The Union Government has announced stimulus package of six lakh 28 thousand 993 crore rupees to boost economy during the fight against COVID-19 pandemic. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced several economic relief measures amid COVID pandemic including eight economic relief measures, of which four are absolutely new and one is specific to health infrastructure. Addressing media in New Delhi, the Finance Minister announced 1.1 lakh crore rupee Loan Guarantee Scheme for COVID affected sectors. She said, of them 50 thousand crore rupees will be for health sector.

The scheme is aimed at upscaling medical infrastructure targeting unreserved areas. Ms. Sitharaman said that the guarantee cover will be for expansion and new projects related to medical infrastructure in cities other than eight metropolitan cities.

The Finance Minister also announced 1.5 lakh crore rupees for Emergency Credit Line Guarantee Scheme, ECLGS which was launched as part of Atmanirbhar Bharat Package in May, 2020.

In another relief measure, Ms. Sitharaman announced Credit Guarantee Scheme which is a new scheme to facilitate loans to 25 lakh people through Micro Finance Institutions, MFI.

In yet another decision related to reviving the tourism sector, Ms Sithraman announced financial support to more than 11 thousand Registered Tourist Guides and Travel and Tourism Stakeholders. The Finance Minister also announced free tourist visa to five lakh tourists.

The total financial implication over it will be 100 crore rupees. Ms Sitharaman announced extension of Atmanirbhar Bharat Rojgar Yojana from 30th of June, 2021 to 31st of March, 2022. Ms Sitharaman also informed about extension of Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana, PMGKAY as announced earlier by the government.

Bangladesh government has imposed strict lockdown in the country from today following a sharp rise in COVID 19 infection. All government and private offices will remain closed during the lockdown. No vehicles will be allowed to operate except for emergency and medical services.

Movement of people out of their home without urgent reason will be restricted but it will not be applicable for people working in media organisations. Bangladesh has been witnessing a sharp rise in COVID cases in recent weeks.

AIR correspondent reports that the COVID-19 situation in Bangladesh continues to remain grim. On Sunday, 119 people died in the country due to Corona. This is the highest number of deaths in a single day since the first coropa positive case was detected in the country in March last year. The sample positivity rate in the country is also at an alarming level of over 21 percent. Several districts in the country were under complete lockdown since the last 10 days. However, in view of the continuing surge in infections and deaths, the government on Sunday announced a number of COIVD 19 restrictions.

From today morning, movement of all public transport except cargo vehicles and rickshaws across the country has been suspended till the morning of 1st July. All shopping malls, markets, tourist places, resorts, community centres and recreation centres will also remain closed. Hotels and restaurants will be allowed to serve takeaways or take online orders from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Offices will remain open and the arrangement for transportation of their staff is to be made by the concerned organisation. Further announcements regarding the lockdown are likely to be announced over the next few days.

Haryana government has announced extension of the coronavirus lockdown by another week till July 5, while granting certain relaxations.
 
In a fresh order issued under the Disaster Management Act, the state government allowed university campuses to open for research scholars and practical classes in laboratories.
 
Anganwadi centres and creches under Women and Child Development Department will continue to remain closed till July 31 in the state.
 
The relaxations on reopening of shops, malls, restaurants, religious places, corporate offices, gatherings in weddings, funerals, open spaces etc will continue as currently in place.

Covid restrictions imposed in the national capital were further relaxed today as Delhi is witnessing decline in the Corona cases. As a part of further opening up of activities, Gyms and Yoga institutes have been permitted to open. The new relaxation came into effect at 5 this morning.
 
AIR correspondent reports that Covid situation in Delhi has significantly improved in the last few weeks due to continuous decline in corona virus cases. In view of this, Delhi Disaster Management Authority has decided to permit few activities. Gyms and Yoga Institutes have been allowed to function with 50 per cent capacity. Ceiling on the number of guests in the marriage function has also been raised from 20 to 50.
 
Owners of banquet halls, marriage halls, hotels, gyms and Yoga Institute shall be responsible for ensuring strict compliances of Covid Appropriate behaviour. However, Schools, colleges and other educational institutions will remain closed. All social, political, cultural and religious activities will be prohibited. Cinema Halls, theatres, multiplexes, entertainment parks, spas, assembly halls and auditoriums are not allowed to open. All these restrictions and prohibitions in the national capital will continue till 5th July of next month.

From Kungyam village in eastern Ladakh, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will virtually inaugurate 63 bridges today. From Kunjan bridge on Leh-Loma road, Minister will inaugurate 63 bridges built by Boarder Roads Organization (BRO) in Eight States across the country.

