The budget session of the Telangana legislature today began on an unpleasant note with the Council presiding officer being hit in the eye by an object thrown after sloganeering by main opposition Congress members. Legislative Council Chairman K Swamy Goud said he was hit by the object thrown at the podium during the playing of national anthem after Governor E S L Narasimhans customary address to the joint session of legislature. Goud, who was seen with a plaster over his right eye after receiving treatment at a hospital, told reporters that a headphone hit him in the eye. Earlier, the address was marred by slogan-shouting Congress members who accused the TRS government of being anti-farmer. Some of them tore papers and flung them in the air. The Governor, however, continued his address highlighting various welfare and development programmes of the government. Opposition BJP members walked out of the house during the address. The Congress members were stopped at the Well of the House by marshalls. A few of them held placards and some members also tore papers and flung them in the air. Goud said that during the Governors address itself broken head phones were thrown which fell near the…
Month: February 2017
Bharat Bandh LIVE Updates: 9 dead in MP, UP and Rajasthan; internet services suspended and Sec 144 imposed in Rajasthan
Bharat Bandh over SC\/ST protection Act LIVE: A number of Dalit organizations are holding strike across India on Monday. The central government today filed a review petition in the Supreme Court against the top courts judgement. Train services were hit in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Odisha, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh. Congress is backing the bandh. Apart from Congress, CPI and Left-affiliated unions, the Janata Dal, Prakash Ambedkar-led Bharip Bahujan Mahasangh and the Peasants and Workers Party have also decided to extend support to the strike. Track live updates of Bharat bandh today 10:58 PM: 10:21 PM: 9:59 PM: Similar notification like Hapur district has been issued by UP government in Ghaziabad. Latest reports suggest that all school, colleges and educational institutes except those conducting board examinations will remain closed following protests over SC\/ST Protection Act. 9:40 PM: 9:38 PM: the decision has been made in light of the violence in the ongoing Bharat Bandh protests over dilution of SC\/ST Protection Act. 9:13 PM: Protestors protesting over SC\/ST Protection Act in Ghaziabads Shivpuri attacked a bus carrying AIIMS Delhi doctors and nurses. The protestors attacked the bus on Delhi-Ghaziabad Highway. 9:00 PM: Strict action will be taken against those responsible. I appeal…
Kiran Bedi ties free rice to sanitation, Opposition slams move
Courting controversy, Puducherry Lt Governor Kiran Bedi today directed authorities to make clean villages, a precondition for distribution of free rice which was strongly objected by Opposition parties. Giving a backgrounder to her direction, Bedi cited poor sanitation condition in rural Puducherry during her visits and to make a turnaround, she directed linking rice distribution to good sanitation in villages. DMK Working President M K Stalin, in a tweet, released a copy of her letter to Puducherry Chief Minister V Narayanasamy in which she apprised him that she has directed the Director of Civil Supplies in this regard. Bedi, in her communique said to inculcate a sense of responsibility amongst the local community, we require to cast a duty upon the local community for maintenance of their localities clean and healthy. The rice distribution shall, therefore, be made conditional to the certification that the village is open defecation free and free of strewn garbage and plastics, she said. Accordingly, I have issued directions to the Director of Civil Supplies. A notice to the villages be given for a period of four weeks till 31 May to make the villages clean, she said. Bedi, in her letter dated today told the…
Judge Loya Supreme Court verdict: SC order shows judiciary cannot be misled, says Rajnath Singh
