Tirupati LS bypoll: BJP, YSRCP candidates to file nominations

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Tirupati LS bypoll: BJP, YSRCP candidates to file nominations

The candidates of the Yuvajana Sramika Rythu Congress Party (YSRCP) and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)- Janasena are expected to file nominations for the forthcoming Tirupati bypoll on Monday.

“With the blessings of Lord Venkateshwara and support of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the entire BJP-JSP family, I am going to file my nomination on Monday.,” said Ratna Prabha, the BJP candidate.

Before her nomination, she visited the Tirupati temple early on Monday morning to seek the deity’s blessings.

On Saturday, the former Karnataka chief secretary met with actor-politician Pawan Kalyan and invited him to canvass for her in the run up to the big bypoll scheduled on April 17.

“Met Kalyan and invited him to canvass at Tirupati. His instant positive response makes our campaign stronger and closer to victory,” claimed Prabha.

She also discussed the election road map with BJP national secretary and Anchra BJP co-incharge Sunil Deodhar, party state president Somu Veerraju, Purandeswari, and Madhukar.

“Suddenly a big challenge before me. Gearing up to be a passionate Parliamentarian touching the heart of every voter and reaching out to the last mile of my constituency. God give me strength and stamina,” the former IAS officer said.

Prabha said that she was flooded with phone calls and messages on being selected as the BJP candidate and observed that there is so much of expectation from her.

“Will work day and night with the people of the constituency and never let them down,” she added.

Despite being retired, Prabha has been active in public life in Karnataka, keeping herself busy with several programmes aimed at empowering women, promoting skills and others.

Likewise, YSRCP candidate M. Gurumoorthy is also scheduled to file his nomination on Monday.

Several top leaders and ministers were expected to accompany Gurumoorthy while filing his nomination.

Rahul Gandhi extends Holi greetings to the nation

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Rahul Gandhi extends Holi greetings to the nation

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi greeted people on the occasion of Holi on Monday and urged the nation to adhere to the Covid norms.

Rahul tweeted: “Our country is full of festivals and best wishes for Holi to each one of you. Follow the Covid-19 guidelines and be safe.”

Congress spokesperson Jaiveer Shergill, who had posted a video of him celebrating Holi with his family, tweeted: “Laughter, joy, colors – festival of Holi teaches us about the importance of most vital elements of life. Play a “Covid safe” Holi with your loved ones.”

Congress General Secretary Organisation tweeted: “Let the colors of Holi bring you joy, peace, and prosperity. Wishing you all a Happy Holi!”

The whole nation is celebrating Holi with Covid guidelines being enforced at various places in the country.

Jagan relaunches refurbished Spandana portal

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Jagan relaunches refurbished Spandana portal

Hyderabad, March 27 (Telugu Bullet)  Andhra Pradesh government launched a refurbished Spandana portal, a one-stop public grievances redressal platform.

Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy relaunched the modernized portal on Friday and directed the officials to keep a track of the grievances being addressed by the concerned departments.

The renovated portal comes with the option of reopening grievances.

“Citizens can reopen the grievances in case they are not satisfied with the redressal. Reopening of grievances can be done twice, first at the district level and second at the head of the department level,” said an official.

They can be categorized into critical, high, and general.

Public grievances can be raised at the village and ward secretariats through call centers, self-service through the portal or app.

Likewise, citizens can check the status of grievances through a web link provided to them, calling at 1902 or visiting the nearby village or ward secretariats.

The new Spandana portal enables citizens to give feedback through a link or over a phone call from a call center agent.

As part of the new system, regular field-level surveys will be carried out to ensure grievances are thoroughly redressed.

On the submission of a complaint by a citizen, officials are required to directly track and resolve it. Officials are required not to leave grievances unresolved and when rejecting a grievance, they should point out the exact reason why a grievance is being rejected.

“There should be a fortnightly review by the secretaries at the state level and district collectors at the district level to monitor the quality redressal and effectiveness of Spandana portal,” said Reddy.

He approved the erection of a digital screen at his camp office which displays Spandana dashboards.

President Ram Nath Kovind referred to AIIMS

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President Ram Nath Kovind referred to AIIMS

Indian President Ram Nath Kovind has been shifted to All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) on Saturday for further treatment. His condition is stated to be “stable”.

