Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Wednesday inaugurated a genome sequencing lab at Lok Nayak Hospital. The genome sequencing laboratory can identify variants of COVID-19.

Addressing the media at the event, the Delhi CM said, “We were dependent on the Central government’s lab at NCDC till now and we had to send all our samples to that lab. Machine for genome sequencing has been brought in LNJP. Through this machine, we can analyse the variants of coronavirus. If we get to know which variant it is, it will help in taking action and framing strategies.” “From today, this facility is being started. I have been told that this is the third such facility in North India. One is NCDC, the other one is NIB Pune and this is the third facility that is being started. People of Delhi will be benefitted from it,” Kejriwal said.

“I would like to congratulate LNJP hospital, the Director of LNJP Dr Suresh Kumar and his team who have started this in such a short period,” he said.

Kejriwal stated that the genetic analyses be helpful in the third wave.

The Delhi CM also informed that another genome sequencing laboratory to identify variants of coronavirus will be inaugurated at the Institute of Liver and Biliary Sciences.

“We have opened many activities. We are also trying to open in a graded manner. I would like to appeal to the people to maintain social distancing where relief is being given. We must take precautions,” he added.

The Covid-19 affects a person’s mental and neurological health, but the fact is not taken as seriously as other effects are taken. Talking about the Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education & Research (PGIMER) alone, out of nearly 5000 patients admitted with Covid-19 complications, 30 per cent of the patients suffered serious symptoms of memory loss and delirium. Brain Fog, a bizarre symptom, is bothering Post-Covid patients to the bone. Moreover, there some patients have suffered serious memory loss and the complication has been staying with the patient for a considerable amount of time.

PGIMER has seen more than 5000 patients suffering serious illness resulting from the Coronavirus. The department of psychiatry found that some patients do not either remember the period of their illness or remain in a state of confusion concerning their environment.

Professor Dr. Sandeep Grover said, “There is a term called Brain Fog that patients suffer from once they recover from Covid-19. They remain in a state of confusion, sometimes in depression, and due to cognitive reasons, they are unable to perform their routine chores. PGI has seen 30 percent of such patients.”

The department of psychiatry at PGIMER has seen patients who were having from severe Covid-19 illness, suffered memory loss. 25-30 per cent of the patients admitted in NHE complained of remaining unaware of their surroundings, says Dr. Sandeep Grover.

Mental health is a serious challenge that has wreaked havoc on Covid-19 patients— not to forget that there are some cases where the patient with comorbidities committed suicide after testing positive for the infection.

We should not overlook the fact that the infection takes a severe toll on the patients’ mental health, says Dr. Aparajita Ghosh, a psychiatrist based in Himachal.

NEW DELHI: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Wednesday has provisionally attached 3 land parcels worth Rs 106.08 crore of Unitech Group, situated in Gurugram.

According to a release by the ED, with this attachment, the total attachment, in this case, reached Rs 537 crore, an official press release informed. “These parcels had been purchased by two dummy entities of Chandras namely M/s Erode Projects Pvt Limited & M/s Kore communities Pvt Limited from the companies of Unitech Group,” it said.

The ED initiated money laundering investigation on the basis of various FIRs filed by homebuyers against Unitech Group and its promoters before Delhi Police. The total proceeds of Crime, in this case, is Rs 5063.05 Crore as determined till now, the ED.

“Investigation by ED revealed that the above said parcels were purchased by M/s Erode Projects Pvt Limited & M/s Kore communities Pvt Limited from the proceeds of crime generated out of scheduled offence. Both these companies are controlled by the promoters of Unitech Group and Proceeds of Crime have been transferred to these companies after substantial layering in Singapore and Cayman Island,” it said.

On March 4, the ED had conducted a search operation at 35 premises of Shivalik Group, Trikar Group, Unitech Group, and Carnoustie Group located in the National Capital Region (NCR) and Mumbai.

“After analysis of the seized records, followed by disclosures of various persons, the above diversion and layering of POC has been unearthed,” the release stated.

Earlier, ED had attached immovable properties to the tune of Rs 431 crore, belonging to Trikar Group, Carnoustie Group, and Shivalik Group. Further investigation is underway. 

On Wednesday, Congress MLA and Former minister Navjot Singh Sidhu again tweeted on the electricity issue and targeted SAD as well as AAP. In a series of 6 tweets Sidhu said, “Politics without work on Policy is merely negative campaigning & Politicians without a Pro-People Agenda are here just for business !! Thus, Politics without Development has No meaning to Me… Today, I emphasize again that we need a Punjab Model for the development of Punjab.”

He continued saying, “Won’t blame Badals for having No vision because I know they don’t ! Today Solar Energy is Rs 1.99 per unit, with other benefits i.e renewable, available onsite (solar tube-well) etc. But Badal-signed faulty PPAs have tied Punjab to Thermal power paying much higher for decades. No Delhi Model ! Delhi does not generate its own Power & distribution is in hands of Reliance & TATA. Whereas, Punjab generates 25% of its own Power & distributes through State-owned Corp, providing employment to thousands. Delhi Model means bigger private players than Badals.”

