Month: January 2024

Gautam Gambhir

Gautam Gambhir Cleans Mandir Premises In Karol Bagh

By LokMarg

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP and former cricketer Gautam Gambhir cleaned the premises of Shiv Mandir in Karol Bagh on Wednesday, as part of the Swachchata Abhiyan.

Earlier on Friday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi cleaned the premises of the Kalaram Temple in Maharashtra’s Nashik as part of the Swachchata Abhiyan.

Visuals showed the Prime Minister with a mop and bucket mopping the floor of the temple.

Earlier, he performed darshan and puja at the Shree Kala Ram Mandir. He also performed darshan and puja at Shree Ram Kund on the bank of River Godavari.

The PM appealed to the people to carry out Swachhata activities (cleanliness drives) at temples across the country ahead of the consecration ceremony of the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya.

The X account of the Prime Minister included several pictures of him at the temple.

“Prayed at the Shree Kalaram Temple in Nashik. Feeling incredibly blessed by the divine atmosphere. A truly humbling and spiritual experience. I prayed for the peace and well-being of my fellow Indians,” PM Modi said.

Later, during his inaugural address at the 27th National Youth Festival in Nashik, the Prime Minister reiterated his call for cleanliness campaigns, urging citizens to clean pilgrimage places and temples across the country on ‘Pran Pratishtha’ day of Ram Lalla in Ayodhya on January 22.

“I had called upon all of us to clean the pilgrimage places and temples of the country by January 22 and run a cleanliness campaign. Today I have the privilege of visiting Kalaram Temple and cleaning the temple premises,” PM Modi said.

“I will reiterate my request to the countrymen to run cleanliness campaigns in all the temples and pilgrimage areas of the country and donate their labour on the auspicious occasion of the consecration of life in the Ram temple,” the Prime Minister said.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) started a cleanliness drive on Sunday as part of the Swachchata Abhiyan campaign at all religious places until January 22 when the country will witness the Pran Pratishtha ceremony at the Ram Temple in Ayodhya.

Speaking with ANI, party chief JP Nadda said, “On PM Modi’s direction, the party has decided that starting from January 14 (Makar Sankranti) till January 22 (Pran Pratishtha of Ram Temple), we will hold a cleanliness drive at all the religious places…”

Nadda on Sunday participated in a cleanliness drive at Guru Ravidas Mandir in Delhi as part of the ‘Swachhta Abhiyaan’.

In Uttarakhand, Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Sunday, visited and held a cleanliness drive at Kainchi Dham in Nainital, while his counterpart Yogi Adityanath participated in a cleanliness drive in Ayodhya.

Speaking with ANI on the ‘Swachhta Abhiyaan’ being carried out in temples across the country, the Union Railway Minister said, “PM Modi has started a campaign to keep our cultural legacy and our temples clean. Today, we did our bit after performing prayers at Jhadeswar Temple.”

Preparations are underway in full swing for the grand temple opening, which will draw dignitaries and people from all walks of life. The Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust has decided to enthrone Ram Lalla at the sanctum-sanctorum of the Ram Temple at noon on January 22.

Vedic rituals for the Pran-Pratishtha ceremony of Ram Lalla in Ayodhya will begin on January 16, a week before the main ceremony.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will preside over the ceremonial installation of Shri Ram Lalla inside the sanctum sanctorum of the temple. Earlier, on Friday, PM Modi announced a special 11-day ‘anushthan’ (ritual) ahead of the Pran Pratishtha ceremony at Ayodhya’s Ram Temple. (ANI)

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International Monetary Fund (IMF)

IMF’s Gita Gopinath Calls For Good Quality Data For Climate Financing

By LokMarg

International Monetary Fund (IMF) Deputy Managing Director, Gita Gopinath has pointed out the need for banking sector to build a solid information architecture to enable funding climate infrastructure projects.

“There is certainly a demand for climate finance, but we still have all kinds of holes in terms of data, in terms of information architecture. Concerns about greenwashing are relevant, and I don’t think we have managed to put together the information architecture that is needed, the transparency that is needed to get a lot of capital flowing quickly to climate space,” Gopinath said.

Gopinath who was previously Chief Economist of the IMF was speaking at a session themed ‘Are Banks Ready for the Future’at the ongoing World Economic Forum in Davos, Swtiterland.

Climate finance typically refers to any financing that seeks to support mitigation and adaptation actions that will address climate change.

