At least 31 people have died and dozens more remain missing Friday after flash floods washed away houses and bridges in India's northeast Sikkim state. Heavy rainfall on Wednesday caused a lake high in the mountains to burst, leading to major flooding that authorities said has impacted the lives of some 22,000 people. The death toll varied on Friday, with Reuters news agency putting the toll at 40 on Friday. Sikkim officials put the death toll at 18 on Thursday evening. Prime Minister Narendra Modi's office announced relief funds for the state and deployed a disaster response team to help affected people, according to a press release by the government. Soldiers missing in floods The flooding, which began shortly after Wednesday midnight, was worsened after the waters cracked open a 6-year-old dam in the mountainous state of Sikkim. Floodwater then gushed through towns in the Lachan Valley, submerging army camps. At least 23 soldiers were reported missing in the floods on Wednesday, according to the Indian Army. Search and rescue operations are still underway. Vinay Bhushan Pathak, the state's top bureaucrat, said Thursday that 26 people had been taken to nearby hospitals for treatment. Nearly 3,000 tourists and 700 taxi drivers were also stranded in the flood-hit areas, Pathak added. Latest deadly flood to hit northeast India The incident is the latest deadly flood to hit northeast India in a year of unusually heavy rains. Nearly 50 people died in flash floods in Himachal Pradesh state in August. Record rains in July killed more than 100 people over two weeks in northern India.

An Indian Army team deployed as part of the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF) on Wednesday delivered relief material to Aleppo, Syria. The material included rations and medicine from the government of India as well as contributions from the international community. "#IndianArmy team deployed in @UNDOF delivers relief material to Aleppo, #Syria. This included rations & medicines from Government of #India as well as contributions from the international community," Additional Directorate General of Public Information (ADG PI), Indian Army tweeted on Wednesday. Under 'Operation Dost', Union Health Ministry provided life-saving humanitarian medical Assistance to quake-hit Turkey and Syria. Taking to Twitter, Minister of Health and Family Welfare Mansukh Mandaviya said, "India is helping Syria and Turkey with the concept of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam. @MoHFW_India provided life-saving emergency medicines, protective items, medical equipment, critical care drugs, etc as part of India's efforts to provide humanitarian assistance to Turkey and Syria." On February 6, a devastating earthquake of magnitude 7.8 ravaged Turkey and Syria. According to a statement issued earlier by the Union Health ministry, emergency relief material comprising life-saving medicines, protective items, and critical care equipment valued at over Rs 7 crore was arranged and promptly dispatched to  Turkey and Syria. Three truckloads of relief materials, comprising life-saving emergency medicines and protective items, were arranged at the Hindon airbase. The consignment consisted of 5,945-ton emergency relief material, including 27 life-saving medicines, two kinds of protective items, and three categories of critical care pieces of equipment, valued at approximately Rs 2 crore. On February 10, more relief materials were mobilised for both Turkey and Syria. The consignment for Syria consisted of 72 critical care drugs, consumables, and protective items of 7.3 tons, valued at Rs 1.4 crore, the statement from the Union Health ministry read. Indian Army's 'SANCHAR', a network-independent, real-time tracking and messaging module, is also being used in affected areas of Turkey where Indian Army teams have been deployed to provide relief to the local population. The system, which can be used by all defence and paramilitary forces to track team members and assets in battlefield areas, has been developed by an Army team including Captain Karan Singh and Sub PG Sapre. Captain Singh is currently deployed in Turkey for disaster relief operations. SANCHAR is compatible with all-map formats and GPS constellations. It has a compact size (12x12x5 cm) and is lightweight. The system has a communication range of 1.5-2 km and a battery life of six to seven hours. It is low cost as compared to its variables. 

