US death toll passes 50,000 in world's deadliest outbreak : Sanjay Patil

 Sanjay Patil : Agency :  he US virus death toll has surpassed 50,000, according to data from Johns Hopkins University, in what is the world's deadliest Covid-19 outbreak.

More than 3,000 deaths came in the last 24 hours, and there are now over 870,000 confirmed cases nationwide. But the US still has a lower mortality rate than most European nations based on current case counts, as the White House task force has emphasised. The grim news comes as parts of the US reopen after weeks of lockdown.

Some hair salons, bowling alleys and other businesses are opening on Friday in Georgia, Alaska and Oklahoma. The US has by far the highest death toll and case count in the world. However, it has a population of 330 million, much higher than other worst affected countries such as Spain and Italy.

Dr Deborah Birx, an expert on the White House Covid-19 task force, has said the country has "one of the lowest mortality rates in the entire world". On a per capita basis, the reported US death rate of 1.4% is lower than Spain, Italy, France, Belgium and the UK. Recent steep rises in the daily US death toll are also partly due to the inclusion of "probable" virus deaths.

The US Centers for Disease Control on 14 April said their case counts would include both confirmed and probable cases and deaths. A probable Covid-19 death is one that meets clinical and epidemiological criteria but has not been confirmed by testing.It is also important to note that many mild Covid-19 cases remain unreported, so the death rate from confirmed cases is not the same as the disease's overall death rate. Testing efforts are key to tracking the actual mortality and spread of the disease.

Vice-President Mike Pence, the taskforce leader, said the US has conducted 4.9 million tests thus far, and is working with governors to expand testing. The $484bn economic stimulus bill, passed yesterday by Congress, includes funding for testing expansion. It is the fourth Covid-19 relief package passed by Washington, and also allocates funds towards hospitals and a small business loan programme. President Donald Trump signed the bill into law on Friday, saying he wanted to "rush economic relief to our citizens".

What's the current situation in the US?

The rising death toll comes as several US states are beginning to ease economic restrictions, despite warnings from experts and President Donald Trump. In Georgia, which has one of the fastest re-opening timetables in the country, bowling alleys, spas, hair and nail salons, tattoo parlours and other personal care businesses will be allowed to resume operations. On Monday, Georgia will allow dine-in restaurants and theatres to re-open.

During Thursday's task force briefing, Mr Trump said he "wasn't at all happy" with the state's Republican Governor, Brian Kemp, nor were his team of experts. "I want the people in Georgia to be safe," the president said. "And I don't want this thing to flare up, because you're deciding to do something that is not in the guidelines." Mr Kemp, after Mr Trump's criticism, has tightened some of the sanitation and social distancing requirements for restaurants. The president is also facing backlash after he suggested injecting disinfectants as a potential coronavirus treatment.

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नितीन राऊत यांनी विदर्भ, मराठवाडा आणि उर्वरित महाराष्ट्र विकास मंडळांना पाच वर्षांची मुदतवाढ मागितली आहे : संजय पाटील

संजय पाटील:  नागपूर : महाराष्ट्राचे ऊर्जामंत्री आणि नागपूर जिल्ह्याचे पालकमंत्री डॉ. नितीन राऊत यांनी विदर्भ, मराठवाडा आणि उर्वरित महाराष्ट्र विकास मंडळांना पाच वर्षांची मुदतवाढ मागितली आहे. तसेच या मंडळांच्या अध्यक्षांचा कार्यभार संबंधित विभागीय आयुक्तांना देण्यात यावा, अशी मागणी त्यांनी केली आहे. मागील विदर्भ विकास मंडळ (व्हीडीबी) व अन्य दोन विकास मंडळांची मुदतवाढ 30 एप्रिल 2020 रोजी संपुष्टात येत आहे.

