Governor Archives - Lokmarg - News Views Blogs

Cash-For-Jobs Scam: TN Governor Dismisses Jailed Minister Balaji

By LokMarg 29th June 2023

Tamil Nadu Governor RN Ravi on Thursday dismissed DMK leader jailed minister V Senthil Balaji from the Council of Ministers with immediate effect.

Balaji was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate on June 14 in a cash-for-jobs scam case.
“Minister V Senthil Balaji is facing serious criminal proceedings in a number of cases of corruption including taking cash for jobs and money laundering…Under these circumstances, Governor has dismissed him from the Council of Ministers with immediate effect”, stated a release issued by the Raj Bhavan in Tamil Nadu.

The release further stated, “Abusing his position as a Minister, he (Senthil Balaji) has been influencing the investigation and obstructing the due process of law and justice. He is in judicial custody in a criminal case being investigated by the Enforcement Directorate. Some more criminal cases against him under the Prevention of Corruption Act and the Indian Penal codes are being investigated by the State Police.”

The Minister for Electricity, Prohibition, and Excise in the MK Stalin government, Balaji, was arrested on June 14 and admitted to a government hospital in Chennai after he complained of chest pains.

He was allowed by the Madras High Court on June 15 to be shifted to a private hospital of his choice.

The Supreme Court, earlier this month, refused to interfere with the Madras High Court order allowing Balaji to be moved to a private hospital in Chennai and admitted a habeas corpus petition filed against his arrest. (ANI)

Read More: http://13.232.95.176/

Governor Doesn’t Have Right: Stalin After Balaji Dismissed

By LokMarg 29th June 2023

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin on Thursday hit out at Governor RN Ravi over the dismissal of jailed minister Senthil Balaji, saying he does not have the right to do so and his government will proceed legally in the matter.

The minister had been arrested in connection with a cash-for-jobs scam case.
Speaking to reporters in the wake of the arrest of the fellow DMK leader, CM Stalin said, “Governor doesn’t have the right (to dismiss a sitting minister) and we will face this legally.”

Also lashing out at the Governor, DMK leader A Saravanan accused the Governor of undermining the Constitution, saying that the order, dismissing Balaji from the state’s council of ministers, is not even worth the paper it was drafted on.

“Who does the Governor thinks he is? Does he have the constitutional authority (to dismiss Senthil Balaji)? The Governor is undermining the constitution. He is catering to the Sanatan Dharma. The law of the land isn’t determined by the Sanatan Dharma. For a Governor, the constitution should be the Bible, Gita, and Quran. He is acting like a clown, trying to appease his political masters. His order isn’t even worth the paper it was drafted on. It must be consigned to the dustbin,” the DMK leader said.

Former Union minister and Congress leader Manish Tewari, too, slammed the dismissal of the jailed minister, tweeting, “Article 164 of COI”The chief Minister shall be appointed by the Governor and the other Ministers shall be appointed by the Governor on the advice of the Chief Minister… Since Ministers are appointed on advice of CM they can be removed ONLY on advice of CM Unconstitutional Gov.”

Earlier, on Thursday, Tamil Nadu Governor Ravi dismissed DMK leader jailed minister Balaji from the Council of Ministers with immediate effect.

“Minister V Senthil Balaji is facing serious criminal proceedings in a number of cases of corruption including taking cash for jobs and money laundering…Under these circumstances, Governor has dismissed him from the Council of Ministers with immediate effect”, stated a release issued by the Raj Bhavan in Tamil Nadu.

Balaji was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate on June 14 in a cash-for-jobs scam case. He was later admitted to a government hospital in Chennai after he complained of chest pains.

He was allowed by the Madras High Court on June 15 to be shifted to a private hospital of his choice.

Read More: http://13.232.95.176/

First Batch Of Pilgrims Arrive At Amarnath Yatri Niwas Base Camp

By LokMarg 29th June 2023

A large number of pilgrims reached the Yatri Niwas Base Camp in Jammu on Thursday, ahead of the commencement of the annual Amarnath Yatra on July 1.

The first batch of pilgrims for the Yatra was seen in huge lines outside the base camp, and in high spirits. Tight security arrangements can be seen at the base camp.

The 62-day yatra, which commences on July 1 and culminates on August 31, is an important pilgrimage for Hindus who visit the Amarnath Cave, believed to be the abode of Lord Shiva. It will start from the ancient paths of Nunwan in Pahalgam and Baltal in the Ganderbal district of Kashmir where pilgrims will set off on their solemn trek.

