Jagan misusing SC, ST Atrocities Act, alleges TDP

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Jagan misusing SC, ST Atrocities Act, alleges TDP

Telugu Desam Party (TDP) leader and former minister Nakka Anand Babu on Thursday advised Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy-led Andhra Pradesh government to refrain from alleged rampant misuse of the SC, ST Atrocities Act for political vendetta.

He claimed that the government is using this legal provision to suppress the principal opposition party and all the dissenting voices in the state.

“Jagan regime was indeed hatching a conspiracy to get the atrocities law revoked at the national level. Already, the Supreme Court received petitions about the political misuse of this law by the ruling Governments across the country,” said Babu.

The TDP leader asserted that the Supreme Court could take a serious view of the alleged ongoing indiscriminate misuse of the SC/ST law.

He questioned whether the government was making a mockery of the SC/ST law by applying it on former minister and TDP leader Devineni Uma Maheshwar Rao.

“CM was not just getting cases filed against the political opponents but he was also getting them jailed,” he alleged.

According to Babu, Reddy ‘opened a dark chapter in the history of the country’ by allegedly getting SC, ST atrocities cases filed against Dalit victims as well.

He demanded an explanation from the Chief Minister as to why he was allegedly misusing the laws created to safeguard Dalits for political and personal victimization.

“The atrocities law was brought in to ensure prevention of atrocities against Dalits. The CM has been openly misusing this law. The Dalit officers were being used to perpetrate political harassment,” he alleged.

He claimed that Reddy came to power with Dalit votes but he was allegedly using them to create chaos in the state.

Babu noted that Dalits were facing unprecedented attacks and victimization ever since Reddy came to power.

“For just opposing sand mafia activities, Dalit youth Vara Prasad was tonsured and humiliated in East Godavari. SC, ST cases were filed against Dalit farmers in Amaravati and they were sent to jail for 20 days. They were handcuffed by the AP police,” he alleged.

Babu made these remarks in the light of the police arresting Rao for allegedly attacking YSRCP leaders.

Railways conducts drone mapping of Ghat area in Karnataka

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Railways conducts drone mapping of Ghat area in Karnataka

The South Western Railway (SWR) zone conducted an aerial survey of Castle Rock-Kulem Ghat section using a drone camera in Karnataka’s Uttar Kannada district, an official said on Wednesday.

“The drone mapping of vulnerable locations in Castle Rock-Kulem Ghat section helps in taking preventive steps against landslides and water logging on the tracks,” a SWR spokesman said in a statement.

The 27 km Ghat section on the Karnataka-Goa border is part of the rich bio-diverse Western Ghats, which receives heavy rainfall during the south-west monsoon from June-September every year.

Castle Rock in the state’s northwest region is located in a heavily forested area, where vegetation is most tropical deciduous.

The Ghat section has only a single railway line with no road connectivity.

“Steps have been taken to safeguard the tracks in the Ghat section, which is prone to land slips and water-logging. Embankment walls, sandbags and shoring up of side walls with sleepers have been put in place,” said the official.

As additional safety measure, drone camera was used to record video of spots of water logging on hill-top, weak spots and loose boulders.

“If any weak spot is noticed, a team of engineers, technicians and trackmen takes remedial action to prevent damage or blocking of the railway track,” added the statement.

Sandbags, ballast, boulders, tools and equipment in monsoon wagons are kept ready at Castle Rock, Kulem and Tinaighat to attend to emergencies in the Ghat section.

Indo-US partnership will be of even greater significance in coming years: PM Modi

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Indo-US partnership will be of even greater significance in coming years: PM Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Wednesday that the India-US Strategic Partnership will be of even greater global significance in the coming years, in the context of the challenges posed by Covid-19, global economic recovery and climate change.

Modi made these remarks in a meeting with visiting US Secretary of State Antony Blinken.

Blinken conveyed greetings of President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris to the Prime Minister.

He briefed the Prime Minister on his fruitful exchanges with External Affairs Minister S. Jaishakar and National Security Advisor Ajit Doval earlier in the day and expressed strong commitment to further deepen India-US strategic relations in various sectors including defence, maritime security, trade & investment, climate change, and science & technology.

