LIVE! Bihar to bear expenses of encephalitis patients

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Mon, 17 June 2019

Bihar to bear expenses of encephalitis patients

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23:28 Bihar to bear expenses of encephalitis patients

Bihar government will bear the treatment expenses of all encephalitis affected patients, said Chief Secretary Deepak Kumar on Monday.

"The ambulance facility will be free of cost. If someone comes to the hospital in a private vehicle, the fare will be reimbursed to them," he said, while addressing media persons.

So far, 103 children have died due to acute encephalitis syndrome in Muzaffarpur. The heat-wave has also claimed 56 lives so far in the state, while 106 patients are undergoing the treatment.

Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has also given directions to the Health Department, district administration and doctors to take necessary measures to fight the disease.

Encephalitis is a viral disease, which causes mild flu-like symptoms such as high fever, convulsions, and headache.

"Expenses of all treatment will be borne by the state government. Ex-gratia of Rs 4 lakh each will be given to families of the deceased," said Kumar.

-- ANI

A severe drought in Tamil Nadu that has depleted three reservoirs Poondi, Cholavaram and Chembarambakkam - supplying water to Chennai has forced IT companies to redraw their operational plans while many hotels have stopped serving lunch and some have downed their shutters.

On the IT Corridor along the Old Mahabalipuram Road (OMR), many companies both small and big - have asked their employees to work from home. This OMR stretch, housing over 650 IT and ITES firms employing lakhs of people, is one of the worst affected areas reeling under water scarcity.

Over 20,000 IT employees have been asked to either work from home or move to the company offices at Bengaluru or Hyderabad. The business establishments in OMR region require 30 million litres of water every day of which 60% is consumed by the IT industries. Nearly 4000 water tankers supply water to these firms, said T Bharanidharan, president of IT Employees Association - UNITE.

22:43 RJD to hold protests over encephalitis deaths

Rashtriya Janata Dal leader Mritunjay Tiwari on Monday said that his party has decided to hold protests across Bihar on June 24 in the wake of deaths of children due to Acute Encephalitis Syndrome.

"An RJD team went to take stock of the situation at the hospitals. We will hold protests across Bihar on June 24," he said.

According to official data, AES has claimed over 100 lives in Bihar.

In Muzaffarpur, while 83 children died in Sri Krishna Medical College and Hospital, 17 lost their lives in Kejriwal hospital.

Encephalitis is a viral disease, which causes mild flu-like symptoms such as high fever, convulsions, and headaches.

Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has announced an ex-gratia of Rs 4 lakh each to families of the deceased and given directions to the Health Department, district administration and doctors to take necessary measures to fight the disease.

Union Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan has said that the Centre would set up a state-of-the-art research centre here within a year to deal with the menace of AES.

-- ANI

Britain's Prince Harry has offered his support to a new initiative to clear land mines from a wilderness area in Angola, saying it will protect lives and help communities.

In backing the 47 million initiative of the Angolan government and the Halo Trust, Harry continued work on a cause championed by his late mother, Princess Diana. She drew attention to the African nation's dangerous minefields by stepping onto one.

The funds will be used to clear 153 minefields in an area with vital waterways to the Okavango Delta. The Halo Trust hopes foreign governments and individuals will match the funds pledged by the Angolan government.

Harry said Angola's wilderness was "an asset that should be protected, celebrated and benefited by its people."

Cyclone Vayu, which weakened into a "depression", is likely to weaken further into a "well-marked low pressure area" before crossing the north Gujarat coast, a senior IMD official said on Monday.

Manorama Mohanty, scientist with India Meteorological Department at Ahmedabad, said Vayu was no longer a danger and would cause rainfall, and winds with a speed of 30-40 kilometres per hour.

"The cyclone has weakened and turned into depression, which is going to further weaken and convert into a well-marked low pressure area before it crosses the Gujarat coast," Mohanty said.

Asking fishermen not to venture into the north Arabian Sea, northern parts of central Arabian Sea and along and off Gujarat coast during next 24 hours, the IMD also said Gujarat would receive fairly widespread rainfall on Tuesday.

Five teams of the National Disaster Response Force and local authorities are prepared to carry out relief and rescue operations whenever required, an official said.

However, the Kutch district administration is on alert as the cyclone can cause heavy rainfall in the region.

The cyclone was earlier predicted to make landfall in Gujarat on June 13. However, it later began to move away from the state, sparing the coastline of any possible damage.

-- PTI

21:49 Egypt's ex-prez Mohammed Morsi dies in court

Egypt's former president Mohammed Morsi, who was ousted by the army in 2013, has died in court, state TV says.

He reportedly fainted after a court session where he was facing espionage charges and subsequently died. He was 67.

Morsi was overthrown following mass protests a year after he took office as the country's first democratically elected leader.

