NAGPUR: The 11 districts in the Vidarbha region together reported 164 new cases while 247 patients recovered in the last 24 hours. No death was reported due to Covid in the last 24 hours. More than 6,000 tests were conducted in the region during the last 24 hours. With 164 of them positive, the test positivity is less than 3.5% in the region. Now, less than 1,300 patients are under treatment. Out of them, 600-odd are in Nagpur district alone. Out of the 1,300 under treatment patients, less than 100 are hospitalized. In Nagpur, 43 patients are hospitalized. Only 12 are hospitalized in Akola. Total 1,773 tests were conducted in Nagpur district. Out of them, 1277 were conducted in the city and 496 in rural part. Out of them, 41 tested positive in the city and 40 in rural. Total 164 patients recovered in a day. Now, 609 patients are under treatment in the district. Out of them, 43 are in the hospitals. City now has 365 patients under treatment and rural has more than 250. The change in statistics indicate that cases are coming down in city and increasing slowly in district.
NEW DELHI: Delhi recorded 51 deaths from Covid-19 in the week ending Sunday, the highest weekly toll from the pandemic in the capital in six months, even as nationwide cases fell for the third week running. Deaths from the virus registered a slight rise in the country as 307 fatalities were recorded during the week (August 8-14), with several states yet to report their numbers for Sunday. The total may cross 310, which would be the highest weekly Covid toll in the country since the first week of March, when 626 deaths were reported, as per TOI’s Covid database. Last week, 295 deaths were recorded. Delhi weekly cases rise by 18%, highest in IndiaThe last time Delhi had reported higher Covid fatalities was in February 7-13, when the toll was 89. All figures are of fresh deaths, excluding fatalities from earlier months reconciled with the data during this period. India was likely to log around 1.05 lakh fresh Covid cases in the week (August 8-14), down nearly 16% from the previous week’s total of over 1.25 lakh. While new cases were declining in most states, Delhi, Haryana, UP, and Rajasthan, along with Mizoram, continued to record a rise. Cases rose by over 18% in Delhi, which registered 15,068 new infections during the week, the highest in the country. In Haryana, cases surged by 12% during the week while UP’s rise could not be quantified because the state’s data for Sunday wasn't immediately available. Rajasthan posted the highest rise in cases this week, with numbers up 43% to 4,260. The rise was a modest 7% in Mizoram. Meanwhile, Maharashtra showed signs of another possible increase in cases, with numbers rising towards the end of the week. The state reported 12,608 cases during August 8-14, up 1% from the previous week’s tally. In Goa, too, weekly numbers were up 3%. Apart from Delhi, deaths rose in Karnataka, Punjab and Gujarat.
MUMBAI: The state and the city continued to witness a spike in new Covid-19 cases. On Sunday, the city saw its highest single-day detection in 44 days, with 882 fresh cases. It also increased the city's daily positivity rate to nearly 10%. The state registered 2,082 cases, a marginal rise from Saturday's 2,040 cases. About 65% of new cases in the state were reported from Mumbai Metropolitan Region. Besides Mumbai, which is adding to the lion's share of cases daily, Thane, Navi Mumbai, Raigad and Panvel detected fresh cases. Active cases in the state crossed the 12,000-mark on Sunday, while for Mumbai, it breached the 5,000-mark after nearly 40 days. The city saw nearly 60 (57) admissions on Sunday, the second day in a row of registering more than 50 hospitalisations due to Covid. Over 312 people are currently in hospitals due to Covid. The state registered three deaths on Sunday, including one from Mumbai and two from Pune circle. TNN
India added 14,092 new coronavirus infections taking the virus tally to 4,42,53,464, while the active cases dipped to 1,16,861, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Sunday.The death toll climbed to 5,27,037 with 41 fatalities which includes 12 deaths reconciled by Kerala, the data updated at 8 am stated.The active cases comprise 0.26 per cent of the total infections, while the national Covid-19 recovery rate was recorded at 98.54 per cent, the ministry said.A decrease of 2,403 cases has been recorded in the active Covid-19 caseload in a span of 24 hours. The daily positivity rate was recorded at 3.69 per cent and the weekly positivity rate at 4.57 per cent, according to the ministry.The number of people who have recuperated from the disease surged to 4,36,09,566, while the case fatality rate was recorded at 1.19 per cent.According to the ministry, 207.99 crore doses of Covid vaccine have been administered in the country so far under the nationwide Covid-19 vaccination drive.India’s Covid-19 tally had crossed the 20-lakh mark on August 7, 2020 and surpassed the one-crore mark on December 19 that year. It crossed the grim milestone of two crore on May 4, 2021, three crore on June 23, 2021. It crossed the four-crore mark on January 25 this year.The 29 new fatalities include nine from Delhi, five from Karnataka, three each from Gujarat and West Bengal, two from Uttar Pradesh, one each from Chhattisgarh, Himachal Pradesh, Maharashtra, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Punjab and Uttarakhand.
MUMBAI: Maharashtra on Saturday reported 2,040 Covid-19 cases and one death, which took the tally in the state to 80,70,258 and the toll to 1,48,168, an official said. Maharashtra had reported 1,975 cases and five deaths on Friday, he added. Mumbai Circle led with 1,222 new cases, followed by Pune Circle (312), Nagpur Circle (184), Nashik Circle (138), Kolhapur Circle (72), Latur Circle (61), Akola Circle (32)and Aurangabad Circle (18), he said. The lone fatality occurred in Navi Mumbai, which is part of the Mumbai Circle, the official said. The recovery count increased by 2,048 in the last 24 hours and reached 79,10,243, leaving the state with 11,847 active cases, he said. Mumbai accounted for 4,624 active cases, followed by 2,118 on Pune and 1,401 in Thane, as per state health department data. So far, 8,36,13,679 samples have been examined for coronavirus in Maharashtra, including 34,186 in the last 24 hours, the data revealed. The recovery rate was 98.02 per cent, the fatality rate was 1.83 per cent and the positivity rate stood at 5.96 per cent, as per data. Coronavirus figures of Maharashtra are as follows: Positive cases 8070258; fresh cases 2040; death toll 148168; recoveries 79,10,243; active cases 11847; total tests 8,36,13,679.
MUMBAI: Covid-19 cases hit a 42-day high on Friday as the city saw a second spike this week. Mumbai reported 871 cases of Covid-19, the highest single-day count after July 1 (978 cases). On Wednesday, the city had recorded 852 cases, the highest in weeks. Till then, cases averaged around 380. Active cases of coronavirus infection have increased by 125% since the beginning of August. The rise in cases also pushed up the daily positivity rate to nearly 10% (9.4%) on Friday. Around 40 people were hospitalised across city Covid hospitals, but ICU occupancy continued to be low. As of Friday, a little over 1% (317) of Covid beds were occupied. Currently, 13 patients are on ventilator. Dr Rahul Pandit, a member of the Covid task force, said that till hospital admissions are not witnessing a notable rise, there should not be cause for concern. He attributed the rise in cases to the highest testing numbers. "There is a rise in H1N1 influenza. In addition, a lot of people are coming with flu-like symptoms, which has pushed up the number of Covid tests being carried out," he said. A civic official said that of the 871 cases found, up to 95% were asymptomatic. The sole person to die was a 58-year-old with a history of liver disease. On Friday, Maharashtra registered a marginal rise in cases. The state recorded 1,975 fresh cases.
