PM Modi attends ‘Janjatiya Gaurav Divas’ celebrations in Bhopal

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PM Modi attends ‘Janjatiya Gaurav Divas’ celebrations in Bhopal

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday participated in the ‘Janjatiya Gaurav Divas’ celebrations in Bhopal.

He reached the Jamburi maidan, where over two lakh people had gathered from across Madhya Pradesh to celebrate the birth anniversary of tribal freedom fighter Birsa Munda.

Upon reaching, Modi inspected a tribal museum, their handcrafts and interacted with senior citizens of the communities.

People had started reaching the venue since early morning by special buses and vehicles from different districts. Those from far away places had reached the capital last night only.

The tribal groups were spotted in their traditional attires.

Soon after Modi ascended the dais, he was welcomed by Union and state cabinet ministers. A traditional folk dance was performed by a group of tribals.

Spread over five acres, Jamburi maidan was choc-a-block with people.

After addressing a packed gathering here, Modi left for Habibganj railway station which has been renovated at a cost of Rs 100 crore and renamed Rani Kamlapati station and dedicated it to the nation.

All India DGP conference in Lucknow from Nov 19

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All India DGP conference in Lucknow from Nov 19

The first all-India conference of Directors General of Police (DGP) and Inspectors General (IG) will be held at the Police Headquarters in Lucknow from November 19 to 21.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be the chief guest, while the three-day meet will also have Union Home Minister Amit Shah and National Security Advisor Ajit Doval in attendance.

The conference is being organised by the Intelligence Bureau (IB).

According to official sources, on the inaugural day, Shah will be the guest and will give away medals.

The Prime Minister will attend the meet on November 20 and 21 and also give medals besides addressing the conference.

About 80 officers of the rank of DGPs and IGs from states and other forces will attend the conference.

Key security issues such as left-wing extremism, terrorism, cybercrime, crime against women, the Covid-19 pandemic and other challenges will be discussed at the meet.

Each state DGP will give a presentation and several committees of IGs have been formed to hold sessions on key topics.

Meanwhile, preparations are being held on war-footing for the event.

CCTVs are being installed and a separate force of about 2,000 cops drawn from Lucknow police Commissionerate has been prepared for security.

Night-vision drones will also be deployed.

Rahul says Hinduism & Hindutva are different

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Rahul says Hinduism & Hindutva are different

After a controversy erupted over remarks made by senior Congress leader Salman Khurshid in his new book ‘Sunrise Over Ayodhya: Nationhood in Our Times’, the Congress seems to have got into more trouble with Rahul Gandhi saying that Hinduism and Hindutva are different things.

Speaking virtually at a party function he said, “Is there something common between Hindutva and Hinduism, what is the difference between Hinduism and Hindutva. If they are the same why they have different names — why then use name of Hinduism, and not Hindutva.”

He asked “is there something common between what Guru Nanak, Kabir, Gandhiji and King Ashoka said about the Hindutva ideology? The difference between Hinduism as we know it & Hindutva? Are they same thing? Can they be same thing? They are obviously two different things.”

Rahul Gandhi said the RSS has overshadowed the Congress ideology. “Today whether we like it or not, the divisive, hateful ideology of the RSS-BJP has overshadowed the loving, affectionate and nationalistic ideology of the Congress. We have to accept it. Our ideology is alive, it’s vibrant but it has been overshadowed.”

He said we have to train groups of people who have understanding of the ideology and connect with the issues and we have to explore and understand and develop a group of people who understand the difference between these and apply these differences to issues.

The debate on Hindutva is already in the public domain and the Congress is facing flak from the BJP. A passage from a chapter titled ‘The Saffron Sky’ from Khurshid’s book reads: “Sanatan Dharma and classical Hinduism known to sages and saints were being pushed aside by a robust version of Hindutva, by all standards a political version similar to the jihadist Islam of groups like ISIS and Boko Haram of recent years.”

Senior Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad disagreed and said in a statement, “We do not agree with Hindutva as political ideology distinct from composite culture of Hinduism, but comparing Hindutva with ISIS and Jehadi Islamist is factually wrong and an exaggeration.”

Meanwhile, Vineet Jindal, a Delhi-based lawyer, on Thursday filed a complaint with the police against Khurshid for the remarks made in his book, demanding an FIR be lodged against Khurshid under Sections 153, 153A, 298 and 505(2) of the Indian Penal Code.

