Andhra HC stays show-cause notice issued to employees’ body

TB Team
-
0
Andhra HC stays show-cause notice issued to employees’ body

Andhra Pradesh High Court on Wednesday granted a stay on the show-cause notice issued by the state government to leaders of the Government Employees Association (APGEA) for meeting the state governor to seek his intervention to ensure payment of salaries and pensions on time.

Hearing a petition filed by APGEA leaders challenging the show-cause notice, Justice Ravinath Tilahari granted a stay and directed the government to file a counter.

A delegation of APGEA leaders led by its president K. R. Suryanarayana met Governor Biswa Bhusan Harichandan on January 19 and submitted a memorandum to him on the problems faced by the employees.

The delegation requested the governor to issue necessary advice to the government as he is a competent authority as per the Article 309 of the Constitution to intervene in the affairs of the government employees.

After the meeting, APGEA leaders told media persons that they were compelled to meet the governor as all their efforts to resolve the grievances through the state government had failed.

However, taking serious note of the action of APGEA leaders, the government issued a show-cause notice on January 23 asking them to explain why their association should not be derecognized.

Suryanarayana had challenged the show-cause notice in the high court. On the court on January 31 directed the government not to take action against the APGEA.

During the previous hearing, the judge had posed several questions to the government. He wanted to know if the rights guaranteed by Article 19 of the Constitution are not applicable to APGEA. He asked the government if it mentioned in the show-cause notice what rules the APGEA violated while speaking to the media.

Petitioner’s counsel Ravi Prasad told the court that according to the 1990 Financial Code, salaries to government employees should be paid on the last working day of every month but employees are not getting the current month salaries till the 15th of next month.

Suryanarayana alleged that the state government is not honoring the commitment to pay salaries and pensions on the first of every month. The AGEA leader said the government also withdrew the GPF amount of Rs.415 crore from the accounts of over 90,000 employees without their permission. He termed this a “serious” financial fraud.

ED arrests Kerala ex-principal secy M.Sivasankar in Life Mission case

TB Team
-
0
ED arrests Kerala ex-principal secy M.Sivasankar in Life Mission case

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has arrested Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan’s former principal secretary M. Sivasankar in connection with a Prevention of Money Laundering case pertaining to alleged fund irregularities in the state’s flood relief.

He was arrested on Tuesday night.

Sivasankar was summoned by the central agency to join the investigation into the matter on Monday and placed under arrest late on Tuesday night after two days of intense questioning. There are allegations that he was paid a bribe of Rs one crore.

“He was called by the ED to join the investigation on January 31, the day he retired from his service. Sivasankar had sought time to appear after which he was summoned to join the probe in the second week of February,” the source said.

Sivasankar allegedly helped the Unitech builder to get a contract in the life mission case.

Now he will be produced before a Special PMLA court. The ED is likely to seek his two weeks’ custodial remand.

NSA for those using unfair means in exams: CM Yogi

TB Team
-
0
NSA for those using unfair means in exams: CM Yogi

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has asked officials to impose National Security Act (NSA) against those involved in unfair practices in the upcoming UP Board 2023 exams for Class 10 and 12, beginning from February 16.

Moreover, FIRs will also be lodged against room invigilators and center administrators found involved in the activities of cheating.

According to the government spokesman, the chief minister has ordered the officers that static and sector magistrates should be appointed at each examination center by the district magistrates.

Last year, the board suffered a major embarrassment after the English language question paper of Class 12 got leaked in 24 districts.

The spokesman said, “They will be required to report to the district inspector of schools along with the district magistrate after the examination is over so that daily activities can be monitored. On the other hand, for the first time, a separate room will be made apart from the principal’s room for monitoring the exam.”

In addition, the copies will be kept in a double lock cupboard and a CCTV camera will be placed for its monitoring round the clock.

After the appointment of room inspectors in all districts, they will be given strict training before the exam. The sector and static magistrates, center administrators, and external center administrators will also be trained in the district.