He further tweeted, “Punjab gives 10% of its Budget (Rs 10,668 Crore) power subsidy but Delhi gives 4% of its Budget (Rs 3080 Crore). Apart from Agriculture, Punjab gives 15 Lakh families (SC, BC & BPL) 200 Units completely free, But Delhi charges 50% <400 & complete bill for all above 400 Units. Delhi does not provide free Power to Farmers & Domestic subsidy is given by heavily burdening Industry & Commercial sector. Punjab Model means cancelling faulty PPAs, producing & purchasing cheap/sustainable Power, decrease transmission costs to give subsidised power for all.”

He summed up saying, “Now, the big question- Can Minister for Power, New & Renewable Energy Punjab do any of this? Not even 1%. All decision-making powers are with PSERC directly reporting to CM. Thus, I invested my time in Punjab Model to chart the path to return People’s Power back to the People.”

Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) President Sukhbir Singh Badal on Wednesday demanded that the Congress government should offer a financial package to the State industry for the losses suffered by it due to the currently forced lockdown on account of power supply mismanagement, even as he called for supplying power to the industry at the promised landing cost of Rs five per unit.

In a statement here, the SAD President said after suffering huge losses due to the Covid lockdown since the last one and a half years, the industrial sector was presently in the grip of a power lockdown with the government imposing a three day compulsory off for the industrial sector besides closing down large scale industries for five days and reducing contracted power load of continuous supply to the industry by fifty per cent. He said, “This has broken the back of the State industry which is suffering losses of crores of rupees daily besides losing orders.”

Asserting that chief minister Capt Amarinder Singh was directly responsible for this state of affairs as he held the Power portfolio, Sukhbir Badal said, “required power purchases should be made immediately to ensure adequate power for the industrial sector.” He said simultaneously the industry should be offered a financial package for the losses incurred by it besides deferring collection of bills for the current cycle by two months. “Power should also be provided at a landing cost of Rs five per unit as promised by chief minister Capt Amarinder Singh,” he said while saying that the industry was currently paying nearly Rs ten per unit.

Badal also demanded holding a special session of the Vidhan Sabha to discuss the complete mismanagement of the State electricity utility. He said PSPCL, which had been declared as the best electricity utility in 2015 during the SAD government-led tenure, was now finding it difficult to even supply adequate power to the consumers. Asking the Congress government to focus on providing affordable and dependable power to Punjabis, he said instead of doing this the government was trying to divert attention from its failures by talking about the Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) done with private thermal plants during the SAD government tenure.

“If the government feels it can provide cheaper power that being given by the private thermal plants which are supplying power at Rs 2.89 per unit to PSPCL then the government should annul the PPAs immediately”. He said as far as the erstwhile SAD government was concerned, it had gone in for the lowest PPA arrangements with private thermal plants after following the policy laid down by the then UPA government led by Dr. Manmohan Sing

AAP Punjab has also demanded that Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh should compensate the industries for the economic losses incurred due to power shortage. AAP Punjab affairs in-charge and MLA from Delhi, Jarnail Singh alleged that Captain had ordered to shut down the industries instead of filling up the power shortage in the state, leaving thousands of people working in these industries unemployed and production coming to a standstill.

On Wednesday, in a major development, the Calcutta High Court imposed a fine of Rs 5 lakh on West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for ‘’putting the judiciary in a bad light.”

The high court bench said that the amount will be used for lawyers’ families who have been affected by Covid-19.

The Calcutta High Court’s single bench led by Justice Kausik Chanda passed the order while hearing West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s election petition challenging BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari’s victory from the Nandigram Constituency in the recently held state assembly polls. At the outset of the argument, Justice Chanda refused to withdraw the case but later changed his decision to say that he was recused from the case.

Earlier in May, the Election Commission had declared BJP’s Suvendu Adhikari the winner in the fiercely contested election for the Nandigram constituency. Suvendu Adhikari had won the election against Mamata Banerjee by nearly 1956 votes.

West Bengal Chief Minister has also moved an application to change the judge in the case and alleged that Justice Chanda has connections with BJP.

Following the imposition of Rs 5 lakhs fine on Wednesday, West Bengal Cheif Minister Mamata Banerjee’s advocate Sanjay Basu said they would challenge the imposition of cost.

“We will take steps to challenge that and I am sure we will be successful,” said Basu.

After the verdict was announced, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s election agent Sheikh Sufian said, “It is a shame that a chief minister has been fined in this way. We are going to the Supreme Court against this verdict. “

West Bengal Chief Minister has also moved an application to change the judge in the case and alleged that Justice Chanda has connections with BJP

Meanwhile, the Bar Council member Achintyakumar Bandyopadhyay said, “Justice Kaushik Chanda today withdrew from the Mamata Banerjee vs Shuvendu Adhikari case. It is the triumph of the judiciary.”

“The victory of the impartiality of the judiciary. I have nothing to say about the fine of five lakh Rupees. Those involved in the case will speak out.”

With inputs from ANI.