Infighting surfaced in the Delhi Congress on Monday when a veteran leader demanded the removal of Sheila Dikshit as its president over the party's debacle in the national capital in the recent Lok Sabha poll.

In a letter to party chief Rahul Gandhi, ex-chairman of the erstwhile Delhi Metropolitan Council, Purushottam Goyal, asked for her removal and suggested that the party contest assembly polls early next year with a "fresh face"at the helm.

Goyal's letter comes after a Delhi Congress leader Rohit Manchanda demanded replacement of PC Chacko, the AICC incharge of the city unit, over the poll drubbing.

"It's alright. It's his opinion," Dikshit said.

Dikshit and Chacko had serious differences over an alliance with the AAP for the Lok Sabha elections in Delhi. While Dikshit opposed an alliance with the AAP, Chacko favoured it. The tie-up ultimately did not materialise.

"Dikshit lost the Lok Sabha polls by over 3 lakh votes. This time she cannot escape responsibility for the party's defeat. Her old age prevents her from being active in the field and leading the party. She will prove to be a disaster in the assembly elections," Goyal said.

After the Congress' defeat in Delhi, Dikshit had offered her resignation to the party president but it was not accepted, Congress leaders said.

In his letter, Goyal suggested that the Delhi Congress should fight assembly polls by projecting Kapil Sibal or Yoganand Shastri as the chief ministerial face of the party.

-- PTI

21:06 Bengal Guv welcomes resolution of docs' crisis

Bengal Governor KN Tripathi welcomed the resolution of doctors' crisis and thanked Mamata Banerjee for the initiative.

His reaction came after junior doctors of NRS Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata announced that they are calling off the strike.

It comes after West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee held a meeting with the doctors to break the logjam.

West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee is going to see the injured doctor, Paribaha Mukherjee in INK hospital.

20:29

Junior doctors of NRS hospital, Kolkata announce that they are calling off the strike.

20:29 Heatwave toll in Bihar rises to 76

At least 76 people have died in three districts of Bihar, as a searing heatwave swept most parts of the state, prompting the government to order closure of academic activities in all schools till June 22, officials said on Monday.

The Disaster Management Department said 33 people lost their lives in Aurangabad, 31 in Gaya and 12 in Nawada due to the heatwave.

An official of the Bihar Education Project Council said the administration has ordered suspension of classes in all government and government-aided schools till June 22.

Chief Minister Nitish Kumar had on Sunday announced Rs four lakh ex gratia to the next of kin of those killed.

Major cities in the state, including Patna, Gaya and Bhagalpur, have been witnessing heatwave for the past couple of days.

According to the MeT department here, the state capital had on June 15 recorded a maximum temperature of 45.8 degrees Celsius, the highest for June in 10 years.

A heat wave is declared when the maximum temperature is recorded above 45 degrees from its normal for two consecutive days, a Met official said.

The weatherman has forecast heatwave conditions in Patna and Gaya for the next couple of days.

-- PTI

19:59 J P Nadda appointed as BJP working president

With BJP chief Amit Shah joining the Cabinet, JP Nadda has been appointed as the Bharatiya Janata Party's national working president.

Jagat Prakash Nadda is expected to work closely with Amit Shah.

JP Nadda will oversee the election campaign strategy in the coming assembly elections. Three states, Maharashtra, Jharkhand and Haryana, are expected to go to the polls sometime in September. There is possibility of polls in Jammu and Kashmir. Early next year, Delhi will also go to the polls.

Fifty nine-year-old Nadda is a Brahmin and a Rajya Sabha member who keeps a low profile but is also parliamentary board secretary of the BJP. Nadda is known as a master strategist in his party. The party had given him charge of Uttar Pradesh in the recently concluded hustings. The party bagged 62 out of 80 Lok Sabha seats. Apna Dal bagged two against a caste calculus driven combine of BSP and SP.

Chinese President Xi Jinping would make his maiden visit to Pyongyang this week - the first by a Chinese leader in 14 years - in a big boost to the North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, who is under heavy pressure from the US to give up nuclear weapons programme.

Xi will visit Democratic People's Republic of Korea - the official name for North Korea - from June 20 to 21, at the invitation of Kim, the spokesperson for the International Department of the ruling Communist Party of China, Hu Zhaoming, announced here.

His visit coincides with the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between the two countries.

Xi's visit, the first by a Chinese leader in 14 years to the internationally isolated country reeling under UN sanctions for pursing nuclear weapons programme, comes ahead of his proposed meeting with US President Donald Trump on the sidelines of G-20 summit scheduled to be held on June 28-29 in Tokyo.

The last state visit made by a Chinese president to North Korea was in 2005 by then Chinese president Hu Jintao at the invitation of the former North Korean leader Kim Jong-il.

Kim, who had two summit meetings with Trump, is under immense pressure from the US president to give up the nuclear programme. Their summit at Hanoi, Vietnam in February failed and Trump staved off pressure to agree to lift crippling UN sanctions.

