ED raids 20 locations linked to Jharkhand CM’s close aid, claims BJP MP

 BJP MP said that places linked with Jharkhand Mining Department Secretary Pooja Singhal in Ranchi, Delhi, Rajasthan, and Mumbai are being raided

BJP MP Nishikant Dubey on Friday claimed that the Enforcement Directorate (ED) are raiding multiple locations linked to Jharkhand Mining Department Secretary Pooja Singhal. Taking to Twitter, the BJP MP said that as many as 20 locations linked with Singhal in Ranchi, Delhi, Rajasthan, and Mumbai are being raided.

“Jharkhand government, i.e. Chief Minister Hemant Soren’s close aide Pooja Singhal ji, who allocated mines at a penny’s worth to the Chief Minister, brothers, operatives and touts, is finally being raided by the ED raids at 20 places. These raids are being conducted at Ranchi, Delhi, Rajasthan, and Mumbai,” he tweeted.

On May 2, the Election Commission of India (ECI) sent a notice to Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren over “office of profit” allegations against him regarding a mining lease.He has been accused of having awarded himself last year while holding charge of the state mining and environment department….

Signal from PM Modi to CMs: Covid-19 lockdown may continue beyond May 3

Green zones may see more relaxations; states divided on how to end curbs

The nationwide lockdown is all set to be extended beyond May 3, at least until the middle of the month in the red zones of the country, as many states told Prime Minister Narendra Modi in a video-conference meeting on Monday that it’s not the time yet to lift the curbs.This means more activities may be allowed to resume in green zones of the country. Most Bharatiya Janata Party-ruled states support extending the lockdown, but will wait and abide by the Centre’s fresh guidelines. Telangana has already extended the lockdown until May 7, and will take a decision on further extension on May 5.

ALSO READ: CRISIL pegs India’s FY21 economic growth rate at 1.8% from 3.5%

Odisha, Meghalaya and some others support extending it by a month. Congress-led governments want the lockdown to be lifted in areas other than hotpots or containment zones.Delhi will take a call by April 30.Maharashtra will also decide by the end of the month, but will not lift the lockdown in urban centres like Mumbai and Pune, which are in red zones, while allowing economic activity in green zones. Mindful of the economic challenges, the government is preparing a detailed exit strategy that would give states more space in deciding their respective plans, sources said after the three-hour meeting.

ALSO READ: Govt likely to pledge Rs 3-trn in loans to MSMEs amid Covid-19 outbreak

All CMs, except Kerala’s Pinarayi Vijayan, who sent his chief secretary, participated in the meeting. Nine CMs spoke while the rest sent in their suggestions. The PM indicated that Covid-19 is here for a long haul and that people need to learn to live with it. He said masks and face covers would become part of our lives in the days ahead and reiterated the mantra of ‘do gaz doori’ or social distancing…