Page 2 - Modi Govt

Chenab Valley put on speedy development under Modi govt: Jitendra Singh

The Chenab Valley, ignored by the previous dispensations, has been put on fast-track development under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, said Union Minister Jitendra Singh on Saturday. He visited Jammu and Kashmir's Doda, which is a part of his Udhampur parliamentary constituency, and chaired a meeting to assess the pace of development works on mega projects being executed by National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation Ltd (NHIDCL), NHPC and General Reserve Engineering Force. Interacting with reporters after addressing a BJP workers' meeting, Singh said a revolutionary change has taken place in the entire Chenab Valley which comprises Doda, Kishtwar and Ramban districts after Modi took over as the prime minister of the country. "Unfortunately, the region, despite being bestowed with natural resources, was ignored by the successive regimes for nearly seven decades. Many of the political leaders reached Delhi, became union ministers and also served Jammu and Kashmir but t

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Kharge slams ED searches at Yadav family premises, hits out at Modi govt

Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge on Friday accused the Narendra Modi government of making "sinister attempts to kill democracy" by misusing probe agencies against Opposition leaders, as he slammed the Centre over the ED searches on the premises of former Bihar Chief Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav's family. The Enforcement Directorate on Friday conducted searches in multiple cities of Bihar and other locations, including premises of Yadav's family and other RJD leaders, in connection with a money laundering investigation into the land for jobs 'scam' case. The ED in its raids seized Rs 53 lakh, USD 1,900, about 540 grams of gold and bullion and 1.5 kg of gold jewellery, sources in the agency said. One of the locations searched was a house in south Delhi where Lalu Prasad's son, Bihar Deputy Chief Minister, Tejashwi Yadav was present, they said. Reacting to the searches, Kharge in a tweet in Hindi said, "For the last 14 hours, Modi ji has kept ED at the house of Deputy Chief Minister

Adani-Hindenburg row: SC order a 'tight slap' on Modi govt, says AAP

The Aam Aadmi Party said Thursday the Supreme Court's order for setting up a committee to look into various regulatory aspects of the stock markets, including the recent Adani Group shares crash, is a "tight slap" on the Modi government. "This has today proved that the Modi government is corrupt and useless," AAP national spokesperson Sanjay Singh said at a press conference. The apex court on Thursday ordered the setting up of a six-member committee headed by former top court judge A M Sapre to investigate the recent Adani Group shares crash triggered by the Hindenburg Research's fraud allegations and other regulatory aspects related to the stock markets. A bench of Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud and justices P S Narasimha and J B Pardiwala said the panel will make an overall assessment of the situation, suggest measures to make investors aware and strengthen the existing regulatory measures for the stock markets. The bench also directed the Centre, financial statutory bodies and th

12 cheetahs brought from SA served first meal at Kuno National Park in MP

Twelve cheetahs brought from South Africa to the Kuno National Park (KNP) in Madhya Pradesh two days ago have been served their first meal in their new home, an official said on Monday. The seven male and five female felines, brought as part of the Indian government's ambitious cheetah reintroduction programme, were served 65 to 70 kg of buffalo meat at around 5.30 pm on Sunday in the 10 quarantine bomas and they ate it all, KNP Divisional Forest Officer PK Verma told PTI. Before being brought to India on Saturday, they were fed at around 6 am on February 15 at the bomas in Rooiberg and Phinda Reserves in South Africa, officials said. The 12 cheetahs brought on Saturday will be kept in the quarantine enclosures for at least a month before they are moved into the acclimatisation enclosures. A decision on it will be taken by the task force on cheetahs, they said. According to experts, the cheetahs go in for the kill once in three to four days. They eat the prey fast at one go, fearin

Govt forms cabinet secretary-led panel to monitor Mission Karmayogi

Cabinet Secretary Rajiv Gauba will head a top panel comprising a senior official from the Prime Minister's Office, seven secretaries, among others, to monitor the implementation of the government's ambitious Mission Karmayogi programme for training of government employees. Envisioned as one of the largest capacity-building initiatives in government organisations anywhere in the world, Mission Karmayogi aims to create a competent civil service rooted in Indian ethos with a shared understanding of the country's priorities, and working in harmonisation for effective and efficient public service delivery. The mission seeks to keep the civil service at the centre of all change, empowering them to deliver in challenging environments. Thus, by design, Mission Karmayogi adopts a citizen-centric approach for civil service reforms. The government has recently approved setting up a Cabinet Secretariat Coordination Unit or CSCU as part of the institutional framework under the National Programme

Will make every effort to make life in Ladakh easier, says PM Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday asserted that his government will leave no stone unturned to make life easier for the people of Ladakh. He made the comment tagging a tweet by Ladakh MP Jamyang Tsering Namgyal in which he said the Modi government approved Rs 1681.51 crore for the construction of the 4.1-km-long Shinkun La tunnel to be completed by 2025 to provide all-weather connectivity to Ladakh. "The residents of Lungnak Valley of Zanskar, the most backward region of Ladakh, welcomed and thanked Modi ji for this decision," the Lok Sabha MP from the Union Territory said. Tagging his tweet, Modi, in a tweet in Hindi, said, "We will leave no stone unturned to make life easier for the people of Ladakh.