The Prime Minister conveyed his warm greetings to President Biden and Vice President Harris and his appreciation for the initiatives taken by President Biden including those related to the Quad, Covid-19 and climate change.

Blinken appreciated the increasing convergence between India and US on a wide range of bilateral and multilateral issues, and the commitment of both strategic partners to convert this convergence into concrete and practical cooperation.

Prime Minister Modi said that the societies of US and India share a deep commitment to the values of democracy, freedom and liberty, and the Indian diaspora in the US has contributed immensely to the enhancement of bilateral ties.

Punjab CM asks Modi to reopen Kartarpur Corridor

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Punjab CM asks Modi to reopen Kartarpur Corridor

Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Wednesday urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to reopen the Kartarpur Corridor, in view of the improvement in the Covid-19 situation, to facilitate people’s visit to the historic shrine in Pakistan.

In a letter to the Prime Minister, Amarinder Singh said his government would be happy to work in conjunction with the Centre to ensure adherence to proper Covid-19 protocols, including testing and vaccination of pilgrims using the corridor.

He hoped for a positive consideration by the Prime Minister in this regard.

The Chief Minister pointed out that the movement of devotees to Kartarpur through the corridor was suspended in March 2020 due to the pandemic outbreak.

“The Covid-19 situation in Punjab has shown signs of significant improvement in the past one month and I am happy to share that yesterday, no Covid-19 related death was reported, after almost a period of one year,” he wrote.

He said in the changed scenario, the people have obviously again evinced their desire to have ‘darshan’ at Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Kartarpur.

The Chief Minister further said that “we have been fortunate that the Kartarpur Corridor was opened on the auspicious occasion of the 550th Prakash Purab of Guru Nanak Dev in November 2019”.

It helped fulfill the long-standing demand of “khulle darshan deedar” of the historic Gurdwara Darbar Sahib at Kartarpur, located just across the international border in Pakistan, he added.

AP govt acting vengefully against Devineni Uma: TDP

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AP govt acting vengefully against Devineni Uma: TDP

Telugu Desam Party (TDP) national general secretary Nara Lokesh on Wednesday alleged that the Andhra Pradesh government is allegedly acting in a vengeful way against former minister Devineni Uma Maheshwara Rao because he is exposing corruption.

“Just because Uma is exposing corruption, the ruling party is vengeful against him. What happened to the police when some rowdies attacked the former minister?” alleged Lokesh.

He questioned whom the law is favouring and demanded to know if people will be killed if they question?

“Is this democracy?…The DGP has to answer,” he said.

According to the TDP’s second in command, Rao was targeted because he questioned the alleged illegal mining in Kondapalli forest worth thousands of crores of rupees by YSRCP leader Vasanta Krishna Mohan.

Lokesh alleged that Rao is being targeted at the behest of government adviser Sajjala Ramakrishna Reddy.

The TDP general secretary claimed that police did not arrest the people who allegedly attacked Rao under IPC sections.

If this was the case with a former minister, he wondered what would happen to common people and warned the police that they meet the fate of their boss living in Tadepalli.

Lokesh said it will take only a little time but the culprits will stand before the law soon.

Police arrested Rao and shifted him to Nandiwada for allegedly perpetrating an attack on ruling party leaders.

Bommai rains sops in first cabinet meet

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Bommai rains sops in first cabinet meet

Basavaraj Bommai, the new Chief Minister of Karnataka announced a slew of measures to reach out to people including a scholarship programme for children of agriculturists, on Wednesday at a cost of Rs 1,000 crore. He also underlined that vaccination to face third Covid wave would be his priority.

Bommai, after holding a cabinet meeting, announced that a scholarship scheme for children of agriculturists has been introduced in the state as per his vision. “It’s going to help students from agrarian families to pursue higher education,” he stated.

Bommai himself chaired the meeting with the Chief Secretary and other top government officers as the full fledged cabinet is yet to be formed.

The scheme will be drafted in consultation with experts and implemented soon for the first time in the state, he added.

Under Sandhya Surakha Yojana, 35.98 lakh beneficiaries got Rs 1,000 so far, will get Rs 1,200. This will increase the burden on the exchequer by Rs 862 crore.

The amount under the Widow pension scheme has been increased by Rs 200 and physically challenged persons are going to get Rs 200 more.

