PM Modi greets new Punjab Chief Minister Channi

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PM Modi greets new Punjab Chief Minister Channi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday greeted new Punjab Chief Minister and Congress leader Charanjit Singh Channi, the first Dalit who is at the helm in Punjab now.

“Congratulations to Shri Charanjit Singh Channi Ji on being sworn-in as Punjab’s Chief Minister. Will continue to work with the Punjab government for the betterment of the people of Punjab,” Modi tweeted.

Channi took oath of office along with his two deputies — one a Jat Sikh and another belonging to the Hindu community — at a simple ceremony here in the Punjab capital that was delayed for 20 minutes owing to the late arrival of party leader Rahul Gandhi.

Three-time legislator from the Chamkaur Sahib assembly constituency in Rupnagar district, Channi had joined the Congress in 2012 and was holding the portfolios of Technical Education, Industrial Training, Employment Generation and Tourism and Cultural Affairs in the outgoing Amarinder Singh cabinet.

Amid Punjab Cong rift, CLP to meet at 5 pm

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Amid Punjab Cong rift, CLP to meet at 5 pm

The Congress has called a quick meeting of its legislative party in Punjab on Saturday at 5 pm in response to MLAs asking for a discussion on issues within the party.

“The AICC has received a representation from a large number of MLAs from the Congress party, requesting to immediately convene a meeting of the Congress Legislative Party of Punjab. Accordingly, a meeting of the CLP has been convened at 5 pm on 18th September at Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee office.

“AICC directs the PPCC to facilitate this meeting. All Congress MLAs of Punjab are requested to kindly attend this meeting,” tweeted Punjab Congress in-charge Harish Rawat.

Navjot Singh Sidhu also tweeted the same information about hurriedly called meet and the central body is likely to send observers.

The MLAs have demanded that two neutral observers be sent from Delhi so that they can narrate their grievances. The prime movers this time are Pargat Singh and Tript Singh Bajwa, both are close to party state chief Sidhu.

Harish Rawat met Sonia Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Thursday and sources said he has been asked to settle the raging tussle within the party as MLAs have once again started raising voices that amounted to calling the meeting.

Rawat is also said to have spoken to the top Congress leaders in Punjab.

Periyar sowed seeds of social justice in TN, says Stalin

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Periyar sowed seeds of social justice in TN, says Stalin

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin on Friday credited Dravida leader E.V. Ramasamy, popularly known as Periyar, championing the cause of social justice and “resurrecting” Tamil Nadu.

“Today on his birthday we pay homage to Periyar, the rationalist who sowed the seeds of social justice in the minds of the people in all walks of life. Tamil Nadu was resurrected only after his birth. It became a society of dignity and knowledge,” he said in a tweet.

Stalin had earlier declared September 17, the birth anniversary of Periyar, as Social Justice Day. The 143rd birth anniversary of the social reformer was celebrated on Friday with the Chief Minister paying floral tributes at his statue of the social reformer at Mount Road near Chindaripet.

In another tweet, the Chief Minister said: “I took the pledge of social justice on such a glorious birthday. Entire Tamil Nadu undertook the pledge. We will set up an egalitarian society on your path.”

Periyar was born on September 17, 1879 and passed away on December 24, 1973.

Reminiscing the great Dravida leader after offering floral tributes, Stalin said that Periyar was responsible for the enactment of the first Constitutional Amendment Act that had safeguarded the reservation for backward classes.

Stalin said that Periyar’s ideology was all about social justice, self-respect, rationalism, and equality which laid down the foundation for the growth of Tamil society in the last century. He also said this foundation would help to pave way for the future of Tamil society also.

The staff and officials of the secretariat later undertook a pledge administered by the Chief Minister, stating that they would follow the footsteps of Periyar’s ideology based on social justice, self-respect, rationalism, and equality.

MPs T.R. Balu and Kanimozhi were present with Stalin while he was offering floral tributes to Periyar.

Congress screening committee for UP polls announced

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Congress screening committee for UP polls announced

Congress President Sonia Gandhi has constituted a screening committee for the upcoming Assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh.

The committee has three members and others who are ex-officio members.

The members are Jitendra Singh (chairman) , Deepender Hooda and Vaishali Gaikwad.

The ex-officio members are General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, state Congress President Ajay Kumar Lallu, Congress Legislature Party leader Aradhana Mishra and all AICC secretaries in charge of Uttar Pradesh.

Radicalisation, trust deficit biggest challenges to peace: Modi

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Radicalisation, trust deficit biggest challenges to peace: Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday called for a shared template to fight against radicalisation and extremism while virtually addressing the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit.

Addressing the plenary session of the 21st SCO meeting underway in Dushanbe, Tajikistan, he said radicalisation and trust deficit were the biggest challenges to peace in Central Asia and the recent developments in Afghanistan had made this challenge more clear.

