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Bangladeshi smugglers attack BSF troops along the International Border in West Bengal’s Coochbehar

OpIndia Staff
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Bangladeshi smugglers attack BSF troops along the International Border in West Bengal’s Coochbehar

A group of Bangladeshi smugglers attacked one of the Border Security Forces(BSF) personnel while trying to pick some suspected bundle from near the International Border(IB) in the Indian side of West Bengal. After attacking the BSF personnel, the miscreants fled away.

As per reports, the incident took place on Sunday evening at around 9:30 pm near Border Outpost(BOP) Narayanganj in the Coochbehar sector while the BSF troops were engaged in performing their patrolling duty. The location was about 250 metres from the International Border and at a distance of 3.4 km from the BOP.

The BSF released a statement saying that the incident took place after the miscreants had disconnected the electricity supply to switch off the Border Fencing Lights(BFL) so they could hide their movements and reach up to the International Boundary Border Fence(IBBF) to smuggle a bundle of illegal objects.

“The BSF team simultaneously observed movements of five to six Bangladeshis in two groups ahead of IBBF and saw them approaching towards Indian side while remaining concealed in the paddy field to collect the bundle thrown by Indian miscreants. The BSF team lobbed one stun Grenade at one group and fired one Pump Action Gun (PAG) round on the other group,” the statement said.

In response to BSF troops’ action, the group of smugglers aggressively charged towards them and assaulted them. In the ensuing scuffle, one of the BSF troopers was injured with a torch that hit him on his left eyebrow. As other BSF personnel rushed closer, the smugglers escaped away.

The BSF personnel injured in the attack was subsequently evacuated and admitted to Dinhata government hospital for further treatment. Upon search, troops recovered one mobile, two sim cards of Bangladesh and a torch.

India and Bangladesh share a 4,096-kilometre-long(2,545 mi) international border, a major part of which is a riverine border or unfenced border, making it easy for smugglers to smuggle between India and Bangladesh. Smugglers based out of Bangladesh use the porous nature of the border to smuggle illegal items. Cattle smuggling has been a lucrative form of illegal trade along the India-Bangladesh border and becomes particularly prolific as the festival of Eid comes closer. However, in the last few years, the BSF has foiled many attempts by smugglers to transport contraband and cattle across the border into Bangladesh.

Information of over 5 lakh users allegedly leaked in Bookchor Data Breach: What we know so far

Anurag
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Information of over 5 lakh users allegedly leaked in Bookchor Data Breach: What we know so far

Another day and another data breach have been reported. A hacker has alleged that he has breached the website of famous second-hand book dealer Bookchor.com and downloaded information of 5,33,275 users. As per the post on a hacking forum, the threat actor breached the website in February but made the data available online on March 26.

What is Bookchor?

Bookchor is a platform to buy, sell or share old books and textbooks. The portal, managed under BookChor Literary Solutions Pvt. Ltd was founded by four friends Alok Raj Sharma, Bhavesh Sharma, Prateek Maheshwari, and Vidyut Sharma, in 2015. It allows users to buy old books and textbooks at an affordable price and lets sellers list their old books.

Details about the leaked data

In the post, the hacker wrote that he took the data dump on February 18, 2021. Though he had counted 5,05,373 unique email IDs, the total number of customers in the CSV file was 5,33,275. In the data, he had included IP Addresses, Hashed Passwords, Full names, Phone Numbers, Physical Addresses, Orders, Email addresses, and what type of phone they use (If they were using a phone).

Post on hackers’ forum about Bookchor data breach

Hacker claimed Bookchor uses unsalted MD5 encryption

In his post, the hacker claimed that Bookchor had used unsalted MD5 hash to encrypt the passwords. MD5 hashing seems reasonable at first look, but it is not recommended to encrypt sensitive information such as passwords as it is quite easy to crack. There are tools available on the internet that can decrypt unsalted MD5 hash within seconds. The passwords are reportedly available for those accounts that did not use social media authentication to create the account on Bookchor.

