India

New Delhi, Dec 12 (IANS) A total of 1,08,580 micro food processing enterprises have been approved for assistance under the PM Formalisation of Micro Food Processing Enterprises (PMFME) scheme (till October 31), the Parliament was informed on Thursday.

The Ministry of Food Processing Industries (MoFPI) provides financial, technical and business support for setting up or upgradation of micro food processing enterprises under the PMFME scheme.

The scheme is operational from 2020-21 to 2025-26 with total outlay of Rs 10,000 crore, Union Minister of State for Food Processing Industries, Ravneet Singh Bittu, said in a written reply to Lok Sabha.

The ministry has been incentivising food processing entrepreneurs, including small and medium, for setting up and expansion of related industries through its Central Sector Pradhan Mantri Kisan SAMPADA Yojana (PMKSY) Scheme, Production Linked Incentive Scheme for Food Processing Industry (PLISFPI) and centrally-sponsored PMFME scheme across the country.

Under sub-schemes of PMKSY, the ministry provides mostly credit-linked financial assistance (capital subsidy) to entrepreneurs with total outlay of Rs 5,520 crore for 15th Finance Commission cycle.

The ministry said that it has also sanctioned 41 mega food parks, 399 cold chain projects, 76 agro-processing clusters, 559 food processing units, 61 creation of backward and forward linkages projects and 51 operation green projects under corresponding component schemes of PMKSY (till October 31 this year).

On the other hand, the PLISFPI scheme aims to support creation of global food manufacturing champions and support Indian brands of food products in international market.

The scheme is being implemented over a six-year period from 2021-22 to 2026-27 with an outlay of Rs 10,900 crore and 171 food processing companies have been approved for assistance under various categories of the scheme so far, said Bittu in his reply.

--IANS

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Patna, Dec 12 (IANS) Bihar Education Minister Sunil Kumar claimed on Thursday that NDA candidate's loss in the Tirhut Graduate Legislative Council election does not signify discontent among teachers in the state.

The Minister said the defeat of NDA's Abhishek Kumar Jha should not be seen as indicative of alleged teachers' dissatisfaction against the Nitish Kumar government.

"NDA has won four seats in Assembly by-elections, and this single loss does not reflect a larger trend. The party will conduct a review to understand the reasons behind the loss in Tirhut," he said.

Jha was defeated by "teachers' leader" Banshidhar Brajwasi, who was dismissed by then Education Department Additional Chief Secy K. K. Pathak.

"If the assembly by-election wins are credited to the party's strategy or leadership, it's inconsistent to attribute this loss to one factor, like dissatisfaction over the dismissal of Brajwasi," Minister Kumar said.

The minister defended the party's stand and strategies and reassured supporters that one defeat does not signify a broader trend.

Brajwasi, running as an independent candidate, maintained a strong lead throughout the counting and won the by-election by approximately 12,000 votes.

Vinayak Gautam of the Jan Suraaj stood second, while RJD's Gopi Kishan and JD-U's Abhishek Kumar Jha secured third and fourth positions, respectively.

Earlier, Brajwasi claimed that his prior conflict with Pathak and subsequent suspension galvanised support among teachers.

While campaigning, he claimed that teachers were dissatisfied with certain administrative actions.

After his win, Brajwasi emphasised that his candidacy was born from the "collective anger of teachers over government actions".

The by-election was necessitated as JD(U)'s Deveshchandra Thakur vacated the Tirhut Graduate seat after being elected as an MP in the Lok Sabha elections.

--IANS

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Kolkata, Dec 12 (IANS) The statement of one particular doctor in the team of forensic experts conducting the autopsy of the body of the lady junior doctor of R.G. Kar Medical College & Hospital -- who was raped and murdered within its premises in August -- and who took some pictures of the victim’s body before the autopsy, has become crucial for CBI trying to establish if tampering was done with the evidence in the case.

Sources aware of the development said that the statement of this doctor has been especially crucial as the investigating officials have to know that this particular doctor strongly objected to the initial attempt by some other members of the forensic team to pass on the tragedy as a case of suicide.

Apart from raising objection, the doctor also took some pictures of the victim’s body on this mobile phone. The investigating officials have already examined these pictures and also forwarded them for forensic examination.

The investigating officials, sources added, strongly believe that the actions initiated by that particular doctor in the forensic team prevented the chances of the tragedy being passed off as suicide.

CBI is already probing the former and controversial Principal of R.G. Kar Sandip Ghosh and the former SHO of Tala Police Station Abhijit Mondal on charges of misleading the investigation and tampering with the evidence while the initial investigation was being carried out by Kolkata Police.