या पार्श्वभूमीवर, डॉ. नितीन राऊत यांनी उद्धव ठाकरे, महाराष्ट्राचे मुख्यमंत्री यांना पत्र लिहिले आहे. त्यांनी पुढील पाच वर्षांच्या विकासासाठी राज्य मंत्रिमंडळाचा प्रस्ताव पाठविण्याची विनंती केली आहे. हा प्रस्ताव महाराष्ट्राच्या राज्यपालांना पाठवावा लागेल. अखेर भारतीय राष्ट्रपतींनी मुदतवाढ दिली. “विकास मंडळांना मुदतवाढ देण्यासंदर्भात त्वरित कार्यवाही करणे आवश्यक आहे,” असे राऊत म्हणाले.

विदर्भातील विकास अनुशेष दूर करण्यासाठी आणि मराठवाडा व उर्वरित महाराष्ट्राचा समतोल प्रादेशिक विकास साधण्यासाठी विकास मंडळांना मुदतवाढ देण्याची गरज आहे, असे डॉ राऊत यांनी पत्रात नमूद केले. विकास मंडळाच्या अध्यक्षपदाचा अतिरिक्त कार्यभार संबंधित विभागीय आयुक्तांकडे देण्याची शिफारस त्यांनी मुख्यमंत्र्यांकडे केली आहे.

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Abhijit Vinayak Banerjee Nobel prize economist says India must do more for poor: Sanjay Patil

Sanjay Patil  : Agency : A Nobel-prize winning economist has said India needs to be "much more generous" in providing relief to the millions of people who have been direly hit by the ongoing lockdown.

"We haven't done anything close to enough," Indian-American academic Abhijit Vinayak Banerjee, told the  After imposing the lockdown on 24 March, India announced a $23bn (£18bn) relief package.

Much of it involves cash transfers and food security for the poor. "We don't want anyone to remain hungry, and we don't want anyone to remain without money in their hands," Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said at the time. Professor Banerjee, who won the Nobel Prize in economics in 2019 with co-researchers Esther Dufflo and Michael Kremer, said the "government was right in its thinking to throw a shock in the system" to contain the spread of the Covid-19 infection.

"But the lockdown is not the end of the story. This disease is going to be with us for a long time until a vaccine arrives, which is not anytime soon," the economist who teaches at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) said. "India needs to think of a clear, well-articulated plan on what should be done next. The economy was already facing a demand slump. The [coronavirus] outbreak is a double whammy and many people have lost their earning capacity. There's an additional demand slump now."

Prof Banerjee added that India's government should be more liberal about spending money to bail out people who could be facing poverty because of loss of earnings. "I know there's a concern that what is the use of giving money to people when the markets are closed. But, to begin with, you can tell people that money is coming and create a mood for demand," he said. "People need reassurance. And the government has to be proactive in reassuring people."

People should be having the money in their hands when the supply of goods and services eases and resumes so that they can go out and begin spending, Prof Banerjee said. Hundreds of millions of households who are already listed as recipients for India's many federal welfare schemes would be eligible for such direct cash benefits, he said.

For the large number of people who are not beneficiaries of such schemes, there could be "local community reporting mechanisms" to identify them and make sure the money reaches their pockets. "There are ways. It won't be always accurate in identifying who's deserving of the benefit and who's not. But we are not trying to be perfect at this point in time. This is an emergency." Prof Banerjee also feels India should not be afraid to print money to fund the expansion of welfare benefits.

"The US has taken the view that it can print money and spend it. I don't know why India shouldn't." "Possibly there is the fear of inflation, when there is not much supply of goods and services. But India has to do something about [bridging] the income gap that has been created. The government has to be more aggressive about spending money." "How the supply chain [of goods and services] can be opened up so that it doesn't create fresh infections and deaths and trigger another lockdown will be the main challenge," Prof Banerjee said.

India's economy is now expected to only grow between 1.5-2.8% in 2020-21, according to the World Bank. Joblessness has risen sharply, according to an independent assessment. Migrant workers, the backbone of key service industries, have either fled their shuttered workplaces or are stranded in homeless centres in cities.

