Centre urged to set up vax testing lab in Hyderabad

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Centre urged to set up vax testing lab in Hyderabad

Telangana’s Industry Minister K.T. Rama Rao has urged Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan to establish a vaccine testing and certification laboratory and government medical store depot in Hyderabad.

In a letter to the Union minister, Rama Rao demanded the establishment of a vaccine testing and certification laboratory on the lines of Central Drug Laboratory in Kasauli.

He stated that Hyderabad is known as the ‘vaccine capital of the world’, manufacturing more than 6 billion doses each year contributing one-third of the global vaccine output. He wrote that the vaccines manufactured in Hyderabad are being sent to Central Drug Laboratory in Kasauli in Himachal Pradesh for testing and certification.

The logistics and the time involved were constraining the industry in being a more effective and competitive destination, the state minister said.

Rao also mentioned that Indian Council for Medical Research (ICMR) is establishing the country’s largest national animal resource facility for biomedical research in Genome Valley, Hyderabad. “The state government has provided the required land for the project free of cost to ICMR to facilitate the establishment of this facility,” he added.

“I am happy to note that this facility already has a mandate of testing and certifying drugs including vaccines, medical devices and to certify them on behalf of the Government of India. I would like to request that the establishment of this facility be expedited, and this institution is strengthened further to conduct testing and pre-release certification of Immuno biologicals meant for human use in India,” read the letter.

Rao also stated that establishing a Government Medical Store Depot (GMSD) facility of the Government of India in Hyderabad with state-of-the-art data monitoring and tracking system would go a long way in supporting the vaccine manufacturing efforts in the country. Currently, such facilities are only available in Karnal, Mumbai, Chennai, and Kolkata.

Andhra CM hails India after fairytale victory at Gabba

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Andhra CM hails India after fairytale victory at Gabba

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy has congratulated the Indian cricket team for winning the fourth Test against Australia at the Gabba on Tuesday, thus retaining the Border-Gavaskar Trophy with a 2-1 series victory Down Under.

“What a magnificent victory! Hearty congratulations to Team India for breaching the Gabba fortress after three decades. An outstanding display of prowess and perseverance, that has made the entire nation proud today,” said Reddy.

For India, Shubman Gill (91), Rishabh Pant (89*), and Cheteshwar Pujara (56) played brilliant knocks as the Men in Blue chased down a mammoth 328 on the final day of the fourth Test at the Gabba, thus winning the series 2-1 with the third Test in Sydney ending in a draw.

The Chief Minister urged the team to stretch its winning streak as he joined the nation in celebrating the victory.

Andhra cricketer Hanuma Vihari, a native of the East Godavari district, played a crucial role in drawing the third Test of the series before being ruled out for the fourth Test owing to an injury.

I’m a clean person, not scared of PM Modi: Rahul

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I’m a clean person, not scared of PM Modi: Rahul

Former Congress chief Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday said he was not scared of Prime Minister Narendra Modi as he was a “clean person” and he would continue to fight alone even if no one-sided with him.

He made the remarks while addressing a press conference here at the party headquarters, after releasing a booklet on the three farm laws titled “Kheti Ka Khoon.

Rahul Gandhi said, “I have character. I am not scared of Modi or anyone. I am a clean person, and they cannot touch me. They can shoot me. I am a patriot and I protect my country. I will stand alone even if everyone is standing on the other side but will fight as it is my religion.”

“I am more fanatic than them. India is once again fighting for independence,” he said.

He was responding to a question about BJP chief J.P. Nadda’s remarks that he was distracting the farmers.

He said that even during the UPA government, Congress stood with the farmers in Bhatta Parsaul. “Nadda was not standing there nor was the BJP standing with the farmers then,” he said.

Lashing out at the Centre, Rahul Gandhi said the three farm laws were meant to destroy the Indian agricultural system.

He said, “A huge tragedy has unfolded and I am not talking about just farmers because that is not the only thing happening. Youngsters, who believe in this country, they need to listen carefully.”

He said, “What we have seen in industry after industry, when it comes to the airports, telecom, power, retail, across the board, what we are watching is the development of massive monopolies.”

He alleged that ‘three-four-five people are owning this country’, they are owning it as a small group of people who are close to the Prime Minister and have media support.

“And now we have seen that the last bastion of agriculture that was not touched by industries is also going away,” he said.

Rahul said that now three-four people will own the whole system and the farmers will not get their price and the middle class will be hurt by the prices.

“This is an assault on the middle class,” he said.

The Congress leader said that the farmers of Punjab and Haryana are fighting on behalf of 65 crore farmers of the country.

