All are equal in Karnataka government’s view, says CM Bommai

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All are equal in Karnataka government’s view, says CM Bommai

Making an oblique referrence to the social unrest situation prevailing in Karnataka, Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Saturday said that “all are equal in the government’s view and maintaining law and order in the state is our objective.”

The government has nothing to do with the campaign to ban the Wakf Board, he told media persons before heading to participate in a program in Basavakalyan.

Replying to a question on Sri Ram Sena founder Pramod Mutalik’s call for a campaign to ban the Wakf Board, Bommai said: “People do practice their respective traditions. The government is being run in accordance with the laws. The government has nothing to do with these campaigns.”

“I am very happy to be in the land of Basavanna. I have come with hopes of comprehensive development of the region,” he added.

Earlier, CM Bommai announced that an anchor bank would be established within a month to meet the financial needs of the members of women’s self-help groups in the state. It would herald a revolution in employment in the state, he said.

Language chauvinism will boomerang: KTR

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Language chauvinism will boomerang: KTR

Reacting to Home Minister Amit Shah’s statement that Hindi should be accepted as an alternative to English, and not local languages, Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) working president K.T. Rama Rao on Saturday warned that language chauvinism and hegemony in the country will boomerang.

Highlighting unity in diversity as India’s strength, KTR, as Rama Rao is popularly known, tweeted: “India is a union of states and a true ‘Vasudhaika Kutumbam’. Why don’t we let people of our great nation decide what to eat, what to wear, who to pray to, and what language to speak! Language chauvinism/hegemony will boomerang.

“I am an Indian first, a proud Telugu and Telanganaite next. Can speak in my mother tongue Telugu, English, Hindi and a little bit of Urdu too. To impose Hindi and diss English will be a great disservice to the youngsters of this nation who have global aspirations. #stopHindiImposition.”

This is the first reaction by a leader from the two Telugu states to Shah’s statement.

Leaders from Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, and other non-Hindi-speaking states have already reacted strongly to the Home Minister’s statement saying they will not accept Hindi imposition.

Three more ministers inducted in Pramod Sawant cabinet

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Three more ministers inducted in Pramod Sawant cabinet

Chief Minister Pramod Sawant expanded his cabinet on Saturday with the induction of three more ministers who were administered the oath of office by Governor P.S. Sreedharan Pillai at the Raj Bhavan here.

The new ministers are Sudin Dhavalikar of the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party, Subhash Phaldesai, and Nilkanth Halarnkar both from the BJP.

The fresh induction on Saturday takes the number of ministers in Sawant’s cabinet to 12, including the Chief Minister.

Cabinet approves extension of Atal Innovation Mission till March 2023

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Cabinet approves extension of Atal Innovation Mission till March 2023

The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has approved the continuation of Atal Innovation Mission (AIM), till March 2023.

The AIM shall work on its intended target of creating an innovation culture and entrepreneurial ecosystem in the country.

This will be done by AIM through its various programs and under intended targets that will be achieved by AIM are: establishing 10,000 Atal Tinkering Labs (ATLs), establishing 101 Atal Incubation Centres, establishing 50 Atal Community Innovation Centres, and supporting 200 start-ups via the Atal New India Challenges.

Briefing the media on Friday, the Information and Broadcasting Minister Anurag Singh Thakur said that the total budgeted expenditure of Rs 2,000+ crore shall be incurred in the process of the establishment and supporting the beneficiaries.

The objectives of the AIM are to create and promote an ecosystem of innovation and entrepreneurship across the country via interventions at school, university, research institutions, MSME, and industry levels.

The AIM has focused on both infrastructure creation and institution building and it has created bilateral relations with various international agencies for building synergistic collaboration on innovation and entrepreneurship.

Rivals can cause no harm to me: Andhra CM Jagan

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Rivals can cause no harm to me: Andhra CM Jagan

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy on Friday asserted that his rivals can cause no harm to him as long as he enjoys the mercy of God and the blessings of people.

