July 2023 - Page 37 of 49 - Lokmarg

Haridwar: Schools Shut From 10-17 July In View Of Kanwar Mela

By LokMarg 8th July 2023

Haridwar district administration has ordered the closure of all schools from classes 1-12 from July 10-17, in view of the Kanwar Mela.

“In view of the Kanwar Mela, the district administration has decided to close all the schools and Anganwadi centers from July 10 to 17,” said District Magistrate Dheeraj Garbyal.
‘Kanwar Yatra’ is an annual pilgrimage of Lord Shiva’s devotees.

Kanwariyas (pilgrims) visit places like Haridwar, Gaumukh, and Gangotri in Uttarakhand and Sultanganj in Bihar to fetch holy water from the River Ganga and then worship Lord Shiva with it.

The Kanwar Yatra is a significant ritual during the month of Sawan. People gather water from sacred rivers for this rite and place it in little mud pots known as Kanwars. Devotees don saffron-colored clothes while carrying the holy water and walk on foot to visit temples dedicated to Lord Shiva.

In the Hindu calendar, ‘Sawan’, also known as ‘Shravan, is the fifth month of the Hindu lunar calendar and one of the holiest months of the year.

Every Monday during this period is regarded as a highly auspicious time to fast and seek the blessings of Lord Shiva. (ANI)

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Telangana: Modi Offers Prayers At Bhadrakali Temple In Warangal

By LokMarg 8th July 2023

Ahead of laying the foundation stone for various development projects worth Rs 6,100 crore in Telangana, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday offered prayers at Bhadrakali temple in Warangal district.

https://twitter.com/i/status/1677551962479558656
He is also scheduled to address a public meeting in the district.

“Leaving for Warangal to attend a programme where we will inaugurate or lay the foundation stone for development works worth over Rs 6100 crores. These works cover different sectors ranging from highways to railways. They will benefit the people of Telangana,” PM Modi said in a tweet on Saturday morning before leaving for Warangal.

Meanwhile, Telangana Chief Minister Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao is most likely to skip Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s program.

From Warangal, PM Modi will travel to Bikaner in Rajasthan, to dedicate and lay the foundation stone of development projects worth over Rs 24,300 crore, a PMO statement earlier informed.

The statement further added that PM will dedicate to the nation a six-lane greenfield expressway section of the Amritsar – Jamnagar Economic Corridor and phase-I of the Inter-State Transmission Line for Green Energy Corridor.

The statement further added that the PM will lay the foundation stone for the redevelopment of Bikaner Railway station.

PM Narendra Modi is on a tour of four states including Chhattisgarh, Uttar Pradesh, Telangana, and Rajasthan from July 7 to 8.

Except for Uttar Pradesh, all the states are going to polls later this year. (ANI)

Elections Must Be Through Ballots, Not Bullets: WB Governor On Panchayat Polls

By LokMarg 8th July 2023

Amid reports of violence in the West Bengal panchayat polls, Governor CV Ananda Bose on Saturday said that elections must be held “through ballots not bullets,” and said the day should be considered as the “most sacred” for democracy.”

Various incidents of violence have been reported from different districts in the state.
Earlier in the day, while the Governor was on his way to cast his vote in the North 24-Parganas, Bose was stopped by a few CPI(M) candidates. The CPI(M) candidates shared their concerns with the Governor.

“I have been in the field right from the morning…People requested me and stopped my motorcade on the way. They told me about the murders happening around them, told me about the goons not allowing them to go to the polling booths…It should cause concern to all of us. This is the most sacred day for democracy…The election must be through ballots and not bullets,” the Governor said while talking to the reporters here.

Several incidents of ballot box and ballot paper looting, as well as destruction, were reported from numerous polling booths in the State.

The Bharatiya Janata Party has accused the ruling Trinamool Congress of being involved in the incidents.

“Bloodshed in West Bengal in Panchayat Election. TMC candidate killed an independent Muslim candidate in North 24, Parganas dist. TMC knows only language of violence, murder and booth capturing. CM @MamataOfficial along with @CEOWestBengal is responsible for these murders,” BJP state chief Sukanta Majumdar said.

Meanwhile, West Bengal minister Shashi Panja asked why central forces “failed to protect the citizens”.

“TMC workers have been murdered, two have been shot at. Those who were asking for deployment, saying that these central forces are the guardians of peace – the guardians have failed, faltered to protect the rights of citizens,” Panja said.

The panchayat elections are underway for a single phase, with the counting of votes scheduled on July 11.

The polls are likely to see a fierce tussle for control of local administrations between the ruling TMC and the BJP and will be a litmus test for both parties ahead of next year’s Lok Sabha elections.