Meanwhile, advocate Vrinda Grover, who along with her team had been representing the family of the victim at the Supreme Court of India, Calcutta High Court and the trial court, on Wednesday, has announced the decision to withdraw from appearing in the case further.

In a statement issued from the Chambers of Vrinda Grover, certain “intervening factors and circumstances” have been termed as the reasons for the decision. This is the second time that the counsel of the victim’s family has been changed.

Initially, senior advocate Calcutta High Court and CPI-M Rajya Sabha member Bikas Ranjan Bhattacharya had been representing the victim’s family.

--IANS

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Chennai, Dec 12 (IANS) Chennai and its surrounding areas face a flood risk as the water level in the Chembarambakkam Lake has risen to 21.19 feet.

Officials have warned that if the water level reaches 22 feet, water will be released from the lake, increasing the flood risk for low-lying areas in Chennai and nearby districts such as Kancheepuram and Chengalpattu.

Heavy rains have contributed to the rising water levels in the lake.

Authorities are closely monitoring the situation and have assured the public that all necessary measures will be taken to manage the risk effectively.

Chembarambakkam Lake, located about 25 km from Chennai, is one of the two major rain-fed reservoirs supplying drinking water to the city, along with the Puzhal Lake.

It is to be noted that the Adyar River originates from the Chembarambakkam Lake.

Notably, this artificial lake was first constructed by Rajendra Chola, the son of Raja Raja Chola, and Madeviyar, a prince of Kodumbalur.

The Regional Meteorological Centre (RMC) has issued ‘orange’ and ‘yellow’ alerts for several districts in Tamil Nadu, citing a well-marked low-pressure system over the southwest and adjoining southeast Bay of Bengal, near the Sri Lankan coast.

This system, accompanied by an upper-air cyclonic circulation extending to mid-tropospheric levels, is expected to move west-northwestward towards the Tamil Nadu-Sri Lanka coastline within the next 24 hours.

On Wednesday, Chennai and its neighbouring districts experienced moderate to heavy rainfall, which is predicted to continue over the next 24 hours due to the intensified low-pressure system in the Bay of Bengal.

During the ongoing northeast monsoon season (October 1 to December 15), Tamil Nadu has recorded 14 per cent excess rainfall, receiving 447 mm against the seasonal average of 393 mm.

Chennai recorded 845 mm of rainfall, 16 per cent above average, while Coimbatore saw a remarkable 47 per cent increase in rainfall.

Fishermen have been advised to avoid venturing into the sea, and those already at sea are urged to return to shore immediately.

This alert comes on the heels of Cyclone Fengal, which caused significant devastation in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry between November 29 and December 1.

—IANS

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Kottayam, Dec 12 (IANS) Ever since M.K. Stalin took over as Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, the state's relations with Kerala have been very strong and on Thursday this fact was even more evident as Stalin and Pinarayi Vijayan travelled together in one car to a meeting venue, near here.

CM Stalin, who arrived in Kerala after spending time in a houseboat at the picturesque Kumarakom tourist destination, on Thursday morning arrived with CM Vijayan to inaugurate the renovated memorial of social reformer and Dravidian ideologue E.V. Ramasamy Periyar at Vaikom.

The venue of the function houses the statue of Periyar, a museum and a library and the two leaders went around the renovated premises.

Speaking on the occasion CM Vijayan said the presence of CM Stalin at the event brought a lot of significance to it.

“Periyar stood in the forefront of uplifting the weak and downtrodden. According to Periyar the Congress leaders never stood for the downtrodden. He always had a strong sentiment for the Communists and was known for the closeness he had with Communist leaders in Tamil Nadu,” said Vijayan and added that the Dravidian icon’s thoughts and ideology continue to be relevant even today.

CM Stalin also paid glowing tributes to Periyar and the movement he led and also thanked the Vijayan government for organising the event.

The significance of the new-found brotherhood that starts at the highest level between the two CMs, should be seen in the presence of several dignitaries, including Kerala Ministers V.N. Vasavan and Saji Cheriyan, along with Tamil Nadu Ministers Durai Murugan, E.V. Velu and M.P. Saminathan besides top officials with the two states’ Chief Secretaries also present.

This is not the first time the two CMs are sharing a stage, as in the past Stalin was present at the 23rd CPI-M Party Congress held at Vijayan’s pocket borough in Kannur two years ago.

Vijayan has also visited Tamil Nadu in the past on quite a few occasions and has his routine medical checkups at a popular private hospital there.

