BENGALURU  WEDNESDAY  NOVEMBER 25, 2020  `7.00  PAGES 20  LATE CITY EDITION DONALD TRUMP FINALLY AGREES TO BEGIN TRANSITION OF POWER Don has not formally conceded defeat but has given the nod to begin the transition process for President-elect Joe Biden DON YET TO FORMALLY CONCEDE DEFEAT JANET YELLEN TIPPED TO BE TREASURY SECY On Monday, Trump tweeted, “In the best interest of our country, I am recommending that Emily Murphy, Administrator of the General Services Administration) and her team do what needs to be done with regard to initial protocols”. However, he later hardened his stance: “The GSA does not determine who the next President of the US will be.” ■ ■ ■ President-elect Joe Biden is expected to name former Federal Reserve chair Janet Yellen (pic) to lead the treasury department If confirmed, she would be the first woman to hold the position The 74-year-old economist is credited with helping steer the economic recovery after the 2007 financial crisis | P12 30,000 DOW JONES INDUSTRIAL AVERAGE TOUCHED RECORD HIGHS ON TUESDAY CHENNAI ■ MADURAI ■ VIJAYAWADA ■ BENGALURU ■ KOCHI ■ HYDERABAD ■ VISAKHAPATNAM ■ COIMBATORE ■ KOZHIKODE ■ THIRUVANANTHAPURAM ■ BELAGAVI ■ BHUBANESWAR ■ SHIVAMOGGA ■ MANGALURU ■ TIRUPATI ■ TIRUCHY ■ TIRUNELVELI ■ SAMBALPUR ■ HUBBALLI ■ DHARMAPURI ■ KOTTAYAM ■ KANNUR ■ VILLUPURAM ■ KOLLAM ■ WARANGAL ■ TADEPALLIGUDEM ■ NAGAPATTINAM ■ THRISSUR ■ KALABURAGI Raise cold chain capacity for Covid shots, CMs told PM stresses on 8 high-burden states, discusses delivery modalities Steering panel to oversee vaccine drive E X P R E S S N E W S S E R V I C E @ New Delhi PRIME Minister Narenadra Modi on Tuesday urged all chief ministers to augment their cold chain capacity for Covid-19 vaccine distribution and set up a task force at the district and block levels for smooth immunisation. The special Covid-19 immunisation programme will run parallelly with the existing Universal Immunisation Programme, though it will use the latter’s processes, technology and network, officials said. The National Expert Committee on Vaccine Administration for Covid-19 under Niti Aayog Member V K Paul and Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan has already mapped the available cold chain facilities and made projections for additional needs, they added. In a virtual review meeting, Modi laid special emphasis on eight high-burden states, including Haryana, Delhi, Chhattisgarh, Kerala, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Gujarat and West Bengal. The modalities of Covid-19 vaccine delivery distribution and administration , were discussed. Modi urged all CMs to share their Covid-19 strategy in writing, adding no one can impose any view and all have to work together to deal with the pandemic. “Vaccine distribution strategy will be chalked out in collective coordination with states. States must also start working on cold storage facilities,” he said. “It’s not yet decided which vaccine will cost how much. Though two India-based vaccines are at the forefront, we’re working with global firms also,” he said. P9 EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE @ Bengaluru/Mysuru Sputnik V 95% effective: Russia The second interim analysis of clinical trials has shown 91.4% efficacy for Covid-19 vaccine Sputnik V, 28 days after the first dose and over 95% 42 days after the first dose, Russia claimed | P9 PRIME Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday indicated that the Covid-19 vaccine is likely to be available in the next four-five weeks and has asked states to make necessary preparations for the vaccination drive, Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa said. A steering committee, headed by the CM, will oversee the vaccine distribution in the state. Yediyurappa told reporters in Mysuru that during the virtual meeting, the PM sought details on the Covid situation in the states. “I presented the situation in Karnataka and was told about the arrival of the vaccine in a few weeks,” the CM said. Modi also sought details about plans to distribute the vaccine so that it covers all, P7 the CM said. Govt plans to scrap 542 junior posts in Secretariat A S H W I N I M S R I PA D @ Bengaluru THE State Department of Personnel and Administrative Reforms (DPAR) has proposed to scrap 542 posts in the Vidhana Soudha, Vikasa Soudha and MS Building, which house offices of various departments. The move is to streamline administration and cut costs. At present, there are 3,500 sanctioned posts in the three buildings, of which, close to 3,000 people are working. However, according to DPAR officials, even these many employees are unnecessary as, in some departments, more than two people are working for the same post. This, over a period of time, has become additional expenditure. In May this year, a Cabinet sub-committee was formed nder Revenue Minister R TAMIL NADU BRACES FOR ‘NIVAR’ IMPACT S V K R I S H N A C H A I TA N YA @ Chennai THE slow-moving cyclonic storm Nivar is intensifying in the warm waters of the Bay of Bengal, and is turning into a “very severe” cyclonic storm that will make a landfall between Karaikal and Mahabalipuram late on Wednesday, with wind speed reaching up to 120-130 kmph and gust up to 145 kmph. “The storm was moving at 5 kmph, centred over southwest of the Bay of Bengal, about 380 km east southeast of Puducherry and 430 km southsoutheast of Chennai,” said S Balachandran, deputy director general at Regional Meteorological Centre. “Nivar will intensify into a severe cyclonic stor m by Wednesday morning, and then into a very severe cyclonic storm in the subsequent 12 hours. It is very likely to cross between Karaikal and Mahabalipuram coasts on November 25 late evening,” Balachandran said. A further intensification of the storm cannot be ruled out, considering the ocean and atmospheric conditions, said experts. “Chennai will also feel its impact,” says weather blogP7 ger Pradeep John. Ashoka to look at bringing financial discipline by merging minor departments and cutting down unnecessary expenditure by removing additional posts. In this regard, the DPAR is planning to scrap 542 junior assistant posts in the secretariat buildings. “Many of the departments housed in these buildings have more than the sanctioned posts of junior as- EXPRESS READ UP okays ordinance against conversion Lucknow: The UP government on Tuesday approved a draft ordinance to curb forcible or ‘dishonest’ conversions including those for the sake of marriage, which could land violators in jail for up to 10 years | P10 KERALA POLICE ACT The Left government will move an ordinance to withdraw the controversial amendment to the Act | P7 sistants. They are also delaying the movement of files. With e-governance, we do not need these many people,’’ said a DPAR official. The official said of the 542 posts, many are lying vacant. “We will not recruit again. Existing staff will be either transferred to different offices or if any of them is due for promotion, they will be promoted. This will bring down the number,’’ said the official. P4 CM appoints heads of 18 boards, corpns EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE @ Bengaluru THE State Government on Tuesday appointed chairpersons to 18 boards and corporations, including the newly constituted Veerashaiva-Lingayat Development Corporation. Among other appointments include BJP’s Yelahanka legislator S R Vishwanath as chairperson of the Bangalore Development Authority and former MLC actor Tara Anuradha as chairperson for the Karnataka Forest Development Corporation. FULL REPORT: P4