New Delhi, Nov 20: Serum Institute of India (SII) CEO Adar Poonawalla has said that every Indian will get vaccinated for COVID-19 probably by 2024.
Speaking at a media event, Poonawalla said the Oxford AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine should be available for healthcare workers and elderly people by February 2021 and by April for the general public.
He said it will be priced at a maximum of Rs 1,000 for two necessary doses for the public, depending on the final trial results and regulatory approvals.
Probably by 2024, every Indian will get vaccinated, Poonawalla said.
Poonawalla said it will probably take two or three years for every Indian to get inoculated, not just because of the supply constraints but because you need the budget, the vaccine, logistics, infrastructure and then, people should be willing to take the vaccine.
“It will be 2024 for everybody, if willing to take a two-dose vaccine, to be vaccinated,” he added.
The price will be around US dollar 5-6 per dose with an MRP of around Rs 1,000 for the two necessary doses.
“The Government of India will be getting it at a far cheaper price at around $3 to $4, because it will be buying in a large volume and get access to the price that is similar to what COVAX has got. We are still pricing it far cheaper and more affordable than other vaccines we have in the market today,” Poonawalla said.

London, Nov 20: Gilead’s remdesivir is not recommended for patients hospitalised with Covid-19, regardless of how ill they are, as there is no evidence the drug improves survival or reduces the need for ventilation, a World Health Organization panel said on Friday.

“The … panel found a lack of evidence that remdesivir improved outcomes that matter to patients,” the guideline said.

“Especially given the costs and resource implications associated with remdesivir … the panel felt the responsibility should be on demonstrating evidence of efficacy, which is not established by the currently available data,” it added.

The advice is another setback for the drug, which grabbed worldwide attention as a potentially effective treatment for Covid-19 in the summer after early trials showed some promise.

The antiviral, known by the brand name Veklury, is one of only two medicines currently authorised to treat Covid-19 patients across the world. But a large WHO-led trial known as the Solidarity Trial showed last month that it had little or no effect on 28-day mortality or length of hospital stays for Covid-19 patients.

The medication was one of the drugs used to treat US President Donald Trump’s coronavirus infection, and had been shown in previous studies to have cut time to recovery. It is authorised or approved for use as a Covid-19 treatment in more than 50 countries.

Gilead has questioned the Solidarity Trial’s results and said in a statement on Friday it was “disappointed” at the new WHO guideline.

“Veklury is recognised as a standard of care for the treatment of hospitalised patients with Covid-19 in guidelines from numerous credible national organisations,” it said.

“The WHO guidelines appear to ignore this evidence at a time when cases are dramatically increasing around the world and doctors are relying on Veklury as the first and only approved antiviral treatment for patients with Covid-19.”

The WHO advice raises questions about whether the European Union will need the 500,000 courses of the antiviral, worth 1 billion euros ($1.2 billion), it ordered last month.

Italy’s drugs regulator, AIFA, said it had been “stressing for weeks the modest effectiveness of remdesivir”.

“In practice we have been saying for some time that it is not use for much,” the regulator said.

The WHO’s Guideline Development Group (GDG) panel said its recommendation was based on an evidence review that included data from four international randomised trials involving more than 7,000 patients hospitalised with Covid-19.

After reviewing the evidence, the panel said it concluded that remdesivir, which has to be given intravenously and is therefore costly and complex to administer, has no meaningful effect on death rates or other important outcomes for patients.

Peter Horby, a professor of emerging infectious diseases at Britain’s Oxford University, said the WHO’s new advice should prompt “a rethink about the place of remdesivir in Covid-19”.

“Remdesivir is an expensive drug that must be given intravenously for five to 10 days, so this recommendation will save money and other healthcare resources,” he said.

At the end of October, Gilead cut its 2020 revenue forecast, citing lower-than-expected demand and difficulty in predicting sales of remdesivir.

The fresh advice also comes after one of the world’s top bodies representing intensive care doctors said remdesivir should not be used for Covid-19 patients in critical care.