“He is being referred to AIIMS, Delhi for further investigation,” Indian Army’s Research and Referral Hospital said in a statement.

He was admitted to the Army’s Research and Referral Hospital in New Delhi on Friday morning after a chest discomfort.

The 75-year-old President had complained of chest discomfort in the morning and thereafter he was rushed to the military hospital.

The President, who underwent routine tests and was put under observation, is now in a stable condition, the hospital said.

In a statement, the hospital authorities said: “He is undergoing routine check-up and is under observation. His condition is stable.”

Modi offers prayers at Kali temple in B’desh

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Modi offers prayers at Kali temple in B’desh

Visiting Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday offered prayers at the Jeshoreshwari temple dedicated to Goddess Kali in Bangladesh’s Satkhira district.

The temple is a famous Hindu pilgrimage site located in Ishwaripur, a village in Shyamnagar Upazila.

According to Hindu mythology, the Jeshoreshwari temple is one of the 51 ‘Shakti Peeths’ scattered across India and the neighboring countries.

Modi, the first foreign head of state to visit the temple, was received by devotees with conch shells.

The Prime Minister offered a gold crown and a red Banarasi saree to the deity.

After this, Modi, who arrived in Bangladesh on a two-day visit on Friday, will head to the Orlandi temple in Gopalganj district, where he will also pay tributes at the mausoleum of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman in Tungipara.

Orakandi is the holiest place for more than five crore people of the Matua community living in Bangladesh and the Indian state of West Bengal.

Meanwhile in Tungipara, the birthplace of Rahman, the Prime Minister will be accompanied by his Bangladeshi counterpart Sheikh Hasina.

This is Modi’s first foreign visit after the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic earlier last year.

On Friday, he participated in the celebrations of the country’s 50th year of liberation from Pakistan.

Modi and Hasina enjoyed the music of legendary classical vocalist Pandit Ajoy Chakravarty at the National Parade Square in Dhaka, along with President Abdul Hamid, and others.

Why is Cong jittery about probe against ED: Vijayan

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Why is Cong jittery about probe against ED: Vijayan

A day after Kerala Chief Minister decided to order a judicial probe against the Enforcement Directorate following a complaint, Pinarayi Vijayan on Saturday wanted to know why the Congress and its Leader of Opposition Ramesh Chennithala have been acting “jittery”.

The chief minister’s decision of the probe came after complaints by two policewomen that they overheard ED officers pressuring prime accused, Swapna Suresh, in the gold smuggling case, asking her loaded questions to name Vijayan.

“We had taken sound legal advice on this and the government will never do anything like this if we did not get the advice of going forward to launch a judicial probe. What I fail to understand is why is Chennithala jittery over this,” asked Vijayan.

This new judicial probe will be headed by Justice (rtd) V.K. Mohan and the terms of reference also have been given.

“This judicial probe is not against anyone, it’s meant to find out the truth.

“Certain central agencies’ officials have been pressuring certain accused to say certain things and there were complaints about this from more than one place. What they did is against the Constitution and also a challenge to the legal system,” added Vijayan.

Incidentally, this probe will become a reality only if the Election Commission gives the green signal, for which the Vijayan government has sought their clearance.

Union Minister of State for External Affairs V. Muraleedharan described Vijayan’s move as “the biggest joke of the century”.

Former state BJP president and candidate in the April 6 assembly polls, P.K. Krishnadas said this is against the basic tenants of the Constitution and has no legal standing and never heard of in the history of our country.

The Congress-led UDF leaders also have expressed surprise at this move and have described it as “nothing but a gimmick” by Vijayan to delay any move by the central agencies in the gold and dollar smuggling cases in which Vijayan’s name has figured.

Also Read: 2.1 million Covid vaccines to arrive in Kerala: Pinarayi Vijayan

7.72% polling in Bengal in first two hours

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7.72% polling in Bengal in first two hours

There has been 7.72 percent voter turnout recorded till 9 a.m., in the first phase of polling for the 294-seat West Bengal Assembly, said the Election Commission on Saturday.

More than 73 lakh voters will exercise their franchise polling for 30 seats with 191 candidates in the fray. The first phase includes those seats from the Jungal Mahal area in the south-western fringes that are considered sensitive as voting began at 7 a.m.