In his six-minute virtual address, Modi said: “If we look back in the history, we will find that the Central Asia has been the hub of moderate, progressive cultures and values. Cultures like Sufiwad born here and spread to whole world. It can even now be seen in its cultural legacy.”

The SCO should work to develop strong network among the moderate, tolerant and inclusive institutions and traditions associated with Islam which have already been prevailing in India and member countries, he added.

The Prime Minister also asked the Central Asian countries to connect with India’s huge markets and gain benefits.

“India is committed to enhance its connectivity with these countries and we believe that landlocked Central Asian countries can benefit immensely by connecting with India’s vast market.”

In a veiled reference to China on connectivity issues, he said that any connectivity initiative cannot be a one-way street initiative.

“It must be ensured, consultative, transparent and participatory. There should be respect for territorial integrity of all countries,” Modi said and also batted for Chabahar and North South International Corridor.

Welcoming the new additions to the bloc, he said with Iran being included as the SCO member while Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Qatar as dialogue partners, their participation would further strengthened the bloc.

“We must encourage our talented youngsters towards science and rational thinking. We can bring our start-ups and entrepreneurs together to create the innovative spirit towards making India a stakeholder in emerging technology,” Modi concluded.

Yogi puts disaster relief forces on alert

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Yogi puts disaster relief forces on alert

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has put the national and state disaster relief forces on an alert mode, following heavy rainfall in various parts of the state.

While directing them to stay prepared for rescue work round-the-clock, the chief minister has appealed to the people not to panic.

He however, urged the people to stay alert against diseases in the rainy season. He reiterated that vector borne diseases were on the rise and prevention was extremely essential.

The chief minister has also directed the health officials to prepare all necessary arrangements for the treatment of patients found infected with viral fever and other diseases arising out of the seasonal vagaries.

People have also been advised to take precautionary measures to check the breeding of mosquitoes in and around their houses.

Cong to take social media fight to booth level in poll bound states

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Cong to take social media fight to booth level in poll bound states

Congress social media national executive meeting is scheduled to be held on September 17 and 18 in New Delhi. All the state heads of the social media department of the party will participate in the meeting. Senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi will address the meet on September 18.

Rohan Gupta, Chairman of the social media department, said, “the main focus is to train the team to counter the BJP’s fake narrative at the booth level in the poll-bound states.”

The Social media department will also devise strategy to train the office bearers in the states at the booth level and arm them with latest technique. The team will also be focusing to counter any misinformation campaign on the social media at the source itself to curb its spread.

The Congress social media team has started making videos to promote the party’s publicity and also counter the BJP’s narrative, said Gupta.

The Congress had launched a ‘Join Congress Social Media’ campaign after which two lakh online ‘warriors’ have registered themselves.

“We all know that the government is scared of social media. Now the government writes to Twitter to ban certain accounts. Those who are against the government are anti-nationals. Through this, we are going to give the youth and the people of the country a platform to raise their voice,” Gupta said.

The Congress is preparing its social media team ahead of elections in five states which are going to polls early next year — UP, Utttakhand Goa, Punjab and Manipur.

The Congress is out of power in all the states except Punjab and the main rival is BJP which is ruling the other states.

The Congress started the social media campaign late but picked up gradually and has full fledged social media teams now in states and it plans to make the teams dynamic at assembly and booth level.

In some states like Punjab, Goa and Uttrakhand, the party has to face AAP which has already started its campaign in the states.

Funds for Dalit Bandhu to be released in phased manner: KCR

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Funds for Dalit Bandhu to be released in phased manner: KCR

Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao has said that funds for implementation of Dalit Bandhu scheme will be released in a phased manner.

The chief minister reviewed the preparations for implementation of the scheme in four mandals on pilot basis. This is in addition to the Huzurabad Assembly constituency and chief minister’s adopted village Vasalamarri, where the scheme was launched last month.

The government has picked up Chintakani Mandal in Madhira Assembly segment in the east, Tirmalgiri Mandal in Tungaturthy Assembly segment in the north, Charagondu mandal in Achampet and Kaluwakurty segments in the west and Nizam Sagar Mandal in Jukkal segment.

The chief minister has asked officials to have a parental approach while implementing Dalit Bandhu, the scheme aimed at empowering Dalits.

He asked the officials to support Dalits like parents through Dalit Bandhu. Like the parents who take care of their children, the officials should take care of Dalits under the Scheme.

KCR, as the chief minister is popularly known, said the project is being implemented in four corners of the state to make it successful keeping in view the sentiments of Dalits, their financial needs, and their actual situation.

