Unpaid salaries, low budget allocation plague mid-day meal scheme in UP in COVID Response Watch — by Kumudini Pati — 14/02/2022 https://countercurrents.org/2022/02/unpaid-salaries-low-budget-allocation-plagues-mid-day-meal-scheme-in-up/

The MDM Scheme-background

The Mid Day Meal Scheme is a central government scheme under the HRD Ministry, which had been started initially in 1995 to provide nutrition to growing children, to encourage enrolment in schools as well as decrease the dropout rate, especially of poor children and girls. The scheme was created under the Ministry of Women and Child.

Only dry rations were being given in most of the states till 2001, except in Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, Orissa, Kerala and some parts of Madhya Pradesh, where hot cooked meals were being served. Allocation for the scheme was provided for in the 2004 budget and its implementation began in 2005. It is the largest scheme of its kind, providing one nutritious meal for children of school going age in government schools or government aided schools and madrasas. 60% of the cost of running the scheme comes from the Central government while 40% comes from the State government. There are monitoring committees at all levels right from the centre up to the village level to see that the scheme is implemented properly. Yet the scheme is ridden with too many problems.

“When we have been ourselves suffering, what can we do for the children? It is this that corrupts many. We have been demanding the status of government employees since long, because we can be thrown out without any valid reason anytime” Neelam  told Covid Response Watch.

According to her they wanted increase in pay to 10,000 per month and salary for 12 months as well as payment within the first week of every month.

“Till now our honorarium was Rs.1000 and only since last year we got a paltry increase of Rs.500. So effectively we get only Rs.50 per day. That also is given for 10 months and is often delayed. Can we manage with Rs. 1500 per month? This is just a token amount, like a bakshish (tip), not even equal to the minimum wage.”

The MDMS cooks complain that they are never given a bonus during major festivals like Holi and Diwali. Last year they could not even celebrate Diwali because payments were pending. Moreover, in some areas of Allahabad, for example, in Jhunsi, many quarantine centres had been set up for Covid positive people and the MDMS cooks had to prepare and deliver food to them. They should have been given extra remuneration for that, but since schools were closed, no money was given.

Neelam says people working for MNREGA get Rs.202 per day. “We spend 7-8 hours not only cooking, but even dusting the benches and windows, sweeping the classrooms and verandahs, doing small errands for the teachers and cleaning the vessels before we leave. There have been cases in the state where cooks have had to clean the washrooms. My sister cooks for a family of 4 and gets a salary of Rs.6000 plus festival bonus”.

“The government doesn’t even heed the order of the High Court” she says.

By Kumudini Pati

A dipstick survey covering 30 villages in Rajasthan threw up some worrisome numbers. About 250 children missed their regular vaccination schedule in March alone. These numbers are alarming, since India has around 600,000 villages according to the 2011 census.

https://www.rediff.com/news/report/covid-19-fallout-5-million-kids-missed-vaccination/20200427.htm 

Leading vaccine makers say all vaccines, except those given immediately after birth (such as BCG), have been impacted.

The UNICEF recently said as Covid-19 continues to spread globally, over 117 million children in 37 countries could miss out on receiving life-saving measles vaccination.

Measles immunisation campaigns have already been delayed in 24 countries, and might be postponed in many more countries as well.

by Sohini Das

27/04/2022

the Delhi High Court dismissed a plea seeking direction to suspend all construction activity in view of the second wave of the COVID19 pandemic. The petition was filed citing the reasons that workers involved in the construction work can be infected with Coronavirus

“Since workers at the project at staying on sight, no question of suspending the work arises,” the court said. The concern DDMA order in question nowhere prohibits construction work, the Court further added. https://news.abplive.com/news/india/delhi-hc-dismisses-plea-to-stop-construction-in-central-vista-project-imposes-1-lakh-fine-on-petitioner-1461039

After Delhi High Court dismissed a petition on the Central Vista Project Hardeep Singh Puri Union Urban Development  and Civil Aviation minister says:  There is no shortage of money for COVID related programmes. Is Central Vista project of national importance? | Frankly Speaking https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2VNLO0cjuFc All opponents are anti-development.  No binary between the expenditure of the Central Vista and the COVID expenditure for vaccine, oxygen, .Did not give a single interview while the case was sub-judice..  

HSP https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/for-central-vista-project-no-heritage-building-will-go-hardeep-singh-puri-1809229-2021-05-31  https://twitter.com/i/status/1399394800164474888 

Q1 results: 230 early bird companies report 71% jump in net profit  https://www.business-standard.com/article/companies/q1-results-230-early-bird-companies-report-71-jump-in-net-profit-121072600028_1.html 

Tweet by Gautam Mody: Should we not worry that profits are growing at more than the double the rate of revenue ergo something is declining quite steeply for the rate of profits to rise? A shrinking share of wages on lower revenues is at the root of the present crisis.