Of the five assembly elections, West Bengal has the maximum number of seats and highest phases staggered into eight.

Seven seats in Purba Medinipur — Patashpur, Kanthi Uttar, Bhagabanpur, Khejuri, Kanthi Dakshin, Ramnagar, and Egra — are ticked off as sensitive.

The polls are being closely watched because of prestige battles between Suvendu Adhikari, a former Trinamool Congressman, who is now facing his erstwhile supremo Mamata Banerjee in Nandigram.

Trinamool has complained to the Election Commission that they apprehend voters to be threatened in Nandigram. Raising concerns about voter safety in the state and the party approached the EC on Friday saying electorates were already being intimidated in Nandigram, Bhagwanpur, and Haripur.

Media reports showed an election vehicle being set on fire in Purulia’s Bandwan, hours before the polling began. There was tension reported from Tulsidi village where the fire incident took place. Security forces are keeping a close vigil in the area, surrounded by forests that were once Maoist hideouts.

Trinamool MPs Derek O’Brien and Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar have visited the EC office in Kolkata to raise the issue. “Many people with criminal records are living in Nandigram, Bhagwanpur, and Haripur — are not voters of the constituency. Voters are being scared and threatened. The Election Commission should ensure voters’ safety,” Dastidar said.

O’Brien tweeted: On May 2, Trinamool will win Bengal”, and posted a chequered flag emoji highlighting three main points — Bengal’s daughter (Mamata Banerjee) will defeat Bengal’s traitor (Adhikari) in his ‘backyard’ in Nandigram.

He slammed Modi and Shah calling them members of the Tourist Gang, and, adding that “Women in Bengal will continue to wear saris any way they want.”

Reports of EVM malfunction were reported from two polling booths in Kharagpur. The EVMs in booth number 98, 99 had stopped working temporarily due to a technical glitch, reports in the media said. The people said they waited for over two hours to cast their votes.

In Purulia, allegations were raised by the BJP against the former minister and Trinamool candidate of purportedly distributing cash among the voters. The BJP has filed a complaint with the poll body.

The BJP workers also complained about Trinamool workers “unleashing terror” in poll-bound districts in collusion with a section of the state police.

Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi urged voters in a tweet: “Today, Phase 1 of the West Bengal Assembly elections begin. I would request all those who are voters in the seat polling today to exercise their franchise in record numbers”, just before polling got underway in the state around 7 a.m.

Vijayan orders judicial probe against ED

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Vijayan orders judicial probe against ED

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Friday decided to order a judicial probe against the Enforcement Directorate following a complaint by two women police officials that they heard the ED officers pressuring the prime accused in the Gold smuggling case Swapna Suresh and asking her loaded questions to name Vijayan.

This new judicial probe will be headed by Justice (rtd) V.K. Mohan and the terms of reference also have been given.

To make this a reality, the Vijayan government has to get the approval of the Election Commission, the procedures for that have also commenced.

Incidentally, this judicial probe comes close on the heels after Vijayan ordered the Crime Branch wing of the Kerala Police to register a case against the ED officials who were responsible for this.

An FIR has been filed before a court in Kochi against Kochi ED officials on charges which include conspiracy and other non-bailable offenses.

This new move comes a few days after the ED officials approached the Kerala High Court to quash the FIR registered against them and sought a CBI probe into this.

All this is happening at a time when Kerala goes to the polls on April 6 to elect a new 140-member Kerala Legislative Assembly.

And ever since Vijayan took over the election campaign, practically every day he makes it a point to say that the government under him was of a different breed and it has always taken on the Centre. This was especially so when it became the first state in the country to announce that the CAA won’t be implemented there.

He also raised the way ‘the Central probe agencies are out to tarnish the image of the government, whose only agenda is the development of the state’.

Meanwhile, senior Congress legislator and a former Home Minister Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan said there was nothing but a ploy by Vijayan to thwart any new move by the Central agencies in the various cases that they are probing in Kerala.

“Vijayan just wants to stall any fresh move till April 6 and for that, he will go to any extent,” said Radhakrishnan.

Bharat Bandh takes off in Andhra with govt support

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Bharat Bandh takes off in Andhra with govt support

Amaravati, March 26 (Telugu Bullet)  The Bharat Bandh called by the agitating farmers on Friday took off in Andhra Pradesh with most political parties coming in support including the state government.

