News Archives - Page 666 of 1965 - Lokmarg

BSP To Celebrate Mayawati’s B’day As ‘Jankalyankari Diwas’

By LokMarg 15th January 2023

The Bahujan Samaj Party will celebrate party chief Mayawati’s 67th birthday on January 15 as Jankalyankari Diwas, the party informed on Sunday.

Mayawati will release the 18th edition of her work – “A Travelogue of My Struggle-ridden Life and BSP Movement” in a programme organized in the party state unit office located in Mall Avenue, Lucknow.
“Dedicated to Bahujan mission, leader of social change, our role model, National President of BSP, our source of inspiration, our guide Respected Mayawati ji Happy birthday,” tweeted Bahujan Samaj Party.

The party has released a series of songs by Sonu Nigam, Kailash Kher, Udit Narayan, Javed Ali and Prince in the run-up to the birthday celebration, acclaiming her as a fighter for the rights of the deprived community. (ANI)

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Mercury Dips To -4.7° In several Parts Of Rajasthan

By LokMarg 15th January 2023

The entire North Indian belt continued to reel under an intense cold wave on Sunday, with several areas of Rajasthan recording temperatures below freezing point.

Shishram Dhaka, the Zonal Director of research at Agricultural Research Station (ARS), Fatehpur-Shekhawati said that -4.7 degree celsius temperature was recorded at Fatehpur-Shekhawati.
“For the last two days, the temperature in areas like Sikar, Churu, and Jhunjhunu is going down to minus with a nerve-freezing cold,” he added.

As per the data received from the Zonal Director, the temperature recorded on January 15 was -4.7 degrees followed by January 14 recording -3.5 degrees, and January 13 recording 7.5 degrees Celsius.

“People’s life has been affected by the harsh winter. Snow has started accumulating in the fields. We are trying to avoid the cold, people are resorting to bonfires in the morning,” a local resident said.

The locals further added that farmers have started worrying about the damage that will be caused to the mustard crop due to the freezing snow. While wheat and other crops are expected to get benefits.

Meanwhile, Rajasthan’s hill station, Mount Abu was covered with snow sheet with temperatures dropping to the lowest breaking old records for winter. The temperature was recorded here at -4 degrees Celsius. 4 to 5 inches ‘of thick snow was seen in the area.

Last year the minimum temperature of Mount Abu was -2 degree Celsius.

As per satellite imagery and available visibility data from the India Meteorological Department (IMD), a layer of fog extended from Punjab and adjoining northwest Rajasthan to Bihar across Haryana, Chandigarh and Delhi and Uttar Pradesh.

Meanwhile, Delhi’s Safdarjung recorded a minimum temperature of 5.6 degrees Celsius around 6.10 am.

According to the Meteorological department, the visibility in Palam was recorded at 200 meters at 6.10 am.

As per India Meteorological Department (IMD) forecast, dense to very dense fog was observed over parts of Punjab, Northwest Rajasthan, Jammu division, Haryana, Chandigarh and Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Tripura.

“Dense/Very Dense Fog layer (in the white patch) extends from Punjab to Bihar across Haryana, Delhi and Uttar Pradesh,” tweeted the India Meteorological Department.

Meanwhile, IMD has issued an orange alert for dense fog and chilly conditions in neighbouring Punjab and Haryana on Sunday and Monday. (ANI)

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We Want To Conduct Geophysical Survey Of Joshimath: Disaster Management

By LokMarg 15th January 2023

The Disaster Management department is aiming towards conducting the geophysical survey at 10 spots throughout the Joshimath to get better survey results.

“The drainage department has opened tender for drainage plan, and we will take note of where the work has reached,” Ranjit Kumar Sinha, Secretary of Disaster Management said while addressing a press conference on Saturday.
“In the cabinet, it was decided that we will work towards the Toe Erosion. We were directed to get a timeline from the officials, and then start work towards shifting the people,” he added.

He said four companies have bid for the drainage contract, and the company with the required technical capabilities will be shortlisted.

“Cracks do occur on the houses in hill areas. But, if huge cracks are coming up, then proper action must be taken. We have also directed the same to the authorities,” he said.

Geologist Dr Sarkar also addressed the press conference and said that they want to carry out the geophysical survey in the whole of Joshimath.

“The geophysical survey has already started. The collected data will then go for interpretation. It will take some time, as soils have to dig and then sent to laboratories. We want this survey to take place at 10 spots in the whole of Joshimath so that we get better results,” he added.

Joshimath, also known as Jyotirmath, is a city and a municipal board in Chamoli District in Uttarakhand. Located at the height of 6150 feet (1875 m), it is a gateway to several Himalayan mountain climbing expeditions, trekking trails, and pilgrim centres like Badrinath.