NAVI MUMBAI: The Raigad local crime branch team on Monday detained the tempo driver involved in the fatal accident of former MLC Vinayak Mete. Mete's SUV and the tempo had collided near Bhatan tunnel in Rasayani on the Mumbai carriageway way of Mumbai-Pune expressway on Sunday around 5.15am. Read AlsoEx-MLC Vinayak Mete dies in car mishap on Mumbai-Pune expresswayFormer member of legislative council Vinayak Mete passed away after his SUV met with an accident near Bhatan tunnel in Panvel taluka on the Mumbai-Pune expressway on Sunday at around 5.30am. He was travelling with his driver in a Toyota Fortuner SUV from Pune towards Mumbai.Dayanand Gawade, police inspector of Raigad local crime branch, said, "The detained tempo driver has been identified as Umesh Yadav, who has not been arrested yet and FIR is not yet registered. The exact cause behind the accident is yet to be ascertained after considering the Mumbai forensic science laboratory's inspection report and the postmortem report. Prima facie, a motor vehicle accident case was registered at Rasayani police station." He said, "The concerned tempo was identified from the CCTV camera surveillance at Bhatan tunnel, as the fatal mishap had occurred about 500 metres before the Bhatan tunnel and around 5.30 am, the tempo was spotted crossing the tunnel towards Mumbai. The tempo's registration number led us to the tempo owner in Palghar. With the help of Kasa police in Palghar, we traced the tempo owner, who provided us the tempo driver's name as Umesh Yadav and also mobile number and that he had gone to Vapi with the tempo. We contacted on Yadav's mobile and he recieved the call. When asked whether his tempo and a Ford Endeavour SUV had crashed on the Mumbai-Pune expressway near Bhatan tunnel, he confirmed it. But, he claimed that the SUV had crashed into his tempo from behind. Hence, he halted and checked if his tempo was damaged and then he travelled ahead. Yadav's mobile tower location was traced to Vapi, Gujarat. Our crime branch team reached Vapi and detained Yadav on Monday early morning. He has been handed over to Rasayani police station for further probe."
MUMBAI: Netas across the political spectrum in Maharashtra mourned the death of Vinayak Mete, founder and president of the Shiv Sangram Party. Mete was close to late R R Patil of the NCP and was first elected to the legislative council on an NCP ticket. In 2014, he contested the assembly elections on a BJP ticket from Beed district but lost to NCP's Jaydutt Kshirsagar. He then went on to form his own party. He was nominated to the legislative council by the BJP in 2016, and was elected unopposed. Mete had taken up the issue of reservations for the educationally and economically backward Marathas in the state. He became an important voice for Maratha reservation which other parties found difficult to ignore. During his tenure as chief minister, BJP's Devendra Fadnavis made him the chairman of the committee set up to oversee the construction of the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj memorial in the Arabian sea. Such was his equation with other political parties that even after the MVA government came to power, he continued as chairman of the committee for sometime and resigned only when the media raised questions. He aided Fadnavis in ensuring the defeat of BJP's Pankaja Munde from the Parli assembly constituency in Beed, said political observers. However, when his term ended in July this year, the BJP did not renominate him to the legislative council and he was upset about it, said political observers. "With the untimely death of Vinayak Mete, I have lost a very close friend. It is a great loss to the society as he had been striving for the welfare of the poor," said NCP chief Sharad Pawar. CM Eknath Shinde said, "It is unfortunate that Vinayak Mete met with a fatal accident on his way for a meeting summoned by me for discussion on the demand for Maratha reservation. Throughout he raised the issue of the families of the youths who lost their lives in the agitation for Maratha reservation."
NAVI MUMBAI: Former member of legislative council and a prominent voice in the Maratha community, Vinayak Mete, 52, passed away after his SUV met with a fatal accident early Sunday morning. The accident took place about 500 metres ahead of the Bhatan tunnel at Rasayani on the Mumbai-Pune expressway about 6 kms from Palaspe traffic Chowkie around 5.15am. Mete was travelling with his bodyguard, constable Ram Dhobale, and driver Eknath Kadam from Beed towards Mumbai for a meeting on Maratha reservation later in the day. Constable Dhobale has sustained serious injuries while Mete's driver Kadam escaped with minor injuries. Kadam claimed none of the passing private vehicles stopped to help them reach the nearest hospital. He informed the bodyguard of BJP leader Pravin Darekar after which the message was conveyed to Raigad police control room and forwarded to IRB ambulance. Ganesh Burukul, police sub-inspector of HSP Palaspe traffic unit, said, "On receiving a wireless message from the police control room, an IRB ambulance immediately rushed to the accident spot and reached within 10 minutes around 5.40am. The ambulance reached MGM hospital in Kamothe at 6.20am, where the doctors declared Mete as brought dead." Dr Kuldeep Salgotra, administrator at MGM hospital, Kamothe, said, "Patient Vinayak Mete, when brought to our hospital's casualty ward at 6.20am, was already dead." Burukul said Mete was seated on the rear seat, while his bodyguard Dhobale was seated beside the driver. "Prima facie, as Mete's SUV has got damaged on the left side, it indicates Mete's driver crashed into an unidentified vehicle ahead either while overtaking from the right side or while the vehicle ahead changed lane," said Burukul. "Ten teams have been formed to investigate various aspects of the mishap. The statements of the injured duo are yet to be recorded," said Ashok Dudhe, superintendent of police, Raigad. "As there is no CCTV camera surveillance at the accident spot, the other vehicle involved is unidentified. Mete's bodyguard had to be extricated from the mangled SUV. Dhobale and Kadam were saved as the airbags opened after the crash. Mete was asleep in the rear seat. Mete's driver claimed it was a goods vehicle, probably a truck," said Burukul. Kailas Dongre, senior police inspector of Rasayani said, "It is being probed as to how Mete's SUV and the unidentified vehicle collided. The forensic teams from Raigad, Mumbai and Thane have done inspection of the damaged SUV. The speedometer was locked just below 60 kmph." The post-mortem of Mete's body was conducted at the Panvel sub-district office and brought to JJ hospital for embalming and then taken to Beed. CM Eknath Shinde, deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis, Darekar and NCP chief Sharad Pawar visited MGM hospital. Shinde said he has ordered an inquiry into the hour-long delay in providing help.