YSRCP announces 11 candidates for Legislative Council polls

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YSRCP announces 11 candidates for Legislative Council polls

Andhra Pradesh’s ruling YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) on Friday announced 11 candidates for the upcoming Member of Legislative Council (MLC) elections under Local Authorities’ Constituencies (LACs) quota.

Veteran leader and former Union Minister of State Ummareddy Venkateswarlu has been renominated by the YSRCP. He was the YSRCP floor leader in the Legislative Council and his term had ended in June this year.

Raghu Raju of Vizianagaram, Varudhu Kalyani and Vamshi Krishna Yadav of Visakhapatnam, Anantha Babu of East Godavari, Talasila Raghuram and Mondithoka Arun Kumar of Krishna, Ummareddy Venkateswarulu and Murugudu Hanumantha Rao of Guntur, Thumati Madhava Rao of Prakasam, Barath Krishna of Chittoor and Y Siva Rami Reddy of Anantapur are the candidates announced by the ruling party.

Earlier, YSRCP announced Palavalasa Vikrant of Srikakulam, Ishaq Basha of Kurnool and DC Govindar Reddy of YSR Kadapa district as nominees under the MLA quota.

Government Advisor (Public Affairs) Sajjala Rama Krishna Reddy told reporters that Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy continued his endeavour to widen the social base by allocating six seats to Backward Classes and Minorities and one seat to Schedule Caste Madiga.

He pointed out that of 18 members who are currently in legislative council, 11 people belong to BC, SC and minorities and added that once the recently announced candidates win the elections, 18 out of 32 members in Legislative Council would be from BC, SC and Minority classes.

He said for the first time in the history of the Legislative Council there will be four members belonging to Minorities.

Elections to 11 seats of the Legislative Council from LACs quota are scheduled to be held on December 10.

Elections to three seats from Members of Legislative Assembly (MLAs) quota will be held on November 29.

Bengal govt to bring resolution against extension of BSF jurisdiction

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Bengal govt to bring resolution against extension of BSF jurisdiction

The West Bengal government is planning to bring a resolution in the Assembly against the extension of jurisdiction of the BSF in the state.

After Punjab, West Bengal will be the second state to bring such a resolution.

Earlier on Friday, the Union Home Secretary held a meeting with the state officials over infiltration and fencing of border.

The Central government had last month amended the BSF Act to authorise the border guarding force to undertake search, seizure and arrest within a 50 km stretch, up from the existing 15 km, from the international border in Punjab, West Bengal and Assam.

Both Punjab and West Bengal have opposed the move.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has also written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi opposing the move and asked him to revoke the decision immediately because, according to her, it will have an effect on the federal structure of the country.

“See what took place at the border… ‘Law and order’ is a state subject. It’s not there in the BSF Act. There will be miscommunication between the police and BSF. We will discuss in the Assembly under Rule 185 and will place the demand to revoke extension of BSF jurisdiction,” Minister of Parliamentary Affairs Partha Chatterjee said.

Chatterjee was referring to the incident at Sitai in Coochbehar where three persons including one Indian and two Bangladeshis have been killed in the BSF firing.

“There is no need for this kind of decision. There is no need for this kind of extension. This is an effort to put a hand on the state’s jurisdiction,” MLA of Dinhata in Coochbehar, Udayan Guha told the assembly on Friday.

Alleging that BSF is hand in glove with the smugglers and infiltrators, Guha said: “They have a fencing in Coochbehar which is secure and hard to cross. They only open the gates three times for an hour each time. Now in this condition how can infiltrators enter without their help? The Central government should try to control its forces first without trying to overstep into the jurisdiction of the state.”

Bengal Pradesh Congress Committee chief Adhir Choudhury also said that the state government should make it clear to the Centre that they are unwilling to accept the move of the MHA and for which an assembly resolution is much needed. He said that the people of the bordering districts will not feel safe with the enhanced power of BSF.

PM launches 2 customer centric initiatives of RBI

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PM launches 2 customer centric initiatives of RBI

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday launched two innovative customer centric initiatives of the RBI — Retail Direct Scheme and the Reserve Bank-Integrated Ombudsman Scheme.

Addressing the event via video conference, the Prime Minister said that these schemes, will expand the scope of investment in the country along with making capital markets easily accessible and more secure for investors.

The Retail Direct Scheme has given small investors in the country a simple and safe medium of investment in government securities, he said.

