05042021-TT-01.qxd 4/4/2021 11:02 PM Page 1 13 chandigarh | gurugram | jalandhar | bathinda | vol.141 no.93 | 12 pages | ~5.00 | regd.no.chd/0006/2021-2023 established in 1881  haryana ENGLAND PLANS ‘COVID PASSPORT’ TRIALS WORLD /thetribunechd RESILIENT GRAIN NEEDS A FILLIP TO GAIN GROUND INFOCUS NEPALI CONGRESS INITIATES MOVE TO TOPPLE OLI BACK PAGE /thetribunechd www.tribuneindia.com monday | 5 april 2021 7 CoBRA men among 22 dead Quell surge, ramp up infra: PM C’GARH AMBUSH30 jawans injured | Home Minister vows befitting reply Tribune News Service Tribune News Service New Delhi, April 4 As India’s daily Covid cases surged to 93,249 on Sunday, in the steepest rise since September 19 last, Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a high-level review meeting directing Central public health specialists to be positioned in Maharashtra, Punjab and Chhattisgarh, currently witnessing worrying levels of surge. With active cases touching 6,91,597 — 5.54 per cent of the New Delhi, April 4 The bullet-riddled bodies of 17 more jawans were recovered today in the jungles of Chhattisgarh’s Bijapur district, taking to 22 the toll in yesterday’s encounter as around 400 Maoists ambushed security personnel during an anti-Naxal operation. One jawan is still missing while around 30 have been injured. The police had on Saturday said five security personnel were killed in the encounter while 18 were missing. A massive search operation had been launched in Bijapur-Sukma areas of Chhattisgarh, said officials in the security establishment. The anti-Naxal operation was launched by a strong contingent of about 1,500 troops drawn from the CRPF’s specialised jungle Naxalites drew jawans into trap, used LMGs, IEDs CRPF personnel carry the coffin of a paramilitary soldier. PTI WILL SET UP MORE SECURITY CAMPS Maoists are frustrated because security camps have been set up in remote areas. This process will be speeded up now. Kuldip Singh, CRPF DIRECTOR-GENERAL ❝ warfare unit CoBRA, a few from its regular battalions, a unit of its Bastariya battalion, the Chhattisgarh Policeaffiliated District Reserve Guard (DRG) and others. It was a “search and destroy” operation along the border of Bijapur-Sukma districts around noon yesterday after they got inputs about continued on page 9 New Delhi/Raipur, April 4 The ambush that left 22 security personnel dead was led by some 400 Maoists who surrounded the jawans from three sides in an area devoid of vegetation and rained bullets from light machine guns (LMGs) and also used IEDs to mount the attack that went on till evening, officials said. The Maoists carried their dead, estimated to be about 10-12, on tractor-trailers and also decamped with some sophisticated arms. Officials said inputs were received that Naxals were conducting a counter-offensive exercise in the JagargundaJongaguda-Tarrem axis and the forces were deputed to intercept and neutralise them. continued on page 9 2nd wave: Experts to be stationed in Maha, Pb, C’garh CURTAIL FATALITY RATE AT ALL COSTS: MODI WEEKEND LOCKDOWN, STRICTER CURBS IN MAHA CAMPAIGN FOR 100% MASK USAGE FROM APRIL 6-14 122 STUDENTS, STAFF OF DALHOUSIE SCHOOL +VE NO SOCIAL DISTANCING, PEOPLE LINE UP OUTSIDE A STORE IN MUMBAI total infections, the PM directed top bureaucrats and health officials to avoid mortality “under all circumstances by ramping up healthcare infrastructure, availability of oxygen, ventilators and ensuring continued on page 9 Capt, Sidhu slam Piyush on agri issues Chandigarh, April 4 Former minister Navjot Singh Sidhu on Sunday targeted Union Food Minister Piyush Goyal on the issue of Direct Bank Transfer (DBT) to farmers for procurement at his hometown Patiala. About the same time, Punjab CM Capt Amarinder Singh issued a statement also targeting the Centre while seeking restoration of Rural Development Fund (RDF) at 3 per cent of the MSP . “It is not the first time that Sidhu has held a press conference on important issues. Today, his tone was conciliatory. But the timing is intriguing. It seems more like a fight for political space,” observed a senior PPCC leader. Sources say Sidhu is keen on the post of PPCC chief but his associates maintain he has never sought any position. — TNS IN BRIEF Factually incorrect: EC on Didi’s claim NEW DELHI: The Election Commission on Sunday claimed that West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee’s claim on the presence of outsiders at a Nandigram polling booth was “factually incorrect”. BACK PAGE Farmers’ ultimatum to Haryana Govt ROHTAK: A farmers’ panchayat at a toll plaza on the RohtakPanipat highway on Sunday served a two-day ultimatum on the state government to cancel all BJP and JJP leaders’ events till their stir was on. INSIDE Rough weather warning for HP SHIMLA: The Met Department has issued a yellow warning of thunderstorm, lightning, hailstorm at isolated places in Chamba, Kangra, Kullu, Mandi and Shimla on April 5 and wet weather till April 8. INSIDE