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Maharashtra: With festivities nearing, Centre asks states to test-track-treat-vaccinate & adhere to COVID guidelines

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 The union health secretary Mr Rajesh Bhushan in a letter on Friday has asked the states and union territories (UTs) to put in place requisite public health measures and other arrangements to minimise risk of increase in transmission of COVID 19 considering the upcoming festive season and New Year celebrations. The Centre has asked the state chief secretaries and UT administrators to maintain and strengthen focus on test-track-treat-vaccinate and adherence to COVID Appropriate Behaviour including use of mask, hand and respiratory hygiene and adherence to physical distancing.

Mr Bhushan has asked the states and UTs do ensure effective compliance of the detailed operational guidelines for revised surveillance strategy for COVID 19 as shared by the health ministry and ensure monitoring and reporting of district wise Influenza like illness (ILI) and Severe Acute Respiratory Illness (SARI) cases in all health facilities on a regular basis. These cases may also be tested for COVID 19.

Further, they need to ensure adequate testing in all the districts as per COVID 19 testing guidelines maintaining the recommended share of RT-PCR and Antigen tests.  They will also have to ensure higher samples for whole genome sequencing amongst positive samples of COVID 19 in the community, so as to enable timely detection of new variants, if any, in the country.

The health ministry has asked states and UTs to take stock of existing hospital capacities in terms of bed availability, logistic requirements as well as need for reorientation of healthcare workers in clinical management of COVID 19 to remain prepared for any surge in cases. This may be tested by conducting dry runs in hospitals.

The states and UTs need to bolster COVID 19 vaccination efforts by creating community awareness and special focus on increasing coverage of ‘’precaution dose’’ is required by all states and UTs.

‘’In terms of preparedness for upcoming festivities, it is essential that all measures are put in place with relevant stakeholders like event organisers, business owners, market associations to avoid overcrowding, ensure adequate ventilation especially in indoor settings, wearing of masks in such place where crowds congregate,’’ said Mr Bhushan.

Maharashtra

Samajwadi Party is not part of Mumbai Municipal Corporation Vikas Aghadi: Abu Asim Azmi

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Mumbai: The Samajwadi Party will not enter into an electoral alliance with the Maha Vikas Aghadi in the Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections, not will it be part of this alliance. Those who objected to the release of innocent Muslims imprisoned for 19 years but remained silent on the release of the accused in the Malegaon blasts. Those who express pride in the demolition of the Babri Masjid, take the names of Lord Ram and Lord Vishwanath, but call the holy water of the Sangam smelly and make Uttar Bharatiyas and North Indians a target for violence. This is a province where the Pawars go to do their country’s panddan. Those belonging to such provinces insult and subject North Indians and Biharis to violence.

If such people are part of the Maha Vikas Aghadi, the Samajwadi Party will never be part of it.

The Samajwadi Party does politics of justice, secularism, constitutional values ​​and Ganga-Jamuni culture. Therefore, we cannot be part of any alliance that includes forces that spread hatred and divide the country. This kind of explanation has been given by Mumbai Maharashtra Samajwadi Party leader and MLA Abu Asim Azmi. Elections are approaching, in such a situation, Mahayoti and Maha Vikas Aghadi are very serious about their allied parties. In such a situation, the Samajwadi Party has clearly refused to enter into an understanding with Maha Vikas Aghadi and has called it biased. Now there is curiosity about the expected entry and entry of MNS in Maha Vikas. In such a situation, the Samajwadi Party has denied it and said that it is unable to participate in the elections with those who incite violence on the basis of regionalism.