Similarly, he cited the Integrated Ombudsman Scheme as giving a shape to the ‘One Nation, One Ombudsman System’ in the banking sector.

Besides, the Prime Minister emphasised the citizen centric nature of these schemes.

He said that one of the biggest touchstones of any democracy is the strength of its grievance redressal system.

Furthermore, he pointed out that Retail Direct Scheme will bring in the middle class, employees, small businessmen and senior citizens with their small savings directly and securely in government securities.

As government securities have the provision of guaranteed settlement, this gives assurance of safety to the small investor, he said.

On the banking sector, the Prime Minister said that in the last seven years, NPAs have been identified with the focus on resolution and recovery.

He said that Public Sector Banks have been recapitalised, one after the other reforms have been carried out in the financial system and public sector banks.

Additionally, Modi said to further strengthen the banking sector, cooperative banks have been brought under the purview of the RBI.

Due to this, the governance of these banks is also improving and the trust in this system is getting stronger among the depositors, he added.

In addition, the Prime Minister said that ‘UPI’ has made India the world’s leading country in terms of digital transactions in a very short span of time.

In just seven years, India has jumped 19 times in terms of digital transactions.

Amit Shah to visit UP on Nov 12 to fine tune poll strategies

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Amit Shah to visit UP on Nov 12 to fine tune poll strategies

Ahead of the Uttar Pradesh polls, Union Home Minister and former BJP National President Amit Shah, with his ear to the ground, is preparing a victory guide to replicate 2017’s landslide win in the state.

Shah who will visit Uttar Pradesh on Friday, is scheduled to meet around 700 party leaders in Varanasi, the parliamentary constituency of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and brainstorm election strategies with them. He will also hold a rally in Azamgarh, the parliamentary constituency of opposition Samajwadi Party’s (SP) supremo, Akhilesh Yadav.

In November, Amit Shah is scheduled to make two important visits to Uttar Pradesh, one of which is going to start on November 12 and continue for two days.

In this meeting, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya, election co- incharge, state in-charge, state president, state organization general secretary, regional presidents, district presidents and in-charges of all 403 assembly seats, will be involved. The BJP’s election preparations, including the membership campaign, as well as its future strategies will also be decided.

On the second and last day of the tour, Amit Shah will visit other districts and address various election rallies. On November 13, he will inaugurate the All India Official Language Conference in Varanasi and then leave for Azamgarh. Shah will also address a rally after laying the foundation stone of the state university in Akhilesh’s bastion.

He is also expected to inaugurate Khel Mahakumbh in Basti district organised by MP Harish Dwivedi and then address a rally there.

After holding several brainstorming sessions and rallies, the Home Minister will return to Delhi from Gorakhpur airport on Monday .

Amit Shah is considered to be the key election strategist of Uttar Pradesh, as during the 2014 Lok Sabha elections when the BJP along with Apna Dal won 73 out of the 80 Lok Sabha seats in the state, Amit Shah was the National General Secretary.

Also, during the Legislative Assembly polls in 2017 and Lok Sabha elections 2019, Amit Shah had proved his mettle as the national president.

PM Modi asked me not to bother about Bitcoin scandal: Bommai

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PM Modi asked me not to bother about Bitcoin scandal: Bommai

Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Thursday said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has asked him not to bother about the Bitcoin scandal in the state.

After meeting Modi at the Prime Minister’s Office, he said that discussion on the Bitcoin scandal did not come up in the meeting. “When I started telling him about the scandal, he cut me short asking me not to bother about all this,” he claimed.

Modi asked him to continue serving the people with more dedication and courage, Bommai said.

“The meeting with the Prime Minister went off very well. We discussed a lot of issues. He was especially keen on administration and our decisions during the last 100 days. How things could be made better was also deliberated upon,” he said.

Bommai said that he had extended an invitation to the Prime Minister to attend four programmes in December. “The Prime Minister happily agreed for a Karnataka visit. He asked me to split the programmes and assured he would visit the state twice,” he added.

The Prime Minister has agreed to lay the foundation stone for the Railway Suburban Project, and inaugurate the Ambedkar School of Economics and other projects in Bengaluru.

He said Modi appreciated the scholarship scheme aimed at the farmers’ children. He said this project should succeed as Karnataka is the only state which has farmers’ data in digital format. He expressed his desire to emulate the scheme in the entire country, he underlined.

