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Sitharaman To Brief BJP MPs On Budget 2023 Tomorrow

By LokMarg 2nd February 2023

Union Finance Minister, Nirmala Sitharaman who presented the Narendra Modi government’s last full budget ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, will hold a briefing for the BJP MPs both of Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha on Friday, sources said.

She will explain the budget to the MPs in the meeting.
The briefing will be held at 9 am at the Balayogi Auditorium in Parliament Library Building in the national capital, all MPs have been informed.

This briefing comes at a time when the party has asked all its members of Parliament to go to the respective constituencies and tell the common man what does budget means and how it has been brought out, keeping the interest of every stratum of society in mind.

Meanwhile, Sitharaman yesterday announced an increase in the income tax rebate limit from Rs 5 lakh to Rs 7 lakh stating that the new tax regime will now be the default tax regime.

The Finance Minister also proposed to change the tax structure in this regime by reducing the number of tax slabs to 5 and increasing the tax exemption limit to Rs 3 lakh.

The government proposed to increase capital expenditure outlay by 33 per cent to Rs 10 lakh crore in 2023-24, which would be 3.3 per cent of the GDP, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said on Wednesday.

Further, the government proposed to increase the agricultural credit target to Rs 20 lakh crore with a focus on animal husbandry, dairy and fisheries, Sitharaman said. The agriculture sector of the country has been growing at an average annual growth rate of 4.6 per cent in the last six years.

Presenting the Union Budget 2023, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Wednesday pegged the fiscal deficit target for 2023-24 at 5.9 per cent of gross domestic product (GDP).

The Finance Minister further said that the government intends to bring the fiscal deficit below 4.5 per cent of GDP by the financial year 2025-26. (ANI)

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Jammu Twin Blast: Perfume IED Recovered From LeT Terrorist

By LokMarg 2nd February 2023

In a first, Jammu Police has recovered a perfume improvised explosive device (IED) from a terrorist associated with Lashkar-e-Taiba who was involved in the twin blasts that took place in Narwal on January 21.

The police arrested a terrorist identified as Arif who was in contact with the Pakistani handlers for three years.

As many as nine people were injured in the twin blasts that occurred in Narwal last month in a gap of 20 minutes.

The police said that the terrorists intended to kill as many people as possible.

The second IED, according to the police, could have caused bigger damage, which the terrorists intended, had the police not followed the SOPs.

“Two bombs were planted on January 20. Two blasts occurred on January 21 at a gap of 20 minutes to kill as many people as possible. 9 people were injured after the first IED blast. The damage that was intended could be averted because of the SOPs followed by the police. Otherwise, the damage could have been bigger because the first IED was small but the second IED was way bigger than the first. Police have arrested one terrorist Arif, who was in contact with Pakistan handlers for 3 years,” Jammu and Kashmir DGP Dilbag Singh said while briefing the media about the incident.

Stating that this is the first such IED recovered by the police, the DGP explained that the IED would blast if an attempt is made to press or open it.

“This is the first time we have recovered a perfume IED. We have not recovered any perfume IED before. The IED will blast if anyone tries to press or open it. Our special team will handle that IED,” he said.

DGP Singh targeted Pakistan for propagating terrorism from its land and said that the country wanted to create a “communal divide” among people in the Union Territory.

“Pakistan is infamous for propagating terrorism from its land and for killing hundreds of innocent people across the world. Jammu and Kashmir is on target for some time. They (Pakistan) want to create a communal divide among the people in Jammu and Kashmir,” he said.

DGP said Arif has been involved in Shastri Nagar Blast and also Katra Bus blast apart from the Narwal twin blasts.

Speaking to ANI, DGP Singh said, “The accused got the supply of three IEDs towards the end of December. He used two IEDs in the Narwal area. He is working under the influence of Qasim, a Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorist operating from Pakistan. He is responsible for recent terror activities in the area.”

Meanwhile, soon after the blasts occurred on January 21, senior officials of the Army and Security Impact Analysis (SIA) teams also reached the site of the incident.

A team of the National Investigation Agency (NIA) also reached Jammu on January 22 to hold an investigation at the site of two explosions in the industrial area Narwal.

The Lieutenant Governor, Manoj Sinha also strongly condemned the blasts that took place in the Narwal area this morning. Senior police officials briefed the Lt Governor about the blast and on the state of the investigation. He called for urgent steps to identify and take action against those responsible.

“Such dastardly acts highlight the desperation and cowardice of those responsible. Take immediate and firm action. No efforts should be spared to bring the perpetrators to justice,” the Lt Governor told the security officials.

