June 2023 - Page 10 of 52 - Lokmarg

Exports From Uttar Pradesh Rose 400 Times In 4 Years: CM

By LokMarg 26th June 2023

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath flagged off containers filled with GI-tagged (Geographical Indication tag) Banarasi Langda mangoes, green chillies and other vegetables from the Integrated Pack House for export on Monday.

Adityanath said the farmers of Uttar Pradesh contribute 20 per cent of foodgrains produced in the entire country.
“India is rich in fertile land as compared to other countries. In the last three to four years, exports from Uttar Pradesh have increased 400 times. UP alone exports products worth more than Rs 19,000 crore rupees and the target is to double the figure. The income of farmers has more than doubled in the last nine years. Uttar Pradesh will play an important role in making the country’s economy USD 5 trillion,” the CM said.

“India is achieving new heights of development and prosperity under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The Prime Minister worked on connecting farmers with various schemes and doubling their income as soon as he came into power in 2014,” he added.

“In these 9 years, work was done on Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana, Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi, Per Drop More Crop Campaign, MSP etc. From the year 2018, every farmer is getting the benefit of MSP one and a half times more than the cost. Besides, Rs 6,000 is being transferred to farmers’ bank accounts under Prime Minister’s Kisan Samman Nidhi,” he said.

Farmers are getting a good domestic market and pack houses have started to take their produce to international markets, he pointed out.

Now, along with the facility of container and cargo through the Agricultural & Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA), the state government is also taking the program forward, he said.

He informed that the arrangement has been made in collaboration with APEDA to send the agricultural products of the farmers to foreign countries through pack houses. Farmers of Varanasi are benefiting from the cargo facility from the year 2020. Agricultural products of the country have got global recognition, he added.

He further informed that from 2020, fresh vegetables, fruits and other agricultural products are being sent to Delhi and now this facility has also started from Lal Bahadur Shastri International Airport of Varanasi.

“Now agricultural products will also be sent to foreign countries by ships. It is a matter of great pleasure that due to the efforts of APEDA and the Uttar Pradesh government, today our agricultural products are gaining a place in the global market too. According to the vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Uttar Pradesh will play an important role in making the country’s economy USD 5 trillion,” the CM said.

The CM flagged off Banarasi Langda mangoes for Dubai from the Karkhiyaon Agro Park pack house. The three containers carried Banarasi Langda mangoes, green chillies and other vegetables from Ghazipur and other adjoining districts. (ANI)

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India Summons Pakistan Envoy Over Attacks On Sikhs

By LokMarg 26th June 2023

Following the recent attacks on Sikh community members in Pakistan, India on Monday summoned a senior diplomat of the Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi and asked the authorities to investigate the case with sincerity and share the investigation report, according to sources.

India has lodged a strong protest against the incidents taking place against the Sikh community in Pakistan. It also conveyed that Pakistan should ensure the safety and security of its minorities, who live in constant fear of religious persecution.

India’s action comes after four incidents have taken place between April-June in 2023 against the Sikh community. On Saturday, a Sikh community member was shot dead after unidentified armed men opened fire at him, Pakistan-based The News International reported.

The victim was identified as Manmohan Singh who was murdered by unidentified assailants in the Kakshal locality on Saturday. “Manmohan Singh, 34, was on his way home in an auto-rickshaw on Saturday evening when unidentified armed men opened fire on him near Guldara, Kakshal,” a spokesman for the capital city police said on Saturday night.

He was taken to hospital but he succumbed to injuries. The official said senior police officials and investigation teams have rushed to the spot to collect CCTV footage and other evidence. Besides, a search operation was also launched in the vicinity to arrest the culprits, reported The News International.

Earlier on Friday, another Sikh man was shot and injured in the Dabgari area of the provincial capital. The victim was identified as Tarlug Singh son of Makhan Singh was shot in the leg by unidentified armed men in Dabgari, The News International reported. He was taken to hospital where his condition was out of danger.

In May, assailants gunned down Sardar Singh in a drive-by shooting in the eastern city of Lahore. Singh, 63, received a fatal gunshot to the head, this is the third attack on the Sikh community. Police officer Asad Abbas said the bodyguard was wounded in the attack, according to Pakistan Today. Earlier in April, gunmen shot and killed Dayal Singh in Peshawar.