मोदी सरकारने लॉकडाउनच्या काळात गरीबांसाठी केलेल्या उपाय योजना अपुऱ्या आहेत असं म्हणत नोबेल पुरस्कार विजेते अभिजित बॅनर्जी यांनी मोदी सरकारवर तिखट शब्दांमध्ये टीका केली. ‘बीबीसी’ला दिलेल्या मुलाखतीत त्यांनी हे वक्तव्य केलं आहे. मोदी सरकारने गरीबांच्या मदतीसाठी काही चांगल्या योजना आखाव्यात आणि त्यांना भरीव मदत करावी असाही सल्ला बॅनर्जी यांनी दिला आहे.

काय म्हटलं आहे बॅनर्जी यांनी?
“करोनाचं संकट हे इतक्यात आपली पाठ सोडणार नाही. प्रतिबंधात्मक लस येत नाही तोपर्यंत या संकटातून सुटका होणं कठीण आहे. अशा कठीण काळात मोदी सरकारने गरीबांना आवश्यक त्या सोयी-सुविधा पुरवाव्यात. लॉकडाउननंतरच्या काळात, पुढे काय करायचं आहे? हा प्रश्न मोदी सरकारला पडला पाहिजे. सध्या करोनाचा प्रादुर्भाव रोखण्यासाठी जो लॉकडाउन पुकारण्यात आला आहे त्यामुळे अनेकांच्या कमाईची साधनं बंद झाली आहेत. ज्यांचं हातावरचं पोट आहे त्यांचे सर्वाधिक हाल होत आहेत.  अशांसाठी सरकारने भरीव उपाय योजले पाहिजेत” असंही बॅनर्जी यांनी म्हटलं आहे.

“लॉकडाउन जाहीर केल्यानंतर केंद्र सरकारने गरीबांच्या खात्यात थेट अर्थ सहाय्य आणि अन्न सुरक्षा उपलब्ध करुन दिले. मात्र हे उपाय पुरेसे नाहीत” असंही बॅनर्जी यांनी स्पष्ट केलं.

“भारताच्या आर्थिक प्रगतीचा वेग हा आधीच मंदावला होता. अशात करोना व्हायरसचं संकट कोसळलं. अशा खडतर काळात भक्कम आर्थिक पॅकेजची गरज आहे. लाखो लोकांपुढे उदरनिर्वाह कसा करायचा हा प्रश्न आ वासून उभा आहे. अशा काळात सरकारने भरीव पॅकेज देऊन त्यांना मदत केली पाहिजे. केंद्र सरकारच्या योजनेसाठी पात्र नसलेले अनेक लोक आहेत. मात्र स्थानिक पातळीवर काही तरी नियोजन करुन त्यांच्या खात्यात पैसे जातील याची काळजी सरकारने घ्यायला हवी” असंही बॅनर्जी यांनी म्हटलं आहे.

सध्या देशात आणीबाणीच
“आपल्या देशात करोना व्हायरसचा प्रादुर्भाव रोखण्यासाठी जो लॉकडाउन पुकारण्यात आला आहे ती एक प्रकारे आणीबाणीच आहे. सध्या जी परिस्थिती आहे ती मागणी आणि पुरवठा यामध्ये तफावत येऊ शकते. तसे झाल्यास महागाई वाढणार हे उघड आहे. त्यामुळे या दृष्टीने योग्य तो विचार करुन सरकारने पावलं उचलण्याची गरज आहे” असंही बॅनर्जी यांनी स्पष्ट केलं.

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Is social distancing an oxymoron in India? Sanjay Patil

 Sanjay Patil : Agency : In India too, we are constantly being told to avoid physical contact and maintain a distance of at least one metre from others. Prime Minister Narendra Modi himself has talked about it repeatedly in his nationally-televised addresses to the citizens."If you want to tame the spread of the coronavirus, the only way to do it is to break the cycle of transmission by practicing social distancing," he said. Millions of people are following his advice, but what transpires every now and then makes one wonder if social distancing is an oxymoron in India.