The Supreme Court order rejecting the plea for a probe into the death of Judge B H Loya has sent out a clear message that the judiciary cannot be misled by allegations based on political vendetta, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh said today. The minister, who posted a series of tweets, also came down heavily on several attempts to target the BJP and its top leaders through fake cases. It is extremely unfortunate that there have been several attempts of targeting the BJP and assassinating the character of its top leaders on the basis of These attempts have failed miserably once again, he said on Twitter. The home minister said the Supreme Court order has also raised serious questions on the intention of filing such PILs. The Supreme Court has also cautioned against the misuse of courts in political tug of war. The SC verdict gives a clear message that the judiciary can not be misled by allegations based on political vendetta, Singh said. The Supreme Court today dismissed pleas seeking an independent probe into the death of the special CBI judge and ruled that he died of natural causes. The petitions were a serious attempt to scandalise and obstruct…
UGC says students with ‘Diploma’ in Yoga to get preference in Physiotherapy degree courses
The University Grants Commission (UGC) has directed the Vice-Chancellors of all universities to give suitable preference in admission to graduate courses in Physiotherapy to those candidates having requisite knowledge in Yoga. The latest move comes following a recommendation of an expert committee which proposed that students having skill and knowledge in Yoga should be given preference in admission to the degree courses. The Commission also laid that the rules will be subject to the condition that marks secured in the entrance examination and other eligibility conditions are similar to a candidate with same credentials but not having said expertise in Yoga. In a letter sent to all the Vice-Chancellors of the Universities across India, the UGC said, A candidate having at least one year diploma in Yoga may be given preference in admission, subject to the condition that marks secured in the entrance examination and other eligibility conditions are same to a candidate with similar credentials but not having said expertise in Yoga. The UGC also asked the de facto head of the university to take note of the said recommendation during the admission process and also bring it to the notice of their recognised colleges. Take note of the…
We can achieve 20-25% growth; govt needs to remove policy uncertainty, says CEO of GMR Hyderabad International Airport
GMR-operated Hyderabad International Airport (GHIAL) is all set to touch the 18-million passenger mark this year after having grown at almost 21% y-o-y for the last three years. The airport, initially designed for 12 million passengers, has sought regulatory permission to expand capacity to 30 million. The first airport in the country to go the PPP way has also announced a mega airport city Manisha Singhal spoke to GHIAL CEO SGK Kishore. Excerpts: Hyderabad was the first airport to go under the PPP model. What has been the learning for you under this model? It has been a good experience for all stakeholders. The government got speedy implementation of infrastructure projects, users got a global experience, and for private partners like us, it After this model, Indian airports started getting ranked globally. This never happened before 2008. Give us details of your expansion plan. We have planned to double the current capacity over 2.5 years. We are getting regulatory clearance for the next phase, that is for 30-million capacity. The yardsticks and benchmarks and the type of improvements that have come in the air navigation services have all added to increased efficiencies and we have revised capacity to 75 million…
Babas get MoS status in Madhya Pradesh: PIL filed, HC seeks reply from government
The Madhya Pradesh High Court today sought the state governments response on a public interest litigation (PIL) against the granting of Minister of State (MoS) status to five religious leaders. Justices PK Jaiswal and SK Awasthi of the high courts Indore bench issued a notice to the state government on the plea by a local resident asking it to furnish a response within three weeks. The PIL, demanding the withdrawal of MoS status given to these religious leaders, was filed by Rambahadur Verma who claimed that the expenditure on facilities provided to the five would ultimately have to be borne by taxpayers. The state government had, on March 31, constituted a special committee to conduct public awareness campaigns about plantation, water conservation and sanitation on the banks of river Narmada. On April 3, it had granted five members of this committee- Narmadanand Maharaj, Hariharanand Maharaj, Bhaiyyu Maharaj, Computer Baba and Yogendra Mahant- MoS status.
