Prime Minister meets CEOs, takes feedback before next budget

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Prime Minister meets CEOs, takes feedback before next budget

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday interacted with chief executives of companies from various sectors of industry at his official residence.

This was the second such interaction between the Prime Minister and industry representatives in the run-up to the next Union Budget.

“The Prime Minister talked about the inherent strength of the country, displayed during the battle against Covid. He thanked the industry leaders for their inputs and suggestions, and exhorted them to make full use of policies like PLI incentive,” said the Prime Minister’s Office in a statement.

“He said that just like the country aspires for a podium finish at the Olympics, the country also wants to see our industries among the top five of the world in every sector, and this is something for which we should collectively work towards.”

Besides, the Prime Minister said that the corporate sector should invest more in areas like agriculture and food processing, and talked about the shifting focus on natural farming.

“He underlined the policy consistency of the government, and said that the government is firmly committed to take initiatives which will give impetus to economic progress of the country.

“He also spoke about the focus of the government towards reducing compliance burden, and sought suggestions on areas where undue compliances need to be removed,” the statement said.

On their part, the industry representatives gave feedback to the Prime Minister, it added.

“They spoke about steps that can be taken to further boost ‘Ease of Doing Business’ in the country. They also talked about India’s commitments at ‘COP26’ and how industry could contribute towards achieving the goals outlined.”

KMC election: Roopa Ganguly hits out against BJP’s Bengal leadership

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KMC election: Roopa Ganguly hits out against BJP’s Bengal leadership

On a day when the BJP is struggling to keep themselves afloat in the Kolkata Municipal Corporation election, the party’s Rajya Sabha member Roopa Ganguly on Sunday increased the embarrassment of the party, alleging that it has taken money from poll aspirants.

Speaking to the media after exercising her franchise in Ward no 94 of the KMC, the actress said: “In many places, candidates have been given nominations against money”.

Though Ganguly didn’t take the name of any person but her target was definitely the former state President Dilip Ghosh, present state President Sukanta Majumder and the Leader of the Opposition Suvendu Adhikari.

The ongoing controversy between Ganguly and the state BJP cropped up after party leadership gave a KMC ticket to Rajarshi Lahiri, instead of Gaurav Biswas, the husband of Teesta Biswas, the BJP’s KMC coordinator who died recently in a car accident in East Midnapore.

Ganguly backed Biswas to become the candidate of ward no 86 but he was denied the ticket and finally filed his nomination from the ward as an independent candidate. She even left the virtual meeting after Biswas was denied nomination.

In an open letter Ganguly wrote afterwards, she said: “I don’t have the power to put up hoardings anymore – if I had, I would have hung pictures of the two of you and said – I am with Teesta, I will stay.”

Later, she was dropped from the list of 19 star campaigners published by the party. Asked whether she was dropped because of her support to the independent candidate, senior BJP leaders declined to comment.

There are even rumours that Ganguly, known best for playing Drupadi in B.R. Chopra’s TV adaptation of “Mahabharat” might leave the party though she didn’t make any comment on that.

Massive protest by Congress against Pinarayi Vijayan’s K-Rail

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Massive protest by Congress against Pinarayi Vijayan’s K-Rail

The Congress party on Saturday staged a massive protest against the proposed scheme of Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan for a K-Rail in the capital city.

This came before CPI-M State Secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan said that this was a project in their election manifesto and it will become a reality.

If completed, the flagship railway project will set up a 529.45 km corridor connecting Thiruvananthapuram to Kasaragod and the distance will be covered within four hours. The estimated cost is in excess of Rs 64,000 crores.

Before protesting against the project in Thiruvananthapuram, State Congress president K. Sudhakaran said this project will not benefit the state and it is only meant for the CPI-M to pocket commission.

“Another section who will benefit are the family members of the CPI-M leadership. By now itself several posts have been created and the wife of CPI-M Rajya Sabha member John Britas, who is only a very junior staff in Indian Railways is the general manager of K-Rail.

“We don’t need to learn the nuances of what’s development from Vijayan, who while at the helm of affairs of CPI-M for several years, opposed every developmental infrastructure project like Vizhinjam Port, Kochi Smart City and Airports and every project which are our projects. Can Vijayan name one project which he has started. Vijayan should explain to the people who will benefit from the K-rail project,” Sudhakaran said adding that it is strange that while the CPI-M opposes similar projects across India, they are adamant in Kerala to go ahead with it.

