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As Business Crumbles, Bengaluru Builders Hope Migrant Workers Who Left for Home Return by Diwali

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Long queues seen at Palace Ground in Bengaluru as people line up to register themselves to return to their native districts in Odisha. (ANI)

The COVID-19 lockdown and subsequent reverse migration of poor workers to their respective states is expected to prove double whammy for the economy, which is already heading south for various other reasons.

D P Satish
  • News18
  • Last Updated: May 25, 2021, 11:52 AM IST
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Bengaluru: A reputed business family in Bengaluru is worried these days. Not because it doesn’t have money or the business is not in a good shape. The source of their problem is an acute shortage of construction labourers, as a result of which two of their huge projects have come to a sudden halt.

A few kilometers from the location these two projects, a contractor who works for the Bengaluru Metro is also worried. Many of his workers have gone back home in the last one month and he is finding it impossible to meet the deadlines.

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Some contractors who do city civic body the BBMP work are also worried as most of their workers have returned to their home states by special trains. The monsoon is likely to arrive in the next three weeks and most of pre-monsoon maintenance works are pending across Bengaluru.

The COVID-19 lockdown and subsequent reverse migration of poor workers to their respective states is expected to prove double whammy for the economy, which is already heading south for various other reasons.

Though there are no accurate figures of migrant workers in Bengaluru, according to an estimate, at least 10 lakh are employed in housing and infrastructure sector alone. They are into private housing projects to huge public infrastructure building works like metro and highways.

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Most of them are from Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Orissa and West Bengal. In the last two weeks, over 2.5 lakh of them have returned home by 150 special ‘Shramik’ trains. And a few lakhs more have gone home using other modes of transport. Most of their camp sites look deserted and hundreds of ongoing projects have come to a sudden halt.

“Till the Lockdown, we had about 2,000 workers with us. Over 1,000 have returned home in the last three weeks. Remaining workers might also go back. We currently have four commercial buildings under construction. If the same situation continues, we may have to shut down all our projects indefinitely. It will have a huge economic impact on us,” said a well-known builder from the city.

Dozens of other builders expressed similar fears about the future.

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Till lockdown was declared, the third Phase of Namma Metro was progressing at a good speed. But thr lockdown applied a sudden brake to the work in April. Although the work has resumed now, the contractors are facing a shortage of labour.

The exodus of migrants has also affected small-time businesses in a big way. Hotels, restaurants, shops, malls, spas, salons, etc. also employ lakhs of them and at least one -third have returned home, leaving the owners high and dry.

“The lockdown destroyed our business in the first two months. We are now open. But half of our workers have returned home. How will we run our business and survive?” asks Shilpa, who runs a salon in the city.

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The restaurants which have been shut for the last two months are hoping to reopen soon. But they have also lost much of their workforce. Most of the cleaning job is otherwise performed by the migrants in these restaurants.

Realising that the exodus of migrants would deal a death blow to economic activities, the Karnataka government initially tried to prevent them from going home by stopping the special trains. But after it became a huge issue, the government had to allow the trains to run.

“We can’t stop them. That is not possible. We are hoping that they would return in the next few months,” said a senior minister. Praveen Sood, Karnataka DGP, also expressed a similar sentiment after the flagging off 100th special train on Saturday.

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Some Kannada activists are now demanding that the government use local poor Kannadigas to continue the work. But the construction and infrastructure experts say it is not going to be easy as the demand is high and the supply is low.

The exodus has also affected the local economy which was dependant on the spending of migrants. The shops, eateries, etc near the camp sites have lost business and the landlords who have built small hut-like structures to house them have no tenants.

“We don’t expect any improvement during the monsoon season. We are hoping for the situation to improve after Diwali,” said a builder.

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(Note: This is a Article Automatically Generated Through Syndication, Here is The Original Source

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Galgotias University Students Protest Against ‘Urban Maxwell’ Triggered Meme Fest!

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Galgotias University Students Protests Against 'Urban Maxwell' Triggered Meme Fest!

The internet is currently divided following a viral video that showed remarks by students from Galgotias University about Sam Pitroda, the Chair of the Indian Overseas Congress, regarding the ‘inheritance tax’.

As per Business Standard, this incident that has filled the entire nation with laughter took place in Greater Noida. Purposedly, the students of Galgotias University held a protest in Delhi. 

Galgotias University Students Rally With ‘Unclear’ Agenda Spark Meme Frenzy

When an AajTak reporter reached the protest site, he questioned the students engaged in the protests. The reporter asked the students the motive behind their protest and the message their placards conveyed. 

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Students seemed clueless about the questions asked. While responses from other students were even funny and laughable. 

Thus, the video showcasing students’ response has gone viral all over the social media platforms. The video has also garnered funny reactions from netizens online. 

Meme Fest All Over the Internet 

When the students were questioned, their relies on were just a comedy of errors.

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One student stated that his motive behind the protest was his desire for a developed India. However, he lacked the basic specifics. 

Another student acknowledged that he was clueless regarding the Congress manifesto. Several protestors even struggled to read what was printed on their placards. 