Yogi Adityanath has directed that a separate strong room should be made for the safety of question papers having 24-hour deployment of two armed policemen with their CCTV monitoring.

He has also called for installing voice-equipped CCTV, digital voice recorders, router devices, and high-speed broadband connections at examination centres.

“Strict action should be taken against anyone who is absent during this period. In such a situation, the permission of the district magistrate or the additional district magistrate will be necessary while opening the question paper,” the guidelines said.

This year, a total of 58,85,745 students, including 31,16,487 for Class 10 and 27,69,258 for Class 12, have registered for high school and intermediate examinations.

UP Board secretary Divyakant Shukla said that of the total students, 32,46,780 are male and the number of female candidates is 26,38,965.

These candidates will take the exam at 8,753 exam centres, including 540 government, 3,523 private, and 4,690 unaided colleges, spread across the state, he said.

Also, 170 candidates are inmates lodged in different prisons who too have registered for the exams. Of them, 91 have registered to appear in Class 12 exams while 79 have enrolled for Class 10 exams.

Meanwhile, a total of 936 examination centres have been identified as sensitive while another 242 centres have been declared highly sensitive by the board.

Arrangements have also been made for live monitoring through webcasting.

Besides, STF of UP Police and the local intelligence unit (LIU) have also been roped in for monitoring sensitive and highly sensitive examination centres.

Their courage motivates us to build strong India: PM Modi pays tribute to Pulwama heroes

TB Team
-
0
Their courage motivates us to build strong India: PM Modi pays tribute to Pulwama heroes

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, and several BJP leaders on Tuesday paid tributes to the CRPF personnel who lost their lives in a terror attack on their convoy in Pulwama on this day in 2019.

PM Modi tweeted, “Remembering our valorous heroes who we lost on this day in Pulwama. We will never forget their supreme sacrifice. Their courage motivates us to build a strong and developed India.”

Shah tweeted, “I pay homage to the brave soldiers who laid down their lives in the ghastly terror attack in Pulwama on this day in the year 2019. The nation can never forget their sacrifice. Their valour and indomitable courage will always remain an inspiration in the fight against terrorism.”

BJP chief J.P. Nadda said, “I pay a heartfelt tribute to all those brave hearts martyred in Pulwama on this day and recall their supreme sacrifice and dedication to our country. Their valour and selfless service to the nation is a source of inspiration for every citizen and will always be remembered”, in his tweet.

On this day in 2019, at least 40 CRPF jawans lost their lives after a suicide bomber drove a car laden with explosives into the convoy. The attack was carried out by the Pakistani terror group Jaish-e-Mohammed, which is led by Masood Azhar based in Bahawalpur (Pakistan).

India avenged the Pulwama terror attack by carrying out airstrikes on Jaba Top in Pakistan’s Balakot, destroying Jadish’s terror training camps.

PM Modi will be forced to face the power of truth: Rahul

TB Team
-
0
PM Modi will be forced to face the power of truth: Rahul

Sharpening his attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday said that the PM will have to face the power of truth.

“Truth is patient. Truth is polite. You will be forced to face the power of truth, Prime Minister,” he said

The Congress leader has been attacking the PM on the Adani row.

Gandhi had told a public meeting in his constituency Wayanad on Monday where he said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be the last person he would be scared of.

“It doesn’t matter if he has all the agencies with him, because the truth is not with him. One day he will have to face the truth,” Rahul Gandhi said.

At the public meeting, the Congress leader distributed keys to newly-built homes by the party in his constituency to 25 beneficiaries.

Rahul Gandhi used the latter part of his speech to take on Modi, saying that he spoke at length in Parliament about Modi’s equation with Gautam Adani but the PM didn’t reply to any questions.

“The truth will always come out,” he said.

Azam Khan, son get 2 years in jail

TB Team
-
0
Azam Khan, son get 2 years in jail

A special MP-MLA court in Uttar Pradesh’s Moradabad has sentenced senior Samajwadi Party (SP) leader Azam Khan and his son Abdullah Azam Khan to two years in jail in a 2008 case.