Kim, who shares close ties with Chinese President Xi, has travelled to China ahead of his proposed meetings with Trump, prompting the US president Tump to allege that the Chinese President was negatively influencing the North Korean leader from clinching a deal to give up the nuclear programme.

The North Korean leader has visited China four times in recent years.

-- PTI

An army special forces convoy on Monday was attacked by an Improvised Explosive Device on its way at Arihal village of South Kashmirs Pulwama district, locals and officials said.

The Army Casper, a bullet and mine proof vehicle, of 44 Rashtriya Rifles was targeted by the IED explosion near Eidgah Arihal on the Arihal-Lassipora road, a police official said. Five jawans were injured in the attack.

The site of the blast is 27 km from the area where a convoy of vehicles carrying security personnel on the Jammu Srinagar National Highway was attacked by a suicide bomber on 14 February in which 40 CRPF personnel were killed.

The February attack, which was orchestrated by Jaish-e-Mohammed, left the nation in shock and anger while Prime Minister Narendra Modi gave security forces a freehand to strike back with equal force.

Meanwhile, an encounter broke out on Monday between security forces and the ultras in Jammu and Kashmir's Anantnag district, officials said. In the encounter, an Army major and a militant were killed, while another officer and two troopers were injured.

The injured were rushed to the 92 base hospital of the Army in Srinagar, the officials said.

They added that an unidentified terrorist was also killed in the gunfight and his body recovered.

Arms and ammunition were also seized from the encounter site, the officials said.

The National Human Rights Commission on Monday sent notices to the Union Health Ministry and the government of Bihar over reports of increasing deaths of children due to encephalitis in Muzaffarpur, a senior official said.

Nearly 100 children have died of suspected acute encephalitis syndrome in Bihar, where doctors strike has paralysed medical and health services.

"The NHRC has taken suo motu cognisance of media reports about the rising number of deaths of children due to acute encephalitis syndrome in Muzaffarpur district of Bihar in the past few days," a senior official said.

The commission has issued notices to the secretary, Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, and the chief secretary of Bihar, seeking a detailed report, including on the status of implementation of the National Programme for Prevention and Control of Japanese Encephalitis Virus/Acute Encephalitis Syndrome and other steps taken to deal with the painful situation, the NHRC said in a statement.

"The commission would also like to know about the status of the treatment being provided to the children, who are currently hospitalised, and the relief or rehabilitation provided by the state to the aggrieved families," it said.

The response is expected within four weeks, the NHRC said.

The commission has observed that in spite of reported measures taken by the government agencies, deaths of children in such a large number indicate towards a "possible flaw" in proper implementation of the vaccination and awareness programmes.

-- PTI

Diamantaire Mehul Choksi, accused in the multi-crore Punjab National Bank scam, submitted an affidavit in the High Court of Judicature at Bombay stating that he has not fled the country but left for medical treatment.

Choksi has submitted the affidavit with details of his diseases in the court.

Citing health reasons, Choksi said that he is unable to travel due medical issues and vowed to travel to India as soon he is medically fit. He also stated that the investigative agencies -- ED and CBI -- can question him in Antigua, where he is currently residing.

"I am currently residing in Antigua and willing to co-operate in the investigation. If court may deem it fit, it may direct the investigating officer to travel to Antigua," he stated in the affidavit.

In several pleas to the court earlier, Choksi had claimed he was unable to return to India due to persistent health problems.

Choksi and his nephew Nirav Modi are wanted by the ED and the CBI for allegedly defrauding the PNB to the tune of Rs 13,400 crore, in collusion with a few of its employees.

The doctors have assured to withdraw the protest in Bengal after holding talks with protesters at NRS hospital in Kolkata.

The decision to call off the strike came after doctors in West Bengal held talks with Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee at Nabanna, to bring an immediate end to this impasse.

It has been learnt that during the meeting, the CM promised amendments in the clinical establishment act. The amendments are likely to be tabled in the coming session of the assembly. The demand proposed by the junior doctors of setting grievance redressal units in all of West Bengal hospitals have also been accepted.

She also said that she had taken adequate measures in the incident.

The chief minster added that if an on-duty doctors succumbs from an attack, it is humane duty of the government to provide job to the next of the kin. Night vigilance in the hospital is expected to increase.

Praveen Chakravarty, chairperson of the data analytics department of the All India Congress Committee, has issued a signed statement that allegations against him in a section of the media , that he misled the Congress leadership of the election outcome, and also charged Rs 24 crores from the Congress for his work, were a total lie and baseless.

Praveen, a Tamilian Iyengar and not a Bengali as many believe, is a close relative of N Gopalaswami, former chief election commissioner, and known to K P Krishnan, IAS officer who is presently secretary in the ministry of skill development and entrepreneurship.

