India

Guwahati, Oct 8 (IANS) Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday held a meeting with officials here to chalk out a future strategy for making Assam flood-free.

"During the meeting, the Union Home Minister has spoken to stakeholders to review the reasons responsible for recurring floods and steps taken by the government to tackle the problem," Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said.

He said that Shah has emphasised on a long-term solution to the perennial issue of floods in Assam, and also stressed on inter-ministerial and inter-departmental coordination for making the state flood-free.

Assam Water Resources Minister Pijush Hazarika also attended the meeting along with other officials of the department.

--IANS
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Jaipur, Oct 7 (IANS) Rajasthan Industries Minister Shakuntala Rawat said on Friday that the state would be the first in the country to implement a green hydrogen policy.

Rawat was addressing the 'Future Ready Sector Conclave' as part of the Invest Rajasthan summit here on Friday.

In her address, Rawat said that the state has made unprecedented progress in the field of renewable energy.

"Today Rajasthan is the first state in the whole country in the field of solar energy," the minister said, as she stressed on the proper use of natural resources.

Rawat also said that appropriate action would be taken on the suggestions and feedback received from the entrepreneurs on the policies of the government, adding that the state government will take the entrepreneurs along.

Anurag Jain, Secretary, Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), Government of India, said that it is a commendable achievement to have MoUs worth Rs 10 lakh crore in Rajasthan. He also called upon the investors to invest in Rajasthan.

Economic advisor to Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, Arvind Mayaram, urged the industry and government agencies to work on artificial intelligence, saying that AI is expected to grow to 7.8 billion by 2025.

--IANS
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Jaipur, Oct 7 (IANS) Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Friday invited Vedanta chairman Anil Agarwal to set up a semiconductor chip industry in Rajasthan.

The Chief Minister, during the 'Invest Rajasthan' Summit, told Agarwal, "You are always worried about Rajasthan. If there is a fight between Maharashtra and Gujarat for the semiconductor industry worth Rs one lakh crore, then you should set up a semiconductor chip industry in Rajasthan."

Agarwal, meanwhile, said that the discussion about Rajasthan can be heard in Canada as well. "In Canada, mines can be operated for only six months. Because of the snowfall, the mines have to be closed for six months. At the same time, in Rajasthan, the mines are operational all the time, so there are more possibilities here," he added.

--IANS
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New Delhi, Oct 7 (IANS) Union Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal said on Friday that India would accord top priority to national interest in foreign trade agreement (FTA) negotiations, adding that the government won't diverge from this approach for the sake of deadlines.

The minister's statement came at a time when India and the UK are trying to finalise their FTA negotiations by Diwali.

Goyal was speaking at a meeting held to review India's export performance in the first six months of this financial year, with key representatives from export promotion councils and industry associations.

At the meeting, industry representatives were apprised of the healthy growth of around 15.5 per cent seen in the first six months of this financial year, as compared to the previous year. However, it was alerted about the dip in export performance in September.

Highlighting the healthy growth seen in some markets such as Latin America and Africa, the meeting was informed that the evolving economic and geo-political environment required the industry to be attentive and optimistic so that growth opportunities in such new markets are not missed, official sources said.

Goyal emphasised on sustaining the export momentum and said that the interaction with export promotion councils has given the confidence that Indian exports will be able to weather the global headwinds and will surpass last year's exports by a big margin, the sources said.

The minister added that India must keep prospecting for new opportunities in the world market and utilise all such possible chances to expand trade. He also emphasised on doing a deep dive of services import and see the areas/sectors in which they are increasing.

At the review meeting, the Director General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) gave a presentation on year-on-year export trends vis-a-vis the major export markets of India, along with sectoral growths.

The leading and laggard export markets/sectors were specifically highlighted for specific attention and possible corrective measures.

--IANS
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New Delhi, Oct 7 (IANS) Congress' Karnataka unit president D.K. Shivakumar on Friday was questioned by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) at the agency's headquarters here in connection with the National Herald case.

Shivakumar left the ED HQ on Friday evening after being grilled for hours. Speaking with mediapersons outside the ED's headquarters, Shivakumar said he was asked about Young Indian and AJL financial transactions.