In preparation for the Yatra, various langar committees started their preparation on Wednesday, three days in advance, to cater to the pilgrims in Jammu and Kashmir.

The committees prepared sheds, cooking resources and other raw materials on the Jammu Srinagar National Highway in Jammu and Kashmir’s Ushampur district. A total of 22 langars have been established this year at various points of the highway (NHW-44).

Additionally, according to an official statement by the Jammu and Kashmir police, the Director General of Police, Dilbag Singh: Additional Chief Secretary, Raj Kumar Goyal; Principal Secretary to the Lieutenant Governor, Mandeep Kumar Bhandari, on Wednesday, took an extensive tour of the twin routes of pilgrimage to Amarnath Yatra.

It also mentioned that the officials concentrated on full coordination among the forces & other stakeholders for the smooth conduct of the Yatra and they emphasized the identification of sensitive areas which may require an additional arrangement for the pilgrims.

The deployed officers were also directed to implement the devised plans on the ground for the security & safety of pilgrims and to work diligently to ensure the highest standards of professionalism while extending all required assistance and cooperation to the yatris, according to the official statement.

Before the yatra starts, the Anantnag district (Jammu and Kashmir) administration has set up all facilities, including medical care, sanitation, and others, and staff members have been stationed at various locations, added officials.

While talking to ANI, Deputy Commissioner Anantnag Syeed Fakhrudin Hamid said that “This year as far as RIFD, or sanitization or logging all arrangements have been made and all departments are working for the Yatra and like last year all arrangements have been made.

This yatra is also not only about spiritual harmony but also communal harmony, the officials said. (ANI)

Read More: http://13.232.95.176/

Ramesh Bais Appointed As M’rashtra Governor

By LokMarg 12th February 2023

The Rashtrapati Bhavan on Sunday announced the names for appointment on the post of 12 Governors for states and one Lieutenant Governor in the Union Territory of Ladakh.

The statement from Rashtrapati Bhavan stated that President Droupadi Murmu has accepted the resignations of Bhagat Singh Koshyari as Governor of Maharashtra and Radha Krishnan Mathur as Lt. Governor of Ladakh.
Ramesh Bais, the Governor of Jharkhand has now been appointed as Governor of Maharashtra, while, Brig. (Dr.) B.D. Mishra (Retd.), who is the Governor of Arunachal Pradesh has been appointed as Lt. Governor of Ladakh.

The statement also informed that Justice (Retd.) S Abdul Nazeer has been appointed as the Governor of Andhra Pradesh.

Let Gen Kaiwalya Trivikram Parnaik, PVSM, UYSM, YSM (Retired) has been appointed as the Governor of Arunachal Pradesh, Lakshman Prasad Acharya as Governor of Sikkim, CP Radhakrishnan as Governor of Jharkhand, Shiv Pratap Shukla as Governor of Himachal Pradesh, Gulab Chand Kataria as Governor of Assam, the statement read.

In addition to these, several Governors have been given charge of different states.

“Biswa Bhusan Harichandan, the Governor of Andhra Pradesh has now been appointed as the Governor of Chhattisgarh. Sushri Anusuiya Uikye, the Governor of Chhattisgarh has been appointed as Governor of Manipur. La Ganesan, the Governor of Manipur has been appointed as the Governor of Nagaland. Phagu Chauhan, the Governor of Bihar has now been appointed as Governor of Meghalaya, and Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar, the Governor of Himachal Pradesh has now been appointed as Governor of Bihar, the release added.

“The above appointments will take effect from the dates they assume charge of their respective offices,” the statement added. (ANI)

PM Chairs Meet Of Governors, CMs, L-Gs to Discuss India’s G20 Presidency

By LokMarg 9th December 2022

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday chaired a meeting of the Governors and chief ministers of states and Lt Governors of Union Territories over video-conferencing to discuss aspects relating to India’s G20 Presidency, said an official press release.

The Prime Minister stated that India’s G20 Presidency belongs to the entire nation, and is a unique opportunity to showcase the country’s strengths.
The Prime Minister further emphasized the importance of teamwork and sought the cooperation of the states/UTs in the organization of various G20 events.

According to the official press release, PM Modi pointed out that the G20 Presidency would help showcase parts of India beyond the conventional big metros, thus bringing out the uniqueness of each part of our country.

