Punjab doesn’t not need ‘lollipops’ ,Sidhu

Union Minister for Minorities Affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi has said that the Haj pilgrimage, which was closed for two years due to the Corona pandemic, will resume next year. He also said that for the Haj pilgrimage, a mobile app has been made to facilitate the pilgrims. He further informed that only those persons, who have taken both doses of COVID vaccines, will be granted permission for Haj pilgrimage. He was speaking in a programme in Mumbai today. The Minister further said that the embarkation points for the Haj 2022 would be Ahmedabad, Banglore, Kochchi, Srinagar, Delhi, Guwahati, Kolkata, Lucknow, Hyderabad and Mumbai.

-Health Ministry has said that more than 112 crore 93 lakh vaccine doses have been provided to States and Union Territories so far through Centre's free of cost channel and direct state procurement category. It said, more than 13 Crore 45 lakh balance and unutilized COVID Vaccine doses are still available with the States and UTs to be administered. As part of the nationwide vaccination drive, the Centre has been supporting the States and UTs by providing them COVID Vaccines free of cost. In the new phase of the universalization of the COVID-19 vaccination drive, the Union Government will procure and supply free of cost 75 per cent of the vaccines being produced by the vaccine manufacturers in the country to States and Union Territories.

-Health Minister Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya on Monday chaired a high- level meeting with Delhi to review the public health measures taken for control and management of Dengue. He has directed officials to ramp up testing so that all cases of dengue are reported and treated properly. Apart from other measures, the Health Minister stressed on the identification of slums without regular supply of water where water is stored for consumption. Mandaviya also observed that some hospitals are over-burdened with dengue cases while beds continue to be empty in other hospitals. He suggested effective communication between all stakeholders as the way forward. He also requested Delhi officials to look into the possibility of repurposing COVID beds to treat Dengue. It was decided that health officials of the Union Health Ministry will support their counterparts in the Delhi Government to chalk out a detailed action plan to combat Dengue.The Centre will also send a team of experts to States with rising Dengue cases. Best Practices of these states will be recorded in the subsequent review meets. The meeting also discussed the new vaccines developed to target Dengue. Delhi Government health officials assured the Union Health Minister that the outbreak shall be contained with the help of all stakeholders.

-Miss Kerala 2019 Ansi Kabeer and first Runner-up Anjana Shajan died in a car accident in Kochi that took place during the wee hours of Monday morning. Both died on the spot.Two other persons traveling in the car, who were critically injured, have been admitted to a private hospital. Their condition is said to be serious.The mishap occurred near Vyttila on the Edappally-Aroor bypass in the city. Police sources said, the accident is believed to have taken place when the car was trying to avert hitting a two-wheeler rider.

-Punjab Congress president Navjot Singh Sidhu hit out at the “lollipop culture” practiced just two months before the state elections.  Sidhu said that Punjab did not need “lollipops” but a definite roadmap for its resurgence and welfare of its people. “How will the welfare of Punjab be achieved? There are two ways. Either you give lollipop, give this free and that free. You do whatever you want for four years and nine months, carry out excesses and then give everything free. Is your only aim to come to power and form the government by telling lies and making 500 promises or work for welfare of people,"