“They are the patriots of the country, who are protecting livelihoods of 65 crore people. I support them, they are fighting for us,” Rahul Gandhi said.

To a question about China’s intrusion, Rahul Gandhi said, “China is noticing the weakness of India. China has a strategic vision as it wants to shape the entire world. China has tested India twice. If India won’t create a strategy against China, it will take benefit of that and at that time no one would be able to stop the damage.”

He said that the job of safeguarding the country is not being done properly.

“China is testing India and it wants to dominate. I am raising red flags, you can’t manage China with event management,” he said.

He added that whoever speaks against the government is described as an anti-national or a criminal.

“We are saying because we are seeing the problems. When we speak about China we are enemies. When we are giving warning signals, we are enemies. Even if the farmers’ protest is sorted out, then its result will come from somewhere else like from youths or someone else.

“Their approach is wrong, they don’t want to learn and accept. They only want to speak, it is the training by the RSS, they are top grade in this,” he added.

Andhra CM expected to meet Amit Shah in Delhi

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Andhra CM expected to meet Amit Shah in Delhi

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y. S. Jagan Mohan Reddy is scheduled to visit Delhi on Tuesday, his third visit to the national capital in the last four months.

Reddy is expected to meet Union Home Minister Amit Shah and discuss various issues concerning the southern state such as releasing state funds and the Polavaram project.

He will leave for Delhi at 2.30 p.m. on Tuesday after reviewing the implementation of the ‘YSR Cheyutha Scheme’ and the ‘Andhra Pradesh-Amul project’.

The Andhra CM last visited Delhi in December 2020 and called upon Shah and discussed various issues about the state, including releasing funds for the Polavaram project.

Reddy had submitted a memorandum on the Polavaram project and urged Shah to consider the second revised cost estimate to release Rs 55,656 crore expenditure funds and issuing the required directives to the Finance and the Jal Shakti departments.

He had also requested the Central government to reimburse the land acquisition, relief, and rehabilitation packages as per the Land Acquisition Act, 2013.

He had also visited Delhi in October and met Prime Minister Narendra Modi to discuss the development of the state.

In October 2020, Reddy had complained to the Chief Justice of India S. A. Bobde about the alleged intervention of a sitting Supreme Court judge to protect the interests of the opposition Telugu Desam Party.

Law student held for objectionable post on Modi, Yogi

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Law student held for objectionable post on Modi, Yogi

The Gorakhpur police have arrested a 24-year-old law student for allegedly uploading offensive posts against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on social media.

The accused, Arun Yadav, had allegedly morphed the faces of Modi and Adityanath in a video and then uploaded it on Facebook.

The Gorakhpur University has also suspended Yadav, a first-year law student, and formed a disciplinary committee to look into the matter.

The police spokesman said that they came to know about the post two days ago and on inquiry found that that video was uploaded on the Facebook account of Arun Yadav.

“We found that the accused had morphed faces of the two leaders in an objectionable manner. He was arrested from a village in the Chauri Chaura area,” said the spokesman.

Yadav has been booked under IPC section 153-A (promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, place of birth, residence, language, etc., and doing acts prejudicial to maintenance of harmony) and 469 (forgery for purpose of harming reputation).

Anil Upadhyay, Station House Officer of Cantonment police station, said that the accused has also been booked under the Information Technology Act.

Meanwhile, Gorakhpur University’s Public Relation Officer Mahendra Kumar Singh said that the university has taken a serious note of the incident and suspended Yadav for violating University’s Act and Ordinance.

“The university has prohibited Arun Yadav’s entry into the campus and has formed a disciplinary committee to inquire into the matter. The committee attempted to contact Arun and made calls on his cell phone but it was found switched off. The committee has written a letter to Arun Yadav to give his side of the story,” an official of the university said.

Law student held for objectionable post on Modi, Yogi

Arm-twisting tactics won’t work: Punjab CM again warns Centre

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Arm-twisting tactics won’t work: Punjab CM again warns Centre

Condemning the NIA notices issued to several farmers and their supporters amid the anti-farm laws agitation, Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Monday said such arm-twisting tactics will not weaken the resolve of the farmers fighting for their rights and future.

“Do these farmers look like secessionists and terrorists?” asked the Chief Minister, slamming the BJP-led government at the Centre for resorting to ‘such reprehensible and oppressive tactics in their desperation to undermine the peacefully protesting farmers’ fighting spirit’.

But these measures will not succeed in destroying the resolve of the farmers, rather the Centre will only end up provoking them into stronger reaction, he said, questioning the intent of the Government of India, which he said seemed bent on pushing the farmers over the edge through such intimidatory tactics.