The two were, however, later granted bail.

A case was registered against Azam Khan, his son, and seven others at Chhajlet police station of Moradabad district on January 29, 2008, after SP leaders staged a dharna on the road to protest the checking of Azam Khan’s car by the police.

The police later booked all the nine accused, including SP leaders Mehboob Ali, Hazi Ikram Qureshi, Paras Jain, D.P. Yadav, and Rajesh Yadav, under sections 341, 353 of the Indian Penal Code and the Criminal Law Amendment Act.

K’taka budget session begins today

TB Team
-
0
K’taka budget session begins today

The beginning of Karnataka Budgets sessions with main political parties is on Friday, Before the state elections, This is the final Assembly session.

The session will be the last Assembly before the state elections.

It is also going to be the last Assembly session for veteran BJP leader, former Chief Minister and BJP Central Parliamentary Board member B.S. Yediyurappa, who has announced his retirement from four decades of electoral politics.

The political parties are planning a respectful farewell during the session for the Lingayat strongman, who brought the BJP to power for the first time in south India. The BJP leaders are planning a vote of thanks during the discussion on the budget.

Yediyurappa entered politics in 1983. Barring the 1999 elections, he won all elections from the Shikaripura Assembly constituency till 2018. He won the parliamentary elections with one of the highest leads in the country.

He built the party with other senior leaders like late former Union minister Anantha Kumar and others from two seats in the state to present day party which has become a powerful force in the state.

Yediyurappa is now keen on handing over the baton to his son B.Y. Vijayendra, who is presently BJP Vice President in the state. However, the party is yet to take a call on fielding Vijayendra from the Shikaripura constituency, which is represented by Yeddyurappa presently.

Apart from this, Governor Thawar Chand Gehlot will address the joint session.

Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai will present the last budget of the ruling BJP government on February 17. The session will be in motion till February 24. The authorities have clamped prohibitory orders in the two km surroundings of the Vidhana Soudha.

Speaker Visveshwara Hegde Kaegri directed all legislators to participate actively in the last session. The session will debate the Governor’s speech and later the discussion on the budget will take place between February 20 and 24.

The Assembly secretary’s office has received 1,300 questions so far, to be discussed during the session. Some of them will be answered on the floor of the House. Written answers would be provided to the rest. Seven bills will be tabled, including six private universities bills.

Major political parties, the ruling BJP, the opposition Congress and JD(S) leaders have organized various political programs during the time of session. As a result of this, major leaders are likely to remain absent for most of the session Political

Speaker Vishveshwara Hegde Kageri has indirectly referred to this by stating that the attendance of representatives of the leaders in the session is likely to fall in the backdrop of various political engagements.

Bengal BJP upset over Governor’s speech in budget session

TB Team
-
0
Bengal BJP upset over Governor’s speech in budget session

West Bengal unit of BJP seems to be frustrated with Governor C.V. Ananda Bose’s speech at the opening of the budget session of the state Assembly.

State BJP leadership feels that the governor could have avoided reading out certain portions of the speech especially those stressing “Union government depriving the state,” “stable law & order situation,” and “excellence in the education sector” among others.

“Agreed that the Governor by convention needs to read out the written speech provided by the state government. However, at the same time, the Governor had the option to avoid reading out the controversial portions by completing the process by reading out the first line and the last line of the speech. However, the Governor chose to read out the entire speech despite the objections from our legislators on the controversial portions,” said a member of the state committee of the party.

According to the leader of the opposition in the state Assembly Suvendu Adhikari, the state government has resorted to blatant falsehood through the Governor’s speech. “There is no reason to believe that the Union government has deprived the state government of its legitimate dues. Rather it is the state government that has misutilised the central funds,” he said.

The state committee member of the BJP also pointed out that the portions of the Governor’s speech that highlighted the level of excellence that the state’s education sector has reached during the current regime were unacceptable. “This is especially unacceptable in the backdrop of the massive corruption in teachers recruitment following which almost the entire education department including the former state education minister is behind the bars,” he said.