Some of the violations are, of course, driven by despair - for instance, when thousands of migrant workers turn up at the railway or bus station in the hope that they may be able to find some transport to return home.India has been under a complete lockdown for the past month, leaving millions of migrant workers stranded in towns and cities, far away from home, with no jobs or money. So, every time they hear rumours that some transport services maybe resumed, crowds have gathered, defying laws on social distancing, at considerable risk to themselves and others.

Then, there's also the matter of overcrowding. India is a country with more than 1.3 billion people and has a population density of 464 per sq km - in China, the world's most populous country, it is 153 and in the US it's just 36. An average Indian family has five members and 40% of all homes - that is, 100 million homes - have only one room. "In India, it's a privilege to be able to maintain social distancing when most of the population is huddled up five to six in a room," Kiran Lamba Jha, assistant professor of sociology at Kanpur's CSJM university, told the BBC.

"Social distancing is only possible if you have a large house," she said.

Despair and overcrowding can be legitimate reasons, but in the past month, Indians have also displayed behaviour that defies reason and makes me wonder if we even understand the concept of social distancing? For instance, just before the countrywide lockdown began, Mr Modi called upon Indians to observe a day-long self-imposed public curfew on 22 March. He said coronavirus had no cure yet and the only way to stay safe was to stay home. And to thank those who couldn't stay home - like doctors and nurses and other emergency workers - the prime minister suggested that people come out in their balconies or stand in their doorways at 5pm and clap, beat metal plates, or ring bells for five minutes.

People across India responded enthusiastically by participating in the curfew.

But at 5pm, all the good work of the day was undone - large groups of people came out onto the streets in many cities and towns, blowing conch shells, beating drums, clapping and clanging vessels. Many took selfies and shouted "go corona, go" as processions meandered through the lanes and bylanes. Incredibly, some of these processions were led by senior government officials and top policemen - the men who were meant to be educating people about social distancing and enforcing it.

Similar scenes were reported a couple of weeks later when Mr Modi called on the people to light candles and clay lamps to show solidarity with those affected by Covid-19.

By then, India was in the midst of a strict 21-day lockdown, but at many places, crowds poured out onto the streets, chanting slogans and setting off fireworks. "The events were good at one level because by participating in them, people were trying to express social solidarity in times of crisis," says Prof Lamba Jha. "But then people forgot that corona was still around," she laughs. Because of the coronavirus, she says, we find ourselves in a kind of situation that's not normal, but distancing to many Indians is an alien concept. "We say man is a social animal and Indians are more social than others. We don't like being alone, we have large families, we have lots of friends and neighbours, we thrive on social connectedness."

In places like the capital, Delhi, and across larger cities and towns though, police are working to enforce it strictly. In my local market, shops have circles drawn in chalk outside to ensure shoppers stand one-metre apart at all times. There have been exceptions though - like when slum-dwellers mob a water tanker in a parched Delhi colony or when hundreds of poor and homeless clamour for food being distributed by charities in Noida, a Delhi suburb. I've seen photographs of packed vegetable markets three weeks into the lockdown In Patna city. And in Prayagraj (formerly Allahabad), people are still thronging ration shops and chemist stores. And in rural India, where 69% of the country's population lives, I hear social distancing is not doing well at all. Amarnath Tewary, a senior journalist in the northern state of Bihar, says social distancing is an "urban phenomenon".

In villages, people often live as a community, many families share a single water source and work together on farms and fields. In local markets, shoppers often stand within touching distance of each other, he says. Prof Lamba Jha says that's because many villagers still think Covid-19 is a rich man's disease because it came to India from abroad. "They feel cases of coronavirus are only in the cities, everything is fine in the villages.

"They can't understand what the fuss is about."