Sample data provided by the hacker in his post

OpIndia reached out to Bookchor

We got the contact information of one of the founders, Vidyut Sharma. On calling him, Sharma said that he was busy with some work and will get back over the phone soon. We will update the report with his comment when he reverts to us.

What can Bookchor users do?

As a Bookchor user, there is nothing much you can do about the leak other than questioning the company about the data breach. As it seems the data contains contact information and possibly the password of the users, it is better to change your password. If the password you have used on Bookchor was the same as your email ID or any other important account, make sure to change the password there too.

As more details come in, we will update the story.  

Man arrested after defrauding a donor from Telangana of Rs 60,000 in the name of Sonu Sood

OpIndia Staff
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Man arrested after defrauding a donor from Telangana of Rs 60,000 in the name of Sonu Sood

On Saturday (March 3), a 23-year-old man was arrested for duping a person in Telangana in the name of Bollywood actor Sonu Sood.

As per a report in Business Today, the miscreant has been identified as Ashish Kumar Singh. A resident of Muzzafarpur in Bihar, Ashish was arrested by the cybercrime unit of the Cyberabad police. He had posted his number on social media and claimed that he was the advisor to the actor’s company, Sonu Sood Corporation. Ashish impersonated as the actor’s associate, even though he was not connected to the company. The accused then duped a man from Telangana to the tune of ₹60,000.

The matter came to light after the victim filed a complaint with the police on March 3. He wanted to help the poor people in Telangana and learnt that the actor had been helping those, who were affected by the Coronavirus pandemic. He found the contact details of his company, including a phone number. On dialling the number, Ashish picked up the call and claimed that Sonu Sood would make a donation of ₹50,000 for the cause. He, however, said that such a contribution was only possible if the complainant deposited ₹8300 as registration charges.

The accused then made a follow-up call and claimed that Sonu Sood was willing to make a donation of ₹3.6 lac in exchange for a fee of ₹60,000. The complainant ended up paying the new registration charges in the hopes of the actor making the generous contribution. He later realised that he had been duped. Following this, he registered a complaint with the police. While speaking about the matter, Sonu Sood cautioned, “People must be wary of a gang claiming to work for a charity run by me. I urge people not to entertain such online requests for donation,”

Sonu Sood’s philanthropy

During the lockdown that was imposed to curb the pandemic, many migrant workers who live and work in other states were stuck as buses, trains and flights came to a halt. Later, the government arranged for Shramik Express to facilitate the migrant workers to go to their home states. Many individuals, like Sonu Sood, also came forward to help migrants reach home.

In September last year, Sonu Sood ‘promised help’ to 350 boatsmen in Varanasi. He made the promise while responding to viral images. Some videos were shared on social media where claims were made that the boatsmen in Varanasi are facing financial crunch and that as many as 350 families are forced to sleep hungry. However, the truth was far from what is propagated.

Speaking to OpIndia, members of Nishad community clarified how they have never had to beg for food and the media reports of 350 families being hungry are all rumours. Local councillor Narsingh Das was engaged in distributing ration even when OpIndia contacted him.

Great-grandson of Mahatma Gandhi attempts to shield left-wing terrorists after Naxals killed 22 Jawans: Details

OpIndia Staff
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Great-grandson of Mahatma Gandhi attempts to shield left-wing terrorists after Naxals killed 22 Jawans: Details

Great Grandson of Mahatma Gandhi, Tushar Gandhi, appeared to shield left-wing terrorists from criticism a day after Naxals killed 22 Jawans in an ambush at Bijapur, Chhatisgarh. In a comment in response to Congress leader Milind Deora’s criticism of ‘civil society’ over-romanticizing Naxalism, Tushar Gandhi said that the criticism was not justified.

Milind Deora said, “Advocates of left-wing extremism, who refuse to call-out the violent ideology of Naxal-Maoist insurgents, are equally complicit in this heinous attack. Its unfortunate that sections of our civil society still romanticise Naxalism.”

