India

NEW DELHI (Reuters) - India announced on Thursday a 1.7-trillion-rupee ($22.6-billion) economic stimulus plan providing direct cash transfers and food security measures to give relief to millions of poor people hit by a nationwide lockdown over a coronavirus pandemic.

People queued in some cities for essential items, with trucks stranded at state borders and public transport suspended two days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi ordered the 21-day lockdown to protect a population of 1.3 billion.

Kolkata, Mar 25 (PTI) West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday sought a Rs 1,500 crore package from the Centre to support the state government's efforts to deal with the coronavirus outbreak.

Speaking to reporters through video-conference from the state secretariat, Banerjee said the Centre should provide a special package as the state is finding it difficult to do "everything" with its "limited resources".

Amaravati, Mar 26 (PTI): Hundreds of people were left stranded at various checkpoints on the Andhra Pradesh- Telangana borders since Wednesday night as authorities refused to let them into the state in view of the coronavirus lockdown, exposing the communication gap and lack of coordination between the authorities of the two States.

After frantic SOS calls by the stranded persons, including pregnant women and children, AP authorities finally agreed to let them in, on the condition that they be shifted to a quarantine facility.

New Delhi, Mar 26 (PTI) The Trinamool Congress on Thursday said the Centre's financial package announced in the wake of a countrywide lockdown to combat coronavirus has taken a "cue" from the one offered by the party-led dispensation in West Bengal.

"Centre takes cue from relief plans already rolled out by state govts like #Bengal a week ago -- free 6 months ration for the poor, health insurance for champion frontliners fighting corona and Rs 1000 for daily wagers under new Prochesta scheme. Will supplement State efforts," tweeted TMC MP Derek O'Brien.

25 March 2020; AFP: More than one billion Indians went into lockdown Wednesday, leaving a third of the planet now under orders to stay at home, as the United States vowed to spend $2 trillion to counter the economic harm of the coronavirus.

Europe remains at the heart of the epidemic, with first Italy and now Spain's death toll overtaking that of China, while Britain's Prince Charles became the latest prominent figure to test positive for the COVID-19 disease.

Ahmedabad, Mar 24 (PTI) The Gujarat police has detained 426 people in the last 24 hours for violating lockdown rules in force in the state to combat the novel coronavirus outbreak, a senior official said on Tuesday.

They include those who came out despite being advised home quarantine, state Director General of Police Shivanand Jha said.

Lucknow, Mar 24 (PTI) The Uttar Pradesh government on Wednesday declared the coronavirus situation a state disaster, a senior official said here.

"The state government has declared Corona situation as a state disaster relaxing procurement procedures for emergency medical equipment and corona-related medical consumables," the official said.

Initially, this relaxation is for a month, he added.

A formal Government Order (GO) has been issued in this regard, he said.

Bijapur, Mar 24 (PTI) Naxals on Tuesday killed a road contractor and set two vehicles and a machine on fire in Chhattisgarh's insurgency-hit Bijapur district, police said.

The incident took place in the evening hours on the under construction Cherkakodi-Bhandarpal road in Awapalli police station limits, a senior police official said.

Allahabad, Mar 24 (PTI) The All-India Kisan Mazdoor Sabha (AIKMS) on Tuesday accused the Uttar Pradesh government of abusing people's democratic rights in the name of tackling the coronavirus threat and demanded an immediate release of its general secretary Dr Ashish Mittal and activist Umar Khalid.

In a press release, the organisation alleged that both were arrested to suppress the protest against the CAA-NRC-NPR in Mansoor Park of the city.

New Delhi, Mar 25 (PTI) Amid coronavirus outbreak, the government on Wednesday banned export of anti-malarial drug hydroxycloroquine with immediate effect to ensure sufficient availability of the medicine in the domestic market.

Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) Director General Balram Bhargava had on Monday recommended the use of hydroxychloroquine for treating healthcare workers handling suspected or confirmed coronavirus cases and also the asymptomatic household contacts of the lab-confirmed cases.