New Delhi [India], March 19 (ANI): With 39,726 new COVID-19 cases recorded in last 24 hours the total cases in the country reached 1,15,14,331 on Friday.
According to a statement issued by the union health ministry, as many as 39,726 new COVID-19 cases and 20,654 recoveries were reported in India in the last 24 hours.
With the addition of fresh infections, the total cases in the country reached 1,15,14,331, including 2,71,282 active cases and 1,10,83,679 recoveries.
The death toll stands at 1,59,370 including 154 fatalities recorded in the last 24 hours.
Maharashtra, Punjab, Karnataka, Gujarat and Chhattisgarh continue to report a surge in fresh COVID-19 cases and they account for 80.63 per cent of the daily new cases.
Meanwhile, as the nationwide COVID-19 vaccination drive reached its 63rd day, India has administered more than 4 Crore doses have been administered.
A total of 4,11,55,978 vaccine doses have been given, as per the provisional report till 7 pm today.
Delhi reported 716 new COVID-19 cases, 471 recoveries and four deaths in the last 24 hours, as per the state health department on Friday evening. This was the highest number of COVID-19 cases which the national capital has reported since the onset of this year.
The total cases have mounted to 6,46,348, including 3,165 active cases and 6,32,230 total recoveries.
Meanwhile, Maharashtra reported 25,681 fresh COVID-19 cases, 14,400 recoveries and 70 deaths in the last 24 hours, as per the state health department.
Out of the new cases reported in Maharashtra, 5,065 cases were recorded in the Pune district.
Uttar Pradesh reported 393 new COVID-19 cases, 123 recoveries and 4 deaths in the last 24 hours.
Gujarat reported 1,415 new COVID-19 cases, 948 recoveries, and four deaths in the last 24 hours.
The state health department said that the total count for the COVID-19 cases in the state increased to 2,83,864. The tally of discharges and deaths stand at 2,73,280 and 4,437 respectively while the active case stands at 6,147.
Madhya Pradesh reported 1,140 new COVID19 cases, 556 recoveries and 7 deaths in the last 24 hours.
Andhra Pradesh reported 246 fresh COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours, informed the state health department on Friday.
There are 1,909 are active cases in the state.
The Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation on Friday informed that malls and multiplexes here will remain closed on weekends due to the recent surge in daily COVID-19 cases. (ANI)

New Delhi [India], March 19 (ANI): The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Friday issued a whip to all its members in the Lok Sabha and asked them to be present in the House on March 22, requesting their support for the government’s stand on “very important legislative business” which is scheduled to be taken up on Monday in the ongoing Budget Session.
“All BJP members in Lok Sabha are hereby informed that some very important legislative business will be taken up for discussion and passing in the Lok Sabha on Monday, the 22nd March 2021,” a whip, signed by the party’s chief whip Rakesh Singh, said in letter.
“All members of BJP in Lok Sabha are, therefore, requested to be positively present in the House throughout the day on Monday and support the government’s stand,” it added.
The Budget Session of the Parliament, which had commenced with the address of President Ram Nath Kovind on January 29, concluded on February 29. The second part of the session started on March 8 and is scheduled to conclude on April 8. (ANI)

Dibrugarh (Assam) [India], March 19 (ANI): Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Friday said Congress will give a boost to manufacturing in Assam and alleged that there had been little impact of programmes of Modi government to boost domestic manufacturing.
“PM Modi talks about ‘Make in India’, but if you check mobile phones, shirts, you will find ‘Made in China’ on them, instead of Made in Assam and India. But we want to see Made in Assam and India. This can’t be done by BJP,” he said while addressing a public meeting here.
Gandhi, who arrived in the state on a two-day campaign for assembly polls, interacted with students at a college in Lahowal in Dibrugarh and met tea garden workers at Dinjoy tea estate in Dibrugarh.
The Congress is contesting the assembly polls in an alliance that includes All India United Democratic Front.
Assembly elections in Assam for 126 seats will be held in three phases starting on March 27. The counting of votes will take place on May 2. (ANI)

Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh) [India], March 19 (ANI): A one-day lockdown will be imposed on Sunday, March 21 in Indore, Bhopal and Jabalpur in the wake of rising COVID-19 cases.
According to the state government directive, all schools and colleges in these three cities will remain closed till March 31.
The decision has been taken after the review meeting chaired by Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Friday.
Meanwhile, Madhya Pradesh reported 1140 new COVID-19 cases, 556 recoveries and 7 deaths in the last 24 hours.
With these new cases, the total number of COVID-19 cases in the state goes to 2,73,097. Till today, as many as 2,62,587 people have recovered from the disease in Madhya Pradesh. The active number of cases in the state stands at 6609.
With the 7 new deaths due to COVID-19, the death toll in Madhya Pradesh reaches 3901. (ANI)

Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], March 19 (ANI): Maharashtra reported 25,681 new COVID-19 cases, 14,400 recoveries and 70 deaths in the last 24 hours, as per the State Health Department on Friday.
With this, the total cases surged to 24,22,021 including 1,77,560 active cases and 21,89,965 total recoveries. However, the death toll mounted to 53,208 including the new deaths.
Out of this, Nagpur district reported 3235 new COVID-19 cases, 1245 recoveries and 35 deaths in the last 24 hours, as per Civil Surgeon Nagpur. The total cases escalate to 1,85,787 including 1,55,655 total recoveries. The death toll mounted to 4563 in the district.
Earlier today, Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray said in a press conference, “Number of COVID-19 patients had increased in September 2020 as well. But today we have the vaccine as a shield. Citizens should get vaccinated. Rules should be followed so that there’s no infection. But if rules aren’t followed, strict measures will be taken in near future.”
“Maharashtra, Punjab, Karnataka, Gujarat and Chhattisgarh together account 80.63 per cent of the daily new cases. 39,726 new daily cases were reported in the last 24 hours. Maharashtra continues to report the highest daily new cases at 25,833, 65 per cent of the daily cases. It is followed by Punjab with 2,369 while Kerala reported 1,899 new cases,” read the release by the Union Health Ministry today.
The Centre is actively engaging with all State and UT Governments, especially those showing an upsurge in daily new cases and with a high caseload of active cases. The Union Government is regularly reviewing the status of COVID containment and public health measures with them.
India has scaled a landmark peak in its fight against COVID. As part of the world’s largest vaccination exercise, more than 4 Crore doses have been administered. A total of 4,11,55,978 vaccine doses have been given, as per the provisional report till 7 pm today.
These include 76,86,920 health care workers (HCWs) who have taken the 1st dose and 47,69,469 HCWs who have taken the 2nd dose, 79,10,529 frontline workers (FLWs) (1st dose), 23,16,922 FLWs (2nd dose), 1,53,78,622 beneficiaries more than 60 years old and 30,93,516 beneficiaries aged 45 and above with specific co-morbidities. (ANI)

Kolkata (West Bengal) [India], March 19 (ANI): The Bharatiya Janata Party is set to unveil its manifesto for West Bengal polls on Sunday and is likely to promise to turn around the “corruption-ridden” state through transparent governance aimed at rebranding the state as an investment destination.
The party’s ‘shankhnad’ for elections through its manifesto may have suggestions such as developing international borders to boost markets, promoting vocal for local, revival of industries, reconciling land acquisition policy with the interest of farmers, increasing farmers’ income through technology and other models of farming, boosting jute and tea industry, reviving shelved projects and modernization of police.
In the backdrop of past agitations at Nandigram and Singur, the BJP manifesto is likely to have a promise of doing away with “anti-industry policy of past 34 years of Left Front rule and 10 years of Trinamool Congress rule”.
Sources said a prominent suggestion received was about identifying non-arable tracts of lands to set up a 2-3 wheeler auto hub in the state as there is a huge market for it in Bangladesh and northeastern states.
The party may promise to revive shelved projects concerning petroleum, chemical and petrochemical investments as part of efforts to boost employment.
“Our estimate is that we can facilitate the creation of 1 crore jobs in five years,” a source said.
The manifesto is likely to talk about leveraging ‘Manjusha’ and ‘Tantuja’ and to build a brand for Bengal textiles.
“There could be a promise to protect district-wise products like sal leaves mainly in Jhargram and West Medinipur districts, Cinchona in Darjeeling and Shellac in Purulia etc. There is likely to be something about social security for tendu leave collectors,” the source said.
With many actors in the fray, the party may promise land for the film industry on lines of Uttar Pradesh.
Sources said suggestions have been collected through ‘raths’ and other ways and there have been suggestions for developing international borders and using them to leverage the state markets.
They said the manifesto is likely to also talk about the “failures of TMC government and its bad policies”.
“BJP could promise a state Niti Ayog for overall development,” the source said.
The party is likely to promise strong measures against corruption, end of “violence and syndicate raj”, transparent governance, investment-friendly climate and implementation of National Education Policy.
The party is also likely to promise disbursement of Rs 18,000 on account of Krishak Samman Nidhi including the outstanding amount payable for the last two years to 75 lakh farmers, promotion and protection of glory and dignity of Bengali language and culture and building 25 lakh pucca houses. (ANI)