Life in the hill town of Joshimath in Uttarakhand has been disrupted in the last few days as residents took to the streets to demand action for the cracks that have developed in their houses.

Earlier on Saturday, sources informed that several houses at Singhdhar in the Joshimath town of Uttarakhand collapsed in the midnight hours of January 2 and 3. However, no lives were lost in these incidents.

In view of the land subsidence incident in Joshimath, the state Cabinet on Friday approved an amount of Rs 45 crore as relief for the affected families.

The Cabinet also cleared a proposal to waive the electricity bill of all those affected for six months starting from November 2022, besides approving a proposal for providing employment under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MNREGA) to two members of each of the affected families. (ANI)

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Karnataka: Jailed Gangster Made Threatening Calls To Gadkari’s Ofz

By LokMarg 15th January 2023

In a major breakthrough in the case related to threat calls received at Union Minister Nitin Gadkari’s office, Nagpur Police on Saturday traced the caller.

The caller has been identified as Jayesh Kantha, a jailed gangster, serving imprisonment in Belagavi jail, who made threatening calls to Union Minister Nitin Gadkari’s office from inside the jail, police said.
“Union Minister Nitin Gadkari was being threatened from jail. the caller is a notorious gangster and murder accused Jayesh Kantha, who is imprisoned in Karnataka’s Belagavi jail. He threatened Gadkari’s office by using the phone illegally inside the jail, Nagpur Commissioner of Police said, adding that a team of Nagpur Police has left for Belagavi for further probe.

The jail administration has recovered, a diary from the accused, which has been seized.

Nagpur Police have asked for production remand for the accused.

The office of Union Minister Nitin Gadkari in Maharashtra received threat calls on Saturday, the Nagpur Police said.

In response to the alleged threat calls, the Nagpur Police later beefed up the security around Union minister Nitin Gadkari.

According to the police, the office received three calls at 11.25 am, 11.32 am, and 12.32 pm at the landline number of Gadkari’s office from the BSNL network-registered number. The call records are being obtained, it added.

“There were three phone calls. The details are being found, and our crime branch will work on the CDR (Call Detail Record). An analysis is underway and the existing security has been increased. The security at the venue of the program of minister Gadkari has also beefed up,” Deputy Commissioner of Police, Rahul Madane, Nagpur said on Saturday. (ANI)

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Modi To Flag Off Secunderabad-Visakhapatnam Vande Bharat Train Today

By LokMarg 15th January 2023

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will flag off the Vande Bharat Express train connecting Secunderabad with Visakhapatnam on Sunday at 10:30 am via video link.

This will be the eighth Vande Bharat Express train introduced by Indian Railways.
Earlier on Saturday, Minister of Railways Ashwini Vaishnaw conducted a pre-launch inspection of the Vande Bharat train.

Reacting to the flagging off of Vande Bharat Express service by PM Modi on the auspicious occasion of Pongal, Vaishnaw on Saturday, said, “It’s a very big gift and I thank Prime Minister for this hugely popular train, a modern train, which is world-class, which will connect the two Telugu-speaking people and the major cities which are getting connected tomorrow. It will be a big boon for this region.”

Vande Bharat Express train, connecting Secunderabad with Visakhapatnam, will be the first one connecting the Telugu-speaking states of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, covering a distance of around 700 km, added the statement.

The train will have stoppages at Visakhapatnam, Rajahmundry, and Vijayawada stations in Andhra Pradesh and at Khammam, Warangal, and Secunderabad stations in Telangana.

The indigenously designed train set of Vande Bharat Express is equipped with state-of-the-art passenger amenities. The statement added that it will provide rail users with a faster, more comfortable, and more convenient travel experience. (ANI)

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Delhi Fog, Several Flights Delayed Due To Low Visibility

By LokMarg 15th January 2023

As many as six flights, scheduled to depart from Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGI), was delayed due to fog, informed airport authority on Sunday.

Among the flight routes affected by the severe fog were Delhi-Riyadh, Delhi-Shimla-Kullu, Delhi-Varanasi, Delhi-Dharamshala-Srinagar, Delhi-Shimla- Dharamshala, Delhi-Dehradun.

Already reeling under a cold wave since the beginning of the new year, residents in the national capital on Sunday woke to a chilly morning with cold waves.

Safdarjung recorded a minimum temperature of 5.6 degrees Celsius around 6.10 am on Sunday.

According to the Meteorological department, the visibility in Palam was recorded at 200 meters at 6.10 am.

As per the IMD forecast, dense to very dense fog was observed over parts of Punjab, Northwest Rajasthan, Jammu division, Haryana, Chandigarh and Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Tripura.

“Dense/Very Dense Fog layer (in the white patch) extends from Punjab to Bihar across Haryana, Delhi and Uttar Pradesh,” tweeted the India Meteorological Department.