Sudhakaran added that he will speak to Congress leader Shashi Tharoor who did not join the party MPs in opposing this project.

Meanwhile, Balakrishnan who is in Delhi to attend the politburo meeting of the CPI-M, said they have already committed to the people in their election manifesto.

“So we are going forward with it and we welcome the decision of Shashi Tharoor as he is speaking the language of the people. There is no difference of opinion in the Left over this proposal, which even CPI secretary Kanam Rajendran has said.”

Metroman E. Sreedharan has described this project as one which is ill-conceived, badly planned and poorly handled.

The BJP has also strongly opposed this project.

Mohanlal campaigns for panel, irks many, as AMMA election heats up

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Mohanlal campaigns for panel, irks many, as AMMA election heats up

With consensus eluding the election of two key office-bearers of AMMA, the Association of Malayalam Movie Artistes, and superstar Mohanlal actively entering the campaign, the run-up to the vote has seen some hectic lobbying — and criticism of the acclaimed actor.

Mohanlal has been elected president unopposed, so have Edavela Babu, Siddiq and Jayasurya, as general secretary, treasurer and joint secretary, respectively, but because of an absence of consensus, three candidates, including two actresses, are in the fray for two posts of vice-president.

Hugely popular actor Manianpilla Raju and actresses Asha Sarath and Swetha Menon are fighting it out for the two posts. Mohanlal is backing the two actresses.

Fourteen candidates are also running for the 11-member executive committee, and three of them — Lal, Nasser Lathif and Vijay Babu — are not a part of Mohanlal’s panel.

As many as 500 AMMA members will now cast their vote on Sunday and at the end of the annual general body meeting in Kochi, the votes will be counted and only then will it be known if Mohanlal or Raju will be the real winner.

A top actor on condition of anonymity said many in the industry are shocked to see Mohanlal coming up to campaign for those in the fray. The superstar has circulated a letter soliciting the support of the AMMA members for his panel.

Raju is said to be upset because, according to him, he had informed all concerned that he intended to contest and even got the green signal of those who matter. He is reported to be feeling let down by Mohanlal, who’s been his good friend since their days in school together.

Nonetheless, Raju is campaigning with all earnestness. With contests now appearing to be inevitable, many members are said to be feeling that the bonhomie among AMMA members “will now go out of the window,” to quote the actor who did not wish to be identified.

Modi govt will complete all projects pending for decades: Anurag Thakur

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Modi govt will complete all projects pending for decades: Anurag Thakur

The Narendra Modi government is committed to completing all the projects pending for decades in coming years, said Union Minister for Information and Broadcasting Anurag Thakur.

He also said that the Renukaji dam project will benefit residents of Himachal Pradesh, Punjab and Delhi and also help in rejuvenation of Yamuna.

Thakur told IANS that several projects pending for years have been completed by the government and more will be completed in future. “While approving new development projects, the Centre provided all assistance and funding to several projects delayed for long due lack of funds and other reasons. The government is committed to development and will complete them by providing all the necessary assistance. Ninety-nine such projects are taken for completion by the Modi government,” Thakur said.

On the Saryu Nahar National Project inaugurated by the Prime Minister on December 11, Thakur said: “The project was pending for over four decades. In the last four years, the Centre provided almost 50 per cent of the funds needed to complete the project which provides irrigation facilities to over 14 lakh hectares of land and benefits about 29 lakh farmers of over 6200 villages of Eastern Uttar Pradesh.”

Mentioning Ken-Betwa inter-linking of rivers project, Thakur said: “The project will provide irrigation facilities to 10.62 lakh hectares and drinking water to over 70 lakh people in Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh.”

The Renukaji dam project, he said, will provide irrigation facilities and drinking water to the states of Himachal Pradesh, Delhi, Haryana and Rajasthan. “Prime Minister’s vision for farmer welfare and empowerment and his commitment has brought much needed focus on the project of national importance,” Thakur said.

On Wednesday, the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) approved 90 per cent grant to two national projects- Renukaji and Lakhwar (Uttarakhand). Six clusters of a total 154 Surface Minor Irrigation (SMI) schemes are going in Himachal Pradesh under Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY) at an estimated cost of Rs 499.26 crore and targeted irrigation potential of 0.255 lakh hectare, he said.