He said the ED asked him about his family and also sought other details.

"I have requested to give me time to send them all the documents they required. I still have to furnish a lot of information," he said.

The ED had summoned Shivakumar and his brother, DK Suresh to record their statements.

Earlier, J. Geeta Reddy, Shabbir Ali, P. Sudarshan joined the probe. They were questioned about Young Indian and Dotex connection.

The firm is reportedly situated at 5, Lower Rawdon Street in Sreepally of Ballygunge, Kolkata. It is situated in a residential apartment named Aakash Deep.

"Dotex firm allegedly paid Rs 1 crore to Young Indian. This was a loan which they gave to YI in 2010. The loan given by Dotex Merchandise was never returned. YI was just incorporated when this loan was paid," said an ED source.

The ED has doubt that the money was laundered through YI.

--IANS
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By Nirendra Dev
New Delhi, Oct 7 (IANS) BJP chief J.P. Nadda and Union Home Minister Amit Shah will be on a three-day visit to Assam from Saturday.


The occasion is inauguration of newly built Assam BJP headquaters at Beltola, Guwahati.

Nadda was likely to visit Meghalaya on Sunday, but that has been reportedly deferred to later this month after Diwali.

Three northeastern states, Meghalaya, Nagaland and Tripura are scheduled to go for polls by February-March 2023.

But both the BJP stalwarts making a joint visit to Assam gives more positive and clear signals about the saffron outfit's plans and preliminary preparations for all important 2024 general elections.

The battle of 2024 would be occasion for making a hat-trick by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Encouraged by its performance - 282 in 2019 and 303 in 2014 - now the party wants to consolidate their hold further in east and northeast India.

In Assam, in 2019, the BJP could win nine seats out of 14. The AIUDF had won one and Congress could win three. In 2021, BJP retained the state government in Assam.

The Congress disappointment did not end with electoral defeat in the state where they had a fair chance of winning. What is politically significant is that the Congress is now a demoralised outfit in Assam - where it had a very strong base, and several Congressmen and women have already jumped ship while embracing BJP's right-wing politics.

Ambitious Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma is a good organiser and he has reportedly promised his new-found mentor Shah 'mega improvement' in BJP and its alliance partners' performance in Assam and other northeastern states. In 2019, BJP won both seats in Arunachal Pradesh and also Tripura.

The Leftists are a much demoralised and marginilised entity in one time red-fortress Tripura and apparently, the saffron party's chief competitor in 2023 would be a local tribal-based party.

Post West Bengal polls win in 2021, Trinamool Congress made a lot of noise vis-a-vis forays into Tripura but all such efforts have turned damp squib chiefly because there is no substantial Muslim vote bank in Tripura.

Congress had one seat in Meghalaya while another seat had come to BJP's ally NPP of Conrad Sangma.

In Nagaland and Mizoram, the solitary seat in each state had gone to regional partners in 2019. But with regard Nagaland's lone Lok Sabha seat, the saffron party would be asking for it.

In Manipur also the BJP, which returned to power in early 2022, may easily win both Lok Sabha seats in 2024.

The BJP is planning big in states such as West Bengal and Odisha.

In Mamata Banerjee-ruled Bengal, much to the chagrin of its detractors, the BJP had won 18 seats.

It would be more than happy to retain the hold and win at least 20-24 seats.

In 2021 assembly polls, the Left parties including CPI-M and the Congress drew blank, thus showing the possible state of affairs in the state which has altogether 42 seats. While the northeast has 25 Lok Sabha seats, Odisha has 21 and with Bengal's 42 it comes to 88 seats.

These 88 seats would be very important from 2024 polls point of view. In 2019, the saffron surge had resulted in victories over 40 seats.

The law of the average suggests, the saffron party's tally for Lower House of Parliament may come down in Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Gujarat in 2024. Thus, the poll strategists are working overtime to make a significant deeper penetration in north east and especially in Odisha.

The BJD of Naveen Patnaik is a partner at the centre though not part of the NDA officially.

The Chief Minister is now 75 and he will be around 77 when poll bugle is blown. In the absence of any second rung leader in the BJD; the Lotus party is trying to fill in the gap.

