Jaipur, July 29 (IANS) Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma on Monday said that the Rajasthan Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS) will be established on the lines of AIIMS in the state and also announced a budget of Rs 750 crore for the project.

He also announced that the government will now buy 1000 electric buses instead of 500. In the budget speech announced earlier, it was announced to buy 500 buses. With these announcements, the budget of Rajasthan was passed in the assembly on Monday.

Speaking on the occasion, the Chief Minister announced that Bikaner and Bharatpur UITs (Urban Improvement Trust) will now be promoted to development authorities, adding that a new plan has been announced for the beautification of the Dravyavati river.

He also announced a provision of reservation in state police, jail guard and forest guard recruitments for the Agniveers.

He announced that the families getting ration will also get a LPG cylinder for Rs 450.

“We are expanding the scope of those getting gas cylinders for Rs 450. Earlier, beneficiaries of Ujjwala Yojana and BPL families were getting LPG cylinders for Rs 450. Now this scheme will be extended to families who take ration wheat,” the Chief Minister said.

He also announced that the salary, allowances and pension of MLAs and former MLAs will increase every year.

For Class IV recruitment, the Chief Minister announced that the government will restart this long-pending recruitment with new rules. At the same time, candidates scoring 40 per cent marks will also be able to take the Common Entrance Test for government services.

“Elderly people between 70 and 75 years of age in the state will be given 5 per cent more allowance in pension,” the Chief Minister said.

Before the passing of the budget in the Rajasthan Assembly, the Chief Minister, responding to the debate on the Finance Bill, said that the opposition was short of words to criticise the budget.

“We are moving forward with the vision of a developed India@2047,” the Chief Minister said.

He said that the Leader of the Opposition (LoP) presented a true fact that companies are not coming to our state because there is no electricity and water in our state.

“But this is the result of the unwise policies of the five-year rule of Congress. Power companies of the state reached bankruptcy during their time. Where in the year 2018-19, power companies were in profit of Rs 2607 crore, however, in the year 2023-24, there is a debt burden of about Rs 91,000 crore on power companies.”

On the paper leak, the Chief Minister said that the LoP has said that only small fishes have been caught while the big crocodiles are still out.

“They should not worry at all, their net was too small for small fishes, but I come from Brij Bhoomi. I have unwavering faith in the one with Sudarshan Chakra Bansiwala (Lord Krishna). Their net must have fallen short but no one will be able to escape from the supreme Sudarshan Chakra. When the one with Sudarshan Chakra comes, even big crocodiles will be caught,” the Chief Minister said.

He said that the livestock health insurance was announced under their (Congress) tenure but not even a single animal was insured.

He said that medical colleges were announced to be built in the Rajsamand-Jalore district but they were also not built.

–IANS

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Chennai, July 29 (IANS) A judicial member of the National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT), Chennai, on Monday recused himself from hearing a plea by Byju’s Founder Byju Raveendran against the insolvency petition against his company, Think & Learn Private Ltd.

Justice Sharad Kumar Sharma, a judicial member of the Chennai bench of the NCLAT, recused himself stating that he had appeared for the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) as a senior counsel in a number of cases.

“I will not venture into this. I have been a regular counsel for the BCCI in a number of cases,” he said.

He also directed that the case be placed before the NCLAT Chairperson for the nomination of an appropriate bench.

The NCLT, Bengaluru, had ordered insolvency proceedings against Think & Learn Private Ltd following a BCCI petition claiming a default of Rs 159 crore.

The NCLT had earlier appointed Pankaj Srivastava as an interim resolution professional to oversee the management of Byju’s, temporarily suspending the power of the board of directors.

Byju Raveendran had moved the NCLAT against the insolvency proceeding order.

–IANS

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New Delhi, July 29 (IANS) The Ministry of Defence and National Stock Exchange of India (NSE) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Monday, to facilitate capital market access to the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) in the defence sector.

The MoU was signed by Additional Secretary, Department of Defence Production (DDP) and Managing Director, NSE in the presence of Defence Secretary Giridhar Aramane.

The collaboration, for a period of five years, will help the MSMEs in the defence sector to fund and strategise their growth plan.

“The MoU intends to facilitate MSMEs in the defence sector to raise productive capital for their growth plan in an efficient and transparent manner through the NSE platform ‘NSE Emerge’,” said an official statement.

The ‘NSE Emerge’ platform offers new and viable options for raising equity capital from a diversified set of investors.

The agreement will help MSMEs and emerging companies in the defence sector to scale-up their business operations, explore new markets and fund their R&D activities.