“If you want to get enough money going to climate financing, you need a good data architecture, a clearer sense of what are the markers for truly green project, and what is not. There is a role for policy to play,” said the First Deputy Managing Director of the IMF.

She asserted that there is a very large need for climate finance and that by the year 2030 it will go up to about USD 40 trillion.

“And what we have seen from the very large banks, the commitment is of about USD 9 trillion to finance new sustainable projects till 2030. So, that’s a good chunk of the USD 40 trillion. The banking sector makes half of the financial system, so more is certainly needed,” Gopinath said.

Asked about the banking sector crisis in the US in March 2023, during which a few banks collapsed after the downfall of Silicon Valley Bank, she said that the global banking system has overall held up quite well, despite the crisis.

“The good news is that despite the sharp rise in interest rates, and the conflicts that we have seen, the global banking system has overall held up quite well. Now that said, there is still a tail of weak banks that we see even now in this environment,” Gopinath asserted.

For instance, she said in the US the number of banks that are at risk makes up about 9 per cent of banking assets.

“Another area of exposure that we worry about is in terms of exposure to commercial real estate in the US, to a lesser extent in Europe,” she added.

One of the most prominent lenders in the world of technology startups, Silicon Valley Bank, which had been struggling finally collapsed on March 10, 2023, after a run on the bank by the depositors. Its closure led to a contagion effect and the subsequent shutting down of other banks.

“The March 2023 episode taught us that what is takes a couple of mid-size banks to get into trouble, then there is a quick loss of confidence in the system as a whole,” Gopinath said.

She called for the right supervision of banks in addition to the regulation.

“It is important to have a right amount of regulation and right supervision, not just the regulation…Regulation alone won’t help, we would need the supervision. We need to make sure that banks are actually doing the right risk management, and you can’t take that for granted,” she said. (ANI)

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Jal Kalash Yatra At Ayodhya

Ramotsav 2024: Over 500 Women Participate In Jal Kalash Yatra At Ayodhya

By LokMarg

Ahead of the much-awaited Pran Pratishtha ceremony of Lord Shri Ram Lalla, more than 500 women participated in the Jal Kalash Yatra from Saryu River To Ram Temple in Ayodhya on Wednesday.

Ahead of the Ram Temple ceremony, numerous events including the Jal Kalash Yatra were planned on the second day of the six-day event.

According to an official release from the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO), “Ahead of the consecration of Lord Shri Ram lalla, women took out ‘Jal Kalash Yatra’. More than 500 women participated in it. Wednesday was the second day of the consecration ritual. The whole society joined the function at the invitation of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.”

“The women of Ayodhya metropolis started the yatra in the morning from the banks of Saryu in Shri Ram Nagari. With the flag of Shri Ram flying on their heads, women carrying Maa Saryu water-filled urns danced and cheered to the tune of Lord Ram,” it said.

As per the release, the yatra was organized under the coordination of Mayor Girish Pati Tripathi and led by his wife Ramalakshmi Tripathi.

“More than 500 women including Deputy Chief Minister Brajesh Pathak’s wife Namrata Pathak, and District Panchayat President Roli Singh participated in the yatra,” said the release.

Meanwhile, the Vishwa Hindu Parishad invited sadhus at Uttarakhand’s Badrinath Dham for the January 22 ‘Pran Pratishtha’ ceremony of Ram Lalla at Ayodhya Temple.

On Wednesday, VHP workers handed the invite to the ceremony to the sadhus sitting in meditation at the Badrinath Dham in the cold.

Notably, several celebrities including Akshay Kumar, Kangana Ranaut, Tiger Shroff, Jackie Shroff, Hariharan, Rajinikanth, Amitabh Bachchan, Ranbir Kapoor, Alia Bhatt and Randeep Hooda are among those who have received the invitation for the Ayodhya Ram Mandir ‘Pran Pratishtha’ ceremony.

Apart from Kohli, world Cup-winning former India captain MS Dhoni and India’s all-time great Sachin Tendulkar have also been invited to the ceremony.

Vedic rituals for the Pran-Pratishtha ceremony of Ram Lalla in Ayodhya commenced on January 16.

General secretary of Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust Champat Rai said Ram temple will be open for darshan for the general public from January 23.