Amid questions raised over the alleged lack of medical aid provided to Shiv Sangram chief and former MLC Vinayak Mete after his accident on the Mumbai-Pune expressway, which resulted in his death on Sunday, The Indian Express has accessed a Comptroller and Auditor General’s (CAG) inspection report on Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) for the year 2018-19 which had raised questions over a trauma care centre’s location at Pune side of the road and had even recommended an investigation into the deal to construct it on private land.The centre, aimed to provide medical aid to the injured within the golden hour, was inaugurated by then minister for MSRDC and present Chief Minister Eknath Shinde in September 2019. It is located on the Pune side of the road.“The trauma care centre was constructed without any involvement of experts in the field and therefore, it is not matching with the requirements of a Level-IV trauma care centre,” the report said. The MSRDC had entered into an agreement in 2012 with Woodstock Helicopter Pvt Ltd for leasing the land at Ozarde village, Maval taluk, Pune, for providing the trauma care centre along the expressway, the report has noted.The salient features of the agreement were, the Woodstock would construct Level IV trauma care centre with heliport/helipad in the 5. 5 acre of land in their possession as per the plan and specifications approved by MSRDC in lieu of allowing access from expressway the 9.5 acre land to be acquired and commercially developed by Wood stock. Also, Woodstock would provide ambulance parking bay and free use of helipad for landing and taking off to MSRDC/GoM and accident victims and Woodstock would complete and hand over the project to MSRDC within a period of 24 months from the date of obtaining permissions and Woodstock would apply for permissions within three months from the date of letter of acceptance.The report pointed out that MSRDC issued work order on February 2019 for modification of the building at a cost of Rs 81.21 lakh though Woodstock was liable for construction of the building/facilities which meets the requirement of a Level IV trauma care centre. “The actual beneficiary of the deal is Woodstock, in which they ensured right of way to and permission for commercial exploitation of their huge land parcel acquired/to be acquired with restriction of access to all other land owners in the vicinity, which would not have been possible but for this agreement,” the note said. The report also pointed out that the MSRDC has sufficient land bank along the expressway, which could have been developed for a trauma centre of the required level.“The company may initiate a probe into the deal and find out the reasons for entering into such a non-transparent agreement without due diligence/vetting and responsibility may be fixed for negligence, if any,” it said.
He was one of the leading Maratha voices demanding reservation for the community and took the initiative to organise Maratha Kranti Morchas across Maharashtra. On Sunday morning, former MLC Vinayak Mete, 59, was on his way to Mumbai to meet Chief Minister Eknath Shinde to discuss issues concerning the community when he died in a road accident on the Mumbai-Pune expressway.Mete was from Rajegaon village in Beed district’s Kej tehsil and belonged to a family that did not have any background in politics. He became a leader of the Maratha Mahasangh and entered the state legislative council for the first time in 1995 after the Mahasangh extended support to the then Shiv Sena-BJP government. He spent a total of five terms in the council.He formed the Maharashtra Lok Vikas Party in 1996-’97 and changed its name to the Shiv Sangram Sanghatana around 1999. Soon afterwards, Mete developed links with Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar and joined the party, which appointed him its vice president and made him MLC twice. In 2008, Mete was at the centre of a storm after Shiv Sangram workers attacked the house of then Loksatta editor Kumar Ketkar over an editorial criticising the plans to build a statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji in the Arabian Sea.In 2014, he quit the NCP and backed the BJP. The BJP ensured that the Shiv Sangram Sangathana leader completed his third term as a legislator in the council and made him MLC for the fourth time as well. Mete helped the BJP gain a toehold in the Maratha community.Mete was made the president of the Shivaji memorial. In October 2018, tragedy struck when a boat capsized while ferrying members of the Shiv Sangram Sanghatana and government officials to the site of the memorial under construction. One worker of Mete’s organisation died.Early last year, Mete came out against the Maha Vikas Aghadi government’s move to accommodate Marathas under the Economically Weaker Section (EWS). He asked the Uddhav Thackeray government to restore Maratha quota under the Socially and Educationally Backward Class (SEBC), raising apprehensions that once the EWS was enforced Marathas will never make it to the SEBC where benefits are higher in terms of reservation in education and government jobs. After the Supreme Court struck in May 2021 struck down a Maharashtra law granting reservation to the Maratha community in admissions and government jobs in the state, Mete warned of a statewide protest.Following the Maratha leader’s death, Shinde ordered an inquiry amid allegations that medical aid did not reach him for more than one hour after the accident. Senior politicians, including the chief minister, Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis, Sharad Pawar, and Leader of Opposition in the state Assembly Ajit Pawar, visited the MGM hospital Panvel where Mete was admitted.Maharashtra minister and former state BJP president Chandrakant Patil said Mete’s death was shocking. “He was genuinely following up the issue of Maratha reservation. It is a huge loss for us and the Maratha community,” Patil said.Congress leader and former chairman of a Maharashtra sub-committee on Maratha reservation Ashok Chavan said, “It is unfortunate to lose a leader like Mete. Despite we being in different political parties, Mete and I were almost on the same page over the issue of Maratha reservation in the state.”Sharad Pawar expressed grief over the Maratha leader’s death while Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray issued a statement mourning Mete. The former MLC is survived by his wife, a son, and a daughter.
Shiv Sangram party chief, former MLC and prominent Maratha community leader Vinayak Mete died in a road accident Sunday morning on the Mumbai-Pune expressway near Khalapur toll plaza while on his way to Mumbai. He was 52.Mete, who hails from Rajegaon village in Kej tehsil of Beed district in the Marathwada region, had been a member of the state Legislative Council for five terms though he came from a family without any political background. He was one of the leading voices demanding reservation for the Maratha community and took initiative in organising Maratha kranti morchas across the state. Mete was also made president of the memorial of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj to be constructed in the Arabian sea.Mete was heading to Mumbai on Sunday to participate in a meeting called by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde to discuss issues related to the Maratha community when he met with the accident.A leader of the Maratha Mahasangh, Mete was sent to the Legislative Council for the first time in 1995 after the Mahasangh extended support to the then Shiv Sena-BJP government. He later formed the Maharashtra Lokvikas Party. Mete then came in close contact with Sharad Pawar and joined his Nationalist Congress Party (NCP). He became vice-president of the NCP and was made MLC twice. During his third term, he quit the NCP and supported the BJP with his newly formed Shiv Sangram party. The BJP ensured that he completed his third term as MLC and sent him to council for a fourth time as well.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Monday said his government’s priority is to work for the common man and it is committed to extending the reservation benefits to the Other Backward Classes, Maratha and Dhangar communities.Speaking on the country’s 76th Independence Day after hoisting the national flag at the state secretariat as the CM for the first time, Shinde said several parts of the state have witnessed floods due to heavy rainfall. We started working from day one and our priority is to work for the common man, farmers, the working class, he said.The government is committed to extending the benefits of reservation to the OBCs, Maratha and Dhangar (shepherd) communities, he added.The CM said 15 lakh hectares of land in 28 districts of the state has been affected due to floods. The assistance to the affected people has been doubled, he said. To find a permanent solution to the floods, we are undertaking a programme of deepening and desilting of rivers in a scientific manner, he said.Read the Latest News and Breaking News here
"The government is committed to extending the benefits of reservation to the OBCs, Maratha," he said.Mumbai: Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Monday said his government's priority is to work for the common man and it is committed to extending the reservation benefits to the Other Backward Classes, Maratha and Dhangar communities.Speaking on the country's 76th Independence Day after hoisting the national flag at the state secretariat as the CM for the first time, Mr Shinde said several parts of the state have witnessed floods due to heavy rainfall.“We started working from day one and our priority is to work for the common man, farmers, the working class,” he said.PromotedListen to the latest songs, only on JioSaavn.com“The government is committed to extending the benefits of reservation to the OBCs, Maratha and Dhangar (shepherd) communities,” he added. The CM said 15 lakh hectares of land in 28 districts of the state has been affected due to floods. The assistance to the affected people has been doubled, he said.“To find a permanent solution to the floods, we are undertaking a programme of deepening and desilting of rivers in a scientific manner,” he said.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Monday said his government's priority is to work for the common man and it is committed to extending the reservation benefits to the Other Backward Classes, Maratha and Dhangar communities. Speaking on the country's 76th Independence Day after hoisting the national flag at the state secretariat as the CM for the first time, Shinde said several parts of the state have witnessed floods due to heavy rainfall. "We started working from day one and our priority is to work for the common man, farmers, the working class," he said. "The government is committed to extending the benefits of reservation to the OBCs, Maratha and Dhangar (shepherd) communities," he added. The CM said 15 lakh hectares of land in 28 districts of the state has been affected due to floods. The assistance to the affected people has been doubled, he said. "To find a permanent solution to the floods, we are undertaking a programme of deepening and desilting of rivers in a scientific manner," he said.
