A DECISION on booster dose and COVID jabs for children will be taken on the basis of scientific guidance from experts, Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya said on Friday even as India stepped up surveillance for Omicron variant of the coronavirus. Replying to an 11-hour-long debate on the pandemic in Lok Sabha, Mandaviya said, RT-PCR tests have been conducted on 16,000 passengers from “at-risk” countries, of whom 18 have tested positive for COVID.

The Minister said, the swab samples of 16 of them have been sent for genome sequencing to screen for the Omicron variant of the virus.

During the debate on Thursday, several members had flagged the issue of booster doses of COVID-19 vaccines and had expressed concern over the new variant of the virus, two cases of which were detected in the country.

Stop politics onoxygen shortage: Mandaviya to Oppn

Mandaviya on Friday asked the Opposition parties to stop playing politics over oxygen shortage during the second wave of COVID infections and take note of Centre’s efforts to ramp production of the life-saving gas to meet the surge in demand.

Addressing the Lok Sabha, he said the Government made “all possible efforts” to ensure the availability of oxygen and increased its production following a rise in demand during the second wave of the pandemic.

‘18 of 16,000 fliersfrom at-risk nations test positive’

Mandaviya on Friday informed Parliament that RTPCR tests of 16,000 passengers from ‘at-risk’ countries have been conducted so far, of whom 18 have tested positive for COVID-19. He also said that genome sequencing for Omicron detection is underway for such passengers.

12 suspended MPs not ready to apologise, what do we talk to Oppn, Goyal says in RS

AMID a stalemate over the suspension of 12 Opposition Rajya Sabha MPs, Leader of the House Piyush Goyal on Friday said how can there be a reconciliation when these members are unwilling to apologise for their unruly behaviour in the previous session.

The issue came up in the House when RJD leader Manoj Kumar Jha said in the Rajya Sabha that some

BJP members “gatecrashed” the site in Parliament complex where the

12 suspended members were staging agitation. “Gate crashing amounts to taking away the democratic values,” Jha said.

Goyal posed how can there be a reconciliation when the suspended members are not ready to tender an apology. “ In these circumstances, what do we talk to the Opposition?” he said. “Some Opposition leaders and some suspended MPs have been making provocative” statements in the last few days. They are saying ‘maafi kis baat ki’ (What’s there to apologise?). This shows they are endorsing the attack on marshals and unruly scenes in the House in the last session,” he added.

Govt seeks Parlt nod for Rs 62K cr

infusion in AI Assets Holding Company

THE Government on Friday sought Parliament’s nod to infuse over Rs 62,000 crore into the company that holds residual assets and liabilities of Air India after its privatisation, as part of over Rs 3.73 lakh crore additional spending planned in the current financial year. The extra spending would include Rs 58,430 crore by way of additional fertiliser subsidy, Rs 53,123 crore towards payment of pending export incentives and Rs 22,039 crore to Rural Development Ministry for transfer to National Rural Employment Guarantee Fund.

On COVID debate day, LS productivity increased to 204 pc

THE productivity of Lok Sabha increased to 204% on Thursday as the House sat for extra hours till midnight to discuss the COVID-19 pandemic. According to Lok Sabha officials, the productivity of the Lower House had touched 117 % on Wednesday when Assisted Reproductive Technology (Regulations) Bill was passed after a four-hour debate.

Overall, the productivity during the Winter Session of Parliament, which began on Monday, has been 83 per cent. Of the total allocated time of 1,440 minutes, House has transacted business for 1,205 minutes, they said.