National
CM Chandrababu awaits Centre’s help for early completion of Polavaram
Amaravati, July 30 (IANS) After extracting an assurance from the Centre in the Union Budget for financing and early competition of the Polavaram project, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister, N Chandrababu Union is now waiting for a categorical announcement on the quantum of money for the irrigation project, which is expected to serve as the lifeline of the state.
The assurance in the Union Budget has raised hopes of early resumption of the work on the project across Godavari, which is the second top priority of CM Naidu after capital Amaravati.
Both the projects found mention in Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman’s budget speech.
For Amaravati, she announced that the Centre will facilitate special financial support through multilateral development agencies.
“In the current financial year Rs. 15,000 crore will be arranged, with additional amounts in future years,” she said.
However, no specific announcement was made for Polavaram, which was already declared a national project.
“Our government is fully committed to financing and early completion of the Polavaram Irrigation Project, which is the lifeline for Andhra Pradesh and its farmers. This will facilitate our country’s food security as well,” she said.
Naidu, who is leading the NDA government in the state and is a key ally in the BJP-led coalition at the Centre, is satisfied that the Centre has taken the responsibility of completing the project.
A dream of people of the region since 1941, Polavaram is perhaps the most jinxed project in the country.
The future of the Rs.55,000 crore multipurpose project still hangs in the balance due to the alleged mismanagement during the last five years and also damages it suffered in 2019-20 due to floods.
Amaravati and Polavaram are the two tasks which Naidu could not accomplish in his earlier stint as the Chief Minister of bifurcated Andhra Pradesh (2014-19).
While Amaravati is his brainchild, Polavaram is a long-pending project. Soon after assuming office last month, he declared them as his priorities.
He blamed his predecessor YS Jagan Mohan Reddy for killing Amaravati and also held him responsible for alleged mismanagement of the Polavaram project, leading to delays and damages and resulting in cumulative loss of Rs 52,900 crore.
According to CM Naidu, the losses during YSRCP rule were Rs.45,000 crore due to delay in supplying water to ayacut areas. The losses on account of damages and repair were Rs.4,900 crore. The delay in hydel power generation resulted in loss of Rs.3,000 crore.
CM Naidu personally visited Polavaram last month to review the status of the work and this month he released a White Paper on the project.
CM Naidu called Jagan a ‘curse’ that stalled the Rs 55,548 crore multipurpose national project.
An expenditure of Rs.16,761 crore has been incurred ever since Polavaram was declared a national project by the NDA government in 2016.
The Centre has so far released Rs.15,146 crore to the state government through the Polavaram Project Authority.
The project is designed to utilise Godavari water going waste into the sea to turn Andhra Pradesh into a drought-free state.
The multipurpose project is not only expected to stabilise ayacut in Godavari delta but also supply water to North Andhra and Rayalaseema for drinking and irrigation needs.
The project will also control the floods and generate hydel power.
The project is also designed to divert 80 TMC water from Godavari to Krishna River to fulfil the drinking water and irrigation needs of the drought-prone Rayalaseema region.
Polavaram will store 194 TMC of water, utilise 322 TMC of water, irrigate 7.2 lakh acres, stabilise ayacut of 23.50 lakh acres, supply drinking water to 28.50 lakh people, generate 960 Megawatt of power.
Water tourism and availability of water for industrial use are the other expected benefits of the mega project.
The project’s main features include a diaphragm wall with 90 meter depth, huge gates of 20 meter height and 16 meter width, 390 km long left and right canals.
Naidu recalls that in 2014 he took oath as the chief minister only after the Centre issued an Ordinance to merge seven mandals of Telangana with Andhra Pradesh. As these mandals are likely to be submerged, they were merged with Andhra Pradesh to avoid any inter-state disputes.
Naidu claims that 72 per cent of the works were completed between 2014 and 2019 while only 3.84 per cent works were carried out during the YSRCP rule.
“I visited the project 31 times and held virtual reviews 104 times,” he said.
Out of the total Rs.15,364 crore expenditure incurred, Rs.11,762 crore was spent during 2014-19.
During the YSRCP rule (2019-24), works worth only Rs.4,167 crore were taken up, Naidu claimed.
He also alleged that the Jagan government diverted Rs.3,385 crore of central funds released for Polavaram.
CM Naidu declared on June 28 that his government would rope in international experts to assess the project’s current status due to the damages caused by the mismanagement by the previous government.