“So far, total central assistance of Rs 356.70 crore has been released from these schemes and 97 schemes have been reported complete with achievement of 0.184 lakh hectare irrigation potential in March 2021,” Thakur added.

The CCEA has also approved implementation of PMKSY for 2021-26 with an outlay of Rs 93,068 crore.

Modi in Varanasi on Dec 23 with more projects

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Modi in Varanasi on Dec 23 with more projects

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will again visit Varanasi, his parliamentary constituency, on December 23, just 10 days after he inaugurated the Kashi Vishwanath Dham project.

The Prime Minister will dedicate 13 ready projects of Rs 853 crore and lay foundation of other projects worth Rs 681 crore at a public meeting in Karkhiyao area on Varanasi-Jaunpur border on December 23.

Divisional Commissioner Deepak Agrawal said: “The number of ready projects for dedication to the nation by the Prime Minister is 13, while he will lay the foundation of two projects of widening of road. The total value of ready projects is Rs 853 crore while road widening work will be done with an investment of Rs 681.8 crore.”

The ready projects include redevelopment of wards of old Kashi, including Kal Bhairav, Raj Mandir, Dashashwamedh, Jangambari and Gadhawasi Tola phase-1 (Rs 66 crore), installing advance surveillance cameras at 720 sites in the city (Rs 128 crore), redevelopment of Beniabagh Park and construction of surface parking (Rs 90.4 crore), urban revitalisation of road and junction improvement project (Rs 25 crore), development and beautification of Nadesar and Sonbhadra pond (Rs 4.4 crore) and 50 million litres per day sewage treatment plant at Ramna (Rs 161.3 crore).

Other projects in this list are hostels for doctors, nurses and a ‘dharmshala’ at Mahamana Pandit Madan Mohan Malviya Cancer Centre, BHU, at a cost of Rs 130 crore, construction of Inter University Centre for Teacher Education at BHU at a cost of Rs 107.4 crore, 160 residential flats in Jodhpur colony of BHU (Rs 121 crore), community hall and toilet block at the birthplace of Sant Ravidas in Seer Goverdhanpur (Rs 5 crore), seed breeding facility under International Rice Research Institute-South Asia Regional Centres campus (Rs 3.5 crore), new building of Centre for Teacher Education at Central Institute of Higher Tibetan Studies at Sarnath (Rs 7 crore) and 13 residential houses in government Industrial Training Institute in Karaudi area (Rs 2.7 crore).

The Commissioner said that the Prime Minister will also lay the foundation for widening and strengthening of Mohan Sarai (Varanasi)-Deen Dayal Upadhyay Nagar Chakia Road, Chandauli (Rs 412.5 crore) and Varanasi-Bhadohi-Gopiganj road (Rs 269.1 crore).

PM meets BJP MPs from South India

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PM meets BJP MPs from South India

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday met BJP Members of Parliament (MP) from South India.

According to sources, party MPs from Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Kerala and Karnataka were present in the meeting.

It is learnt that the Prime Minister and the MPs deliberated on important issues concerning the southern part of the country. After listening to them, Modi assured to address their concerns.

The sources said it was a “courtesy meeting” and that the Prime Minister regularly calls such meetings when Parliament is in session.

“Prime Minister regularly meets BJP MPs during parliament sessions. Sometimes, he meets BJP MPs region wise or state wise. In these meetings, he listens to their concerns and addresses them. He also guides MPs to improve their functioning,” a BJP leader said.

Last week, the Prime Minister had met party MPs from North Eastern states. “A delegation of BJP MPs from Northeast, led by BJP President J P Nadda and B L Santhosh met PM Narendra Modi ji to discuss the key issues concerning the region. NE is progressing at a rapid pace, all thanks to PM Modi ji’s constant support & guidance,” BJP MP from Assam Dilip Saikia had tweeted after the meeting.

On December 3, BJP MPs from West Bengal had met Prime Minister Modi and demanded implementation of the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA). The delegation of MPs from West Bengal was led by state unit president Dr Sukanta Majumdar. The West Bengal MPs also requested the Prime Minister to visit the state.

Nadda, chief ministers attend ‘aarti’, ‘puja’ in Ayodhya

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Nadda, chief ministers attend ‘aarti’, ‘puja’ in Ayodhya

BJP president J.P. Nadda and chief ministers of BJP-ruled states were accorded a warm welcome when they reached Ayodhya on Wednesday afternoon.