These measures have been taken considering inflation. The section of the society which needs social security will be reached out by our government, he underlined.

He further explained that he had given orientation for the bureaucrats in the first meeting. “I have stressed inter-departmental coordination, teamwork and time-bound implementation of schemes to avoid extra expenditure and corruption,” he stated.

He has said that the “chalta hai” attitude from the government officials will not be tolerated.

“I have especially spoken with the Chief Secretary on ‘file clearance drive’, wherein information of movement of all files in government departments will be obtained in two days and should be disposed of in about 15 days,” he explained.

Bommai said directions are given to cut down on unnecessary expenditures by a minimum of 5 per cent without affecting programmes as the Covid situation affected the economy.

All NE state capitals to be linked by air, rail by 2023-24: Amit Shah

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All NE state capitals to be linked by air, rail by 2023-24: Amit Shah

Union Home Minister Amit Shah said here on Saturday that the northeastern region would be the countrys growth destination and all the state capitals of the eight states of the region would be connected by air and railway network by 2023-24.

On Day 1 of his two-day visit to Meghalaya, Shah inaugurated several projects, including the inter-state bus terminus at Mawiong in Shillong. Funded by the North Eastern Council (NEC), the ISBT was built at a cost of Rs 48.31 crore.

The Home Minister said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had earlier announced that before 2022, all the capital cities of the eight northeastern states would be connected by air and railway network.

“But due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the works have got slightly delayed though the projects are on the pipelines. By 2023-24, all the state capitals of the eight states of the region would be linked by air and railway network, though some of the state capitals are already connected,” the Home Minister said.

Shah said that improving connectivity of the northeastern states is the top priority of the Modi government, as without connectivity, development would not be possible.

“The works are being carried out with utmost priority to develop and further expand the road, rail, air and waterways networks of all the northeastern states to connect them with the rest of the country,” he said.

Shah also said that the Central government led by Prime Minister Modi has done a lot of development and welfare works in all the sectors for the all-round development of the region and economic prosperity of the people of the eight states.

The Home Minister said that the Central government has three important focus points for the region — protection and development of the region’s culture and tradition; resolving internal disputes among the northeastern states; and making the region a development hub and a destination of growth for India.

The Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER), in collaboration with all the northeastern states, would take all steps to achieve the desired purposes, Shah said.

The Home Minister also chaired a review meeting of the North Eastern Space Applications Centre (NESAC) at Umiam, 20 km from Shillong.

He said that NESAC has been playing a key role in stimulating the overall growth of the northeastern region by using space science and technology.

He applauded the efforts and dedication of ‘Team NESAC’ and assured that the Centre is committed to providing advanced technology support to the region, which can transform the lives of the people of the northeastern states.

“Mapping of forest gap areas, expansion of land area for horticulture development, identification and rejuvenation of wetlands, diversion of floodwater and assessment of bamboo resources for livelihood needs are a few key ideas that were discussed during the meeting,” Shah said in a tweet after the NESAC meeting.

The NESAC, which is a joint venture between the Department of Space and the North Eastern Council, a regional planning body, helps and guides the northeastern states in undertaking various development projects and schemes, including estimating natural resources.

Set up in September 2000, it is well equipped with state-of-the-art facilities in the areas of remote sensing and geographical information system, disaster management, satellite communication and space and atmospheric science research.

The Chief Ministers of all the eight northeastern states, DoNER Minister G. Kishan Reddy, Union Minister for Science and Technology Jitendra Singh, and Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) Chairman K. Sivan also attended the NESAC review meeting.

Shah also inaugurated a cryogenic oxygen plant at Umsawli, an afforestation project at Wahshari in Sohra, the Greater Sohra Water Supply Scheme at Khliehshnong, besides visiting the headquarters of Assam Rifles in Shillong.

BJP high command mulls final list in K’taka, but it’s a tough call

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BJP high command mulls final list in K’taka, but it’s a tough call

As the stage is being set for a possible change of guard in Karnataka, the BJP high command is yet to finalise the successor of chief minister B.S. Yediyurappa. However, the high command is mulling over three candidates from the final list prepared in consultation with the RSS unit of Karnataka Pranth (region).