Amarinder Singh warned that BJP’s most powerful minds will not be able to control the situation if things get irretrievably out of hand.

Instead of resolving the crisis triggered by the draconian legislations, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led Central government was resorting to victimization and harassment of the protesting farmers and their supporters, the Chief Minister pointed out, dubbing it a regressive step that would lead to further hardening of the farmers’ stance.

It was obvious, said the Chief Minister, that the BJP government neither cared for the farmers and their concerns nor understood their psyche.

“Punjabis are fighters by nature, they are imbued with the fighting spirit which makes them among the best warriors in the world,” he said, adding that the Centre’s coercive actions will only provoke the farmers from Punjab to react negatively.

Amarinder Singh expressed shock over the Centre’s unrelenting opposition to the farmers’ genuine and justified demands and its total failure to empathize with the cause and concerns of the farmers who have been braving the record cold of Delhi, with many of them succumbing to the harsh weather and prolonged exposure.

Not only had the Centre been adamant in their refusal to repeal the contentious farm laws, but it was also actively and shamelessly indulging in strong-arm tactics to suppress the voice of the farmers, he said, pointing to the income tax notices issued to several big ‘arhtiyas’ of Punjab about a month ago and now the NIA notices that were clearly aimed at pressurizing the farmers into withdrawing their stir.

These stooping to low-level actions will not suppress the voice of the farmers, or those millions of Indians who are supporting the ‘annadaatas’ in their battle for survival, said the Chief Minister, adding that if the Central government had any shame left it should immediately withdraw the farm laws and sit down across the table with all the stakeholders, especially the farmers, to usher in an era of genuine agricultural reforms.

Mamata to contest from Suvendu’s ‘home turf’ Nandigram

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Mamata to contest from Suvendu’s ‘home turf’ Nandigram

In an open challenge to her once confidante and ex-minister Suvendu Adhikari, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday announced that she will contest the upcoming state Assembly elections from the Nandigram seat.

The announcement came at her rally held in Nandigram — the Assembly constituency earlier represented by rebel Trinamool leader Suvendu Adhikari who joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Bengal last month.

“I will contest from Nandigram. It’s lucky for me. Think I won’t be able to give much time to Nandigram as I will have to campaign in all 294 seats. You will have to ensure that ‘thing’ (her victory) and the rest I will take care later,” Banerjee told the rally.

The Chief Minister said that she would contest the election from two constituencies, including Bhabanipur in Kolkata, which is her home turf. “I don’t want to neglect Bhabanipur also,” she added.

All India Trinamool Congress (AITC) state president Subrata Bakshi also announced Mamata’s name from Nandigram constituency in the coming election that is due by April-May this year.

Nandigram came to the political spotlight in 2007 after 14 villagers were killed in a police firing for protesting against a proposed SEZ project, cleared by the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M)-led Left Front government.

Previous govts worked without Metro policy, lacked modern vision: PM Modi

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Previous govts worked without Metro policy, lacked modern vision: PM Modi

While carrying out the virtual groundbreaking ceremonies of the Surat Metro project and the second phase of the Ahmedabad Metro project, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday said that due to lack of modern vision and any metro policy in previous governments, works of only 225 kilometer Metro network were operational, while the present government’s modern vision had helped complete more than 450 km of Metro line and work was in progress in more than 1000 km in 27 cities.

PM Modi said, “The difference between the work of previous governments and our government is clearly seen. In the 10 to 12 years of previous governments, only 225 kilometers of Metro line were operational, while in 6 years of our government, more than 450 kilometers of Metro line in 27 cities are operational. There was a time in the country when there was no modern thinking, no policy even for Metro. There was no uniformity between various Metros being developed across the country and there was no coordination with other modes of transport in the cities.”

“Now, we are approaching Metro work with an integrated approach, where the other modes of transport like bus and railways will work in unison with the Metro in an integrated approach. The National Common Mobility Card launched in Ahmedabad is another feature that will help in this integration in the future. We are working with not only looking at the current requirements but the requirements 10 years later,” said Modi.

The Prime Minister virtually carried out the groundbreaking ceremonies of the Surat Metro which consists of a 40.35 km Metro line consisting of two corridors, between Sarthana and DreamCity and Bhesan and Saroli lines. He also carried out the groundbreaking ceremony of the second phase of Ahmedabad Metro, which also comprises two corridors, one from Motera to Mahatma Mandir and the second from Gujarat National Law University (GNLU) to GIFT City.