The BJP president and chief ministers, including that of Madhya Pradesh- Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Goa- Pramod Sawant, Assam- Himanta Biswa Sarma, Haryana- Manohar Lal Khattar, Tripura- Biplab Deb, Bihar- Deputy CM Renu Devi, Arunachal Pradesh- Pema Khandu and Manipur- N. Biren Singh went to the banks of the Saryu where they participated in the ‘aarti’.

UP deputy chief minister Keshav Maurya and Dinesh Sharma were also present on the occasion.

Uttarakhand chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami returned to his home state due to an engagement.

This is the first time that so many chief ministers are present in Ayodhya at one time.

The group then went to Hanuman Garhi where they offered prayers to Lord Hanuman. They later went to the Ram Janambhoomi temple and also saw the site of temple construction.

Terming the experience “spiritually exhilarating,” the chief ministers appreciated the development work done by the Yogi Adityanath government in Ayodhya.

MP Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan said: “Fortunate to have darshan of Ram Lalla once again. For the first time after the construction (of Ram Temple) began, we have got an opportunity to come here. We’ll pray for everyone to stay healthy. A prosperous India is being built under PM’s leadership.”

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said: “We have got darshan of Ram Lalla. I feel fortunate…Hindu is not an agenda; it is our life. So, where is the agenda? We are Hindus.”

11 Chief Ministers to visit Ayodhya today

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11 Chief Ministers to visit Ayodhya today

Eleven Chief Ministers of the BJP-ruled states will be in Ayodhya on Wednesday to offer prayers at the Ram Janmabhoomi temple.

The chief ministers were in Varanasi for two days to witness the inauguration of the Kashi Vishwanath Dham project and attend the CM’s conclave which was presided over by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The Ayodhya administration has so far confirmed the official protocol of 11 chief ministers and five deputy CMs, who are expected to reach Ayodhya around noon from Lucknow on Wednesday.

According to Ayodhya District Magistrate Nitish Kumar, “After a night halt in Lucknow, the chief ministers are expected to reach Ayodhya by noon on Wednesday. They will offer prayers at the Hanuman Garhi temple before visiting the Ram Janmabhoomi temple.”

The chief ministers who are visiting Ayodhya include Jairam Thakur of Himachal Pradesh, Pushkar Singh Dhami of Uttarakhand, Pema Khandu of Arunachal Pradesh, Shivraj Singh Chouhan of Madhya Pradesh, Hemanta Biswa Sarma of Assam, Basavaraj Bommai of Karnataka, Nongthombam Biren Singh of Manipur, Biplab Kumar Dev of Tripura, Bhupendrabhai Patel of Gujarat, Manohar Lal Khattar of Haryana and Pramod Sawant of Goa.

Bihar deputy Chief Ministers Tarkishore Prasad and Renu Devi, Arunachal deputy Chief Minister Chowna Mein and two deputies of Yogi Adityanath — Keshav Maurya and Dinesh Sharma — will also be present.

Official sources said that Sikkim Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang, Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangma, Mizoram Chief Minister Zoramthanga and Puducherry Chief Minister N. Rangaswamy are also likely to visit Ayodhya.

BJP national president Jagat Prakash Nadda will also visit Ayodhya on Wednesday for the first time after the Supreme Court’s landmark judgment in the Ram Janmabhoomi case in 2019.

District officials said that the chief ministers, during their visit, will stay at the Panchsheel hotel and strict security arrangements have been made for the occasion. The chief ministers will have their lunch at the hotel.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath may not be able to join his counterparts in Ayodhya since the winter session of the Assembly is also beginning on Wednesday in Lucknow.

The district magistrate said that no interaction with the media is proposed at the moment.

Several chief ministers are accompanied by their wives and have asked for privacy.

Covid protocols have also been ensured and temples have been sanitised.

BJP’s sunset will begin from Goa, says Mamata after alliance with MGP

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BJP’s sunset will begin from Goa, says Mamata after alliance with MGP

Reinvigorated by her party’s alliance with the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP) in Goa, West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee said on Tuesday that the sunset of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party would begin from Goa, which is headed for polls in early 2022.

Addressing a public meeting near Panaji to formally announce the party’s alliance with the regional political outfit, Banerjee also slammed the BJP for trying to ‘communalise’ issues ahead of the elections, while keeping mum on key issues like inflation and rise in prices of essential commodities in the country.