The Basor community of Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh are still reeling with the losses of the pandemic as it brought their business – making household items of bamboo­ – to a screeching halt. Depending upon benevolent supporters and NGOs for ration, the members of the Basor community, today have no alternative livelihood.

The popularity of plastic in the last 2 decades had already hampered their business as people made the big switch to using plastic baskets, boxes etc. much sooner than the community had time to innovate. Now with bamboo becoming more expensive, and the Covid pandemic snatching away all remaining opportunities of business, people of the Basor community are struggling to survive.

Phool Bai Basor, a bamboo artisan in Putrichhua village of Satna says that she is able to finish only 2-3 small baskets or 1 big basket per day, as everything is done by hand. But when she goes to the marketplace, she has to settle for a low price for her hard work as people prefer cheaper plastic items.

“Since the last decade, sales have gone down as people like to buy plastic products. They are cheaper and more durable. Wedding season is the time when we are able to do good business as many people buy these baskets and ‘supa’ (winnowing fan) to present fruits and gifts to the in-laws and guests. But with the pandemic weddings have also become smaller so since the last two years we have hardly made enough sales to buy bread,” she lamented.

Gulab Chandra Basor, state president Delhi, of the Akhil Bhartiya Basor Samaj Vikas Samiti says the condition of the people in Basor community is deteriorating and the pandemic made matters worse for them.

“The people of the community are uneducated and poor. They do not even have proper documents or ration cards. It was because of the NGOs and some social workers that they were able to survive the pandemic when they provided these families with food and cooking oil, else they would have starved. Many of them do not even have ration cards so they were unable to get the free ration from Public Distribution System (PDS),” he said.

Now that the lockdown has ended, the high price of bamboo is proving to be a big obstacle for the community members.

“Cost of bamboo is sky rocketing. The artisans whose livelihood depends upon making bamboo items are barely able to feed their families. They are facing several challenges from purchasing costly bamboo to selling the items in the market at low prices. It takes a lot of time and effort to cut and shave the bamboo and then they start making the desired items, but their hard-work is not able to fetch them enough money to sustain,” he said.

Giving an estimate of the cost of the raw materials, he said that while the bamboo purchased from government vendors costs around Rupees 20 for a 10 feet long bamboo, the same costs Rupees 80 to Rupees 100 from private vendors.

“Bamboo in government nurseries is short in supply so most artisans have to turn to private vendors to buy bamboo for making these items. If they purchase 10 bamboos of 10 feet each, they have to spend Rupees 1000/- . After all their hard work in cutting and shaving the bamboo and then making baskets, supda, mats etc they have to sell the products at low costs to compete with the plastic items and are hardly able to make Rupees 2000-2500 in a week to 10 days. This is far less than the minimum wage and they are unable to provide for their families with such little money. They are hand to mouth,” he said.

Vijay Kumar Kundalekar, member of the Akhil Bhartiya Basor Samaj Vikas Samiti added that the pandemic created many more problems for the artisans after markets closed down due to the lockdown.

“All the markets were closed and all the public transport that allowed artisans from remote villages to go to cities to sell their products had stopped. They could only sell their items in the local village market where they did not get good rates. Even now when the markets have opened, they are still trying to make ends meet,” he added.

Uday Mahobia, resident of Chattarpur said that the people in his community are trying to recover from the problems the lockdown brought but if the third wave hits, he is not sure how they will bear a new blow to their livelihood.

“The condition was really bad. Many children have become malnourished because of eating plain rice with salt or plain chapatis without any dal or curry. People in this area are living in abject poverty and even on a good day, having three square meals is like a dream for them” Mahobiya said. “If the third wave strikes, they will be the worst hit.”

Members of the Akhil Bhartiya Basor Samaj Vikas Samiti had written to the central and state governments to provide some relief packages and provide the artisans with unemployment benefits to help them get back on their feet.

“We have appealed to the government but haven’t received an answer. Basors all across the country live below the poverty line and are discriminated against by the higher castes. They are denied opportunities and sometimes are also shooed away from public hand-pumps and temples. Their condition is dire and the social evils add to their woes. I request the state and central governments to address their needs and provide them with more employment opportunities so that they can have better lives,” added Basor.

Kundalekar further said that because of social discrimination and loss of livelihood, youngsters of the community are giving up their traditional livelihood and opting to work as labourers or migrating to cities in search of menial jobs.

“The youth do not want to carry on this tradition as they have seen their parents struggling to provide them two square meals a day. Many have started working in the fields under big farmers where they make a minimum wage, while some have started working as cleaners and waiters in cities. The Basors are not aware of several government schemes due to the high rate of illiteracy and so are unable to benefit from them. If this continues, we will lose this traditional art forever,” he added.