“The ‘Pran Prathishtha’ is expected to conclude by 1 pm. PM Modi and others present on the occasion will express their thoughts after the ceremony. As per tradition, gifts in 1000 baskets have come from Nepal’s Janakpur and areas of Mithila. On January 20 and 21 darshan will remain closed to the public,” he said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has started an 11-day special ritual in the run-up to the Pran Pratishtha of Shri Ramlala at the temple at Ayodhya. (ANI)

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Modi In Kerala

LDF, UDF Have History Of Scams: Modi In Kerala

By LokMarg

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday attacked the Congress-led UDF and the ruling CPI(M)-led LDF in Kerala for “corruption and scams” and expressed confidence that the state will play a role in BJP’s victory in the Lok Sabha polls.

Addressing ‘Shaktikendra Incharges Sammelan’ here, the Prime Minister said that positive outcomes of BJP’s transparent policies are clearly visible and the party gives priority to the progress of the poor, women, youth and farmers.

“According to a recent report, around 25 crore people have come out of poverty in the last 9 years. Whereas, for five decades, Congress only gave the slogan of ‘Garibi Hatao’. It shows that the path we have chosen for a Viksit Bharat is right…Lok Sabha elections are to elect the government of the country. We have to inform our voters that 10 years ago, there were terrorist attacks every other day which used to affect our investments and the people living in foreign nations. LDF (Left Democratic Front), UDF (United Democratic Front) has a history of corruption and scams,” he said.

“The priority of BJP is to increase the income as well as savings of the people of the country. Under the Ayushman Bharat Yojana, around Rs 1 lakh crore of the people of the country have been saved. Till now, people have saved more than Rs 25,000 crore because of the Jan Aushadhi Kendras,” he added.

He lauded the efforts of BJP workers to make the party strong.

“We saw the potential of the Kerala BJP party workers during the Nari Shakti Sammelan in Thrissur. With my own experience, I can say that only a strong organisation can have such a huge conference. It shows that you are all putting in a lot of effort. BJP is the only political party that has a track record of fast pace development and vision for the future,” he said.

“It is always a happy moment for me to join the supporters of BJP who work to strengthen BJP in the state. Besides adverse situations, our party workers have made sure that the BJP shines. I want to salute all those party workers who stood with their ideology and stayed committed to their patriotism,” he added.

He urged party workers to focus on winning the booth, saying that it would pave for the party’s victory in the state.

“As elections come close, I am certain that Kerala is going to play a role in BJP’s win. Our first resolution should be ‘We will win our booth’. If we can win a booth, we can win Kerala. You have to work harder and pay attention to every voter. Creating a bond with the people of Kerala should be your priority. You have to bring everyone to ‘Viksit Bharat Sankalp Yatra’ and help them join the drive of ‘Modi ki Guarantee’.”

The Prime Minister said that the confidence of Indians is soaring due to the policies of his government.

“The confidence of Indians is soaring as the world now talks of India as ‘Vishwamitra’. Our relations with Gulf countries have never been better. For this reason, there are more opportunities and respect for Indians in the Gulf region,” he said.

“We aspire to increase disposable income while helping reduce out-of-pocket expenditures for the people. Ayushman Bharat Yojana has helped people save Rs 1 lakh crore. The discount provided at Jan Aushadhi Kendras has helped people save over Rs 25,000 crore,” he added.

The Prime Minister said that the positive outcomes of BJP’s transparent policies are visible.

“Today, BJP has become a party of the people. It is the only party that has a track record of fast development and a clear vision for the future. The poor, women, youth and farmers are the four categories whose empowerment will lay the foundation for a Viksit Bharat. It is only the BJP which prioritizes the welfare of these people.

The Prime Minister said that the love and support of the people of Kerala motivates him.

“Earlier today, I visited the Guruvayur Temple to seek blessings of Lord Guruvayurappan and outside the temple, thousands of people gathered to shower me with their blessings,” he said. (ANI)

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Smriti

India A Vibrant Democracy That Can Deliver Digitally: Smriti At WEF Davos

By LokMarg

At the World Economic Forum in Davos the Confederation of Indian Industries (CII) on Wednesday hosted the CII-Deloitte Breakfast Session on “Digital Public Infrastructure and India’s Impact on Global Technology Value Chains”

The session hosted by CII showcased India’s prowess as a vibrant democracy capable of delivering digitally.

During the session, Union Minister Smriti Irani emphasized India’s success in delivering technology-driven solutions to its massive population, exceeding a billion. The minister highlighted India’s digital capabilities and the significant demand for data science professionals in the country.

Speaking at the session Union Minister Minister of Women and Child Development Smriti Irani said “India is a vibrant democracy that can deliver digitally. It has delivered through technology to a billion+ population. All those who are keen to invest in India, the demand for data science professionals in India in 2024 alone is for one million professionals.”