A former Biju Janata Dal MP, Baijayant Panda is now saffron party's in-charge in Assam. Another Odisha leader and vocal national spokesman Sambit Patra is now coordinator for the party for all north eastern states.

In Odisha, BJP could win eight while Naveen's party had won 12. The marginalised Congress could win only one and no body is really talking about prospects of Congress revival.

On a slightly larger canvas, the BJP has to do well in southern states as well.

For the ruling BJP, the 2024 battle would have to be negotiated in nine states mainly -- most in eastern and southern states.

The states are Bihar, West Bengal, Odisha, Telangana, Chhattisgarh, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Karnataka.

From these states again, the saffron party could win only 67 seats. While Karnataka contributed maximum (25) into the saffron party kitty out of 28, followed by 18 from Mamata-ruled West Bengal and eight from Odisha.

Importantly again the challenge also comes from key regional chieftains including Mamata Banerjee in West Bengal -- that has 42 parliamentary seats and also YSR Jagan Mohan Reddy in Andhra Pradesh.

There are also formidable regional challengers like K Chandrashekhar Rao in Telangana (TRS) and M K Stalin of DMK in Tamil Nadu.

The BJP has pushed for aggressive works in Telangana and new in-charge is Tarun Chugh, who was involved in organisational matters as deputy B.L. Santhosh in the party headquarters. Another able hand Arvind Menon has been appointed as co-in-charge.

Menon has handled states such as West Bengal and UP earlier.

For Odisha, Sunil Bansal will be a key player as the in-charge.

For the state of West Bengal, while Mangal Pandey will be the in-charge; he would be assisted by Amit Malviya and Asha Lakra as Saha Prabharis.

Till recently, the BJP had control over 18 states after Maharashtra came into its kitty.

The coming months and polls in key states will be vital in more ways than one. They are Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh in December 2022, Nagaland, Meghalaya and Tripura in Feb-March 2023, Karnataka April-May 2023, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan and Mizoram by November-December 2023.

From the nine states in eastern and southern India, the BJP has 67 and its alliance partners have only eight making it 75 for NDA.

That means 154 seats are with other parties and this is where the saffron strategies will have to chalk out innovative plans.

(Nirendra Dev is a New Delhi-based journalist. He is also author of book,
'The Talking Guns: North East India'. The views expressed are personal.)

--IANS
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Jaipur, Oct 7 (IANS) Adani Group Chairman Gautam Adani on Friday made a big announcement of opening a medical college and hospital each in two districts of Rajasthan and a cricket stadium in Udaipur with an investment of Rs 65,000 crore.

Participating in the Invest Rajasthan summit here, Gautam Adani said, "Today I am very happy to attend the summit. We have announced an investment of Rs 65,000 crore. Simultaneously, while talking to Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, we have got approval for two proposals. Two medical colleges will be opened in Rajasthan. In the districts where there are no medical colleges, it has been agreed that we can contribute by opening medical colleges along with civil hospitals. We also discussed with CM Gehlot and Assembly Speaker C.P. Joshi about building a cricket stadium in Udaipur. On behalf of Adani Foundation and Adani Group, we will provide full cooperation to build the stadium."

Both CM Gehlot and Gautam Adani arrived for the media interaction in the same e-vehicle. While Gehlot sat next to the e-rickshaw driver, Adani, Torrent Group Chairman Sudhir Mehta and Speaker C.P. Joshi sat came in the rear seat.

After Adani and Mehta, Rajasthan Cricket Association President Vaibhav Gehlot interacted with the media. Gehlot himself did not say anything.

--IANS
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New Delhi, Oct 7 (IANS) The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Friday chargesheeted 16 persons, including Lalu Prasad and his wife Rabri Devi, in connection with a job scam that took place during Lalu Prasad's tenure as Railway Minister in the UPA government.

The CBI said that during investigation, it has been found that the accused persons in conspiracy with then General Manager and Chief Personnel Officer of Central Railway engaged persons in lieu of land either in their name, or in the name of their close relatives.

It has been alleged that more than 1 lakh square feet of land belonging to job aspirants' families in Patna was reportedly transferred to Lalu Prasad's family in return for jobs.

