National
Now Congress joins 'Odia Asmita' and 'Odia language' debate in Odisha
Bhubaneswar, May 14 (IANS) The Congress in Odisha has now jumped into the Odia Asmita and Odia language debate, alleging both the ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of raising the issue keeping in view the ongoing Assembly and Lok Sabha elections in the state.
Speaking at a press conference here, senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said, “I gave a speech in the Parliament regarding Odia language on March 16, 2020. I said that Rs 650 crore has been spent on Sanskrit, while for Odia language the amount is zero under the Modi government.”
“During Manmohan Singh’s rule, six languages — Sanskrit, Tamil, Malayalam, Telugu, Kannada, and Odia — were given classical language status on February 20, 2014. Nothing has been done for the promotion of Odia language during the last 10 years. Yet, neither the Odisha government nor the MPs from the state raised any objections,” Ramesh added.
He also claimed that Congress is the only alternative before the people of Odisha in the face of the ‘BJP-BJD alliance’, as he accused the BJD of giving support to the BJP at the Centre on all the issues, including the anti-farmer laws.
He also accused the BJP government at the Centre of suppressing the CBI probe into the chit fund scam, mining scam, etc., in the state.
Ramesh said that so far voting has been completed in 379 Lok Sabha seats in four phases, and it is now apparent that the BJP will be wiped out from South India, and reduced to half in the rest of the country.
“It is also clear that the INIDA bloc will get a decisive majority on June 4,” he claimed.
“PM Narendra Modi has realised that the common people are angry with him. The farmers, labourers, youth, women, and the backward classes are upset with him. There is no Modi wave at the grassroots level,” the Congress leader said.
–IANS
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National
Delhi HC orders DDA to demolish all unauthorised constructions on Yamuna river banks
New Delhi, July 11 (IANS) The Delhi High Court has ordered the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) to demolish all unauthorised constructions on the Yamuna river bank.
A bench, headed by Acting Chief Justice Manohan, directed the DDA Vice Chairman to remove all encroachments and illegal construction on the Yamuna river bank, river bed and drains flowing into the river.
“He (DDA’s Vice Chairman) is also appointed as the Nodal Officer and shall coordinate with officials of MCD, Delhi Police, DMRC, Irrigation and Flood Control Department, PWD, Delhi Pollution Control Board and Forest Department. The Vice Chairman, DDA shall convene a meeting of all the concerned officials within a week,” the Bench, also comprising Justice Tushar Rao Gedela, said.
Apart from the demolition of all unauthorised constructions in the Shaheen Bagh area, the plea, filed through advocate Sumit Kumar, further sought a direction to prevent illegal construction on the river bank and floodplains in the near future.
The plea contended that the illegal construction in question has been going on without any permission or regard for environmental concerns and will endanger the ecologically fragile Yamuna floodplains.
The respondent authorities admitted in the court that the floodplain area is a prohibited activity zone and encroachment in this area leads to diversion of water, leading to floods in adjacent areas.
The Delhi High Court took note of the submission that as per many experts, floods in the national capital are man-made as they have been caused primarily due to encroachment of drains, river banks and river beds. Ordering the DDA Vice Chairman to file an Action Taken Report within six weeks, the Delhi HC directed the matter to be listed on September 9 for compliance.
–IANS
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National
MVA should address lack of Muslim representation in Maha Legislature: SP MLA
Mumbai, July 11 (IANS) Samajwadi Party (SP) MLA Rais Shaikh on Thursday said that the representation of the Muslim community is lacking in the Maharashtra Legislature and Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) should address this disparity.
The SP legislator has also written to Shiv Sena UBT Chief Uddhav Thackeray, state Congress Chief Nana Patole and state NCP SP Chief Jayant Patil and made a strong plea to give adequate representation to the Muslim community in the state council.
“Muslims make up 12 per cent of the state’s population, yet their representation in the Legislative Council is lacking. I urge leaders of the MVA govt to address this disparity. I have written to MVA leaders and advocated for adequate representation of the Muslim community in the state assembly and council,” the SP legislator said.
Rais Shaikh has written to MVA when they have not fielded any Muslims in the biennial state council election slated for July 12.
Incidentally, NCP SP legislator Babajani Durrani and Congress legislator Mirza Wajahat are retiring from the upper house.
“Maharashtra Legislative Council has a long tradition of one hundred years. The state has 12 per cent Muslim population. However, Muslim representation in the Legislative Council has remained very minuscule till date,” he said.
He said that Babajani Durrani and Mirza Wajahat are also retiring and therefore the Muslim representation in the Legislative Council will end now.
“In 1937, the twin-house system came into existence in the state. Since then, Muslim representation has remained constant in the upper house. Ending Muslim representation in the upper house of a progressive state like Maharashtra is unbecoming,” he said.
