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Amarinder orders removal of CM’s photos from government ambulances

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7 years ago

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Chandigarh, Sep 25 (IANS) Initiating another step towards eliminating the VVIP culture in Punjab, Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Monday ordered immediate steps to ensure that the photograph of the Chief Minister is not carried on government ambulances.

The putting up of photographs of the Chief Minister during the previous Shiromani Akali Dal-BJP government (2007-2017) in the state had led to a controversy. The photographs of the then Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal were put on the ‘108’ helpline ambulances and the state had incurred huge losses on this count.

“Parkash Singh Badal’s fixation for having his picture embossed on these ambulances had cost the state exchequer heavily over the years and had even led to a stand-off with the central government in 2013, when the latter had threatened to stop a Rs 3.5 crore central grant to the state over the issue,” a Punjab government spokesman said here on Monday.

“The issue had snowballed into a major controversy two years ago when the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) rapped the Punjab government for forgoing central grants under the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) on account of its refusal to remove Badal’s pictures from the emergency ambulances,” he added.

In its 2015 report, the CAG had said that Punjab had lost out Rs 23.8 crore of central grant for ambulances over three fiscals from 2012 over its failure to follow a prescribed uniform colour code of the NRHM.

In his directive to the officials concerned here on Monday, Amarinder Singh ordered a fresh notification to ensure that no pictures of the Chief Minister are carried on the ambulances in future.

“Amarinder Singh’s pictures were not put on these ambulances after he took over as Chief Minister,” the spokesman added.

He said that the Chief Minister had made it clear that he wanted the process to be initiated without delay and ensure that the ambulances align completely to the NRHM rules.

Punjab had earlier ordered removal of red beacons from official vehicles, even before the Central government initiated the move.

–IANS
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Corona

Covid toll in Karnataka is a worrying sign for state government

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2 years ago

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May 4, 2022

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Even though Karnataka recorded the lowest number of Covid deaths in April since the virus struck first in 2020, the state is recording a rise in the positivity rate (1.50 per cent). Five people died from the Covid infections in April as per the statistics released by the state health department. In March, the positivity rate stood around 0.53 per cent. In the first week of April it came down to 0.38 per cent, second week registered 0.56 per cent, third week it rose to 0.79 per cent and by end of April the Covid positivity rate touched 1.19 per cent.

on an average 500 persons used to succumb everyday in the peak of Covid infection, as per the data. Health experts said that the mutated Coronavirus is losing its fierce characteristics as vaccination, better treatment facilities and awareness among the people have contributed to the lesser number of Covid deaths.

During the 4th and 6th of April two deaths were reported in Bengaluru, one in Gadag district on April 8, two deaths were reported from Belagavi and Vijayapura on April 30. The first Covid case was reported in the state in March 2020 and three Covid deaths were recorded in the month. In the following month 21 people became victims to the deadly virus, and May 2020 recorded 22 deaths. The death toll recorded everyday after May crossed three digits. However, the third wave, which started in January 2

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