Yuvajana Sramika Rythu Congress Party (YSRCP), Telugu Desam Party (TDP), Left parties and others extended their support to the Bandh called by the farmers across the country.

Commercial establishments remained closed even in small towns.

“Communist Party leaders came in the morning and told us not to open the shops till at least 1 p.m. in the afternoon,” said Srinu, a shopkeeper in West Godavari district told IANS.

He said even the auto-rickshaws which replenish their goods were not plying on Friday.

Andhra Pradesh Information and Public Relations Minister Perni Venkatramaiah had already announced that the state government will extend support to the Bandh call.

“AP government extends complete support to the farmers’ Bandh and the Visakhapatnam steel plant agitation,” said Venkatramaiah.

He called on the people to protest peacefully and said that everybody should participate voluntarily till 1 p.m. on Friday.

“Y. S. Jagan Mohan Reddy-led government has also decided not to run the APSRTC buses till 1 p.m. on Friday,” he said.

However, the road transport corporation buses will resume services after 1 p.m. so that public life will not get completely paralysed.

On Wednesday, the Left parties took out a rally in Visakhapatnam to make the Bandh a success and those party leaders called on the Central government to take back the decision of privatizing the port city’s steel plant.

“Narendra Modi should stop privatization efforts and immediately end the process of privatizing public sector companies. We will not just watch the steel plant getting privatized which we procured after a great struggle,” said the Left leader.

He also called for the immediate cancellation of the farm laws which will harm the farmers and demanded a price control on petrol, diesel, and LPG.

Rahul Gandhi extends support to Bharat Bandh

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Rahul Gandhi extends support to Bharat Bandh

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has extended support to the Bharat Bandh and said that ‘Satyagraha’ was the way to oppose these laws and hoped that the protest will be peaceful.

In a tweet in Hindi on Friday, Rahul Gandhi said (loosely translated), “History is witness that through Satyagraha injustice, arrogance and exploitation ends and the agitation should be in the interest of the country and should be peaceful.”

The Congress has been opposing the farm laws and is in support of the agitating farmers. Rahul Gandhi even participated and led the tractor Yatra in Punjab and Rajasthan. The party has been organizing protests across the country in support of the farmers.

Meanwhile, hundreds of farmers on Friday blocked the Delhi-Uttar Pradesh Ghazipur border here as part of their 12-hour Bharat Bandh on the completion of four months of protest over the three contentious farm laws.

The farmers blocked the National Highway 24 that connects Delhi with Ghaziabad. The farmers sat on the highway demanding the repeal of the three farm laws.

Delhi Traffic Police in a tweet said: “Traffic movement is closed on Ghazipur Border NH-24 (Both carriageway), Kindly avoid the stretch.”

On Thursday, the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM) said that all shops, malls, markets, and commercial establishments will remain shut on Friday in view of its ‘Bharat Bandh’ call on completion of four months of farmers’ protest at Delhi’s borders against the Centre’s three new farm laws.

According to the SKM, the 12-hour bandh will be observed between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m. However, ambulances and other essential services will be allowed.

The Bharat Bandh called by SKM is being supported by the representatives of various farmer organizations, trade unions, student groups, lawyer associations, political parties, and state governments.

Crime against women on the rise in UP: Mayawati

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Crime against women on the rise in UP: Mayawati

Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) president Mayawati has targeted the Yogi Adityanath government of Uttar Pradesh over increasing crime against women.

She said in a tweet that crime against women in Uttar Pradesh was on the rise and the state government should take steps to control the situation.

“It is a matter of concern that women are feeling insecure. Incidents in Pilibhit, Gonda, police atrocities in Etah, and the Jhansi incident where nuns were targeted are a matter of concern and shame,” she tweeted.

She urged the state government to take cognisance of the situation.

IT raids DMK leader Velu’s home, other locations

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IT raids DMK leader Velu’s home, other locations

On a day when DMK President M.K. Stalin was campaigning in Tamil Nadu’s Tiruvannamalai for party’s senior leader E.V.Velu for the April 6 assembly polls, Income Tax officials searched the candidate’s home and several other locations.

The former minister is seeking reelection from the Tiruvannamalai constituency.

