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Assam CM Sonowal expresses concern regarding African Swine Flu in Assam

By
The Commune
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Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal on Monday, conveyed his concern over the cases of African swine flu in Assam that has nearly killed around 2500 pigs. He also requested the veterinary and forest departments to make a layout to deal with the current crisis.

CM Sonowal asked the departments to work in collaboration with the National Pig Research Centre (NPRC) in Rani, Assam to overcome the crisis.

He also requested the officials to create threat-map for the state and ensure that containment measures are in place.

The government is set to announce bailout measures in order to protect the farmers.

Veterinary Minister Atul Bora on Sunday stated that this disease was detected in February end of this year, but had started in April 2019 in the village of China’s Xizang province bordering Arunachal Pradesh. He stated that government of Assam will not cull the pigs right away and will look for an alternative mechanism to control the spread of the disease.

As per the 2019 Livestock Census, the state has a pig population of 21 lakh, the highest in the country.

African Swine Flu spreads through direct or indirect contact with pig’s meat, blood, saliva, and body fluids. The death percentage of the pigs affected by the disease is almost 100 per cent.

DMK MLA disrespects officers on duty

By
The Commune
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In a video that is going viral on social media, DMK MLA Ponmudi can be seen lashing out at officers on duty for refusing to give e-Pass to a person from his constituency.

The Tamil Nadu government has come up with the e-Pass system to allow movement of people for the following cases – marriages, death of a close relative and medical emergency.

The DMK legislator had gone to the Vizhupuram District Collector’s office to get e-Pass for one Mr. Arun whose father-in-law had expired in Bengaluru. Mr. Arun had applied for the pass through online but was not given one following which he reached out to Mr. Ponmudi through a DMK office bearer.

Mr. Ponmudi then reached out to Vizhupuram Collector Mr. Annadurai and asked him to grant the e-Pass. However, the collector refused.

Following this, Mr. Ponmudi went to Collector’s Office along with Arun where he seems to have behaved with the officials rudely.

In the video, Mr. Ponmudi can be heard asking an officer “Nee than phone la pesniya? Enna pesna avan kitta? Avana edhuku vara sonna? Enna maridhaye illama pochu? Mudiyadhu nu en kittaye pesra? (It was you who spoke on the phone is it? What did you say to him? Why did you ask him to come? What.. you have no respect huh? You telling ‘me’ it is not possible?)

In another clipping he can be seen lashing out at a female officer who was trying to explain to the MLA that she was just following the protocols and the latest instructions of the Tamil Nadu government. The MLA in a condescending tone and pointing hands at the female officer can be heard saying “System a pathi pesadha en kitta, naanun MLA va irukken, enakun theriyun.. (unclear).. Karnataka liye allow pantanga, theryuma unuku? Karnataka liye allow pantanga, polan-ntanga, Tamil Nadu instruction enna iruku? (unclear)… Even with the CM I am ready to speak” (Don’t talk to me about system.. I am also an MLA.. I also know.. (unclear).. Karnataka itself has allowed.. They themselves have allowed.. What is the Tamil Nadu instruction? (unclear).. Even with the CM I am ready to speak)

Those present in the vicinity were shocked at the MLA’s behaviour with the female officer who can be seen holding her composure.

Mr. Arun was later issued the e-Pass.

3 warships sent to evacuate Indians from UAE and Maldives

By
The Commune
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Three Indian naval warships – INS Jalashwa, INS Shardul and INS Magar has been set to evacuate Indians stranded in Maldives and the UAE due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

INS Jalashwa and INS Magar, that were deployed off Mumbai coast were diverted to Maldives on Monday while INS Shardul set off for Dubai.

All three ships will return to Kochi.

DRDO comes up with a UV disinfection tower

By
The Commune
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The Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO) has developed an ultraviolet (UV) disinfection tower named UV Blaster that provides for a rapid and chemical-free disinfection of surfaces prone to infection.

The equipment can be used for disinfecting high-tech and sensitive surfaces like electronic equipment, computers, gadgets and other surfaces on which chemical disinfectants can’t be used.

The disinfection tower can also be used in areas where flow of people is high, for example at airports, malls, IT companies and other work spaces, factories, hotels, etc.

Designed and developed by Laser Science and Technology Centre, Delhi the instrument can disinfect a room of 12 ft x 12 ft in a span of 10 minutes.

PM Modi slams Pakistan for spreading terrorism during his address at NAM meeting

By
The Commune
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Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday, during the virtual Non-Alignment Meeting made an indirect reference to Pakistan by saying that some countries were spreading terrorism in the midst of a global pandemic caused by COVID-19.

Mr. Modi called for a more representative world order post COVID-19 and urged the World Health Organization to build health capacities in developing countries.

PM Modi in a video statement to the NAM Contact Group said “Even as we fight the corona virus, some people are busy spreading other deadly viruses like terrorism, fake news and doctored videos to divide communities and countries”

Mr. Modi’s remarks come in the light of the increasing incidents of cross-border terrorism and ceasefire violations by Pakistan along the Line of Control in Jammu & Kashmir.

The reference to “fake news” and “dividing communities and countries” comes across as a sly dig at Pakistan’s attempt to malign India’s image on social media and to create a rift in the good relationship that India shares with other Gulf countries.