“The Diaphragm wall was damaged due to Jagan’s stupid decisions. His incompetence, arrogance and audacity put the survival of the project in jeopardy,” said CM Naidu.
During the TDP regime, the diaphragm wall was completed at a cost of Rs. 436 crore. However, officials indicated that an additional Rs. 447 crore would be required to rectify damages caused under the subsequent government.
Moreover, the construction of a new diaphragm wall was estimated to cost Rs. 990 crore and could potentially span three to four seasons for completion.
The project was originally planned to be completed by 2020.
CM Naidu was uncertain as to how much time and money it would take to complete the project. Repair works necessitated by these delays are projected to cost Rs. 4,900 crore, contributing to a significant 38 per cent increase in the project’s overall expenses.
Recently, an expert from the United States and another from Canada visited the project site. They have been engaged by the Polavaram Project Authority (PPA) to review planning, designs and drawings submitted by the Water Resources Department of Andhra Pradesh), which is the executing agency.
Conceived at a cost of just Rs. 6.5 crore before India achieved Independence to now a whopping Rs. 55,000 crore, Polavaram remains the most jinxed project in the country.
From reorganisation of states to formation of Andhra State, its merger with then Hyderabad State to form Andhra Pradesh and then to the bifurcation of the state, Polavaram has come a full circle.
It was in 1980 that Tanguturi Anjaiah, Chief Minister of then undivided Andhra Pradesh, laid the foundation stone for the prestigious project but it could not go beyond unveiling of a plaque. It was not a priority for the subsequent governments of both the Congress and Telugu Desam Party (TDP).
CM Naidu, who was the longest-serving CM in the undivided Andhra Pradesh (1995-2004), faced criticism for ignoring agriculture.
When YS Rajasekhara Reddy led the Congress back to power in 2004, he included Polavaram in his priorities. The work was launched in 2005 and most of the work on the two canals was completed.
YSR, as he was popular among his followers, secured 95 per cent of the Central government clearances including the environmental clearance. YSR’s death in a helicopter crash in 2009 and the subsequent political upheaval due to revival of demand for Telangana state once again put Polavaram on the back-burner.
However, the project got a new lease of life in the most unexpected way. Conceding the demand for statehood to Telangana in the face of a massive movement, the then United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government offered a few incentives to compensate the residuary state of Andhra Pradesh for losing out capital Hyderabad to Telangana.
Declaring Polavaram a national project was one of the inducements offered in the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act. This meant that the central government would build the project.
In 2016 under the special package offered by the Centre in lieu of special category status, the Centre agreed to provide all the funds required for Polavaram and allowed the state to take charge of the construction.
This move by Naidu came under criticism from Congress leaders, who argued that only Central agencies have the expertise to execute projects of such a complex nature.
Naidu’s move to sever ties with NDA in 2018 came as another blow to Polavaram as the Centre and state traded allegations of corruption.
During the 2019 election campaign, Prime Minister Modi had alleged that Polavaram became an ‘ATM’ for Naidu.
“Polavaram has become like an ATM for him to draw money from the Centre,” PM Modi said. “Where is the money in your ATM,” Naidu had asked, hitting back at PM Modi for not reimbursing Rs. 4,500 crore the state government spent in spite of the financial crisis.
Returning as chief minister after five years in alliance with the BJP, Chandrababu Naidu is once again pinning his hopes on PM Modi to complete the project.
–IANS
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National
PM Modi to give certificates to 11 lakh Lakhpati Didis; roll out Rs 2,500 crore fund
New Delhi, Aug 22 (IANS) Union Minister for Rural Development and Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Thursday said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi will give certificates to 11 lakh new ‘Lakhpati Didis’ at a special function to be held at Jalgaon in Maharashtra on August 25 (Sunday).
The programme will have nationwide participation through the virtual mode.
The Prime Minister will release a revolving Community Investment Fund of Rs 2,500 crore, which will benefit about 48 lakh members of 4.3 lakh women Self Help Groups (SHGs), Shivraj Singh Chouhan said.
PM Modi will also release a bank loan of Rs 5,000 crore, which will benefit 25.8 lakh members of 2,35,400 Self Help Groups (SHGs).
Shivraj Singh Chouhan also said that people from about 30,000 places across 34 states and union territories including state capitals and district headquarters will join this program through the virtual route.
He said that Lakhpati Didis are women who earn Rs 1 lakh or more per annum. These Lakhpati Didis have not only pulled their families out of poverty but are also becoming role models for the rest of society, the Union Minister said.