He said that MVA did not field a single Muslim candidate in the recently concluded Lok Sabha elections, despite the presence of Muslim-majority voters in 14 Lok Sabha constituencies in the state.
“Since the creation of the state of Maharashtra in 1960, out of 567 MPs elected from Maharashtra, the Muslim community has got a meagre representation of only 15 (2.5 per cent). Today there are only 10 Muslim members in the Legislative Assembly. Muslim representation in the state assembly is so dismal despite one in 10 Muslim voters in the state’s 11 crore population,” he said.
Rais Shaikh said that the MVA should correct its mistake by giving adequate representation to the Muslim community while filling the upcoming vacancies in the Legislative Council.
“By denying political representation to the Muslim community, the MVA is pushing the Muslim community towards a party like AIMIM which contributes to polarising the Muslim opinion,” he said.
He said that there is a strong demand from the leading leaders that the Muslim community should be adequately represented in the Legislative Council.
“It is expected that you (MVA) will respond appropriately,” he said.
–IANS
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National
Judicial Pay Commission recommendations: SC summons Chief Secretaries and Finance Secretaries of defaulting states
New Delhi, July 11 (IANS) The Supreme Court on Thursday summoned the Chief Secretaries and Finance Secretaries of states and Union Territories which are defaulting on the implementation of the Second National Judicial Pay Commission’s (SNJPC) recommendations.
In its order, a bench, headed by Chief Justice of India D.Y. Chandrachud, noted that many states and UTs have failed to implement the revised pay scale and retiral benefits for judicial officers.
The bench, also comprising Justices J.B. Pardiwala and Manoj Misra, said that the directions issued by the apex court should be complied with by August 20 this year and Chief Secretaries and Finance Secretaries of all the defaulting states and UTs will personally remain present before the court on the next date of listing.
The Supreme Court had ordered to implementation of the proposals of the Second National Judicial Pay Commission, chaired by former apex court judge Justice P.V. Reddy on the revision of pay and pension for judicial officers, with effect from January 1, 2016, after a plea was filed by the All India Judges Association for the constitution of the All India Judicial Commission to review the service conditions of the judges of the district judiciary.
In its decision, the top court had said: “The work of a judge cannot be assessed solely in terms of their duties during court working hours. The state is under an affirmative obligation to ensure dignified conditions of work for its judicial officers and it cannot raise the defence of an increase in financial burden or expenditure.”
–IANS
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National
Will meet Thackaray, Sharad Pawar and Akhilesh in Mumbai: Mamata Banerjee
Kolkata, July 11 (IANS) West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday said that she will separately meet Shiv Sena-UBT chief Uddhav Thackeray, NCP-SP chief Sharad Pawar and the Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav during her two-day trip to Mumbai to attend the marriage function of industrialist Mukesh Ambani’s son Anant Ambani.
“I will meet Uddhav Thackeray, whom I have not met for quite some time, there tomorrow. I will have political discussions with him. I will also go to the residence of Sharad Pawar and meet him. I heard that Akhilesh Yadav will be there. I will also meet him. I will be coming back to Kolkata on Saturday,” she told media persons while leaving for Mumbai.
However, she did not specify the subjects of her discussion with the three other regional party leaders.
The Chief Minister lambasted a section of the media for allegedly creating negative propaganda against her party by bringing some old videos regarding mob violence just before the bypolls for four Assembly constituencies in the state on Wednesday. “This was done deliberately to create false propaganda before the polls. Even an event of 2021 was highlighted. I might adopt legal steps against such things,” she said.
–IANS
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National
Cricketer Yuzvendra Chahal meets Haryana CM
Gurugram, July 11 (IANS) Haryana Chief Minister, Nayab Singh Saini met Yuzvendra Chahal, a member of the T-20 Cricket World Cup winning team in Gurugram on Thursday.
The Chief Minister congratulated the cricketer on winning the T-20 World Cup and wished him success in his future endeavours.
The Chief Minister also honoured Chahal at the PWD Rest House in Gurugram by presenting him with an Idol of Lord Krishna and a shawl. The Chief Minister adorned Chahal with a medal and expressed his delight, encouraging him to continue bringing glory to Haryana both nationally and internationally.
Chief Minister also announced plans to soon organise a felicitation ceremony for Paralympic athletes and other sportspersons who have made Haryana proud.
He emphasised that Haryana is a land of athletes who consistently excel in international sports, enhancing the nation’s reputation worldwide.
Interacting with the Chief Minister, Chahal shared that he has been playing cricket as a bowler for many years. He shared that although his family hails from Jind, they have been residing in Gurugram for the past four years.
Notably, officers present apprised the Chief Minister that Yuzvendra Chahal is the only athlete to have represented India in both chess and cricket. He has competed in the World Youth Chess Championship and plays as a leg-spin bowler for the Indian cricket team.
–IANS
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