The Transparency Act brought by the state government was liked by the Prime Minister who called it a “revolutionary” step. There was also a long discussion on implementation of National Education Policy (NEP), Bommai said.

“On losing Hangal bypoll, the Prime Minister advised to take winning and losing in the same way and asked me to set a target for 2023 general elections and win people’s hearts,” Bommai said.

Bommai also said he met BJP President J.P. Nadda and discussed upcoming elections in the state. “I also met Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Wednesday. It was a brief meeting,” he said.

Asked if they discussed the Bitcoin scandal, Bommai said that being the Home Minister, Amit Shah would have more information on the issue than him.

PM to launch 2 innovative customer centric initiatives of RBI on Friday

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PM to launch 2 innovative customer centric initiatives of RBI on Friday

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will launch two innovative customer centric initiatives of the Reserve Bank of India on Friday via video conferencing. These initiatives include the RBI Retail Direct Scheme and the Reserve Bank-Integrated Ombudsman Scheme.

The RBI Retail Direct Scheme is aimed at enhancing access to the government securities market for retail investors. It offers them a new avenue for directly investing in securities issued by the Government of India and the State Governments. Investors will be able to easily open and maintain their government securities account online with the RBI, free of cost.

The Reserve Bank-Integrated Ombudsman Scheme aims to further improve the grievance redress mechanism for resolving customer complaints against entities regulated by RBI. The central theme of the scheme is based on ‘One Nation-One Ombudsman’ with one portal, one email and one address for the customers to lodge their complaints.

There will be a single point of reference for customers to file their complaints, submit the documents, track status and provide feedback. A multi-lingual toll-free number will provide all relevant information on grievance redress and assistance for filing complaints.

The Union Finance Minister and RBI Governor will also attend the event.

Kerala Oppn MLAs ride bicycles to Assembly in protest

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Kerala Oppn MLAs ride bicycles to Assembly in protest

The legislators belonging to the opposition Congress-led UDF on Thursday reached the Assembly on bicycles to register their protest against the Pinarayi Vijayan government for not reducing taxes on petroleum products.

Following the reduction done by the Centre, petrol price per litre came down by Rs 12.27 while diesel price fell by Rs 6.30 and the average price of one litre petrol in the state was Rs 103.80 and diesel stood at Rs 91.59, while in neighbouring states of Tamil Nadu and Karnataka, their respective governments decided to reduce the state’s portion in the tax component.

The Center’s ‘Diwali gift’ came on November 4, but Kerala Finance Minister K.N. Balagopal ruled out further reduction in the taxes. He said that it was the Centre which had raised the taxes, while the state government never increased them, and hence Kerala was not duty bound to reduce tax.

On Thursday morning more than a dozen legislators from the Congress party and its allies cycled through the roads followed by a battery of press photographers.

“Both the Centre and the state have been taking on the people on account of the fuel prices. We have been for long demanding the State government to come to the rescue of the people. Other prices are spiralling on account of the rising fuel rates and the state government is a silent spectator. We will continue our protest against the state government for their callous attitude,” said Leader of Opposition V.D. Satheesan, who led the cyclists.

On the floor of the House also the Opposition took up this issue.

PM Modi meets visiting 7 NSAs, discusses Afghan situation

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PM Modi meets visiting 7 NSAs, discusses Afghan situation

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday met National Security Advisors of the seven countries who participated in the Delhi Regional Security Dialogue on Afghanistan, hosted by India earlier in the day.

Soon after the completion of the Dialogue, the security representatives of five Central Asian countries – Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan, along with Russia and Iran, called on the PM.

During the meet, Modi emphasised four aspects that countries in the region would need to focus on, in the context of Afghanistan – the need for an inclusive government, a zero-tolerance stance about Afghan soil being used by terrorist groups, a strategy to counter trafficking of drugs and arms from Afghanistan, and the need to address the increasingly critical humanitarian crisis in war-torn country.

The Prime Minister also expressed the hope that the Regional Security Dialogue would work to revive Central Asia’s traditions of moderation and progressive culture, and counter extremist tendencies.

The security representatives of these seven nations appreciated India’s initiative in organising the Dialogue and of the quality of the exchanges. They also conveyed the perspectives of their respective countries on the Afghan situation.

Modi also appreciated the participation of the senior dignitaries in the Delhi Security Dialogue despite the challenges posed by the Covid pandemic.