“Irrespective of the challenges that the pandemic brought, India carried out very substantial policy reform and performed digitally to protect its populace. India did not lose opportunities to engage globally and were never shut for business even during the pandemic” the Minister added.

Speaking at the session CII Director General Chandrajit Banerjee said that Digital infrastructure is leading to innovation in India.

“Digital Public Infrastructure has affected a large number of businesses including small, medium and large and is leading to a lot of innovation in the country. Further, DPI is being offered to the world free of cost, which is an example to share with the rest of the world. The low cost of doing business & ease of doing business is encouraging more and more people in doing business with India” Chandrajit Banerjee said.

Arvind Krishna Chairman and CEO of IBM who was also part of the CII-Deloitte Breakfast Session said that India’s digital public infrastructure had contributed significantly to productivity.

“During the pandemic, the digital infrastructure in India enabled people to work remotely. All the deliveries and e-commerce allowed people to work, which contributed significantly to increased productivity and GDP, which would not have been possible without the digital public infrastructure” Arvind Krishna said.

R Dinesh, President, CII & Chairman TVS Supply Chain Solutions said India is on the cusp of an exciting journey.

“Infrastructure spends and tracking – this is where the companies are investing both from business as well as the competitiveness perspective to get the visibility of infrastructure across the end user. India is on the cusp of a very exciting journey that will go through very different levels and will provide significant boost to ease of doing business for investors” R Dinesh said.

The acknowledgement of India’s digital capabilities and the significant demand for data science professionals underscores the country’s commitment to harnessing technology for socio-economic development and its appeal as an attractive destination for digital investments. (ANI)

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Ram Mandir Pran Pratishtha

Jyotiraditya Inaugurates First Air India Express Flight Connecting Ayodhya To Bengaluru, Kolkata

By LokMarg

Days ahead of the Ram Mandir Pran Pratishtha event, Union Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia inaugurated the first Air India Express flight between Ayodhya to Bengaluru and between Ayodhya to Kolkata on Wednesday.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath who was at Lucknow received the boarding pass for the first flight between Kolkata and Ayodhya.

Speaking at the inauguration event, Union Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia said that the development of Uttar Pradesh is reaching new heights under the leadership of Prime Minister Narednra Modi.

“The development of Uttar Pradesh is reaching new heights. If we look at the population of Uttar Pradesh, almost 70 per cent of the population of the US is in Uttar Pradesh. Half of Europe’s population is in Uttar Pradesh. We celebrated Diwali last November, the second Diwali was on December 3 when the election results were declared and not for the entire country but for the entire world the third Diwali is going to be celebrated on the coming 22nd,” Scindia said.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath who joined the inauguration event through video conference said that along with new airports, four international airports have come up in the state.

“In the last nine years, not only new airports have come up in Uttar Pradesh but with 4 international airports, Uttar Pradesh has become an important state in the field of air connectivity. PM Modi inaugurated the Maharishi Valmiki International Airport in Ayodhya on 30th December,” the Chief Minister said.

Earlier on Saturday, an airport official said that routine flights at Ayodhya’s Maharishi Valmiki International Airport will begin and the number of flights at the airport will increase as well.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the Maharishi Valmiki International Airport in the temple city of Ayodhya after inaugurating the Ayodhya Railway Station on December 30.

The Airports Authority of India undertook the development of Ayodhya Airport as per the MoU signed with the Government of Uttar Pradesh in April last year. The state-of-the-art airport has been developed at a cost of more than Rs 1450 crore.

The airport’s terminal building has an area of 6,500 square metres and is equipped to serve about 10 lakh passengers annually. The facade of the terminal building depicts the temple architecture of the upcoming Shri Ram Mandir of Ayodhya.

The interiors of the terminal building are decorated with local art, paintings and murals depicting the life of Bhagwan Shri Ram. (ANI)

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Delhi cold flight train

Delhi: Over 170 Flights Affected, 20 Trains Delayed Due To Fog

By LokMarg

The national capital continues to grapple with biting cold and fog, impacting visibility and causing delays and cancellations in flight and train operations on Wednesday morning.

Flight movement to and from Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International (IGI) airport remained affected with around 120 flights including international ones getting delayed by several hours. 53 flights were also announced cancelled on Wednesday due to fog and other operational issues.

According to the Delhi Airport Flight Information Display System (FIDS) data, the 120 affected flights included 21 international departures, 23 international arrivals, 33 domestic departures, and 43 domestic arrivals.