Union minister Piyush Goyal jeers at Congress, dismisses allegations as ‘spit and run’ politics
Hitting back at the Congress over its allegation of financial impropriety against him, Union minister Piyush Goyal tonight said it was nothing but another episode of the partys spit and run In a statement issued by the BJP, Goyal asserted that there has been absolutely no wrongdoing or irregularity on his part as he gave out details of the transactions, being used by the Congress to target him. The malicious statement by the Congress party is factually misleading and makes incorrect conclusions with false and defamatory statements and it is full of factual inaccuracies, mix up of dates and allude to events with no relevance his brief association with Shirdi Industries Ltd, he said. Accusing Goyal of impropriety and conflict of interest due to his alleged links with private firm Shirdi Industries, Congress leaders, including Ghulam Nabi Azad and Veerappa Moily, today demanded his immediate sacking and a probe by a sitting Supreme Court judge into the issue. Goyal said the Congress has the habit of repeatedly indulging in malicious campaigns which are full of factual inaccuracies and it is running this motivated propaganda for cheap political mileage. Facts state that he has followed the highest standards of ethics and…
UP minister’s Dalit outreach backfires: Man who ‘hosted’ dinner claims Suresh Rana came uninvited, ordered his food
It seems the Dalit outreach act of a Bharatiya Janata Party leader in Uttar Pradesh has backfired Suresh Rana, Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Cane Development and Sugar Mills in the Yogi Adityanath government, allegedly went to a Dalit familys house uninvited and even ordered food from outside. The claim was made by the man himself. Rajnish Kumar, the host of the dinner said he wasnt even informed about the ministers visit. I didnt even know they are coming for dinner, they came suddenly. All food, water and cutlery they had arranged from outside, he was quoted as saying by news agency ANI. Rajnish was quite surprised as he saw the minister and his aides suddenly arriving to his house around 11 pm. Ranas visit to a Dalits house was part of his partys larger campaign under which PM Narendra Modi has asked the leaders to visit Dalit dominated areas. Reports said the local administration had made a number of arrangements for the ministers visit. The minister also said that food was ordered from outside because there were many people with him. Meanwhile, another UP minister, Rajendra Pratap, visited a Dalits home today. There is a mention of a…
Unnao rape case: CBI registers fourth case, names son of BJP MLA’s aide as accused
The Central Bureau of Investigation In its new complaint, the central investigative agency has made Shashi Singhs son Shubham Singh an accused in it. Shashi Singh, a woman aide of an accused BJP MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar, who allegedly took the rape survivor to the BJP MLA Kuldeep Singh on the day of the crime, was sent to four days of police custody till Yesterday, the victim was taken to special CBI court in Lucknow under tight security by the CBIs investigating officer RR Tripathi to record her statement. The alleged victims mother too had accompanied The statement was recorded under section 164 (Recording of confessions and statements) The CBI arrested the main accused BJP MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar on April 13 and was later sent to seven days police custody. In its complaint to Uttar Pradesh Police, which is now a part of CBIs FIR, the victims mother had alleged that while the MLA was raping her daughter, Shashi Singh stood outside the room as a guard. The victims family had also alleged that brother of the accused lawmaker, Atul Singh Sengar, too had raped the girl along with his companions. The family had further alleged that Sengar later…
First in the world: Indian scientists make Ayurvedic drug to cure dengue
Indian scientists have formulated an Ayurvedic drug to cure dengue, claimed to be the first in the world, and the medicine is likely to be available in the market by next year. The Central Council for Research in Ayurvedic Sciences (CCRAS), an autonomous body under the Ministry of AYUSH and ICMRs, regional research centre in Belgaum in Karnataka, have already conducted pilot studies which have proved the clinical safety and efficacy of the drug. According to Professor Vaidya KS Dhiman, Director General of CCRAS, the Double-Blind Placebo-Controlled Clinical Trial, which is a medical study involving human participants and is an internationally accepted method of testing is going on in the medical colleges of Belgaum and Kolar. This drug has been made with seven herbal ingredients which are in use in Ayurveda system of medicine since centuries, Dhiman said. Dengue is emerging as a major health problem in tropical countries and is drawing the attention of government and all health agencies due to its fatality and limitations of treatment in conventional system, Dhiman said. As such there is no direct references and description regarding dengue in Ayurveda and Siddha literatures. We started working on making this drug in 2015 and in…
Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal holds roadshow in Haryana’s Rohtak-Bhiwani belt
With the AAP keen to contest the Haryana Assembly polls next year, the partys national convener and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal today held a roadshow in the Rohtak-Bhiwani belt of the state. Kejriwals roadshow, which began in the morning and is expected go on till evening, comes close on the heels of a rally in Hisar on Sunday. At the Hisar rally, the AAP leader had announced that his party would contest the forthcoming Haryana Assembly polls. Kejriwal, who was accompanied by the AAPs Haryana head, Naveen Jaihind, had covered Bahadurgarh, Sampla and Rohtak till late afternoon during his roadshow today. The roadshow will also pass through Kalanaur, Dadri, Bhiwani and Tosham. At the Hisar rally, Kejriwal had attacked the BJP-led Centre and Haryana governments over a number of issues. The AAP national convener, who hails from Haryana, had invoked his Haryana roots and asked the people of the state to strengthen his party. We will create a new Haryana. If you want peace, security, schools, hospitals, roads, then vote for the AAP, he had said. After tasting defeat at the hustings in the previous Lok Sabha polls from Haryana, the AAP had not contested the October 2014 assembly…
China provokes: Doklam undisputed ‘Chinese territory’, hope New Delhi learnt some lessons from standoff
Provoking India once again, China on Monday said that Doklam is an undisputed Chinese territory and there is no question of changing the status quo. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying said that Donglang (Doklam) completely belongs to China as the two nations have historical conventions. He, however, said that the country is committed to maintaining peace. Regarding the border issue, China is committed to maintaining peace, stability and tranquillity there and Donglang (Doklam) belongs to China as we have historical conventions. So Chinas activity there is within its sovereign rights. There is no such thing as changing the status quo, Chunying was quoted as saying. Without mincing his words, Chunying credited the countrys own wisdom and efforts responsible for resolving the face-off. Last year, thanks to our concerted efforts, our diplomatic efforts and wisdom that we properly resolved this issue, he said. We hope the Indian side could learn some lessons from this, stick to historical conventions and work with China to ensure the peace and stability in the border area as well as a good atmosphere for the development of bilateral ties, Hua said. The Chinese spokesman was also questioned on Indian ambassador Gautam Bambawales comments that the…
Aurangabad communal clashes: Curfew imposed, additional forces deployed as violence grips Bihar town; here’s all you need to know
Authorities have imposed Section 144 following communal clashes in Bihars Aurangabad district. As per a news report by news agency PTI, the members of two communities clashed during Ram Navami celebrations. People from both sides indulged in heavy stone-pelting and arson, which left several persons injured and nearly a dozen shops gutted. Speaking to media, Aurangabad District Magistrate Rahul Ranjan Mahiwal said that the situation in the town is tense but under control. We have clamped prohibitory orders under Section 144 of the CrPC. The situation in the town is tense but under control, Mahiwal was quoted as saying by PTI. Meanwhile, in Bihar Assembly, Leader of Opposition, Tejashwi Yadav, alleged that for the past several hours riots had been taking place at Aurangabad and shops belonging to a particular community were being set on fire. Yadav hurled his allegations while state minister Vijender Yadav was reading out the governments reply to the debate on the budgetary allocation for the Home department. Upset over the situation, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar intervened and said the floor of the House must not be used to give publicity to rumours which could aggravate communal tensions. The Bihar Chief Minister added that Ram…
Bharat bandh: Rahul Gandhi targets Modi government, says ‘Oppressing Dalits in DNA of RSS, BJP’
Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Monday attacked RSS and the BJP in the wake of Bharat bandh called by Dalit groups. Gandhi targeted the saffron organisations while saying he salutes brothers and sisters from the community who have hit the streets to demand protection of their rights from Narendra Modi government. Any one who challenges this thought is crushed with violence, Gandhi tweeted. We salute them, The Congress chiefs comments came as several Dalit organisations called for a nation-wide shutdown against Supreme Courts recent order on SC\/ST Atrocities Act. The order has been dubbed by Dalit activists as diluting the provisions of the Act. Gandhi and his Congress party have slammed the BJP and the Modi government for having alleged On March 20, the Supreme Court ruled that public servants should not be arrested without prior sanction. Also, it said private citizens too should be arrested only after an inquiry under the law. Earlier today, the Centre moved a review petition against the Supreme Court order. Speaking to media, Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said that the government has filed a review petition in the top court. I wish to convey that today weve filed a petition on the…
Will Sachin Pilot be next Rajasthan Chief Minister? Congress leader says this about his, party future
There is no clash between the leaders in the Congress over the post of Chief Minister in Rajasthan, says state party chief Sachin Pilot as the party high command appointed veteran leader from the state Ashok Gehlot to a crucial post in the All India Congress Committee (AICC). Its not an issue, and the credit for blowing it (reported differences between him and Gehlot) out of proportion goes to our opponents, who are busy cooking up stories, he says. We are working as a team and there is no such clash in the party for the coveted post, Pilot told IANS in an interview. There have been reports of infighting between Pilot and former chief minister and strongman Ashok Gehlot over who will be the chief minister if the party wins the next elections due this year end. On Friday, Congress President Rahul Gandhi appointed Gehlot as General Secretary in charge of organisation and training, replacing Janardhan Dwivedi. Interestingly, however, Gehlot said in a newspaper interview that young leaders should learn to wait in queue and not try to jump it, remarks seen as a message to his younger rivals in the state unit of the party. On his likely…
Rahul Gandhi aircraft incident: Business jet operators’ body BAOA condemns police action
Business jet operators body BAOA has voiced concern over the police action against one of its members and cockpit crew for the technical snag reported in Congress president Rahul Gandhis aircraft last week. The Business Aircraft Operators Association (BAOA) in a statement issued today also said that any attempt to use such incidents for political purpose is totally uncalled for as it could adversely affect the safety of overall operations of the charter planes. On April 26, the plane carrying Gandhi and other passengers onboard from New Delhi to Hubli in north Karnataka developed a technical snag during landing, prompting the civil aviation ministry to direct aviation regulator DGCA to conduct a probe. BAOA feels deeply concerned that in one of the recent incidents involving a chartered flight for a senior political leader operated by one of our members Ligare Aviation, an FIR was lodged with the police against the operator and the pilots for criminal negligence, the statement said without naming the Congress president. As per initial reports, the aircraft developed a technical snag in mid-air and the pilots landed the aircraft safely as per the standard operating procedure (SOP), after duly assessing the situation, it added. Ligare Aviation…
Trail of destruction: In Rajasthan, dust storm kills 27, injures 100; Vasundhara Raje directs officers for relief work
At least 27 people were killed and 100 injured in Rajasthan last night after a strong dust storm hit different parts of the state. The dust storm wreaked havoc in Alwar, Bharatpur and Dholpur districts, uprooting many trees and cutting off the power supply on Wednesday. Secretary Disaster Management and Relief, Hemant Kumar Gera said, So far 27 people have died due to the disaster, including 12 in Bharatpur, 10 in Dholpur and in Alwar. The squall was reported mainly in three districts. Bharatpur and Alwar are the most affected parts of the state. In Bharatpur, 12 people are reported to have lost their lives. Power Supply in Alwar has not been restored since last night after damage caused by the storm to the electricity poles. Alwar Power distribution company executive engineer DP Singh said More than 1000 electric poles were damaged, it will take us at least two days to restore supply,. According to PTI out of 5 people killed in Dholpur, two were from Agra. Capital city Jaipur too witnessed the wreath of the dust storm. Hemant Kumar said emergency funds have been released to the respective district administration. He said Rs 4 lakh will be given to…
Interesting commonality among Narendra Modi, Mamata Banerjee and Biplab Deb; find out