The PM said that Surat and Ahmedabad are cities that will strengthen Atma Nirbharta (self-reliance). “Earlier, two decades back, Surat was known more for disasters such as plague, rather than its development. Now, Surat is the fourth rapidly developing city in the world. 40% of the man-made fabric production in the country comes from Surat and about 30% of the man-made fiber is also from Surat. Today, Surat is the second cleanest city in the country. All this has been possible due to better planning. Earlier, 20% of the population lived in huts and shanties, now due to affordable housing schemes, only 6% live in shanties. Surat is the best example of Ek Bharat, Shreshth Bharat, where aspiring people from across the country have made it home,” added the PM.

Similarly, the PM said that Gandhinagar’s image has also transformed in recent years. “Gandhinagar earlier had the image of a town of Government employees and retired persons…It could not even be called a city. Now, we have seen the transformation of its image in recent years and we see youth everywhere nowadays. Today, Gandhinagar is known for the IIT Gandhinagar, GNLU, the National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT), Pandit Deendayal Petroleum University (PDPU), Indian Institute of Teachers Education, the Dhirubhai Ambani Institute of Communication and Technology, the National Institute of Design, Bhaskaracharya Institute of Space Application and Geo-informatics (BISAG) … Company campuses have increased here, raising employment. New modern infra projects have livened up Gandhinagar and in a way made it a dream City,” the PM added.

“Today India is taking decisions with confidence. It is not only doing things bigger but also better. India is coming out with the largest affordable housing program and the biggest healthcare services. More than six thousand villages will be connected to the internet shortly,” the PM further said.

The PM talked about a program that was rarely discussed and that was the Pragati program. “n the Pragati meetings, I discuss with the government and administration officials, in detail about all the various projects which have been stalled, lingering on for decades. Projects worth 13 lakh crore have been discussed, where we are trying to solve the glitches,” added the PM.

The Ahmedabad Metro Rail Project Phase-II is 28.25 Kms long with two corridors. Corridor-1 is 22.8 Kms long and is from Motera Stadium to Mahatma Mandir. Corridor-2 is 5.4 Kms long and is from GNLU to GIFT City. The total completion cost of the Phase-II project is Rs 5,384 crores.

The Surat Metro Rail Project is 40.35 kms long and comprises two corridors. Corridor-1 is 21.61 kms long and is from Sarthana to Dream City. Corridor-2 is 18.74 kms long and is from Bhesan to Saroli. The total completion cost of the Surat Metro project is Rs 12,020 crores.

Rajini’s party members are ‘free’ to join any outfit

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Rajini’s party members are ‘free’ to join any outfit

With three of its District Secretaries and a couple of other officials joined DMK on Sunday, Rajini Makkal Mandram (RMM) on Monday said its members are free to join any political party of their choice after submitting their resignation.

In a statement issued here, RMM leader V.M. Sudhakar said those who are in RMM wanting to join a political party can do after submitting their resignation.

He also said RMM members should not forget that those persons who resign and join a political party are fans of actor Rajinikanth.

On Sunday, three District Secretaries of RMM joined DMK after the actor categorically said he will not be entering active politics.

On December 29, 2020, Rajinikanth announced his decision not to get into Tamil Nadu politics, citing the Covid-19 pandemic as it would risk his health condition.

His volte-face came a few days after he, earlier in December, sounded his poll bugle against the ruling AIADMK as well as the major opposition party DMK.

On January 10, fans of Rajinikanth held a peaceful demonstration here demanding their screen idol take a plunge into Tamil Nadu politics.

Responding to that the actor had reiterated his earlier decision not to enter politics on health grounds.

CAG interference in KIIFB was inappropriate: Kerala FM

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CAG interference in KIIFB was inappropriate: Kerala FM

Kerala Finance Minister and senior Communist Party Of India (Marxist) leader, T.M. Thomas Issac has said the interference of the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) in the affairs of the Kerala Infrastructure Investment Fund Board (KIIFB) was inappropriate. The CPI(M) leader made this statement in the Kerala Assembly on Wednesday.

He said a major conspiracy is being hatched in the state to destroy the KIIFB. The affairs of KIIFB are transparent, adding, that anyone could inspect the proceedings in the organization.

Issac said the KIIFB has planned projects worth Rs 65,000 crore, adding, that the priority of the Pinarayi Vijayan government is to complete these projects.

The Minister said the KIIFB has supported several development initiatives in the state, adding, that these projects have helped in changing the development perspective of the state.

The Minister said the ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF) government has installed the best software for the Treasury in the state. Audits and systematic audit functions have now taken place in the Treasury.

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