As targeting killings against the Sikh community are on the rise in Pakistan, the minority communities and especially Sikhs are feeling insecure as the Pakistan government’s failure to protect minorities is encouraging perpetrators to act with impunity. (ANI)

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Over 300 Roads Closed In Himachal Amid Heavy Rains

By LokMarg 26th June 2023

Amid the incessant rain in the North Indian hill state Himachal Pradesh, over 300 roads have been blocked, according to the Public Works Department minister. The Indian Meteorological Department, on Monday, issued an orange alert for the next 24 hours in the state.

“Under the leadership of our Chief Minister, we are well prepared for any eventuality, during the past two or three days there has been a rain alert in the state. 301 roads are closed in the state. This rain has caused a 27 Crore rupees loss in the state. The restoration is underway, 180 roads will be opened by today evening and tomorrow on the 27th we shall restore 15 roads. And during the next two days, more 106 roads will be cleared. We shall start a contact number as a hipline by today evening. We have also identified nearly 350 landslide-vulnerable spots and preventive majors are being displayed, we shall ensure that people do not go. there. Yesterday one of our workers died on the spot, people will also have to be responsible. We have also deployed 390 machinery to restore the roads. We shall ensure that all roads are restored,” said Vikramaditya Singh, Minister of Public Works Department.

The Public Works Department Minister stated that the restoration is being done on a war footing. He said the state government has identified over 350 vulnerable hot spots in the state which are landslide prone.

“There has been rain across the state for the past 48 hours, during the past 24 hours some places in the state have received heavy to heavy rainfall. The district of Mandi has received the highest rainfall in the state. Sirmaur and Shimla have also received rain. As far as rain intensity is concerned, Sarkaghat received 134 MM rainfall, Baldwara received 92 MM and Sundernagar also received rainfall in the state. This rain will continue and in Sirmaur, Solan and Shimla, it is raining and it is moving towards Hamirpur and Kangra. During the next 4 to 5 days, the rain will continue in the state”, said Vikramaditya Singh, Minister of Public Works Department.

“We have issued an orange alert for today and tomorrow. We have issued flash flood alerts also; the water level will increase in low-lying areas. We have issued flash flood alerts for Sirmaur, Solan, Shimla, Kullu and Kangra, there is a high probability of flash floods, and we are issuing time-to-time alerts to the state government. We are also issuing the alert of visibility conditions in the state. We have also issued a rain warning for Sirmaur, Solan, Hamirpur, Bilaspur, Una, Mandi, Kangra and some parts of the Kullu district for today and tomorrow an orange alert has been issued in the region”, added the PWD Minister.

Earlier, on Sunday, the weather department predicted that rain will continue in the state for the next 4-5 days. The landslide and flash flood alert has been issued by the IMD in the region. The visibility conditions are also expected to be very low during the next week in the state.

“Heavy rainfall, thunderstorm & lightning are likely at isolated places over plains, and low and mid hills on June 25 & 26. Flash floods are likely to occur in the districts of Kangra, Mandi and Solan; Traffic congestion, poor visibility and disruption in electric supply”, said the weather department.

In addition to this, in the Mandi district of Himachal Pradesh, one-way traffic was restored on the Chandigarh-Manali highway, on Monday, according to Deputy Commissioner, Arindam Choudhary.

On Sunday, in view of the rain, the Mandi-Kullu highway was blocked.

As the monsoon hit several parts of the country, heavy rains lashed many parts of Uttarakhand also.

District Magistrate of Rudraprayag, Mayur Dixit, spoke to ANI about the ongoing Kedarnath Yatra amid pouring rains in the state.

“The pilgrims who were stopped at Sonprayag have been sent to Kedarnath after the weather cleared in Kedarghati. At present, the Kedarnath Yatra is going on with caution”, said Dixit.

The DM added that a decision regarding the yatra will be taken on the alert of the weather department.

Additionally, amid the waterflood occurring in the state, several parts of the capital, Haridwar, were also reported waterlogged, on Sunday.