“Goa is India, do not think Goa is very small. Sunrise happens from Goa. When Goa smiles, India smiles. BJP’s sunset will also begin from Goa, from UP, Punjab… throughout the country,” Banerjee said at the public meeting.

“To usher in a new dawn in Goa, we will have to say no to ‘dadagiri’ from Delhi. Say no to BJP. Only Trinamool and MGP,” Banerjee added.

Slamming the BJP for trying to ‘communalise’ the atmosphere ahead of elections, Banerjee said: “The Hindu, Muslim rhetoric is raised only during elections. Riots occur only during elections. But after elections, the dead bodies flow in the Ganga. No one remembers that,” Banerjee said.

She also questioned the BJP’s silence over critical issues like price rise as well as the incident in Lakhimpur Kheri in which farmers were trampled by a vehicle, in which a Union minister’s son is the prime accused.

“The BJP has a standard narrative. They do not speak about real issues. How many times have you (BJP) raised your voice about the price of petrol? How many times have you raised the issue of diesel price? How many times have people had to face harassment due to demonetisation,” Banerjee asked.

“What have you done in Goa and India? Now you are targeting the Railways. The public sector is being shut down now. BJP minister’s son trampled farmers in Lakhimpur Kheri. The SIT has submitted its report to the court and said that the incident was pre-planned. Should the UP minister not resign? Should the Home Minister not resign? Should the PM not speak about this,” she asked.

“They (BJP) have destroyed the country. What is the price of LPG? Earlier they used to talk about Ujala. But after elections, there is no talk of Ujala. What did they do for women? ‘Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao’. How much was the budget? Rs 100 crore. There is no money for the scheme, because all the money was spent on advertising,” Banerjee said.

She also criticised the ruling BJP for questioning her ‘Hindu’ credentials, saying that in West Bengal, even ‘purohits’ (temple priests) are given pension, and asked if the BJP offers pension to priests in states ruled by the party.

“BJP’s task is to give certificates, whether I am a Hindu or Muslim or Sikh or Christian. Who are you? My father and mother gave me my name. I feel ashamed to say if someone asks me, if I am Hindu or Muslim or Brahmin or Kayastha or tribal… I am a human being,” Banerjee said, while also reciting passages from the ‘Chandipath’, a prayer dedicated to the female deity.

“More than a lakh durga pujas are held in Bengal. We gave Rs 50,000 to every (organising) club. Has the BJP offered this to anyone? If you prove what I am saying is wrong, I am ready to resign from my post,” Banerjee said.

Maha: BJP bags Akola, Nagpur MLC elections

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Maha: BJP bags Akola, Nagpur MLC elections

On anticipated lines, the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party bagged the Local Authority constituency polls in Akola and Nagpur seats, an official said here on Tuesday.

The BJP candidates Chandrashekhar Bawankule and Vasant Khandelwal emerged winners in Nagpur and Akola respectively in the elections held last Friday.

Khandelwal trounced his main rival, Maha Vikas Aghadi supported Shiv Sena nominee Gopikisan Bajoria in Akola.

In Nagpur, Bawankule romped home after defeating his nearest rival, MVA supported independent candidate Mangesh Deshmukh, after the Congress dumped its official nominee Dr. Ravindra Bhoyar at the last minute.

Besides, the BJP and Sena bagged one seat each in Mumbai, BJP also netted Dhule seat and Congress secured Kolhapur, all four unopposed owing to local-level political understandings in the biennial polls.

Modi holds high-level meeting on UP

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Modi holds high-level meeting on UP

Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a high-level meeting on Tuesday at the BLW Guest house in Varanasi, apparently to discuss the 2022 state Assembly elections.

The participants of the meeting included BJP President J.P. Nadda, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, state in charge Dharmendra Pradhan and state party President Swatantra Dev Singh.

According to sources, the Prime Minister discussed issues dominating the state elections and also the ground realities related to various welfare projects initiated by the BJP governments.

After this, the Prime Minister will preside over a four-hour meeting with the chief ministers of Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Goa, Gujarat, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Manipur, Tripura, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand.

The agenda of the meeting will be ‘good governance’, said party sources.

Odisha CM launches projects worth over Rs 2,500 cr in two districts

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Odisha CM launches projects worth over Rs 2,500 cr in two districts

Ahead of panchayat polls, Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Monday launched various development projects worth Rs 2,556.13 crore in Cuttack and Khordha districts, officials said.

