Yoga, kadha routine for 8 J’khand mantris under home quarantine

Ranchi: The eight cabinet ministers who locked themselves up at their official residences after state health minister Banna Gupta tested positive for Covid-19 hours after a cabinet meeting are hoping to ward off the viral infection by practicing yoga, breathing exercises and kadha (ayurvedic drink) while they anxiously wait for their turn to submit their throat and nasal samples for tests.
State agriculture minister Badal Patralekh has locked himself inside a room of his residence and is dispensing his ministerial duties from there. “He has been taking long walks off late to the new Vidhan Sabha campus and has lost 16 kg weight. But he stopped going out for the last two days and is practicing yoga to stay fit during quarantine,” a source close to the minister said.
State education minister Jagarnath Mahto, who recently enrolled into an intermediate course to finish his incomplete school education, is using the home quarantine to get acquainted with the academic syllabus besides dispensing his duties, one of his aides said. Mahto’s phone remained out of network throughout the day.
Rural affairs minister Alamgir Alam locked himself away as well. “I had a video conferencing with MGNREGA workers today (Thursday), which I cancelled. Every day, several visitors come to meet me at home. I have asked my security officials to politely turn them away till my quarantine period gets over,” Alam said.
Joba Manjhi, the state minister for women, child development and social security, is consuming kadha each morning to help boost her immunity, her aides to TOI.
However, while his cabinet colleagues are indoors, state finance minister Rameshwar Oraon is venturing outdoors. On Thursday, Oraon attended Congress party’s celebrations to mark the birth anniversary of late former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi. “I am a minister, but also the party’s chief. It was my duty so I had to carry out,” Oraon justified.
Stating that he is aware of the health risk he poses to the people he is coming in contact with, Oraon said, “I am taking all necessary precautions at home and outside. I do breathing exercises daily and since the pandemic began, I inhale steam twice a day as it has been recommended by health experts as a mean to minimise the chances of Covid-19. I am also in touch with all the ministers and enquiring about their health regularly.”
Besides filework, Hemant was at his usual self on Thursday as he marshalled several deputy commissioners on Twitter.
Meanwhile, Gupta remained stable into his second day of treatment at the paying ward of Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences (Rims). “The minister underwent a CT scan on Thursday whose report was normal. His oxygen saturation level is hovering between 98-99. He is having mild fever occasionally, but has not complained of breathing problems,” Gupta’s office said in the evening.