Meanwhile, the Indian Meteorological Department, on Sunday, said that the Southwest Monsoon is active and has covered the whole of Maharashtra. The monsoon will move forward in the next two days covering the other parts as well. (ANI)

China Building Solar, Hydro Projects With New Military Bases Built Near LAC With India

By LokMarg 26th June 2023

Facing difficulties in maintaining its large number of military bases built along the Line of Actual Control with India, the Chinese military has constructed many solar and hydel power plants to sustain the increased energy requirements of their troops.

The military stand-off between India and China has been going on for more than three years now after the Chinese try to unilaterally change the status quo at the LAC in Eastern Ladakh through large-scale aggression.
“After the large-scale deployments in 2020-21, the Chinese have had issues in maintaining troops there. For meeting their energy requirements, solar energy plants along with the Chinese had faced issues in meeting their energy requirements, especially during winters,” sources in security forces told ANI.

The Chinese Army has deployed almost 50,000 troops along the LAC after the 2020 aggression by it and its energy requirements have gone up considerably in the forward areas which experience very low temperatures even in the summers, they said.

The Chinese have also upgraded their military infrastructure in a big way as new habitats and villages have been built to support large-scale deployments.

Sources said that the Chinese have continued to maintain large-scale deployments and are taking steps to support their long-term deployment.

India has also deployed an almost equal number of troops along the Eastern Ladakh sector to counter any possible misadventure by the Chinese in the future.

The Army has also reoriented its focus toward the northern borders and deployed new formations along with dual tasking some of them for facing the two-front threat scenario. (ANI)

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Kartik-Kiara Twin In Green During Promotion

By LokMarg 26th June 2023

Amid heavy rainfall, actors Kartik Aaryan and Kiara Advani on Monday arrived at a cinema hall in Mumbai to promote their upcoming romantic film ‘Satyaprem Ki Katha’.

The duo was seen twinning in green outfits and was seen interacting with fans gathered outside the theatre.
The ‘Freddy’ actor donned a green t-shirt under a dark-green shirt paired with blue jeans. Kiara, on the other hand, wore a green body con dress. She kept her hair open and makeup heavy.

On Monday, the makers also unveiled the new track of the filmn ‘Pasoori Nu’ which is a remake of the song ‘Pasoori’, sung by Ali Sethi and Shae Gill. It was the most-searched song on Google in 2022.

Singer Arijit Singh sang the new version which received mixed responses from the audience.

Speaking of ‘Satya Prem Ki Katha’, the film is set to hit the theatres on June 29.

Produced by Sajid Nadiadwala and directed by Sameer Vidwans, the romantic film reunites Kartik and Kiara after their 2022 hit ‘Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2’. The film was earlier titled ‘Satyanarayan Ki Katha,’ which translates to the story of Satyanarayan, which is another name for the Hindu God Vishnu. However, after backlash, it was renamed ‘Satyaprem Ki Katha’.

The trailer introduces us to Kartik as SatyaPrem and Kiara as Katha. Kartik is seen pursuing Kiara for marriage as he tries to impress her. The duo gets married. After that, Kiara and Kartik have many difficult experiences together.

The film also stars Supriya Pathak Kapur, Gajraj Rao, Siddharth Randheria, Anooradha Patel, Rajpal Yadav, Nirrmite Saawaant and Shikha Talsania.

Apart from this, Kartik will be seen in Hansal Mehta’s next ‘Captain India’ and in Kabir Khan’s next untitled project.

Kiara, on the other hand, will also be seen in director Shankar’s next, ‘Game Changer’, opposite actor Ram Charan. The official release date of the film is still awaited. (ANI)

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230 Afghan Migrant Families Return To Afghanistan From Pakistan

By LokMarg 26th June 2023

A total of 230 Afghan migrant families from Pakistan returned to Afghanistan on Sunday through the Torkham crossing in Nangarhar province, Afghanistan-based Khaama Press reported citing Taliban-led Afghan Ministry of Refugees.