Praveen, who is also closely associated with the Aadhar project, was brought into the AICC by Jairam Ramesh, and Karti Chidambaram who he had known through the tenure of his father P Chidambaram as Union finance minister.

'My department and me continue to function from the offices of the All India Congress Committee headquarters, as usual,' Praveen states in his press statement.

A total ban has been imposed on sale and consumption of liquor and non-vegetarian food within a 250-metre radius of all temples and heritage sites in Varanasi.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath had earlier in April, announced a ban on liquor shops and sale of non-vegetarian food at all places of worships including Varanasi, Vrindavan, Ayodhya, Chitrakoot, Deoband, Dewa Sharif, Misrikh-Naimisharanya.

He had directed officers of the Excise Department to prohibit the sale of liquor with a kilometre of Kashi Vishwanath temple in Varanasi, Krishna Janambhoomi in Mathura and the Sangam area in Allahabad.

The Varanasi Municipal Corporation, two days ago, passed a proposal for a complete ban on alcohol and non-vegetarian food in a 250-meter periphery near temples and heritage sites in this ancient pilgrim town, a top official said.

The decision was taken at the executive committee of the VMC chaired by Mayor Mridula Jaiswal.

Narsingh Das, deputy chairman at VMC, said: "In the meeting of the executive committee, corporate Rajesh Yadav put up a proposal for a complete ban on liquor and non-vegetarian food near the temples and Heritage sites in the 250-meter periphery."

In support of his proposal, Yadav said that alcohol and non-vegetarian food should be banned near the temples and heritage sites on the lines of similar rules in Haridwar and Ayodhya.

Das said that the committee passed the proposal after a discussion. It will now be tabled in the next session of Varanasi Municipal Corporation. After being passed in the session, it will be sent to the state government for final approval.

Varanasi is Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Lok Sabha constituency. It is also regarded as the country's spiritual capital with some 2,000 temples, including Kashi Vishwanath, and is a top destination for performing funeral rites.

The holy city also draws Hindu pilgrims for bathing in the sacred waters of the Ganga that flows through Varanasi.

16:49 Mamata to deploy nodal officers at hospitals

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is meeting with 24 representatives of the striking junior doctors at the state secretariat, in presence of the media.

The doctors -- who want to end the impasse - had insisted on a public negotiation. The strike, called after a junior doctor was assaulted by the relatives of a deceased patient, has spread.

Rajiv Sinha, the health secretary of the state said that the government is deploying additional 125 police personnel inside NRS hospital to enhance security.

The CM on the other hand has instructed Anuj Sharma, the commissioner of police to deploy a nodal officer at every hospital.

CM Mamata in the meeting said that she has suggested that there shouldnt be more than two relatives inside the emergency. She has also urged to frame a package to set up reinforced gates at emergency departments.

There would be dedicated Public Relations personnel at district level hospitals to interact with patient relatives instead of the doctors. She assured that there wouldnt be any false cases against the doctors.

The doctors attending the meeting said that they have full faith in the state administration and it will protect doctors. The doctors added that they are working under tremendous fear and apprehension, therefore they had to call the agitation.

Hoping that the attackers would get strict punishment, they also appealed the chief minister to visit the injured doctors.

16:46

BJP winning candidate from Bhopal, Pragya Singh Thakur takes oath as Lok Sabha MP.

16:31 Mamata at meeting with protesting docs

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee arrives for meeting with representatives of doctors at Nabanna, State Secretariat Building.

Earlier, Banerjee gave consent for live coverage of the meeting, paving way for a solution to the week-long impasse.

The state government had earlier turned down the striking doctors' demand for live telecast of the meeting, scheduled to be held later in the day.

"The chief minister has agreed to the demand for live coverage of the meeting," a state government official said.

An Army Major was killed while another officer and two troopers were injured in an encounter with terrorists in south Kashmir on Monday, officials said.

They said the encounter took place in the Achabal area in Anantnag district of Jammu and Kashmir.

A Major-rank officer has been killed while another officer of the same rank and two soldiers have been injured, they said.

The injured have been rushed to the 92 base hospital of the Army in Srinagar, they added.

Security forces launched a cordon-and-search operation in the area this morning.

The search operation led to a gunfight after the terrorists fired on the forces, who retaliated, they added. -- PTI

Image only for representation.

15:55 Mani Ratnam undergoes health checkup

Acclaimed Tamil director Mani Ratnam underwent a routine health check-up at a corporate hospital in Chennai and is back to work, his publicist said on Monday.

The clarification from the director's office comes amidst reports in a section of media that he had been admitted to the hospital with suspected cardiac issues.

The hospital also said the National Award winning director had visited them for a routine check-up.

"After a routine check up Mani Ratnam sir (is) back to office today with his routine work... All is well," his publicist Nikkil wrote on Twitter.

Ratnam had suffered a heart attack some years ago.

