India

Bhopal, Feb 24 (IANS) India's leading integrated business conglomerate, Adani Group is set to make waves in Madhya Pradesh with a colossal Rs 1.1 lakh crore investment across diverse sectors like pumped storage, cement, mining, smart meters, and thermal energy.

This monumental move promises to create over 1,20,000 jobs by the end of the decade, the Indian business behemoth announced on the occasion of the two-day Madhya Pradesh Global Investors Summit 2025 here on Monday.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the summit.

At the Global Investors Summit 2025 in Bhopal, Adani Group Chairman, Gautam Adani, affirmed the group's unwavering commitment to the state. Praising Madhya Pradesh's transformation into an investment hub under the visionary leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Dr Mohan Yadav, he emphasized that these investments are much more than financial transactions.

“These are milestones in a shared journey, propelling Madhya Pradesh to the forefront of India’s industrial and economic landscape," Gautam Adani said.

The Adani Group, having already infused Rs 50,000 crore into Madhya Pradesh's power, infrastructure, manufacturing, logistics, and agri-business sectors, has created more than 25,000 jobs.

The new investments are set to further bolster the state's industrial ecosystem, aligning with India's ambitions for self-reliance and innovation.

In an exciting development, India’s ace businessman Adani revealed ongoing discussions with the state government regarding additional investments worth Rs 1 lakh crore. This includes plans for a state-of-the-art greenfield smart city, a significant airport project, and an ambitious coal gasification initiative. These projects are expected to drive substantial employment, enhance connectivity, and position Madhya Pradesh as a key economic powerhouse.

The Madhya Pradesh Global Investors Summit 2025 has attracted a galaxy of industry leaders, policymakers, and global investors to explore new economic opportunities and drive cross-sector investments.

Gautam Adani recently announced a Rs 10,000 crore donation to social causes, in celebration of his son Jeet’s wedding. This generous donation aims to create affordable and accessible world-class infrastructure in education, healthcare, and skill development for the underprivileged.

--IANS

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New Delhi, Feb 24 (IANS) BJP MLA Arvinder Singh Lovely took oath as the pro-tem Speaker of the Delhi Assembly on Monday and will chair the proceedings during the first sitting of the legislature.

Delhi Lieutenant Governor V.K. Saxena administered the oath to the Gandhi Nagar MLA at Raj Niwas.

Four-time legislator Arvinder Singh will perform the duties of the Office of the Speaker till the new Speaker is elected.

In a notification published in Delhi Gazette on Saturday, the legislative Assembly secretariat quoted an L-G's order which said, "I hereby appoint Arvinder Singh Lovely, a member of the newly elected Legislative Assembly of the National Capital Territory of Delhi to perform the duties of the Office of the Speaker from the commencement of the said meeting and until the new Speaker is elected."

The LG's order added, "I also hereby appoint Arvinder Singh Lovely to be the person before whom Members of the newly elected Legislative Assembly of the National Capital Territory of Delhi shall make and subscribe oath or affirmation in accordance with the provisions of section 12 of the Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi Act, 1991."

The CAG reports are also expected to be placed on the table of the House on February 25.

Vijender Gupta, a three-time legislator and three-time councillor who has been designated by the BJP to be the next Speaker, had said the proposal to call a three-day session of the legislature - February 24, 25 and 27 - was approved by the Delhi Cabinet in its first meeting on Thursday.

He said since the CAG reports, including the one pointing to lapses in the now-withdrawn excise policy, have already been received in the office of the Speaker of the outgoing Assembly, these will be the first to be taken up by the new House.

The CAG reports are expected to expose the alleged financial mismanagement of the previous AAP governments led by Arvind Kejriwal.

The excerpts of a few CAG reports that managed to reach the public domain revealed a revenue loss of over Rs 2,026 crore due to irregularities in the Delhi government's excise policy.

--IANS

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Kolkata, Feb 24 (IANS) Enforcement Directorate (ED), on Monday, filed a fresh supplementary charge sheet in the multi-crore ration distribution case in West Bengal.

This is the fifth supplementary charge sheet filed by the central agency at the special court of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) in Kolkata.

Sources said that in the fresh supplementary charge sheet, the ED officials have named Santantu Bhattacharya, the personal chartered account of the former state Food and Supplies Minister Jyotipriya Mallick.

Mallick was arrested two years ago by the ED officials for his alleged involvement in the ration distribution case. However, last month he was released on bail by the special PMLA court.

In the fifth supplementary charge sheet, sources added that ED had named two other persons, namely Subrata Ghosh and Hitesh Chandak, both are rice mill owners.