The final list included the names of Union Minister for Parliamentary Affairs and Coal Pralhad Joshi, National General Secretary C.T. Ravi, MLA and former union minister Basavanagouda Patil Yatnal, the Speaker of Legislative Assembly Vishveshwara Hegde Kageri, Minister for Mining Murugesh Nirani and MLA Aravind Bellad, sources said. The name of National Organising Secretary B.L. Santhosh is also doing the rounds, they added.

The high command is thinking of various possibilities in Karnataka as it is being hailed as the gateway to South India. This include caste, region, loyalty to Hindutva principles, ability to take the party out from the shadow of Yediyurappa, etc.

The party is also focusing on winning the next assembly elections scheduled to be held in 2023. The strategy is said to be to install a candidate in the form of a chief minister, who could cut through caste politics and bring all castes under the Hindutva umbrella.

Union Minister Pralhad Joshi has been a party president in Karnataka and is credited to enrol as many as 1 crore members for BJP in the state. His participation in ‘Save Kashmir movement’ and ‘Flag hoisting movement in Edgah Maidan of Hubli’ is an added advantage. The caste factor, however, seems to put him on the negative side.

The party is also keen on C.T. Ravi, a former minister, who was snubbed by Yediyurappa and is now elevated to the higher ranks by the party. If the high command decides to give leadership to a candidate from other than the Lingayat community, he stands a better chance, say party insiders.

Basavanagouda Patil Yatnal, known for his fiery speeches, is a Lingayat from north Karnataka. The party thinks he could be the person to sideline Yediyurappa by taking independent pro-party decisions. However, the party will have to take a chance with his temperament, sources say.

Vishveshwara Hegde Kageri, a senior leader is among the most loyal party men in the state. His clean image might help him to get the CM’s post.

Though the name of Murugesh Nirani, a Lingayat is also doing the rounds, the high command is said to be considering corruption charges and court cases against him before taking a call.

The names of BJP Lingayat MLA Aravind Bellad, Home Minister Basavaraj Bommai, National Organising Secretary B.L. Santhosh are also being considered for the post, as per the party sources. However, it is said that Santhosh, considered as the bete-noire of Yediyurappa in state political circles, is said to be vouching for candidates who carry aggressive Hindutva in the state.

However, the party is also expected to spring a surprise by announcing a new face as the BJP top leadership has experimented in other states.

Punjab crisis has been resolved: Rahul

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Punjab crisis has been resolved: Rahul

Days after the Congress appointed Navjot Singh Sidhu as the party’s Punjab chief, Rahul Gandhi on Friday said that the crisis has been resolved.

Speaking to the media outside Parliament, Rahul Gandhi said, “Punjab crisis has been resolved.”

His remarks came a day after Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh said that he shall attend the ceremony of the new state Congress team taking charge led by Sidhu.

Earlier, the camp of the Chief Minister was adamant on its demand that Sidhu should first apologise publicly over his purported remarks against the government over the power crisis and the sacrilege issue and then only Amarinder Singh would meet him.

In a first show of solidarity and strength, Sidhu, accompanying 62 legislators, comprising four Cabinet ministers, on Wednesday paid obeisance at the Golden Temple in Amritsar.

However, the Chief Minister and his close confidants were absent from Sidhu’s maiden visit to his constituency Amritsar (East) and religious places there.

That was Sidhu’s first visit to Amritsar after being appointed to the post by Congress interim President Sonia Gandhi on July 18, ending days of hectic lobbying within the Congress in Punjab.

KCR directs ministers, officials to stay alert amid heavy rains

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KCR directs ministers, officials to stay alert amid heavy rains

Amid heavy rainfall in Telangana and massive inflows from upper riparian states into Godavari and Krishna rivers, Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao on Thursday instructed ministers and MLAs to remain in their districts to monitor the flood situation from time to time.

Due to heavy inflows from the catchment areas, projects’ gates have been lifted in the upper riparian states, leading to waters reaching into Telangana.

Rao issued his directions to legislators especially in the constituencies through which these rivers flow.

Likewise, he also directed Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) leaders and cadres to be available at the Telangana Bhavan to monitor the situation.

“Along with officials in the catchments areas, TRS leadership from gram sarpanch to the ministers should ensure that people are not put to any hardship,” said the Chief Minister.

As heavy rain forecast is there for the next two days, Rao suggested people not to venture out and exercise caution.

