Regional

Bhubaneswar, Jan 12 (IANS) Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Sunday launched premium bus services from four cities -- Puri, Sambalpur, Bhawanipatna and Berhampur -- for Ayodhya via Varanasi and Prayagraj in Uttar Pradesh for the Maha Kumbh Mela.

The special pilgrim buses to the holy places have been started by the Odisha State Road Transport Corporation (OSRTC), the state-owned public transport operator, under the Transport & Commerce Department of Odisha.

More than 200 devotees from different parts of Odisha on Sunday left for the Maha Kumbh Mela on these special buses equipped with all advanced amenities.

Speaking on the occasion, CM Majhi said that Ardha Kumbha is held every six years while the Purna Kumbha is observed every 12 years at Prayagraj. However, the Maha Kumbh Mela is going to be celebrated at the Prayagraj this year after a gap of 144 years.

The Maha Kumbh Mela is going to be held at Prayagraj in Uttar Pradesh from January 13 to February 26. Lakhs of devotees and saints will throng Prayagraj to attend the grand fair this year.

"Thousands of devotees from Odisha also go on pilgrimage to Prayagraj and take a holy dip at the Triveni Sangam (the holy confluence of rivers -- Ganga, Yamuna and Saraswati) whenever Kumbh Mela takes place. As this holy Maha Kumbh Mela fair is going to be held for a long period between January 13 and February 26, I request all to go to Prayagraj on the holy pilgrimage,” stated the CM.

CM Majhi said that the Odisha government has made several arrangements to ensure a safe journey for the pilgrims using the premium bus services offered by OSRTC. Two buses will run up and down on each route. All the necessary arrangements for short-term accommodations at designated places on the routes have also been made by the OSRTC.

CM Majhi also informed that the bus fare has been halved for women pilgrims. He said that a live vehicle tracking system, panic buttons, and an advanced driver assistance system have been set up in the pilgrim buses. Managers are deployed on each bus to ensure the travellers do not face any problems during the journey.

This apart, tents have been erected at the Prayagraj for the pilgrims and tour guides have been engaged to guide the pilgrims there.

A 24x7 help desk has been opened at the OSRTC office here for the pilgrims visiting Maha Kumbh Mela. The pilgrims can also seek assistance by calling 1800 345 1122 or reaching out via WhatsApp at 78490 52205.

Additionally, OSRTC staff have been deployed in Prayagraj to provide all support to the devotees there. Pilgrims can book tickets in advance through the OSRTC website (osrtc.org), mobile app, or at OSRTC ticket counters. The Chief Minister also said that the OSRTC is starting the long-distance journey of over 2,500 km for the first time.

--IANS

gyan/dpb

Bengaluru, Dec 18 (IANS) Amid rumours of change in leadership, Karnataka BJP President B.Y. Vijayendra met Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday at his office in New Delhi and sought his blessings on the occasion of completion of one term in office.

After the meeting, Vijayendra stated, “I met the Honourable Prime Minister to seek his blessings on completing one year of taking charge as state President. The invaluable moments spent with Prime Minister Modi today have given us rays of inspiration for strengthening the party and contributing to the nation's progress.”

“The guidance and blessings received from him have filled us with boundless enthusiasm to strengthen the party in the state. His words during today’s meeting inspired us to design programmes that encourage greater youth participation, not only strengthening the organisation but also contributing to the nation-building process,” Vijayendra stated.

“Our esteemed Prime Minister, who has dedicated himself to building a Viksit Bharat (Developed India) with a great resolve and the dedication of a selfless achiever, serves as a constant source of inspiration for workers like us. His work ethic continuously energizes us,” he stated.

The meeting has assumed importance in the backdrop of a section of leadership in the BJP claiming that Vijayendra would be replaced in January.

Senior BJP leader and MLA Basanagouda Patil Yatnal, senior MLAs Ramesh Jarkiholi, Arvind Bellad, MLC C.T. Ravi, Union Ministers of State Shobha Karandlaje and V. Somanna and other senior leaders are miffed with the functioning of Vijayendra, according to sources.

One of the senior RSS functionaries who is kept out of state politics following the insistence of former CM B.S. Yediyurappa is also working against Vijayendra.