Sources said that in the fresh supplementary charge sheet, the ED officials have detailed how the ill-gotten proceeds in the ration distribution case were diverted through the bank accounts of those named in the document.

Earlier, the ED officials claimed that Bhattacharya was mainly responsible for the accounting jugglery while managing the accounts of the former Minister. It is learnt that in the fresh supplementary charge sheet, the investigating officials have provided the details of the matter.

Earlier this month, the ED officials conducted marathon raids and search operations at three locations in West Bengal, namely Shyampur and Jagatballavpur in Howrah district and Santoshpur in South 24 Parganas district, in connection with the ration distribution case.

Of the three places where the raid and search operations are being conducted, one is the residence of a local businessman who is also in charge of a cooperative society engaged in purchasing food grain from the farmers.

Already during the course of the investigation, ED officials have brought under scanner several such cooperatives, that used to earn two-way profit through their operations. The first avenue of earning was purchasing food grain from the farmers at prices lower than the under-minimum support price.

The second avenue was selling a portion of the food grain purchased from the farmers at premium rates in the open markets instead of supplying the same to the state food & supplies department for distribution through the public distribution system,

--IANS

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New Delhi, Feb 24 (IANS) In a significant move, the Kashi Vishwanath Temple in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, has announced a temporary ban on VIP 'darshan' from February 25 to February 27 on the occasion of Maha Shivratri.

The temple authorities have made this decision to manage the overwhelming crowd expected during one of the most auspicious festivals in the Hindu calendar.

Given the anticipated large number of devotees, including revered saints, seers and Naga sadhus, the temple trust has opted to suspend the VIP darshan protocol for three days. The CEO of the temple has urged devotees to cooperate with the arrangements, which are aimed at ensuring the safety and convenience of all visitors.

During this period, all devotees, including those holding VIP passes, will be required to follow the regular darshan procedure. They will be allowed to view Lord Shiva from a distance to manage the massive crowds effectively.

The temple trust’s decision to treat all visitors equally during this busy period is designed to ensure smooth access to the temple for everyone, irrespective of their status.

The move comes amid a significant surge in visitors to the temple, with more than one crore devotees having already visited the Kashi Vishwanath Temple in the first 17 days of February, according to reports.

This record-breaking influx of pilgrims has led to overcrowded streets and transport hubs, causing difficulties for both visitors and locals.

The Maha Shivratri celebrations are expected to further escalate the number of visitors to the temple, especially after the ongoing Maha Kumbh in Prayagraj.

Thousands of devotees are arriving in Varanasi after visiting the Kumbh Mela, adding to the pressure on local infrastructure.

Authorities have responded by closing schools up to Class 8 in Varanasi since January 27 and deploying a large number of police personnel to ensure public safety.

DCP (Kashi Zone) Gaurav Bansal confirmed that special entry and exit points have been established to prevent chaos and ensure smooth movement of the crowd. Residents have reported facing significant challenges due to the unprecedented number of visitors.

--IANS

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Patna, Feb 24 (IANS) At least seven people were killed in a road accident near the Nura Bazaar bridge on Masaurhi-Pitwans Road in Patna district following which locals led by MLA blocked the road on Monday in protest.

The accident occurred late Sunday night. Local MLA Rekha Devi and villagers blocked the road, accusing the administration of negligence. Expressing deep sorrow over the loss of lives, she demanded that the state government provide a compensation of Rs 10 lakh to the families of each victim.

Devi stated, "This is a very painful case. So far, the bodies of seven people have been recovered. We have been at the site of the incident since late at night. We have demanded from the government that the dependents of all the deceased be given a compensation of Rs 10 lakh."

She stated that until these demands are met, the community would not permit the district administration to remove the bodies from the site.

Residents have accused the district administration of negligence in the rescue operation. Following the accident, residents blocked the road and demanded compensation and the arrest of the truck driver responsible for the collision.

The blockade led to traffic being diverted to alternative routes, including Pitwans via the Masaurhi-Deoria-Tiskhora turn.

Authorities are currently investigating the cause of the accident and have initiated rescue operations to assist the victims.

The collision involved a truck and an auto-rickshaw carrying labourers returning to Kharat village from Patna.

The impact caused both vehicles to veer off the road into adjacent water bodies. The auto-rickshaw submerged under the truck.

The victims were identified as Matendra Bind (25), Vinay Bind (30), Umesh Bind (38), Ramesh Bind (52), Sushil Kumar, tempo driver (35), Umesh Bind (30) and Suraj Thakur (20).