Shuchita Jha is a Bhopal-based freelance journalist

https://countercurrents.org/2021/10/covid-woes-of-mp-and-ups-bamboo-basket-making-community/

https://countercurrents.org/2022/08/malnutrition-and-death-of-children-decreased-in-the-system-increased-in-reality/ 

In the last 17 months, from January 2021 to May 2022,  over 22,751 children in the age group of up to five years have died in the state according to a reply received to a Right to Information Act query by ‘Samarthan’, an organization working on children’s rights and health issues. Of these, 19, 673 were cases where the infant was stillborn.

As per the reply, Mumbai recorded the maximum deaths at 1,898, followed by 1,741 in Nagpur, 1,349 in Aurangabad, 1,127 in Nashik, 1,181 in Pune, 1,049 in Akola, 1,026 in Nandurbar and 1,015 in Thane.

The spike in stillbirths recorded in the last 17 months is believed to be due to the Covid pandemic. A recent study, conducted by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and the National Institute of Research in Reproductive Health (NIRRH), found a higher frequency of severe Covid-19 and intensive care admissions among pregnant women and more maternal deaths between February and May 2021 compared with the same period in 2020.

According to UNICEF, in the last two decades India has reduced its stillbirth rate by 53% –  from 29.6 per 1000 live births to 13.9 between 2000 and 2019. However, the pandemic threatens to reverse these gains.

The number of stillbirths among mothers infected with Covid-19 doubled during the second wave of the pandemic. According to UNICEF figures, there were 34 stillbirths per 1000 live births between February 2021 and May 2021 compared with the first wave that saw 15 per 1000 live births between April 2020 and January 2021. Both years the number of such deaths were significantly higher than the 13.9 recorded in 2019.

According to a global study published in JAMA Paediatrics in April this year, women with Covid-19 during pregnancy were 50% more likely to experience premature birth and pre-eclampsia, and require intensive care. The risk of maternal mortality was 22 times higher than those without Covid.

by Shirish Khare 

25/08/2022

read more

‘Entire families’ wiped out by Covid’s carnage in rural India May 18, 2021 https://economictimes.indiatimes.com//news/india/e

Entire-families-wiped-out-by-covids-carnage-in-rural-india/articleshow/82728273.cms  In interviews with representatives from more than 18 towns and villages in different parts of the country, officials outlined the scale of the carnage — from entire families wiped out to bloated bodies floating down the Ganges River to farmland left untended due to a lack of workers.

Baijayant “Jay” Panda, a senior official with Modi’s BJP, told Bloomberg  the latest virus wave has been a “humbling experience,” but pointed to a significant vaccination rollout and the provision of shots to more than 80 countries in a global outreach effort. He defended Modi’s response, saying election authorities made the decision to proceed with polls and states were responsible for building oxygen plants that received federal funding.  “It’s not just the prime minister who thought we had overcome the biggest ravages of corona — the consensus in India by early January was that we had done so,” Panda said. “Many of the epidemiologists who are today criticizing are on the record back in October saying the worst was over and that we should not have as many restrictions.”  https://youtube.com/embed/hasmSajRFhY?start=1&end=410

ICMR, Bharat Biotech tie up for Indian COVID-19 vaccine MAY 10, 2020 https://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/health/coronavirus-icmr-bharat-biotech-tie-up-for-indian-covid-19-vaccine/article31547614.ece  ICMR statement: transferred virus strain isolated at the National Institute of Virology, Pune (an ICMR institute) to BBIL...“ICMR-NIV will provide continuous support to BBIL for vaccine development. ICMR and BBIL will seek fast-track approvals to expedite vaccine development, subsequent animal studies and clinical evaluation of the candidate vaccine, which will be fully indigenous to India,”.

https://thewire.in/world/brazil-probe-on-covaxin-deal-turns-focus-to-offshore-payment-to-bharat-biotech-partner 

India’s Covid-19 vaccine is at the center of a corruption scandal in Brazil https://qz.com/india/2027345/brazil-suspends-deal-with-indias-bharat-biotech-for-covaxin/ 
https://www.business-standard.com/article/current-affairs/brazil-to-suspend-324-mn-vaccine-contract-to-buy-20-mn-doses-of-covaxin-121063000118_1.html  Brazil's health minister has announced that the country will suspend a USD 324 million contract to buy 20 million doses of Bharat Biotech's Covaxin.