On the second day of his 3-day visit in Ladakh, defence minister Rajnath Singh virtually inaugurate a record number of 63 bridges at a click. Amongst the bridges, 11 in Ladakh, Four in Jammu and Kashmir, Three in Himachal Pradesh, Six in Uttarakhand, Eight in Sikkim, 29 in Arunachal Pradesh and one each in Nagaland and Manipur.

BRO used the latest technologies in building of these bridges. These are Class-70 bridges and can bear the load of movement of Tanks and other heavy vehicles. These bridges facilitate strategic and quicker access not just to Armed forces but to people living in the border villages as well.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said, India accomplished an unprecedented feat when a record number of vaccine doses were administered to over 86 lakh people in a single day. Addressing the nation through his Mann Ki Baat programme on All India Radio, Mr Modi said, the country achieved this feat on 21st June, when the next phase of vaccination campaign commenced.

Mr Modi stressed that efforts must continue to ensure that every citizen is able to avail the safety that the vaccine provides. He encouraged people to end vaccine hesitancy. He pointed out that myriad organizations and members of civil society have come forward in many places in order to end vaccine hesitancy.

The Prime Minister said someday, people of villages and forest dwellers displaying their capabilities and understanding in the pandemic will become a subject of case study for the world.

Government has extended the deadline for linking PAN with Aadhaar till 30th of September. The Finance Ministry has made it mandatory for every person to quote an Aadhaar number in their Income tax return and application for allotment of PAN. Minister of State for Finance, Anurag Thakur also announced extension till 31st August for Vivad se Vishwas Payment without interest. He also announced tax exemption for expenditure on COVID-19 treatment and ex-gratia received on death due to COVID-19.

Mr Thakur said, many taxpayers have received financial help from their employers and well-wishers for meeting their expenses incurred for treatment of Covid-19. He said, in order to ensure that no income tax liability arises on this account, it has been decided to provide income-tax exemption to the amount received by a taxpayer for medical treatment from employer or from any person for treatment of Covid-19 during Financial Year 2019-20 and subsequent years. He said, the government has also  decided to provide income-tax exemption to ex-gratia payment received by family members of a person from the employer of such a person or from another person on the death of the person on account of Covid-19 during 2019-20 and subsequent years. The exemption will be allowed without any limit for the amount received from the employer and the exemption shall be limited to 10 lakh rupees  in aggregate for the amount received from any other persons.

A Supreme Court-appointed panel has indicted Delhi government for allegedly inflating the Oxygen requirement by four times during peak of the second wave of Covid-19. The panel concluded that the Delhi government exaggerated the consumption figure to claim 1,140 Metric Tonne of Oxygen. It also said that pro-active steps taken by the Union government during the first wave COVID helped to quickly enhance Oxygen production during the second wave.

BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra criticised Delhi government for inflating Oxygen demand during the second wave of Covid-19. He said it is unbelievable to see that the AAP government was playing politics with Oxygen supply when Covid was at its peak.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will share his thoughts with the people in the country and abroad in the ‘Mann Ki Baat’ programme on All India Radio at 11 AM tomorrow. It will be the 78th episode of the monthly radio programme.

It will be broadcast on the entire network of AIR and Doordarshan and also on AIR News website www.newsonair.com and newsonair Mobile App. It will also be streamed live on the YouTube channels of AIR, DD News, PMO and Information and Broadcasting Ministry. AIR will broadcast the programme in regional languages immediately after the Hindi broadcast. The regional language versions will be repeated at 8 in the evening.

India’s cumulative COVID Vaccination Coverage has crossed 31 crore. So far, over 31.43 crore Vaccine Doses have been administered in the country. Over 54.48 lakh  Vaccine Doses were  administered yesterday. Around 36 lakh vaccine doses were administered as first dose and over 77 thousand vaccine doses given as second dose in the age group of 18 to 44 years yesterday.

Cumulatively, over 7.87 crore people across 37 States and UTs have received their first dose and a total more than 17 lakh have received their second dose since the start of Phase three of the vaccination drive. Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Delhi, Gujarat, Haryana, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Odisha, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal have administered more than ten lakh beneficiaries of the age group 18 to 44 years for the first dose of COVID vaccine.

Union Health Secretary, Rajesh Bhushan has written to the Chief Secretaries of Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, Rajasthan, Karnataka, Punjab, Jammu and Kashmir, and Haryana to step up containment and contact tracing, as measures to prevent the spread of Delta Plus variant. They have been asked to take up immediate containment measures in affected districts and clusters including preventing crowds and intermingling of people, widespread testing, prompt tracing as well as vaccine coverage on a priority basis. The Secretary has told them to ensure that adequate samples of positive persons are sent to the designated laboratories promptly so that the clinical epidemiological correlations can be established.