IMD has issued an orange alert for dense fog and chilly conditions in neighbouring Punjab and Haryana on Sunday and Monday.

Meanwhile, the Northern Railway informed on Sunday that 20 trains were running late due to fog. (ANI)

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Pakistan: People Chase Wheat Truck On Bikes As Food Crisis Deepens

By LokMarg 15th January 2023

Amid the deepening food crisis in Pakistan, people were seen chasing a wheat truck on their bikes, risking their lives to get a bag of wheat.

Sharing the video, Professor Sajjad Raja, chairman of National Equality Party JKGBL, wrote that “this is not a motorcycle rally, but people in Pakistan are chasing a truck loaded with flour, in the hope that they will buy just one packet of flour. Do we have any future in Pakistan? This video is just a glimpse of what is happening in Pakistan”.
In a video shared on social media, some people riding a motorcycle are seen chasing a truck carrying sacks of flour, and people can be seen chasing the vehicle to buy the lot. One of the chasers coming closer to the wheat truck shows the note and asks for a packet of flour.

He also advised residents in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir to open their eyes. People in PoK have been at the receiving end of discrimination for over seven decades and the situation continues to remain so even today.

“This isn’t a motorcycle rally, ppl in #Pakistan are desperately chasing a truck carrying wheat flour, hoping to buy just 1 bag. Ppl of #JammuAndKashmir should open their eyes. Lucky not to be #Pakistani & still free to take decisions about our future. Do we have any future with Pakistan?” he tweeted.

Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) is on the verge of food riots as large parts of the region, including Bagh and Muzaffarabad, are facing an unprecedented flour shortage with people holding Islamabad and the PoK government responsible for the acute food shortages.

While the government supply of subsidized wheat has nearly stopped altogether, the prices of other essentials have skyrocketed as well.

Pakistan is facing the worst food crisis in many years, with local media reports indicating that there is an acute shortage of wheat flour in many parts of the country.

Since last week, flour prices have skyrocketed in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Sindh, and Balochistan provinces.

A packet of flour is being sold for 3000 Pakistani rupees. Fights and brawls for flour can be seen in the streets of Pakistan.

According to a report, the crisis is mainly affecting the low-income group. People are seen standing in long lines for hours for lots, amid a huge shortage of wheat in the retail market.

The prices of other food items are also skyrocketing in the country. Armed guards are protecting trucks carrying wheat and flour from unruly mobs.

Flour in Karachi is being sold from Rs 140 per kilogram to Rs 160 per kilogram. In Islamabad and Peshawar, a 10 kg bag of flour is being sold at Rs 1,500 per kilogram while a 20-kilogram bag of flour is being sold at Rs 2,800. Mill owners in Punjab province have increased the price of flour to Rs 160 per kilogram.

Similarly, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has been facing the worst-ever flour crisis as a bag of 20-kilogram flour is being sold for Rs 3,100 after the government failed to control the price of the stable, The News International reported.

Prices of pulses in Pakistan have also been going up due to the non-clearance of imported shipments at the port and delay in the approval of relevant documents by banks, Pakistan-based Dawn newspaper reported.

Rauf Ibrahim, the chairman of Karachi Wholesalers Grocers Association (KWGA), said traders on Thursday held a protest outside the State Bank’s head office against the non-clearance of over 6,000 containers of pulses at the port for the past two months due to a shortage of dollars and the reluctance of banks to clear import documents, according to Dawn. (ANI)

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Ropeway Services Halted In Joshimath Amid Subsidence

By LokMarg 14th January 2023

Land subsidence has halted a ropeway service connecting Chamoli’s Joshimath to Auli in Uttarakhand, Dinesh Bhatt, manager, Ropeway Operation, said on Saturday.

“The impact of the landslide [land subsidence] in Joshimath is expanding. The 4.15-km ropeway connecting Joshimath to Auli has also come under threat as huge cracks appeared near the ropeway platform late night Friday,” Bhatt said.

He informed that the cracks appeared near tower number 1 of the ropeway, prompting the administration to suspend the ropeway service as a precautionary measure.

“In the wake of cracks appearing near tower number 1 of the ropeway, the service was suspended temporarily by the administration as a precautionary measure. There are concerns as to whether the ropeway service can resume anytime soon,” he added.

The ropeway service has remained suspended since January 5 after cracks were reported in buildings at Joshimath. The service will remain suspended till further orders, he added.

Speaking to ANI, Harish, a local, said, “It happened on January 2. It was around 2.30 am when we were sleeping. We heard a noise as the cracks on the walls opened up and big chunks of concrete started falling off.”

“We were scared and spent the night under an open sky. We were shifted to a government school nearby the day after,” he said.

