24032021-TTB-01.qxd 3/23/2021 11:58 PM Page 1 13 chandigarh | gurugram | jalandhar | bathinda | vol.141 no.82 | 14 pages | ~5.00 | regd.no.chd/0006/2021-2023 established in 1881 14 GET DEATH PENALTY FOR BID TO KILL HASINA WORLD /thetribunechd GOVT FILES APPEAL AGAINST CAIRN ARBITRATION AWARD BUSINESS /thetribunechd www.tribuneindia.com wednesday | 24 march 2021 Jab for 45-plus from April1 Daily cases above 40K for 4th day|Focus back on test-track-treat Tribune News Service New Delhi, March 23 Reeling under an emerging second surge of Covid-19, the government on Tuesday decided to expand the inoculation coverage to include everyone above 45 years of age from April 1. The decision was taken during a Cabinet meeting chaired by PM Narendra Modi. “Everyone above 45 years of age (with or without comorbidities) would be eligible for vaccination from April 1,” Information and Broadcasting Minister Prakash Javadekar said. The decision came as the country logged more than 40,000 cases for the fourth straight day and the number of people with mutant strains (UK, South Africa and Brazil) rose to 795. Besides, the case continued on page 10 edit: covid resurgence IN BRIEF Pak Nat’l Day: Prez, PM extend greetings NEW DELHI: President Ram Nath Kovind and PM Narendra Modi greeted their Pakistan counterparts on the occasion of Pakistan National Day on Tuesday saying India desired cordial ties in an environment of trust devoid of terror. BACK PAGE 5 cops die as Naxals blow up bus in C’garh NEW DELHI: Five police personnel were killed and 13 others injured as Naxals blew up a bus carrying 27 men of the District Reserve Guard in Chhattisgarh’s Narayanpur district on Tuesday, a police official said. — TNS Domestic power to cost less in Pb CHANDIGARH: Come April, domestic power consumers in Punjab will pay slightly less for power consumption as the tariff for this category could go down by 25-50 paise per unit. The relief for other categories is they will not have to face any hike. INSIDE 5 held in HP fake degree racket SOLAN: The Baddi police have busted a fake degree racket while investigating a case of a clone website registered on the complaint of Barotiwala-based IEC University in December 2020. Five members of a gang involved in providing fake degrees of various universities have been arrested. INSIDE Bathinda woman dies at Tikri border JHAJJAR: AF FOR BIGGER INDIA ROLE IN PEACE PROCESS BACK PAGE A 65-year-old woman from Mandi Kalan village in Bathinda reportedly died of cardiac arrest at the Tikri border on Monday night. Balbir Kaur, participating in the agitation for months, is learnt to be the first woman protester to lose her life at Tikri. — TNS 5,00,75,162 VAX SHOTS given so far — 15,80,568 till 7 pm on Tuesday, the 67th day of inoculation 3,45,377 ACTIVE NEW GUIDELINES PUSH cases, a rise of 10,731 over FOR MORE RT-PCR TESTS the last 24 hours Health workers collect samples at a municipal school in Mumbai. PTI UK STRAIN FOUND IN 81% OF PUNJAB SAMPLES ■ The Centre on Tues- day issued fresh guidelines, asking states to strictly enforce (T3) protocol ■ It also sought other containment measures and stepping up of the vaccination drive ■ States and UTs told to increase the share of RT-PCR tests to 70 per cent or more ■ The list of containment zones must be uploaded onto the government websites ■ Police and MC authorities shall be responsible for strict adherence to containment norms ■ The Union Government on Tuesday MAHA, PB LEAD SURGE intensified genome sequencing after Punjab reported UK variant in nearly 81 per cent of its 401 samples subjected to sequencing ■ Expressing concern, CM Capt Amarinder Singh said it was Maharashtra (24,645 cases), Punjab (2,274), Karnataka, Gujarat, Chhattisgarh and Tamil Nadu accounted for 80.90% of the fresh 40,715 cases reported in last 24 hours on Tuesday. essential to vaccinate more and more people to break the transmission chain SC to hear Maha No compound, penal interest ex-top cop’s CBI for moratorium period: SC probe plea today New Delhi, March 23 CEILING ON TAX-FREE PF New Delhi, March 23 The Supreme Court will on Wednesday hear a petition filed by former Mumbai Police Commissioner Param Bir Singh, seeking a CBI probe into corruption charges against Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh. Fadnavis meets Home Secy, demands inquiry Param Bir’s petition is listed before a Bench of Justice SK Kaul and Justice R Subhash Reddy. He has sought directions to the Maharashtra Government, Centre and the CBI to immediately take into custody the CCTV footage from Deshmukh’s residence. The BJP meanwhile, esca, lated pressure on the Maha Vikas Aghadi government, challenging Deshmukh’s statement on his movements during the period he was continued on page 10 The Supreme Court today directed that no compound or penal interest be charged from borrowers for the sixmonth loan moratorium period announced by the RBI last year in view of the Covid-19 pandemic. The INTEREST UP, WITH RIDER REPORT ON BUSINESS amount already charged should be refunded or adjusted, it added. “It is directed that there shall continued on page 10