NSE will also assist MSMEs in connecting with intermediaries like merchant bankers, registrar, transfer agents, depositories etc., and guide them regarding the capital markets, capital raising mechanism and regulatory compliance and requirements.

Notably, the government has taken several policy initiatives in the past few years under the ‘Make in India’ programme and brought in reforms to encourage indigenous design, development and manufacture of defence equipment in the country.

Export procedures have been simplified and made industry-friendly with end-to-end online export authorisation curtailing delays and bringing an Ease of Doing Business.

Further, the Atmanirbhar Bharat initiatives have helped the country by encouraging indigenous design, development and manufacture of defence equipment in the country, thereby reducing dependence on imports in the long run.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh in a recent interaction with IANS had said: “In 2014, the country’s defence exports stood at around Rs 600-800 crore. Today, it has gone beyond Rs 31,000 crore. And, in the next five years, we hope to take it beyond Rs 50,000 crore.”

–IANS

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Jaipur, July 29 (IANS) Former MLA and ex-Chairman of SC-ST Commission Khiladi Lal Bairwa, who switched from Congress to BJP, has now resigned from primary membership of the BJP.

He sent his resignation to BJP state president Madan Rathore on Monday. “I have no complaints against the BJP but I am not able to connect myself with the ideology of BJP,” Bairwa wrote in his resignation letter.

Bairwa left Congress and joined BJP before the Lok Sabha elections.

Meanwhile, he made scathing attacks on former Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot.

Bairwa said that Gehlot made an unsuccessful attempt to expel many veteran Congress leaders from the party in the desire to become Chief Minister for the fourth time.

In his resignation, he said that the phones of leaders of Sachin Pilot’s faction were tapped. “Lokesh Sharma (OSD of Ashok Gehlot) has spoken at length on this issue. My phone was also tapped, which is a matter of investigation,” he added.

“I was also expelled from the party in a planned manner. Rajasthan was divided into segments on the recommendation of some special sycophants. The Panchayat Samiti level area was made a district. The society was divided and the same number of social boards were made,” he alleged

“The districts created by the previous government, social boards, phone tapping cases and the matter of giving statutory status to the Scheduled Caste Commission should be investigated,” he added.

Khiladi Lal Bairwa was a Congress MLA from Baseri in the previous Gehlot government. He was also the chairman of the SC-ST Commission. In 2018, he won the election on a Congress ticket. Earlier, in the 2009 Lok Sabha elections, he was an MP from Karauli-Dholpur Lok Sabha seat.

–IANS

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Shillong, July 29 (IANS) Director General of Assam Rifles Lt Gen P.C. Nair on Monday said that the para-military force has been playing a critical role in safeguarding national frontiers in both the northeast and Jammu and Kashmir, responding to multifaceted security challenges with professionalism and determination.

Lt Gen Nair, who has served as the Director General of Assam Rifles for the past three years and is set to retire on July 31, praised the officers and men of the force for their unwavering dedication in ensuring a secure environment in the northeast, which is crucial for the nation’s progress.

The outgoing Assam Rifles DG addressed a Special Sainik Sammelan in Shillong on Monday.

Emphasising their steadfast resolve, he highlighted the critical role Assam Rifles has played in safeguarding national frontiers in both the northeast region and Jammu and Kashmir facing multifaceted security challenges with professionalism and determination.

The Assam Rifles chief commended the exceptional leadership and selfless devotion demonstrated by the troops in upholding the sovereignty and integrity of the nation.

He acknowledged the tireless efforts of the force in Manipur, despite facing wrongful propaganda from individuals and groups with vested interests.

Lt Gen Nair, who concluded an illustrious military career spanning 38 years and seven months, lauded the officers and men for their relentless and resolute efforts in not only curbing violence professionally but also maintaining the state’s integrity.

Highlighting the Force’s commitment to the welfare of veterans and their dependents, the senior Army officer noted the significance of instituting ‘Veterans Day’ on March 23 each year, recognising the valour and singular sacrifice of the Veterans.

He paid homage to all the brave hearts of the force and expressed his deep appreciation to all ranks for their zeal and enthusiasm in achieving greater success and glory.

Lt Gen Vikas Lakhera would be the new DG of the Assam Rifles, which is called ‘Sentinels of Northeast’.

Extending his best wishes to Lt Gen Lakhera, Lt Gen Nair expressed his confidence that the force would benefit immensely from Gen Lakhera’s extensive experience in the northeast.

–IANS

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