Visiting the two districts to launch the distribution of smart health cards to beneficiaries covered under the Biju Swasthya Kalyan Yojana (BSKY), Patnaik launched the projects spread over various sectors including roads, bridges, drainage, education, health, livelihood, irrigation, energy, women and child development.

He first inaugurated 40 projects worth Rs 93.28 crore and laid the foundation stones for 95 projects worth Rs 1,474.88 crore in Cuttack. Later, he visited Begunia in Khordha district, where he inaugurated 126 projects costing Rs 85.53 crore and laid the foundation stones for 406 projects worth Rs 902.44 crore.

Addressing a gathering at Baliyatra ground in Cuttack city through a video message, the Chief Minister said his government is taking steps for developing the SCB Medical College as a world-class healthcare institution. The medical college would be a milestone in the country’s health care sector in the coming days, he said.

Remembering Biswanath Pandit, labour leader from Cuttack, Patnaik announced that the Biswanath Pandit Central Library would be redeveloped as a state-of-the-art library near the Puri-Angul bus stand in the city.

At Begunia, the Chief Minister said Khordha was the land of the first freedom struggle. Saluting the brave peasant soldiers known as Paikas who fought for the Odia people, he said, “We will continue our fight for the rights of the Odia people.”

The Naveen Patnaik government is demanding that the Centre recognise the ‘Paika rebellion’ as the first war for Indian Independence. Recently, the state assembly had adopted a resolution to recommend to the Centre to declare the ‘Paika Bidroha’ (Paika rebellion) of 1817 as the ‘first War of Independence’.

The Chief Minister has been launching the BSKY smart health card distribution programme in various districts by either visiting the district or through video conferencing. So far, 26 out of 30 districts have joined the initiative.

Rajinikanth thanks PM Modi, TN CM Stalin for birthday wishes

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Rajinikanth thanks PM Modi, TN CM Stalin for birthday wishes

A day after being inundated with greetings and wishes on his 72nd birthday, megastar Rajinikanth on Monday took time to thank every person who had wished him including Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin.

Responding to Prime Minister Modi’s birthday wish, Rajinikanth said, “My most respected, honourable Prime minister Shri Narendra Modiji, I convey my heartfelt thanks for your warm wishes on my birthday.”

In another tweet to Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Stalin, he wrote in Tamil, “I convey my heartfelt thanks to my respected and dear friend, honourable Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin, who greeted me with all his heart on my birthday.”

The actor also issued a statement in which he thanked political leaders, including Union Home Minister Amit Shah, film personalities including Kamal Haasan, music director Ilaiyaraaja, director Bharthiraja, actors Amitabh Bachchan and Shah Rukh Khan and sportspersons including Sachin Tendulkar and Harbhajan Singh.

“I express my heartfelt thanks to my fans who, for my well being, have been performing ‘poojas’, ‘homams’ and offering ‘Annadanams’ in temples and to the people of Tamil Nadu,” he said.

Modi to address rally in U’khand’s Kumaon region on Dec 24

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Modi to address rally in U’khand’s Kumaon region on Dec 24

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to address a public rally in Uttarakhand’s Kumaon region on December 24, before the Model Code of Conduct for the upcoming assembly elections in the hill state comes into force, a BJP leader said on Friday.

Assembly polls in Uttarakhand will be held in February-March next year along with four other states — Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Manipur and Goa.

Uttarakhand BJP president Madan Kaushik told IANS that the Prime Minister will address the public rally in Kumaon region “most likely” on December 24.

“Final date and venue will be finalised in the next couple of days. The Prime Minister rally will be held in the Kumaon region and it will most probably be the last public rally before the Model Code of Conduct comes into force for assembly polls,” Kaushik said.

Modi’s rally will be either held in Rudrapur or Haldwani in Kumaon region.

“Place and other details of Prime Minister Modi’s rally will be finalised soon. The state (party) unit will also hold a meeting to discuss and finalise the plans for the rally in a day or two. It will be a grand event like PM Modi’s previous rally on December 4 in Dehradun,” Kaushik said.

The BJP leader further stated the Prime Minister will announce several new projects, and also dedicate many projects to the people during the rally.

On December 4, Prime Minister Modi had inaugurated and laid the foundation stone of multiple projects worth around Rs 18,000 crore in Dehradun in Uttarakhand’s Garhwal region.

The saffron party has claimed that around 1.5 lakh people had attended Modi’s Dehradun rally.