When a student was asked to read the slogan written on the placard, the student read ‘urban naxal’ as ‘urban maxwell.’

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It seemed that the protest was made to touch a range of issues in the nation, such as women’s empowerment, urban naxalism, NaMo’s stand on mangalsutra and wealth redistribution, inheritance tax and many more. However, clarity remains elusive. 

Videos circulating on social media garnered mixed reactions. Some laughed while others their criticism and showed disappointment at the students’ lack of awareness.

Responses received from students even triggered a meme fest all over the internet. Take a look!

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Also Read: Christopher Bouie Jr Video: Minor Arrested For Sanford, Florida Shooting Leaving 10 Injured

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India News

AstraZeneca’s Covishield To Cause Rare Yet Serious Side Effects

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AstraZeneca's Covishield To Cause Rare Yet Serious Side Effects

A huge update for those who were a part of COVID vaccination programs! Rare side effects of the vaccination have surfaced, questioned by numerous health experts.

The Economic Times reported that AstraZeneca, the British-Swedish multinational pharmaceutical and biotechnology company, has legally acknowledged that its product, Covishield, can cause certain rare side effects.

AstraZeneca developed Covishield, which was produced by the Serum Institute of India. In India, Covishield was one of the primary vaccines provided to citizens.

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AstraZeneca’s Statements

AstraZeneca is currently facing a lawsuit in a UK court. The lawsuit was filed after claims surfaced on the internet that AstraZeneca’s vaccine caused deaths. To date, 51 deaths have been reported, hence 51 cases have been filed against the company.

AstraZeneca finally admitted in one of the court papers that, “Covishield can, in very rare cases, cause TTS.” TTS stands for Thrombosis with Thrombocytopenia Syndrome.

Dr. Rajeev Jayadevan, a medical expert, told ANI,

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“TTS is thrombosis with thrombocytopenia syndrome, which is basically a clot in the blood vessels of the brain or elsewhere, along with a low platelet count. It is known to occur in very rare instances following certain types of vaccines and also from other causes. According to the WHO, adenovirus vector vaccines, in particular, have rarely been associated with this condition.”

TTS: About, Diagnosis, Treatment

TTS, or Thrombosis with Thrombocytopenia Syndrome, is a serious yet rare health condition characterized by low platelet counts (thrombocytopenia) along with the formation of blood clots (thrombosis).

Various symptoms associated with TTS include neurological deficits, shortness of breath, leg swelling, abdominal pain, and severe headaches.

TTS can be diagnosed if blood tests are conducted to assess the levels of platelets in the blood. Moreover, to detect blood clots, imaging studies are required, reported the Times of India.

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TTS can be treated with a multidisciplinary approach. It includes supportive care, anticoagulation therapy to prevent blood clotting, and hospitalization.

To manage and stabilize platelet levels in the body, plasma exchange and intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) can also be performed.

Patients with TTS are prone to severe complications like death and organ damage. Hence, close monitoring of patients by healthcare providers is a must.

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Also Read: Online doctor consultations in India increase by 4 times after the Covid-19 pandemic: Report

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Report: Gangster Goldy Brar Is Alive, Confirms US Police

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Report: Sidhu Moosewala Murder Case Prime Suspect, Goldy Brar Is Alive 

The prime suspect in the murder case of a famous Punjabi singer, Goldy Brar, is alive, reported TOI.

Goldy is the infamous Canadian gangster who was earlier rumored to be dead in an alleged incident that took place at Fairmont and Holt Avenue last Tuesday.

In the incident, one of the two individuals reportedly got gunshot wound and succumbed to injuries at the hospital. You can read our story about California shooting incident in which Goldy Brar allegedly got shot here.

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As per the US police, reports of Goldy’s disappearance were circulating all over the internet on Tuesday. However, the U.S. authorities clarified the rumors of Brar’s disappearance in a California shooting incident are untrue. 

The claims were refuted by the Fresno police department and labeled them as fake. William J. Dooley, the Lieutenant, debunked online speculations and announced that the victim of the California shooting was not Goldy Brar. 

William J. Dooley stated,

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“If you are inquiring because of the online chatter claiming that the shooting victim is ‘Goldy Brar’, we can confirm that this is absolutely not true.”

Who is Goldy Brar?

Goldy Brar, hailing from Muktsar Sahib, Punjab, is a close ally of gangster Lawrence Bishnoi. It is anticipated that he is the mastermind behind the assassination of Sidhu Moose Wala, the Punjabi pop icon. 

According to The Economic Times, in January 2024, Satinderjit Singh, also known as Goldy Brar, was designated as a terrorist by the Ministry of Home Affairs under the anti-terror law, UAPA (Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act). 

Orders by the government-linked Goldy Brar to a listed terrorist organization under the UAPA, Babbar Khalsa International. 

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Goldy Brar has never ceased to vanish from police’s eyes since he murdered Punjabi singer Sidhu Moosewala. His father also was a Police Officer himself.

After completing his graduation and getting a BS degree, he has been operating from Canada remotely. 

Last year Goldy’s statement, targetting Bollywood superstar Salman Khan next made huge media headlines.

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