In the midst of rising temperatures in north India’s plains, people have turned to hills for relief. However, visuals from tourist spots of people not adhering to Covid-19 protocols are a “serious cause of concern” and an “open invitation” to the virus, said the Centre on Friday, while asserting that lowering of guard cannot be accepted at present.

The Union Health Ministry has warned that overcrowding in tourist destinations like Uttarakhand, Kerala, Goa, Tamil Nadu, Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh can be dangerous if the Covid guidelines are not followed.

“We cannot lower our guard. A new risk is being seen at markets and tourist spots where a gathering of crowds being seen, social distancing and mask protocol is not being followed. This is a serious cause of concern,” said Dr V.K. Paul, Member-Health, Niti Aayog during a press conference here.

“Visuals from tourist spots of people mingling without Covid protocols are a serious cause of concern. This has been highlighted in the Union Cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi,” he added.

The Himachal government is concerned about the growing number of visitors to the state. Suggestions are being sought on how to control the crowd. However, the state administration has no intention of stopping travellers as the tourism industry employs thousands of people, though it may impose some limitations on people arriving from other states.

Unlocking is also in process in Uttarakhand. In such a situation, a big number of people are flocking to the state’s tourist attractions. Crowds swarming tourist destinations in the midst of a possible third Covid-19 wave could make the government’s job even more difficult. The government is currently attempting to manage it while also maintaining the smooth operation of tourism.

With Covid-19 curbs being relaxed and restrictions on movement being removed, more and more people are heading out to tourist destinations like Shimla, Manali, Mussoorie and Nainital to beat the heat of the plains. What’s more worrisome is that a large number of people are leaving their masks and social distance at home while in the hills. Concerning visuals have surfaced from these places of people overcrowding markets and tourist spots, even as the fear of a possible third wave hitting the country is very much alive and haunting.

“Isn’t this an open invitation for the virus to come and infect us?” Health Ministry Joint Secretary Lav Agarwal said during the same press briefing as visuals of tourists flouting norms at Mussoorie’s Kempty Falls played in the background. “We are still dealing with the second wave of Covid-19. We need to continue the display of Covid-appropriate behaviour,” he added.

Several gardens in Tamil Nadu’s Kodaikanal hill station have been closed again from 6 July. This decision was made one day after the state’s lockdown was lifted. The decision was made due to a large number of reckless tourists, according to local officials.

Meanwhile, the Himachal High Court has shown its unhappiness about Covid-19 protocols being disregarded in the state. The court directed all the Deputy Commissioners (DCs) of the state to increase the monitoring and get it strictly followed. The DCs have been told to give their Covid reports to the court on a weekly basis.

Earlier, the Union Health Ministry had told the state about a larger number of tourists reaching the state and disregarding Covid rules and protocols.

Lok Sabha MP and eminent lawyer Meenakshi Lekhi has been appointed as Minister of State for External Affairs and the Culture Ministry. She spoke to The Daily Guardian as to how she will club work of the two ministries to serve the country and the national capital. Excerpts:

Q: The PM has given a big responsibility to you as two portfolios have been handed over to you. What are going to be your priorities?

A: The country must get right projection around the globe. Diplomacy and culture are interlinked and you may say that they are complimentary to each other. Therefore, we will showcase the soft power of India and will ensure that a positive image of the country goes around. We will tell the world how India had given so much to humanity and if there is anything good about a foreign country, we will try to replicate it here as well. 

Q: PM Modi always speaks about good governance. How will you ensure this in your own ministries?

A: Transparency is the first and foremost thing. We will work with honesty and ensure corruption-free governance. Will take merit-based decisions and policy would be just for all. These are the key elements of good governance preached by PM Modi. 

Q: You come from Delhi, only MP now from national capital. How you will serve people here in Delhi?

A: Delhi is our national capital and all embassies are located here only. Luckily, I got elected from that part of Delhi only. The history of Delhi dates back to the Pandava era when this was Indraprastha and even after that, entire history revolves around Delhi only. I will try and ensure that Delhi gets recognition on the world map and people know about its rich heritage.

Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut on Thursday took a jibe at the recent reshuffle of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Cabinet stating that veteran leaders like Ravi Shankar Prasad had been removed.

“Ravi Shankar Prasad always used to boast about Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s actions terming them as masterstrokes. However, this time this ‘masterstroke’ seems to have rebounded on him,” he said.

The Sena MP said that other experienced ministers like Prakash Javadekar and Thaawarchand Gehlot had to go home. “New faces have been introduced. Obviously, they would have hired on the basis of their merits,” he added.

Four BJP leaders from Maharashtra were on Wednesday inducted into the Council of Ministers. While former Maharashtra chief minister Narayan Rane was made a Union Minister, Kapil Patil, Dr Bhagwat Karad and Bharati Pawar were inducted as Ministers of State (MoS). Rane, who had been previously with the Shiv Sena and the Congress before joining the BJP, has been appointed as a Minister of Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises of India.

Raut said, “Two to four ministers from Maharashtra have been inducted in the cabinet. Originally, they were members of Shiv Sena and NCP. So, we should be grateful to the BJP that such talented leaders from our party became a part of their party and they made them leaders. They will do good work and will contribute to India’s and Maharashtra’s progress,” he added.

Rane has been a vociferous critic of the Sena but Raut chose to downplay this aspect. “The position of a minister is not given to attack other parties. If this is the objective behind giving the ministerial position, then what is the dignity left behind a ministerial position? A ministerial position is given to serve the country and the citizens of the country. If Modiji had given a ministerial position to someone then he would have definitely seen the merits and the contribution of the person,” said Sanjay Raut.

On the appointment of Mansukh Mandaviya as Minister of Health and Family Affairs, the Sena MP said: “A new face of the cabinet has come forward and we welcome that”. As many as 43 leaders took oath on Wednesday in the first Union Cabinet reshuffle and expansion after Prime Minister Modi returned to power for a second term in May 2019.

Ahead of the upcoming Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls, Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya has announced that roads would be built to the homes of kar sevaks who lost their lives in the Ram Janmabhoomi movement.

Addressing a public event on Ayodhya, Maurya said: “These roads will be made in the name of Ram Bhakt Kar Sevak.” He said that the road to the house of the sacrificed Ram devotee would be named as “Kar Sevak Marg”. The name and photo of the sacrificed Ram devotee will also be displayed.

”Kar sevaks had come to Ayodhya in 1990 and wanted the darshan of Ram Lalla. The then SP government had fired bullets at the unarmed Lord Ram devotees. Many had died. Today, I announce that roads would be constructed in UP in the names of all such kar sevaks,” he said.

Maurya’s statement comes ahead of the 2022 Assembly polls in the state. Uttar Pradesh is considered to be most important for the BJP as it has been electing the highest number of MPs to Lok Sabha for two successive terms.

Meanwhile, the ongoing work in the construction of the Shri Ram temple has not been affected and the work of filling the foundation is being done in two consecutive shifts of 24 hours.

The Daily Guardian is the first newspaper which has brought exclusive pictures and videos of the Ram temple construction to its readers. At the same time, there are elaborate security arrangements in place in the Ram temple complex. The premises are being monitored 24 hours a day. For this, watch towers and CCTV cameras have been installed, so that the construction and surrounding activities are monitored at all times.

About 50 layers of 10-inch thick mixture of building material will be laid in about 50-feet deep foundation measuring 400 feet long and 300 feet wide. Six layers of building material mixture have been placed one on top of the other over the foundation land spread across 2.77 acres. The work of about 8 feet i.e. 9 layers, has been completed. And the filling of the 10th layer has also been done, and will now be compacted. The Ram Janmabhoomi complex in Ayodhya is of 70 acres of land, but at present, construction work is going on in 5 acres of land. The work of filling the foundation with engineering field material is being done by digging 400 feet long, 300 feet wide and 40 feet deep.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi not just dropped a few ministers from the cabinet, but also promoted several cabinet colleagues. The Daily Guardian caught up with one “rewarded minister” Giriraj Singh, who has been allocated a new Ministry—Rural Development and Panchayati. Excerpts:

Q: You have been allocated a very important portfolio, which has responsibility for the welfare of over 6 lakh villages of our country? What’s your first thought about this?

