India

Lucknow, Aug 30 (IANS) The Maha Kumbh in Prayagraj in 2025, will be much larger in scale and grandeur compared to what it was in 2019.

Uttar Pradesh minister for industries and infrastructure development, Nand Gopal Gupta 'Nandi', said that preparations for a grander celebration of the what can be termed as the world largest religious congregation, have already begun.

Nandi, who belongs to Prayagraj, said: "The Chief Minister has directed that 2025 Maha Kumbh should be unforgettable and unprecedented."

He said that though it was a little early for him to divulge details, he said that the scale of the Maha Kumbh celebration will be at least 20 per cent higher while the convenience of the foot-pilgrims will be given much more importance.

"Feedback from the previous occasion has indicated that many pilgrims complained that they had to walk a lot to reach the Sangam last time. The needs of pilgrims will be addressed through better planning. In fact, the Chief Minister has said that the number of parking places at all entry points to the city must be increased to ensure the convenience of common pilgrims as they are the soul of the observances of Maha Kumbh," Nandi said.

Tourists and devotees coming to Prayagraj for Maha Kumbh 2025 would be able to enjoy streamer and mini-cruise rides for the first time.

For this, the Inland Waterways Authority of India has done the needed survey. The service will be operational from two points -- one from boat club to Sangam and second from Lavayan Kala (Naini side) on river Ganga to Sangam.

A two-floor jetty would also be constructed at boat club from where one can start the ride and rest at the floating restaurant.

At present, only VVIP's coming to Sangam avail steamer or motorboat service provided by the district administration.

The service would be launched from Magh Mela-2024 on a trial basis so that the administration can work on shortcomings, if any, and rectify the same the before Maha Kumbh-2025.

These services would be a major attraction for the pilgrims and tourists arriving here from all over the world to be a part of the grand religious fair.

Confirming the development, officer in-charge of Inland Waterways Authority of India, Prayagraj, Ashok Kumar said the central government has already made funds of around Rs 14 crore available to the state tourism department in this regard.

"Two jetties (structures that project from land out into water to allow boats/ships to dock along it) will be constructed for this. One would come up between the new and the old Yamuna Bridges near Prayagraj Boat Club while the other would come up at another at Arail or Lavayan Kala. Both the places would also be developed as picnic spots," he added.

Kumar said the state tourism department has entrusted the task of constructing the jetties to central public works department (CPWD) and tenders have already been invited.

The jetties would have changing and waiting rooms besides toilets and a designated parking spot. Each the two would be 35-ft long and 8-ft wide allowing people to embark and disembark from a boat/steamer, officials said.

The plan is to earmark separate routes for both the steamer and the cruise services on the Ganga and the Yamuna, the official added.

Also, the Prayagraj Mela Authority also plans to start chopper services during the religious affair allowing visitors to get a glimpse of the colourful mega fair from the top.

The authority is mulling over proposal wherein permanent helipads would be constructed at three places around the mela area, including one at boat club, one each at Arail side of Sangam and Jhunsi side of Ganga.

Preparations for the mega event have already begun with the infrastructure being the focus of all activity.

A senior district official said: "Roads, sewage system, electricity and water supply network is being expanded as well as spruced up for the Maha Kumbh. We have been asked to complete all the developmental work by the end of 2023 - a year ahead of the Maha Kumbh."

He said that regulation of pilgrim movement would be high on the priority list of the administration so that there are no traffic bottlenecks during the month-long event.

He said that Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath was taking keen personal interest in the progress of developmental work and had already warned officials against any unexplained delay and laxity in completion of projects.

--IANS
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Patna, Aug 30 (IANS) A local court on Tuesday granted bail to BJP MLC Devesh Kumar in a liquor law violation case in Bihar.

Kumar was booked after he was found arguing with some in an inebriated state in Patli Path under Patliputra colony police station a month ago.