Addressing a public meeting in Nandyal, he said though the opposition parties and a section of media were creating problems for him, nothing can unsettle and scare him.

“With God’s mercy and your blessings, I, Jagan, have come to this position. As long as I have God’s mercy and your blessings they can do no harm to me,” he told the meeting amid loud cheers.

Referring to the malicious reports carried by a section of the media, he stated that they were unable to see the reforms and thus deliberately took up false campaigning to defame the government.

Jagan Mohan Reddy also slammed the Opposition and a section of the media for drawing controversy over the packaging of peanut chikki, which is being distributed in mid-day meals, and advised them not to be so jealous, as it can be fatal.

He said that the previous government had only spent Rs 500 crore on mid-day meals, while at present healthy, nutritious, and tasty meals are being provided at an expenditure of Rs 1,990 crore.

Asserting that poverty should not deprive a child of pursuing higher education, he credited Rs 1,024 crore into the bank accounts of mothers of 10,68,150 students under the second installment of Jagananna Vasathi Deevena for the academic year 2021-22.

He stated that only education has the power to change the world, and eradicate poverty and backwardness of the society, which is why no child has to be deprived of education. In order to provide quality education for the students and to ease the financial burden on parents, the government has come up with Vidya Deevena reimbursing the college fees and Vasathi Deevena for boarding and hostel fees to the students.

He stated that many revolutionary reforms were brought in the education sector, right from improvising midday meals under Goru Buddha, to revamping infrastructure in schools through Nadu-Nedu, introducing bi-lingual textbooks, and many more. Reiterating that the previous government had neglected the fee reimbursement scheme that was started by his father Y.S. Rajashekar Reddy said that the current government is doing more than promised, fulfilling every need.

Affirming that Vasathi Deevena would benefit nearly 10.68 lakh students in the state, the chief minister said Rs 3,329 crore was spent alone on the scheme since the formation of the YSRCP government and Rs 6,969 crore towards Vidya Deevena, besides clearing pending dues of Rs 1,778 crore of the TDP rule.

He revealed that the Gross Enrolment Ratio in colleges has increased to 35.2 per cent in Andhra Pradesh, registering a growth of 8.64 per cent against the national growth of 3 per cent.

FB group to conduct poetry competition on Mamata Banerjee

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FB group to conduct poetry competition on Mamata Banerjee

A Facebook group that is reportedly backed by the Trinamool Congress, has announced a poetry competition on West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.

According to the group called ‘Banglar Gorbo Mamata’, participants can submit their poetries with the hashtag #PoetryForDidi.

The participants can also directly send their poetries to the group’s inbox.

The group owners promise to feature the selected poetries on their timeline page.

“Here is a golden opportunity for the well-wishers of Didi. Write poetries with Didi as the subject. The selected poems of good literary quality will be featured on the page of Banglar Gorbo Mamata,” says a notification from the page.

A Trinamool Congress source said that following the advice of the vote-strategist Prasant Kishor’s I-PAC, Banglar Gorbo Mamata was floated to highlight the popular developmental schemes undertaken by the West Bengal government since it won the 2021 elections.

When contacted, state Water Resources Minister, Manas Ranjan Bhunia told IANS that there might be some specific reasons for this initiative which he is not aware.

“I do not handle these affairs and hence I am not in a position to comment on it,” he said.

Yogi govt to start basic course in MSME

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Yogi govt to start basic course in MSME

To inculcate and encourage business development skills in youth, the Yogi Adityanath government in Uttar Pradesh will soon start an online course in entrepreneurship.

The course will be conducted at the college level and will fetch a certificate for the participants on completion. The certification will be given by the MSME and export promotion departments.

Additional Chief Secretary, MSME, Navneet Sehgal, said that the course curriculum and modalities are being worked out.

“The idea is to make youth self-reliant by empowering them so that they don’t just become job-seekers but job creators,” he said.

Sehgal also said that besides providing the certificate, the 10-day course will also provide exposure visits and bank linkages for loans to translate ideas into action.