Actor Anushka Sharma and husband, cricketer Virat Kohli, joined a host of Bollywood celebs as they joined the ‘Har Ghar Tiranga’ campaign on Independence Day 2022. Sharing a selfie with the Tricolour, Anushka wrote, “Celebrating 75 years of our independence. Wishing all the Indians around the world a very #HappyIndependenceDay !” A post shared by AnushkaSharma1588 (@anushkasharma) Meanwhile, actor Akshay Kumar along with Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, participated in a bike rally to celebrate 75 years of independence. Kumar and Phadnavis flagged off the 10 km race and car and bike rally which was held from Marine Drive, Mumbai. According to ANI, 3,500 police personnel participated in the rally of 100 four wheelers and 60 bikes. Mumbai | A 10 km race of 3.5k police personnel & rally of 100 four-wheelers and 60 bikes held from Marine Drive today to mark 75 years of IndependenceDeputy CM Devendra Fadnavis and actor Akshay Kumar flagged off the race and car & bike rally. pic.twitter.com/aMSvrq6vJZ— ANI (@ANI) August 14, 2022From Shah Rukh Khan to Aamir Khan, many Bollywood actors have expressed support for the “Har Ghar Tiranga” campaign of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The government launched the “Har Ghar Tiranga” campaign as a part of the Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav to honour India’s 75th anniversary of independence. A post shared by Shah Rukh Khan (@iamsrk)On Sunday, Shah Rukh Khan and his wife Gauri Khan took to Instagram and shared picture and video of their pre-Independence Day celebrations. In the photo, Shah Rukh, Gauri and their sons Aryan and AbRam are seen standing in front of the Indian flag. “Teaching the young ones at home the essence and sacrifice of our Freedom Fighters for our country India, will still take a few more sittings. But getting the flag hoisted by the little one made us all FEEL the pride, love and happiness instantly,” Shah Rukh wrote in the caption.Aamir Khan, Kartik Aaryan, Alia Bhatt and R Madhavan also supported the campaign by hoisting the tricolor at their house. Anil Kapoor decorated his house with tricoloured lights and also hoisted a flag outside his house. Apart from that, celebrities like Kareena Kapoor Khan, Farah Khan, Disha Patani, Neetu Kapoor and Shahid Kapoor among others took to their Instagram stories and wished their fans, “Happy 75th Independence Day.”
MUMBAI: The BJP held processions in various parts of the city and the state on the eve of the 75th anniversary of India's independence. Processions were held from Malad to Borivli with people carrying a 1.25-km-long Indian flag. A walkathon was also organised in Malad East. Similar processions were held in Nagpur too. Later in the evening, deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis attended Partition Horrors Remembrance Day at the Nagpur collector's office, which was preceded by a silent march. "The freedom we have got is not for free, but because of the relentless struggle and fight by our freedom fighters and that sacrifice needs to be valued, told and known by the next generations," said Fadnavis.
MAHARASHTRA CHIEF Minister Eknath Shinde allocated portfolios to his 18 Cabinet ministers on Sunday, a week after they were sworn in.Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari approved the portfolio distribution in the evening.The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ensured that the majority of important portfolios were allocated to it with deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis managing to keep both Home and Finance departments. CM Shinde kept the Urban Development Department (UDD), which he handled in the previous MVA government. He will handle Information and Technology, Public Works (Public undertakings), Transport, Marketing, Social Justice, Relief and Rehabilitation, Disaster management, Soil and water conservation, Environment and Minority Affairs.Apart from Home, and Finance, Fadnavis has Law and Judiciary, Irrigation, Housing, Power and Protocol.The portfolio distribution shows that despite nine ministers each from both sides, the BJP has managed to hold on to the majority of important departments.Newsletter | Click to get the day’s best explainers in your inboxShinde has restarted the tradition of CM holding the UDD portfolio, which was stopped by then CM Uddhav Thackeray. Thackeray had appointed Shinde as the UDD minister, unlike his predecessors. He has also kept Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC), which is involved in some of the biggest projects in the state, including the multi-thousand crore Nagpur-Mumbai super communication highway.Among the 18 Cabinet ministers, Radhakrishna Vikhe-Patil will handle Revenue, Animal Husbandry and Dairy development. Maharashtra BJP’s former president Chandrakant Patil will be Higher and Technical Education, Textile and Parliamentary Affairs minister while former finance minister Sudhir Mungantiwar will be Forest, Cultural Affairs and Fisheries minister.Dr Vijaykumar Gavit will be Tribal Development minister while Girish Mahajan will handle Rural Development and Panchayati Raj, Medical Education and Sports & youth welfare portfolios. Suresh Khade will be the new Labour minister and Ravindra Chavan will handle Public Works department (PWD); Food, civil supplies and consumer protection. New entrant Atul Save will handle Cooperation and OBC department portfolios and former BJP Mumbai chief Mangal Prabhat Lodha will be the new Tourism, Skill Development and Woman and child welfare minister of Maharashtra.Meanwhile Fadnavis, who was seen as on the backfoot after the party asked him to accept the Deputy CM’s post, has managed to emerge stronger. Not only did he secure important departments, he also successfully upstaged senior BJP leaders such as Patil and Mungantiwar who were given comparatively less important departments. On the other hand, Revenue portfolio to Congress-turned-BJP leader Vikhe-Patil puts him on a bigger rank than others within the BJP.In a shocking demotion in Shinde camp, former agriculture minister Dadaji Bhuse was given the charge of Ports and mining portfolios only. Gulabrao Patil has kept his earlier Water supply and sanitation department. Controversial minister and former forest minister Sanjay Rathod will be the new Food and Drug Administration minister. Shinde loyalist Sandipan Bhumare has got the Employment guarantee scheme and horticulture. Uday Samant will be the new Industries minister of Maharashtra while Tanaji Sawant is being given the responsibility of the Public Health department. Abdul Sattar is the new Agriculture minister while Deepak Kesarkar will be the new School Education and Marathi Language minister. Shambhuraj Desai will handle the State Excise department.