The director is currently busy with the pre-production of his latest venture Ponniyin Selvan based on the epic Tamil novel by Kalki.

15:46 Sensex crashes by 491 points

Just In: Sensex plunges 491.28 points to end at 38,960.79; Nifty drops 151.15 points to 11,672.15.

A court in Mumbai on Monday acquitted Bollywood actor Vidyut Jamwal and his friend in a 2007 assault case.

Metropolitan magistrate Pragati Yerlekar acquitted Jamwal and his friend Rishant Goswami of all the charges levelled against them.

Details of the order are awaited.

Jamwal and his friend were accused of hitting one Rahul Suri, a resident of Juhu area, with a bottle at a five-star hotel in suburban Santacruz in August 2007.

During the course of trial, the court examined two witnesses, the police officer who recorded the First Information Report (FIR) another person. Jamwal's lawyer Aniket Nikam had argued before the court that the actor and his friend were innocent.

"They were never involved in the alleged incident. There was no satisfactory evidence to point out before the court the culpability of my clients," Nikam told PTI on Monday.

Jamwal has acted in films like 'Commando', 'Force', 'Baadshaho' and 'Junglee'. -- PTI

15:15 Gandhiji's statue vandalised in Odisha school

A statue of Mahatma Gandhi was found vandalised inside the premises of a government-run school in Sovarampur area in Odisha's Balasore town, the police said on Monday.

A room christened 'Bapuji Kakhya' in the school as a mark of honour to the 'father of the nation' was also found ransacked, with cigarette butts and empty liquor bottles strewn around, a police officer said.

The matter came to light when some locals entered the school premises on Sunday, after noticing that a couple of trees planted inside the compound had been felled, he said.

Upon entering the compound, they found the room open and the head of the statue lying on the ground, the officer said.

The incident is suspected to have taken place on June 14, and could be the handiwork of some anti-social elements as the upper primary school was shut for the summer vacation, the inspector in-charge of Sahadevkhunta police station, Subhransu Sekhar Nayak, said.

Nayak, however, ruled out any political angle to the episode.

A case has been registered and investigation is in progress to identify those involved in the incident, he added.

JUST IN: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee agrees to live coverage of meeting with agitating doctors.

Earlier, the doctors were invited for a meeting with the Chief Minister but without media persons to be present during the talks.

Live media coverage was a key demand of protesting doctors who said that 'common people have the right to know about the discussions at the meeting since they are the biggest sufferers'. -- PTI

Cyclone Vayu has weakened and is likely to cross the Gujarat coast by Monday midnight as a 'depression', the weatherman said.

However, the Kutch district administration is on alert as the cyclone can cause heavy rainfall in the region. Five teams of the National Disaster Response Force and local authorities are prepared to carry out relief and rescue operations whenever required, an official said.

The cyclone over northeast Arabian Sea has re-curved and moved northeastward with a speed of about 13 kmph in the last six hours and weakened into a 'deep depression', the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said in its latest bulletin.

On Monday morning, the cyclone was centered about 260 km west-southwest of Naliya, 240 km west-southwest of Dwarka and 340 km west-southwest of Bhuj in Gujarat, it said.

"The system is very likely to weaken into a depression during the next six hours. It is very likely to move northeastwards and cross north Gujarat coast by midnight of June 17 as a depression," the IMD said.

The sea will remain 'rough to very rough' along and off the state coast on Monday, the MeT department said.

It advised fishermen not to venture into the sea during the next 24 hours. Kutch Collector Remya Mohan said five teams of the NDRF were stationed in the district to help in rescue and relief work.

She said the salt-pan workers were also advised to avoid venturing into the sea waters. The cyclone was earlier predicted to make landfall in Gujarat on June 13.

However, it later began to move away from the state, sparing the coastline of any possible damage.

The IMD last Friday said the cyclone was likely to 're-curve' and return to the coast in Kutch district as a weakened system. -- PTI

A 22-year-old Pakistani blogger and journalist known for criticising the country's powerful military and the spy agency Inter-Services Intelligence was hacked to death by an unidentified man in Islamabad, police said on Monday.

Muhammad Bilal Khan, having over 16,000 followers on Twitter, 48,000 on his YouTube channel and 22,000 on Facebook, was with a friend when he received a phone call after which a man took him to the nearby forest on Sunday night, Dawn News quoted police as saying.

The suspect used a dagger to kill him, Superintendent of Police (SP) Saddar Malik Naeem said, adding that some people heard gunshot firing as well.

Khan's friend was seriously injured in the incident. Apart from being a social media activist, Khan was also a freelance journalist.

Soon after his killing, #Justice4MuhammadBilalKhan started trending on social media.

Several Twitter users said that his criticism of the Pakistan Army and the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) led to his killing.

"Pakistani activist and journalist Mohammad Bilal Khan was shot dead last night in Islamabad. Khan was known for his criticism of the all-powerful military and its notorious spy agency," a man said in a tweet.