It is also learnt that several union ministers including Home Minister Amit Shah will also visit the hill state before the Model Code of Conduct comes into force.

Priyanka slams AAP for not curbing air pollution in Delhi

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Priyanka slams AAP for not curbing air pollution in Delhi

Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Friday lashed out at the Aam Aadmi Party for not being able to tackle the air pollution issue in the national capital, while accusing the BJP government in Goa of working only for the interests of a few rich businessmen and ignoring the people of the coastal state.

“There are a lot of parties which have come here from elsewhere. There are new parties today. What have they done in their respective states. Have they ushered in progress? I am from Delhi. AAP is from Delhi. There is so much pollution in Delhi that you cannot breathe,” she said during an interaction with members of the tribal community in Morpirla village in South Goa.

Priyanka Gandhi is on a one-day visit to the state, which goes to polls in February next year.

“You have to opt for development by preserving your environment, because you have to preserve the environment, the forests here, the farms, the water, the sea. You have to think which party will do this for you and who will listen to you. It is only the Congress party which will strike this balance. I hope you will think and cast your vote and ensure that the Congress wins. Elect a government which works for you,” she said in her poll pitch.

The Congress leader also lambasted the BJP-led coalition government in Goa, which she said, ignored the basic issues concerning the local population.

“The government in Goa today is not the kind which works for the people. The government is working for itself. It wants to hold on to power in any condition, therefore they bestow favours on their industrialist friends. They started coal mining here too,” she said.

“We are working hard to give a kind of government in Goa which works for the people of Goa and delivers the state to its people,” she said, accusing the BJP government of having “exploited local resources, and harmed environment to give benefit to a few of its friends while depriving the local people”.

PM to inaugurate Saryu Nahar National Project in Balrampur, UP on Dec 11

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PM to inaugurate Saryu Nahar National Project in Balrampur, UP on Dec 11

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the 43-year-old Saryu Nahar National project in Uttar Pradesh’s Balrampur distict on Saturday.

The project will provide assured water for irrigation of over 14 lakh hectares of land and benefit about 29 lakh farmers of over 6,200 villages of Eastern UP.

In a statement, the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) said, “The work on the project started in 1978 but due to lack of continuity of budgetary support, interdepartmental coordination and adequate monitoring, it got delayed and was not completed even after nearly four decades.”

The PMO pointed out that the Prime Minister’s vision for farmer welfare and empowerment, and his commitment to prioritise long pending projects of national importance, brought much needed focus on the project.

“Consequently in 2016, the project was brought under Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana with the target to complete it in a time-bound manner. In this endeavour, innovative solutions were found for new land acquisition to construct new canals and fill the critical gaps in the project, and also for resolving the pending litigation related to the previous land acquisitions. The renewed focus on the project has resulted in the project being completed in only about four years,” the PMO said.

The Saryu Nahar National Project has been built with a total cost of more than Rs 9,800 crore, of which more than Rs 4,600 crore was provisioned in the last four years. The project also involves interlinking of five rivers – Ghaghara, Saryu, Rapti, Banganga and Rohini to ensure optimum usage of water resources of the region.

It will benefit nine districts of Eastern Uttar Pradesh namely – Bahraich, Shravasti, Balrampur, Gonda, Siddharthnagar, Basti, Sant Kabir Nagar, Gorakhpur and Maharajganj. “The farmers of the region, who were the worst sufferers of the inordinate delay in the project, will now immensely benefit from the upgraded irrigation potential. They will now be able to grow crops on a larger scale and maximise the agri-potential of the region,” the PMO added.

Polling underway for six seats of Telangana Legislative Council

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Polling underway for six seats of Telangana Legislative Council

Polling was underway amid tight security on Friday for biennial elections to six seats of Telangana Legislative Council from local authority constituencies.

Local body representatives including corporators, councilors, ZPTC and MPTC members were casting their votes in five undivided districts of Adilabad, Karimnagar, Khammam, Medak and Nalgonda.

The polling was on for two seats in Karimnagar district and one each in the remaining four districts.

According to poll officials, a total of 5,326 voters will decide the political fortunes of 26 candidates.

The polling, which began at 8 a.m. at all 37 polling stations in the six constituencies, will continue till 4 p.m. Counting of votes will be taken up on December 14.

State Chief Electoral Officer Shashank Goel said all arrangements were made to ensure free and fair polling. He was monitoring the poll process from Hyderabad. District collectors, police commissioners, superintendents of police and other officials were supervising the arrangements in their respective districts.