The CM urged public representatives to be on high alert and take necessary measures.

Rao highlighted that the intensity of flood is increasing in the Godavari catchment areas due to heavy rains in the upper reaches of SRSP.

He instructed Minister Vemula Prasanth Reddy to monitor preventive measures at Balkonda Assembly segment and Nizamabad district where heavy rains are being witnessed.

Similarly, Rao directed chief secretary Somesh Kumar to depute NDRF teams to Nirmal town which is submerged in water.

District collectors, superintendents of police, revenue officials and R&B officers have been directed to undertake preventive measures in the Godavari catchment areas.

The CM urged people to watch out for swollen lakes and rivulets which are overflowing and breaching due to heavy rains.

Andhra Guv, CM extend Bakrid greetings

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Andhra Guv, CM extend Bakrid greetings

Andhra Pradesh Governor Biswa Bhusan Harichandan and Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy on Wednesday extended Eid-al-Adha greetings to the people in the state.

“On the solemn occasion of Bakrid (Id-ul-Azha), I extend my cordial greetings and good wishes to all my Muslim brethren in Andhra Pradesh,” said Biswa Bhusan Harichandan.

Bakrid holds immense significance in the Islamic faith and is celebrated with special prayers and great reverence, he added.

“Bakrid symbolizes sacrifice, absolute devotion to God and compassion for the poor and emphasises the principle of sharing,” said Harichandan.

As people celebrate Bakrid, the Governor wished for the spirit of charity and goodwill towards all be cherished and nourished.

However, Harichandan cautioned the people celebrating the festival to be wary of Covid-19 pandemic and advised them to strictly follow Covid protocols.

“I appeal to the people of Andhra Pradesh to strictly adhere to Covid-appropriate behaviour by wearing masks and maintain social distance at all times and cooperate with the authorities to prevent the spread of Covid-19,” he added.

Likewise, the Andhra Chief Minister said Bakrid is a symbol of faith, grace and unity.

“My greetings to Muslims who celebrate Bakrid meditating upon the sacrifice of holy prophet Ibrahim,” Reddy added.

The CM prayed for the blessings of Allah on all of us at all times.

However, inclement weather and coronavirus have proved to be the dampener this Bakrid.

Actor, BJP leader Khushbu Sundar’s Twitter account hacked

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Actor, BJP leader Khushbu Sundar’s Twitter account hacked

Noted actor and BJP leader Khushbu Sundar has complained to the Tamil Nadu Director General of Police Sylendra Babu as her official Twitter account was hacked.

She said that the account was found hacked since Tuesday morning and the name on the account was changed to “briann”. The actor also said that except for the photos and videos all her tweets were deleted.

The actor also said that she was not able to access her account for the past three days and that tweets were also found missing.

Khushbu told media persons that after her Twitter handle was inaccessible she had filed an online complaint and had met the DGP at his office on Tuesday and filed a complaint.

The actor said that the DGP has promised to take action on her complaint and added that some miscreants were trying to tarnish her image in politics.

Punjab CM seeks 40 lakh vaccine doses on priority

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Punjab CM seeks 40 lakh vaccine doses on priority

Citing a current demand of more than two lakh Covid-19 vaccine doses for the second dose alone, Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Tuesday demanded 40 lakh more doses from the Centre on an urgent basis to inoculate the state’s eligible population.

The state was expecting 2.46 lakh vaccines to arrive on Tuesday but the Chief Minister, during a Covid review virtual meeting, noted that vaccines remain in short supply, having run out of Covishield vaccine and left with a mere 3,500 Covaxin doses as of Monday.

Punjab has already vaccinated more than 90 lakh eligible people (nearly 37 per cent of eligible population) and has been utilising the stock without any wastage, said the Chief Minister.

While the first dose has been administered to 75 lakh people, 15 lakh had got the second dose too.

The Centre needs to arrange for immediate delivery to the state to meet the shortfall and enable inoculation of all those needing the second dose, while continuing with the vaccination of other eligible persons, said the Chief Minister.

Pointing out that the doses being supplied to private hospitals were getting wasted as people preferred to go to government hospitals for free inoculation, Health Secretary Hussan Lal informed the meeting the state has sought diversion of the stocks from the private hospitals but had not received any response so far from the Centre.