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Human Rights Violation During 6 Years : Sanjay Patil

Sanjay Patil : HRW: Under the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party government, pro-BJP vigilantes have committed violence against religious minorities, marginalized communities, and critics of the government. The failure of authorities to investigate attacks, while promoting Hindu supremacy and ultra-nationalism, has further encouraged violence. Supreme court rulings in 2017 strengthened fundamental rights, equal rights for women, and accountability for security force violations. However, security forces continue to commit arbitrary arrests, torture, and extrajudicial killings with impunity. New laws and policies aimed at justice for sexual violence survivors have not ended barriers to reporting such crimes. Foreign funding regulations are used to target nongovernmental organizations critical of the government

भारत में भारतीय जनता पार्टी सरकार के शासन में इसके समर्थकों द्वारा निगरानी के नाम पर की जाने वाली हिंसा बढ़ी है. यह हिंसा धार्मिक अल्पसंख्यकों, हाशिए के समुदायों और सरकार की आलोचना करने वालों को निशाना बनाते हुए की जा रही है. एक ओर, सरकार इन हमलों की जांच में नाकाम रही है तो दूसरी तरफ, वह हिंदू वर्चस्व और उग्र-राष्ट्रवाद को बढ़ावा दे रही है. इन सब बातों से जारी हिंसा को बढ़ावा मिल रहा है. 2017 में सर्वोच्च न्यायालय के फैसलों से मौलिक अधिकारों, महिलाओं के लिए समान अधिकार और सुरक्षा बलों द्वारा उल्लंघन के प्रति जवाबदेही मजबूत हुई है. फिर भी, उत्पीड़न और गैर-न्यायिक हत्याओं के नए आरोपों के बीच सुरक्षा बल दण्ड-मुक्ति के साथ कार्रवाई कर रहे हैं. विदेशी वित्त पोषण नियमों के जरिए सरकार की आलोचना करने वाले सिविल सोसायटी समूहों को निशाना बनाया

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Children's Rights, Women's Rights : Sanjay Patil

Children's Rights,
 Millions of children have no access to education, work long hours under hazardous conditions and are forced to serve as soldiers in armed conflict. They suffer targeted attacks on their schools and teachers or languish in institutions or detention centers, where they endure inhumane conditions and assaults on their dignity. Young and immature, they are often easily exploited. In many cases, they are abused by the very individuals responsible for their care. We are working to help protect children around the world, so they can grow into adults

Women's Rights

Despite great strides made by the international women’s rights movement over many years, women and girls around the world are still married as children or trafficked into forced labor and sex slavery. They are refused access to education and political participation, and some are trapped in conflicts where rape is perpetrated as a weapon of war. Around the world, deaths related to pregnancy and childbirth are needlessly high, and women are prevented from making deeply personal choices in their private lives. Human Rights Watch is working toward the realization of women’s empowerment and gender equality—protecting the rights and improving the lives of women and girls on the ground

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" 'कम्युनिटी किचन " रोज ४५ हजार लोकांपर्यंत जेवण: संजय पाटील

संजय पाटील : नागपूर : नागपूर महापालिकेच्या माध्यमातून आजघडीला रोज ४५ हजार लोकांपर्यंत जेवण पोहोचविले जात आहे. यासाठी अहोरात्र काम करण्यात येत आहे. स्वयंसेवींच्या सहकार्यातून मनपातर्फे हे कार्य होत आहे. त्यावर बारीक देखरेख ठेवून आढावा घेण्यात येत आहे. कुणीही उपाशी राहू नये, यासाठीची ही धडपड खरी मानवसेवा आहे. महापौर संदीप जोशी यांनी यासाठी चालविण्यात येणाऱ्या कम्युनिटी किचनची पाहणी करून गौरवोद्गार काढले.

कामासाठी आलेले अनेक लोक लॉकडाउनमुळे शहरात अडकले आहेत. या लोकांपर्यंत मदत पोहोचविण्यासाठी मनपाच्या सहकार्याने अनेक स्वयंसेवी संस्था पुढे येत आहेत. दररोज हजारो गरजू लोकांपर्यंत अन्न पोहोचविण्याचे कार्य स्वयंसेवी संस्था मनपाच्या माध्यमातून करीत आहेत, हे अभिनंदनीय कार्य आहे. आजच्या स्थितीत जास्तीत जास्त गरजूंपर्यंत मदत पोहोचणे आवश्यक आहे. यासाठी शहरातील नागरिकांनी पुढे येऊन मनपाला सहकार्य करावे, असे आवाहन महापौरांनी केले.