Joint commissioner MSME (exports and Lucknow Zone) Pawan Agarwal said that the certification opportunity will be included in the departmental app called MSME Sarthi.

“Two main reasons prompted the department to think about this. The chief minister’s priority to create jobs in the state is the first reason while demand for training and experience in certain schemes of Skill Development Mission and bank conditions to disburse loans is the second.”

The course will have general certifications besides advanced courses in specific areas like food processing, agricultural production, organic farming, and mechanical work in subsequent stages.

The department has also envisaged the idea of introducing entrepreneurial skills at the senior secondary level so that the foundation of their self-reliance is laid in the formative years.

In addition to the certification program, the MSME department has decided to double the seats under Mati Kala Board and Vishwakarma Shram Samman Scheme.

Three Bhumihar candidates of RJD win MLC elections

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Three Bhumihar candidates of RJD win MLC elections

While RJD national president Lalu Prasad Yadav did the politics of MY equation (Muslim-Yadav equation) and ruled the state for 15 years, his son Tejashwi is looking for new equations with the participation of upper caste people in Bihar.

One such reflection comes from Bihar when 3 RJD candidates belonging to Bhumihar (upper caste) won the MLC elections on Thursday.

Kartik Kumar alias Kartik Master, the RJD candidate of Patna won the election defeating JD-U candidate Valmiki Singh with an impressive margin on Thursday.

Kartik is said to be very close to Bahubali MLA Anant Singh of Mokama. He is currently lodged in Patna’s Beur jail under the Arms Act. Kate belongs to the Bhumihar caste.

Patna is known as a stronghold of the BJP with two MPs Ravi Shankar Prasad and Ram Kripal Yadav winning from Patna Sahib and Patliputra constituencies respectively in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. Besides, a number of MLAs and ministers of the NDA government in Bihar belong to Patna.

In West Champaran, RJD candidate Saurabh Chaudhary won the MLC election defeating the BJP candidate. West Champaran is known as a BJP stronghold, being the home district of party state president Sanjay Jaiswal and deputy chief minister Renu Devi. They are expected to give an explanation to the BJP central leadership about the party’s poor performance in their home district.

The West Champaran MLC seat was occupied by the BJP for 18 years. Saurabh Chaudhary belongs to the Bhumihar caste and managed to win it.

Ajay Kumar Singh, another RJD candidate from the Munger-Jamui-Lakhisarai MLC constituency, defeated JD-U candidate Sanjay Prasad. Singh belongs to the Bhumihar community.

Besides the RJD, candidates belonging to the Bhumihar caste also won in other places as well. Rajiv Singh of the Congress party won the election from the Begusarai seat. Begusarai is considered a bastion of the BJP and its firebrand leader Giriraj Singh was elected as MP in 2019 defeating Kanhaiya Kumar of the left party. Now, Kanhaiya Kumar is a Congress leader.

Sachidanand Rai, an independent Bhumihar candidate also won the election from Saran. He was earlier a BJP leader but as the party did not give him a ticket, he contested independently from Saran.

‘Govt should use CBI, ED to check hoarding, not against political opponents’

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‘Govt should use CBI, ED to check hoarding, not against political opponents’

Criticizing the Central government, West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee on Thursday said the Union government should use the central probe agencies like CBI and ED to control inflation and check to hoard, instead of using them against political opponents.

“The Central government is not doing anything to control inflation in the country. The prices of petrol, diesel, cooking gas, and other essential commodities including life-saving medicines are increasing every day. The Union government is totally silent about the sufferings of the people because of this exorbitant price rise. The central probe agencies like CBI and ED should be used to check to hoard and control inflation instead of using them for harassing the opposition parties,” Banerjee told the mediapersons after chairing a meeting of the state’s task force for controlling the price of essential commodities, here at the state secretariat ‘Nabanna’.

She described the recent rise in the price of petrol and diesel as the BJP’s “return gift” victory — in the recent assembly polls, in four out of five states.