PUNE: Leader of Opposition in the Assembly Ajit Pawar on Saturday said portfolios should be allotted fast to the ministers sworn in recently by the Eknath Shinde government, considering that the monsoon session of the Maharashtra legislature would commence from August 17. He iterated his concern over the districts still not having guardian ministers while talking to reporters at the Pune District Central Cooperative Bank, where he was attending a meeting. "Only the chief minister and the deputy chief minister know why there is a delay in all these matters," he said. Ajit Pawar said there was discontent among people over the way the Shinde group parted ways with the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena and people in Maharashtra never supported such politics. "People have not liked the Shinde group's decision to give ministership to tainted leaders either. Even the leaders within the government are unhappy over the move," the senior NCP leader said. "When leaders like Chhagan Bhujbal and Narayan Rane had stepped out of the party earlier, they failed to win elections owing to lack of support from people. We feel that same could happen with the Shinde group in future. Shinde has claimed that with their alliance with BJP, they will win more than 200 seats. We shall have to see if people will support them," he said. He said that Maha Vikas Aghadi (comprising NCP, Shiv Sena and Congress) was working as an opposition unit in the Assembly. "NCP head Sharad Pawar, Congress chief Sonia Gandhi and Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray will take decision about it. MVA together headed for two-and-a-half years and tackled the pandemic challenge effectively," he said. Ajit Pawar refuted claims that NCP's state unit chief Jayant Patil was unhappy over not being given the post of leader of Opposition. "Our party works on the principle of consensus. All the decisions are taken unanimously with the involvement of all senior leaders," he said. He said that it looks like the government does not want the elections to happen now as they feel that the situation is not in its favour. The previous government had decided to increase the representation in the self-governing bodies, considering the increased population. A cabinet note was tabled by Shinde, who was then heading the urban development ministry. The decision was changed after he became the CM. We shall raise this issue in the House.
Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Saturday said portfolios would be allocated to the newly-appointed ministers in the state soon. He also assured that the government would soon release the compensation for crop losses suffered by the state farmers due to heavy rains. Talking to reporters at the airport here, Fadnavis congratulated Chandrashekhar Bawankule on his appointment as the Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) Maharashtra unit president. "Portfolios will be allocated to the new ministers soon," he said in response to a query. Chief Minister Eknath Shinde expanded his two-member ministry on Tuesday, 41 days after taking oath as the CM. He inducted 18 ministers - nine each from his rebel Shiv Sena group and the BJP. With this, the strength of Maharashtra ministry has now gone up to 20, less than half the maximum allowed strength of 43. Shinde was sworn in as the chief minister on June 30, when Fadnavis took oath as deputy CM. The deputy chief minister said the crop loss compensation announced by the government for farmers will be distributed soon and added that the area of crop damages is still increasing. "The compensation will soon be released after calculating losses from all these affected areas," he said. The Maharashtra government on Wednesday decided to double the amount of compensation which the farmers affected by the excessive rains in July are entitled to get. "As per the current NDRF (National Disaster Response Fund) norms, a farmer receives Rs 6,800 per hectare as compensation. We have decided to double the amount," CM Shinde had told reporters after the cabinet meeting on Wednesday.Talking about Bawankule, Fadnavis said he has been a very staunch worker of the BJP, who rose from the lower rungs and went on to hold various important positions in the organisation. "Bawankule performed very well in all the responsibilities given to him by the party," the deputy CM said.
MUMBAI: The delay in allotment of portfolios and appointment of guardian ministers after expansion of the state cabinet stems from a tussle for portfolios in the 45-day-old government led by CM Eknath Shinde. If a senior politician is to be believed, both CM Shinde and deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis have staked claim on the home portfolio, and in addition, there is dispute on certain other portfolios, resulting in inordinate delay in allocation. "Our information is that within BJP, Fadnavis and Chandrakant Patil are keen on the home department, while Shinde feels that it should be allotted to the Shiv Sena," he said. Fadnavis expects the exercise of allocation of portfolios to be completed before August 15. "There is no dispute. Internally, we have completed the exercise. It has been decided which departments will be allotted to BJP and Shiv Sena cabinet members. I am sure the final notification on portfolios will be promulgated before August 15. Even the appointments of guardian ministers will be approved shortly," Fadnavis told TOI. According to reports, while BJP has completed the exercise of allocation of portfolios to its cabinet members, the Shinde-led Shiv Sena is yet to take a decision on several departments. Since there are only 20 cabinet members, including the CM and Dy CM, every minister will get at least two or three departments. "A combination of a prime department and a less significant portfolio has been planned by both BJP and Sena, so every cabinet member will have at least one important department," he said. Stating that the home department is the bone of contention, the politician said that as Fadnavis had held the home portfolio when he was CM, he expects to lead it again. "As home minister, his performance was impressive, so most of BJP's cabinet members felt he should be allotted the home department. However, now unexpectedly Chandrakant Patil has stepped in and staked claim," he said. Apparently, Shinde has taken the view that for better administration, the home department should be with the CM. Congress legislature party leader Balasaheb Thorat said it took 40 days to expand the cabinet and now it has taken another week for allocation of portfolios.