Source: Twitter

Tushar Gandhi responded saying, “Even in the face of this tragedy I don’t think this generalised condemnation is justified.” The deadly ambush on Saturday claimed the lives of 22 Jawans. In the aftermath of the attack, there has been near universal condemnation of Naxal ideology and the devastating consequences of left wing extremism.

However, there have been those such as Gandhi and CPI leader Kanhaiya Kumar who have attempted to deflect attention from the threat at hand.

According to reports, a group of 400 Naxals ambushed a massive operation that included the STF, DRG and District Force of the Chhattisgarh Police, the CRPF and its elite COBRA unit. The teams were deployed in the forests of Chhattisgarh for a search and destroy anti-Naxalite operation along the border of Bijapur-Sukma district.

It was during this operation that the security teams of around 1500 personnel were ambushed by 400 Naxalites from three sides- led by the most-wanted Maoist commander and leader of the ‘People’s Liberation Guerilla Army’- Hidma.

UP police team on its way to bring notorious gangster Mukhtar Ansari from Punjab by road

OpIndia Staff
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UP police team on its way to bring notorious gangster Mukhtar Ansari from Punjab by road

The UP police are all set to get the custody of notorious criminal Mukhtar Ansari after the Punjab government recently asked it to take his custody before April 8. A team of Uttar Pradesh Police headed by Prayagraj ADG is on its way to Punjab to bring back the former Vice President Hamid Ansari’s nephew.

The apex court had last month ordered Ansari’s transfer from Ropar Jail in Punjab to Uttar Pradesh’s Banda Jail. Preparations are underway at the Banda Jail which is being turned into a fortress with tight security to house Mukhtar Ansari.

A special team led by Prayagraj zone ADG Prem Prakash is entrusted with the task of bringing Mukhtar Ansari from Punjab to UP. A contingent of over 50 police personnel is on its way to bring Ansari back to Uttar Pradesh. An ambulance along with eight police vehicles has also departed from Banda to escort the gangster-politician.

ADG Prem Prakash is well known in UP Police circles for being an “encounter specialist” and being strict in dealing with criminals. ANI had shared images of UP Police vehicles where an ambulance, a van and some specialised vehicles were visible.

Ansari’s wife demands additional security fearing “fake encounter”

However, the wife of jailed don had expressed apprehensions over Ansari’s transfer to Uttar Pradesh. She has written a letter to the President, demanding additional security for her husband as she fears he would be killed in a ‘fake encounter’.

Afshan Ansari said she fears that her husband might be killed “under the pretext of an encounter” during his transfer from Ropar jail in Punjab to Uttar Pradesh’s Banda prison.

In her letter, Afsan Ansari claimed that her husband is an eyewitness in a case and the accused BJP MLC is threatening to kill him in connivance with the government machinery.

Ambulance that ferried Ansari was found abandoned in Punjab

Meanwhile, in another update in the case, an ambulance that was used to ferry gangster-turned-politician Mukhtar Ansari to a Mohali court was found abandoned near a roadside eatery on the Chandigarh-Nangal highway in Punjab’s Rupnagar district. The police said they had taken the abandoned ambulance bearing a registration number of the Uttar Pradesh government into custody.

Ansari, wanted in UP for various crimes, was ferried in the ambulance from the Rupnagar jail to a Mohali court in connection with a 2019 case of extortion.

Ansari was subsequently taken to the court in a wheelchair. He was sent back to the Rupnagar jail, where he is lodged since January 2019, in the ambulance after the court appearance.

A case was filed in Uttar Pradesh’s Barabanki as the documents of the ambulance were found to be fake.

Mukhtar Ansari, a dreaded gangster accused in dozens ofcases

Ansari has several criminal cases pending against him. A history-sheeter, Ansari is the BSP MLA from UP’s Mau constituency. He has been charged for extortion (Section 386 of the Indian Penal Code) and criminal intimidation (Section 506 of the IPC) on the complaint of the CEO of Homeland Group, who had alleged that he got a call from a person who introduced himself as “ some Ansari from UP” and demanded 10 crores if he didn’t want his family to suffer.