Upon receiving information, police arrived at the scene and, with the assistance of a JCB machine, retrieved the bodies.

Family members of the deceased and residents gathered at the site, expressing grief and frustration.

The victims, primarily from Doripar village, were daily wage labourers who commuted to Patna for work.

The truck driver fled the scene following the accident. Authorities are currently investigating the cause of the accident and have initiated measures to address the community's concerns.

--IANS

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Jaipur, Feb 24 (IANS) The Rajasthan Assembly's budget session will resume on Monday after a two-day recess, but tensions remained high over the suspension of six Congress MLAs following their protest over remarks on former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.

The Congress party has decided to escalate its protest, issuing a whip and calling a meeting of the Legislature Party in the morning.

The deadlock, now in its third day, is expected to trigger heated confrontation in the House. If the Speaker calls for marshals to remove the suspended MLAs, the opposition is likely to strongly object.

The Congress leadership has strategized both inside and outside the Assembly, planning to gherao (surround) the premises in protest.

Former Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, who has not attended any budget session meetings so far, is expected to be present today. Meanwhile, senior leaders Sachin Pilot and Harish Chaudhary have remained absent from the scene.

In preparation for the Assembly siege, Congress leaders have been mobilizing party workers across districts, instructing them to gather in Jaipur.

The party's national President Mallikarjun Kharge has also sought updates from Leader of Opposition Tika Ram Jully and Rajasthan Congress Chief Govind Singh Dotasra regarding the developments.

Congress MLAs have been protesting inside the Assembly for the last two days. In fact, they had got their bedding and were staying in the Assembly as a mark of protest against the comment made by State Minister Avinash Gehlot with reference to former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.

The six suspended MLAs are Rajasthan Congress President Govind Singh Dotasra, Deputy Leader of Opposition Ramkesh Meena, Amin Kagzi, Zakir Hussain Gesawat, Hakeem Ali Khan and Sanjay Kumar Jatav. They were suspended following their protest over BJP Minister Avinash Gehlot referring to Indira Gandhi as "aapki dadi (your grandmother)". The Minister made the remark on Friday while answering a question regarding hostels for working women. Soon after the remark, the Rajasthan Assembly witnessed chaos.

--IANS

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Srinagar, Feb 24 (IANS) Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has expressed happiness in joining the campaign against obesity launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

PM Modi on Monday nominated CM Omar Abdullah among nine others to help strengthen the fight against obesity in the country.

“As mentioned in yesterday’s #MannKiBaat, I would like to nominate the following people to help strengthen the fight against obesity and spread awareness on reducing edible oil consumption in food. I also request them to nominate 10 people each so that our movement gets bigger! @anandmahindra @nirahua1 @realmanubhaker @mirabai_chanu @Mohanlal @NandanNilekani @OmarAbdullah @ActorMadhavan @shreyaghoshal @SmtSudhaMurty “Collectively, let us make India fitter and healthier. #FightObesity,” PM Modi said on his official X handle.

Replying to the post, CM Abdullah further nominated ten more people to spread awareness about obesity.

"I’m very happy to join the campaign against obesity launched by PM @narendramodi ji. Obesity causes a number of lifestyle related health issues like heart disease, type 2 diabetes, strokes & breathing problems not to mention mental health conditions like anxiety & depression. Today I’m nominating these 10 people to join the PM’s campaign against obesity & requesting them to nominate a further 10 people each to take this fight forward," the CM posted on X.

CM Omar Abdullah, a fitness enthusiast himself, rightly deserves his place among those in public life, who are zealous about physical fitness.

During a marathon race organised in Srinagar last year, CM Abdullah surprised many by personally joining the race and running shoulder to shoulder with some of the acknowledged athletes of the country and outside.

His usual day begins with a hard workout and even during public interactions in remote places, CM Abdullah always prefers to walk. He hates being helped with his luggage during travel or by someone holding an umbrella over his head in the rain.

A few years ago, CM Abdullah tasked his party leaders to do regular exercise and to make it popular, he advised them to post their workout sessions on social media.

Given a chance, the 56-year-old politician would not miss an opportunity to go cycling, trekking or mountaineering.

It is hoped that encouraged by his nomination by the Prime Minister, J&K's Chief Minister can play an important role in spreading the message and encouraging others through the subsequent nomination of 10 persons as desired by PM Modi.