The recommendation, which is not binding, is part of its so-called “living guidelines” project, designed to offer ongoing guidance for doctors. The panel added that it supported continued enrolment into clinical trials evaluating remdesivir in patients with Covid-19, which it said should “provide higher certainty of evidence for specific groups of patients”. (Agencies)

Srinagar, Nov 20: Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Friday said that government was seized of the issue regarding non-campaigning of the candidates with the upcoming local body elections just a week away from commencing.
Responding to a letter by CPI(M) leader Mohammed Yusuf Tarigami who had raised the issue of candidates being kept away from their constituencies and not being allowed to campaign, the Lieutenant Governor said: “The issue is already in my notice and necessary instructions stands conveyed to the concerned. I am sure that the coming elections will go a long way in strengthening the Panchayati Raj Institutions.”

The response by the Lieutenant Governor as well as the letter was released by Tarigami here.

“The first ever District Development Council (DDC) elections are commencing in next few days and to make the process credible, the participation of voters is imperative. However, a good number of candidates, who are contesting these polls, have been kept away from their constituencies and they have been bundled in ‘cluster accommodations’,” Tarigami said .

“After filing their nomination papers, they are not allowed to hold campaigning in their respective segments due to a perceived threat to their lives. Confining candidates against their wishes has severely restricted their movement and ability to campaign.”

Even in some cases, Tarigami said they are not allowed to attend party meetings.

“And some cases have surfaced where opposite candidates are sent in a same vehicle to a village for campaigning and are asked to campaign together,” he said.

“Several candidates from far off places were sent to hotels in Srinagar soon after they filled the nomination forms last week. Not just the voters, but the families of the candidates are also concerned,” he said, adding, “You may have come to know about these issues through media reports as well. It is a big concern and there is lot of dissatisfaction on ground over such arrangements. Who wins and who loses, the decision must lie on electorate.”

He said democracy must finally win. “For that the process must be made secure and credible. It is advisable not to put avoidable restrictions on the contesting candidates and instead their legitimate movement for the campaigning in their respective areas must be effectively facilitated,” he said, adding, “Ensuring a free and fair environment for this process is essential.” (GNS)

‘ Security Forces defeated plot to target grassroots level democratic exercises in J&K’
New Delhi, Nov 20: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday held a meeting with Union Home Minister Amit Shah, National Security Adviser Ajit Doval and others after a probe indicated that a group of militants, killed in Jammu and Kashmir a day before, were planning “something big” ahead of local elections in the union territory.
“Our security forces have once again displayed utmost bravery and professionalism. Thanks to their alertness, they have defeated a nefarious plot to target grassroots level democratic exercises in Jammu and Kashmir,” PM Modi tweeted.
The foreign secretary and top intelligence officials also attended the meeting. Sources said the investigation so far has indicated that the militants were plotting a strike on the anniversary of the 26/11 Mumbai attacks.
The four suspected JeM militants, who were hiding in a truck, were killed in a three-hour encounter with security forces on the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway near Nagrota early Thursday morning.
Two policemen were injured during the gunfight and the driver managed to escape. The police said it is likely that the militants were “planning a big attack” and that they were headed towards the Kashmir where local elections are due later this month.
The encounter started at around 5 am after the truck in which militants were travelling was intercepted by security forces personnel near the Ban toll plaza in Nagrota, on the outskirts of Jammu city, on the highway during a routine check, officials said.
Security forces had received inputs about the movement of militants from the Samba sector towards the Nagrota toll plaza.
A large number of weapons, including 11 AK-47 rifles, three pistols and 29 grenades, were recovered from them.
In the first polls since it was split into two union territories and had its decades-old special status revoked last August, Jammu and Kashmir will hold District Development Council (DDC) elections in eight phases between November 28 and December 19, and votes will be counted on December 22. (Agencies)