Apart from the 120 flights affected, a total of 53 flights have been cancelled citing fog and other operational reasons, as per the FIDS data recorded till 8 am on Wednesday. This includes 21 domestic arrivals, 16 domestic departures, 13 international departures, and 3 international arrivals.

Meanwhile, around 20 passenger trains to Delhi were running behind schedule on Wednesday.

According to the Northern Railways, two trains namely Puri-Nizamuddin Purushottam Express and Hyderabad-New Delhi were delayed by around 6-6.30 hours.

Similarly, Azamgarh-Delhi Junction Kaifiyat Express and Ambedkarnagar-Katra were also running behind schedule and are likely to arrive late by around five hours.

A four-and-a-half-hour delay is expected on the arrival of the Katihar-Amritsar Express, the railways’ data mentioned.

Six trains namely, Rewa-Anand Vihar Express, Vasco-Nizamuddin Express, Bhopal-Nizamuddin Express, Khajarao-Kurukshetra, Amritsar-Mumbai and Manikpru-Nizamuddin are likely to arrive late by around 2-2.45 hours.

In addition to these, eight long-distance trains are delayed by around 1-1.30 hours, as per the railways. This included Howrah-Kalka Mail, Saharsa-New Delhi Vaishali Express, Prayagraj-New Delhi Express, Muzaffarpur-Anand Vihar, Chennai-New Delhi and Jammutawi-Ajmer, the railways said.

According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD) data, visibility was recorded below 200 metres in several parts of the country including Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, West Rajasthan, West and East Uttar Pradesh at around 5.30 am on Wednesday.

Further, as per IMD, dense fog was observed in isolated areas of Delhi, East Rajasthan, East Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal, Arunachal Pradesh and Assam on Wednesday morning. (ANI)

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Rahul Gandhi Modi

Modi Inaugurates Projects Worth Rs 4000 Cr

By LokMarg

Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated projects worth over Rs 4000 crore in Kerala’s Kochi on Wednesday.

The three major infrastructure projects inaugurated by the Prime Minister included the New Dry Dock (NDD) at Cochin Shipyard Limited (CSL); the International Ship Repair Facility (ISRF) of CSL; and the LPG Import Terminal of Indian Oil Corporation Limited at Puthuvypeen, Kochi.

Addressing a gathering in Kochi after the inauguration, PM Modi expressed gratitude to the people of Kerala for giving him a grand welcome on his arrival.

“It gave me immense joy to see the happy faces when I landed in Kochi. Thank you for the grand welcome. I consider myself fortunate to have gotten a chance to offer prayers at the Guruvayur Temple in Thrissur,” PM Modi said in his inaugural address.

“A few days ago while inaugurating the Maharishi Valmiki International Airport in Ayodhya on December 30, I was talking about four temples related to Ramayana in Kerala. I am fortunate to offer prayers at Thriprayar Shree Ramaswamy Temple just before the ‘Pran Pratishtha’ ceremony in Ayodhya,” he said.

Highlighting the new infrastructure intitatives inaugurated today, the Prime Minister said the Central Government is working to increase capacity of coastal cities like Kochi.

He further asserted that Kochi is set to be the next ship building hub of the nation.

“We are making efforts to increase the capacity of ports, to build and strengthen port infrastructure and to increase connectivity of ports through initiatives like the Sagarmala Pariyojana,” the Prime Minister said.

“Today when India is becoming the centre of global trade, then we are increasing our sea power. Soon we will see Kochi growing to be on the epitome of this,” PM Modi outlined.

He emphasised the new infrastructure that is inaugurated today which will further boost the Cochin shipyard’s capacity.

“Today the country has its biggest Dry Dock (NDD). Besides this, infrastructures of ship-building, ship repairing and LPG Import Terminal have also been inaugurated,” PM Modi said.

“With these new features, the capacity of the shipyard will increase manifold. I congratulate the people of Kerala for these facilities,” he added.

Pointing out that India is emerging as a major centre of global trade, the Prime Minister said that the efforts to strengthen the country’s maritime power is also underway.

PM Modi who is on his two-day visit to the state offered prayers at Guruvayur Sree Krishnaswamy temple in Thrissur earlier in the day.

Guruvayur temple is dedicated to Lord Guruvayurappan (Lord Krishna) and is a significant place of worship for Hindus in Kerala.

He was welcomed by the Devaswom office bearers by giving a ‘Poorna kumbham’ (a pitcher with sacred water adorned with flowers). It is a traditional way of welcoming guests in temples and similar places.