--IANS

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New Delhi, Dec 12 (IANS) NLC India Limited (NLCIL) on Thursday announced the commencement of commercial operations of the first unit of its supercritical 3 x 660 MW Ghatampur Thermal Power Plant, developed through Neyveli Uttar Pradesh Power Limited, a joint venture with UP Rajya Vidyut Utpadan Nigam Limited.

“The first unit successfully completed its trial operation on December 7 and started commercial operations from December 12, 2024. This milestone represents NLCIL's first venture into supercritical power generation technology, a major leap in enhancing the company's energy portfolio,” the company said.

This accomplishment reinforces NLCIL's position in the power sector and its ability to execute large-scale projects that contribute to India's energy security and sustainable development goals, the statement said.

With the commercial operation of the first 660 MW unit of the greenfield Ghatampur Thermal Power Station, the total installed power generation capacity of NLC India Limited and its group companies has increased from 6,071 MW to 6,731 MW.

The Ghatampur power project is designed to meet the growing power demands of the states of Uttar Pradesh and Assam. Its supercritical technology ensures higher efficiency, reduced fuel consumption, and lower emissions compared to conventional plants. The project has an advanced environmental management system, including high-efficiency electrostatic precipitators and flue-gas desulfurization units. This project marks the beginning of a new era in the long-term partnership between NLC India Limited and Uttar Pradesh Rajya Vidyut Utpadan Nigam Limited (UPRVUNL).

Through Neyveli Uttar Pradesh Power Limited (NUPPL), the strategic alliance leverages the expertise of both organisations' operational and project execution capabilities and UPRVUNL's deep understanding of the regional power landscape, the statement added.

Prasanna Kumar Motupalli, CMD, NLCIL, said, "The successful commissioning of the first supercritical power plant of NLCIL at Ghatampur marks a historic milestone in our journey towards energy sustainability. This project demonstrates our commitment to supporting India's growing power needs while embracing cutting-edge, energy-efficient technologies.”

“Supercritical technology ensures lower emissions, higher thermal efficiency, and a more sustainable energy future. We remain steadfast in our resolve to operationalize the remaining units, contributing to India's vision of Atmanirbhar Bharat in the energy sector," he added.

This achievement underscores NLCIL's ongoing commitment to driving energy sector advancements while adhering to environmental and social governance principles.

--IANS

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New Delhi/Mumbai, Dec 12 (IANS) Marking an unofficial red-letter day in the national political calendar, scores of celebs and commoners rushed to meet Nationalist Congress Party Sharadchandra Govindrao Pawar and greet him ‘Happy Birthday Saheb’, either physically or virtually, on Thursday.

The trickle of greetings started with his close family and friends posting wishes, roses and cakes after midnight, but by dawn, it had become a veritable storm, with many jostling to be seen, heard or read by the veteran leader, currently a member of the Rajya Sabha.

Among the early birds who felicitated him on X were Prime Minister Narendra Modi, leaders of the INDIA bloc and ruling NDA, besides other parties, plus the corporate world, entertainment, media, foreign dignitaries, and even ordinary peasants as Pawar has netted big buddies all over during his 57 years in super-active political life.

Clad in his trademark black jacket, to beat the New Delhi cold, the Baramati-born Big Birthday Boy was seen basking in all the attention, enjoying his day with a glint in his eyes and a semi-toothed smile, warmly receiving his family members, political and personal friends, foes and fans at the official bungalow, with many falling at his feet, bowing and beaming and seeking his blessings.

His daughter, Lok Sabha MP and NCP(SP) Working President Supriya Pawar-Sule was seen playing the gracious hostess, welcoming visitors or VIPs, from Maharashtra and elsewhere, with a broad smile, a humble ‘namaste’ and ushering them to her ‘Baba’ (father in Marathi) nearby.

The eye-popper who turned up to greet was the rival Nationalist Congress Party President and Deputy CM Ajit A. Pawar, with his wife and Rajya Sabha MP Sunetra A. Pawar and their son Parth Pawar also dropped in to wish their fond ‘Pawar Uncle’.

In the past couple of years, the Ajit Pawar-Sharad Pawar sides have witnessed many political ups and downs, parties split, and families ripped, but their personal relations never crumbled and survived under the ever-watchful and protective 85-year-old ‘umbrella’. Owing to a set of political circumstances and personal ambitions, a tad irritated Ajit Pawar had attempted to close down the ‘umbrella’ and repeatedly pushed him to retire into a ‘margdarshak mandal’ sort of role.