The ministry said that each family received drinking water, biscuits, and the return fare and expenditure from the International Organization for Migration (IOM) office, Khaama Press reported.
The Taliban-led Nimruz province’s Directorate of Immigrants and Returnees Affairs said that 64,115 Afghan migrants returned to Afghanistan through the Nimruz crossing in May. Afghan migrants returned after Amnesty International received recent complaints from Afghan refugees alleging harassment by Pakistani police, the report said.

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Islamabad called on the Pakistan government to stop arresting and expelling refugees after the arbitrary detention of Afghan refugees in Pakistan, Khaama Press reported.

Meanwhile, Afghan refugees in Pakistan face numerous challenges, including arbitrary detentions, harassment, and imprisonment by Pakistani police due to failing to provide valid residential permits and visas, as per the news report.

Pakistan is one of the primary destinations where Afghan refugees have travelled to after the Taliban took control of Afghanistan in August 2021. After the Taliban’s return to power in 2021, new waves of Afghan refugees shifted to Iran and Pakistan due to various reasons, including fearing death threats and persecution by the Taliban.

In spite of the refugees having the United Nations Higher Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) certificate, Pakistani police and other relevant agencies continue detaining and incarcerating Afghan refugees in various parts of the country, including Islamabad, Khaama Press reported.

Earlier, Maniza Kakar, an attorney of Afghan prisoners in Karachi claimed Pakistani police tore the residential documents of some Afghan nationals while they were arrested, the report said. Pakistani government’s mistreatment of Afghan refugees has been termed as “inhuman and hateful,” sparking criticism in Pakistan, Afghanistan and other nations.

“In less than two years, I have been detained three times by the police – harassed, humiliated and bitten due to not having a valid residential permit. Life has become extremely difficult for me in Pakistan. Every time, I come across police, I keep running from one ally to another to avoid possible imprisonment and forceful deportation to Afghanistan,” Khaama Press quoted an Afghan refugee as saying.

Another Afghan refugee who recently moved to France told Khaama Press that Pakistan does not give them anything other than sufferings. He called on other immigrants to follow up on their immigrant cases or otherwise, they will continuously face mistreatment, harassment and humiliation. (ANI)

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Delhi: Users Consuming Over 200 Units Of Electricity Have To Pay 8% Surcharge

By LokMarg 26th June 2023

The power regulator in Delhi has allowed distribution companies to increase power tariffs in the national capital.

Now, users consuming more than 200 units will have to pay about an additional 8 per cent surcharge, on average, but tariffs for users who consume less than 200 units per month will remain unchanged.
On Monday, Delhi’s Power Minister Atishi said the consumers who get free electricity up to 200 units will have no impact from the latest rise in tariffs. However, she added other consumers will have to pay about an 8 per cent surcharge.

BSES Yamuna Power Limited (BYPL) has been allowed to charge 9.42 per cent more on top of the prevailing rates, BSES Rajdhani Power Limited (BRPL) 6.39 per cent, and New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) 2 per cent.

This comes after petitions were filed by the companies, seeking the hike in power rates.

Further, Minister Atishi also targeted the Centre over rising coal prices. Coal is a key input in power manufacturing.

“The electricity tariff in Delhi is increasing only because of the mismanagement of the Central government and the increasing rates of coal blocks…There is no shortage of coal mines in India then why is the price of coal increasing, why the electricity-producing companies are forced to buy coal at higher rates,” she added. (ANI)

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Scindia Writes To Three Oppn-Ruled States Requesting Cut In VAT On Aviation Fuel

By LokMarg 26th June 2023

Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia has written to the chief ministers of Tamil Nadu, Bihar, and West Bengal — three Opposition-ruled states, asking them to reduce value-added tax (VAT) on air turbine fuel (ATF), sources said.

The Ministry will also reach out to Assam and Delhi NCT on reducing such tax on aviation fuel, the sources added.
The minister requested these states to reduce VAT to 1-4 per cent. Significantly, the three states in question haven’t reduced VAT on Aviation Turbine Fuel.

Currently, VAT on aviation fuel in these states range between 23.65-29.00 per cent.

The minister emphasized the need to reduce the existing VAT/Sales Tax on ATF to 1-4 per cent with immediate effect at all airports.