Afghanistan’s territory must not be used for any terror activities, the eight nations participating in the Delhi’s Regional Security Dialogue asserted on Wednesday in a joint declaration.

Cabinet approves restoration of MP development funds

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Cabinet approves restoration of MP development funds

 The Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on Wednesday approved the restoration of the Member of Parliament Local Area Development Scheme (MPLADS) which was suspended due to the Covid-19 pandemic last year.

Addressing media, Information and Broadcasting Minister Anurag Singh Thakur said that the scheme has been restored for remaining part of Financial Year 2021-22 and up to Financial Year 2025-26.

He also said that funds will be released at the rate of Rs 2 crore per MP for remaining period of FY 2021-22 in one installment and at the rate of Rs 5 crore per annum per MP during the financial year 2022-23 to FY 2025-26 in two installments of Rs 2.5 crore each.

The annual MPLADS fund entitlement per Member of Parliament is Rs 5 crore, released in two instalments of Rs.2.5 crore each, subject to the fulfillment of conditions as per the MPLADS guidelines.

The release of fund was suspended in April 2020 and diverted to the Finance Ministry to meet out the expenses to fight out the pandemic in the country.

“For managing the health and adverse impacts of Covid-19 in the society, the Cabinet, in its meeting held on 6th April 2020, had decided not to operate MPLADS during the FY 2020-21 and 2021-22 and place the fund at the disposal of Ministry of Finance for managing the impacts of Covid 19 pandemic,” the Minister said.

The total financial implication for restoration and continuation of the MPLADS for the remaining part of the Financial Year 2021-22 and up to 2025-26 will be Rs 17,417 crore, the government said in a statement.

Since the inception of this scheme, a total of 19,86,206 works/projects have been completed with the financial implication of Rs 54,171.09 crore.

Priyanka attacks Yogi govt over ‘pathetic’ condition of cow shelters

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Priyanka attacks Yogi govt over ‘pathetic’ condition of cow shelters

Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Wednesday targeted the Uttar Pradesh government, saying that the condition of cow shelters in the state was “pathetic”.

She alleged that the state government is not doing enough for improving the condition of cow shelters.

Priyanka Gandhi posted on Twitter, “The Chief Minister is going to Braj which is an inspiration for cow service, and hope he will do something to improve the condition of cow shelters. Since five years, the condition is pathetic and the government is not doing enough.”

She also tagged newspaper reports on the condition of cow shelters.

In July, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath had directed officials to conduct a thorough pre-monsoon inspection of all cow shelters in the state.

He had asked the officials to ensure adequate arrangements for green fodder and straw, among other things, for the cattle.

Strict action would be taken against the officer or employee concerned in the shelter, where the death of a cow is reported due to mismanagement, he had said.

On June 9, 2020, the Uttar Pradesh Cabinet had approved the Prevention of Cow Slaughter (Amendment) Ordinance, 2020.

According to the ordinance, for the first offence, a person can be jailed for one to seven years with penalties ranging from Rs 1 lakh to Rs 3 lakh, while for the second offence, the person can be imprisoned for 10 years with a fine up to Rs 5 lakh.

Yogi to flag off trial run of Kanpur metro today

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Yogi to flag off trial run of Kanpur metro today

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath will start the trial run of ‘Kanpur Metro’ on Wednesday in Kanpur.

The trial run of Kanpur Metro was scheduled later in November but has been preponed.

The chief minister will press the button for the trials of the Metro train which will not only help in establishing seamless connectivity and will ease vehicular congestion across the city but will also give a major boost to the development of the region.

During the event of the trial run, the chief minister will also inspect the facilities available in the metro coaches as well as the arrangements for the platforms.

The construction work of the Kanpur Metro Rail Project was initiated by the Yogi Adityanath government on November 15, 2019.

The Kanpur Metro Rail Project has been completed in less than a span of two years, despite the pandemic break.

According to the government spokesman, in the first phase, Metro will run on the nine-kilometre priority corridor.

Nine Metro stations have been constructed so far. The second phase of Metro work would be carried out between Moti Jheel and Transport Nagar for which underground stations will be constructed.

The trials would be carried out under the strict supervision of the Research Design and Standards Organisation (RDSO).

As per plans, on becoming fully operational, six Metro trains will run on the priority corridor between IIT and Moti Jheel and two trains will remain parked in the depot as reserve. Six more trains will arrive in the city by the time the commercial operations are launched.