“The Rural Development Ministry has already created 1 crore Lakhpati Didis. Now our target is to create 3 crore Lakhpati Didis in the next 3 years. It is heartening to note that one of these community resource persons has created 95 Lakhpati Didis,” Shivraj Singh Chouhan said.
He further explained that the Ministry has adopted a structured process to enable the SHG families to earn an annual income of Rs 1 lakh or more.
This includes capacitating National Resource Persons and developing Master Trainers in each state.
These Master Trainers further train the Community Resource Persons on business planning, financing and convergence process.
The cadre of 3 lakh Community Resource Persons, who have been specially trained in business planning and the skilling of SHG members, are doing a great service in this regard, the minister added.
Some of these community resource persons will also be facilitated.
As of now, the Ministry of Rural Development has formed 15 lakh Lakhpati Didis during the first 100 days which has succeeded the 11 lakh target for the period, Shivraj Singh Chouhan said.
–IANS
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National
Tripura flood death toll rises to 12, more NDRF teams deployed (Lead)
Agartala, Aug 22 (IANS) The flood situation in Tripura, which has been lashed by heavy rains for the last four days, remained grim on Thursday and the India Meteorological Department (IMD) retained its ‘Red alert’ for all eight districts, officials said.
They added that more National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams have been deployed as the rains and floods continue to play havoc.
Till Thursday, 12 deaths, including that of a 12-year-old girl and a woman were reported from South Tripura, Gomati, and Khowai districts and two persons were also said to be missing.
A Disaster Management Department official said that two more fresh casualties due to the floods were reported from south Tripura and Gomati districts, while around 65,500 people are taking shelter in 450 relief camps in all eight districts.
He said that 17 lakh people were affected in the entire state, which witnessed the monsoon flood in such a catastrophic manner for the first time in several decades.
Chief Minister Manik Saha, who is supervising the disaster management work, spoke to Union Home Minister Amit Shah for the second day on Thursday and apprised him of the prevailing scenario.
Home Minister Shah said in a post on X, “Spoke with CM Tripura, Dr Manik Saha, and took stock of the flood situation in the state. The Centre is rushing teams of NDRF, apart from boats and helicopters, to the state to assist the local government in relief and rescue operations. Assured of all possible assistance from the Centre as and when required. The Modi government firmly stands with our sisters and brothers in Tripura during this hour of crisis.”
Later, the Chief Minister while expressing gratitude to the Home Minister said that HM Shah informed him that 11 NDRF teams would be sent to Tripura from different locations in Assam and Arunachal Pradesh.
He said arrangements would also be made for choppers to airlift stranded people in the flood-affected areas.
“More number of boats would also be sent along with the NDRF teams. The entire state government machinery has been working round the clock to tackle the unprecedented natural calamity. I thank public representatives, social workers and the people at large for cooperating with the state government in this hour of crisis,” CM Saha said.
The central government has provided two helicopters for airlifting stranded people in Gomati and South Tripura districts.
Following the directions of the state government, due to the heavy rain and flooding, all educational institutions remained closed.
An India Meteorological Department (IMD) official said that though a ‘heavy’ to ‘very heavy’ rainfall alert has been continued and a ‘Red alert’ has been sounded in all eight districts, the rain is likely to reduce slightly from Thursday evening.
“The low pressure area over north Bangladesh and neighbourhood persisted over the same region on Thursday. The associated cyclonic circulation now extends up to 9.4 km above mean sea level. It is likely to move nearly westwards across West Bengal during the next 48 hours. Additionally, a cyclonic circulation is likely to form over North Bay of Bengal and neighbourhood on August 24,” the official said.
The IMD recorded 233 mm rainfall in Agartala from 8.30 A.M. on August 21 to till 8.30 A.M. on Thursday.
According to Disaster Management Department officials over 1,055 houses were damaged either fully or partially and hundreds of trees were uprooted blocking many important highways.
Landslides occurred in 2,032 places across the state, out of which 1,789 locations were cleared by Thursday evening.
As per preliminary estimates, around 5,000 hectares of vegetable farms and 1.20 lakh hectares of other crop lands are still submerged.
Water Resource Department officials said that most of the prominent rivers in Tripura were either flowing above ‘critical’ or ‘danger’ levels while the state’s main river Gomati has crossed the ‘extreme danger’ level in many places of Gomati and Sepahijala districts, as rainfall has continued.
The Northeast Frontier Railways (NFR) has cancelled 10 local trains in Tripura.