The officials were also taking steps to ensure strict adherence to Covid-19 protocol during the polling. They banned mobile phones and cameras in the polling centres.

Facing rebel trouble, ruling Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) had shifted its local body members to Bengaluru, Goa, Delhi and other places to prevent the opposition parties from poaching its voters. They were brought to a resort on the outskirts of Hyderabad on Thursday and left for their respective districts on Friday morning.

TRS rebel candidate and former Karimnagar mayor Sardar Ravinder Singh is contesting from one of the seats in Karimnagar district. The BJP is supporting him. Congress candidates are in the fray in Medak, Khammam and Adilabad.

The Election Commission of India had last month issued notification for election to six seats of the Council from local authority constituencies.

Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao’s daughter K. Kavitha and five other candidates of ruling Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) were declared elected unanimously.

Kavitha was elected from Nizamabad constituency. The others who were elected to upper house of the state legislature are Patnam Mahender Reddy, Shambipur Raju (both from Rangareddy district), Pochampally Srinivas Reddy (Warangal), Kasireddy Narayana Reddy and Kuchumalla Damodar Reddy(both from Mahabubnagar district).

Polling begins for 25 seats of K’taka Legislative Council

TB Team
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Polling begins for 25 seats of K’taka Legislative Council

Polling began on Friday for 25 seats of the Karnataka Legislative Council. As many as 90 candidates are in the fray.

Voting is scheduled between 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Of the 90 candidates trying their luck, 89 are male and the lone female contender is Congress’ Gayathri Shanthe Gowda.

About 99,062 voters will exercise their franchise. Among these, 47,205 are male and 51,854 are female voters.

The state’s ruling BJP and the Congress have fielded candidates in 20 constituencies, while the JD (S) is contesting in six and the AAP in three constituencies.

While, there is a direct fight between the BJP and the Congress in 13 constituencies, the stage is set for a triangle battle in eight seats.

Strong independent candidates are in the fray in Belagavi and Dharwad constituencies.

The results will be announced on December 14 and it is regarded as a precursor for the 2023 state Assembly elections.

Friday’s elections are crucial for the ruling BJP to attain a majority in the 75-member Upper House. The party won seven seats in the last polls.

While, Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa has announced that the BJP would win at least 15 seats, Leader of the Opposition in the state Assembly Siddaramaiah has claimed that the saffron party is in for a defeat as the people are fed up of its policies.

The JD(S) has rejected the offer of alliance by the BJP and expressed confidence of winning all six seats it is contesting.

Mamata Banerjee’s sister-in-law has property worth crores

TB Team
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Mamata Banerjee’s sister-in-law has property worth crores

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has occasionally said that she owns nothing but perhaps that is not the case with her other family members. A recent declaration by her sister-in-law, Kajari Banerjee, shows that she and her husband — Samir Banerjee have a cumulative property worth nearly Rs five crore.

Kajari Banerjee, the Trinamool Congress candidate for ward No. 73, in her affidavit announced that she has a moveable property worth more than Rs 2.45 crore and an immovable property worth Rs 1.5 crore. On the other hand, the Chief Minister’s brother Samir Banerjee has moveable property worth nearly Rs 29 lakh and immovable property worth Rs 70 lakh, which cumulatively is around Rs 5 crore.

Giving a detail of the property Kajari Banerjee in her affidavit mentioned that she is the owner of nine plots of land, including plots in Birbhum, Kolkata and even at Puri and Talcher in Odisha. Not only Kajari but her husband also owns five properties, including one residential building in Kalighat. She also has gold ornaments of around 400 grams worth nearly Rs 20 lakh.

Both 53-year-old Kajari and her husband, who has declared themselves as social workers, have an annual income of Rs 25.7 lakh and 17.8 lakh respectively.

Interestingly enough the West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee’s net worth assets have gone down in the last 5 years. In her self-sworn affidavit filed before the Election Commission of India, Mamata declared that her net worth is Rs 16.72 lakh which is 48 per cent less compared to her 2016 assets. The 66-year-old leader’s total movable assets were worth Rs 30.45 lakh before the Assembly election in 2016.

The Trinamool Congress supremo, who contested from the Nandigram Assembly constituency in Purba Medinipur district, doesn’t own any vehicle or property. Her income for the year 2019-20 was Rs 10,34,370.

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