February 2023 - Page 12 of 50 - Lokmarg

Trailblazer Sania Bids Adieu To A Glorious 20-Year Career

By LokMarg 22nd February 2023

A glorious 20-year-long career came to an end on Tuesday as Sania Mirza played her last match as a professional tennis player at the WTA Dubai Tennis Championships. The Indian tennis star has played a key role in giving a boost to tennis, specially women tennis, in the country.

There was no fairytale ending on offer for Mirza as she suffered a first-round loss at the Dubai Tennis Championships 2023, her farewell tournament. Mirza had earlier announced that she will retire after the WTA 1000 tournament in Dubai.

The Indian tennis player and her American women’s doubles partner Madison Keys lost their first-round encounter 4-6, 0-6 to Veronika Kudermetova and Liudmila Samsonova at the Dubai Tennis Stadium.

The Indian tennis player’s pursuit of excellence led her to numerous accomplishments in her career including six Grand Slam titles and top spot in the WTA doubles rankings. She became the first Indian woman to enter the top 30 in the WTA singles rankings.

The first big title triumph came in 2009, as she partnered Mahesh Bhupathi to clinch the Australian Open mixed doubles title.

The duo of Mirza and Bhupathi paired up to do India proud yet again three years later, this time on the hallowed clay of Roland Garros. Her third mixed doubles title at the Slams was at the 2014 US Open, partnering Brazilian player Bruno Soares.

The top-seeded duo lived up to their billing and beat USA’s Abigail Spears and Mexico’s Santiago Gonzalez in a final which went into a tiebreaker. In 2015, Sania Mirza partnered with Swiss legend Martina Hingis, with whom she won three back-to-back Grand Slam doubles titles.

Fans dubbed the duo “Santina” after their first Grand Slam victory at Wimbledon in 2015. The pair advanced to the final without dropping a set against the Russian duo of Ekaterina Makarova and Elena Vesnina – Sania Mirza’s former partner. The duo continued in the same vein and seemed almost unstoppable over the course of the next few months as they picked up the US Open 2015 title before starting off 2016 with the Australian Open triumph – marking a hat-trick of Grand Slams.

Despite being a very capable singles player for the first half of her career, recurring wrist injuries forced Sania Mirza to focus solely on doubles in 2013. She won the Hyderabad Open in 2005, becoming the first Indian tennis player to win a WTA singles title.

In mid-2007, she climbed to a career-best 27th in the WTA Singles Rankings, which remains the best tennis ranking held by an Indian in singles to this day.

In doubles, Sania Mirza rose to No. 1 in the WTA Doubles Rankings in April 2015, becoming the first Indian woman to do so. Only Leander Paes and Mahesh Bhupathi have reached the top of the ATP doubles rankings. The Indian ace held the number one spot for nearly 21 months before losing it in January 2017.

Representing and winning a medal for the country is a dream every Olympic athlete fosters and Mirza is no different. The Indian tennis star is a four-time Olympian. Mirza competed in her first Olympics in Beijing in 2008. Due to a wrist injury, she had to retire in the second set of her first round singles match against Czech opponent Iveta Benesova. She and her partner Sunitha Rao were eliminated in the second round of the doubles event.

Mirza and her doubles partner Rushmi Chakravarthi were eliminated in the first round of the 2012 London Olympics after losing to Chinese Taipei’s Chuang Chia-jung and Hsieh Su-wei. She fared better in the mixed doubles, reaching the quarterfinals with Leander Paes before losing to eventual gold medalists Victoria Azarenka and Max Mirnyi.

In her third Olympic appearance, Sania Mirza partnered Rohan Bopanna in mixed doubles and advanced to the semi-finals. The Czech pairing of Lucie Hradecka and Radek Stepanek defeated the duo in the bronze medal match, denying them a podium finish.

In women’s doubles event, Sania Mirza and her partner Prarthana Thombare exited the tournament in the first round after a closely-fought loss to China’s Zhang Shuai and Peng Shuai. At the Tokyo Olympics, Sania Mirza and her doubles partner Ankita Raina didn’t make it beyond the opening round.