During his temple visit, PM Modi also attended the wedding of actor and BJP leader Suresh Gopi’s daughter.

PM Modi also visited Triprayar Sree Ramaswamy Temple in Thrissur and offered prayers there. The Triprayar temple is one of the prominent temples in the state with Lord Ram as the main deity.

The Prime Minister arrived in Kerala on Tuesday night where he was welcomed by Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, Governor Arif Mohammed Khan, MoS V Muraleedharan and BJP leader Prakash Javadekar at the Cochin International Airport in Nedumbassery.

PM Modi held a grand roadshow in Kochi on Tuesday which was attended by thousands of supporters. BJP state president K Surendran accompanied the Prime Minister on board his motorcade for the roadshow.

This is the second visit of the PM to Kerala in two weeks. (ANI)

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Lalu And Family Obtained Illegal Gratification

Lalu To Skip ‘Pran Pratistha’ Ceremony

By LokMarg

Former Chief Minister of Bihar and RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav on Wednesday said that he will not attend the Pran Pratishtha ceremony at the Ram temple in Ayodhya that is scheduled to take place on January 22.

“I will not go to Ayodhya to attend the ‘pran pratishtha’ ceremony of the Ram Temple,” Yadav said.

However, he has not cited any specific reason for attending the event.

The Pran Pratishta ceremony will be held in Ayodhya on January 22. Prime Minister Narendra Modi along with several other leaders will attend the event. Several celebrities and noted personalities have also been invited to the ceremony.

Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) supremo Sharad Pawar has also turned down the invitation to the ‘Pran Pratishtha’ ceremony of Ram Lalla in Ayodhya and said that he will visit for darshan after the event and once the construction is complete.

Pawar conveyed his appreciation of the invite in a letter addressed to Champat Rai, the General Secretary of Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra on Wednesday.

“I’m very happy on receiving the invitation for the Pran Pratishtha ceremony to held in Ayodhya on January 22, 2024,” Pawar stated in his letter.

In the letter, Pawar acknowledged the devotion of crores of devotees across the country and said, “‘Maryada Purushottam Sri Ram’ is a symbol of worship and devotion of crores of devotees in and across India. The devotees across the country are excited about the ceremony and are reaching the temple in large numbers. The joy of the historic celebrations will reach me through them.”

The NCP supremo said that he will visit the temple during his scheduled visit to Ayodhya after January 22, adding that by then the construction of the temple will also be completed.

Several other leaders of the opposition, including Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi and party chief Mallikarjun Kharge, have turned down the invitation. (ANI)

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Dense Fog Continues To Disrupt Rail, Air Traffic in Delhi

Delhi: 22 Flights Delayed By Fog

By LokMarg

At least 22 domestic flights, which were delayed by over three hours owing to reduced visibility brought on by persistent fog, departed from the India Gandhi International Airport in the national capital on Tuesday.

Amid chaotic scenes at airports and palpable anger among fliers over regular flight delays owing to fog, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), on Monday, issued standard operating procedures for airlines in the event of delays and cancellations due to adverse weather conditions.

The SOPs were drawn up after carriers as well as the Delhi airport faced criticism on social media over flight delays and cancellations due to the prevailing weather conditions.

Flights to Srinagar were delayed by 12 hours while those to Bhubaneswar and Patna were pushed back by 6 and 5 hours respectively. Several other flights were delayed by over three hours as well.

According to airport sources, special amenities for passengers have been introduced at all terminals of IGI in anticipation of further flight delays.

On Monday, a note issued by DGCA read that in view of the fog-induced disruptions and adverse weather conditions at various airports, including Delhi Airport, causing delays, cancellations and inconvenience to passengers; Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) have been mandated in public interest.

The SOPs mandate airlines to publish accurate real-time information regarding delays of their flights, which shall be published on the respective website of the airline or through advance information to affected passengers by SMS, WhatsApp and email.

They have also been advised to display updated information regarding flight delays to passengers waiting at the airports.

The SOPs also call for appropriate sensitisation of the airline staff at airports to suitably communicate with and continuously guide and inform passengers about flight delays.

“In view of the prevalent fog season and adverse weather conditions, airlines may cancel, sufficiently in advance, such flights that are anticipated to be delayed or consequentially delayed on account of such conditions beyond a period of three hours with a view to obviate congestion at the airport and mitigate passenger inconvenience,” the guidelines read.

All airlines were directed to mandatorily adhere to the SOPs with immediate effect. (ANI)

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