Around 5.67 crore voters are likely to exercise their franchise to choose representatives for nearly 928 seats across 22 zilla parishads, 9,730 panchayat Samiti, and 63,239-gram panchayats seats.

West Bengal has 3,341 gram panchayats and the number of village panchayat election centres is 58,594. There are 63,239 seats at the Gram Panchayat level, 9730 at Panchayat Samiti, and 928 at the Zila Parishad level.

In 2018, the Trinamool Congress (TMC) won uncontested, 34 percent of the seats in panchayat elections, which also saw various instances of violence. Trinamool Congress has won many seats uncontestedly in the 2023 elections as well. (ANI)

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ED Attaches Assets Worth Over Rs 52 cr Of Sisodia

By LokMarg 7th July 2023

Directorate of Enforcement (ED) has provisionally attached assets worth Rs 52.24 crore belonging to Manish Sisodia, Amandeep Singh Dhall, Rajesh Joshi, Gautam Malhotra and others in the Delhi Liquor Scam case.

According to an ED statement, the attached assets worth Rs. 52.24 Crore include immovable properties worth Rs. 7.29 Crore (02 immovable properties of Manish Sisodia/ Seema Sisodia, land/flat of Rajesh Joshi/Chariot Productions Media Pvt Ltd. and land/flat of Gautam Malhotra).
“The attachment also includes movable assets worth Rs. 44.29 Crore including bank balances of Manish Sisodia (Rs. 11.49 lakhs), Brindco Sales Pvt. Ltd. (Rs. 16.45 Crore) and others. It is the 2nd Provisional Attachment Order issued in this case. The 1st provisional attachment Order issued was issued for attachment of immovable/movable properties worth Rs. 76.54 Crore of Vijay Nair, Sameer Mahandru, Amit Arora, Arun Pillai and others”, the statement read.

As per the statement, the total attachment in the case is now Rs 128.78 Crore and the proceeds of crime involved in this case is at least Rs. 1934 Crore. In this case, ED had arrested 12 persons arrested so far and has filed 05 prosecution complaints.

Further investigation is in process.

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on March 9 arrested former Delhi deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia in the liquor policy case, after hours of questioning at Tihar Jail.

Sisodia was arrested by the CBI earlier in its ongoing investigation of a case related to alleged irregularities in the framing and implementation of the excise policy of the National Capital Territory of Delhi (GNCTD). (ANI)

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Worked Keeping Future Generations In Mind: Modi

By LokMarg 7th July 2023

Taking an apparent jibe at the previous Congress-led UPA government, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said that during the past nine years, the BJP at the Centre has formulated policies keeping the coming generations in the mind and not worked just for one family and one generation.

The Prime Minister was addressing a gathering after laying the foundation stone of multiple development projects worth Rs 12,100 crore in his home constituency, Varanasi.
During his address, he said, “In the last nine years, we have not made policies for just one family and one generation, but have worked keeping in mind that the future of the coming generations should also improve.”

He said that today Uttar Pradesh including Kashi (Varanasi) has been gifted with projects worth about Rs 12,000 crore. “Among these, there are projects related to rail, road, water, education, tourism, there are projects related to ghats, many congratulations to all of you for these development works,” PM Modi said.

Asserting that government’s flagship scheme, Mudra Yojana, helped crores of beneficiaries to start their work, the Prime Minister said, “In UP also crores of beneficiaries have started their work by taking advantage of Mudra Yojana. In this, the poor, Dalit, backward, tribal and minority family members and women entrepreneurs have benefited the most.” “This is the social justice, which is being guaranteed by the BJP government,” he added.

PM Modi said that in the last nine years, phenomenal work has been done to improve the connectivity of his parliamentary constituency. “The development works that are being done here (Varanasi) are also creating many new employment opportunities,” he said.

The Prime Minister is on a two-day visit to four states, which kicked off today.

Earlier in the day he flagged off two Vande Bharat Express trains– Gorakhpur-Lucknow (at Gorakhpur Railway Station) and Jodhpur-Sabarmati (via video conference).

He was accompanied by Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and state Governor Anandiben Patel.

Earlier, in Chhattisgarh’s Raipur, he inaugurated and laid the foundation stone of eight projects over Rs 7,000 crore.

The Prime Minister dedicated and laid the foundation stone for five National Highway projects worth around Rs 6,400 crores.