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and Tripura Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb may not have a lot in common. But there is one startling similarity as far as their views on self-employment is concerned. Their prescribed views on self-employment have often baffled many youths. Whenever they say something or put forward an idea in public forum, it evokes extreme reactions. Deb, who was entrusted with the task of leading Tripura by Amit Shah and BJP top brass after the saffron party trounced the Left, has stoked controversies with a string of remarks. With the Opposition consistently targeting the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) over alleged lack of job creation in India, PM Modi had a few months ago created a controversy with his pakoda jobs remarks. During a television interview, Modi had said that people, who earn Rs 200 per day by selling pakodas, can also be considered employed. The truth is massive people are being employed, In a remark, which is quite similar to that of PM Modi, Banerjee had a few years ago claimed that no industry is small even if it is a telebhaja or chop (oil fry). She said that even…
How a deaf and dumb woman in Rajasthan who was about to commit suicide was saved by counsellors on video call
A deaf and dumb newly-married woman who was about to hang herself was saved in Rajasthans Hanumangarh district in a coordinated action by the local police and a counsellor couple who were in touch with her through video call from Indore. The woman (23), who was allegedly suffering from depression, online searched the contact number of counsellors – Gyanendra Purohit and his wife Monica – and told them three days back she wanted to end her life. On Thursday night, the woman again made a video call to Purohit, who also works as the state coordinator for Muk Badhir police helpline at Indore, seeking help but this time she was standing on her bed and made a noose of her dupatta apparently to commit suicide. Monica, director of Anand Service society working for deaf children in Indore, said, My husband was in Mumbai, he called me up and I started counselling the woman through sign language. Simultaneously, we coordinated with the Hanumangarh police seeking their help. The woman told us that her father had sexually abused her since childhood and now her husband is also brutal to her. Therefore she is under depression and wanted to take the extreme step,…
Embarrassment for BJP as its own Dalit MP accuses Yogi Adityanath of discrimination, says was ‘thrown out of his office’
In what could come as an embarrassment for the Bharitya Janata Party government in Uttar Pradesh and the Narendra Modi-led central government, a Dalit Member of the Parliament from the saffron party has written to the Prime Minister alleging that he was mistreated by UP CM Yogi Adityanath in the latters office and was also thrown out. Chote Lal Karwar, the MP from states Robertsganj constituency also alleged discrimination at the hands of the Uttar Pradesh administration. Notably, the development coincides with the PM Modis assertion that his government had done the most to honour Dalit icon BR Ambedkar. The comments come in wake of the criticism that the government has received at the hands of the Congress and the BJPs push to clarify that it has the Dalit communitys well-being as among its top priorities. In his letter to the PM, 45-year-old Karwar alleged that nobody was listening to his complaints and that even his attempts to meet state party chief Mahendra Nath Pandey at least three times yielded no help. Karwar has also allegedly named another leader Sunil Bansal. As per the BJP leader, on a number of occasions he got death threats but the police did not…
BJP Foundation Day: Saffron party releases video hailing its leaders, ‘IndiatrustsBJP’ becomes top hashtag on Twitter
On the occasion of its 38th foundation day, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Friday released a video highlighting partys evolution right from its inception as Jan Sangha in 1951 to formation of the party in 1980. The video, titled as BJP-ek mission (BJP – a mission), also highlighted the contributions of veteran party leaders including Shyama Prasad Mukherjee, Deen Dayal Upadhyaay, Prem Nath Dogra, Acharya Raghuvir, Nanaji Deshmuk, Vijayraje Scindia, Lal Krishna Advani, Murli Manohar Joshi and Atal Bihari Vajpayee. The video begins with criticism of Jawahar Lal Nehru for his western love (Pashchatya Prem). The video carried a hashtag – IndiatrustsBJP – which became the top trend on Twitter within hours. The video also highlights Lal Chowk and Ram Rath Yatra as the events which came shaped its journey for the future. The video ends with a claim that BJP is worlds largest political party with 11 crore members. It said that that party is receiving immense support from the entire nation and is committed to serve the country. It further said that the government, under the able leadership of PM Narendra Modi, is committed for the development of poor. Watch video: twitter.com\/jEToI7SDNu Speaking on the occasion, PM Narendra…