The Trinamool Congress chief also slammed the Central government for alleged denial of payment of Goods and Services Tax (GST) dues to the state governments, especially to0 the non-BJP-ruled states.

“Our government alone has around Rs 90,000 crore of GST dues from the Union government. If the GST dues are not paid over a long period of time, I doubt that in the coming days, many such state governments would not be able to pay the salaries to the state government employees,” she said.

Banerjee also said the Central government should waive off toll tax.

“The carriages carrying essential items should be kept out of the toll tax ambit since this tax is yet another reason for an exorbitant price rise for essential items,” the chief minister said.

Responding to Banerjee, West Bengal unit Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president and party MP, Sukanta Majumdar wondered if the Central government has to take all the remedial measures, then “what is her government supposed to do?”

“These are all baseless demands,” he said.

The state BJP leadership has already said that the West Bengal government should reduce the state tax on oil to bring down the price of petrol and diesel.

President Kovind calls for new age relationship between India and the Netherlands

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President Kovind calls for new age relationship between India and the Netherlands

Calling for a new-age partnership between India and the Netherlands, President Ram Nath Kovind on Wednesday said it can focus on three broad elements and can combine resources, expertise, and knowledge with the skills to address contemporary challenges, add strategic direction to the cooperation and maximize benefits for both countries.

“First, we become knowledge and innovation partners with our people joining hands to undertake pioneering work in the fields of digital technology, artificial intelligence, semiconductors, and fintech. Second, as two responsible members of the international community, we play a more proactive role in addressing common global challenges including climate change and adaptation. Third, India and the Netherlands, as key partners in defense and security work for a stable global order,” he said in response to remarks by the Netherlands Prime Minister Mark Rutte at a lunch the latter hosted in his honor.

The President, who is on a visit to the Netherlands and will return to India on Thursday, said the two countries are long-standing partners with historical ties of friendship and collaboration.

“In the 75 years of our diplomatic ties, we have worked together in wide-ranging areas of mutual interest. These include our cooperation in water, agriculture, healthcare, science and technology, urban development, and smart cities. Our partnership has been both meaningful and impactful, contributing to improving the lives of our people,” he said.

On the third day of his stay in the Netherlands, President Kovind met Prime Minister Rutte, President of the Senate, Jan Anthonie Bruijn; and President of the House of Representatives, Vera Bergkamp, a communique from the Rashtrapati Bhavan said.

During interaction with the Presidents of the Senate and House of Representatives, he said that he was happy to be in the Netherlands in this special year of the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties.

The President said that parliamentary exchanges between the two countries would help in promoting mutual understanding and exchange of ideas. He also said, there is a need for more regular exchanges among their Parliaments. India would be happy to receive a visit by a parliamentary delegation from the Netherlands and a similar goodwill delegation could visit the Netherlands at a mutually convenient time, he said.

Amit Shah to be in Bengal on April 16-17

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Amit Shah to be in Bengal on April 16-17

Union Home Minister Amit Shah is expected to be on a two-day visit to West Bengal on April 16 and April 17, a BJP leader said on Wednesday.

This will be Shah’s first-ever visit to the state since the disappointing performance of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the last year’s West Bengal Assembly polls.

A BJP source told an interview that on April 16, the Home Minister would visit north Bengal, and the next day, attend several government and party programs in state capital Kolkata.

“He will hold meetings with all the elected party MPs and MLAs from the state, as well as the members of the newly formed state committee of the party. He is expected to seek details on the internal evaluations of the state committee on the election disaster,” he said.

Confirming this, West Bengal BJP president Sukanta Majumdar said Shah will attend the party’s organizational meetings, besides attending government programs.

“The state committee will also hand over an organizational report to the Home Minister,” Majumdar said.

Meanwhile, state BJP sources said there is also a possibility of Shah holding a meeting with the rebel sections in the party’s state unit, and suggesting solutions to bring an end to the infighting.