France retests old samples, discovers that its patient zero was in December

By
The Commune
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A hospital in France has tested its old samples of pneumonia patients to find that a man with COVID-19 symptoms had been present in December 27, 2019, weeks before their first case had been detected.

Yves Cohen, the head of the Avicenne and Jean Verdier Hospitals, told BFMTV that they had retested old samples of flu patients, of which one of them had been a corona positive carrier. Initially, the samples had all been collected to detect the presence of flu using PCR tests, the same genetic screening process that is also used to detect the presence of the COVID-19.

Cohen added that Each sample was retested several times to ensure there were no errors.

With 24,895 casualties since March 1, the country reported its first COVID positive on January 24. However the news coming out of France point that the virus had entered the country much before.

Cohen said that it was early to say if this patient was “patient zero”.  The man’s children had been infected after his sickness, but not his wife. Cohen said that he was puzzled as the man had not travelled anywhere. However, it was found that his wife worked alongside a Chinese colleague, ran a Sushi store. Local authorities are no investigating the matter.

TN HR&CE withdraws controversial circular that asked temples to donate to CM’s fund

By
The Commune
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The order of the Tamil Nadu Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (HR&CE) department that mandated temples to donate to CM Relief Fund was withdrawn after the Madras High Court found the order legally unjustified.

The Bench comprising of Justices Vineet Kothari and Pushpa Sathyanarayana after hearing the three public interest litigations (PIL) ruled that the order circulated on April 22 was legally untenable. The PIL was filed by T R Ramesh, President of the Hindu Temple Worshippers Society, Tamil daily Dinamalar editor R R Gopaljee and one another person.

The department has now issued a new circular that sought to withdraw the order issued on April 22, citing ‘administrative reasons’.

Mr. Ramesh contended that the HR&CE Commissioner cannot pass an order under Section 36-B of HRCE Act, 1959 when he himself was the sanctioning authority. Section 36-B of the Act provides for the utilization of surplus temple funds for the purpose of annadhanam (feeding the poor). This section was introduced in 1983 during MGR’s rule.

The counsel for the State Government told the bench that the HR&CE Commissioner would withdraw the order and file an affidavit on Friday (May 9). However, the judges mentioned that it would need to issue a circular that nullified the earlier order.

The HR&CE’s April 22nd order faced flak and was resisted by Hindu devotees and priests who demanded that the Edappadi K Palaniswami government withdraw the circular immediately.

Kerala reports no new cases for 2nd consecutive day

By
The Commune
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No new COVID-19 cases were reported in Kerala for second consecutive day, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan announced on Monday.

61 people were discharged while 34 are undergoing treatment.

Mr. Pinarayi Vijayan said that so far 499 people have been affected and 462 of them have recovered. 3 people have lost their lives that includes a 4 month old baby girl from Mallapuram.

Of the more than 30,000 samples tested 32,315 turned out negative.

This is the 5th day that the state has reported no news cases. Prior to this, the state reported no new cases on May 3 and May1 this month. On May 2, the state reported 1 positive case. Earlier, the state reported no new cases on March 17 and 18.

After COVID, it is African Swine Flu, suspected to have originated in China

By
The Commune
-

While the north-east has mostly been immune to the COVID-19 crisis, it stares at an imminent threat – the African Swine Flue.

Government of Assam on Sunday stated that the African Swine Flu has been detected in Assam which has nearly killed around 2500 pigs in 306 villages.

The state government has mentioned that it will not resort to culling of pigs immediately despite the go-ahead from the centre. Assam Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Minister Atul Bora stated that the state would adopt an alternative mechanism to prevent the spread of the virus. He explicitly mentioned that the disease has no relation to COVID-19.

The presence of African Swine Flu was confirmed by National Institute of High Security Animal Diseases (NIHSAD), Bhopal.

The veterinary department will collect the samples within one kilometre radius of the infected area to test for the virus. Only those pigs that test positive for the virus would be culled. Mr. Bora added that the government will take daily updates and will take a decision as and when the situation evolves. He also requested the neighbouring states to take adequate measures to stop the movement of pigs.

The virus spreads through direct or indirect contact with pig’s meat, blood, saliva, and body fluids. The death percentage of the pigs affected by the disease is almost 100 per cent.

The state is putting in place a surveillance zone within 10 kms to check on the movement of pigs through GPS mapping.

Mr. Bora said that the disease started in China in April 2019 at a village in Xinjiang province that borders Arunachal Pradesh. It is suspected that the disease crossed over to Arunachal and then to Assam.

BJP Mizoram requests Centre to bring back north-east migrants through special trains

By
The Commune
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A medical official measure the temperature of a passenger using an infrared thermometer, following outbreak of Coronavirus at Dimapur railway station, in India north eastern state of Nagaland on 19 March 2020. (Photo by Caisii Mao/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

The Mizoram unit of BJP has asked for the Central government to facilitate the return of north-east migrants stranded in different parts of the country due to the lockdown. BJP president Vanlalhmuaka said that, they have requested the Union Railway Minister Piyush Goyal to help the stranded people belonging to northeast states by arranging special trains for them like other states have arranged.

Earlier this week, the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) allowed states to ferry migrant labourers, students and tourists to their home state through special trains and buses.

In light of this, three BJP leaders have been appointed to monitor the arrangement of special trains and buses to the northeast.

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TheCommune
The Commune is a news and views portal focusing on social and political issues of the southern part of India with a focus on Tamil Nadu.
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