Completing his campaign, Stalin and others returned to the guest house located in Velu’s engineering college in the district.

Reacting to the searches, DMK Treasurer Duraimuragan said that the raids were done with a political motive.

“The searches are being carried out as the DMK cannot be defeated in the polls,” he said.

India-B’desh borders to be sealed to check infiltration: Modi

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India-B’desh borders to be sealed to check infiltration: Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Wednesday that India-Bangladesh borders would be sealed to check infiltration, as he accused the Congress of aligning with the forces which are patronizing the infiltrators.

Addressing an election rally at Bihpuria under Lakhimpur district in eastern Assam, the Prime Minister said that India-Bangladesh borders with western Assam’s Dhubri have been sealed and works are going on at a fast pace to seal the remaining patches of the international borders with Bangladesh.

Five Indian states — West Bengal (2,216 km), Tripura (856 km), Meghalaya (443 km), Mizoram (318 km), and Assam ( 263 km) — share 4,096 km borders with Bangladesh.

Without naming the Congress’ electoral ally, the All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF), Modi said that in order to protect its vote bank, the Congress is ready to join hands with any forces, and in Assam, it forged an alliance with a party that is patronizing the infiltrators.

“Congress has no leaders, policy, or ideology. The party forged an alliance with the Left parties in Assam and West Bengal, but it is fighting against them in Kerala,” the Prime Minister said.

Modi also said that the Congress did nothing for the lakhs of tea garden workers when it was in power in Assam.

“In five years, the BJP government has increased the daily wage of tea garden workers twice to over Rs 200. In this year’s Budget, a Rs 1,000 crore package was announced for the welfare of lakhs of tea garden workers,” the Prime Minister said.

Appreciating BJP’s ‘Sankalp Patra’ for the upcoming Assam elections, Modi said the manifesto is the roadmap to further develop the state.

BJP President J.P. Nadda had on Tuesday released the party’s manifesto, focusing on flood management, protection and development of the Assamese culture, empowerment of youth and women, correction of the National Register of Citizens (NRC), and checking infiltration.

Modi said that despite being in power in Assam for 15 years (2001-2016), the Congress did nothing to protect and promote the Assamese traditions and culture, instead, it backed the poachers involved in killing the state’s famed one-horn rhinos.

“In 70 years, 13,000 km rural roads were constructed in Assam, but the BJP government built 15,000 km of rural roads in the state in just five years. Efforts are also on to market Assam’s crops outside the state, including organic crops,” the Prime Minister said.

Accompanied by Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, the Prime Minister’s rally in Bihpuria was his fourth public meeting in six days in the poll-bound state.

Later on Wednesday, Modi is scheduled to address another rally in the Sipajhar Darrang district.

The Prime Minister would visit the BJP-ruled state three more times till April 3 to address several election rallies.

The 126-member Assam Assembly will go to the polls in three phases on March 27 (47 seats), April 1 (39 seats), and April 6 (40 seats). The results will be declared on May 2.

Vizag plant Andhra’s heirloom, don’t privatise it: YSRCP MP

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Vizag plant Andhra’s heirloom, don’t privatise it: YSRCP MP

YSRCP Rajya Sabha member V. Vijayasai Reddy on Wednesday said that the Centre’s decision to sell off PSUs is not the solution as he came out strongly against the proposed privatization of the Vizag Steel Plant (VSP).

“Rather than selling PSUs formed over the years, I urge the government to look at the alternative resources for revenue generation such as widening the tax base, etc..,” he said in a speech in the upper house of Parliament.

Pleading with Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman to refrain from VSP’s privatization, he likened the steel plant to a gold heirloom of Andhra Pradesh.

“Madam (Sitharaman) is the daughter-in-law of AP and madam knows the sentiment of AP. I request the Finance Minister to kindly reconsider the privatization of VSP,” he said.

Referring to the tradition of South Indian women who generally seldom sell their heirloom gold, Reddy said the steel plant is equal to gold for the Telugu people.

“South Indian women particularly won’t sell the gold. They won’t sell the family gold. In fact, madam (Sitharaman) has decided to sell the gold of AP, that is a navaratana PSU, which is very unfortunate,” he said.

Opportunist Congress forging alliances with communal forces: Nadda

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Opportunist Congress forging alliances with communal forces: Nadda

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) President J.P.Nadda on Monday said that the Congress is doing politics of opportunism and destruction and its only objective is to win elections, instead of developing the state and the country.