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif while rubbishing PTI chief Imran Khan’s allegations of media blackout of his party and flood relief telethon, has asked him to instead account for the donations he had received following the 2010 floods. The prime minister, responding to a tweet by the PTI chairman yesterday, hoped that Imran Khan would also present an account of the illegal foreign funding, just like the way he (Shehbaz Sharif) and his colleagues had been doing. Shehbaz Sharif said he as well as his colleagues were subservient to the law. The prime minister said he had no time to respond to Imran Khan’s allegations and misunderstandings as the incumbent government was heavily engaged in the rehabilitation of flood victims. “All of these gags and tactics are your characteristics, not ours. We are just treading the path of law,” the prime minister remarked. In his tweet on Monday, the PTI chief had alleged the government of making attempts for his party’s media blackout besides torture and fake cases against journalists. Imran Khan had questioned as who, if not the government, was behind all such attempts to undermine the PTI’s “popularity”, calling it the violation of the international commitment on freedom of speech. Source: The Nation  

Former Congressional candidate from Virginia and Army veteran Manga Anantmula confronted Pakistani Ambassador to the United States Masood Khan over the rapes of women belonging to minority communities in the name of flood relief. Recently, a minor Hindu girl was gang raped in Sindh province, who was lured by free ration amid the devastating floods in Pakistan. Masood Khan was addressing a press conference at the National Press Club in Washington DC on Friday where he was giving an update on the record flooding in Pakistan. Confronting the Pakistan Ambassador, Manga during the press conference on Friday asked Masood Khan to address the issues of forced conversions, rape, and other atrocities on minority women in Pakistan. Manga Anantmula also held up a poster during the press conference in an attempt to lodge a strong protest against the atrocities on women and requested the Pakistani envoy to address the issue of forced conversions. According to a report, a total of 157 women were kidnapped, 112 women were a victim of physical assault and 91 women were raped across Pakistan in the month of June. During the press conference on Friday, Pakistan’s efforts to play victim were challenged and questions were raised as to why Pakistan could not develop sustainable infrastructure and instead has been investing in its military and nuclear capabilities. Ambassador Khan was visibly disturbed and was unable to deliver convincing answers to the pertinent questions raised by the activist. Meanwhile, the United States announced that it is providing an additional USD 20 million in humanitarian assistance to support the people affected by severe flooding in Pakistan resulting from heavy monsoon rains, as well as landslides and glacial lake outbursts, which have been ongoing since June. The estimated economic loss due to the unprecedented floods in Pakistan has neared around USD 18 billion, an increase from USD 12.5 billion estimated earlier, as calculated by the Centre and endorsed by the provinces. Agriculture growth faced a much more severe impact in the aftermath of floods. The catastrophic floods have destroyed crops in 8.25 million acres as compared to the initial assessment of 4.2 million acres which has further increased the economic losses, reported The News International. In the wake of the increased economic losses and reduced GDP growth, the per capita income is projected to slow down. The government had envisaged a GDP growth rate of 5 percent for the current fiscal year. Moreover, poverty and unemployment will go up manifold from 21.9 per cent to over 36 per cent. Some 37 per cent population was hit by poverty after floods in 118 districts, as estimated by the Pakistan government. A high-profile committee with representation from the Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Planning, State Bank of Pakistan, FBR, PIDE and others evaluated that poverty and unemployment have gone up manifold, rising from 21.9 per cent to over 36 per cent. The UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Friday landed in Pakistan on a two-day visit to take stock of the floods-related situation and express solidarity with the country’s people hit by extreme monsoon rain. Source: The Statesman

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman may propose a capital gains tax waiver in the Union Budget for overseas debt investors, a move that will set the stage for India's inclusion in the keenly tracked global bond indices of Bloomberg-Barclays and JP Morgan, three people familiar with the matter told ET. The waiver-and resultant inclusion of Indian debt instruments in global bond indices-should spawn significant capital flows into local debt securities, potentially driving down yields in Asia's third-biggest economy. Offshore investors are expected to start trading in select sovereign securities following their inclusion in global bond indices. That should draw as much as $250 billion of inflows over the next decade and reduce India's cost of borrowing by up to 50 basis points, a Morgan Stanley estimate showed. 'Tax to Hamper Liquidity' "If capital gains tax is applied on each bond transaction, it will hamper liquidity significantly, which goes against the global indices," said Sudip Chatterjee, head of global capital markets at international securities settlement platform Euroclear. "This means that we have to change our basic model and split the omnibus model into a segregated mode." An overseas investor is supposed to pay a short-term capital gains tax if a listed bond is sold within 12 months. The tax incidence is in the range of 30-40% depending on the nature of investor. Abolition of capital gain liabilities is perhaps the easiest path toward having Indian debt listed on Euroclear, Krishnamurthy Subramanian, former chief economic advisor to the finance ministry, had said last year in July. "If you want to be listed on Euroclear, then there is a decision that has to be made on the capital gains part," he had then said in an interaction with Bloomberg. "The cleanest solution is to remove capital gains tax." The finance ministry did not immediately respond to ET's query. Waiver on short-term capital gain liabilities will help remove the final hurdle for India's inclusion in the indices that global financial hubs track for parking surplus cash. Platforms such as Euroclear cannot calculate such a tax levy, which was billed as an impediment toward drawing overseas fund flows. Sovereign entities list their securities on global indices to help enhance liquidity - and hold down the cost of borrowing. "It is not feasible and defeats the key purpose (liquidity) on why countries include sovereign papers in global indices," Euroclear's Chatterjee said. Euroclear operates in 49 different countries. None of them have capital gains tax on bond transactions. Bonds foreign portfolio investors (FPIs) could purchase under the Fully Accessible Route (FAR) are now at about '16.98 lakh crore spread across 17 different tenors, show data from the Clearing Corporation of India. Maturities of those securities range from 2024 to 2051. "The government may consider a beneficial capital gain tax regime for secondary market sales to sweeten the deal for offshore investors," said Vishal Shah, partner - PWC India. "Equities are not comparable with debt as they have multiple investment options." Source: The Economics Times