मनपाच्या शहरात २७ 'कम्युनिटी किचन'सुरू आहेत. मैत्री व लॉयन्स क्लबच्या सदस्यांसह या सेवेसाठी नोडल अधिकारी असलेले उपायुक्त मिलिंद मेश्राम यांच्या सेवाकार्याचेही कौतुक करण्यात आले. आज शहरात विदर्भातील आणि परराज्यांतील अनेक विद्यार्थी, नोकरदार, विस्थापित कामगार अडकले आहेत. याशिवाय ज्येष्ठ नागरिक आणि रेशन कार्ड नसलेल्या अनेकांवर मोठे संकट आहे. अशा स्थितीत या नागरिकांच्या मदतीकरिता, त्यांना दोन वेळचे जेवण किंवा अत्यावश्यक साहित्यांचा पुरवठा करण्यासाठी अनेक संस्था पुढे आल्या आहेत. दीनदयाल थालीच्या माध्यमातूनही अनेकांना दोन वेळचे जेवण पोहोचविण्यात येत आहे. गरजूंपर्यंत मदत पोहोचविण्यासाठी ४४ स्वयंसेवी संस्था, १५ दानदाते व ९ जणांकडून आर्थिक मदत मिळत आहे.

-असे होत आहे वाटप

मैत्री परिवार संस्थेच्यावतीने शहरात सुरेंद्रनगर, वझलवार लॉन धरपेठ आणि अत्रे लेआउट या तीन ठिकाणी 'कम्युनिटी किचन' चालविले जात आहेत. सुरेंद्रनगर आणि वझलवार येथील किचनमधून शहरातील ज्येष्ठ नागरिक, विद्यार्थी, भाड्याने राहणाऱ्या व्यक्ती आदींना दररोज सकाळी व सायंकाळी प्रत्येकी एक हजार असे दोन्ही किचनमधून दररोज चार हजार जेवणाचे डबे पोहोचिण्यात येत आहेत, तर अत्रे लेआउट येथील किचनमधून सकाळी ५०० व सायंकाळी ५०० असे दररोज एक हजार लोकांपर्यंत जेवण पोहोचविण्यात येत आहे. लॉयन्स क्लबच्या माध्यमातून मानवसेवानगर सेमिनरी हिल्स टीवी टॉवर येथे 'कम्युनिटी किचन'सुरू आहे. या किचनमधून हजारीपहाड, पांढराबोडी, सुदामनगरी, फुटाळा या वस्त्यांमध्ये दररोज १,६०० लोकांच्या जेवणाची व्यवस्था केली जात आहे. रेशन कार्ड नसणा-यांनाही लॉयन्स क्लबद्वारे जीवनावश्यक साहित्यांची किट उपलब्ध करून देत आहे.

१,३७५ परप्रांतीय निवारा केंद्रात

लॉकडाउनमुळे शहरात अडकलेले नागपूरबाहेरील १,३७५ नागरिक मनपाच्या निवाऱ्यांमध्ये आश्रयाला आहेत. यामध्ये सर्वाधिक संख्या मध्यप्रदेशातील नागरिकांची आहे. मध्यप्रदेशातील ६९३ नागरिक बेघर निवाऱ्यात आहेत. भंडारा, गोंदिया, अमरावती, वर्धा, चंद्रपूर, यवतमाळ, अकोला, तुमसर, बुलडाणा आणि पुणे या सर्व भागांतील २९६, छत्तीसगढचे ३५, उत्तरप्रदेश १२९, बिहार ८, तेलंगना १६, आंध्रप्रदेश ४, कर्नाटक १, राजस्थान १५९, झारखंड १३, हरयाणा १२, ओडिशा ४ आणि इतर ५ असे एकूण १,३७५ नागरिक मनपाच्या निवारा केंद्रात आश्रयाला आहेत.

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