About 38 cases are lodged against Ansari at the various police stations in Ghazipur, Lucknow and Mao. He is also accused of the murder of BJP MLA Krishna Nanda Rai, whose wife and BJP MLA Alka Rai had penned a heart-rending letter to Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, accusing the Congress government in Punjab of helping Ansari evade court proceedings.

The UP government has been cracking down on Ansari’s illegal empire, demolishing illegal buildings on encroached lands and arresting his accomplices.

Delhi HC slams Kejriwal government for spending money on advertising instead of clearing dues of MCD employees: Details

OpIndia Staff
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Delhi HC slams Kejriwal government for spending money on advertising instead of clearing dues of MCD employees: Details

The Delhi High Court slammed the Kejriwal government on Monday while hearing a PIL regarding the non-payment of salaries and pensions of MCD employees, as per a News18 report. The High Court stated, “We can see how the government spends on full-page advertisements in newspapers with pictures of political leaders.” It added that on the other hand, the salary of employees has been withheld by the government.

Reprimanding the AAP government further, the High Court questioned, “Isn’t it a crime that even in such a difficult time, you are spending money on advertising.”

The Delhi High Court remarked that while the Kejriwal government cited financial constraints as an excuse for non-transfer of funds to the corporations, it is busy giving full-page ads in newspapers and advertising through other mediums, questioning the intent of the government.

Giving no further extension, the High Court has asked the AAP government to clear all the dues at the earliest and has ordered to pay full salary till March to all sanitary workers today itself. As per the revised estimate of the financial year 2020-21, the Delhi government is supposed to disburse Rs 864.8 crore to EDMC, Rs 405.2 crore to SDMC and Rs 764.8 crore to North Delhi Municipal Corporation.

In another report by Aaj Tak, it has been revealed that while the MCD was supposed to receive a fund of Rs 400 crore for the financial year 2020-21, it received only Rs 109 crore from the Delhi government.

RTI reveals Delhi government built no new hospitals or flyovers in 4 years:

The RTI pleas filed by one Tejpal Singh revealed that contrary to the tall claims of world-class infrastructure made by the incumbent AAP government, no hospital had been commissioned, nor had any flyovers been constructed in Delhi between the years 2015 to 2019. The RTI pleas were filed in 2019 to seek information about the health care and infrastructure initiatives taken up by the Delhi government in the last 5 years.

Akshay Lakra, the president of Delhi’s National Students’ Union of India (NSUI), the student wing of the Congress party tweeted the copy of the RTI replies dated 3rd July 2019.

Khan Market gets a new selfie point

Meanwhile, a new selfie point has been installed at Khan Market in New Delhi in an attempt to beautify the area.

Former Transport Minister in Sheila Dixit government, Haroon Yusuf alleged that the Kejriwal government has spent a whopping Rs 611 crore on advertisement and promotion in Delhi but has done nothing to uplift the condition of government schools and basic facilities, barring a few.

The AAP government has been pulled previously as well for misusing funds for false and misleading advertising and unnecessary glorification of the organization.

100 crore vasooli case: Maha Home Minister Anil Deshmukh resigns after HC orders CBI probe against him

OpIndia Staff
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100 crore vasooli case: Maha Home Minister Anil Deshmukh resigns after HC orders CBI probe against him

Maharashtra Home Minister and NCP leader Anil Deshmukh has written to CM Uddhav Thackeray stating that he is stepping down as the Home Minister. Deshmukh’s resignation has come hours after the Bombay HC asked the CBI to probe the allegations of corruption raised against him by former Mumbai Police chief Param Bir Singh.

In a letter to CM Uddhav Thackeray, Deshmukh has written that the HC has ordered the CBI to start a preliminary investigation against him. He has added that it is not morally acceptable for him to continue as the Home Minister of the state while the CBI initiates a probe. He has, therefore decided to voluntarily stay away from the Home Minister’s post and has requested the CM to relieve him from his duties as the Home Minister.