Cheetah translocation to India result of S Africa's changed eco laws

The translocation of 12 cheetahs to India from South Africa on Saturday could be made possible because of changed eco laws after Nelson Mandela was elected president following 27 years as a political prisoner of the white minority apartheid government. Before that, India had ended all relations with South Africa for nearly four decades as it led the international fight against apartheid. In South Africa, the transition to democracy had substantial implications for wild cheetah conservation. The Game Theft Act (No. 105 of 1991) was responsible for a major change in land use from agriculture to ecotourism," the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and Environment (DFFE) said in a statement on Saturday. Since 1994 (when Mandela was installed as President) cheetahs have been reintroduced into 63 newly established game reserves that currently support a combined metapopulation of 460 individuals, it said. The Department of Fisheries, Forestry and the Environment has approved the expor

Government going to those considered remote earlier, says PM Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi asserted on Thursday that the country is working for the tribal population with a pride that was not seen earlier, stressing that their welfare is a matter of "personal relations and sentiments" for him. Modi inaugurated 'Aadi Mahotsav', a mega national tribal festival to showcase the tribal culture on a large scale, and listed steps taken by his government since 2014 to boost progress of the community. For the first time, a tribal in Droupadi Murmu has occupied the top constitutional post in the country, he said, adding the budgetary allocation for the community has risen manifold since 2014. He called upon the people of Delhi and neighbouring states to visit the festival to witness the rich tribal culture and nutritious food products being showcased from across the country. Let's ensure that they sell all their products, the prime minister said. The government is now going from Delhi to those considered remote and bringing them in the mainstream, he

Jaishankar, Fiji Deputy PM discuss further advancing India-Fiji ties

Jaishankar on Wednesday inaugurated the 12th Vishwa Hindi Sammelan in Nadi, Fiji

Congress attacks govt over Income Tax survey operation at BBC offices

The Congress on Tuesday took a swipe at the government over the Income Tax survey operation at the BBC offices, saying while they are demanding a JPC on the Adani issue it is after the BBC. The Income Tax Department on Tuesday conducted a survey operation at the British Broadcasting Corporation's (BBC) offices in Delhi and Mumbai as part of a tax evasion investigation, officials said. Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh also used a Hindi idiom to attack the government, saying "Vinash Kale, Vipreet Buddhi" (When doom approaches, a person's intellect works against his interest). "Here we are demanding JPC on the Adani issue but the government is after the BBC. Vinash Kale Viprit Buddhi," Ramesh said. As part of a survey, the Income Tax Department only covers the business premises of a company and does not raid residences and other locations of its promoters or directors.

Govt working on maximising net revenue from fisheries: Union fisheries secy

The top fisheries official added that appropriate technologies are crucial in maintaining sustainability in the marine fisheries sector of the country

BJP govt in UP has failed to come up with new projects in 6 years: Akhilesh

Amid the Global Investors Summit in Lucknow, Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav hit out at the BJP government in Uttar Pradesh on Sunday, alleging it has failed to come up with any new project in its six-year rule. In a statement, he alleged that the BJP dispensation is showcasing projects implemented by the erstwhile Samajwadi Party government during the summit. "The state government has restarted fountains and lights in Old Lucknow. Janeshwar Mishra Park is being opened round the clock. The river front is being decorated...," he said. Janeshwar Mishra Park and the Gomti river front were developed during the Samajwadi Party government. The statement further alleged that a solar plant inaugurated by then president has been shut due to a lack of budget. "JP International Centre in Lucknow is being damaged in the absence of care. The facilities could have been used to hold sessions of the investors summit," read the statement. The Samajwadi Party president alleged that the ..