Venkaiah Naidu praises RS MPs for showing patience during discussion on 2 bills

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Venkaiah Naidu praises RS MPs for showing patience during discussion on 2 bills

Rajya Sabha Chairman M. Venkaiah Naidu on Wednesday praised the Members of the House for showing patience during the debate on the Chartered Accounts Bill and the Bill for re-unifications of the Delhi Municipal Corporations.

“I am so happy to see the patience shown by Deputy Chairman(Harivansh)and Members, cutting across the party lines. The Ministers who piloted the replies to the Bill were sharp but at the same time brief. I felt happy and also made a note to include it in my memoirs,” Naidu said.

He also said the debates were very impressive and others called him up to know about them.

While mentioning the cultural program held at his residence on the occasion of retirement of 72 Members of the Upper House on March 31, he said that the performance of the six Members was very impressive. “I enjoyed the performance of the six Members and yesterday Sansad TV broadcast the program. Those who could not attend the event can see it on the Youtube channel of Sansad TV, he said.

The Chairman also said that some of the members are very talented.

While moving ahead with the proceedings of the House, the Chairman also informed that the notices given by the Leader of Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge, Sushmita Dev, Nadimul Haq, and other Members gave notices under rule 267 to suspend the business of the House to discuss various issues including price hike, stand rejected.

Amid the commotions of the Opposition Members, the Chairman reiterated that if they give notice every day that was not correct as the chair has already stated its decision.

However, Leader of Opposition Kharge said that he a given notice regarding the hate speeches and harassment of some journalists. In many religious assemblies, the leaders of one community threat a minority community, but he was interrupted by the Chair who asked him to refrain from taking the name of a particular minority community.

TN to hold Global Investors Meet in Dec 2023: Stalin

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TN to hold Global Investors Meet in Dec 2023: Stalin

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K.Stalin on Wednesday said the Global Investors Meet will be organized in December 2023.

Announcing this in the state Assembly, Stalin said the investors’ meeting will be organized by the government in December 2023 and attract more industrial investments.

He said the government has signed 130 Memorandums of Understanding (MoU) with several investors involving an investment of Rs 68,375 crore.

According to him, the government will spread out industrialization in the state.

Stalin said the MoUs signed by his government with the investors will get converted into actual investments providing jobs to several people.

Telangana government insulted office of Governor: Tamilisai Soundararajan

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Telangana government insulted office of Governor: Tamilisai Soundararajan

Telangana Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan on Wednesday alleged that the state government is insulting the office of governor.

The Governor, who called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the national capital, is believed to have apprised him of the recent incidents in the state including violation of the Governor’s protocol and the state government doing away with the Governor’s address from the Budget session of the state Legislature.

Talking to reporters after meeting with the Prime Minister, she referred to the recent incidents and said that the Constitutional post of the Governor should be respected.

Soundararajan, however, said she was not feeling offended and was leaving it to the people of Telangana to judge how the state government was behaving toward her.

“This is an open thing. Even media people, everyone knows. There is no need to report these things,” she said when asked if she reported to the Prime Minister about the incidents.

The meeting comes amid the growing chasm between Governor Soundararajan and Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao in recent months.

She said that though she has Constitutional powers, she doesn’t want to enforce them. She claimed that she wants to maintain good relations with the government.

She denied that she politicized anything or took any controversial decision. She defended the decision taken on the government’s recommendation to nominate P. Kaushik Reddy as a member of the Legislative Council.

“They can’t force me. I have already explained it. It’s the Governor’s quota and the provision is for the service category. When I am not satisfied with the candidature, it’s my right to tell. It’s not that everything should be accepted. It’s not that I am opposed to everything and I wanted to create a controversy,” she said.

Soundararajan argued that it was not a political decision but a Constitutional one.

“When they wanted to have a problem chairman of the Council once again, I pointed out the Constitutional provision as protem chairman is an interim arrangement. It should be accepted with an open heart or it could be discussed. Ministers or Chief Ministers can come to Raj Bhavan and discuss. I am for open discussion,” she said.