Addressing three election rallies at Dibrugarh, Jorhat, and Biswanath Chariali in northern and eastern Assam, the BJP chief said that the Congress is forging alliances with the Muslim League and fighting against Left parties in Kerala even as the party embraces both Left parties and Furfura Sharif (Indian Secular Front) in West Bengal.

“In Assam, the same Congress forged an electoral alliance with another communal force, the All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF). It is doing opportunistic and destructive politics and the BJP is doing the development. The BJP governments at the Centre and the state have scripted a new chapter of development in Assam.”

The BJP leader said that the Congress is talking about Assam and its tea but using the photographs of Sri Lanka and Taiwan.

“The Congress has damaged Assam’s culture and never gave importance to security. During the Bodoland protests, thousands of civilians and security personnel were killed and kidnapped. But, with the surrender of over 2,000 militants, peace has been restored in Assam,” he pointed out.

Alleging that infiltration had increased during the governance of Congress, but the BJP government not only checked this but also electronically and digitally put up surveillance along the borders where the fencing could not be erected.

Nadda said that despite former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh representing Assam in Parliament, he did not sanction the pending gas royalty to Assam but Narendra Modi, within a week of becoming Prime Minister, sanctioned Assam’s due gas royalty to the tune of Rs 8,000 crore.

He said: “To give the due rights and respect to indigenous people, the BJP government has already issued ‘Patta’ (land rights) to over 3.50 lakh people.”

Modifying the British era forest act, will boost the bamboo-based industry and empower lakhs of artisans across the northeastern region, said Nadda.

“By making 7,000 toilets in Assam out of 11 crores in the entire country, the BJP government not only made Assam an open-defecation-free state but also restored the respect of lakhs of rural women who used to defecate in open fields and prevent disease,” added the BJP President.

Nadda, accompanied by other party leaders, is scheduled to release BJP’s election manifesto for the upcoming Assembly elections in Assam on Tuesday.

Elections for the 126-seat Assam assembly would take place in three phases on March 27, April 1, and April 6.

The results will be announced on May 2.

CM KCR conveys World Water Day greetings

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CM KCR conveys World Water Day greetings

Hyderabad,(Telugu Bullet):  Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao extended greetings to the people of Telangana State on the occasion of World Water Day. He said conservation of natural resources does not only maintain equilibrium in nature but also accumulates valuable wealth terms that could be passed on to the next generations.

In a statement here on Monday, the Chief Minister said in Telangana, the State government was implementing several schemes and projects to supply water for irrigation and also drinking water purposes as well as making efforts to revive the groundwater levels.

“Through Mission Kakatiya and mega irrigation projects like Kaleswaram, efforts are on to increase the groundwater levels as well as make water available for the crop cultivation. With the implementation of Mission Bhagiratha, safe and pure drinking water has been made available to every household through pipelines and taps which in turn eradicated the fluoride problem permanently,” he said.

Chandrashekhar Rao said the State government was taking several measures for the past six and half years which brought in a qualitative change in the water resources management. It is a moment of pride for all of us that experts across the world, as well as the Central government, appreciated the initiatives of the Telangana government, he added.

For a change Pinarayi Vijayan turns media friendly

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For a change Pinarayi Vijayan turns media friendly

Kerala (Telugu Bullet)  With the April 6 Assembly polls approaching fast, Pinarayi Vijayan nowadays appears to be easily available to the media in contrast to his earlier image of being one of the most inaccessible Chiefs Ministers in Kerala.

All those who have been following Vijayan, right from the time he assumed office in May 2016, he went into the record books by becoming the first Chief Minister of the state to cancel the weekly post-cabinet media briefing, and he made it crystal clear that he will speak only when he wanted to and not when the media sought him.

Then came his classic act of chasing away the media by literally shouting, “Kadeku purethu” (get out) when the media came to cover a peace meeting in the state capital.

However, this tough posture against the media at times came in handy for even the media-friendly Congress-led UDF top leaders, who used to taunt the media and escape replying by saying: “Why don’t you ask like this to Vijayan. All know you are afraid of him.”

A media critic on the condition of anonymity said Vijayan has always been like this and whenever he needs the support of the media, he is liberal in giving interviews.