Later, it was time for the formal do’s, shaking hands and cutting a cake, which Sharad Pawar did the honours first with a small knife and then with a medium-sized sword, offering pieces of cake to his family members as someone showered flower petals amid claps and cheers.

After the brief exchange of pleasantries, Sharad Pawar was back to business in moments, got up and left to go to Parliament for the day’s proceedings.

Besides the Pawar clan, NCP(SP) leaders like the Sule family, Jayant R. Patil, Dr Jitendra Awhad, Fauzia Khan, Rohit R. Pawar, Yugendra A. Pawar; NCP’s Praful Patel, Sunil Tatkare, Chhagan Bhujbal; Shiv Sena (UBT)’s Priyanka Chaturvedi, Sanjay Raut, Kishore Tiwari, Sushma Andhare, etc., greeted him.

Similarly, several leaders of the Congress, Samajwadi Party, and other state, regional or national parties, CM’s of various states, celebs and big biz honchos, and hordes of ordinary folks, greeted him in person or through social media messages.

Most praised Sharad Pawar for his good health, the wisdom that he bestows on the country as and when needed, extolled his political acumen, administrative skills, how he guided several gen-next and expressed gratitude for learning a lot under his firm but gentle tutelage while weathering many political storms.

Speaking for the Baramati’s numero uno political clan, Ajit A. Pawar and his nephew Yugendra S. Pawar pointed out that whatever may be their political-ideological battles, they never allowed it to interfere in family relations as taught to them by Sharad Pawar himself.

(Quaid Najmi can be contacted at: qnajmi@gmail.com)

--IANS

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Bengaluru, Dec 12 (IANS) The Karnataka BJP on Thursday accused the Congress-led state government of shifting the injured lathi-charge victims to an undisclosed location to prevent its leaders from meeting them.

The party announced plans to stage a protest at the Suvarna Vidhana Soudha in Belagavi and raise the issue during the ongoing Assembly session.

Leader of the Opposition, R. Ashoka, speaking to reporters in Belagavi, said, “Our party leaders today planned to visit the hospital to meet those injured in the lathi-charge during the Panchamasali Lingayat reservation stir on Tuesday. We had communicated our intention to visit them. However, the injured persons were suddenly shifted to an undisclosed location.”

“This government is not allowing us to meet those severely injured in the lathi-charge. This behaviour is reminiscent of Hitler. We are unable to track down where the injured have been taken,” he added.

Ashoka stated that the BJP would raise the issue of the assault on Lingayat protesters during the zero hour and stage a protest near the Ambedkar statue on the premises of the Suvarna Vidhana Soudha before the session begins. “A small incident has been blown out of proportion by ordering a lathi-charge on protesters,” he said.

He accused the Congress government of hypocrisy, saying, “In their speeches, Congress leaders quote Basavanna, the founder of the Lingayat sect. Yet in reality, they order lathi-charge on Basavanna’s followers.”

“We don’t know if we are in a democratic system or a state of emergency. During the previous BJP government, the Panchamasali Lingayat community protested without any restrictions. Back then, the number of protesters was four times higher than Tuesday,” Ashoka recalled.

“Our government took action to ensure the situation didn’t go out of hand. Responding to their demand, we decided to provide a reservation quota,” he stated.

Ashoka further said, “The government has instigated violence, and members of the Lingayat community were assaulted so brutally that many are now in the ICU. This is an unpardonable crime. The community seer has pointed out that no Chief Minister in history has ever ordered a lathi-charge on Lingayats, but CM Siddaramaiah did. The seer has warned of consequences.”

He criticized the government for reducing the Assembly session's length. “The government claimed they would run the session for 10 days but curtailed it to one day, citing the Kannada Sahitya Sammelan. Another day was spent unveiling portraits of Mahatma Gandhi and Anubhava Mantapa. Two more days were lost due to the death of former CM S.M. Krishna,” Ashoka noted.

“The government should have extended the session by a week. We could have addressed issues such as the Waqf board controversy, maternal deaths, the Rs 700 crore-excise scam, newborn deaths, the ration card issue, and the Panchamasali Lingayat reservation,” he added.

Ashoka also said, “The BJP gave the reservation to Lingayats. The Constitution does not allow religious-based reservations for minorities. The BJP government cancelled reservations for minorities and redistributed them to Lingayats, Vokkaligas, Marathas, and others as per the Constitution. The Congress, practising vote-bank politics, has halted the implementation of these reservations.”

He accused CM Siddaramaiah of supporting the assault on protesters. “CM Siddaramaiah assured discussions on the Lingayat Panchamasali reservation issue. Instead of meeting the protesters and receiving their memorandum, he ordered a lathi-charge. If he respected democracy, he would have met the protesters. The CM must apologise, and the responsible police officers must be suspended,” Ashoka demanded.