Highlighting a large number of visitors coming to India during India’s G20 Presidency and the international media focus on various events, the Prime Minister underlined the importance of States and UTs utilizing this opportunity to rebrand themselves as attractive business, investments, and tourism destinations.

He also reiterated the need to ensure people’s participation in the G20 events by a whole-of-government and a whole-of-society approach.

A number of Governors, chief ministers, and Lt. Governors shared their thoughts during the meeting, emphasizing the preparations being done by the states to host the G20 meetings.

The meeting was also addressed by External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and a presentation was made by India’s G20 Sherpa Amitabh Kant. (ANI)

Read More: http://13.232.95.176/

J’khand Governor Returns Excise Amendment Bill To Soren To Reconsider

By LokMarg 24th November 2022

Jharkhand Governor Ramesh Bais has returned a Jharkhand Excise (Amendment) Bill, 2022, passed by the Hemant Soren government in the state assembly earlier this year with a slew of suggestions and directions to make changes accordingly.

As per the Raj Bhavan, there are eight points to which the Governor has objections and asked the state government to reconsider.
In its recommendations, the Governor has also raised concern over the dwindling excise revenue in the state in the first two quarters of the current financial year after the introduction of the new excise policy.

The Governor has also questioned the provision making only the retail liquor shop staff accountable for any violation of the Act and said the responsibility of the agency (running the shop) and officers of JBCL should also be fixed.

“It seems the provision has been included to shield the officers of the corporation and the agency concerned,” said the official release of Raj Bhawan.

Hemant Soren government had, earlier this year, brought a new excise policy and took the liquor wholesale and retail business under its control, amid protests from the private license holders.

This will be the fifth bill that has been returned by the Governor to the state government for consideration and correction. (ANI)

Read More: http://13.232.95.176/

LG Orders Disciplinary Action Against Five Delhi cops In 2018 Case

By LokMarg 14th September 2022

Delhi Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena has ordered disciplinary action against five policemen, including two SHOs, after allegedly committing “serious lapses” while handling a case of physical assault.

According to a statement released by the LG’s office, continuing with his tough stand against dereliction of and lapses in duties and corruption by government servants the Lt Governor V K Saxena has ordered initiation of disciplinary proceedings against 2 SHOs, 2 sub-inspectors and an assistant sub-inspector of Delhi Police.
“ASI Heera Lal, SI Rahul Sagar, SI Ravi Poonia, present SHO Harish Kumar and the then SHO, Sanjeev Gautam committed serious lapses and serious misconduct in the discharge of their lawful duties while attending a complaint received on PCR on 08.12.2018, regarding one Shri Musa being physically assaulted by Farid and Shaan Ali with kicks and fist blows,” the statement by the LG office claimed.

A complaint by Asma Bibi filed at the Police Complaints Authority (PCA) on January 15, 2019, detailed that the above-mentioned PCR call made by her son Hasrat went unaddressed by the investigation officer, who neither got a medical examination of the victim done nor did he take any action against the accused persons.

“On December 18, 2018, Asma Bibi’s brother Musa had to be admitted in the GTB Hospital vide MLC No. A4670/40/18 and information was given to local police, with a case FIR No. 729/2018 u/s 323/341/34 IPC was registered by SI, Ravi Poonia. On December 30, 2018 the victim died due to the injuries sustained during the assault on 08.12.2018, but no proper action was taken by the IO, the complainant Asma Bibi said. On the contrary, the MLC No. B6659/41/18 with A/H/O observed that the patient had been brought in with “self inflicted injury at 4.30 PM on 15.12.2018 as stated by patient himself and brought by,” the statement said.

“The police did not conduct any inquiry or register any FIR or investigate the matter, nor did it file any charge sheet with regard to an injury in the stomach with a sharp edged object and the subsequent death of the victim due to this injury. There was total inaction on part of the police officials who dealt with this matter,” the statement added.

The PCA after thorough examination of the matter recommended appropriate action against the above named police personnel, said the statement. Perusal of reports revealed that the said police personnel in their deposition before PCA, themselves accepted their lapses/misconduct, it added.

The LG, in his order, has stated, “recommendation of the Police Complaints Authority is accepted Delhi Police be directed to initiate appropriate disciplinary proceedings against the delinquent police personnel, as per rules.” (ANI)