“Even though Vijayan and his team are claiming that they would become the first government to retain power, they have sensed that things are not rosy as they think, and hence this is the latest game plan of the Vijayan think-tank to reach out to the media as quickly and be as polite as possible. Just ahead of the 2016 Assembly polls, also his PR team was chasing the media and was giving interviews at will during the course of his statewide Yatra then. For the media, memory is short-lived and for them, it’s only the TRP that matters and that’s also known to Vijayan, and hence he is the winner,” said the critic, who did not wish to be identified.

Incidentally, on Sunday, an agitated Leader of Opposition Ramesh Chennithala alleged that the government was influencing the media by giving advertisements worth crores of rupees.

“The recent pre-poll surveys appear to be heavily biased towards the Left and the media have been campaigning against the Congress-led UDF. The government has spent by now Rs 200 crore for advertisements. In a democracy, the opposition also has to be given time and space by the media and none should forget that the Vijayan government had to backtrack on a number of schemes, after we raised strong objections. The same company has partnered with three different media organizations to do the pre-poll survey and it should also be noted that the Vijayan government has given advertisements to newspapers in Gujarat also,” said Chennithala.

With two more weeks left for the polls, the Congress-led opposition is leaving nothing to chance and starting Monday, they feel that with the arrival of Rahul Gandhi and later Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, things will definitely change for the better.

TRAC develops plant growth monitoring system

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TRAC develops plant growth monitoring system

Hyderabad, March 19 (Telugu Bullet) The Telangana Remote Sensing Application Centre (TRAC) has developed a plant growth monitoring system.

The system was presented to Chief Secretary Somesh Kumar and other senior officials during a meeting on plantationS on Friday.

The system facilitates in identifying potential avenue, block and individual sites for plantations through high-resolution satellite data. The TRAC has also created a portal through which potential plantation site information can be accessed through mobile. A dashboard containing total information about the plantation was also developed.

The Chief Secretary congratulated the TRAC team headed by Srinivas Reddy for doing an excellent job and observed that this can usher in real change in the field. He observed that this system will be a game-changer, is very timely and in sync with Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao’s vision of making the state green.

It would help the officials to focus on multi-layer avenue plantation, inch by inch plantation along the lakes, roads and scattered lands so as to ensure that no area is left vacant, he added.

Special Chief Secretary, Forest, Shanti Kumari, Principal Secretary, MA & UD, Arvind Kumar, Principal Secretary, IT, Jayesh Ranjan, Secretary, PR&RD, Sandeep Kumar Sultania, Principal Chief Conservator of Forests, R. Sobha, Principal Secretary, Finance, Ronald Rose, and other officials attended the meeting.

Khadi ‘Mujeeb Jackets’ to add sheen during PM’s B’desh visit

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Khadi ‘Mujeeb Jackets’ to add sheen during PM’s B’desh visit

New Delhi, March 20 (Telugu Bullet)  Khadi “Mujeeb Jackets” will be the centre of attraction during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s two-day visit to Dhaka next week with dignitaries at the Indian High Commission wearing the signature garment honouring Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, Bangladesh’s Father of the Nation.

The Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) has supplied 100 such custom-designed “Mujeeb Jackets” to the Indian High Commission in Dhaka.

The garment will be the key attire of dignitaries during Prime Minister Modi’s diplomatic visit to the nation on March 26-27.

“As Bangladesh celebrates ‘Mujib Borsho’, the birth centenary of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, Cultural Centre of the Indian High Commission in Dhaka, had placed an order for 100 Mujeeb Jackets, ahead of the Prime Minister’s visit,” KVIC Chairman, Vinai Kumar Saxena said.

The “Mujeeb jacket” is an immensely popular outfit in Bangladesh.

For the older generation, it is symbolic of the ideology of their great leader, while it has increasingly become a fashion statement for the youth of Bangladesh.

Modi has always been particular about Khadi and its heritage and cultural value to strengthen diplomatic ties with foreign countries.

In 2016, the BRICS leaders, which also includes Modi, had attended the summit in Khadi jackets in Goa.

“The Prime Minister always accorded top priority to Khadi during his diplomatic visits. This is to carry forward the legacy of Mahatma Gandhi who always carried Khadi products specially a Khadi handkerchief with him and presented it to dignitaries during his foreign visits,” Saxena said.