LG Manoj Sinha also announced a relief of Rs 50,000 to those injured in the incident. The Lt Governor said that the administration would ensure the best possible treatment and extend every help required by the families.

Sheralli, an eyewitness of the blast, while narrating the harrowing incident said, “We were sitting inside a shop at that time of the blast. The car blew up and parts of it fell near the shop. A person was hit by one of those parts. The other blast took place half an hour later at some distance. Initially, people thought that it was a gas blast in the car but it sounded bigger than that. It was an SUV car and the mechanics were repairing it. “People are in panic now,” she added. (ANI)

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Anil Shares Throwback Pics From His 4 Decades Journey

By LokMarg 2nd February 2023

Anil Kapoor, who has been a part of the film industry for almost forty years and has bagged multiple awards for his performances, dropped throwback pictures on social media on Wednesday.

Taking to Instagram, Anil treated fans with stunning old pictures.
In the first picture, Anil shared the stage space with his close friend Anupam Kher and Aruna Irani while receiving the award.

Candid moment of Anil and Madhuri Dixit while receiving the award for their film ‘Beta’.

Madhuri and Anil have also starred together in ‘Pukar’, ‘Tezaab’, ‘Parinda’, ‘Beta’ and ‘Ram Lakhan’. In 2019, they reunited for ‘Total Dhamaal’.

One of the images showed him with Neetu Kapoor.

He was seen with Rakesh Roshan.

Sharing the series of pictures, “In the 4 decades that I’ve been around, tides have changed, talent has changed, tastes have changed and audiences certainly have changed…

The one thing that hasn’t changed is the virtue of hard work, persistence and conviction, and they are rewards enough.. But a few awards don’t hurt.”

As soon as the pictures were uploaded, the actor’s fans and industry friends chimed in the comment section.

Mukti Mohan wrote, “Shine on sir. You deserve each one of them and many many more.”

Director-actor Raj Singh Chaudhary wrote, “Sirrr. now this is what is called legendary and a legacy.”

One of the users, “You been amazing actor .. from Shakti woh saat Din and till date you have had us entertained and motivated to watch movies . You are icon for us.”

Talking about Anil Kapoor’s work front, he will be next seen in an upcoming action thriller web series ‘The Night Manager’ opposite Aditya Roy Kapur which is all set to stream exclusively on the OTT platform Disney+ Hotstar from February 17, 2023.

Apart from that, he also has Siddharth Anand’s next ‘Fighter’ alongside Hrithik Roshan and Deepika Padukone. (ANI)

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Angad, Neha To Play Married Couple For The First Time

By LokMarg 2nd February 2023

Angad Bedi and Neha Dhupia who have been married for nearly 5 years, and going to be seen captivating the audiences with their chemistry on screen.

The couple is now coming together for a comedy-drama which is penned by popular author Chetan Bhagat. The shoot for film has already culminated and was shot in Mumbai.
Agand will be playing the character of Raghavan Rao and Neha will play the role of his wife, Savi. The story revolves around a married couple during the times of Covid lockdowns.

A source revealed, “It’s a funny story based on a couple and their shared relationship living together during the covid lockdown. It’s an exciting proposition as the duo are social media goals when it comes to being the adorable couple they’re and the casting was done keeping their natural chemistry in mind. This is the first time Neha and Angad are paired opposite to each other and the project has recently been completed”.

Neha and Angad married in a private ceremony in New Delhi in May 2018. The couple was blessed with their first daughter Mehr in November of the same year. They welcomed their second child Guriq in October 2021.

Meanwhile, on the work front, Neha was last seen in the film ‘A Thursday’ alongside Yami Gautam. The movie hit the OTT platform Disney + Hotstar in February this year. (ANI)

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1st Prize In R-Day: Dhami Announces Rs 50K To Each U’khand Tableau Artist

By LokMarg 2nd February 2023

Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami has announced a reward money of Rs 50,000 each to the artists of Uttarakhand tableau which was awarded the top prize at this year’s Republic Day parade on Kartavya Path.

Uttarakhand’s ‘Manskhand’ tableau showcased religious places and the progressive developments of the state during the 74th Republic Day parade on January 26.
Dhami announced an amount of Rs 50,000 to each artist involved in the making of the tableau.

“The rich folk culture and religious heritage of the state has been recognized in the country and the world by Uttarakhand’s tableau getting the first position on the occasion of Republic Day,” the CM said.

According to an official statement, the chief minister announced the award when the team leader of the tableau, Joint Director Information KS Chauhan, along with the artists of the tableau met Dhammi at his residence on Wednesday.

“The Chief Minister told about the honour for the state on Uttarakhand getting the first prize for the Manaskhand tableau,” the statement said.