Mirza has an incredible eight Asian Games medals, winning at least one in each of the editions she has competed in.

Perhaps her first major achievement representing India at a major global event was at the 2002 Asian Games. The then-15-year-old won bronze in the mixed doubles event with Leander Paes.

Her fortunes improved in the following edition when she won gold in mixed doubles and silver in women’s doubles and the team event at the 2006 Asian Games in Doha.

In Guangzhou, she clinched bronze in women’s singles and added silver from the mixed doubles event and at the Incheon Asian Games in 2014, she won gold in mixed doubles again and capped it off with a silver in the women’s doubles.

Due to her accomplishments in tennis, Sania Mirza has been conferred with the Arjuna Award in 2004, Padma Shri in 2006, Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna (now called the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award) in 2015 and the Padma Bhushan in 2016. (ANI)

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India Buying Russian Oil Is None Of Our Business: German Ambassador

By LokMarg 22nd February 2023

India buying oil from Russia is “none of our business” German Ambassador to India Dr Philipp Ackermann said on Wednesday and noted that the decision on purchase is that of the Indian government.

The German Ambassador also said that India is a very appropriate candidate at some stage to come up with a solution to the Russia-Ukraine conflict but the stage is not now.
“India buying oil from Russia is none of our business basically. That’s something which the Indian Government decides and as you get it at a very low price, I cannot blame any government who buys it,” Ackermann said in response to queries at a press conference about the upcoming visit of German Chancellor Olaf Scholz to India on February 25 and 26.

“But we would like to see some Indian engagement at some stage. India is very appropriate candidate at some stage may be to come up with some solution. But, I don’t think this is the time now. I say this with all due caution because we have listened to what Putin said yesterday. When you want to find a solution to the conflict, you need two parties to be prepared to find this solution,” he added.

He referred to President Putin’s remarks at Russia’s Federal assembly.

“What we heard yesterday, Putin said…he didn’t mention the word – negotiation or peace, one single time. India has very, very skilled diplomacy, very good diplomacy, if they want to step up they will have to find a good moment to step up. What I can say is the moment is not now,” the German envoy added.

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday said that Moscow wanted to solve the conflict in Ukraine but the Western countries had prepared a “different scenario” behind its back, Reuters reported.

“We were doing everything possible to solve this problem peacefully, negotiating a peaceful way out of this difficult conflict, but behind our backs, a very different scenario was being prepared,” Putin said while addressing the federal assembly.

Speaking about Germany’s efforts to find a solution to the war, he said German Chancellor is every now and then on the telephone with Putin.

“There’s uninterrupted communication between the Kremlin and some European capitals. We have to be honest, this communication has delivered nothing, but we believe the Ukraine crisis must be resolved diplomatically,” he said.

Ackermann said Germany “will continue to help Ukraine to defend its territory”.

“The Russian side is surprised by the unity and strategic patience of the West. It is important to sustain the international order. Our position on Crimea is clear too. It is an integral part of Ukraine,” he said.

Talking about Scholz’s India visit, he said the German leader will also visit Bengaluru besides Delhi.

“German Chancellor Olaf Scholz will arrive in India on Saturday on a bilateral visit. This is his first visit in his current tenure to India. He will visit New Delhi and Bengaluru.”

The envoy said while the Ukraine crisis will figure in the German leader’s talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, there will be a focus on strengthening business ties.

“India is growing” and there are many “business opportunities”, he said and noted that there are around 30 CEOs in the German delegation.

“We see Russia and Ukraine very high on agenda during the meeting between German Chancellor Scholz and PM Modi. Recently, we have seen US President Biden in Ukraine. The Indo-Pacific will be on their meeting agenda too,” Ackermann said.

He also talked about the potential of the Free Trade Agreement in boosting trade ties.

“A Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with India will increase our business here in a substantive way. German businesses are very interested in getting an FTA done between Germany and India,” he said. (ANI)

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No Hurry To Be CM, Goal Is To Finish BJP By 2024: Tejashwi

By LokMarg 22nd February 2023

Stating that he was in “no hurry to become the chief minister,” Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav on Wednesday said their “ultimate goal is to eliminate the BJP by 2024.”