Even at his advanced age, CM Omar Abdullah’s father and former CM Dr Farooq Abdullah would not miss an opportunity to play a game of golf. Though not as enthusiastic about physical fitness as his son, Dr Farooq Abdullah has been known to be among those locals who regularly played golf or indulged in a merry dance whenever the opportunity came. Between the two of them, the elder Abdullah is a better socialising politician than his son, who prefers privacy whenever his political life allows him to be alone with family and friends.

--IANS

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New Delhi, Feb 24 (IANS) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday said that the country is proud of the 'Annadatas' and congratulated farmers across the country on the successful completion of six years of the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN) scheme.

Reaffirming the Centre's commitment to supporting farmers, he emphasised that the initiative has brought respect, prosperity, and new strength to India's food providers.

The announcement comes ahead of the Prime Minister's visit to Bihar's Bhagalpur district, where he will release over Rs 22,000 crore as part of the 19th instalment of the PM-KISAN scheme.

The financial aid, directly transferred through the Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) system, aims to eliminate middlemen and ensure the rightful benefits reach the farmers without any delays or discrepancies.

Taking to X, the Prime Minister posted, "We are proud of our Annadatas," sharing different schemes of the Centre, aimed at improving the lives of the farmers.

"In the last 10 years, due to our efforts, the agriculture sector in the country has developed rapidly. The financial help being provided to millions of our small farmers has increased their access to the market. Along with this, the cost of agriculture has reduced and their income has also increased," he said in another post.

"Many congratulations to our farmer brothers and sisters across the country on the completion of 6 years of PM-Kisan. It is a matter of immense satisfaction and pride for me that so far about three and a half lakh crore rupees have reached their accounts. This effort of ours is giving respect, prosperity and new strength to the food providers," he added.

Launched in 2019, the PM-KISAN scheme was designed to provide financial aid to farmers, ensuring stability and enhancing crop production. Over the years, the scheme has played a crucial role in reducing agricultural costs and improving farmers' economic conditions.

Apart from releasing the PM-KISAN funds, PM Modi is set to unveil a series of initiatives focused on strengthening Bihar's agricultural, dairy, and rural economy. As part of these efforts, the Centre has increased the loan limit under the Kisan Credit Card scheme from Rs 3 lakh to Rs 5 lakh, ensuring greater financial accessibility for farmers.

In a major boost to the dairy sector, a modern dairy plant will be established in Barauni with an investment of Rs 113.27 crore. With a processing capacity of two lakh litres per day, the facility is expected to enhance milk production and processing in the region.

Furthering efforts to improve cattle breeding and dairy productivity, the Prime Minister will also inaugurate the Motihari Regional Centre of Excellence (CoE) under the Rashtriya Gokul Mission with an investment of Rs 33.80 crore.

Additionally, he will mark a significant milestone by launching the 10,000th Farmer Producer Organisation (FPO), which aims to empower farmers through collective bargaining and better market access. Since the launch of the Rs 6,865 crore FPO scheme in 2020, Rs 254.4 crore in equity grants has been released to 4,761 FPOs, while Rs 453 crore in credit guarantees has been issued to 1,900 FPOs.

In addition to agricultural initiatives, PM Modi will inaugurate key infrastructure projects in Bihar. The Warisaliganj-Nawada-Tilaiya Rail Doubling Project, constructed at a cost of Rs 526 crore, will improve rail connectivity across the region. Another major project, the Ismailpur-Rafiganj road-over-bridge, built at a cost of Rs 47 crore, aims to ease traffic congestion and facilitate smoother transportation.

These initiatives reflect the government's commitment to empowering farmers, boosting the dairy and cattle farming industries, and enhancing Bihar's infrastructure. With a focus on financial assistance, modern agricultural practices, and improved connectivity, the Centre continues to strengthen rural development and economic growth across the country.

--IANS

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Hyderabad, Feb 24 (IANS) Hopes of finding eight trapped workers alive from an under-construction tunnel in Telangana’s Nagarkurnool district were receding even as teams from NDRF, Army and other agencies continued rescue operations on Monday.

More than 48 hours after a portion of the Srisailam Left Bank Canal (SLBC) tunnel collapsed, the fate of eight men, including two engineers and two machine operators, was not known.

Teams of the Indian Air Force and Navy are also reaching Srisailam in three helicopters from Visakhapatnam to join the rescue operation.

National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) personnel managed to reach the tunnel boring machine at the 14th-kilometer point but heaps of debris hampered the search operation.

The tunnel remained flooded with water for about two kilometres, making the rescue task more challenging for more than 300 rescue workers. Rescue teams deployed heavy motors for dewatering.