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Maharashtra

Controversy over ban on photography in the guise of Shivaji Maharaj at Vasai Fort, verbal clash with non-Marathi guard, attempt to create Hindi-Marathi controversy

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Mumbai: The Marathi-non-Marathi conflict in the ancient fort of Mumbai’s Vasai has once again intensified the atmosphere. Due to which tension has spread in the area and after allegations of obscenity and immoral behavior of young couples in the fort, the police have issued an alert around the fort. A Marathi-Hindi conflict broke out in the ancient fort in Vasai Virar when a non-Marathi migrant guard opposed a photo shoot in the guise of a Maharaj, after which the video went viral on social media and now there is a flood of comments on it. The migrant guards of Bhayander Center stopped the artists who were getting a photo shoot and filming in the guise of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, Vasai Fort, which is located within the limits of Vasai Police Station.

Social media influencer actor Rupesh Dilip Halawale has shared an incident that happened to him on social media. Rupesh Halawale was getting a photo shoot in the guise of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj in the Vasai Fort. However, a person present there stopped them from taking photos. Moreover, since he was a migrant, he could not speak Marathi. On this, Rupesh consoled the man.

In the video, Rupesh first says in Hindi to a man dressed as a security guard, “I respected you by speaking Hindi, then you should also respect me by living in Maharashtra and speaking Marathi.” Then he asks him, “How many years have you been working here? Why haven’t you learned Marathi in all these years? Why don’t you know Marathi? When will you learn Marathi?” Then he shows the man’s identity card. On which the name of Brijesh Kumar Gupta is written.

Then Rupesh says, “This man works as a security guard in Vasai Fort. When we were taking photos in the attire of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, he stops the Marathi people and says in a very adamant manner, I don’t know Marathi.”

Then the security guard brings another person. On this too Rupesh says, “You want to be famous.. You have brought this man here to do bhai giri, if you do not respect Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj here then you will have to leave this job, there is a shooting of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj here. We should know what is the condition of the forts, how was the fort built, what do couples do when they come here”.
“It is okay for some people to come with their mothers and sisters. But when some people come to do inappropriate and immoral things, what do you do, your eyes get wide open.

“Here we do not do any nonsense, we do not wear Maharaj’s clothes and drink alcohol. We are just taking pictures. When the couples are doing nonsense, you do not say anything to them. This will not be tolerated. Then you respect them, and start learning Marathi from tomorrow.

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Maharashtra

Mumbai drivers should be given 25% discount on purchase and conversion of electric vehicles: Raees Shaikh

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Mumbai: Samajwadi Party MLA from Bhiwandi East Raees Shaikh has written a letter to the state transport department on the draft Motor Vehicle Aggregators Rules, 2025, suggesting that drivers be given a 25 per cent subsidy on the cost of converting to an electric vehicle (EV) and it should be provided from the Driver Welfare Fund. The transport department had published the draft rules in this regard on October 9 and the last date for submission of suggestions and objections is October 26.

MLA Raees Shaikh said that to increase the income of drivers, the daily working hours limit should be increased, passengers should be given a fixed period to cancel the ride without being charged a fine, a government grievance redressal portal should be created, delay compensation should be given to passengers, medical and psychological tests of drivers should be conducted and regular testing of GPS should be done from funds.

Raees Shaikh, in a letter to the Transport Commissioner, suggested a phased transition to EVs to promote sustainable transport in draft Rules 18 and 20. Since drivers will not be able to bear the heavy costs, these changes will be possible if a 25% subsidy is provided through the Driver Welfare Fund. Raees Shaikh has suggested major changes in the ride cancellation policies under Rule 17. Passengers should be fined only if the driver comes within 200 meters of the pick-up point. In addition, passengers should be given a grace period of 2-3 minutes to cancel after booking without any fee.

The cost of fines due to software glitches or GPS errors should be borne by the aggregators, not the drivers. In case of vehicle malfunction, passengers should be refunded 10% of the fare if there is a delay beyond the permissible limit. MLA Raees Shaikh has recommended that there should be a government portal for complaints that are not resolved for more than seven days.

On driver welfare under Rule 10, Raees Shaikh has insisted that the cost of mandatory medical and psychological tests should be borne entirely by the aggregators. The limit of daily working hours should be increased to 14 hours. This will help increase the income of drivers.

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