Why not a single toilet was built in Delhi under Swachh Bharat Mission; CAG reveals surprise reason
No toilet was built in Delhi under Prime Minister Narendra Modis flagship Swachh Bharat Mission. According to a CAG report, funds of over Rs. 40 crore has been lying idle in banks. The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) in its report pointed out that Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Admi Party government had not allocated mission funds to Municipal Corporations of Delhi (MCDs) and the Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board (DUSIB) as per their requirements. Not a single toilet was constructed under the Swachh Bharat Mission in two and half years since its inception on October 2, 2014. All the fund totalling Rs 40.31 crore allocated for this purpose is idling in banking; as the monitoring and evaluation mechanism prescribed in the scheme was not worked upon. This shows that the Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi (GNCTD) did not give adequate importance to the implementation of the Swachh Bharat Mission Scheme, the report said. The CAG report was tabled in Delhi Assembly on Tuesday. The implementing agencies comprising MCDs and DUSIB received a total of Rs 40.31 crore under the Mission including Rs 10.08 crore as state share, but the entire fund remained unutilised as of March, 2017. NDMC, SDMC…
Telangana, Kerala barter notes on inland fishing, road safety
Just as the Telangana government is planning to come out with a Kerala model road safety legislation, the Kerala government is readying to pay back the compliment by taking a leaf from Telangana While the exchange of development tips were inadvertent, in a happy coincidence, the initiatives from the two states have come about at the same time. Telangana enjoys four times the area of fishing reservoirs in Kerala and the latter is yet to tap the resources optimally. In tune with the fast-escalating demand, Telangana has been able to double the fingerlings production to 40 million in just two years. This teaming up would come about at a time when Kerala is launching Rs 69.9-crore inland fisheries project, with a target of generating 14.4 lakh mandays. The co-operation with Telangana farmers is expected to help increase inland fish production in Kerala to 25,000 mllion tonne and harvest Rs 1,270-crore revenues from the sector. Meanwhile, it was Telangana ministers who first came up with the idea of synergy with Kerala on road safety. Telengana, worried by the State Kerala has a Road Safety Vision in place which targets to reduce road accidents and fatalities by 50% within 2020, said Rajiv…
Man honey-trapped by Pakistan ISI arrested from Rohtak: Haryana Police
A 23-year-old man, who was honey-trapped by ISI, was arrested from Rohtak for allegedly passing information to the Pakistani spy agency about Indian Army camps he had visited for recruitment tests, police said. Gaurav Kumar was arrested from Rohtaks Model Town area yesterday based on information received by state and central intelligence agencies, Superintendent of Police Pankaj Nain said. Kumar has been booked under the provisions of the Official Secrets Act and under relevant sections of the IPC. A resident of Ganaur city in Sonepat district, Kumar had befriended two women, who worked for Pakistans Inter-Service Intelligence, more than a year ago on Facebook, Nain told reporters. Preliminary investigations revealed that Gaurav was trying to get recruited in the Army for a long time and had been preparing for examinations conducted by the Army, he said. Nain said the two women befriended Kumar after he told them he was working with the Indian Army. After gaining his trust, the women started communicating with him regularly. They later asked him to work for ISI and provide information about Army camps, while promising to pay him hefty sum for this. He even shared his bank account details with them. He was asked…
Light after 70 years! This Maharashtra tribal village finally sees electricity under Modi’s ‘Saubhagya’ scheme
A Remote tribal village in Amravatis Bulumgavhan in Maharashtra got electrified after 70 years of independence. The initiative has been taken under the Pradhan Mantri Sahaj Bijli Har Ghar Yojana – Saubhagya. According to reports, around 105 homes have received electricity in the village. One of the villagers said, It was difficult when there was no electricity, our children could not study after it turned dark. We are very happy now. The village sets an ideal example of collective efforts of the Government administration and villagers. With the population of just over 500, nearest town from the village is at the distance of 112 Km. Rural Development Fellows Scheme under the Government played a key role in the development. The villagers looked rejoiced and filled with enthusiasm with the development.
