Farmers Movement Archive

Covid-19 death toll touches 100 in Rajasthan

Jaipur, March 8The Covid-19 death toll in Rajasthan touched 100 as one person died at a hospital in Ajmer. The number of coronavirus cases in the state rose to 3,453 after 26 new cases were registered on Friday morning, a state medical bulletin said.Of the total, 1903 patients have been cured, while 1523 people have been discharged from the hospitals in Rajasthan.The number of positive cases in Jaipur is 1117, followed by 842 in Jodhpur.There have been 55 deaths in Jaipur, 16 in Jodhpur, 10 in Kota, three in Ajmer, two each in Bharatpur, Bhilwara, Sikar, Chittorgarh and Nagaur, and one each in Bikaner,  Alwar, Karauli, Pratapgarh, Sawaimadhopur and Tonk. Mandi cessChief Minister Ashok Gehlot has said that the 2 percent user charge on purchase of agricultural produce would be used for the welfare of farmers.Making a clarification on the hue and cry raised by the opposition on the mandi cess, Gehlot said the collection of cess would be deposited in the Farmers Welfare Fund of Rajasthan State Agricultural Marketing Board which will be used only for activities and schemes of farmers' well being.A notification issued by the government on May 5 said the 2 percent cess will be charged by the mandi committees on agricultural produce bought or sold in the mandis, according to an official statement on Thursday night.Hike fuel VATThe Rajasthan Government has increased the Value Added Tax (VAT) on petrol and diesel by 2 percent and 1 percent respectively to boost its drying up economy due to the Covid lockdown.Thus, the VAT has reached up to 38% on petrol and 28% on diesel, according to an official announcement here. This is the third increase during the lockdown period in the state.Water supplyAt a high level meeting with PHED Minister BD Kalla and his bureaucrats, CM asked them to speed up the hand pump and tube well repairs for reducing the gap in water supply in view of the hot summer expected this year.The work is especially needed in the western Rajasthan districts of Jodhpur, Barmer, Jaisalmer, Churu, Sikar, Bhilwara and Ajmer.

The Tribune

2020-05-08