MUMBAI: Days before the monsoon session of the assembly, allocation of portfolios in the state cabinet has been finalized with BJP securing key ministries including home and finance for Devendra Fadnavis. CM Eknath Shinde has kept a large number of berths for himself, presumably to distribute some to supporters in the Shiv Sena in the next phase of cabinet expansion. This includes urban development, public enterprises, environment, general administration and transport. Similarly, Fadnavis has been tasked with home, finance, planning, law & judiciary, water resources, housing and energy, some of which may be divested later. TOI had reported on August 10 that Fadnavis was expected to keep home & finance and Shinde urban development. Most high-profile ministries including Revenue (Radhakrishna Vikhe-Patil), Higher Education (Chandrakant Patil), Rural Development (Girish Mahajan) have gone to BJP. According to a BJP cabinet member, Fadnavis had a big say in allocations to both parties. The new-look cabinet underscores the BJP leadership's decision to give the deputy CM a prominent role and blunt the opposition's attack on Shinde. And though there is talk of discontentment over portfolios within both BJP and Sena, Fadnavis denied it. "All are happy, no discontentment," he said. BJP takes driver's seat in state adminThe two ministries in the Maharashtra cabinet considered most sought after - home and finance - had aspirants ranging from the chief minister to BJP veteran Chandrakant Patil. The fact that both have stayed with Devendra Fadnavis is believed to be an indication of the clout that the erstwhile CM commands in the Shiv-BJP coalition. "The allocation of portfolios was directly influenced by Fadnavis. Eknath Shinde agreed to the proposals made by Fadnavis and there was no interference by the BJP leadership. Initially, it was expected that Shinde will seek home department, but following intervention of Fadnavis, it was allocated to him,'' a BJP cabinet member said. Fadnavis, however, chose to underplay his own role saying "allocation of portfolios is the prerogative of chief minister Eknath Shinde." He said Shinde had allotted the departments and "I am sure all cabinet members will do full justice to the departments allotted to them...We are working under the leadership of Shinde." Of the 106 BJP MLAs, 10 have been inducted in the cabinet, while of the 40 in the Shinde camp of Shiv Sena, 10 were included. The bulk of the plum portfolios, however, have been secured by BJP members. Former Congress leader Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil, who joined BJP a few years ago, along with his son Sujay Vikhe, appears to be a major beneficiary among leaders who have switched loyalties to the BJP in recent years. Fadnavis has allocated him the lucrative revenue portfolio. Among other high-profile assignments to Fadnavis's associates, former state BJP president Chandrakant Patil, who was revenue minister in the earlier BJP-Sena regime, has been allocated higher and technical education, textiles and parliamentary affairs though it is said he may have been keen on his earlier portfolio. Girish Mahajan, who is considered a trusted aide of the deputy CM, was expecting water resources and medical education departments, said sources. Now he has been allocated medical education, rural development, and panchayat raj, all of which are sensitive ministries. In the Fadnavis government in 2014-19, he was minister for water resources and medical education; this time water resources has been retained by the deputy CM himself. Fadnavis, who had drafted the Jalyukt Shivar Abhiyan to boost conservation and groundwater reserves in arid areas, may be keen to manage the program again. "I am not upset. There is scope for work in rural development department too if one works seriously," said Mahajan. Rebel Sena leader Dada Bhuse who may have expected to retain the agriculture department, which he handled in the MVA government, has been allotted ports and mining. The controversial Sanjay Rathod, who was forest minister under Thackeray and then dropped over allegations in a controversial case, has been rehabilitated following the intervention of Shinde. But he has been given a relatively less significant responsibility, the Food and Drug Administration department. BJP's Sudhir Mungantiwar who held finance and planning in the previous Fadnavis government, has been allocated forest, cultural affairs and fisheries. Spokesperson of the rebel camp, Deepak Kesarkar, who was vying for tourism and environment on the grounds that he belongs to the coastal Konkan region, was allotted school education and Marathi language. Abdul Sattar who was angling for minority affairs and revenue, has been allotted agriculture. Tribal leader Vijay Kumar Gavit, who defected from NCP and was expecting medical education, has been allotted tribal development. He was medical education minister during the NCP-Congress rule prior to 2014. A few rebel Sena ministers are believed to dissatisfied with their portfolios and are of the view they had a higher profile under Uddhav Thackeray. "We expect that in the second expansion, we will get a better opportunity,'' said one of them. Fadnavis denied any disputes over portfolios. "If there is a need, some of the departments may be exchanged at a later stage, nothing is watertight," he added.
Even as Eknath Shinde is the Chief Minister of Maharashtra, with both the BJP and Shinde faction of the Shiv Sena gets an equal allocation of nine ministerial berths each, Sunday’s portfolio allocation sends out a clear signal: that the keys of this cabinet will be held by BJP leader and Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis.Apart from Urban Development, which has been retained by the CM, all other important portfolios — Home, Finance, Energy and Housing — have gone to Fadnavis.For any coalition government, the tussle is usually confined to the top four portfolios — Urban Development, Home, Finance and Revenue. Of these four, Shinde only got Urban Development. The remaining three are with the BJP — two with Fadnavis and the third, Revenue, with senior BJP leader Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil, considered a key Fadnavis hand.Sources said Vikhe Patil, the former Opposition leader from the Congress who joined the BJP in July 2019, has been rewarded with the Revenue portfolio for his “loyalty to Fadnavis”. Revenue is usually the most desired post after CM and Deputy CM. A crucial ministry that monitors developments across 355 talukas covering 40,000-plus villages in Maharashtra, it is considered the backbone of any government as it helps control state administration at the grass roots.Fadnavis, who was forced to settle for the Deputy CM post, has been entrusted with greater responsibilities in the running of the coalition government.The BJP, which is larger party in the coalition with 106 MLAs, has managed to convince the Shinde Sena that it has the rightful claim over plum portfolios.Not surprisingly, the party has got Home, Finance, Housing, Energy, Revenue, Animal Husbandry, Dairy Development, Forest, Culture, Fisheries, Higher and Technical Education, Textile, Parliamentary Affairs, Rural Development, Panchayati Raj, Medical Education, Sports and Youth Welfare, Tribal Welfare, Labour, Public Works Department, Food and Civil supplies, Cooperative, OBC Welfare, Tourism, Skill Development, Women and Child Development, and Protocol.The Shinde Sena, with 50 members — 40 rebel Sena and 10 Independents — have been allotted General Administration, Urban Development, I&T, Social Justice, Relief and Rehabilitation, Disaster Management, Water Conservation, Environment and Climate Change, Minorities Welfare and Wakf, Water Supply and Sanitation, Ports and Mining, Food and Drugs Administration, Industries, Public Health and Family Welfare, Agriculture, Excise, Employment Guarantee Scheme and Horticulture, School Education and Marathi Bhasha.Forty-one days after Shinde and Fadnavis took the oath of office on June 30, the Cabinet was expanded with nine ministers each from the BJP and Shinde Sena.The Maharashtra government can have 43 ministers in all, including the CM. With the current strength of the Cabinet at 20, 23 berths still remain to be filled.Said a BJP insider, “Fadnavis will keep only Home and Finance. In the next Cabinet expansion, the other two portfolios he now has (Housing and Energy) will be given to the new ministers from the BJP.”The portfolios allocated to senior BJP ministers Sudhir Mungantiwar and Chandrakant Patil have raised eyebrows. Mungantiwar, who held the key Finance ministry along with Forest in the previous Fadnavis Cabinet (2014-2019), has now got Forest, Fisheries and Culture.Former state party president and former minister Chandrakant Patil has got the portfolios of Higher and Technical Education, Textile, and Parliamentary Affairs. In the previous BJP government, Patil had PWD, Cooperation and Marketing.Senior BJP MLA Vijaykumar Gavit from Nandurbar is the Tribal Welfare Minister. Gavit, who hails from the tribal community, had joined the BJP from the NCP ahead of the 2014 Assembly polls.Girish Mahajan, seen as a close associate of Fadnavis, has got Rural Development, Medical Education and Sports and Youth Welfare. In the earlier Fadnavis government, he held the Water Resources ministry.The key departments of PWD and Food and Civil Supplies have gone to BJP’s Ravindra Chavan.A senior BJP functionary said, “The portfolio allocation should not come as a surprise. The BJP conceded the most coveted post of CM to Eknath Shinde. So we were bound to extract important portfolios.”
Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde — who expanded his cabinet on August 9 — retained the urban development department and allocated the crucial home and finance portfolios to his deputy Devendra Fadnavis. Notably, Shinde has also kept the environment portfolio, which Aaditya Thackeray earlier helmed, a statement from the Chief Minister’s Office said.Shinde has also kept with himself 11 other departments including general administration, PWD, information and public relations, transport, marketing, social justice, disaster management, relief and rehabilitation, soil and water conservation, and minority development.BJP seems to have cornered all the plum portfolios with party MLA Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil being made the new revenue minister, who will also handle the animal husbandry and dairy development departments. Senior BJP MLA Sudhir Mungantiwar will be heading forestry, cultural activities, and fisheries, while former state party chief Chandrakant Patil will helm the departments of higher and technical education, textile industry and parliamentary affairs.Shiv Sena MLA Tanaji Sawant is the new state health minister. Other Sena MLAs Abdul Satar and Deepak Kesarkar have been allocated the agriculture, and school education departments, respectively. Gulabrao Patil is the new water supply and sanitation minister, while Sanjay Rathore will head the food and drug administration department.ALSO READ: Shinde Expands Maharashtra Cabinet Over 40 Days After Being Sworn in as CM | Full List of MinistersBJP’s Girish Mahajan is the new sports and youth welfare minister, and will also look after village development and panchayati raj, and medical education departments. BJP MLA Vijayakumar Gavit will handle tribal development and Sena MLA Uday Samant is the new industry minister.Maharashtra cabinet’s maximum allowed strength is 43.Meanwhile, Fadnavis on Sunday said the BJP and the Shiv Sena faction led by Shinde could exchange portfolios, if needed, ahead of the next cabinet expansion. “There is no dispute between the BJP and CM Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena over the portfolio distribution. If required, we can exchange some portfolios ahead of the next cabinet expansion,” said Fadnavis while responding to a query about himself and Shinde holding several portfolios among themselves. Earlier this week, Shinde expanded his cabinet more than 40 days after being sworn in as the Maharashtra CM. As many as 18 leaders — nine each from the BJP and Shinde-led Shiv Sena camp — were inducted into the Maharashtra cabinet.(With PTI inputs)Read the Latest News and Breaking News here
One and half months after the swearing-in of Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, and a week after 18 Cabinet members were sworn in, the ministers in Maharashtra were allocated Cabinet portfolios on Sunday.The BJP ensured that the majority of important portfolios are allocated to it with Fadnavis trumping over the others by managing to ensure that both Home and Finance departments stay with him. Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari approved the Cabinet portfolio distribution on Sunday evening.Shinde retained the Urban Development Department which he had handled in the previous government led by Uddhav Thackeray. Along with it, he will handle Information and Technology, Public Works (PWD), Transport, Marketing, Social Justice, Relief and Rehabilitation, Disaster Management, Soil and Water Conservation, Environment, and Minority Affairs.Besides Home and Finance, Fadnavis held on to important portfolios such as Law and Judiciary, Irrigation, Housing, Power, and Protocol.Among the 18 Cabinet ministers, Radhakrishna Vikhe-Patil will handle Revenue as well as Animal Husbandry and Dairy development. Former state BJP chief Chandrakant Patil will oversee Higher and Technical Education, Textiles, and Parliamentary Affairs, while former finance minister Sudhir Mungantiwar will be the Minister for Forest, Cultural Affairs and Fisheries.Dr Vijaykumar Gavit will be the Minister for Tribal Development, while Girish Mahajan will handle Rural Development and Panchayati Raj, Medical Education, and Sports & Youth Welfare portfolios. Suresh Khade will be the new Labour Minister and Ravindra Chavan will handle Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation as well as Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Protection. New entrant Atul Save will handle Cooperation and OBC portfolios, and former BJP Mumbai chief Mangal Prabhat Lodha will be the new Tourism, Skill Development and Woman and Child Welfare Minister of Maharashtra.In a demotion within the Shinde camp, former agriculture minister Dadaji Bhuse was only given Ports and Mining portfolios. Abdul Sattar is the new Agriculture Minister. Gulabrao Patil has retained his earlier portfolio of Water Supply and Sanitation. Controversial leader and former forest minister Sanjay Rathod will oversee Food and Drug Administration. Shinde loyalist Sandipan Bhumare has been given Employment Guarantee Scheme and Horticulture. Uday Samant will be the new Industries Minister, while Tanaji Sawant has been given the responsibility of the Public Health Department. Deepak Kesarkar will handle School Education and Marathi Language, and Shambhuraj Desai will oversee the Excise Department.
Mumbai: Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde today allocated portfolios in his cabinet, five days after 18 ministers took oath. While the chief minister kept urban development and 11 other ministries with him, the crucial home department was given to deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis.Mr Fadnavis will also handle Finance and Planning, another key department.Here is the full list of portfolios allocated in the Maharashtra government today:Mr Shinde's cabinet expansion was sealed earlier this week, 41 days after he was sworn in, displacing Uddhav Thackeray.PromotedListen to the latest songs, only on JioSaavn.comMr Thackeray was forced to quit as Chief Minister after Mr Shinde, a senior leader from his party, the Shiv Sena, instigated a huge revolt in partnership with the BJP. Eknath Shinde was rewarded by the BJP with the post of Maharashtra Chief Minister.
Maharashtra Cabinet: Days after Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde expanded his cabinet, on Sunday, portfolios were allocated to the minsters. While Shinde retained the urban development department, the crucial home and finance portfolios were allocated to his deputy Devendra Fadnavis.Also Read - Income Tax Alert: Finance Ministry Planning To Review Exemption-Free Tax Regime. Details HereChief Minister Eknath Shinde-led government inducted 18 ministers into his cabinet last week. After toppling Uddhav Thackeray’s government, the rebel Shiv Sena faction formed a new government in Maharashtra on 30 June with Shinde taking oath as the Chief Minister and Devendra Fadnavis as his deputy. Also Read - BJP Takes Swipe At Pandit Nehru In New Video On Partition, Congress Hits BackChief Minister Eknath Shinde expanded his two-member ministry on Tuesday, 41 days after taking oath as the CM. He inducted 18 ministers – nine each from his rebel Shiv Sena group and the BJP. With this, the strength of Maharashtra ministry has now gone up to 20, less than half the maximum allowed strength of 43. Shinde was sworn in as the chief minister on June 30, when Fadnavis took oath as deputy CM. Also Read - Gautam Adani Given Z Category Security Based On IB Report, More Than 30 Army Personnel Will Be DeployedThe deputy chief minister said the crop loss compensation announced by the government for farmers will be distributed soon and added that the area of crop damages is still increasing.“The compensation will soon be released after calculating losses from all these affected areas,” he said.
