Shownotes Transcript
**1. Coronavirus update: Assam records 77% recovery rate; eight more discharged - **Assam, on Sunday, discharged eight more Coronavirus patients from hospitals taking the tally of recovered persons from the deadly disease to 27. Of the eight, four each were from the Golaghat Civil Hospital and the Mahendra Mohan Choudhury Hospital at Pan Bazar. Seven more COVID patients currently undergoing treatment are expected to be discharged before April 30. Thereby the state has recorded 77% coronavirus recovery rate, said Health Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma.
**2. Tezpur Central Jail releases 7 declared foreigners as per Supreme Court order - **Coronavirus has compelled the State authorities concerned to free 224 declared foreign nationals from the different detention centres, from April 18-23, 2020; and that too at much reduced sureties. Meanwhile, as per an order of the Supreme Court, the Tezpur Central jail released seven declared foreigners on Sunday. They had completed two years in the detention centre, informed Mrinmoy Dawka, Superintendent of the Jail.
**3. Union Minister Nitin Gadkari blames it on delay in land acquisition by State - **Union Road Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari has blamed the Assam Government for delay of the construction of 4-lane roads in the state. In his reply to a letter from former Tezpur MP RP Sarmah, Nitin Gadkari has admitted to the delay in the execution of four-laning works of NH-37, NH-37A and NH 15 from the end of Nagaon bypass to Holongi (166 km) under Tezpur Parliamentary Constituency. He has, however, squarely blamed it on the district authorities in Assam for their delay in land acquisition that has led to the delay in the execution of these works.
**4. Rural land connectivity works under PMGSY affects badly due to lockdown - **Owing to lockdown, rural land connectivity works under PMGSY (Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana) have suffered badly. Implemented in the State by the PWD (Public Works Department), the fund is released by the Ministry of Rural Development. Department sources informed The Sentinel that such road and bridge construction works of approximately Rs 3,000 crore were in full swing prior to the lockdown.
**5. ‘Haphazard construction of more artificial highlands in KNP may be harmful’ - **Four conservation biologists and wildlife conservationists of Assam, Dr Anupam Sarma who is the Coordinator of WWF-India North Bank Landscape, Dr Bibhab Talukdar — secretary general and CEO of Aaranyak, Dr Rathin Barman, Joint Director of Wildlife Trust of India, and Kaushik Barua, CEO of Assam Elephant Foundation, have expressed their opinions as to why haphazard construction of more artificial highlands in KNP may be harmful. The joint statement by the four conservation biologists and wildlife conservationists was issued after the Union Government asked the State Forest Department to develop more highlands for wild animals to take shelter in the time of floods in the KNP.
**6. Northeast vigilant over Coronavirus threats from across borders - **Even as four of the eight north-eastern States are free from novel coronavirus and its spread tamed in other four states, authorities have kept a tight vigil on India’s borders in the region as threat of the disease spilling over from Bangladesh and Myanmar looms large. Eight north-eastern States share India’s around 5,500 km borders with five countries, including China, but the northeastern region’s main worry lies over 1,880 km borders with Bangladesh and 1,643 km with Myanmar.
**7. Assam Police SBHQ Cyber Dome enlisted Uber cabs for emergency needs - **The Assam Police SBHQ Cyber Dome has enlisted 25 Uber Taxi operators for providing service in the city to patients and people having other emergency needs. To avail of the services, people can contact ASP Papari Chetia at her number -919864012060.