An NFR spokesman said that due to heavy rain railway tracks were damaged in Gomati district, forcing the authorities to cancel these trains.
A Defence spokesman said that following the requisition from state administrations, four columns of Assam Rifles were deployed in different districts and they were working in close coordination with the civil administration to rescue civilians stranded due to floods.
First aid and essential items have been distributed by the Assam Rifles to hundreds of stranded people and those in relief camps.
–IANS
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National
Waqf Amendment Bill is unconstitutional, undemocratic & unfair: Maulana Madani
New Delhi, Aug 22 (IANS) The Muslim organisation on Thursday criticised the Union government over the Waqf Amendment Bill 2024, calling it unconstitutional, undemocratic and unfair as it goes against the freedom of religion guaranteed by the Constitution.
“Amendment bill being brought to Waqf is unconstitutional, undemocratic and unfair. The proposed amendments to the Waqf Act are also against the freedom of religion provided by the Constitution and also violates articles 14-15 and 25 of the Constitution,” said Jamiat-i-Ulama Hind, President, Maulana Arshad Madani while addressing a joint press conference of Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind and Muslim Personal Law Board at the Constitution Club in New Delhi.
He added that the amendment bill is also the government’s interference in religious matters which Muslims will not accept.
“Under the guise of the amending bill, an attempt is being made to deprive the Muslims of this great country and of its heritage which our forefathers have left in the form of Waqf for the betterment of the poor, destitute and needy people of the country,” said Maulana Arshad Madani.
He said that amendments have been made in the bill without consulting the Muslim religious figures and taking the Muslims into confidence while Waqf is a purely religious and Shariah matter because once the Waqf is applied.
“The donor does not remain the owner of the property rather that property is transferred to the ownership of Allah,” he explained.
Maulana Madani said that while presenting the Amendment Bill in the parliament, it was claimed that it would bring transparency to the work and would benefit the weak and needy people of the Muslim society.
“This bill is proof of the malicious intent of the government and its dangerous plans. If this bill is passed not only the protection of Waqf properties across the country may be in danger but also a door of new conflicts will be opened and the status of those mosques, tombs, buildings, imam badas and lands which are Waqf properties or which are located on Waqf land will be made doubtful,” Maulana Madani said.
He added that instead of the Waqf Tribunal and Waqf Commissioners, all powers under this bill will be transferred to District Collectors.
“By increasing the number of members of the Central Waqf Council and Waqf Boards, their status is also being changed and the door is being opened to appoint non-Muslims in it as well. This bill will also remove the requirement of being Muslim for officers and members,” he said.
Maulana Madani said that this is not a Hindu-Muslim issue but a constitutional problem and this bill is also against Muslim religious freedom.
He said that the Shrine Board, which was formed for the maintenance and protection of Hindu religious places, had a clear explanation that Jains, Sikhs or Buddhists would not be its members.
He questioned that if Jains, Sikhs and Buddhists cannot be members of the Shrine Board, how can the nomination and appointment of non-Muslims be justified in the Waqf Board?
“While Jainism and Buddhism are not considered separate from Hinduism, they are considered a separate sect. If they cannot participate in the shrine board even if they are Hindus on the basis of being a sect, then why is the nomination and appointment of non-Muslims in the Waqf boards made mandatory?” Maulana Madani asked.
He said that there are laws in Uttar Pradesh, Kerala, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh etc. that those who manage the affairs of the Hindu religion’s property must be Hindus.
“Just as no other religious group can interfere in the religious affairs of Hindus, Sikhs and Christians in the same way, the management of Waqf properties should also be done only by Muslims. We do not accept any such proposal in the endowment system,” he added.
He said that it is clear that the intention of the government is not pure and through this bill, its purpose is not to bring transparency in the work and to benefit the Muslim community but to deprive Muslims of their Waqf properties and to weaken the claim of Muslims from the Waqf properties.
Maulana Madani said that an endless series of new conflicts can start in this way and taking advantage of the weak legal status of Muslims in the amendment bill may make it easier to occupy Waqf properties.
He added that we are not talking about one or two amendments but most of the amendments in the bill are unconstitutional and dangerous and destructive for the Waqf.
“This bill is also an attack on the constitutional powers given to Muslims. If the Constitution has given religious freedom and equal rights to every citizen then some special powers have also been given to the minorities living in the country. And the amendment bill negates all these powers completely,” he said.