The Kanpur Metro will be equipped with regenerative braking technology. Through this, energy will be saved up to 35 per cent. That is, if 1000 units of electricity is spent in train operation, through regenerative braking, the trains will generate about 350 units again. This will be put to use again.

The elevators installed in the stations and depots will also be able to save energy by regenerative braking technology. These will have an energy efficiency of up to 37 per cent. For conservation of energy and electricity, the metro premises have also been equipped with LED lights.

Besides, a plan has been formulated to install solar panels at metro depots and stations.

For the first time in India, Kanpur Metro will come with a Third Rail DC Traction System. Special inverter, which will enable the energy generated by the brakes in the train to be used back in the system. As of now, no such arrangement has been implemented in any metro rail project in the country. The train is also special in terms of protecting the environment and for safety management.

Jan Dhan accounts are also helping to curb crime : Report

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Jan Dhan accounts are also helping to curb crime : Report

The Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana (PMJDY) has not only helped to broaden the scope of financial inclusion providing banking services to the remotest corner of the country, but it has also enabled an environment that has reduced the incidence of crime.

According to an SBI Ecowrap report, states with higher PMJDY accounts balances have seen a perceptible decline in crime.

“We also observed that there is both statistically significant and economically meaningful drop in consumption of intoxicants such as alcohol and tobacco products in states where more PMJDY accounts are opened,” the report said.

In India, over the years crimes have been increasing. In 2020, a total of 66 lakh cognizable crimes comprising 42.5 lakh IPC crimes and 23.4 Special & Local Laws (SLL) crimes were registered, with an increase of 30 per cent in registration of cases over 2018.

Crime rate registered per lakh population has increased marginally from 383.5 in 2018 (385.5 in 2019) to 487.8 in 2020. Crimes against women and children have increased by 7.3 per cent in 2018 and 4.5 per cent in 2019, however, there is a decline of 8.3 per cent in 2020.

To see the impact of Jan Dhan accounts on crimes, SBI Ecowrap report looked at the state wise data accounts level data of PMJDY both aNo of accounts’ and ‘Balance’ and mapped with the state a number of total crimes’ from 2016 to 2020. As crime data is available till 2020, it took into account 37 states and UTs and 5- years data (2016-2020) to build a panel data model. The estimated results indicate that with the rise in the number of PMJDY accounts and balance in these accounts leads to a significant fall in crime.

“This could be because of Jan Dhan-Aadhaar-Mobile (JAM) Trinity which has helped in better channelising the government subsidies and helped in curbing the unproductive expenditure such as alcohol and tobacco expenses in rural areas,” the report said.

It also said that India has stolen a march in financial inclusion with the initiation of PMJDY accounts since 2014, enabled by a robust digital infrastructure and also careful recalibration of bank branches and thereby using the BC (banking correspondent) model judiciously for furthering financial inclusion.

Such financial inclusion has also been enabled by use of digital payments as between 2015 and 2020, mobile and Internet banking transactions per 1,000 adults have increased to 13,615 in 2019 from 183 in 2015. The number of bank branches per 1,00,000 adults rose to 14.7 in 2020 from 13.6 in 2015, which is higher than Germany, China and South Africa, SBI Ecowrap said.

Telangana CM attacks Centre on farm laws, fuel price

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Telangana CM attacks Centre on farm laws, fuel price

In a sign of the shape of political developments likely to unfold in the state, Telangana Chief Minister and TRS party supremo K. Chandrasekhar Rao on Sunday blasted the controversial farm laws introduced by the Narendra Modi government and demanded the Centre to repeal the three farm laws.

He also accused the Central government of misleading the country over international oil prices.

The Chief Minister’s tirade came in the wake of BJP’s victory over the ruling TRS in the recent high-stakes Huzurabad Assembly bypoll. It was a viciously fought battle which former TRS leader and dismissed state minister Eatela Rajender won as a BJP candidate.

Speaking to the media on Sunday, KCR, as the Telangana Chief Minister is popularly known, fired several salvos against the Modi-led Central government.

Placing the onus of ensuring food security for the people squarely on the Centre, KCR accused it of adopting a shifting stance on paddy procurement. He said that issues like procurement, storage and export of food grains rest with the Central government.

Warning BJP’s Telangana unit chief Bandi Sanjay not to provoke farmers to cultivate paddy as a summer crop, KCR said that the farmers are free to cultivate paddy if the Central government is ready to purchase it.

