s post.

Mr. Mukherjee will file nomination for the Presidential poll on June 28, AICC general secretary Janardan Dwivedi told reporters after the CWC meeting.

He is expected to resign from the government and the party tomorrow.

Ms. Gandhi hailed Mr. Mukherjee as the senior-most member of the CWC and said it was a matter of great pleasure that the UPA has made him a Presidential candidate.

Dr. Singh said Mr. Mukherjee’s absence will be felt as he discharged many duties in the government.

The informal CWC meeting called to felicitate Mr. Mukherjee was attended by 20 of the 26 members, including Permanent Invitees.

Among those who spoke on the occasion were Defence Minister A. K. Antony, and senior party leaders Motilal Vora, S. C. Jamir, R. K. Dhawan, Mohsina Kidwai.

Karan, Digvijay absent

Congress general secretary Digvijay Singh was not present at the CWC meeting. Karan Singh, who was one of the aspirants for the Presidential post, was also not present.

Asked about his absence, Digvijay Singh said he was in Madhya Pradesh to attend a private function and had accordingly informed the party leadership.

On Mr. Digvijay’s absence, Mr. Dwivedi said he was among the six leaders who could not attend the meeting.

Digvijay Singh had courted controversy by dubbing Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee as “immature” and “erratic” over her opposition to Mr. Mukherjee’s candidature drawing instant disapproval from the party.

Key player at CWC

Mr. Mukherjee became a member of the CWC in 1978 and has been a key player in the top decision making body of the party.

Sweets, including popular Bengal delicacy ‘sandesh’, were distributed at the meeting as Congress leaders wished the 76-year-old leader a good innings ahead.

Known for his razor sharp intellect, Mr. Mukherjee, a quintessential Congressman, is variously described as a walking encyclopaedia, chronicler of Congress history, expert in matters of Constitution and governance and a stickler for rules in Parliament.

Mr. Mukherjee is expected to launch his campaign for the Presidential polls from Chennai on June 30 and then likely to visit Hyderabad and Bangalore the next day.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal is coordinating Mr. Mukherjee’s poll campaign, including the process of filing the nomination. An informal coordination committee has also been set up.

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News Network
June 5,2020

New Delhi, Jun 5: Around 20 staff members of Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) have tested positive for COVID-19, all of them are asymptomatic and are doing well, said DMRC officials.

In a statement, the DMRC said, "Along with the rest of the country, DMRC is also fighting the battle against COVID-19. Delhi Metro's employees have shown exemplary resilience in reporting back to their duties to keep the Metro system in all readiness for the eventual resumption of services."

"Some employees, scattered across the NCR have unfortunately been infected by the virus as well. They are all safe and recovering gradually. However, in this hour of crisis as well, the spirit of Delhi Metro continues to be high," the DMRC stated.

DMRC Managing Director, Dr Mangu Singh, in a message today asked all employees to adhere to social distancing norms and wished those afflicted with the virus a speedy recovery.

"This indomitable spirit will surely help the Delhi Metro, whenever we resume our services in the days ahead," said DMRC.

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Agencies
August 2,2020

New Delhi, Aug 2: The Centre has written to all states and Union Territories stating that smartphones and tablet devices should be allowed for hospitalised Covid-19 patients so that they can interact with family and friends through video conferencing, which would provide them psychological support.

Though mobile phones are allowed in hospital wards, the missive was issued following some representation from the kin of patients alleging otherwise.

Director-General of Health Services (DGHS) in the Health Ministry Dr Rajiv Garg in the letter to the principal secretaries of health and medical education of states and Union territories said appropriate protocols for disinfecting devices and allotting timeslots can be developed by the hospital concerned to facilitate contact between patients and their family.

He underlined that administrative and medical teams should be responsive to the psychological needs of patients admitted in Covid-19 wards and ICUs of various hospitals.

"Social connection can calm down patients and also reinforce the psychological support given by the treating team. Please instruct all concerned that they should allow smartphones and tablet devices in patient areas so that the patient can video conference with their family and friends," stated the letter issued on July 29.

"Though mobile phones are allowed in the wards to enable a patient stay in touch with his or her family, we received representations from the patient families from some states stating mobile phones are not being allowed by hospital administrations because of which they were not being able to stay in contact with the patient," said Dr Garg.

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Agencies
February 5,2020

New Delhi, Feb 5: Delhi High Court on Wednesday stated that that death warrant of all convicts in the Nirbhaya gangrape and murder case should be executed together.

The Delhi prison rules do not state whether when the mercy petition of one convict is pending, the execution of the other convicts can take place and from the trial court to Supreme Court all convicts have been held by a common order and a common judgment, Justice Suresh Kumar Kait observed while passing the order.

High Court dismissed the Central government and Tihar Jail authorities plea challenging the Patiala House court's order, which stayed the execution of the four convicts in the case. It also observed that the convicts indulged in a heinous offence of a bone-chilling rape and murder of a girl and that criminal appeals by all convicts were dismissed by the courts.

Moreover, the court observed that the review petitions were filed after long wait and convicts are taking shelter of Article 21 which is available to them till their last breath.

A single-judge bench of Justice Suresh Kumar Kait had on Sunday kept the order reserved in the matter after special hearing of two days.

Earlier, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing on behalf of the Centre, alleged that the convicts were deliberately delaying the execution, adding that any delay in death sentence will have a dehumanising effect on the convicts.

A Delhi court last week stayed till further orders the execution of the four convicts -- Akshay Thakur, Mukesh Singh, Pawan Gupta, and Vinay Sharma -- which was earlier scheduled to take place on February 1.

The case pertains to the gang-rape and brutal murder of a 23-year-old paramedical student in a moving bus on the night of December 16, 2012, by six people, including a juvenile, in Delhi. The woman had died at a Singapore hospital a few days later.

One of the five adults accused, Ram Singh, had allegedly committed suicide in the Tihar Jail during the trial of the case.

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