Some can’t digest Dalits, women, SC/ST as ministers: PM Modi

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Some can’t digest Dalits, women, SC/ST as ministers: PM Modi

Due to the ruckus created by opposition parties in both houses of parliament, Prime Minister Narendra Modi could not introduce his recently inducted Council of Ministers on Monday but he launched scathing attack on opposition memmbers and alleged that some people can’t digest Dalits, Women, SC/ST and OBC made ministers.

“I thought that there would be enthusiasm in the Parliament as so many women, Dalits, tribals have become Ministers. This time our colleagues from agricultural and rural background, OBC community, have been given a berth in Council of Ministers,” the Prime Minister said while he introduced his new Ministers in the lower House.

Taking congnisance of huge pandemonium created by the Opposition on different issues, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla adjourned the House for the day.

The parliamentarians from Congress, Trinamool Congress were among other Opposition leaders who started sloganeering against the government and trooped near the Speaker’s podium after the Prime Minister started introducing his ministers.

Earlier, Defence Minister and Deputy Leader of the House Rajnath Singh raised an objection against the Opposition uproar while Prime Minister Narendra Modi was introducing his Council of Ministers in the House. However, Lok Sabha had to be adjourned till 2 p.m. amid continuous uproar.

Several Trinamool Congress MPs cycled to Parliament on Monday to protest against the rise in prices of fuel and other commodities before the House assembled at 11 a.m.

Yogi to remain boss in UP as party gears up for assembly polls

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Yogi to remain boss in UP as party gears up for assembly polls

Words of appreciation by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP chief J.P. Nadda have not only silenced the critics of Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath, but it also shows that he will be the choice of party leadership to lead in the next year’s assembly polls.

A senior party functionary of Uttar Pradesh told in ians that now all the doubts among cadres about the party’s face in next year’s assembly polls have been removed. “Recent moves of the party have shown that the central leadership have full faith in the Yogi Adityanath government and the BJP will contest the assembly polls under his leadership,” he said.

A party insider pointed out that removal of Santosh Gangwar from the union cabinet also cemented Adityanath’s position in the state even before the words of praise came from the Prime Minister and the party chief.

In May, then union labour minister Gangwar had written to the Uttar Pradesh chief minister pointing out mismanagement in handling of the second wave of Covid in his parliamentary constituency Bareilly. During a reshuffle in the union cabinet this month, Gangwar was dropped.

Recent thumping victory of the saffron party in zila panchayat and block head elections has also established the political skills of chief minister Adityanath. A senior party leader said, “Despite allegations by the opposition party of misuse of state machinery, one thing is clear that he (Adityanath) knows how to play the game. Results show that he knows all the tricks of politics.”

Words of Prime Minister and Nadda have given a boost to the Adityanath government which was facing criticism from the opposition and within the party over its handling of the second Covid wave.

A senior party functionary told IANS that back to back words of appreciation sent a strong message against the Adityanath detractors that they must get themselves ready to fight the Uttar Pradesh assembly polls under his leadership.

“Message is loud and clear that there is no change of guard in the state and Adityanath will be leading the elections under the leadership of Prime Minister and central leadership. He will be the face of the party in the state,” he said.

On July 14 during a visit to his parliamentary constituency Varanasi, Prime Minister Modi lauded the efforts of Adityanath’s government in managing the second wave of Covid. He said efforts made by the Uttar Pradesh government to tackle the coronavirus situation are commendable. The Prime Minister also appreciated the development oriented approach of the Adityanath government and ensuring rule of law in Uttar Pradesh.

On July 15, addressing Uttar Pradesh BJP state executive meet, Nadda lauded Adityanath’s style of governance and said he had turned Uttar Pradesh into a ‘leading state’. “While PM Modi had given a new direction to the country, Yogi Adityanath had put Uttar Pradesh on the path to development,” Nadda had said.

Amid speculation of his removal in June, union defence minister Rajnath Singh was the first one to appreciate the works of the Adityanath government.

A senior party leader said that Prime Minister Modi and Nadda have also silenced the chief minister’s criticism on the social engineering front by giving representation of different castes in organizational appointments made recently. “All the recent organizational appointments have taken all the factors of social engineering and given representation to all the caste and region,” he said.