Director General Information Banshidhar Tiwari also presented the top prize trophy at the Chief Minister’s Camp Office at his residence.

The tableau on Manaskhand was proposed after the guidance of Chief Minister Dhami, it said.

On the lines of Shri Kedarnath and Shri Badrinath, work is being done on the Manaskhand Mandir Mala Mission scheme for the mythological temples of Kumaon on the instructions of the Chief Minister, it added.

Earlier, speaking to ANI, DG Information Uttarakhand, Banshidhar Tiwari said, “It is a matter of great pride for Uttarakhand, that among the 27 tableaux which participated on Republic Day, the Manskhand tableau of Uttarakhand got the first position.”

“The work for tableau construction started on December 31. It used to go from 4 am to 12 at midnight. Also, the artists had to go with the team leader at 4 am for the duty path rehearsal in the harsh winter,” he added. (ANI)

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Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA)

False Allegations Were Put Against Me, Says Journalist Kappan

By LokMarg 2nd February 2023

Journalist Siddique Kappan was on Thursday released from the Lucknow district jail in Uttar Pradesh where he spent over two years after his arrest under charges including the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) and the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

Kappan who was in prison since October 5, 2020 after being arrested by Uttar Pradesh police for travelling to Hathras to report on the Hathras rape case. A special Sessions Court in Lucknow on Thursday signed Kappan’s release order more than five weeks after he got bail in the PMLA case lodged by the Enforcement Directorate (ED).
The journalist along with three others were arrested at the Mathura toll plaza by the Uttar Pradesh police on charges of UAPA for inciting violence in the alleged rape of a young woman whose death sparked protests across the country. Later he was booked under other cases including in the PMLA case lodged by the ED.

Kappan, who hails from Malappuram in Kerala was working in Delhi and was on his way to Hathras when he was arrested.

Soon after his release said, “I have come out of jail after 28 months. I want to thank the media for supporting me. False allegations were put against me. I am happy to be out now.”

Congress leader P Chidambaram tweeted in favour of the journalist claiming Article 21 (freedom of expression) has triumphed. In his tweet, he said, “I am glad that eventually Article 21 of the Constitution has triumphed and Siddique Kappan, the journalist from Kerala, is free. Trial Court judges must push back on the demand for judicial custody which is really pre-trial incarceration.”

A single bench of Justice Dinesh Kumar of the Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High Court granted bail to Kappan on December 23, 2022, in the money laundering case lodged against him by the Directorate of Enforcement.

Due to the winter break and a long procedure of verification of sureties, it took more than a month for Siddique Kappan to move out of Lucknow jail.

Previously, Kappan was granted bail on September 9, 2022, by the Supreme Court. In the apex court’s order, the then Chief Justice UU Lalit, Justice S Ravindra Bhat, and Justice PS Narasimha had directed that the petitioner would be released on bail in the next three days after applying in the trial court.

The journalist has been accused of inciting violence in the Hathras case and having a connection with the Popular Front of India (PFI), which was banned by the Centre. (ANI)

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Action On Child Marriage In Assam To Start Tomorrow: Sarma

By LokMarg 2nd February 2023

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Thursday said that the government is firm in its resolve to end the “menace of child marriage” in the state.

Urging the people to cooperate in the initiative, the Assam CM said that the action on the 4,004 registered cases would begin on Friday (February 3).
Taking to Twitter, Assam CM Sarma said: “Assam Govt is firm in its resolve to end the menace of child marriage in the state. So far @assampolice has registered 4,004 cases across the state and more police action is likely in days ahead. Action on the cases will begin starting February 3. I request all to cooperate.”

As per the data shared by the CM, most child marriage cases were registered in the Dhubri district (370) and the least in Hailakandi (1).

A total of 123 cases were registered in Bongaigaon, 35 in Cachar, 125 in Darang, 75 in Dibrugarh, 157 in Goalpara, 255 in Hojai, 80 in Kamrup, 204 in Kokrajhar, 113 in Nagaon, 224 in Morigaon, and 110 in Tamilpur amongst others.

Recently, the Assam CM had announced that the state government would launch a massive crackdown across the state to stop cases of child marriage.

The protection of Children against Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act of 2012 defines a child as an individual under the age of 18 and it criminalises sex between an under-age child and an adult.

Cases will be registered under the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, 2006, if the bride is between 14 to 18 years old, the chief minister said addressing a press conference last month.

On January 28, the Chief Minister said that women should not wait too long for embracing motherhood and suggested embracing motherhood at the appropriate age between 22-30 years.