Bombay HC orders CBI probe against Anil Deshmukh

Earlier today, the Bombay HC had ordered the CBI to investigate the allegations of corruption against Deshmukh raised by Param Bir Singh. The HC included in its verdict that the CBI need not file an FIR immediately as the state has already taken steps for a probe by a high-level committee into the matter. The HC gave the probe agency 15 days to look into the matter. Once the preliminary inquiry is complete, the director CBI is at discretion to further course of action, the Chief Justice Dipankar Datta had said.

Former Mumbai Police chief Param Bir Singh had alleged that Anil Deshmukh had asked tainted cop Sachin Vaze to ‘collect’ Rs 100 crores per month from dance bars and restaurants in Mumbai.

Naxals ambush and kill Indian Jawans, their ideological brother Communist Kanhaiya targets politicians instead

K Bhattacharjee
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Naxals ambush and kill Indian Jawans, their ideological brother Communist Kanhaiya targets politicians instead

Former JNU student leader Kanhaiya Kumar finally appears to have finally found his voice to speak up regarding the Naxal attack which resulted in the death of 22 Jawans. And in his statement, instead of condemning Maoists in strong terms, he has decided to use the attack to further the political propaganda of opposition parties.

Kanhaiya Kumar remarked that while the son of Home Minister is the BCCI Secretary, the sons of farmers become Jawans. He said that the “shameless” people in power should be asked how many children of ministers join the army.

The controversy ridden CPI leader concluded saying that in such ‘cowardly’ Naxal attacks, it is the blood of the common man that flows. It was quite a shocking message at a moment when the country is mourning the tragic death of the Jawans.

Traditionally, when the nation suffers such a terrible loss, politicians come together to preach unity and solidarity. Such solemn moments demand that the nation stand together as one. For if it isn’t such unfathomable tragedy that could unite us, what else possibly could? Once upon a time, in a distant past, opposition politicians understood this. But no longer.

Now, opposition politicians see every tragedy as an opportunity to cultivate their political fortunes. We saw it in the aftermath of the Pulwama terror attack and Balakot air strikes, we saw it in the aftermath of the Uri terror attack and the surgical strikes. And we are again seeing this now. This time, from Kanhaiya Kumar.

The CPI leader seeks to perpetuate more divisiveness in the wake of the tragedy and the ‘Us vs Them’ mentality which can be very effective in a Democracy. On this particular occasion, he linked the tragedy to the ongoing protests against the farm laws, which are intended to benefit farmers.

There are major flaws with Kanhaiya’s comments, however. In the BJP, there are a fair few who are associated with the Army. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath’s brother is in the Army, as is the daughter of the Minister for Education Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank. Apart from that, General VK Singh is the Minister of State for Road Transport and Highways. Thus, his insinuation that Ministers do not have any association with the Army is patently false.

Furthermore, Kanhaiya’s insinuation that Ministers do not have any association with the Army is patently an attack on the very institution of Democracy itself. In our Democracy, the Military is subordinate to the Civilian leadership. And the civilian leadership is elected by the citizens of the country themselves. Therefore, to cast aspersions on the will of the electorate is shameful for any politician that seeks to win the mandate to govern.

But then, Kanhaiya Kumar and his party has been summarily rejected by the electorate. Therefore, he has little patience for their writ. Hence, he is behaving in a manner that any loser does, insinuate that those who have won the trust of the people have done so through a conspiracy.

The background of Kanhaiya Kumar himself leaves much room for questioning. He is from the JNU, an institution which used to witness celebrations after left wing terrorists murdered security personnel in attacks. It is the same institution that saw slogans declaring war against the Indian State from his ideological comrades. It is not much of a surprise then that the Communist leader himself is using the tragedy as platform to overturn his failing political career.

We should also remember that Maoists are the ideological descendants of Communism itself. It is not farfetched to assert that they are ideological brothers of Indian Communists. Thus, Communist leaders such as Kanhaiya should be more careful than anyone else when they point fingers at others in the aftermath of a tragedy perpetrated by left wing terrorists. But then, the Communists of India have a long tradition of such deplorable conduct.