KCR also accused the Centre of misleading the country over fuel prices in the international markets ever since the BJP came to power.

“The Centre has been speaking untruths on fuel prices for seven years. In 2014, crude oil prices were $105 per barrel. Even when crude prices touched a low of $30, they never reduced fuel prices in the country. The BJP is saying continuously that international oil prices have been increasing constantly,” the Chief Minister said.

KCR said that despite the Central government increasing fuel prices, the state government has not raised VAT on petrol or diesel.

The Chief Minister’s comments came at a time when the state’s road transport corporation is mulling to hike bus fares to the tune of 25-30 paise per km, citing rising diesel price.

The Telangana Chief Minister has maintained a cordial relationship with the Central government till now. However, with the BJP getting aggressive in the state, the two parties are expected to harden their positions in the days ahead.

Amit Shah holds review meeting in his Gandhinagar constituency

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Amit Shah holds review meeting in his Gandhinagar constituency

Union Home Minister Amit Shah, who represents the Ganhinagar constituency in the Lok Sabha, on Saturday held a review meeting at the residence of a local BJP MLA and offered his advice to ensure that no eligible voter is left out of the electoral rolls.

The meeting was held at the residence of Arvind G. Patel (Dalal) in Ahmedabad, whose Assembly constituency falls within the Gandhinagar Lok Sabha seat. The voter list correction programme will kick off from November 11 in the State.

According to Patel, Shah offered guidance to ensure that no eligible voter is left out of the voters’ list.

“Shah was also here to directly interact with the party workers from his constituency. He carries out such review meetings once every three months in the presence of the MLAs from his constituency and other officials of Municipal Commissioner and District Collector levels,” Patel told the media.

The meeting was also attended by Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, whose Ghatlodia Assembly seat is part of the Gandhinagar constituency.

Patel said that his area was earlier congested with lots of railway lines and it was due to Shah’s efforts that all the underbridges and overbridges proposed to ease the traffic got approved.

Shah is in Ahmedabad to celebrate Divali with his family members. On Friday, he held a public programme at his bungalow in Thaltej to exchange greetings on the occasion of Gujarati New Year.

Karnataka’s BJP govt rattled as Bitcoin allegations reach PMO

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Karnataka’s BJP govt rattled as Bitcoin allegations reach PMO

Karnataka’s ruling BJP seems to be rattled as the allegations against top state party leaders in the Bitcoin scandal have reached the Prime Minister’s Office.

Sources say that the allegations are being taken seriously and the PMO has recommended further investigation in the matter. This has created furore among a section of the leadership, especially the top-rung leaders, and party insiders say that the development could lead to major changes in the ruling establishment.

The opposition Congress has stated that it will file an application under RTI on the Bitcoin scandal, according to its state chief D.K. Shivakumar.

Sources claim that an anonymous letter contains the explosive details of the state’s top BJP leaders allegedly joining hands with main accused in the Bitcoin scandal Srikrishna Ramesh aka Sriki to make money.

Considering the seriousness of the issue, the PMO has suggested high level investigation as the scandal involving hacking of international banks has seriously damaged the image of the country.

The sources also alleged that the accused had hacked into ‘Jan Dhan project’ which has 80 lakh accounts and minted money in hundreds of crores.

It is also alleged that the main accused Sriki was hacking into various state government e-tender portals, including of the Irrigation Department and Upper Krishna Project, and big contractors had taken his help to bag lucrative contracts, the sources said.

Sources also say that the recent IT raids across the state in which hundreds of crores of disproportionate assets were found in the preliminary investigation, is also linked to Bitcoin scandal. However, the investigation agencies have yet to confirm this.

Sources also allege that an influential politician’s son in state has taken the help of Sriki to transfer huge amounts of money to Mauritius.

There is speculation that the party’s Central leadership is thinking on major changes in the state unit following this development, and it is said that the complaint and all details are provided by the BJP insiders in Karnataka.

Meanwhile, Shivakumar has again urged Chief Minster Basavaraj Bommai to make public the document referring the Bitcoin scandal to the Enforcement Directorate (ED). “The Chief Minister himself has stated that he had referred the scandal to the ED. I want him to release documents,” he demanded.

Sources in Congress say that Leader of Opposition Siddaramaiah is gathering documents on the scandal and will hold a press conference on Monday to make explosive charges against ruling BJP leaders in the state.