Under the scheme, every beneficiary Dalit family will get Rs 10 lakh as grant and they will be free to chose their profession, self-employment or businesses for utilising the funds.

He reiterated that Dalit Bandhu Scheme is being implemented with a higher ambition and social responsibility to develop Dalits economically, make them businessmen and to break the social and economic discrimination against them, which was in vogue for decades.

“Telangana Dalit Bandhu is a unique programme, which no one ever did in the past, a new idea no one ever tried, and we are the designers and implementers of the programme. By making the scheme a success, we will become the ones who laid new tracks for the development of Dalits,” he said and recalled that the separate Telangana statehood movement was also a fight against the discrimination.

KCR on Monday held a meeting with ministers from the four districts of the Mandals, MP, MLAs, MLCs, Zila Parishad Chairpersons and others to discuss the preparations for implementation of the scheme.

He pointed out the scheme was formulated after a series of discussions with all the political parties and the elders among Dalits. Suggestions and advice came that any Mandal or Assembly segment should be taken to implement the schema totally. Accordingly, the pilot project of the scheme was launched in the Huzurabad Assembly segment.

The CM said from Kashmir to Kanyakumari, if there is any section that is facing discrimination and suffering pain, it is Dalits. This is what several international and national comparative research studies have pointed out. There are no qualitative changes in the lives of Dalits except some notional benefits. The entire society should come forward and help Dalits as a family comes to the rescue of its members when they are in trouble, he said.

The CM reiterated that eligible Dalits would be provided reservations in the sectors where the government would issue licenses such as medical shops, wine shops, Mee Seva centres, gas dealerships, transport permits, civil contracts, outsourcing contracts, and a host of others.

91K women benefitted from ‘Mission Shakti’ help centres

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91K women benefitted from ‘Mission Shakti’ help centres

The Uttar Pradesh government has provided free legal advice, counselling and information about their rights to 91,691 women through its 75 One Stop Centres (OSC) across the state under its ‘Mission Shakti’ programme.

According to a government spokesperson these centres provide support to women affected by violence or those who face physical, sexual, emotional, psychological, and economic abuse, irrespective of age, class, caste, education status, marital status, race and culture.

“Women who face any kind of violence due to sexual harassment, assault, domestic violence, trafficking, honour-related crimes, acid attacks, or witch-hunting are provided specialised services,” said Manoj Kumar Rai, Director of the Women Welfare Department.

He said that the centres functioned even during the pandemic.

“When an aggrieved woman approaches the Centre for help, either in person or if anybody approaches on her behalf, the case details are fed into a system as per the prescribed format and a Unique ID Number is generated,” said Rai.

The OSCs have been installed to provide solutions and help in one place. At these centres, women will be counselled and given medical attention.

Victims can access One Stop Centres by herself, NGO, friend, volunteer or through Women Helpline integrated with police, ambulance and other emergency response helplines.

The ‘Mission Shakti’ programme was launched last year to ensure women’s safety, dignity and security.

The third phase of the programme was launched last month.

Punjab CM launches healthcare projects of Rs 125 crore

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Punjab CM launches healthcare projects of Rs 125 crore

In a leap forward towards providing best and affordable healthcare services to Punjab’s residents, Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Monday virtually dedicated projects of Rs 125 crore, including the statewide radio diagnostic and laboratory services and the revamped 108 ambulance emergency response system.

Launching the ambitious projects from Batala and Mohali on the auspicious occasion of the 534th marriage anniversary (“Vhyah Purb”) of Guru Nanak Dev, he also dedicated the first-of-its-kind CM e-Clinic facility pilot in Batala to effectively address shortage of specialist medical counselling and treatment in rural areas.

There can be no better day than the ‘Babe Da Vyah Utsav’ for the launch of these facilities, said Amarinder Singh, extending his greetings to people on the pious occasion.

The highly specialised medical services to be rolled out across the state by end November will prove to be a boon for people, especially the poor for whom expert private sector medical care is out of reach, he said.

For this project, Punjab has been divided into six parts in which one MRI and 25 CT scan facilities would cover every district hospital at a cost of Rs 80 crore, besides one reference lab, 30 district laboratories, and 95 collection centres would be covering 23 districts at a cost of Rs 25 crore to ensure round-the-clock medical services.

The Chief Minister said five per cent of the total cases will be provided free diagnostic facilities to provide help to needy. The projects entail an employment generation potential for 750 people who would be trained as technicians.

The projects would be launched by state on a public private partnership mode in collaboration with Krsnaa Diagnostics Ltd.

Under the revamped Dial 108 Ambulance Emergency Response System Service, innovations in information technology have been co-opted into the existing 104 and 112 medical helplines further streamlining the service delivery mechanism. Relatives of patients can track the movement of ambulances online for quick and timely delivery of emergency service.

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