The specially designed “Mujeeb Jackets” have been made of high-quality handcrafted Khadi fabric. The black Mujeeb Jackets have been designed with six buttons, two pockets on the lower half and a front pocket on the left, as worn by Rahman.

In keeping with the eco-friendly nature of the fabric, the zip-covers for these jackets to have been made of black cotton fabric with “Khadi India” logo embroidered over it.

These jackets will be carried in specially designed white coloured waste plastic-mixed carry bags made at KVIC’s Kumarappa National Handmade Paper Institute (KNHPI) in Jaipur.

“Mujeeb Jacket” is historically significant in Bangladesh and it is a matter of great pride that these jackets made of Khadi fabric be adorned during the Bangladesh visit of Prime Minister Modi who is the biggest brand ambassador of Khadi, Saxena said.

“Mujeeb jackets made of Khadi will add significantly to the historical and cultural values of the celebrations,” he said, adding, this will also promote Khadi on the global and diplomatic platform in a big way.

Since the jackets were meant for diplomatic purposes, KVIC accorded top priority to it and delivered the consignment before time.

Earlier KVIC sent its high-quality cotton and silk masks to various countries.

If there is any party Bangla in true sense, it is BJP: Modi

TB Team
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If there is any party Bangla in true sense, it is BJP: Modi

Countering West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s sustained attacks at the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) dubbing it an ‘outsider party’, Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressing a massive public rally on Saturday in West Midnapore’s Kharagpur said “if there is a Bengal party in the true sense, then it is the BJP”.

“The father of the Jana Sangh was the son of this Bengal. The BJP’s DNA has the ethics, thoughts, and values of Ashutosh Mukherjee and Dr. Shyama Prasad Mukherjee. With these features, we want to take Bengal to the next level in terms of development and make the future bright for the people of the state,” Modi said.

Urging people to vote for the saffron camp, he said that the people of West Bengal have seen the political regimes of all other parties in Bengal, except for the BJP.

People gave an opportunity of 10 years to Mamata to bring development to the state. But she gave them 10 years of “plunder, corruption, and misrule”.

“Just give us one chance to come to power in Bengal for 5 years. I promise you that the BJP will work towards the direction of making the state a ‘Sonar Bangla’ (Golden Bengal), the region which has been lagging behind almost for 70-years… The BJP will bring a change to the destruction caused by these parties in the last 70 years in the state…

“Arrey Didi, Bengal gave you 10-years for governance… We not only want to bloom lotus in Bengal but also want to make the future of the people of Bengal bright,” he pointed out.

The Prime Minister said that last night, WhatsApp, Facebook, and Instagram were down for 50-55 minutes which left everyone worried.

“But here in Bengal, development, belief and dreams of the young people have been down for 50-55 years,” he said, adding that “Bangal mein is bar BJP sarkar (It will be a BJP government this time in Bengal)”.

He said that people of West Bengal are getting impatient to bring in “ashol poriborton” (real change) to Bengal.

Braving the scorching sun, thousands of people came to attend PM Modi’s rally on Saturday at Kharagpur. Armed with banners and placards, people were also seen sloganeering in favor of Modi ahead of the Prime Minister’s address at the rally.

Modi recalled the names of revolutions that started from West Midnapore and bowed to the land saying he is “fortunate” to address such a huge rally at Kharagpur.

He praised BJP’s West Bengal unit president Dilip Ghosh for his relentless effort to consolidate the party’s organization in West Bengal.

“I am proud that we have a party state unit president like Dilip Ghosh who took the organization to such a height despite regular attacks by Mamata Banerjee’s party. He never refrained from working for the betterment of West Bengal,” Modi said.

Harping on the theory of “double-engine government” PM Modi said that wherever there are BJP governments in the states, the Central and BJP-led state governments are engaged in the services towards the people with “the power of a double engine”.

“We are working with the mantra of ‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas and Sabka Vishwas’,” he said.

Modi said that if the BJP government comes to power in the state — agriculture, irrigation, and cold storage facilities will be made better. This will benefit the potato farmers in the region.

“Improvement drives would be carried out in areas of healthcare, drinking water facilities, and rural roads too. We’re committed to all-round development,” he said.

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