He also claimed that the Mahagathbandhan government is running smoothly under the leadership of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar.

“I am not in a hurry to become CM, currently, Nitish Kumar is the Bihar CM and he is leading the Mahagadhbandan. Our ultimate goal is to eliminate BJP by 2024,” said Yadav.

When asked about former Bihar Chief Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi considering his son for the Chief Minister’s post, Yadav said “There is nothing wrong with it as every father wants his son to be successful. Don’t you want your son to be more successful than you?”

Earlier, Tejashwi Yadav had also dismissed reports about Nitish Kumar’s desire to become Prime Minister and said that the veteran leader is focused on getting the opposition together for the upcoming Lok Sabha election.

“He (CM Nitish Kumar) is the CM and we are working under his guidance. The only agenda he has right now is bringing all opposition together. He has no desire to become the Prime Minister,” said Deputy CM Tejashwi Yadav. (ANI)

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J&K Govt’s Huge Push For Sustainable Agriculture

By LokMarg 22nd February 2023

The government of Jammu and Kashmir, giving a huge push to sustainable agriculture in the Union Territory, has approved a five-year project on “Innovative Extension Approaches for Revitalizing Agriculture in Jammu and Kashmir”, said a press release.

The project, worth Rs 463 crore, is aimed at empowering farmers and educated youth through technology-driven and inclusive agri-extension services. One of the critical outcomes of the project would be the creation of 2,000 Kissan Khidmat Ghars (KKGs), which will serve as a One Stop Center for extending farmer-oriented services, added the press release.

“The extension system in Jammu and Kashmir faces many challenges, including serving a large clientele with structural complexity and functional diversity. There is a significant gap between extension workers and farmers, with a ratio of 1:1100 and a contact intensity of one hour per farmer per year. The existing system is also plagued by defects such as lack of realistic base-level information, poor coordination and cohesiveness among the extension players and a low level of public confidence”, said Atal Dulloo, Additional Chief Secretary, APD.

The project aims to address these issues by developing a dynamic agri-extension system using IoT-enabled real-time big data for farm-centric planning and resource allocation. This technology-enabled system will form the basis for a proactive agriculture extension system with a cluster approach. This approach will use real-time regional analysis of climate and agro-ecology information to promote niche agriculture under given agro-climatic conditions”, he added.

“Innovative Extension Approaches for Revitalizing Agriculture in Jammu and Kashmir” is one among the 29 projects, which were approved by the Jammu and Kashmir administration after being recommended by the UT Level Apex Committee for holistic development of agriculture and allied sectors in UT of J&K. The prestigious committee is being headed by Dr Mangala Rai, former DG ICAR and has other luminaries in the field of Agriculture, Planning, Statistics and Administration like Ashok Dalwai, CEO NRAA, P K Joshi, Secretary, NAAS, Prabhat Kumar, Horticulture Commissioner MOA and FW, DH. S Gupta, Former Director, IARI, Atal Dulloo , Additional Chief Secretary, APD besides Vice Chancellors of twin Agriculture Universities of the UT.

The project envisages promoting sustainable and profitable agriculture with a significant increase in the share of agricultural GDP. To achieve this goal, the project will establish 2,000 Panchayat level KKGs, revitalizing the Block-level Extension Advisory Committee and promoting Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK) as a hub of convergence of services at the district level. The project will also establish business orientation centres at SKUAST-Kashmir and Jammu and facilitate real-time problem redressal through cyber extension including RS-GIS-driven agro-advisories and ICT-based virtual contacts and communication systems.

The Kissan Khidmat Ghar will be a Stop Center for farmers to access a range of services related to agriculture and allied sectors. It will serve as a knowledge centre with modern ICT tools including a kiosk, to provide direct access to various information such as input supply, technology, marketing, and more. The KKG will be a platform for a public-private partnership to manage the value chain effectively and economically. Each KKG will have a technical facilitator to provide end-to-end services to farmers at nominal charges.