The deceased's father Abdullah said that his body had marks of a sharp tool.

"My son's only fault was that he spoke about the Prophet," he said.

A case was registered under various sections including the Anti Terrorism Act.

The incident has created fear among people, Khan's father said. -- PTI

A Jodhpur court has acquitted actor Salman Khan in a case against him for submitting a fake affidavit in the black buck poaching case, stating that he lost the licence documents of his weapons, even though the licence had been sent for renewal.

Salman's counsel argued that his intention wasn't to submit a false affidavit.

13:59 Minor fire reported at RIL's Raigad plant

A fire broke out at a plant of the Reliance Industries Limited in Raigad district of Maharashtra but no casualty or damage was reported, the police said on Monday.

The blaze erupted at the Reliance Industries' plant at Patalganga Rasayani in Raigad, located around 51 km from Mumbai, on Sunday night when one of its units was activated after a month-long halt, a police official said.

There was a spark in a chemical stored in the unit which led to the fire in a boiler, he added.

Four fire brigade vehicles, including one of the Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation fire services and three of the RIL, were rushed to the spot and the blaze was controlled after hectic efforts for about an hour, the official said.

There was no formal complaint or report of any damage from the company, he said.

An official from the RIL said it was a minor fire and there was no casualty. "It was a minor fire at a plant which was under maintenance. The fire was allowed to continue because of the need to do away with residual hydrocarbon. There have been no injuries," he said.

13:36 Smriti gets longest applause while taking oath

Union Minister Smriti Irani, who defeated Congress president Rahul Gandhi in Amethi, received the longest applause when she took oath as member of the 17th Lok Sabha on Monday.

As soon as she was called for oath taking, ruling Bharatiya Janata Party members, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, other Union ministers and MPs were seen enthusiastically thumping the desk for a long time.

After taking oath in Hindi, Irani greeted pro tem Speaker Virendra Kumar and also opposition leaders, including Rahul Gandhi's mother and United Progressive Alliance chairperson Sonia Gandhi, who reciprocated the greetings with a namaste gesture.

Rahul Gandhi was not present in the House at that time.

The Union Textile Minister defeated Gandhi by a margin of over 55,000 votes in Uttar Pradesh's Amethi constitutency, considered as the pocket borough of Gandhi family for long. -- PTI

12:40 Mamata to meet protesting doctors today

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee will be meeting two representatives from each Medical College of the state in Nabanna (State Secretariat) later today.

Meanwhile, healthcare services at government and private hospitals in the national capital and several other cities were hit on Monday as scores of doctors, including those at AIIMS, decided to boycott work.

The Indian Medical Association (IMA) has given the strike call with the withdrawal of nonessential health services across the country.

IMA members also staged a dharna at its headquarters in New Delhi.

More than 40,000 doctors in Maharashtra are boycotting work on Monday as part of a strike call given by their apex body IMA in support of their agitating colleagues in West Bengal, an official said.

The Supreme Court on Monday said it will hear on June 18 a plea seeking safety and security of doctors in government hospitals across the country. -- ANI/PTI

11:35 Bihar: Death toll due to Encephalitis hits 100

At least 100 children have lost their lives due to acute encephalitis syndrome (AES) in Muzaffarpur, officials said on Monday.

Sunil Kumar Shahi, Superintendent at Sri Krishna Medical College and Hospital (SKMCH), said, "Death toll due to Acute Encephalitis Syndrome (AES) in Muzaffarpur has risen to 100."

According to official data, 83 children have died in Sri Krishna Medical College and Hospital (SKMCH), while 17 have lost their lives in Kejriwal hospital in the city.

In the wake of fatalities due to AES, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar had earlier announced an ex gratia of Rs 4 lakh each to families of the deceased.

He had also given directions to the Health Department, district administration and doctors to take necessary measures to fight the disease.

AES is a viral disease, which causes mild flu-like symptoms such as high fever, convulsions, and headaches.

Last week, Bihar Health Minister Mangal Pandey had said a team that was formed to ascertain the cause of this disease concluded that sleeping empty stomach at night, dehydration due to humidity and eating lychee on empty stomach were some of the causes of encephalitis.-- ANI

'When I first met Jiggs in the early 1980s, neither of us had any idea of what a big deal he would eventually become. Jiggs had started out in regular journalism (with Khushwant Singh's The Illustrated Weekly of India) and had moved on, nearly a decade later, to becoming a full-time food specialist.

'While his food journalism was fine, there wasn't much call for food writers in those days.So Jiggs became an all-round food expert. In that era (the 1980s), Indian food was divided into three categories: what we ate at home, what the great cooks of the streets and the traditional restaurants served up and the cuisine they taught at Catering College.