The operation encountered more problems as the loco train to move into the tunnel broke down at the 11th kilometre. Efforts were on to fix the problem.

NDRF, Army, Singareni Collieries Company Limited (SCCL), and Hyderabad Disaster Response and Asset Protection Agency (HYDRAA) were making intensive efforts to dewater and desilt the tunnel.

Ministers Uttam Kumar Reddy and Jupally Krishna Rao, who were supervising the rescue operation, went into the tunnel by a loco train on Sunday.

Jupally Krishna Rao told media persons after coming out of the tunnel that the rescue teams were not hearing any voice, which is not a hopeful situation. He, however, said oxygen was being supplied in the tunnel.

Irrigation Minister Uttam Kumar Reddy said all efforts were being made to pull out the trapped men safely. He said the possibility of reaching the spot by digging the tunnel from the top was being explored.

Two workers were injured and eight others were trapped when a portion of the tunnel being dug as part of SLBC collapsed near Domalapenta.

A total of 50 persons were working on the left-side tunnel when the roof collapsed for three meters. The accident occurred at the 14th km point.

While 42 workers came out of the tunnel, the remaining eight were trapped. Those trapped include two engineers and two machine operators.

The trapped men are from Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab and Jammu & Kashmir.

Project manager Manoj Kumar (Uttar Pradesh), Machine engineer Srinivas (Uttar Pradesh) and machine operators Sunny Singh (J&K) and Gurpreet Singh (Punjab) are among those trapped.

The four workers from Jharkhand are Sandeep Sahu, Santosh Sahu, Anju Sahu and Jagta Khes.

The Telangana government recently resumed the construction work on the tunnel to complete the long-pending project. The construction firm had started work four days ago and on Saturday morning 50 workers entered the tunnel for the work.

--IANS

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Chennai, Feb 24 (IANS) Fishermen associations across Tamil Nadu are gearing up for large-scale protests against the recurring arrests of Indian fishermen by the Sri Lankan Navy and the confiscation of their mechanized boats.

V.P. Sesuraja, president of the Traditional Indian Fishermen Welfare Association, stated that the Sri Lankan Navy has arrested Tamil Nadu fishermen on four separate occasions this month alone. Since the beginning of 2025, a total of 119 fishermen and 16 boats have been apprehended.

Sesuraja also highlighted the financial strain on families, who are often forced to pay hefty fines imposed by Sri Lankan authorities to secure the release of detained fishermen. Fearing further arrests and boat seizures, many fishermen are now hesitant to venture into the sea.

In response, fishermen’s associations have decided to organise widespread protests across Tamil Nadu’s coastal regions. The escalating crisis has reignited calls for intervention from the Indian government.

Antony John, fishermen association leader told IANS that associations in all the coastal districts of the state would jointly decide a date for the massive protests to bring up a solution to the regular and recurring arrests.

He also said steps be taken by the Centre for the immediate release of all detained fishermen, retrieval of impounded fishing boats, and a bilateral agreement between India and Sri Lanka to permanently resolve the issue.

The fishermen’s associations have also sent a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, urging immediate diplomatic action to prevent mid-sea arrests and protect the livelihoods of coastal communities.

Rajagopal C.M., a fishermen’s leader from Thangachimadam, criticised the government’s inaction, stating that many detained fishermen remain in Sri Lankan prisons, leaving their families in severe financial distress. He noted that since 2018, around 270 trawlers have been impounded, further jeopardizing their ability to sustain their livelihood.

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin has also taken up the matter, urging the Central government to convene a Joint Working Group to find a permanent solution.

In a letter to External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, CM Stalin flagged the recent detention of 32 Indian fishermen and five boats by the Sri Lankan Navy. He expressed concern over the rising number of such incidents, despite repeated appeals to Colombo to prevent these arrests.

“The continued apprehension of Tamil Nadu fishermen by the Sri Lankan Navy has reached alarming levels. Since January 2025, there have been eight separate incidents, resulting in the arrest of 119 fishermen and the seizure of 16 boats,” CM Stalin wrote.

He further urged the External Affairs Minister to take strong diplomatic steps to prevent further arrests and ensure the safety of Tamil fishermen.

Former Union Minister and PMK President Anbumani Ramadoss has also called on the Centre to take decisive action against Sri Lanka’s actions. He emphasised the urgent need to resolve maritime boundary disputes to ensure that Tamil Nadu fishermen can continue their traditional livelihood without fear.

With protests planned across multiple coastal districts, fishermen’s associations remain firm in their demand for an immediate and lasting resolution through diplomatic means.

--IANS

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