TDP seeks protection for its candidates in local body polls

TB Team
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TDP seeks protection for its candidates in local body polls

Telugu Desam Party (TDP) national president N. Chandrababu Naidu on Friday demanded the State Election Commissioner (SEC) to provide security to its candidates filing nominations for local body polls after a TDP candidate was attacked in Kuppam.

The former chief minister alleged that TDP candidate V. Venkatesh was attacked when he was filing nomination for polls to Kuppam municipality.

In a letter to SEC Neelam Sawhney, Naidu said it came to his notice that the YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) goons attacked V. Venkatesh, who is the TDP candidate for the 14th ward in Kuppam municipality.

Kuppam in Chittoor district is the Assembly constituency represented by Chandrababu Naidu.

The TDP chief said YSRCP leader Muniswamy and his henchmen attacked Venkatesh to prevent him from filing nomination.

Naidu told the SEC that over 25 to 30 goondas waylaid and assulted Venkatesh when he approached the nomination centre set up at MFC Junior College in Kuppam. The goons rained blows on Venkatesh and snatched away his nomination papers, tore them and then destroyed them. They also took away his cell phone.

Naidu said the attack was serious and an injured Venkatesh was thrown on the roadside, outside the nomination centre. When some of the followers of Dr Venkatesh tried to intervene, the miscreants tried to attack them. Finally, the attackers fled the scene leaving him in an unconscious state.

The TDP chief attached two photographs of Venkatesh with bleeding injury on his elbow.

Naidu demanded the SEC to provide security to candidates aspiring to contest in the present elections as directed recently by the Election Commission. He urged the poll panel to take immediate action against the culprits and also provide immediate protection to all the candidates intending to file nominations.

He also sought deployment of additional police force to ensure smooth, free and fair conduct of elections.

The SEC on Monday announced elections to local bodies, where polls were not conducted earlier for various reasons, including the death of contesting candidates.

The elections will be conducted for panchayats on November 14, municipalities on November 15 and ZPTC and MPTCs on November 16.

The elections are being held for 69 sarpanches and 533 ward members in 498 Gram Panchayats, 12 municipalities and the Nellore Municipal Corporation.

The municipalities that are going to polls include Akiveedu, Jaggayyapet, Kondapalli, Dachepalli, Gurazala, Darsi, Buchireddypalem, Kuppam, Bethamcherla, Kamalapuram, Rajampet and Penukonda.

KTR assures all help to family of six-year-old rape victim

TB Team
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KTR assures all help to family of six-year-old rape victim

Telangana’s Industry and Information Technology Minister K.T. Rama Rao on Wednesday assured all support to the family of a six-year-old tribal girl who was sexually assaulted allegedly by the husband of a sarpanch belonging to the ruling Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS).

Rama Rao, who is also the Working President of TRS, visited government-run Niloufer Children’s Hospital where the victim is undergoing treatment and called on her parents.

He termed the incident which occurred in Rajanna Sircilla as shocking and promised to stand by the family in getting justice.

KTR, as the minister is popularly known, said that such an incident in a civilised society is shameful and the guilty, no matter who he is, should get the harshest punishment.

He directed the doctors to provide best treatment to the victim.

The minister’s visit came a day after reports that the victim was brought to the hospital after she complained of severe stomach pain and was made to wait for six hours. She was admitted after the Telangana Girijana Sangham staged a protest at the hospital, demanding immediate medical attention and justice to the victim.

BJP state President Bandi Sanjay had also visited the hospital on Tuesday. He had slammed KTR for his silence over the incident despite the fact that he represents Sircilla constituency.

Bahujan Samaj Party leader R.S. Praveen Kumar had also consoled the girl’s family at the hospital. He had demanded the government to constitute a fast-track court to deliver speedy justice to the victim and take care of her future by providing all help to the family.

The incident had occurred at a village in Yellareddypet mandal of Rajanna Sircilla district on October 27. However, it came to light two days later when the girl developed fever and she told her parents about the sexual assault.

Police arrested the 46-year-old accused on October 29. Shankar has been booked under section 6 of Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, section 376 of the Indian Penal Code and also under Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.

According to police, the accused resorted to the sexual assault when he was alone at home and the girl had gone there to watch television. He had threatened the victim not to reveal the incident to anyone.

However, the next day she developed fever and she told the parents about the incident. They subsequently lodged a complaint with the police.

The tribal family was living on rent in the house of the sarpanch.

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