'Nearly all hotel kitchens were run by Catering College graduates who were all content to turn out roughly the same sort of food at restaurant after restaurant. Jiggs is the man who broke that pattern,' writes Vir Sanghvi of Jiggs Kalra, the man who created the cult of celebrity chef and redefined what we ate at restaurants, in the Hindustan Times, here.

10:57 SC to hear plea on doctors' safety

JUST IN: Supreme Court to hear tomorrow the petition seeking safety and security to government doctors across the country.

10:50 PM's request to Oppn before House commences

Prime Minister Narendra Modi addresses the media on the first day of Budget Session outside Parliament.

"Today, a new session is starting, there are new hopes and dreams with the beginning of this session.

"Since independence, this Lok Sabha election saw highest number of women voters and women MPs. I am happy that this new house has a high number of women MPs.

"My experience also suggests that when the Parliament functions smoothly, we are able to fulfil numerous aspirations of the people of India.

"After several decades, a government has won absolute majority for the second term. People have given us the chance to serve the country again.

"I request all the parties to support the decisions that are in favour of people.

"The role of an Opposition and an active Opposition is important in a Parliamentary democracy. The Opposition need not bother about their numbers. I hope they speak actively and participate in house proceedings.

"When we come to Parliament, we should forget Paksh and Vipaksh. We should think about issues with a 'Nishpaksh spirit' and work in the larger interest of the nation."

Bharatiya Janata Party MP Virendra Kumar takes oath as the pro tem Speaker of the 17th Lok Sabha, at Rashtrapati Bhawan, ahead of the first session of 17th Lok Sabha which will commence shortly.

He was administered the oath by President Ram Nath Kovind.

Virendra Kumar will oversee the oath-taking by 542 members of the lower House of the Parliament which will be held for the first two days of Budget Session.

He will be assisted by a panel of senior members including Kodikunnil Suresh and Bhatruhari Mahtab in overseeing the proceedings when members take oath on Monday and Tuesday. -- ANI

10:04 Sensex drops over 150 pts; Nifty below 11,800

Domestic equity benchmark Bombay Stock Exchange Sensex fell over 150 points and the NSE Nifty slipped below the 11,800 mark in early trade Monday tracking dragged down by losses in index heavyweight RIL, ITC and HDFC stocks.

The 30-share index was trading 175.29 points, or 0.44 per cent, lower at 39,276.78 at 0930 hours.

Similarly, the broader NSE Nifty was quoting 50.20 points, or 0.42 per cent, down at 11,773.10.

In the previous session on Friday, the BSE gauge settled 289.29 points, or 0.73 per cent, lower at 39,452.07, and the broader NSE Nifty tumbled 90.75 points, or 0.76 per cent, to close at 11,823.30.

Top losers in the Sensex pack in early trade included Vedanta, Tata Steel, RIL, Coal India, Axis Bank, Hero MotoCorp, Tata Motors and Kotak Bank, shedding up to 2 per cent.

On the other hand, Yes Bank, Infosys, PowerGrid, NTPC and TCS rose up to 1 per cent.

"Current formation of the market is indicating that major participants of the market are turning cautious ahead of the major outcome of Fed's decision, which is due on 19th June 2019," said Ashish Nanda EVP & Business Head -- PCG, Commodities and Currency Business, Kotak Securities.

US indices are trading at resistance levels, which is an indication of weakness to persist.

Elsewhere in Asia, while Shanghai Composite Index, Hang Seng, Nikkei and Kospi were trading on a mixed note in their respective early sessions.

Meanwhile, foreign institutional investors sold equity worth Rs 238.64 crore, while domestic institutional investors bought shares to the tune of Rs 376.47 crore, provisional data available with stock exchanges showed on Friday.

On the currency front, the Indian rupee depreciated 6 paise to 69.86 against the US dollar.

The global oil benchmark Brent crude futures were trading 0.31 per cent higher at 62.20 per barrel. -- PTI

09:57 Delhi doctors on strike till tomorrow morning

Healthcare services at several government and private hospitals in the national capital will be hit on Monday as scores of doctors have decided to boycott work for a day in support of their striking colleagues in West Bengal.

The Indian Medical Association (IMA) had given the strike call with the withdrawal of non-essential health services across the country.

IMA members will also stage a dharna at its headquarters in New Delhi.

Doctors at the Centre-run Safdarjung Hospital, Lady Hardinge Medical College and Hospital, RML Hospital, as well as Delhi government facilities such as GTB Hospital, Dr Baba Saheb Ambedkar Hospital, Sanjay Gandhi Memorial Hospital and Deen Dayal Upadhyay Hospital are joining the strike.

The apex medical body, IMA, said all outpatient departments (OPDs), routine operation theatre services and ward visits will be withdrawn for 24 hours from 6 am on Monday to 6 am Tuesday.

Emergency and casualty services will continue to function, it said. Resident Doctors' Association of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Delhi, which earlier decided not join the strike, held a protest march in the campus between 8 am and 9 am and will join the strike from 12 pm, the decision for which was taken at an early morning general body meeting.