Vietnamese parliament to elect top leaders at new session

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Vietnamese parliament to elect top leaders at new session

The 15th National Assembly (NA) of Vietnam, the country’s top legislature, will gather for its inaugural session from July 20-31, focusing on decisions about high-ranking personnel of the state apparatus, an official said on Saturday.

Bui Van Cuong, Secretary-General of the NA, made the remarks at a press briefing held here about the agenda of the session, reports Xinhua news agency.

At the sitting, Vietnamese lawmakers will spend three working days to review and decide on 50 high-ranking positions of the state apparatus, Cuong said.

In particular, the NA will elect the NA chairperson, the state president, the prime minister and the vice state president among other top positions, and decide on the number of cabinet members as well as approve appointments for those positions.

At the last session of the 14th NA in late March, lawmakers elected Vuong Dinh Hue as the NA chairman, Nguyen Xuan Phuc as the state president, and Pham Minh Chinh as the prime minister, among other personnel decisions.

During the upcoming session, the NA will also review important reports including the country’s five-year socio-economic development plan, the five-year financial plan, and medium-term public investment plan for the 2021-2025 period.

Compared to a previous plan, the duration of the session will be shortened by five days to ensure utmost safety for participants amid the complicated development of Covid-19 in the country, Cuong said.

On May 23, Vietnam held a general election where 499 deputies to the 15th NA for the 2021-2026 tenure, were elected.

Huzurabad bypoll born out of vengeance: Y.S. Sharmila

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Huzurabad bypoll born out of vengeance: Y.S. Sharmila

YSR Telangana Party (YSRTP) founder and newly-emerged opposition leader in Telangana, Y.S. Sharmila on Saturday branded the forthcoming Huzurabad bypoll as an election born out of vengeance.

Sharmila was referring to the Telangana Assembly constituency which fell vacant in the light of former health minister Etala Rajender resigning in protest after major differences cropped up between him and Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao.

Rao stripped Rajender of his ministerial portfolio, following allegations of land encroachment, resulting in the latter exiting the ruling Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) and jumping ship to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) at Delhi in the presence of the party’s senior national leaders recently.

After these developments, Sharmila hinted that the bypoll was aimed at extracting revenge on each other by Rajender and Rao.

Consequently, she declared that her party will not contest the forthcoming Huzurabad bypoll.

“Is there any use of the Huzurabad election? We will not contest Huzurabad bypoll,” said Sharmila.

She reasoned if contesting the bypoll would bring jobs to the unemployed or three acres of land to Dalits?

“If it is promised that these things will be done, then we will also contest the election,” she said.

Sharmila asserted that she grew up in Telangana and is well aware of its culture.

“I ate sheer korma at a friend’s house for Eid and also relished food for Bathukamma and Bonalu festivals at another friend’s place. You are asking about my religion. Everybody will have their religion. You have your religion and I have my religion,” she responded to a reporter’s query.

Sharmila went on to question the reporter if she was invited to cover the press conference as a television channel’s journalist or a journalist belonging to a religion?

“What work do you have with religion? I have my religion, you have your religion. Who cares what you do at your home or what I do at my home,” she added.

KCR directs TRS MPs to fight for Telangana’s interests

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KCR directs TRS MPs to fight for Telangana’s interests

Telangana Chief Minister and TRS President K. Chandrasekhar Rao on Friday directed his party MPs to fight for the state’s interests in river water sharing during the Parliament session beginning Monday.

He presided over Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) Parliamentary Party meeting to discuss the strategy to be adopted during the session.

KCR, as the Chief Minister is popularly known, gave direction to the MPs on the issues to be raised in the Parliament. He mentioned several issues.

He made it clear to the MPs that as far as the irrigation waters are concerned, no injustice should be meted out to Telangana under any circumstances.

He suggested that whenever situation demands, the MPs in both the Lok Sabha and thee Rajya Sabha should fight for the state’s rights in river water allocations.

KCR also asked the MPs to fight for the pending issues relating to the commitments made by the Centre during the bifurcation of the State. He advised the MPs to submit memoranda to the ministers concerned in this regard. He instructed the MPs to meet the concerned minister to solve the problems with regard to civil supplies.