PM Modi’s hectic tour of four states including Chhattisgarh, Uttar Pradesh, Telangana, and Rajasthan will conclude on Saturday, in which he will dedicate multiple projects worth Rs 50,000 crores to the nation. (ANI)

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SC Declines To Extend Time For SpiceJet To Make Payment To Kalanithi Maran, Kal Airways

By LokMarg 7th July 2023

The Supreme Court on Friday refused to extend the time for making payment by low-cost airline SpiceJet to media baron Kalanithi Maran, the former promoter of SpiceJet, and his Kal Airways in pursuance of an arbitral award of Rs 578 crore related to a share-transfer dispute.

A bench headed by Chief Justice DY Chandrachud declined to grant more time to SpiceJet saying these are “luxury” litigations.
SpiceJet was directed to deposit forthwith Rs 75 crore that has to be paid to Maran and his Kal Airways towards interest on the arbitral award.

Earlier, the top court had ordered that the bank guarantee of Rs 270 crore furnished by SpiceJet to Maran and his firm must be encashed immediately if the airlines failed to pay Rs 75 crore towards interest on the arbitral award by May 13.

The apex court was hearing the appeal of SpiceJet against the November 2, 2020 order of the High Court asking the low-cost airline to deposit around Rs 243 crore as interest in connection with a share transfer dispute with its former promoter and media baron Kalanithi Maran and his firm Kal Airways.

On November 7, 2020, the top court stayed the High Court order asking SpiceJet to deposit around Rs 243 crore as interest in connection with the share transfer dispute.

SpiceJet and its promoter Ajay Singh were asked to deposit around Rs 243 crore as interest payable on Rs 579 crore, which the High Court had in 2017 asked SpiceJet to deposit under the 2018 arbitration award in the share transfer dispute. (ANI)

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Three Railway Employees Arrested In Balasore Train Accident

By LokMarg 7th July 2023

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Friday arrested three Railway officials in connection with Balasore triple train accident.

The CBI officials confirmed to ANI that three railway officials – Senior Section Engineer Arun Kumar Mohanta, Section Engineer Mohammad Amir Khan and Technician Pappu Kumar have been arrested under sections 304 and 201 of the CrPC.
The CBI in its investigation found that the accused railway employees “were also involved in the tampering of evidence.” The arrested accused will be presented in the competent court and CBI will demand custody.

The Railway Board had recommended a Central Bureau of Investigation probe into the accident following which on June 6, the CBI took over the investigation.

The CBI has already registered a First Information Report (FIR) in this matter. The agency got involved in the case after allegations of tampering with the electronic interlocking system were made after the accident.

The tragic incident of the triple train accident on June 2 involving the Chennai-bound Coromandel Express, the Howrah-bound Shalimar Express, and a goods train claimed 291 lives and injured over 1000. (ANI)

FIR Registered Against Bhojpuri Singer Neha

By LokMarg 7th July 2023

An FIR was registered at the Habibganj Police Station in Bhopal against the Bhojpuri Singer Neha Singh Rathore, on Friday, that allegedly showed RSS workers in a bad light in connection with the Sidhi urination case, according to the police.

Habibganj Police Station in-charge Manish Singh Bhadoriya told ANI, “Yesterday, a person named Suraj, filed a complaint at the police station against the Twitter account named ‘Neha Singh’ stating that a meme was put up by the account holder connecting RSS workers with the urine case.”
The folk singer had posted a controversial tweet on her Twitter handle. In this, the person wearing the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh dress was seen urinating on the other person sitting in front of him.

“We have registered a case against the Indian Penal Code section 153. We will seek information about the account holder from the Twitter company. Whether the tweet was put up by the account holder itself or any other person, it will be clarified after an investigation,” added Bhadoriya.

Actually, Neha Singh Rathore had posted a post on her Twitter handle in which she talked about ‘MP Mein Ka Ba’ on the lines of her famous song ‘UP Mein Ka Ba’. This post was shared on social media through a meme, which is now creating a ruckus.

Singer has been accused of creating enmity between the RSS and the tribal community in the FIR lodged.

Significantly, a video went viral on social media, on Tuesday, in which a man, identified as Pravesh Shukla, was seen urinating on the face of a tribal man. After that, Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan had taken cognizance of the matter and ordered strict action, including imposing NSA (National Security Act) on the accused. (ANI)

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Yogi To Launch State-Wide Campaign To Free Pasture Land From Illegal Encroachment

By LokMarg 7th July 2023

The government of Uttar Pradesh under the leadership of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath will launch a state-wide campaign to free pasture land from illegal encroachment starting from July 11.