 Bharat Biotech says it received no advance payment from Brazil govt for Covaxin https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/bharat-biotech-says-it-received-no-advance-payment-from-brazil-govt-for-covaxin-101625034370081.html  30 June 2021. "The pricing of Covaxin has been clearly established between $15-20 per dose for supplies to Governments outside India. The pricing for Brazil has also been indicated at $15 per dose," 

In a Congress Press Conference, https://youtube.com/embed/V7as3F2TxFY?start=253 , emphasised that Covaxin is not just the property of BBIL. ICMR is to get 5% royalties. Congress spokesperson Supriya Shrinate said, “It is important for us to raise these questions, because Bharat Biotech may be a private entity, but, public fund was diverted for the development of this vaccine, taxpayers’ money was put into this. So besides the escalation of price, the issue is that Madisson Biotech , Singapore based company, who founder  is the same as Bharat Biotech founder, is accused of asking for a 45 million dollar advance into a Singapore bank account. (see https://www.facebook.com/quebrandootabu/posts/4649101101812907 ) “The question also is that ICMR was slated to get 5 per cent of the profit from the sale of Covaxin. But, allegations are that Bharat biotech was selling to (Singapore-based) Madison Biotech at a lower price and Madison was garnering the lion’s share of the profit.

Bharat Biotech Says 'No Wrongdoing' Amid Row Over Brazil Covaxin Deal https://www.ndtv.com/video/news/news/brazil-covaxin-deal-bharat-biotech-says-no-wrongdoing-amid-row-over-brazil-covaxin-deal-592008 https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/bharat-biotech-on-brazil-covaxin-deal-row-step-by-step-approach-followed-towards-contracts-regulatory-approvals-2475796
Bharat Biotech said it had followed a "step-by-step" approach towards contracts and regulatory approvals with Brazil. Bharat Biotech said Madison Biotech was set up by its founder Krishna Ella last year for research and development, sales and marketing of vaccines. the procurement process of Covaxin in Brazil and other countries.. for routine immunization follow a common process which is widely accepted, and established in Industry,"

The price of Covaxin had been "clearly established" between $15-20 per dose for countries other than India. Bharat Biotech has received advance payments from several other countries at the above price points, with supplies in process, pending approvals,"

There is no clarification if ICMR is in the know of this deal, and is getting its fair share and ICMR is party to the decision to sell the Vaccine to Brazil, when there are existing requirements India.

'COVAXINGATE' : How Covaxin Became The Center of A Corruption Storm in Brazil https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pxJWkHZArMc Jul 7, 2021  

On Friday, 2nd of July, the Supreme Court of Brazil ordered a criminal investigation against President Jair Bolsonaro for dereliction of duty.
The allegations made against the Bolsonaro administration suggest that there were irregularities, possibly corruption, involved in the contract for the purchase of 20 million doses of Covaxin for 300 million dollars.

https://youtube.com/embed/pxJWkHZArMc?start=166&end=334  Bharat Biotech has denied any wrong doing.  Neeta Sanghi,  who has three decades of experience in the pharmaceutical supply chain, talks about the future of COVAXIN exports syaing  The image of the brand, at least temporarily will get impacted, but because of the shortage of vaccines,  the scandal may not impact orders. 

Impact of the #Covid-19 Pandemic on Tribal Livelihood  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1fm8ZHaMWys
Oct 24, 2021

From a slump in sale of forest produce to stigmatization of services provided by their members, from lack of government support to increased violence and dispossession, tribal communities have been hit hard by the Covid-19 pandemic.

Odisha Dialogues, in partnership with Laadli -- the media advocacy initiative of Population First, assembled a panel of grassroots activists, academic and advocacy experts and policy makers to assess the impact and suggest a way forward.

[In Part One of this article, we examined the restrictions in extending Rs.50 lakh compensation to the next of kin of Covid-19 frontline warriors who died after contracting Covid-19 while on duty. In this second and concluding part, we will try to summarize the first-person accounts of some women health workers—mainly nurses and ASHA workers—on the extreme exploitative working conditions they had to endure while waging the war against Covid-19]

https://countercurrents.org/2022/08/women-frontline-warriors-and-covid-19-part-two/ 

The pay-scale for a Central Government Health Service nurse begins at Rs.46,000 per month. Nurses in many private hospitals and nursing homes are paid an average of Rs.7000—8000. Only some experienced nurses in some hospitals earn Rs.10,000—12,000. This despite the government fixing the salary for private sector nurses at Rs.20,000.

The Trained Nurses Association of India, which represents over three lakh private sector nurses, moved the Supreme Court in 2011 on the highly exploitative conditions prevailing in the private hospitals. After hearing the plight of the private sector nurses for nearly five long years, on 29 January 2016, the apex court directed the Union Health Ministry to set up a committee to look into the working conditions of nurses in the private sector. The Ministry was thus forced to appoint a committee under Dr.Jagdish Prasad, the then Director General of Health Services. After enquiring about the condition of private hospital nurses in several States, the committee came up with a report with a scathing observation that the working conditions and pay of nurses in private hospitals were really pathetic. It found that “adequate salary and basic facilities are not provided to nurses in private hospitals and nursing homes”

read more 

by B Sivaraman  

05/08/2022