This land was acquired at prices lower than the prevailing circle rate and much lower than the market rate.

"The candidates used false TC and submitted false attested documents to the Ministry of Railways," the CBI alleged in the chargesheet.

The CBI has learnt that Lalu Prasad's wife Rabri Devi and daughter Hema Yadav were gifted land by job seekers who were later appointed in Railways.

Haridayanand Chaudhary, a Railway employee, and Bhola Yadav, then OSD to Lalu Prasad, were earlier arrested by the CBI. Bhola was Lalu's OSD between 2004 and 2009.

The CBI had registered the case against Lalu Prasad, Rabri Devi, their two daughters -- Misa Bharti and Hema Yadav -- and 15 others, including unknown public servants and private persons.

"During 2004-2009, Lalu Prasad had obtained pecuniary advantages in the form of transfer of landed property in the name of his family members in lieu of appointment of substitutes in Group D Post in different zones of Railways," a CBI official said.

A number of residents of Patna, either themselves or through their family members, sold or gifted land to the family members of Lalu Prasad and a private company controlled by him and his family. They were also involved in transfer of such immovable properties.

"No advertisement or any public notice was issued for the appointment of substitutes in Railways, yet the candidates, who were residents of Patna, were appointed as substitutes in different Railway zones in Mumbai, Jabalpur, Kolkata, Jaipur and Hazipur.

Through this modus operandi, about 1,05,292 sq feet land in Patna was allegedly acquired by Lalu Prasad and his family members through five sales deeds and two gift deeds, showing the payment made to seller in cash in most of the land transfer, the CBI official said.

--IANS
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Ahmedabad, Oct 7 (IANS) Senior Congress leader and party presidential post candidate Mallikarjun Kharge, who is campaining in Gujarat, on Friday appealed the party delegates in the state to extend their support in the election.

Earlier in the day, he visited Gandhi Ashram to pay tribute to Mahatma Gandhi.

Kharge addressed the party delegates and sought their support in the election.

Later speaking to media persons, he said, "I never intended to contest the presidential election, but senior party leaders and workers insisted that I should contest the election, (thus) I am contesting."

In another development, BJP leader Kuldipsinh Raulji from Savli taluka of Vadodara district joined Congress in presence of the state unit president Jagdish Thakor and other leaders.

Vadodara district Congress president Sagar Brahmbhatt told IANS this will help the party in long term as Raulji is a cooperative leader and grass root network in the district that will benefit the party.

However, BJP's Vadodara unit office bearer Natwarsinh Solanki told IANS, "Raulji has little influence on voters in the rural area... the BJP vote bank is very strong and committed, it does not get divided with one or two leaders quitting the party."

--IANS
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New Delhi, Oct 7 (IANS) The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) has received Rs 57.90 crore as donations during the year 2021-22.

Contribution report of the NCP submitted to the Election Commission disclosed that a total of Rs 57,90,50,001 was received through 245 donations.

The report also disclosed that most of the donations were from Maharashtra.

Representation of the People Act says that the treasurer of a political party or any other person authorised by it will prepare a report about the contribution in excess of Rs 20,000 received by the political party from any person or other entities in a financial year.

Aiming for reforms and transparency in donations received by political parties, the poll panel has proposed reducing anonymous political donations from Rs 20,000 to Rs 2,000.

The Election Commission recently wrote a letter to the Union Law Ministry recommending various amendments in the Representation of the People (RP) Act.

Currently, political parties have to disclose all donations above Rs 20,000 through their contribution report that is submitted to the EC.

The sources said that the Commission has proposed lowering the threshold limit for cash donations made to political parties from Rs 20,000 to Rs 2,000.

In case the proposal gets approved, all donations above Rs 2,000 will be part of the contribution report which is submitted to the Commission.

A recent contribution report by Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM), the ruling party in Jharkhand disclosed that the party received only Rs 1 lakh during the year 2021-22.

JMM is not the only party which has recorded minimum contributions in the excess of Rs 20,000.

Earlier, the Bahujan Samaj party (BSP) informed the Election Commission that it did not receive any donation in excess of Rs 20,000 from individual donors and entities during the financial year 2021-22.

--IANS
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