Maulana Madani added that under the Waqf Amendment Bill 2024, it has been suggested that Section 40 of the current Act should be removed while the 2006 Joint Parliamentary Committee on Waqf and Justice Sachar Committee reported that a large number of Waqf properties are illegally occupied while the incumbent government is also referring to the same Sachar Committee report.
“Despite this, it has been suggested in the 2024 bill that the State Waqf Board shall not be empowered to identify properties which are illegally occupied and to try to recover them. This proposal of the government is very harmful to the existence of endowments,” he said.
He added that during the last ten years, the minorities of the country, especially the Muslims, were put on the margins, and to make them believe that now, as citizens, they have no rights and powers, many laws have been forcibly brought and implemented.
“This Waqf Amendment Bill is also one of them by passing it in any way there is a conspiracy to forcefully apply it on Muslims, which we cannot accept,” he said.
–IANS
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National
Calcutta HC questions Bengal govt's 'late realisation' to probe financial irregularities at RG Kar
Kolkata, Aug 22 (IANS) The Calcutta High Court on Thursday questioned the decision of the West Bengal government to set up a special investigation team to probe the alleged financial irregularities at the state-run R.G. Kar Medical College & Hospital in Kolkata when the controversial former principal Sandip Ghosh was in charge of the institution, even as the state health department was informed about the irregularities last year.
A single-judge bench of Justice Rajarshi Bhardwaj made this observation while hearing a petition by the whistle-blower in the matter — former deputy medical superintendent of RG Kar — Akhtar Ali, who had sought the High Court’s intervention to seek protection in anticipation of security threat for being vocal against Sandip Ghosh.
On Wednesday, Ali also filed a public interest litigation seeking a probe by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) probe into the alleged financial irregularities at RG Kar.
During the hearing, Justice Bhardwaj observed that “from the inclusion of senior police officers in the special investigation team, it is evident that the matter is serious, and wondered why the team was constituted a year after the matter was brought to the notice of the state government”.
The state government counsel argued that the petition has been deliberately filed at this moment amid the recent incident of the rape and murder of a woman doctor in the R.G. Kar Medical College & Hospital.
The state government counsel also questioned why the petitioner remained silent for one year after the complaint was not acted upon as claimed by him.
The Calcutta High Court also directed the state government counsel to present a detailed argument on the formation of SIT on Friday.
The West Bengal government earlier this week announced the formation of a special investigation team comprising four senior IPS officers and headed by an officer of the rank of Inspector General of Police to prove the allegation of financial irregularities at RG Kar since 2021, when Sandip Ghosh was the principal there.
Opposition parties have already claimed that the formation of SIT by the state government was nothing but an eyewash, and it had been created not with the intention of revealing the truth behind the financial irregularities, but rather with the motive of destroying evidence in the matter.
–IANS
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National
Odisha: RDC-level probe to be launched soon into spurious liquor deaths
Bhubaneswar, Aug 22 (IANS) Amid the furore over two deaths caused by the consumption of spurious liquor in Ganjam district, Odisha Excise Minister Prithiviraj Harichandan announced on Thursday that a probe by the Revenue Divisional Commissioner into the hooch tragedy will be initiated soon.
At least 23 persons from Moundpur, Jenapur, and Karabalua in Chikiti block had consumed country liquor from an unlicensed shop on Monday evening. They later fell ill and were admitted to a nearby hospital, where two of them died during treatment on Wednesday, prompting Harichandan to direct the officials to take all necessary steps to stop the illegal trade of liquor in the state.
Speaking to mediapersons, Harichandan said, “An RDC-level probe will be launched in this matter within the next couple of days. Action will be taken based on its report which will be submitted within two months. Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi will soon take the decision in this regard.”
He also vowed that the network of illegal liquor trade in the state will be completely destroyed within a year.
“As many as 217 illegal liquor manufacturing units have been identified in the state which will be demolished soon. Instructions have already been issued in this regard. Around 117 persons have so far been arrested following raids in different districts,” Harichandan.
He also assured the people that no illegal liquor unit will remain in existence in the state.
The Minister said the Excise Superintendent in Berhampur, Pradip Panigrahi, has been transferred for negligence in duty on Wednesday, while the government has also suspended Excise Inspector Ramesh Chandara Mohanty and Sub-inspector Prasanna Kumar Jali for similar lapses.
The deceased have been identified as Jura Behera and Lokanath Behera from Jenapur village, who died at the MKCG Medical College and Hospital in Berhampur.
The opposition BJD has also the issue in the state Assembly on Thursday, demanding resignation of the Excise Minister.
–IANS
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