State BJP President B.Y. Vijayendra announced that all BJP MLAs and MLCs would stage a protest on the premises of the Suvarna Vidhana Soudha.

--IANS

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New Delhi, Dec 12 (IANS) Leader of the House in the Rajya Sabha and Union Minister J.P. Nadda on Thursday strongly condemned Congress and Leader of Opposition (LoP) Mallikarjun Kharge for "demeaning" and "derogating" constitutional positions and "questioning the Chair."

Speaking in the Rajya Sabha, Nadda emphasised that the "Chair cannot be questioned, with regards to admissibility, and the Chairman's ruling cannot be questioned or criticised. To do so is contempt of the House and the Chairman."

Expressing his disappointment, Nadda said, "With sadness, I must say that yesterday, one of the most senior and experienced leaders, Leader of Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge, conducted a press conference and criticised the Chair. This is condemnable and objectionable. It paves the way for a wrong tradition. Any amount of condemnation would not be enough for this."

During his speech, Opposition MPs continued sloganeering.

"Kharge accused that he was not given an opportunity. It is worth mentioning that letters were written by the Chair time and again to the Leader of Opposition to participate and come to the chamber. However, he always refused and did not participate in the last BSE meeting either," Nadda said.

"This shows how much interest they have in democratic traditions and how much they respect it," he added, targeting the Congress.

On Wednesday, Kharge, along with INDIA bloc leaders, launched a scathing attack on Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar, blaming him for the repeated stalling of the House due to his "headmaster-type attitude" and treating "Parliament like a school."

In a joint press conference with Congress and its allies, Kharge made serious accusations against Vice President Dhankhar, stating, "The biggest disruptor of the House is the Chairman himself."

Kharge accused the Rajya Sabha Chairman of partisan conduct, alleging that he often acted as a "spokesperson of the ruling party."

Nadda also pointed out that the Congress social media handle had referred to the Chairman as "Chair Leader."

"The way wrong efforts have been made to derogate and demean a constitutional position, and the way democratic values and the constitutional system have been disrupted, the country will never forgive the Congress party," Nadda said.

"Today, they worry about constitutional positions and methods. This is the same Parliament outside whose premises Congress leaders mimicked and mocked the Chairman, while their senior party leader made videos of the," he added.

"Neither the Congress party has any interest in constitutional proceedings nor do they respect constitutional practices. Their press conference yesterday also shows they want to shift the focus from important issues of the nation," he added.

Further questioning the "link" of Congress with foreign forces, Nadda said, "The country wants to know the relationship between senior-most Congress leader Sonia Gandhi and George Soros, who funds billions to destabilise India. Congress takes his money to contribute to destabilising the nation."

"The country will not forgive them. The BJP condemns the efforts of the Opposition to criticise constitutional positions," he said.

Amid the chaos and sloganeering by the Opposition, Rajya Sabha proceedings were adjourned until 2 p.m.

--IANS

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Jammu, Dec 12 (IANS) A Pakistani intruder was arrested near the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir’s Poonch district, officials said on Thursday.

The officials said the intruder from the Pakistan side was apprehended by the Army near the LoC on Wednesday.

The intruder was identified as 18-year-old Mohd Sadiq.

"He was trying to sneak into the Indian side of the LoC when he was caught in Noorkote village near the border fence in Poonch," said the officials.

“He was not carrying any weapon or incriminating material. He is being questioned about his motive to cross the LoC. It appears he might have crossed the LoC inadvertently,” the officials said.

The Army and the security forces have heightened vigil along the LoC and the hinterland, especially after the terrorists carried out some dastardly attacks at the behest of their handlers sitting across the border.

Intelligence agencies say the handlers of terror have become impatient because of the peaceful and people-participative Lok Sabha and Legislative Assembly elections. The elections were witnessed by diplomats from many countries.

It is also reported that terrorists could be waiting at the terror launch pads across the LoC in Pakistan-occupied areas to cross over to the Indian side before the mountain passes get closed by heavy snowfall this winter.

Security forces have started aggressive operations against terrorists, their over-ground workers (OGWs) and sympathisers to dismantle the ecosystem of terrorism.

Lt Governor Manoj Sinha has chaired top-level security review meetings in which clear orders were given to the security forces to wipe out terrorism from the UT.

It is for this reason that additional deployments of paramilitary forces have been made in the UT to augment the existing anti-terrorism grid in J&K.

--IANS

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