"We once again urge the West Bengal administration to fulfil the demands of the striking doctors and resolve the matter amicably at the earliest in the best interest of the general public," a statement issued by the AIIMS RDA said, adding a meeting of its general body will be held at 6 pm again to decide the further course of action.

Meanwhile, the Delhi Medical Association (DMA) and the Federation of Resident Doctors Association (FORDA) have extended their support to the strike. -- PTI

Mumbai Police, known for their usage of quirky and smart one-liners, once again sent out a witty tweet congratulating team India post their win against Pakistan in an ICC World Cup match on Sunday.

Lauding the Men in Blue, Mumbai police posted a cryptic message aimed at encouraging people to follow traffic norms.

'Did not we tell you, following the signals always helps?' it wrote, quoting an earlier tweet.

In the previous tweet, the police suggested team India to play with full vigour against Pakistani team.

'India, see green? Accelerate. Like you always do,' it had tweeted along with a picture of a green traffic signal.

In India, a traffic signal with the green part lit is seen as a signal that it is safe to go.

The police's reaction came soon after Virat Kohli-led team thrashed Pakistan by 89 runs in an ICC World Cup match at the Old Trafford in Manchester, England, on Sunday.

Mumbai police is quite active on social media and put posts, often witty in nature, aimed at spreading awareness on a range of issues including cybercrime, traffic rules etc. -- ANI

08:59 AIIMS doctors organise hour-long protest

Resident Doctor's Association at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences has organised a protest on Monday morning in solidarity with the Kolkata doctors who have been agitating following an alleged attack on a junior doctor in West Bengal's capital.

The protest has been organised in front of Jawaharlal Auditorium of AIIMS New Delhi and commenced at 8 am, the doctors' body said.

"It has been decided to resort to a protest wherein patient care services will not be hampered to ensure that the backlog of patients including the patients affected by the strike, is addressed appropriately. A protest march shall be organised from 8 to 9 am on Monday morning in front of Jawaharlal Auditorium, AIIMS, New Delhi following which, we shall resume duties," it said in a statement earlier.

Expressing concerns over what they called 'situation of doctors' and AIIMS authorities in the statement said that they were in touch with the striking doctors in West Bengal.

"We are hereby hopeful that the West Bengal administration considers demands of striking doctors and resolves the matter amicably at the earliest in the best interest of the people," the press release added.

Doctors associated with the body had on Friday met Union Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan with regard to the violence against doctors in Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee-led state and demanded security for their fraternity. -- ANI

IMAGE: Doctors wear bandages on their heads as they participate in a rally to show solidarity to protest against an attack on intern junior doctor in West Bengal, at AIIMS in New Delhi, on Saturday. Photograph: Arun Sharma/PTI Photo

08:32 Protesting Bengal docs likely to meet CM today

Agitating doctors in West Bengal softened their stand on Sunday, leaving it to Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to decide the meeting venue with them, but insisted that it should be held in the presence of media and recorded.

The chief minister is learnt to have agreed to a meeting on Monday at an auditorium adjacent to the state secretariat.

"The chief minister has agreed for the meeting tomorrow. We have invited two representatives from each medical college and hospital," a state government source told PTI.

Banerjee, however, is not 'comfortable' with their proposal of media presence inside the meeting venue, he said.

"The meeting could either be held at the auditorium or at the chief minister's office. We have passed on this message to the junior doctors," the source said.

Banerjee had on Saturday invited the agitators for closed-door talks, but the offer was turned down by them.

Talking to reporters after a two-and-half-hour-long meeting on Sunday of its governing body, a spokesperson of the joint forum of junior doctors said, "We are keen to end this impasse. We are ready to hold talks with the chief minister at a venue of her choice, provided it is held in the open, in the presence of media persons, and not behind closed doors."

The spokesperson said the venue should be spacious enough to accommodate representatives from all medical colleges and hospitals in the state.

Earlier, the agitators had insisted that Banerjee visit the NRS Medical College and Hospital, the epicentre of the agitation.

"We want to join our duties as early as possible in the best interests of the common people once all our demands are met with adequately and logically through a discussion.

"We are hopeful that the chief minister will be considerate enough to solve the problems," the spokesperson said, adding that the strike would continue till a solution was worked out.

Junior doctors across the state are observing a strike in protest against an assault on two of their colleagues at the NRS, allegedly by the family members of a patient who died on Monday night.

Services continued to remain affected for the sixth day on Sunday in emergency wards, outdoor facilities and pathological units of many state-run hospitals and private medical facilities in the state, leaving several patients in the lurch. -- PTI

IMAGE: A doctor wears a bandage on his head as he participates in a rally to show solidarity to protest against an attack on intern junior doctor in West Bengal, at Bikaner, on Sunday. Photograph: PTI Photo

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