The project will also create a strong MIS system to maintain transparency and accountability in service delivery and information sharing with parent departments and administration. The KKG will function in close coordination with the Panchayat, fostering the Public-Private-Panchayat partnership. The key functions of KKG will include execution of direct services in agriculture and allied sectors, input booking/delivery, market intelligence services, capacity building and skill development, facilitating custom hiring services and generating baseline information for policy planning and review of operational schemes at block and higher levels.

The project will focus on holistic planning and execution of “production to profit” agriculture with the area and commodity-specific extension approaches based on the agri-knowledge system (JK Agri stack platform). It will converge functional extension resources and approaches for participatory planning and decentralized decision making to promote remunerative agriculture. It will also provide seamless agricultural extension services with perfect outreach and dynamic contact across the value chain and real-time resource person-client interaction. Besides, the project will focus on capacity building in agricultural extension and skill development for generating entrepreneurship and employment.

Meanwhile, the project will also reorient capacity-building programs and promote secondary agriculture with post-harvest and non-farm activities as the primary focus for harnessing better returns. This will include training in agri-business, marketing, secondary agriculture and non-farm activities. It will constitute an “Agri-Extension Club” promoting regular online Expert Extension Lecture Series (EELS) and skilling farmers and youth in mission mode for profitable agriculture, entrepreneurship development, agri-business start-ups, employment generation and livelihood security.

The project will also synergize PPP extension systems and accreditation of service providers at the UT level with outcome-linked incentives. It will establish sustainable market linkages for physical and e-markets and promote secondary agriculture. The project will also focus on the augmentation of mechanization, automation and digital agriculture, awareness programs, demonstrations and entrepreneurship in farm machinery services.

The project will promote research in extension, technology and service gaps, technology adoption, and impact assessment. It will use a bottom-up approach and employ IoT-enabled real-time big data to monitor the impact of the project at the backend.

The project aims to promote a smart technology-driven seamless innovative, implementable and inclusive agri-extension service that empowers farmers and educated youth to realize the sustainably progressive growth of the agricultural sector in the country. By providing farmers with access to modern tools and techniques, the project hopes to increase agricultural productivity and improve food security while also reducing poverty and promoting sustainable development.

Ultimately, the implementation of a smart, technology-driven approach to agricultural extension services has the potential to revolutionize the way farmers access information and support. By leveraging the power of IoT-enabled big data, the project can measure the impact of its efforts in real time, providing valuable insights for future decision-making. As a result, the project has the potential to contribute significantly to the achievement of United Nations Sustainable Development Goals related to food security, poverty reduction and sustainable development, positively impacting millions of people’s lives. (ANI)

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Sushmita Backs Alia Bhatt Against Pesky Paparazzi

By LokMarg 22nd February 2023

Sushmita Sen extended her support to Alia Bhatt after she publically called out paparazzi for “invading her privacy” and clicking pictures of her in her house.

On Tuesday, Sushmita took to Instagram stories and re-shared a note originally written by author Huma Tanweer, where she spoke about the media ‘frequently blurring the lines between personal and social lives’ of celebrities.

The note read, “In a world made smaller by the virtue of the internet, technology and social media, privacy is but a myth. And if you are a celebrity, you have it worse. With the paparazzi culture at its peak, there is little that can be kept hidden.”

“Guys, how can you catch someone off guard despite their repeated requests to the media for privacy? When are we going to draw the lines? Are we becoming nothing more than PR machinery? Our right to privacy cannot be in any manner violated. Media frequently blur the lines between personal and social lives. They substantially confuse the two and the outcome is obnoxious and unscrupulous. Since we all have a psychological need for privacy, there should inevitably be a dichotomy between a celebrity’s private and public lives. The media should refrain from intruding on this demarcation line. The practice of using such news to boost channel ratings and garner the most viewers is by no means appropriate,” the note stated.

Sushmita also tagged Alia, her sister Shaheen Bhatt and Mumbai Police.

Last year, Sushmita slammed the social media users calling her ‘gold digger’ after rumours surrounding her wedding with former IPL chairman Lalit Modi. She posted a picture with her daughters on Instagram and wrote, “I am in a happy place!! NOT MARRIED…NO RINGS…Unconditionally surrounded by love.”