Precious Kashmir News
Jammu, Nov 20: Chief Secretary, B V R Subrahmanyam chaired a meeting to review the sector-wise implementation of PMDP projects in terms of the physical and financial progress achieved till date.
Extensive deliberations were held to review the progress of key developmental projects to augment infrastructure in road, power, and renewable energy sectors. The meeting also reviewed the progress of projects in healthcare, education, tourism, horticulture, sports, PHE, irrigation and flood control and housing & urban development besides relief, rehabilitation and development package for migrants and displaced persons.
The Chief Secretary impressed upon the Administrative Secretaries to regularly review the execution of PMDP projects and address bottlenecks, if any, to ensure timely execution of these projects.
It was informed that majority of the projects are advancing as per decided timelines and are at various stages of completion. Besides, the lagging projects are also being assiduously pursued by the concerned officers to ensure their smooth implementation.
In the road sector, the Chief Secretary reviewed the progress of ring road projects around Srinagar and Jammu cities, Zojila Tunnel, Kargil-Zanskar road, Srinagar-Shopian-Qazigund, Jammu-Akhnoor-Poonch, Chenani-Sudhmahadev roads and the 4 Lanning of National Highway from Jammu to Srinagar.
In the tourism sector, the progress in regard to various tourism circuits including Gulmarg-Baramulla-Kupwara-Leh and Mantalai-Sudhmahadev-Patnitop, Jammu-Rajouri-Shopian–Pulwama and Anantnag-Pahalgam-Kishtwar-Ranjit Sagar Dam and Wular lake development was reviewed. The Department was asked to begin work on additional circuits under Adventure, Heritage and Ecotourism categories at the earliest.
In the health sector, it was informed that various infrastructure is being created in District Hospitals, Sub-District Hospitals and Primary Health Centres which will be completed by the end of the current financial year. On-going works on the two AIIMS coming up at Samba and Awantipora were also reviewed.
In the higher education sector, it was informed that works on IIT- Jammu campus are being executed as per schedule.
Under the Himayat scheme, it was mentioned that against the target of 1 lakh youth to be trained in wage employment by placement linked scheme over a span of 5 years, 65 proposals for 90,792 candidates have been cleared so far.
The Chief Secretary also reviewed the progress of iconic projects of Jammu and Kashmir including Hydro-Electric Projects (HEP) of Kiru, Kwar, Shahpur Kandi and Ujh, and the Gas Pipeline.
The Administrative Secretaries of the departments of Health & Medical Education, Home, Housing & Urban Development, Power Development, Public Works, Jal Shakti, Rural Development, Disaster Management, Tourism, Youth Services & Sports and Higher Education participated in the meeting.

Srinagar, Nov 20: Authorities on Friday claimed to have tightened noose against the mutton dealers including butchers, saying that Department of Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs (FCSCA) has filed 131 police complaints across Kashmir Valley in this month.
Director FCSCA, Bashir Ahmad Khan told the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO) that the department has filed at least 131 police complaints against the mutton dealers in the Valley.
He added that 67 among these complaints have been filed in Srinagar district only.

Khan further said that the department has been taking action against the mutton dealers including the butchers and many have been arrested so far.
“The mutton dealers are doing their normal work. But soon after the action was taken, they were doing their business only in morning and evening hours,” he said, adding that the department has started taking action in the morning and evening hours also.
“The butchers and other mutton dealers are befooling the people by claiming they are on strike. But the fact is they are doing their business normally,” he said.