He also pointed out that Ananda Bose’s predecessor Jagdeep Dhankhar played the perfect role on such occasions by completing his speech by reading out just the first and last lines on such occasions.

A section of the state BJP leadership also feels that by reading out the entire speech the governor has indirectly given the state’s ruling party an arm to combat the opposition’s persistent movements on the issues of corruption in the state.

Cong furious over expunging of speech parts of Rahul, Kharge

TB Team
-
0
Cong furious over expunging of speech parts of Rahul, Kharge

The Congress was furious on Thursday after the presiding officers of both Houses expunged parts of the speech made by Mallikarjun Kharge in the Rajya Sabha and Rahul Gandhi in the Lok Sabha.

Kharge, Congress MP and Leader of Opposition, raised the matter before the Rajya Sabha Chairman. He said that he had not said anything unparliamentary and his speech should be restored.

He said that in the past former Prime Minister, Atal Bihari Vajpayee had used similar words for former PM Narasimha Rao.

Pramod Tiwari of the Congress said that these words were part of the various Assembly proceedings.

Kharge on Wednesday while speaking on the motion of thanks to the President’s Address said, “Wealth of one of the closest friends of the Prime Minister increased by 12 times in the last two and half years. In 2014 it was a Rs 50,000 crore group while in 2019 it became Rs 1 lakh crore group, but what ‘jadu’ (magic) happened was that suddenly in two years assets worth Rs 12 lakh crore came…whether it is due to the favor of friendship.”

On February 7, Rahul Gandhi during the discussion on the motion of thanks in the Lok Sabha, attacked the PM, and said “Earlier he used to travel in Adani’s aircraft and now Adani travels with Modiji in his aircraft. First, the matter was limited to Gujarat then the country and now he has become international.”

On Thursday, Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar rejected the suspension notice under rule 267 moved by Aam Aadmi Party’s Sanjay Singh and BRS’s K. Keshav Rao after which the AAP staged a walkout.

Sanjay Singh said all the notices were rejected and alleged that the government was stalling the discussion on Adani row.

Singh had demanded suspension of business under rule 267 on Wednesday too, but the notice was rejected by the chair following the AAP staged walkout. The notice said that the public sector banks and LIC have lost money in the Adani Group case after the Hindenburg report surfaced.

After 500 yrs, Lord Ram will adorn the throne at Ayodhya within a year: UP CM

TB Team
-
0
After 500 yrs, Lord Ram will adorn the throne at Ayodhya within a year: UP CM

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has said that after 500 years, Lord Ram would adorn the throne of Ram temple in Ayodhya even as the CPI-M and the Congress do not believe in the existence of Lord Ram or Krishna.

Addressing an election rally at Majlishpur in western Tripura on Wednesday, the Chief Minister added that the Ram temple would be ready within a year and Lord Ram after sitting on his throne would give all of us his blessings.

“The Congress and the CPI-M have believed only in corruption and violence. Tripura was once infamous during the regime of Congress and CPI-M,” Adityanath said, adding that after the BJP-led government came to power (in 2018) in the state, peace and good governance prevailed.

Saying that during the regime of the Congress and CPI-M, the benefit of development and welfare did not reach the people, he claimed that now Tripura has become one of the most developed states in the country.

The double-engine government provided a lot from connectivity to the welfare of the people, the Chief Minister said.

“People voted for the BJP, and the BJP government gave huge developmental gifts to the people. The Tripura government aiming to empower women introduced 33 percent reservation for women in government jobs. Be it Awas Yojana or farmers’ welfare scheme to health scheme, the Modi government has given everything to the common and poor people.”

Adityanath also alleged that Congress and CPI-M are trying to derail the development mission of the double-engine governments and their only aim is to keep the people back to reap political dividends.

The Chief Minister said that corruption was at its peak when Congress ruled the country.

“The country witnessed the Congress’ coal scam, 2G scam, defense equipment procurement scandal, and the Commonwealth Games scam. Corruption became synonymous with Congress,” he added.

1...323334...162Page 33 of 162