According to an official statement, it has been found that animals cause more damage to standing crops when they don’t have anything to eat nearby, and pasture land is essential for this purpose. “To free pasture land from illegal encroachments, the Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairy Development is launching a campaign from July 11 to August 25”, the statement read.
As part of its ongoing efforts to ensure the safety of both animals and farmers, the Yogi government has set up as many as 6781 cow shelters in Uttar Pradesh, where more than 11,88,875 distressed cattle have been kept.

Additionally, the statement said that the government provides funds each month to ensure enough straw and fodder for these cattle.

With the motive of achieving sustainable development, a campaign of artificial insemination is also going on in the entire state for the improvement of species. Through this campaign, only female offspring will be born from the cows that undergo artificial insemination, the release stated.

“The probability of this is more than 90 per cent, and the offspring will be of a better breed. Although this will take some time, the state’s entire dairy industry will be revitalized once unproductive animal issues have been permanently resolved”, it read.

The government of UP is also gearing up to implement the Mukhyamantri Khet Suraksha Yojana (Solar Fencing) as a measure to safeguard crops from stray and wild animals. According to the statement, the aim is to protect the standing crops in the field from animal attacks without harming the animals.

The release further stated, “Under this scheme, farmers will be able to install solar fencing around their fields, which will have a low-current flow of only 12 volts along with the sound of sirens. This will only give a shock to animals, causing them no harm. This will prevent stray or wild animals from causing damage to standing crops in the fields. For this purpose, the government will also provide a subsidy of 60 per cent, or Rs 1.43 lakh per hectare, to small and marginal farmers.”

Notably, the agriculture department has prepared a draft of this scheme, which will soon be sent to the cabinet. After receiving approval there, it will be implemented in Bundelkhand as a model.

Further, to prevent monkeys from causing significant harm to standing crops, and fruit-bearing plants, the administration in Lucknow has taken the initiative to establish a monkey forest. This will be established away from the population of the city.

“Various mixed plants will be planted to ensure a year-round supply of fruits. Additionally, arrangements for drinking water will be made. This plan aims to protect monkeys from human settlements and protect farmlands and gardens”, the statement added. (ANI)

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A New Flight To Middle Class: Modi Flags Off Vande Bharat Express In Gorakhpur

By LokMarg 7th July 2023

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday flagged off Vande Bharat Express train in Gorakhpur and said that leaders from across the country are requesting Vande Bharat trains to be run from their region.

“…Vande Bharat train has given a new flight to the middle class of the country with facilities and amenities. Today, leaders from every corner of the country are writing letters to me asking that Vande Bharat be run from our region as well…”, PM Narendra Modi said as he termed Vande Bharat as a boon to middle class society.
Gorakhpur, UP: Anil Kumar Lahoti, Chairman, CEO, Railway Board on Vande Bharat train said, “…The timing of this train is convenient. This train will save two hours as compared to the fastest train on this route…”

PM Modi was accompanied by Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and state Governor Anandiben Patel.

The Prime Minister flagged off Gorakhpur – Lucknow Vande Bharat Express.

Gorakhpur-Lucknow Vande Bharat Express will connect the city of Baba Gorakhnath to the city of Lord Ram, Ayodhya and the city of Nawabs, Lucknow. Also, tourist places like Kushinagar, Siddharthnagar Sant Kabir Nagar, a town of the 15th-century mystic poet ‘Kabir’, will benefit from improved connectivity.

The forthcoming blue-and-white Gorakhpur-Lucknow Vande Bharat Express is a semi-high-speed train that would create a crucial link between the cities of Gorakhpur, also known as Baba Gorakhnath’s city, and Lucknow, also known as the city of Nawabs.

The state’s first miniature version of the semi-high-speed train will have eight coaches, including seven with air conditioning and one with an executive chair car.

The Jodhpur-Sabarmati Vande Bharat Express will improve the connectivity between Rajputana and Ahmedabad, a City of Mahatma Gandhi. The train will connect Pali, Abu Road, Palanpur and Mehsana cities on the route.

This will benefit the important tourist sites in the historic cities of Jodhpur and Ahmedabad.

The first Vande Bharat Express was flagged off on February 15, 2019, by the Prime Minister, running between New Delhi and Varanasi. Manufactured at the Integral Coach Factory (ICF) in Chennai, the train set symbolizes the ‘Make-In-India’ initiative and showcases India’s engineering prowess.

The project to manufacture indigenous semi-high-speed train sets began in mid-2017, and within 18 months, the ICF Chennai completed Train-18. India’s first semi-high-speed train was renamed Vande Bharat Express in January 2019 to emphasize its made-in-India status. The train achieved a maximum speed of 180 kmph on the Kota-Sawai Madhopur section. (ANI)

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