“It may lead to medical complications if it is delayed. The appropriate age for embracing motherhood is 22-30 years,” Himanta Biswa Sarma said.

Sarma’s statement had come against the backdrop of his announcement of a crackdown on child marriage. He cited child marriages as the reason behind the prevalence of child pregnancy, which leads to high rates of maternal and infant mortalities in the state.

After distributing appointment letters to over 1,200 candidates of the Health and Family Welfare department and Assam police during a programme held at Srimanta Sankardev Kalakshetra in Guwahati, the Chief Minister said while addressing the gathering that, the state government is committed to stopping underage marriages and motherhood.

“In the next 5-6 months, thousands of husbands will be arrested as it is a crime to have sexual relations with a girl below 14 years of age, even if he is her legally wed husband. Those who marry younger girls below 18 years will also be brought to book,” Sarma stated. (ANI)

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Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region

Motion Of Thanks On President’s Address In Parliament Today

By LokMarg 2nd February 2023

The Rajya Sabha and the Lok Sabha will start separate discussions on Thursday on President Droupadi Murmu’s address which she delivered to both Houses of Parliament assembled together on January 31.

Both Houses will move a motion of thanks on the President’s address in the second half of the day.
In Rajya Sabha, Member of Parliament K Laxman is to move the motion initiating a debate on the President’s address to both Houses of Parliament assembled together on January 31.

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP and former Union Minister Prakash Javadekar will second the motion.

However, BJP MP Chandra Prakash Joshi will move the motion for debate on President’s address in the Lok Sabha. BJP MP Uday Pratap Singh will second the motion.

The President’s address is seen as one of the most solemn occasions in the Parliamentary calendar. It is the only time in the year when the whole Parliament comes together. Both Houses of Parliament later move motions to hold a debate on President’s address.

Ahead of the Union Budget on Wednesday, President Droupadi Murmu on Tuesday addressed the joint sitting of Parliament for the first time after assuming the position in July 2022 and spoke on the achievements of the government as well as its future goals.

In her speech, she lauded Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government, saying that it “respects honesty” and is “stable, fearless and decisive, and works to fulfill big dreams”.

The Rajya Sabha, however, will start at 11 am with Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar offering an obituary reference to the passing away of Shanti Bhushan, ex-Member of the House of Elders.

Besides, Union Ministers Ashwini Kumar Choube, SP Singh Baghel and BL Verma will table separately papers of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change; Ministry of Law and Justice; and Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region respectively in the Rajya Sabha. (ANI)

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Interest Of Investors Paramount: Adani After Calling Off FPO

By LokMarg 2nd February 2023

A day after deciding not to go ahead with the fully subscribed Follow-on Public Offer (FPO), Adani Enterprises Ltd chairman Gautam Adani on Thursday said it would not be “morally correct” to go ahead with the Rs 20,000-crore share in the current market condition.

“After a fully subscribed FPO, yesterday’s decision of its withdrawal would have surprised many. But considering the volatility of the market seen yesterday, the board strongly felt that it would not be morally correct to proceed with the FPO,” Adani said in his address to investors after the withdrawal of the fully subscribed FPO.
https://www.youtube.com/embed/HqOnz7iVNno

Adani said in his humble journey of over four decades as an entrepreneur, “I have been blessed to receive overwhelming support from all stakeholders, particularly the investor community. It is important for me to confess that whatever little I have achieved in life is due to the faith and trust reposed by them. I owe all my success to them.”

“For me, the interest of my investors is paramount and everything is secondary. Hence to insulate the investors from potential losses we have withdrawn the FPO,” he said.

This decision, he said “will not have any impact on our existing operations and future plans. We will continue to focus on timely execution and delivery of projects.”

“The fundamentals of our company are strong. Our balance sheet is healthy and assets, robust. Our EBIDTA levels and cash flows have been very strong and we have an impeccable track record of fulfilling our debt obligations. We will continue to focus on long term value creation and growth will be managed by internal accruals,” Adani said.

“Once the market stabilizes, we will review our capital market strategy,” he said.

“We have a strong focus on ESG and every business of ours will continue to create value in a responsible way. The strongest validation of our governance principles, comes from several international partnerships we have built across our different entities,” Adani said.

“I take this opportunity to thank our investment bankers, institutional investors and shareholders from within and outside the country for giving unflinching support to the FPO.”

Thanking investors, he said, “Despite the volatility in the stock over the last week your faith and belief in the company, its business and its management has been extremely reassuring and humbling.”