NAGPUR: The 11 districts in the Vidarbha region together reported 164 new cases while 247 patients recovered in the last 24 hours. No death was reported due to Covid in the last 24 hours. More than 6,000 tests were conducted in the region during the last 24 hours. With 164 of them positive, the test positivity is less than 3.5% in the region. Now, less than 1,300 patients are under treatment. Out of them, 600-odd are in Nagpur district alone. Out of the 1,300 under treatment patients, less than 100 are hospitalized. In Nagpur, 43 patients are hospitalized. Only 12 are hospitalized in Akola. Total 1,773 tests were conducted in Nagpur district. Out of them, 1277 were conducted in the city and 496 in rural part. Out of them, 41 tested positive in the city and 40 in rural. Total 164 patients recovered in a day. Now, 609 patients are under treatment in the district. Out of them, 43 are in the hospitals. City now has 365 patients under treatment and rural has more than 250. The change in statistics indicate that cases are coming down in city and increasing slowly in district.
NEW DELHI: Delhi recorded 51 deaths from Covid-19 in the week ending Sunday, the highest weekly toll from the pandemic in the capital in six months, even as nationwide cases fell for the third week running. Deaths from the virus registered a slight rise in the country as 307 fatalities were recorded during the week (August 8-14), with several states yet to report their numbers for Sunday. The total may cross 310, which would be the highest weekly Covid toll in the country since the first week of March, when 626 deaths were reported, as per TOI’s Covid database. Last week, 295 deaths were recorded. Delhi weekly cases rise by 18%, highest in IndiaThe last time Delhi had reported higher Covid fatalities was in February 7-13, when the toll was 89. All figures are of fresh deaths, excluding fatalities from earlier months reconciled with the data during this period. India was likely to log around 1.05 lakh fresh Covid cases in the week (August 8-14), down nearly 16% from the previous week’s total of over 1.25 lakh. While new cases were declining in most states, Delhi, Haryana, UP, and Rajasthan, along with Mizoram, continued to record a rise. Cases rose by over 18% in Delhi, which registered 15,068 new infections during the week, the highest in the country. In Haryana, cases surged by 12% during the week while UP’s rise could not be quantified because the state’s data for Sunday wasn't immediately available. Rajasthan posted the highest rise in cases this week, with numbers up 43% to 4,260. The rise was a modest 7% in Mizoram. Meanwhile, Maharashtra showed signs of another possible increase in cases, with numbers rising towards the end of the week. The state reported 12,608 cases during August 8-14, up 1% from the previous week’s tally. In Goa, too, weekly numbers were up 3%. Apart from Delhi, deaths rose in Karnataka, Punjab and Gujarat.
MUMBAI: The state and the city continued to witness a spike in new Covid-19 cases. On Sunday, the city saw its highest single-day detection in 44 days, with 882 fresh cases. It also increased the city's daily positivity rate to nearly 10%. The state registered 2,082 cases, a marginal rise from Saturday's 2,040 cases. About 65% of new cases in the state were reported from Mumbai Metropolitan Region. Besides Mumbai, which is adding to the lion's share of cases daily, Thane, Navi Mumbai, Raigad and Panvel detected fresh cases. Active cases in the state crossed the 12,000-mark on Sunday, while for Mumbai, it breached the 5,000-mark after nearly 40 days. The city saw nearly 60 (57) admissions on Sunday, the second day in a row of registering more than 50 hospitalisations due to Covid. Over 312 people are currently in hospitals due to Covid. The state registered three deaths on Sunday, including one from Mumbai and two from Pune circle. TNN
India added 14,092 new coronavirus infections taking the virus tally to 4,42,53,464, while the active cases dipped to 1,16,861, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Sunday.The death toll climbed to 5,27,037 with 41 fatalities which includes 12 deaths reconciled by Kerala, the data updated at 8 am stated.The active cases comprise 0.26 per cent of the total infections, while the national Covid-19 recovery rate was recorded at 98.54 per cent, the ministry said.A decrease of 2,403 cases has been recorded in the active Covid-19 caseload in a span of 24 hours. The daily positivity rate was recorded at 3.69 per cent and the weekly positivity rate at 4.57 per cent, according to the ministry.The number of people who have recuperated from the disease surged to 4,36,09,566, while the case fatality rate was recorded at 1.19 per cent.According to the ministry, 207.99 crore doses of Covid vaccine have been administered in the country so far under the nationwide Covid-19 vaccination drive.India’s Covid-19 tally had crossed the 20-lakh mark on August 7, 2020 and surpassed the one-crore mark on December 19 that year. It crossed the grim milestone of two crore on May 4, 2021, three crore on June 23, 2021. It crossed the four-crore mark on January 25 this year.The 29 new fatalities include nine from Delhi, five from Karnataka, three each from Gujarat and West Bengal, two from Uttar Pradesh, one each from Chhattisgarh, Himachal Pradesh, Maharashtra, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Punjab and Uttarakhand.
MUMBAI: Maharashtra on Saturday reported 2,040 Covid-19 cases and one death, which took the tally in the state to 80,70,258 and the toll to 1,48,168, an official said. Maharashtra had reported 1,975 cases and five deaths on Friday, he added. Mumbai Circle led with 1,222 new cases, followed by Pune Circle (312), Nagpur Circle (184), Nashik Circle (138), Kolhapur Circle (72), Latur Circle (61), Akola Circle (32)and Aurangabad Circle (18), he said. The lone fatality occurred in Navi Mumbai, which is part of the Mumbai Circle, the official said. The recovery count increased by 2,048 in the last 24 hours and reached 79,10,243, leaving the state with 11,847 active cases, he said. Mumbai accounted for 4,624 active cases, followed by 2,118 on Pune and 1,401 in Thane, as per state health department data. So far, 8,36,13,679 samples have been examined for coronavirus in Maharashtra, including 34,186 in the last 24 hours, the data revealed. The recovery rate was 98.02 per cent, the fatality rate was 1.83 per cent and the positivity rate stood at 5.96 per cent, as per data. Coronavirus figures of Maharashtra are as follows: Positive cases 8070258; fresh cases 2040; death toll 148168; recoveries 79,10,243; active cases 11847; total tests 8,36,13,679.
MUMBAI: Covid-19 cases hit a 42-day high on Friday as the city saw a second spike this week. Mumbai reported 871 cases of Covid-19, the highest single-day count after July 1 (978 cases). On Wednesday, the city had recorded 852 cases, the highest in weeks. Till then, cases averaged around 380. Active cases of coronavirus infection have increased by 125% since the beginning of August. The rise in cases also pushed up the daily positivity rate to nearly 10% (9.4%) on Friday. Around 40 people were hospitalised across city Covid hospitals, but ICU occupancy continued to be low. As of Friday, a little over 1% (317) of Covid beds were occupied. Currently, 13 patients are on ventilator. Dr Rahul Pandit, a member of the Covid task force, said that till hospital admissions are not witnessing a notable rise, there should not be cause for concern. He attributed the rise in cases to the highest testing numbers. "There is a rise in H1N1 influenza. In addition, a lot of people are coming with flu-like symptoms, which has pushed up the number of Covid tests being carried out," he said. A civic official said that of the 871 cases found, up to 95% were asymptomatic. The sole person to die was a 58-year-old with a history of liver disease. On Friday, Maharashtra registered a marginal rise in cases. The state recorded 1,975 fresh cases.