“If something is not accepted it does not mean that the Governor’s office should be insulted. Maybe some decisions of the Governor are not accepted. Does that mean the Governor’s office should be insulted, Governor’s protocol should be violated and Governor is not taken care of when she goes for a tour,” she asked.

She pointed out that the district and SP did not receive her when she went to Medaram Jatara, a tribal fair held in February.

She, however, said she didn’t care about these protocol violations. “I am concerned about the office of Governor. It should not be repeated. The office of the Governor should be respected. I am here today but somebody else may come tomorrow,” she said.

The Governor also mentioned the Chief Minister and ministers not attending the pre-Ugadi celebrations hosted by her at Raj Bhavan. She said others who were invited but were unable to come called her and explained why they couldn’t attend. “Even that response did not come (from the Chief Minister and ministers),” she said.

PM, Sonia pay tributes to Jagjivan Ram

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PM, Sonia pay tributes to Jagjivan Ram

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Congress interim president Sonia Gandhi on Tuesday paid tributes to freedom fighter and Dalit icon Babu Jagjivan Ram on the occasion of his 115th birth anniversary.

Paying tributes to the former deputy Prime Minister, Modi posted on Twitter: “Tributes to Babu Jagjivan Ram Ji on his birth anniversary. Our nation will always remember his remarkable contribution be it during the freedom movement or after Independence. He was widely admired for his administrative skills and concern for the poor.”

The Prime Minister also posted an old picture in which he is seen offering tributes to Jagjivan Ram along with former finance minister Arun Jaitley.

Congress interim president Sonia Gandhi also led the grand old party in paying tributes to Jagjivan Ram.

He had quit the Congress because of differences and joined the Janata Party alliance.

Sri Lankan ruling party loses majority in Parliament

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Sri Lankan ruling party loses majority in Parliament

President Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s ruling party, Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) on Tuesday lost its majority in Parliament as 42 MPs announced they would sit independently.

Among the 42 MPs, 14 are from Sri Lanka Freedom Party, 10 belong to constituent parties of the government, and 12 are SLPP MPs, among others, reports Xinhua news agency.

The ruling SLPP-led alliance won 146 seats in the 225-member Parliament in the 2020 general election.

Tuesday’s development comes amid an ongoing turmoil in the island nation due to the country’s worst-ever economic crisis, triggering widespread anti-government protests.

On Monday night, Rajapaksa had said that he will not resign but was ready to hand over the government to whichever party holds 113 seats in Parliament.

On Monday, he held back-to-back political meetings amidst public protests throughout the nation, calling on the President and government to resign, reports the Daily Mirror newspaper.

Gotabaya Rajapaksa, a former Defence Secretary in his brother Mahinda Rajapaksa’s government, played a crucial role to end the 26-year-long war against Tamil rebel Tigers.

In the 2019 Presidential election, he was elected President with a sweeping 2/3 majority with over 6.9 million votes.

Lack of dollar reserves and depreciation forced an economic crisis to lead to severe shortages of fuel, LPG, electricity, and essential food, and people are demanding Rajapaksa give up power immediately.

Sonia accuses BJP of misusing probe agencies to target opposition

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Sonia accuses BJP of misusing probe agencies to target opposition

Congress interim president Sonia Gandhi on Tuesday accused the BJP of playing divisive politics and misusing probe agencies to target the opposition parties.

She was speaking at the Congress Parliamentary Party meeting.

“The divisive and polarising agenda of the ruling party and its leaders has now become a regular feature of the political discourse in state after state.”

She said history — not just ancient but also contemporary — is being mischievously distorted and facts are maliciously invented to add fuel to the agenda. It is for everyone to stand up and confront these forces of “hate and prejudice”.

“We will not allow them to damage the bonds of amity and harmony that have sustained and enriched our diverse society for centuries,” she added.

The veteran leader accused the ruling establishment of continuously targeting the opposition, its leaders, and workers. The full might of the state machinery is unleashed against them.