After Alia’s post, Mumbai Police contacted the actress, asking her if she was willing to lodge a formal complaint.

A senior Mumbai Police officer has revealed that Khar Police have contacted the actress and asked if she wanted to file a written complaint against the photographer. The police have also assured her of proper investigation about the matter henceforth.

The senior police official also informed that Alia’s PR team is in touch with the media organisation whose employees were allegedly standing on the roof of another building to take her pictures.

Recently, Alia accused the paparazzi of invading her privacy by clicking some pictures of her in her house, without her consent.

She posted a collage of pictures of herself, taken inside the house without her consent. She wrote in the long note, “Are you kidding me? I was at my house having a perfectly normal afternoon sitting in my living room when I felt something watching me…. I looked up and saw two men on the terrace of my neighbouring building with a camera right at me! In what world is this okay and allowed?”

In her post, she also tagged Mumbai Police, after which the latter swung into action.

Tagging the Mumbai police, she added, “This is a gross invasion of someone’s privacy and it’s safe to say all lines were crossed today! @mumbaipolice.”

Apart from Sushmita, many actors came out in support of Alia. Anushka Sharma, Arjun Kapoor, Janhvi Kapoor and Karan Johar took to Instagram to slam the paparazzi.

Alia hasn’t lodged any complaint with the police yet. (ANI)

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SC Refuses To Stay EC Decision On SS Name, Symbol

By LokMarg 22nd February 2023

The Supreme Court on Wednesday refused to stay the Election Commission’s order to allot the name ‘Shiv Sena’ and the ‘Bow and Arrow’ symbol to the faction led by Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, saying, “we can’t stay an order at this stage”.

The SC clarified that the Uddhav Thackeray camp can pursue other remedies of law if any action is taken which is not based on the EC order.
The top court listed the matter after two weeks.

Senior Advocate Kapil Sibal insisted on SC granting interim relief and said that they are taking office after office and urged the court to pass a status quo order.

Supreme Court asked rival camp Eknath Shinde to file a reply to the petition.

On Tuesday, Kapil Sibal urged the Supreme Court to hear the plea on Wednesday, submitting that if the EC decision is not contested and challenged, the rival faction will take over everything, including the party’s bank accounts, among other things.

CJI Chandrachud said, “It will not disrupt the Constitution Bench hearing because three judges are waiting for them.” He added that he would finish the Constitution Bench hearing on the Maharashtra political crisis and take it up the plea contesting the EC’s ruling on the Sena symbol thereafter on Wednesday.

The court said that it will read the matter first.

The Uddhav Thackeray-led faction of the Shiv Sena moved the Supreme Court challenging the EC’s move to allot the name ‘Shiv Sena’ and ‘Bow and Arrow’ symbol to the rival faction led by CM Shinde.

Uddhav, in his plea filed on Monday, said that ECI failed to consider that his faction enjoys the majority in the Legislative Council and Rajya Sabha.

Uddhav Thackeray in the plea, also submitted that the legislative majority alone, in this case, could not be the basis for passing of the order by EC.

Challenging the EC decision, Uddhav Thackeray said the poll panel was erroneous in its decision and said that, “the entire edifice of the impugned order (EC’s decision) is based upon the purported legislative majority of the Respondent (Shinde) which is an issue to be determined by the top court in the Constitution Bench”.

“The ECI has failed to consider that the Petitioner enjoys a majority in the Legislative Council (12 out of 12) and Rajya Sabha (3 out of 3). It is submitted that in a case of this kind where there is a conflict even in the legislative majority i.e., Lok Sabha on the one hand and Rajya Sabha on the other as well as Legislative Assembly and Legislative Council, more particularly, having regard to the fact that there is a possibility of the alleged members losing their right of membership, the legislative majority alone is not a safe guide to determine as to who holds the majority for the purposes of adjudicating a petition of the Symbols Order,” the plea said. (ANI)

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‘A Humanitarian Crisis Unfolding in Assam; Big Boss Is Watching It Quietly’

By LokMarg 22nd February 2023

Nazimuddin Siddique from Assam feels that arrests in the name of child marriages are an extension of the NRC to enforce a tactical eviction of Muslims from the state

Child marriage is a long-standing problem in Assam. No right-thinking person can support this social malaise. But the question is: how do you stop it. Assam is one of the poorest states in the country. Child marriage exists here due to poverty, illiteracy, lack of awareness, and social exclusion. The solution to such social practices is long-winding but this government wants a quick and surgical remedy, with use of brutal force.