The BJP was in power in the state when the incident took place so the matter was brushed aside. But now, his detailed breath analyser report came positive on Monday when his party has assumed the role of the opposition in the state.

Since the MLC violated the ban for the first time, he was granted bail from the district court.

Kumar, on the other hand claimed that he went to the Patli Path to help one of his friends named Dr Sanjay Chaudhary who got involved in a verbal spat with some youths. He had nothing to do with that incident, he claimed.

Now, BJP's action is awaited in the matter.

--IANS
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New Delhi, Aug 30 (IANS) Congress on Tuesday questioned the Centre's silence on the Chinese fraud loan apps which has claimed 52 young lives and siphoned off Rs 500 crore through Hawala.

Addressing a press conference party spokesperson Gaurav Vallabh said it has been two years since the news of Chinese loan apps duping lakhs of Indians through its conspiracy of the debt trap surfaced.

He said: "An investigation between January and February 2021 found more than 1,100 digital loan apps available across play stores. RBI has accepted that at least 600 such apps were operating illegally. As per RBI, there was a jump of 12 times in loans on digital platforms between 2017 and 2020. Till now, 52 individuals in our country have committed suicide due to blackmailing by these loan apps. "

Vallabh also accused the Modi government of lying to the nation and lacking the courage to even talk against the Chinese aggression, and failing in international diplomacy.

He alleged that such apps have mushroomed since Covid struck in 2020. The Modi government has weakened the Indian economy pushing millions into poverty, he said.

"This is one of the main reasons why the lower and middle-income groups are forced to resort to such debt propositions. The other reason is the gross misdirection of focus for central agencies".

He said the modus operandi of the loan apps is make the user install the app from the app store or direct message. At the time of installation, the app asks for access to the user's phone book, photo gallery, messages, etc., without which the app will not be installed. The user is asked to provide AADHAAR or PAN Card for KYC purposes.

After providing a loan, the user is granted seven days' time for repayment of double the principal amount. But the user starts receiving phone calls after five days. Even if the user pays the entire amount, without his requirement, some more money is transferred into his account or repayment is not updated, forcing the user to pay the penalty for late payment.

"If the user fails to pay up, his/her morphed image is shared with his friends and family. If this doesn't work, using call centres, they abuse users with a warning to share their nude photographs."

The Congress spokesperson said the incompetence of the central government and agencies has led to multiple cases of suicides due to such debt traps. Chinese loan app companies have siphoned off Rs 500 crore from India through the hawala route.

"There has been no strategy, no focus by the Modi government in evaluating priorities. Certain Chinese apps were banned in 2020 but the action on such apps has been lackluster."

--IANS
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New Delhi, Aug 30 (IANS) Gautam Adani was already Asias richest man and now he is also the world's third richest person, overtaking LVMH chairman Bernard Arnault and becoming the first Asian person to take that spot, according to Bloomberg and its Billionaires index.

Adani, who runs one of India's top conglomerates, is now believed to be worth approximately $137 billion, the tracker shows.

That's after a surge this week placed him just behind Tesla CEO Elon Musk and Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, whose own fortunes are estimated at $251 billion and $153 billion, respectively, CNN reported.

Like other billionaires around the world, Adani has seen his wealth skyrocket during the pandemic.

The founder of the eponymous Adani Group controls companies ranging from ports and aerospace to solar energy and coal.

His fortune has grown exponentially since the start of the global health crisis, as investors bet on his ability to grow his business in sectors that Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has prioritized for development.

Adani has also benefited from an uptick in coal usage, which has catapulted his ascent in recent months, according to Bloomberg.

He overtook fellow Indian tycoon to become the region's wealthiest person in February, CNN reported.

His shot up the global wealth rankings comes as some members of the world's 1 per cent give away more of their resources.

In July, Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates announced he would devote $20 billion to the endowment of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, and reiterated his intention to move "off of the list of the world's richest people".