Shares of Adani Enterprises nosedived sharply on Wednesday, a day after its follow-on public offer closed for the subscription. The shares of Adani Group flagship company closed at Rs 2,179.75 with a sharp decline of 26.70 per cent. Its intraday low was Rs 1,941.2, over 30 per cent lower than Tuesday’s settlement price. On Tuesday, the last day for subscription, the follow-on public offer (FPO) issued by Adani Enterprises was fully subscribed.

A follow-on public offering (FPO) is the issuance of shares to investors by a company listed on a stock exchange after its initial public offerings.

Data showed the demand for the FPO was led by non-institutional investors, and they subscribed to the shares 3.26 times. The portion for institutional investors was also oversubscribed.

On Monday, an Abu Dhabi-based diversified conglomerate International Holding Company announced that it will invest about USD 400 million (AED 1.4 billion) into the Adani Enterprises’ follow-on public offer (FPO) through its subsidiary Green Transmission Investment Holding RSC Limited.

Adani Enterprises had filed a red herring prospectus with the markets regulator Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) for the Rs 20,000 crore follow-on public offer (FPO), the largest ever in India. There were concerns that the FPO may not receive a strong response from investors amid a report by a US-based Hindenburg Research that surfaced on January 24, which claimed the Adani Group of having weak business fundamentals among others.

The US-based firm, in its report, raised concerns about shares of Adani group companies having a possibility of declining from their current levels, owing to high valuations. In response, Adani Group on Sunday said the recent report by Hindenburg Research was not an attack on any specific company but a “calculated attack” on India, its growth story, and ambitions. It added the report was “nothing but a lie”. (ANI)

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Maha Ghotala In Amrit Kaal: Oppo Over Adani’s Crash

By LokMarg 2nd February 2023

Lashing out at the Centre over the Hindenburg report against Adani Enterprises, the joint Opposition on Thursday dubbed the stock crash a “Maha ghotala (scam) in Amrit Kaal” and questioned the government’s “silence” over the issue.

Addressing a joint press conference at Vijay Chowk in the national capital after the adjournment of both Houses till 2 pm, the Opposition leaders also slammed the government over the rejection of their suspension of Business notices to discuss the issue.
Leader of Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge led the attack at the Centre and demanded an investigation into the matter under the supervision of CJI or the constitution of a Joint Parliamentary Committee.

“Either a Joint Parliamentary Committee or a team under the supervision of the CJI of the Supreme Court should investigate this,” Kharge said.

Aam Aadmi Party MP Sanjay Singh thrashed the Centre describing Gautam Adani as the “closest friend” of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

“Why is the Modi government silent on such a huge scam? The government is silent because the man who is indulged in this scam is the closest friend of PM Modi. Adani opens fake companies in foreign countries, buys shares worth crores of rupees of his own company and takes loans worth lakhs and crores from banks. All those who invested money in Life Insurance Corporation (LIC) and SBI for their needs are worried. This is the Maha ghotala (scam) in Amrit Kaal,” he said.

Singh demanded the government to hold a discussion on the issue in the House.

“…and conduct a Supreme Court-monitored probe and constitute a JPC. We will keep raising our voices in Parliament,” he said.

Samajwadi Party MP Ram Gopal Yadav alleged that the people who have invested in the LIC and kept money in the banks are “scared”.

“People who have invested in LIC or have money deposited in banks are scared. Those who are going to withdraw their money from the State Bank of India are being returned and told that there is no money. We are fighting for the people,” he said.

Echoing the other leaders’ voices, Bharat Rashtra Samithi MP K Keshava Rao said, “What can be a more serious issue than this? If the stocks crash by 27 per cent in one day, that means that man loses his credibility.”

Trinamool Congress MP Santanu Sen hit out at the Chairman of the House and said that the repeated rejection of suspension of Business notices under Rule 267 is “against democracy”.

“The way notices under Rule 267 are being rejected is against democracy. TMC demands a proper inquiry into the matter so that the truth can come to the fore,” he said.

Several Opposition MPs have given a suspension of business notices to the respective Houses of Parliament on the issue. However, both Houses were adjourned soon after the Session began at 2 pm.

The leaders who gave the notice in their respective Houses include Leader of Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge, CPI(M) leader in Rajya Sabha MP Elamaram Kareem, Shiv Sena MP (Uddhav Thackeray faction) Priyanka Chaturvedi, CPI Rajya Sabha MP Binoy Viswam, Bharat Rashtra Samithi Lok Sabha MP Nama Nageswara Rao, BRS Rajya Sabha MP K Keshava Rao, Aam Aadmi Party MP Sanjay Singh among others.

The first part of the session will conclude on February 13. Parliament will reconvene on March 12 for the second part of the Budget Session, which will conclude on April 6. (ANI)

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