'Does govt have hand in Adani's growth,' Congress' Venugopal attacks Centre

Amid the row over the Hindenburg-Adani issue Congress secretary KC Venugopal attacked the Centre and said people of the country need an answer whether the govt has hand in Adani Group's growth or not

Govt not doing enough to remove hurdles in agri exports, says Sharad Pawar

Nationalist Congress Party chief and former Union agriculture minister Sharad Pawar has slammed the Narendra Modi government at the Centre for not doing enough to remove hurdles in the export of fruits and vegetables. He was speaking to the media at an event in Sanpada in Navi Mumbai on Saturday. The Centre is not paying attention to issues being faced in the export of fruits and vegetables, which was distressing farmers, especially those growing onion, a crop that needs to be exported in order to fetch a good price domestically, Pawar said. He also flagged the increase in land acquisition for infrastructure projects like highways and expressways, rail routes and airports, all of which he claimed also put load on the agriculture sector. "The Centre must provide support for the modernisation of agriculture. The production of fruits and vegetables is on the rise but there are hurdles in its export, which the Centre is not paying attention to," he added.

Annual nuclear power generation stood at 35,333 mn units in 2021-22: Govt

In past India's nuclear installations were mostly confined to the South Indian States or in the west in Maharashtra and Gujarat, the Modi govt is also promoting its expansion to other parts of India

Almost all 100 cities under smart cities initiative doing fairly well: Govt

The government on Thursday said almost all 100 cities selected under the smart cities initiative are progressing "fairly well" with some facing a slowdown in work due to Covid and local factors. The Centre's assertion came in response to a question in Lok Sabha by Congress MP Shashi Tharoor, who asked about "discrepancies" in the implementation of the projects under the smart city programme. Tharoor cited a comparison between Varanasi with Atal Nagar in Chhattisgarh, saying while most projects are complete for the former, only a few had wrapped up for the latter. In response to the question during Question Hour, Minister for Housing and Urban Affairs Hardeep Singh Puri said, "When you read facts and figures, you have to be careful." Sometimes, very little work is left for a project under construction to be completed but till the completion certificate comes, it will be shown as work under progress, Puri pointed out. "Almost all 100 cities are doing fairly well. In some due to the

Opposition wants Parliament to function but Modi govt afraid: Congress

Amid the logjam in Parliament over the Adani-Hindenburg issue, the Congress on Tuesday said the Opposition wants the two Houses to function but the government is "afraid" and isn't even allowing it to raise the demand for a JPC probe. The opposition party also alleged that the government is making "no effort" to break the logjam in Parliament. Adani Group stocks have taken a beating on the bourses after US-based activist short-seller Hindenburg Research made a litany of allegations, including fraudulent transactions and share price manipulation, against the Gautam Adani-led group, which has dismissed the allegations as lies. The Opposition has been demanding a joint parliamentary committee (JPC) probe or a Supreme Court-monitored investigation into the allegations. "Today Opposition parties meet at 10 am to decide the day's strategy. No effort from the government to break the logjam caused by its refusal to allow Opposition to even raise its demand for a JPC into the PM-linked Adan

Union Budget a silent strike on poor by Modi govt, says Sonia Gandhi

Former Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Monday said Union Budget 2023-24 is a "silent strike" on the poor by the Modi government and hits at the heart of all far-reaching rights-based legislation enacted during the UPA rule. In an opinion piece in The Indian Express, Gandhi also made an apparent reference to the allegations against the Adani Group, saying Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his ministers are resorting to loud chants of 'vishwa guru' and 'Amrit Kaal', even as "financial scandals" erupt over his "favourite and favoured businessman". "The prime minister's policy to benefit his few rich friends at the expense of poor and middle-class Indians has led to continuous disasters from demonetisation to a badly-designed GST hurting small businesses, to the failed attempt to bring about the three farm laws and the subsequent neglect of agriculture," Gandhi alleged. "Destructive" privatisation has handed over priceless national assets to selected private hands cheaply, leading to

Govt to hike dearness allowance for 10 mn employees, pensioners to 42%

The central government is likely to increase dearness allowance (DA) for its over one crore employees and pensioners by four percentage points to 42 per cent from existing 38 per cent as per the agreed formula for the purpose. The dearness allowance for employees and pensioners are worked out on the basis of the latest Consumer Price Index for Industrial Workers (CPI-IW) brought out by the Labour Bureau every month. The Labour Bureau is a wing of the Labour Ministry. Talking to PTI, All India Railwaymen Federation, General Secretary, Shiva Gopal Mishra said, "The CPI-IW for December 2022 was released on January 31, 2023. The dearness allowance hike works out to be 4.23 per cent. But the government does not factor in hiking DA beyond decimal point. Thus DA is likely to be increased by four percentage points to 42 per cent." He further explained that the expenditure department of the Finance Ministry will formulate a proposal to hike DA along with its revenue implication and will put