Civil Supplies Minister Gangula Kamalakar, TRS Parliamentary leader Dr K. Keshav Rao, Lok Sabha leader Nama Nageswara Rao, Rajya Sabha members Captain Laxmikanth Rao, J. Santosh Kumar, K.R. Suresh Reddy, B. Prakash, B. Lingaiah Yadav, Lok Sabha members B.B. Patil, P. Ramulu, K. Prabhakar Reddy, G. Ranjit Reddy, P. Dayakar, B. Venkatesh Netha, M. Srinivas Reddy and others attended the meeting.

Skill, reskill and upskill: Modi’s strategic call for ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’

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Skill, reskill and upskill: Modi’s strategic call for ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’

Underlining the importance of skills in the Indian culture, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday exhorted the stakeholders to continuously “skill, reskill and upskill” to achieve ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’ (self-reliant India) goal, and that India providing smart and skilled manpower solutions to the world should be at the core of strategy of skilling our youth.

He said skill development of the new generation is a national need and is the foundation of ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’ to take India forward from 75 years to 100 years.

Taking note of huge demand for reskilling due to fast changing technology, the Prime Minister emphasised that there is need to expedite it, recalling how “our skilled workforce helped us in fighting an effective battle against the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic”.

While speaking on the occasion of the World Youth Skill Day, the Prime Minister called for giving momentum to the Skill India Mission by capitalising on the gains of the last six years.

Modi further stressed the link between the importance given to skill development and ‘upskilling’ and progress of the society.

He dwelled on the traditions of celebrating skills like Vijayadashmi, Akshya Tritiya and Vishvakarma Puja where skills and the vocational implements are worshipped. Citing these traditions, the Prime Minister called for due regard for skilled professions like carpenters, potters, metal workers, sanitation workers, horticulture workers and weavers.

The Prime Minister noted that due to long periods of slavery, importance of skills in our social and education system got diluted.

The Prime Minister pointed out that while education tells us what to do, skill guides us in the actual operational implementation, and this has been the guiding principle of Skill India Mission. He expressed happiness that more than 1.25 crore young persons have been trained under ‘Pradhanmantri Kaushal Vikas Yojna’.

Stressing the need for skills in everyday life, the Prime Minister said that learning should not stop with earning. “Only a skilled person will grow in today’s world. This is applicable to both people and countries.”

The Prime Minister also referred to the vision of Babasaheb Ambedkar, saying “he placed great emphasis on skilling the weaker section”.

Modi said that the nation is fulfilling this visionary dream of Babasaheb through the Skill India Mission.

For example, he said, programs like ‘Going Online As Leaders’ (GOAL) are helping the tribal population with areas like art and culture, handicraft, textiles and digital literacy among tribal areas leading to entrepreneurship development among the tribal population. Similarly, Van Dhan Yojna is effectively connecting the tribal society with new opportunities.

“In the coming days, we need to make such campaigns more widespread and make ourselves and the country Aatmanirbhar through skilling,” concluded the Prime Minister.

Cabinet approves continuation of Ayush Mission

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Cabinet approves continuation of Ayush Mission

The Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on Wednesday approved the continuation of the National Ayush Mission as a centrally sponsored scheme from April 1, 2021 to March 31, 2026 with financial implication of Rs 4,607.30 crore (Rs 3,000 crore Central share and Rs 1,607.30 crore state share).

Launched on September 15, 2014, the National Ayush Mission is being implemented by the Ayush Ministry with the objectives of providing cost-effective Ayush (ayurveda, yoga, naturopathy, Unani, Siddha, Sowa-Rigpa and homoeopathy) services, with universal access through upgrading Ayush hospitals and dispensaries, co-location of Ayush facilities at primary and community health centres and district hospitals, and strengthening institutional capacity at the state level through upgrading AYUSH educational institutions.

It also aims at setting up of new upto 50 bedded integrated Ayush hospitals, Ayush public health programmes and operationalization of 12,500 Ayush health and wellness centres to provide services of a holistic wellness model based on Ayush principles and practices so as to empower masses for “self-care” to reduce the disease burden, and out of pocket expenditure.

The mission seeks to address the gaps in health services through supporting the efforts of state/UT governments for providing Ayush health services/education in the country, particularly in vulnerable and far-flung areas. Special focus is given for specific needs of such areas and for allocation of higher resources in their annual plans.

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