The state is making arrests of the alleged child marriage violators even when these persons married years ago and now have families to feed. They are arresting the sole breadwinners of such families. Will that be stemming a malaise or causing additional miseries on poor families? I do not have the data but child marriage is prevalent across all communities in Assam. The government could not stop child marriages when it took place; but it is punishing the people for its own failure. Do they even realize the scale of the underlying humanitarian disaster? Over 4,000 people have already been arrested. Where will it stop?

Many believe, and not without reason, that this is just another tool to harass Muslim electorate of Assam. This is not the first time when a legal instrument is being implied to target Muslims, be it the NRC (National Register of Citizen) or eviction drives. The government which is duty bound to look after the welfare of its citizens, is rendering them homeless and selectively so. (Read APCR report on Assam clampdown here)

Many Hindus were also arrested but the scale of arrests is tilted in favour of Muslims. Reports also suggest that Hindus arrested under the provision usually get bail. The way you can violate the human rights of Muslims, you can’t do with Hindus.

***Siddique says it is easy to arrest a Muslim in India nowadays***

Arresting a Muslim is the easiest thing in India nowadays. Civil society among Hindus is vocal. Surprisingly and unfortunately they remain silent, by and large, when it comes to the rights violation of Muslims. Muslims in Assam are systematically facing evictions, encounters, NRC, doubtful voter, and now child marriage crackdown. It is heart-wrenching.

ALSO READ: ‘Child Marriage Yet Another Ploy To Target Muslims In Assam’

I feel the judiciary needs to step in and put an end to such injustice. As per reports, Assam recorded 161 incidents of police action in the first 13 months of CM Himanta Biswa Sarma taking charge in May 2021. These incidents resulted in the death of 51 people while 139 others were injured. Numbers came down when the court interfered.

I am thankful to Gauhati High Court for its intervention in child marriage arrests too. The HC come down heavily on the Assam government for slapping laws such as POCSO against the accused of child marriage cases. It looks like the judiciary is the only way out for the oppressed now. But we all know the process itself is the punishment. Our Constitution guarantees the right to equality and life with dignity. If the government fails to do that, then the judiciary must hold the government of the day for its failure.

I am also disappointed at the apathy of the Centre in this episode. Himanta Biswa Sarma can go to any length in targeting Muslims. He does not need any sanctions from the Centre. We know how will the Central leadership act or react. The Big Boss in Delhi is watching the humanitarian disaster unfold right before his eyes, but won’t bat an eyelid.

The narrator is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Sociology, Nagaland University

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As told to Abhishek Srivastava

Sara, Ananya Vibe Together In Qatar

By LokMarg 22nd February 2023

Sara Ali Khan and Ananya Panday. Are they new BFs in the tinsel town? Time will tell that. But their recent photos from the Qatar trip could make the fans think so.

Sara and Ananya both took to Instagram to post some mesmerizing pictures from their recent trips to Qatar on Tuesday. It’s not confirmed whether they went together or not. But they share a common group of friends. Presumably, they went for some endorsement shoots.

Ananya posted one set of pictures with only an emoji in the caption. She posted pictures of delicious cuisines and the beach. Ananya looked pretty in a white sleeveless top and skirt. In another set of images, Ananya and Sara both were dressed in white. It seems they were shooting for some brands.

On the other hand, Sara Ali Khan posted pictures where she was dressed in all black. Sharing one photo with Ananya on her Instagram story, Sara wrote, “With my most Jawaan @ananyapanday.” While Ananya wrote, “Reunited w my @SaaraAlikhan95”.

Earlier, Sara and Janhvi Kapoor set best friend goals as they spent time together while vacationing and gymming.