China agrees to share hydrological data on Brahmaputra, Sutlej rivers: Sushma Swaraj
China has agreed to resume sharing of hydrological data of the Brahmaputra and Sutlej rivers, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj said here today, months after Beijing stopped the practice following the stand-off between Indian and Chinese troops at Dokalam. The sharing of hydrological data is crucial to predict floods in Indias northeast region, prone to natural calamities. Swaraj, who arrived here yesterday on a four-day visit to take part in the foreign ministers meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), met her Chinese counterpart Wang Yi and discussed a host of bilateral issues and ways to step-up the pace of high-level interactions to improve the relationship. We also discussed the importance of strengthening people to people contacts in bringing our two countries closer to each other. In this context, I conveyed our appreciation to the Chinese side for their confirmation on resumption of data sharing on Brahmaputra and Sutlej rivers in 2018 as this issue has direct relevance for people living in those areas, Swaraj said at a joint media event with Wang after their talks. Last month, a team of officials of Indias Ministry of Water Resources held talks with their Chinese counterparts on the cooperation of trans-border rivers…
Does playing national anthem before movies add to its dignity? Here’s what inter-ministerial committee has to say
A panel formed to suggest the circumstances and occasions under which the national anthem should be played is likely to submit its recommendation to the government soon. The 12-member panel, set up on December 5, 2017, is likely to suggest that multiplexes should not play the national anthem before screening a film, The Indian Express has reported. Citing sources, the IE report said that playing of the national anthem before the movie will interrupt the screening of the film, adding, that it will lead to disorder and confusion instead of adding to the dignity of the anthem. The panel was given six months time to come up with statutory requirements on playing the national anthem in cinema halls and public places. Further, the inter-ministerial committee is likely to suggest that the national anthem should be played before and after the President In another big recommendation, the question of whether or not the national anthem should be sung while unfurling the national flag has been suggested to be left to the good sense of the people. The 12 member panel is headed by Ministry of Home Affairs Special Secretary Brij Raj Sharma. The other members in the committee consist of joint…
Crorepati peon! Andhra office attendant with Rs 4,000 salary amassed properties worth Rs 10 crore; here are shocking details of his assets
Andhra Pradesh Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) has arrested an office attendant posted with the Andhra Pradesh Transport Department who had alleged amassed properties worth Rs 10 crore. The arrest was made by the Central Investigation Unit of the ACB on Tuesday from Nellore. According to a report in The Indian Express, the arrested man has been identified as K Narasimha Reddy. The 55-year-old was working at the office of the Nellore Deputy Transport Commissioner as an office subordinate-cum-attendant. It said that his monthly stipend was less than Rs 4,000. He came on the radar of the ACB after he purchased a plot of land. This was his 18th such property, the report said. Reddy had been under the scanner ever since he placed orders for silver items weighing more than 7 kg and purchased gold ornaments from Vijayawada. During a raid conducted on Tuesday at his residence in Nellore, officials said that they recovered property documents of 18 plots registered in the name of his wife, relatives and himself. All plots he had purchased were over 250 sq yards (2250 sq feet). He started purchasing plots in 1992 in Nellore Rural Mandal. Officials said that they also seized Rs 7.70 lakh…
Triple whammy for Tripura CM! Biplab Deb’s three ‘Mann Ki Baat’ that landed him in controversy
Tripura chief minister Biplab Deb has made a name for himself by making controversial and bizarre statements in the past few weeks. In a string of controversial statements, the newly-elected BJP leader has compared Diana Hayden with Aishwarya Bachchan and also claimed that internet existed in the age of Mahabharata. In his latest comment, he has advised youths of Tripura not to waste their crucial time running behind politicians for government jobs. The students should rather set up paan shops or rear cows for livelihood, he suggests. Here are the three instances when Tripura CM has courted controversy: 1. The CM on Sunday said that any unemployed educated youth could become self-employed by opening paan shops and that he would earn Rs 5 lakh by the time he wasted running behind politicians. Deb said this while addressing a meeting organised by Tripura Veterinary Council. He further said, Deb said that an youth could borrow Rs 75,000 from the bank but culture of Tripura has declined over the last 25 years. The CM condemned the mindset of the youth and said they do not join agriculture sector because of narrow mindset. He said by doing so the educated youth thinks that…