“Maximum governance to those in power clearly means spreading maximum fear and intimidation. Such blatant threats and tactics will neither frighten nor silence us nor cow us down.” She said.

Sonia alleged that the MSMEs are in the most precarious condition. There is no sign whatsoever that the commitments made to the farmers are going to be fulfilled in any significant manner. Prices of cooking gas and oil, petrol, diesel, fertilizers and other essential commodities have risen to an unbearable limit — and continue to rise.

“A few days back, our party launched a nationwide Mehngai-mukt Bharat campaign in which many of you took part. This must be sustained.”

She praised the Congress-led UPA government’s National Food Security Act and MGNREGA and alleged that though the minister concerned has denied it, inordinately delayed wage payments, however, continue to be a serious issue.

“In spite of repeated attempts, we have been unable to get the Government to agree to a discussion on the situation on our borders, a discussion that could only have deepened the sense of collective resolve. The value of non-alignment as a foundational principle of the nation’s foreign policy that was criticized so much has now, I am glad to note, been rediscovered even though it may not be acknowledged as such,” she added.

She expressed concern about the future of the thousands of students who have been evacuated from Ukraine. She charged the government with diluting the labor laws at a time of growing unemployment and livelihood insecurity. Interest rates on employee provident fund accumulations have been reduced considerably.

“Public sector enterprises, the one important avenue for employment of scheduled castes and scheduled tribes are being sold off under the fancy name “asset monetization”. This will be another disaster as demonetization turned out to be,” she said.

Modi, Bennett discuss prevailing situation in Ukraine

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Modi, Bennett discuss prevailing situation in Ukraine

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday spoke with his Israeli counterpart Naftali Bennett over the phone and discussed the recent geopolitical developments, including the situation in Ukraine.

The Russia-Ukraine war has entered its 40th day. Explosions were heard on Monday in the cities of Kherson and Odesa, in the south, while air raid sirens sounded across the east.

Modi conveyed his best wishes to Bennett for early recovery after his Covid-19 diagnosis. The Prime Minister also expressed his condolences for the loss of lives in the recent terrorist attacks in Israel.

“The leaders had a detailed discussion on recent geopolitical developments, including the situation in Ukraine. They also reviewed the ongoing bilateral cooperation initiatives,” the Prime Minister’s Office said.

Modi also conveyed his eagerness to welcome Bennett to India at an early date.

In the Russia-Ukraine war, India has called for “restraint on all sides” and said that all issues between both countries can only be resolved through “diplomatic dialogue”.

Earlier, Modi had spoken to both Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky in an attempt to resolve the issue through “dialogue”.

Modi had also welcomed the ongoing negotiations between Russia and Ukraine and expressed hope that they would lead to a cessation of the conflict.

Similarly, Bennett plays a peacemaker’s role in the war and has made numerous calls to both Putin and Zelensky in an attempt to assist the efforts to resolve the conflict,

SL Prez invites oppn parties to join cabinet to resolve crisis

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SL Prez invites oppn parties to join cabinet to resolve crisis

Following the resignation of the Sri Lankan Cabinet amid anti-government protests, President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has invited all political parties, including the opposition, to accept ministerial posts and to help to resolve the ongoing economic crisis.

Issuing a statement, President Rajapaksa invited the parties to come together to find solutions.

“The current crisis is a result of several economic factors and global developments. As one of the leading democratic countries in Asia, solutions should be found to this within a democratic framework,” the statement noted.

“Considering this a national need, the time has come to work together for the sake of all the citizens and future generations.”

As the island-wide protests defying curfew and emergency laws imposed by Rajapaksa took place on Sunday, the government decided to dissolve the cabinet with the plan to have an all-party interim government.

Grappled by a severe economic crisis, the island nation has been going through a crisis where people are suffered without fuel, LPG, electricity, and food for months.

Extensive loans and unlimited money printing which exceeded 1.2 trillion LKR ($4 billion) in 2021 have led to the current economic crisis.

Meanwhile, Governor of the Central Bank Ajith Nivard Cabraal, who was blamed by the opposition parties and activists as responsible for extensive money printing, has resigned.