On the work front, Ananya was last seen in ‘Liger’. She recently bagged a project under the direction of Vikramaditya Motwane. Sara Ali Khan was last seen in ‘Atrangi Re.’ (ANI)

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NCP MP Supriya Seeks Probe Into Raut’s Claim Of Contract To Kill Him

By LokMarg 22nd February 2023

Reacting to Shiv Sena (Uddhav Thackeray faction) leader Sanjay Raut that Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde’s son has hired a contract killer to eliminate him, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) MP Supriya Sule on Wednesday said the state Home minister should have the matter probed.

Speaking to ANI on Wednesday, the NCP leader, who also happens to be the daughter of the party patriarch Sharad Pawar, said, “This (Raut’s claim) is worrying. The state Home minister should order an inquiry into it.”
Earlier, on Tuesday, Raut, who reptesents the Uddhav faction in the Rajya Sabha, alleged that CM Shinde’s son, Shrikant Shinde, had given a contract to a goon to kill him.

In a letter to the commissioners of Mumbai and Thane police, Raut said, “I have received information that notorious goon Raja Thakur of Thane has been given a contract by Shrikant Shinde (CM’s son) to kill me.”

He alleged that his security was withdrawn after the fall of the previous Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government in the state.

“After the change of government in Maharashtra, my security was withdrawn. I don’t have any complaints about it. Such political decisions keep happening. Looking at the current situation in Maharashtra, this issue needs to be brought to your attention,” Raut stated further in his letter.

Speaking to the media after claiming a threat to his life, Raut said he doesn’t need any security from the government.

“I have written to Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and have also told Mumbai CP Vivek Phansalkar and Thane CP (that he doesn’t need security escorts). I also called Union Home Minister Amit Shah regarding the matter,” he said.

Lashing out at CM Shinde, Raut said, “What is happening in your state? Your MP and MLAs are giving contracts for killing rival leaders. The contract has been given to a gangster who is currently on bail.”

“I don’t want any security,” he added. (ANI)

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Yogi Presents Rs 6.90L Cr Budget For 2023-24

By LokMarg 22nd February 2023

Uttar Pradesh government on Wednesday presented its annual Budget for financial year 2023-24.

State Finance minister Suresh Khanna, in his speech, pegged the total Budget size at Rs 6.90 lakh crore. In 2022-23, the state’s Budget estimate was at Rs 6.15 lakh crore.
Uttar Pradesh is the largest state in the country with a population estimated at 24 crore. The state is also the country’s largest consumer and labour market, with its contribution to the country’s GDP estimated at more than eight per cent.

For the financial year 2023-24, the nominal rate of increase in Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP) is estimated at 19 percent, said Khanna, adding that the state’s growth rate is encouraging in an era of likely global recession.

Among major budgetary allocations, the state allocated Rs 25,350 crore for Jal Jeevan Mission, hoping that all households will be covered with tap drinking water. Last year’s allocation was Rs Rs 19,500 crore.

“By the year 2023-2024, a target has been set to provide pure and pure drinking water under Jal Jeevan Mission by providing functional household tap connections to all 2.26 crore households in the state,” the Finance minister said.

Further, for Kanpur Metro, the first 9m- odd section of which is already operational, a further Rs 585 crore budgetary allocation has been made for the year 2023-24.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi in December 2021 inaugurated the completed section of Kanpur Metro Rail Project.

This 9-km long section of the Kanpur Metro links IIT Kanpur to Moti Jheel. The entire length of the Metro Rail Project in is 32 Km, with 2 corridors of which 13 kms will be underground.

For the Agra Metro project, Rs 465 crore has also been made available in the Budget.

Invoking the recent Global Investors Summit, which was attended by over 25,000 investors from across the globe, minister Khanna said, “I am happy to inform you that more than 19,000 Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) worth about Rs 33.50 lakh crore were signed during the summit.”

The investors’ summit which came to a close on February 12 was the flagship investment summit of the Yogi Adityanath-led government. The mega event was aimed at bringing together policymakers, industry leaders, academia, think tanks, and leaders from across the world to collectively explore business opportunities and forge partnerships.

In the run-up to the summit, the state government held roadshows and meetings with investors in various countries and states to promote the state as a go-to destination for businesses and investments. (ANI)

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