Srinagar, Nov 20: Observing that payment of pension is not a bounty to the employee, the J&K High Court has directed authorities to release pension and retiral benefits in favour of a former Chief General Manager of J&K State Power Development Corporation who had superannuated in 2014.
Disposing of a petition filed by the former CGM, Abdul Rashid Makroo, a bench of Justice Ali Mohammad Magrey said that law was well settled that pensionary or retiral benefits become the principal source of sustenance to an employee after his retirement. “The payment whereof is not a bounty being paid to the employee concerned, but these are paid in recognition of the service rendered by an employee to his employer,” the court said as per GNS and underlined that the purpose for grant of pensionary or retiral benefits is to ensure the employee is in a position to sustain himself.
“Besides, any delay in settlement and disbursement of pension has to be visited with the penalty of payment of interest at the current market rates till actual payment is made,” the court said.
The liability to pay penal interest on these dues at the current market rates commences at the expiry of two months from the date of retirement, the court said.
“The delay of depriving retiral benefits, in this case, is clearly attributed to the (authorities concerned) and, thus, entitles the petitioner to interest on the dues at the current market rates to commence at the expiry of two months from the date of retirement,” the court said and directed release of the pensionary and retiral benefits alongwith arrears with interest @ 6 percent per annum in favour of Makroo.
The court said that the same shall commence at the expiry of two months from the date of Makroo’s retirement in accordance with the rules which are applicable to the employees of the Government of Jammu and Kashmir.
“The respondents shall pass orders, in this behalf, within a period of two months from the date copy of this order is served on them.”
Makroo in his petition had stated that he was initially appointed in 1982 in the Jammu and Kashmir State Industrial Corporation. On the basis of his performance, he said that in 1995 he was sent on deputation in the Bureau of Public Enterprise. Subsequently, he was sent on deputation in the in 1997. Subsequently Makroo was absorbed permanently in the Corporation and promoted as Chief General Manager on 1 April 2008. Upon his absorption, he said, all the service conditions as applicable to the Government employees of the erstwhile State were made applicable to him and as a corollary thereof, the Corporation discontinued the contribution of CP Fund of the petitioner and commenced contribution towards the General Provident Fund as per Government rules applicable in the Corporation.
Makroo had retired in 2014. However after his superannuation, the Corporation failed to settle all the post retiral benefits. He had stated that while the corporation released some post retiral benefits in the shape of gratuity, leave salary and GPF accumulations in his favour as per the Jammu and Kashmir Civil Service Rules, they failed to release the pensionary benefits to which he was legally entitled as per the rules pertaining to the other Government employees of the erstwhile State being followed in the Corporation.
He had said that despite repeated requests, the monthly pension as well as arrears were not released in his favour.

Srinagar, Nov 20: Police on Friday refuted allegations by former Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti who also headed Unified Command during alliance with PDP-BJP that released militants and Over Ground Workers are summoned by Policve in Srinagar.

“During any election, @PoliceSgr calls released militants/OGWs to Police Stations to update their profiles @RoufBhaat was also called to the PS for updation of his personal profile, as he was associated with HM outfit.@PoliceSgr  refutes all such allegations,” police said in a tweet on official handle.

Mehbooba had tweeted:  “The PDP’s @RoufBhaat  was summoned to Shergarhi police station today. He was asked to report everyday & ensure he stays from 8am- 8pm till SMC elections are over. As usual ‘upar say order’ is the justification. @manojsinha_ ji is this going to be the new norm for elections in J&K?”

Srinagar, Nov 20: Jammu and Kashmir government on Friday ordered constitution of a committee for preparing an action plan to prevent pollution of the Doodh Ganga Stream and Doodh Ganga Filtration Plant.
Headed by Divisional Commissioner Kashmir, the 8-member panel has been tasked to prepare an action plan with timelines to prevent pollution of the Doodh Ganga Stream and Doodh Ganga Filtration Plant.
It has been also tasked with to synchronize and monitor the action plan, according to an order issued here, a copy of which lies with GNS.
“Further, Divisional Commissioner Kashmir shall be Nodal Officer to apprise the Hon’ble Court on the Action Plan as per the Court directions.” (GNS)

M S Nazki
Poonch, Nov 20” The Mughal Road, connecting Shopian and Poonch districts, was closed even as authorities rescued 19 persons including a minor who had got trapped amid fresh snowfall along the thoroughfare last night, officials said on Friday.
“19 persons have been rescued by teams of police and Army from Pir Ki Gali area during a rescue operation last night,” they said. .
SSP Poonch Ramesh Angral told GNS that all the persons were provided food and other logistic facilities at Poshana.
DySP Traffic Rajouri Poonch told GNS that the road was closed due to slippery condition. “The road would be opened depending upon weather conditions.”
For Saturday, traffic department in a statement said that subject to fair weather and better road condition only downward traffic (load carriers) loaded with fresh fruits shall be allowed from Herpora (Shopian) from 1100 hrs to 1600 hours towards Poonch. “No vehicle shall be allowed after cut off timing. Moreover, no passenger vehicle or pedestrian shall be allowed on Mughal Road.” (GNS)