Even earlier, the Civil Aviation Minister had written to several states to reduce VAT on ATF, many of which have reciprocated while many are yet to decide.

According to aviation industry sources, the letter to those states has been written at a time when high airfares are recorded in some select routes — apparently due to the grounding of Go First operations as it filed for insolvency in early May.

The Ministry has been repeatedly urging airline companies to reduce airfares. (ANI)

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Char Dham Yatra Halted Due To Bad Weather

By LokMarg 26th June 2023

Char Dham Yatra has been stopped as a precautionary measure due to bad weather en route to Kedarnath and Badrinath, said officials here on Monday.

On Monday, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami issued instructions in view of rain and snowfall during the Char Dham Yatra and directed officials to be extra vigilant.
“The government has stopped the Char Dham Yatra due to bad weather conditions en route. snowfall, rains and landslides have occurred at various places and traffic has been disrupted because of the same. We appeal to the travellers coming for Char Dham Yatra to continue their journey once the weather clears up,” said Pushkar Singh Dhami.

Meanwhile, the meteorological centre on Monday predicted “heavy to very heavy rain” at isolated places in Uttarakhand’s Dehradun and Tehri Garhwal districts in the next 24 hours.

The forecast by the Met Centre stated, “Heavy to very heavy rain at isolated places in Dehradun and Tehri Garhwal districts of Uttarakhand in next 24 hours. Thunderstorms and lightning will accompany the rains”.

Notably, some districts in Uttarakhand have witnessed torrential rains in the past couple of days.

Following the same Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Sunday made a surprise inspection of the State Disaster Management Control Room located at the Secretariat and got information regarding the situation of heavy rains in the state, a press release said.

CM Dhami obtained information from the Disaster Control Room about the present weather condition, rain situation, water-logging and damages caused due to rain in the state. Haridwar received 78 mm of rainfall in the last 24 hours, followed by Dehradun (33.2) and Uttarkashi (27.7), as per the India Meteorological Department.

Instructing the officers, Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said that the districts under the state where heavy rains are continuing and there is a possibility of heavy rains further.

“Maintain mutual communication and coordination with all those districts. So that emergency situations can be dealt with in time. He instructed the officers to always be in alert mode for disaster relief and rescue operations, CM Dhami said. (ANI)

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Rajnath Criticises Obama’s Remark On Indian Muslims

By LokMarg 26th June 2023

Union Defense Minister Rajnath Singh on Monday criticised former US President Barack Obama for his comments on Indian Muslims and suggested that Obama look at how many Muslim nations were attacked during his administration.

“Obama ji should not forget that India is the only country which considers all the people living in the world as family members. He should also think about himself as to how many Muslim countries he has attacked,” Defense Minister said.
This comment came after US former President Barack Obama, during a media interview, said if ethnic minorities are not protected, there is a strong possibility of the country “at some point starts pulling apart”.

Obama’s made the remarks during an interview with CNN’s Christiane Amanpour and said if President Joe Biden meets with PM Modi, “the protection of the Muslim minority in a majority Hindu India is something worth mentioning”.

On Sunday, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman also hit out at Obama and said that under his reign, the United States had bombed six Muslim-dominated countries.

While addressing a press conference in Delhi, Nirmala Sitharaman said, “It was surprising that when the PM was visiting the US and telling people about India, a former US President (Barack Obama) was making a statement on Indian Muslims…I am speaking with caution, we want a good friendship with the US, but they comment on India’s religious tolerance. Perhaps 6 Muslim-dominated countries were bombed due to him (Obama)… More than 26,000 bombs were dropped.”

Meanwhile, at the conference, the union minister defended PM Modi from questions surrounding the treatment being meted out to the Muslims in India and pointed out that out of 13 honours, that the Prime Minister received from different countries, six awards were from such nations where Muslims are in the majority.

“The honourable prime minister himself during the press conference in the US has said how his government works on the ‘Sabka Sath Sabka Vikas’ principle and doesn’t discriminate against any community whatsoever but the fact remains that repeatedly when people join in in this debate and highlight issues which are non-issues in a way because if there are issues in states which are to be raised they are being raised at the state level,” Sitharaman said at the press conference. (ANI)