Chairman of the Anti- Corruption Commission (ACC) Iqbal Mahmood on Tuesday said the commission has adopted a zero-tolerance approach to stop corruption in relief distribution. He made the remarks after receiving a special report on various types of allegations of corruption, progress in case investigations and the overall situation, including the arrest of accused. The intelligence unit of the ACC apprised the chairman about their month-long activities from April 12 to May 11 through the report. The Commission has so far filed 15 cases in different districts on charge of misappropriating government’s relief materials and money from the government's social security program. Several people have also been arrested in connection with irregularities. According to the report, 15 cases were filed against chairmen, members and secretaries of union parishads for various irregularities and corruption in food-friendly activities under the government's social security program from April 12 to May 11. Investigations into the cases are underway. Expressing satisfaction over the overall activities of the ACC, Iqbal Mahmood said, "ACC officials are carrying out their responsibilities risking their lives which is commendable, but all those involved in such crimes must be punished and no one will be spared.” A special committee or taskforce will be formed, if necessary, to monitor activities relating to investigations, he said. Source: UNB AH

Several hundred jobless people have staged demonstration for relief items at Badda link road area in the capital. The demonstration began after 10 am on Tuesday. After 11 am police requested the agitating people to return to their homes but the effort went in vain. At that time they expressed their demonstration by keeping rickshaws upside down on the road. It is known that they staged demonstration after not getting relief items from the local Ward Councilors. They also alleged that relief items are being given only to the known persons. They demanded distribution of relief items through army. AH   