During the 1962 war against China, several Communist leaders backed the enemy against India. The Indian Communists Parties even issued a diktat to their cadres instructing them not to donate blood to the Indian Army. Eight years after the war, the Left Front in West Bengal issued posters that said ‘China’s Chairman is our Chairman’. Kanhaiya Kumar, as the ideological inheritor of such a proud legacy, is standing true by it by preaching divisiveness on such a solemn occasion.

It is bewildering, indeed. Naxalites ambushed and killed nearly two dozen of our Jawans and Kanhaiya here is condemning the leadership in stronger terms than the terrorists themselves. But as has been mentioned above, it is not surprising given the ideological antecedents of the CPI leader.

Indian farmers have rejected such incitement from opposition politicians and they will continue to do so. However, by continuing to embrace such rhetoric, opposition politicians are only demonstrating how little they understand the Indian farmer. Above everything else, the quintessential Indian farmer is patriotic and a fierce nationalist. And love for that nation, that is something which cannot be taken away from him.

It is precisely for this reason that the anti-farm law protests lost all momentum following the Republic Day Riots and the desecration of the Indian Flag.

Bihar: Students engage in arson, attack officials after private coaching centres were shut down due to Covid

OpIndia Staff
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Bihar: Students engage in arson, attack officials after private coaching centres were shut down due to Covid

On Monday, a frenzied mob of students attacked Municipality officials and police personnel for implementing the government’s directive of shutting down private coaching centres in the Gaurakshani locality of the Sasaram district of Bihar.

As per reports, the incident took place on the backdrop of the government’s decision to shut down schools, colleges and private coaching centres till April 11, in light of the rising Coronavirus cases. When the officials from the Municipal Corporation went to implement the Bihar government’s diktat in Gaurakshani locality, they were hounded and chased by a large group of students.

The clash turned ugly so much so that the market had to be closed down. The students broke the vehicle of officer Abhishek Anand. Fortunately, Municipality officials managed to escape unhurt. Several students also burnt down many private and police vehicles. They vandalised 2 police stations, actively participated in arson and damaged government properties. They also managed to enter the District Collectorate, destroyed its shed and lay siege to Sasaram-Ara State Highway.

Following the attack, a large team of the police force was deployed to bring the law and order situation under control. The cops resorted to lathi-charge and firing tear gas shells to combat the frenzied crowd. The Superintendent of Police and the District Magistrate has taken cognisance of the matter. The police have arrested 9 miscreants so far. While no casualties have been reported so far, three police personnel including the Station-in-charge of Sasaram Nagar Police Station Kamakhya Narayan Singh were injured in stone-pelting.

Private coaching centres in Bihar miffed at the government’s decision

The decision of the Bihar government to shut down private coaching centres has drawn the ire of the owners of the institutes. They have argued that if the government could keep malls and cinema halls open, then, they must make such exceptions for coaching centres as well. “With the discontinuation of coaching, the academic future of the students will be destroyed. Right now the examinations are going on. In such a situation, the coaching centres should be allowed to operate by following all precautions,” they remarked.

On Sunday, several coaching institutes announced on Sunday that they would remain operational, in spite of the government’s directives. The Patna administration has clamped down strictly on such centres. District Magistrate of Patna, Chandrasekhar, warned that any institute found violating/defying government orders will have a First Information Report (FIR) registered against them.

Maharashtra lockdown: Restaurants, eateries trying to pick themselves up after 2020 get a death sentence

OpIndia Staff
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Maharashtra lockdown: Restaurants, eateries trying to pick themselves up after 2020 get a death sentence

India on Sunday crossed the critical mark of 1-lakh fresh Covid-19 cases reported on a single day for the first time since the onset of the pandemic last year. Maharashtra alone accounted for 57,074 new cases, its highest ever single-day spike. This has forced the government of Maharashtra to spring into action to curb the daily rise in Covid-19 cases and intensify the vaccination drive.