“Many important documents and household items were destroyed. But thankfully, no lives were lost. Some hotels in Manohar Bagh, too, have developed big cracks,” Harish added.

Another local resident, Rishi Devi, said while his residence and many others had developed cracks for some time, the municipality refused to act saying it had no order from the higher authorities.

“Our house had developed cracks for some time. We had requested the municipality for help. But over a span of two days, on January 2 and 3, our house as well as others collapsed. A nearby temple, too, collapsed and we even lost our cattle. Both my sons are jobless now,” Rishi Devi told ANI.

In view of the land subsidence incident in Joshimath, the state Cabinet on Friday approved an amount of Rs 45 crore as relief for the affected families.

The Cabinet also cleared a proposal to waive the electricity bill of all those affected for six months starting from November 2022, besides approving a proposal for providing employment under Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MNREGA) to two members of each of the affected families. (ANI)

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Court Extends Sisodia’s CBI Remand In Excise Case

CBI Conducts Raids At Manish Sisodia’s Office

By LokMarg 14th January 2023

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) raids are underway at the office of AAP leader and Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia at the Delhi Secretariat on Saturday.

“Today again CBI has reached my office. They are welcome. They raided my house, raided my office, searched my locker, and even searched my village. Nothing has been found against me and nothing will be found because I have not done anything wrong. Sincerely worked for the education of the children of Delhi,” tweeted Sisodia in Hindi.

Last year in August, the CBI conducted a search operation at Sisodia’s Punjab National Bank locker in connection with Delhi Excise Policy 2021-22 money laundering case, where according to him the CBI had found nothing.

Several raids were also conducted at 21 places in Delhi and the National Capital Region including the residence of Sisodia and the premises of four public servants last year, according to a CBI official. The official said that raids were conducted in locations across 7 states.

The probe was done after taking into account a report forwarded by the Chief Secretary to Delhi’s Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena recommending a CBI investigation into the matter.

The excise policy was passed in Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal-led Delhi Cabinet in the middle of the deadly Delta Covid-19 pandemic in 2021. The Delhi government’s version is that the policy was formulated to ensure the generation of optimum revenue, and eradicate the sale of spurious liquor or non-duty paid liquor in Delhi, besides improving user experience.

Following LG’s recommendation, the office of the Assistant Commissioner of Delhi Police’s Economic Offence Wing (EOW) issued a notice to Delhi’s Excise Commissioner asking him to provide all documents relating to the award of liquor licenses under the new excise policy. (ANI)

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SRK Magic: Burj Khalifa Lights Up With ‘Pathaan’ Sneak

By LokMarg 14th January 2023

King Khan of Bollywood Shah Rukh Khan attended the trailer of his action thriller in ‘Pathaan’ style at Dubai’s Burj Khalifa.

The trailer of SRK, Deepika Padukone and John Abraham was showcased in Dubai on Saturday.

SRK fan clubs shared some videos and pictures from the location in which the ‘Dunki’ actor was heard saying “Party rakhoge to mehman navazi ke liye Pathan to ayega aur sath mein pathaake bhi layega.”

In one of the pictures, SRK was seen doing his signature pose in front of Burj Khalifa.

And in another photo, he was seen looking at the trailer projected on the iconic skyscraper.

Not only this, he was seen shaking his leg on ‘Jhoome Jo Pathaan’ song.

Apart from this, SRK jetted off few days ago to UAE for the International League T20.

Nelson D’Souza, Vice President, International Distribution said, “Pathaan is one of the most eagerly awaited films of our times and a film like this deserves to be mounted in the grandest manner when it comes to presenting it to audiences. We are thrilled to announce that Dubai will be celebrating Shah Rakh Khan and Pathaan as the trailer of the film will be showcased on the iconic Burj Khalifa!”

He added, “We are delighted that Shah Rukh Khan, who is currently in UAE for the International League T20, will make time to be present when the trailer plays out on one of the most significant architectural marvels of the world. SRK has an unprecedented fan following in the UAE and we feel this activity befits the hype that Pathaan carries today, thanks to the overwhelming love that is being showered on it by his fans and audiences alike.”

Helmed by Siddharth Anand ‘Pathaan’. The film also stars Dimple Kapadia and Ashutosh Rana in the lead roles and is all set to hit the theatres on January 25, 2023.

Recently the makers unveiled the official trailer of the film which received massive responses from the fans.

The two-and-a-half-minute-long trailer showcases Shah Rukh Khan and Deepika as spy agents standing against a powerful enemy, played by John Abraham, who is planning a big attack in India.

Apart from this, he will also be seen in filmmaker Rajkumar Hirani’s ‘Dunki’ opposite Taapsee Pannu and Atlee’s ‘Jawan’, which will hit the theatres on June 2 this year. (ANI)

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