A: Responsibility is commitment. It’s not big or small. Responsibility is responsibility. Prime Minister Narendra Modi works for 20-22 hours and has the entire encyclopaedia in mind. It’s an honour to serve under him. You may remember how he displayed his dedication to the nation by bowing his head at the Parliament gate before entering for the first time. I always take the task given to me by PM Modi as badge of prestige.

Q: You come from a rural background yourself and had been stating that India can’t become a superpower till we empower our villages. Do you still hold the same opinion?

A: Absolutely. Panchayat is the administrative wing, while villages, farmers and the poor are its stakeholders. PM Modi started the Digital India initiative to connect every panchayat office in the country. You see this is generating new opportunities in employment, e-commerce, technology and communication. All this is happening in rural areas. This is indeed real Panchayati Raj. In the same way, housing, electricity and roads are being developed. Our PM has a holistic approach about villages. But urbanization must slow down as cities are growing at a pace of 32 percent, while migration is accelerating from villages. We must balance it and I am sure employment guarantee schemes like MNREGA can empower people and help us overcome this issue.

Raj Kumar Singh, a former bureaucrat who led the Narendra Modi government’s power sector reforms that resulted in India having a surplus of electricity, was promoted to Cabinet minister from Minister of State and spoke exclusively to The Daily Guardian. He oversaw the electrical grid and implemented reforms in the distribution industry, which had been in debt for years.

Excerpts:

Q: What challenges do you have ahead of you?

A: First and foremost, I want to express my gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for believing in me and entrusting me with this duty. I want to assure you that since the Narendra Modi government came to power, I was previously a minister, and now I am again a minister, we have achieved a significant shift in the field of energy. In rural places in 2014, electricity was only available for 10-14 hours per day, but today, electricity is available for about 20 hours per day. In metropolitan regions, power is provided for 22 to 24 hours a day. To accomplish this, we have put in a lot of effort. For starters, we have provided 183,000 megawatts of electricity, with more on the way. Electricity consumption is currently 2 lakh megawatts, and we can easily produce and export it. We have connected the entire country to one grid, which means that 183,000 kilometres have been connected, and as a result, every state now has adequate electrical supply, with another 50,000 km to be added. Many states had a sluggish distribution infrastructure; therefore, our government built 2,700 new substations and strengthened 3,900 existing substations. Our government also contributed funds to purchase 665,000 new transformers.

Q: What are your thoughts on the Punjab power outage?

 A: There is no lack of electricity; but governments should invest in high-quality substations to distribute electricity from the grid, and the distribution company should be strengthened. We’ve been reminding states, whether it’s Punjab or another state, that they need to strengthen their distribution systems, or else they’ll have trouble distributing electricity to their citizens. I can say that whatever the problem in Punjab is, it is all about distribution because we are providing adequate electricity to the state, and it is now up to Punjab’s Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh to take care of it because it is their internal issue.

Q: What are your impending responsibilities?

A: Now we are looking forward to energy access, which is a United Nations sustainable development target that we must address as quickly as possible. To achieve this, we must offer energy to every home in the country, and we have worked tirelessly to accomplish this goal. We have connected 2 crore 80 lakh houses in the last 18 months. Now, if any homes remain, it is the obligation of the state government, as we are providing funds to them for the same purpose. The entire world is now watching India to see how we have decreased our carbon footprint. We have created renewable energy at the world’s quickest rate to date. Farmers can benefit from the Kisan Kusum Yojna, which provides them with solar energy.