Another round of district bifurcation in Bengal likely next year

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Another round of district bifurcation in Bengal likely next year

Speculation is rife that West Bengal is heading for a fresh round of district bifurcation by 2023.

Reportedly a brainchild of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, the preparatory planning for this proposed fresh district bifurcation has already started and the plan is currently restricted among selected members of the cabinet and the top bureaucrats of the state. Although none of the top cabinet members and bureaucrats were willing to make any official comment on this matter, highly placed sources said if the fresh bifurcation is done the total number of districts in West Bengal will increase to 27 from the existing 23.

The planned three new districts will be forked out of the two big districts of North 24 Parganas and South 24 Parganas. To recall, the two existing districts of North 24 Parganas and South 24 Parganas were formed by bifurcating the erstwhile undivided 24 Parganas district on March 1, 1980.

A state government official, aware of the planning for the formation of the three new districts, told to an interviewer on condition of anonymity, that the proposed three districts would be Sunderbans, Basirhat, and Alipur.

Of the three, the formation of the Sunderbans district will be the most complicated process and it will have to be formed by forking out pockets from both North 24 Parganas and South 24 Parganas districts. According to him, the proposed Sunderbans district might be forked out mainly out of Gosaba, Basanti, and Kultali areas in South 24 Parganas district as well as Hingalganj and Sandeshkhali blocks in the current North 24 Parganas district.

The state government official also said that the formation process of the planned Basirhat and Alipur districts will be comparatively simple. Alipur might be formed with the pockets forked out of the Kolkata adjacent pockets in South 24 Parganas districts as well as the Assembly constituencies under Diamond Harbour Lok Sabha constituency, wherefrom the MP is the Trinamool Congress’s national general secretary and the chief minister Mamata Banerjee’s nephew Abhishek Banerjee.

On the other hand, the state government official said the proposed Basirhat district would be formed from pockets forked out of the existing Basirhat and Bangaon sub-divisions in the North 24 Parganas district.

Since 1980, West Bengal has witnessed district bifurcations seven times, out of which three developments were during the previous Left Front regime and four developments took place during the current Trinamool Congress regime.

The first event of district bifurcation in the state was on March 1, 1980, when the previous Left Front government was in force with late nonagenarian Indian Marxist, Jyoti Basu as the state chief minister.

The second phase of district bifurcation was on April 1, 1992, when the erstwhile West Dinajpur district was bifurcated into the existing North Dinajpur and South Dinajpur districts. At that point in time, the Jyoti Basu-led Left Front government was in power in the state.

The third phase of bifurcation was on January 1, 2002, when the undivided Midnapore district was divided into the existing two districts of East Midnapore and West Midnapore. Mamata Banerjee’s predecessor, Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee was the chief minister of West Bengal then.

On June 25, 2014, when the Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress regime came to power, the new Alipurduar district was formed by bifurcating Jalpaiguri district.

Again, on February 14, 2017, the hill district of Kalimpong was formed by bifurcating the Darjeeling district.

On April 4, 2017, the formation of the new Jhargram district was formed by bifurcating the West Midnapore district.

Finally, on April 7, 2017, two districts of West Burdwan and East Burdwan were created by bifurcating the erstwhile undivided Burdwan district.

Commenting on the practical justification of the bifurcation of districts, senior political analyst and former registrar of Calcutta University, Raja Gopal Dhar Chakraborty told in an interview that the formation of smaller districts through the bifurcation of bigger districts is always a welcome move.

“First this will provide a relief to the common people from traveling long distances to reach government offices. Secondly, the formation of new districts means the creation of new government offices which enhances the scope of fresh employment. However, at the same time, I would also like to say that like the formation of new and smaller districts I also do not find any harm in the creation of new and smaller states through the bifurcation of bigger states. There might be some sentimental issues involved with the bifurcation of states but the creation of smaller states enhances administrative advantage,” Dhar Chakraborty said.

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