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has urged the people not to pay heed to any rumor regarding coronavirus situation and simultaneously warned that no corruption will be tolerated in the relief distribution as she issued a 31-point directive on Thursday in view of the outbreak of the lethal disease. She also called upon the people to follow health codes properly, visit physicians if they experience any symptom of coronavirus, and not to use personal protective equipment (PPE) wholesale by all. “The Prime Minister has given the 31-point instruction in the wake of the novel coronavirus (Covid-19) situation in the country,” PM’s Press Secretary Ihsanul Karim told BSS. Following are the directives of the premier. 1) Coronavirus-related treatment measures will have to be taken, and awareness programs on the issue will have to be implemented. 2) There is no need for concealment of the disease rather go to physicians if symptoms of coronavirus surface. 3) No need for using PPE generally by all, rather it needs to ensure PPE for all concerned with the treatment process and adopt cautionary measures to keep all treatment equipment including PPE and masks freed from virus and in case of their disposal as well. 4) Special priority will have to be given to all doctors, nurses, lab technicians, cleaners, ambulance drivers who are involved in the treatment of Covid-I9 disease. 5) Those who are in the home quarantine or isolation should be treated humanely. 6) Regularly follow the health code including washing hands, using masks and maintaining social distancing. 7) Naval ambulances should be provided in the riverbank districts. 8) Proper health checkups and medical care for other patients should be continued. 9) Ensure cleanliness, and all the city corporations, municipalities and upazila parishads across the country will have to strengthen their cleanliness activities. 10) Attention should be given to law and order, and all the government officials including that of the Health Services Division, the administration, the law enforcement agencies, the Armed Forces Division will have to continue their works maintaining proper coordination in this national disaster. 11) No corruption will be tolerated in the relief activities. 12) Assistance will have to be given to day laborers, workers and peasants so that they don’t remain unfed, and a separate list of poor working people will have to be prepared. 13) Social safety activities will continue. 14) Proper attention will have to be paid so that economic activities don’t get stagnate. 15) Food production system will have to continue, and more varieties of crops will have to be produced. Whatever needs for food security will have to be done and no land should be kept uncultivated. 16) Supply system should be maintained. 17) General activities will continue and the prices of essentials will have to be kept under control. 18) All celebration programs of the Bangla New Year should be suspended to avoid public gatherings. The celebration should be done through digital system staying at home. 19) Local public representatives, political leaders, people of all stages of the society will have to work together. The administration will have to work engaging all the people. 20) Alongside the government, the affluent persons and institutions of the society will carry out their relief and healthcare activities maintaining coordination with the Deputy Commissioners and Upazila Nirbahi Officers. 21) The public representatives and upazila administration will distribute foods among the distressed people by preparing a ward-based list. 22) A special attention will have to be given the most disadvantaged people like agriculture workers, day laborers, rickshaw and van-puller, transport workers, beggars, street children, the women abandoned by husband, widows and ‘hijra’ community and providing relief to them will have to be ensured. 23) Necessary arrangements will have to be made for senior citizens and children. 24) All government employees and volunteer organizations will have to follow the standing orders (SOD) regarding the disasters. 25) Necessary arrangements will have to be made for monitoring on production, supply and regular marketing of the essential goods. 26) Don’t buy excessive products after being panicked as there is adequate stock of all necessary goods including food grains. 27) The farmers will continue cultivation regularly, and in this case government incentives will go on. 28) All industry owners, businesspeople and individuals will keep their own industries, business establishments and houses clean. 29) The owners of industries will continue production through discussion with the workers and ensuring their health safety. 30) The media workers are playing a proper role in creating mass awareness and in this case, a sharp eye will have to be kept so that none can mislead the people by spreading various rumors and false information. 31) Spreading rumors will have to be stopped. Various rumors are being spread. Don’t pay heed to rumors and don’t worry about it. Source: BSS AH

This year relief fund money was spent for the visits of ministers arranged at the flood affected areas. Besides, relief items were distributed among party leader and activists under political consideration. Such allegations came from anti-corruption organization Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB). TIB Executive Director Dr. Iftekharuzzaman said, there are allegations of irregularities and corruption during distribution of relief items among flood affected people in 2019. His remarks came in while publishing research report titled ‘Transparency in combating, preparation and relief distribution in floods -2019’ at TIB headquarters in the capital on Sunday. The report said, there is allegation that relief fund money was used for ministers’ visit in the flood affected areas. The report also mentioned about relief items distribution under political consideration, kinship, some people received relief materials twice, depriving people of relief items if complains are made and providing less rice than the requirement. AH        

Jatiya Party Chairman Hussain Muhammad Ershad said, at present there is no security of life for people in the country, there is no calculation on how much people are being murdered, forcefully disappeared. Young people have no job. The country is poured with drugs. People of the country want to get relief from Awami League and BNP. They want change of the condition. People want to see Jatiya Party that means its symbol ‘plough’ in power. He said these in his speech as the chief guest at the biennial council of Sunamganj district Jatiya Party at Government Jubilee High School ground at the town on Sunday. Mentioning Commerce Minister Tofael Ahmed’s speech Ershad said, whether or not around one lakh people of Awami League would die if it does not come to power again. People of the country know transition of power happens but they get nothing. After coming to power BNP withdrew 5 thousand 888 cases filed against their leaders and activists from 2001 to 2006. Again Awami League withdrew 6 thousand cases filed against them while staying in power. 180 accused were acquitted. We do not want politics of transition, we want change. This change is possible only with ‘plough’. Expressing gratefulness for electing 8 candidates of ‘plough’ in 1991 election from Sylhet division Ershad said, elect more candidates nominated under symbol of plough in the eleventh national election. Because people want to get relief from Awami League-BNP, they want change, people want to live. Senior Jatiya Party leaders including Jatiya Party nominated candidate for Sunamganj-4 constituency Advocate Pir Fazlur Rahman Misbah also delivered speech on the occasion. AH