Bill Gates is currently ranked the world's fifth most affluent person, according to Bloomberg's index, with a net worth of $117 billion, CNN reported.

--IANS
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Mumbai, Aug 30 (IANS) India seems to be enjoying the 'There Is No Alternative' (TINA) factor, as globally all countries are facing the churn and India seems to the best placed jurisdiction in terms of growth and inflation outlook in FY23, according to the SBI Ecowrap report.

This optimism is because China is also facing a bleak outlook on the back of a construction sector meltdown. In fact, report believes that the China story may now be facing clear headwinds and India is likely to benefit from such stark realities over the longer term.

The trends in prices of both retail and commercial real estate in China now show much deeper structural adjustment. The long-term trends in retail prices show that since 2016, prices have been steadily declining along the linear trend.

In 2022, even the nominal price index has witnessed degrowth which is a worrying sign. The real price index growth has been in negative growth since December 2021. Home sales in China have fallen for 11 months in a row, official data shows. That is the longest slump since China created a private property market in the late 1990s.

Chinese demographers are now predicting that negative population growth in China will be the dominant trend in the coming years for a long time and improving the overall quality of the population and changing economic development plans are vital to address the problem.

With ageing, size of the family will gradually shrink. The housing demand will eventually decline in the long run in China as seen in Japan. The future outlook of the construction sector in China over the long run structural factors such as demographic ageing and rebalancing of economy will eventually remove a substantial portion of demand.

India is likely to be the beneficiary as China slows down in terms of new investment intentions.

Since the default by Evergrande group, once hailed as the toast of Chinese infrastructure resurgence, the financial situation of the construction sector in China has steadily moved southwards.

The debt default by Evergrande group spread to other large and mid-tier construction companies. Listed developers' share prices have fallen US$55 billion during 2022, while the sector's dollar notes have fallen by more than US$35 billion. Bank loans to the real estate sector have dropped for the first time in 10 years.

--IANS
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New Delhi, Aug 30 (IANS) Union Home Minister Amit Shah will be visiting Delhi Police Headquarters on Tuesday, said officials.

However, his programme which was scheduled to take place at Adarsh Auditorium in the police headquarters has been cancelled.

Shah had planned to meet Delhi Police Commissioner Sanjay Arora, to felicitate police personnel and to discuss the national security action plan of 2024 and about the security arrangements made available for the G-20 summit.

"The programme of UHM to PHQ stands, however due to paucity of time the programme scheduled in Adarsh Auditorium stands cancelled," the Police Headquarters said.

Shah was all set to felicitate a number of police personnel, who won medals during the Commonwealth Games, national-level competitions and in World Police Fire Games.

"Mainly four points had to be discussed, of which the first was regarding the 2024 action plan to make the national capital a safe place. Second was security arrangements for the G-20 summit which is being monitored by Shah. Focus was on forensic and other related things. The police personnel, who have won laurels, were to be felicitated by Mr Shah," the official said.

The Union Home Minister wants the Delhi Police to focus on more forensic evidence to prove their cases before the concerned courts. In this respect, Delhi Police Commissioner Sanjay Arora was all set to brief Shah and would also convey to him about the need of equipment.

"We will tell UHM about the need for their own lab like the Central Bureau of Investigation. This is the main point to be briefed to Mr Shah which would give us more strength," the official said.

Both the Delhi Police Commissioner and the Union Home Minister are likely to discuss other sensational crime cases as well, including the Jahangirpuri case. This was their first official meeting.

--IANS
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New Delhi, Aug 30 (IANS) Union Home Minister Amit Shah's visit to the Delhi Police headquarters on Tuesday has been cancelled due to "unavoidable reasons", Police Headquarters said.

Shah was scheduled to visit the police headquarters to discuss national security, the action plan for 2024, and the security arrangements made available for the G-20 summit.

He also was to felicitate a number of police personnel, who won medals during the Commonwealth Games, national-level competitions and in World Police Fire Games.

--IANS
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