The government issued a long list of stringent guidelines late on Sunday to ‘Break the Chain’ (title of their new campaign). Along with night curfews on weekdays, the state will go into complete lockdown on weekends starting Friday 8 pm to Monday morning 7 am. 

Maharashtra Lockdown Guidelines 2021:

  • 01. All shops except essential services would remain shut till the end of the month
  • 02. Restaurants will be allowed to operate only for takeaways and deliveries during the day
  • 03. No gathering of five or more will be allowed during the day on weekdays
  • 04. No religious, social, cultural, or political functions of any kind will be allowed 
  • 05. Public transport will operate at 50% capacity
  • 06. Autos and taxis will be allowed to ply with just two passengers
  • 07. No standing passengers allowed on buses and local trains
  • 08. Gymnasiums, parlors and salons will remain shut
  • 09. Theatres, cinema halls, malls, gardens and playgrounds will remain shut
  • 10. Private offices other than the ones categorized as ‘essential services’ will have to compulsorily opt for ‘work from home’

Health minister Rajesh Tope said weddings can be held with 50 participants, however, a Rs 10,000 fine will be imposed if the norms are not followed. Also, only 20 people would be allowed to attend a funeral. 

While the Maharashtra Chief Minister was insistent on a complete lockdown, the idea was met with stiff opposition from not just the BJP but also other alliance parties of Shiv Sena. 

Deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar said: “The entire state had opposed a complete lockdown, but health experts cautioned us about the increasing number of Covid cases.”

A statement by NCP leader Nawab Malik, has sent the hospitality industry into a frenzy. After a cabinet meeting, Nawab Malik announced, “Malls, restaurants and bars will remain closed.” He added, only takeaway services will be permitted.

Hospitality industry to take a hit:

The second wave of Covid-19 has made stringent lockdown an inevitable choice for the Maharashtra government. However, the restaurant industry which was just getting back on its feet after suffering heavy losses in the last lockdown and burning capital to revive business despite the loss incurred is expected to take a bad hit again. 

As per a report, 20% of the restaurants in multiple states had to shut shop permanently after the first lockdown. With fresh restrictions, the hospitality industry has found itself staring at another lockdown-like situation set to break the back of the business.

Financial Express had reached out to the stakeholders of multiple restaurants and hospitality chains to record their statement on the prevailing condition of the industry. Anees Khan, chef & founder of Mumbai-based Staranise Cafe & Patisserie informed that revenues were down by at least 20% at the last count and walk-ins have declined by over 30% since January, just when the businesses were starting to pick up after the 2020 slump.

AD Singh, founder & MD at Olive Group of Restaurants, which was forced to shut a few outlets last year, said the worst could be ahead. “We are hoping that we do not have to cut more jobs,” he added.

“More than 40% of the restaurants and other hospitality ventures had to shut down post the first lockdown. The proportion of fixed operating expenses by way of rentals, utility expenses and salaries is quite significant and with little or no revenues, it is getting very difficult for restaurants to survive,” informed Kartik Ganesh, brand manager at Pune-based pizzeria Circle Of Crust.

Restaurant owners worried, say businesses may shut down completely

Anurag Katriar, ED & CEO – deGustibus Hospitality P Ltd and the President of National Restaurants Association of India (NRAI) urged the state government to either relook the restrictions imposed on the hospitality sector or shut the F&B industry in the state completely. In a four-tweet-long thread, he said, “we are staring death and need some urgent oxygen. Either allow us to operate normal hours with safeguards & protocols. Or shut us down completely and compensate us, our employees, suppliers & landlords suitably. Dear Govt, u r (you are) a critical stakeholder in our trade and also the sole decision-maker so we leave this to your collective wisdom.”

Katriar stated that the Maha government’s order to impose a night curfew from 8 pm will badly impact restaurants and eateries because dinner-time is when 75% of the business happens. Further weekends contribute to more than 60% of entire week’s businesses for eateries and restaurants. With night curfew every day, and weekend lockdown, the restaurants may as well shut their business, as the losses incurred will be unsustainable, said the businessman.

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