Former Chief Ministers and BJP MPs Basavaraj Bommai and Jagadish Shettar are also not keen on Vijayendra overtaking them, sources in the BJP stated.

All opponents are using MLA Yatnal to challenge and issue humiliating statements against Vijayendra and his father Yediyurappa.

Despite the warning from the party high command, MLA Yatnal had launched fresh attacks on Vijayendra and Yediyurappa on Tuesday.

Following the defeat in the recently-concluded bye-elections for three Assembly constituencies, MLA Yatnal had attacked that father and son (Yediyurappa and Vijayendra) should take the responsibility.

However, supporters of Vijayendra claim that he is emerging steadily as the mass leader who can deliver results for the party in the state and if the party fails to groom him, it will suffer.

The party has not been able to produce a mass leader after Yediyurappa who could match the stature of opponents like Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar.

--IANS

mka/rad

New Delhi, Dec 18 (IANS) The Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) on Wednesday gave a final opportunity till January 31, 2025 to employers to upload wage details regarding over 3.1 lakh pending applications for Pension on Higher Wages.

Employers have also been requested to submit replies or update the information in 4.66 lakh cases by January 15, 2025 where clarification has been sought by the EPFO.

The EPFO said that the final opportunity is being given as, in spite of so many extensions, it has been observed that more than 3.1 lakh Applications for Validation of Options/Joint Options are still pending with employers.

Many representations have also been received from employers and employers’ associations wherein requests have been made to extend further the time period for uploading wage details of applicant pensioners/members.

“In view of the representations received from employers and associations the employers were given multiple opportunities to submit wage details etc. online till 30.09.2023, again till 31.12.2023 and thereafter till 31.05.2024 to ensure that employers are able to process the applications,” the EPFO said.

The online facility was made available by EPFO for submitting Applications for Validation of Options/Joint Options for pension on higher wages.

The facility was for eligible pensioners/members in compliance with the Supreme Court order dated April 4, 2022.

The facility was launched on February 26, 2023 and was to remain available only till May 3, 2023.

However, considering the representations of the employees, the time limit was extended to June 26, 2023 in order to provide four months’ time to eligible pensioners/members for filing applications.

A last opportunity of 15 days was further given to remove any difficulty faced by the eligible pensioners/members.

“Accordingly, the last date for submission of Applications for Validation of Option/Joint Options by employees was extended to 11.07.2023 and a total of 17.49 lakh Applications for Validation of Option/Joint Options were received from pensioners/members till 11.07.2023,” the statement said.

–IANS

sps/rad

Gurugram, Dec 13 (IANS) A personal banker of DBS bank was arrested for allegedly changing the bank details of the victim and selling to the cyber fraudsters for Rs 5 lakh, police said.

Priyanshu Diwan, Assistant Commissioner of Police (cybercrime), said that the arrested accused had been identified as Tipu Sultan, a native of Muzaffarnagar, Uttar Pradesh.

According to the police, a man filed a complaint at the Cyber Crime Police Station East on Wednesday that an employee of DBS Bank located on DLF Phase-2.

The complainant told the police that he had opened an account in DBS Bank DLF Phase-2, Gurugram, and he asked the bank employee to close the account.

The employee told him that the bank account would have to be closed by coming to the branch. After that, on December 6, he received a message on his mobile number that Rs 15,000 had been credited to the bank account.

When he told the bank employee, he said that this money had come from the bank and his account would be closed. After this, on December 9, Rs 1.96 crore had been credited to the complainant's account.

After this, the complainant got suspicious; he went to the bank and enquired, and then he came to know that the bank employee had changed his mobile number and email ID from the bank account without his knowledge and registered another mobile number and email ID.

Based on his complaint, a case was registered under the relevant sections in Police Station Cyber ​​East, Gurugram.

During the probe, a police team of the said police station arrested the suspect from Gurugram's Indra Colony on Thursday. The accused was later taken on police remand.

During interrogation, the accused disclosed that he was working as a Personal Banker at DBS Bank located in the DLF Phase-2 area in Gurugram. He has been working in the bank since June 2023.

The accused disclosed before the police that he met a person to open a current account but he refused. After this, the person said that he has an online betting business for which he needs a current bank account. That person asked the accused to provide a current bank account. In return, he lured the accused with Rs 5 lakh.

"The accused then fraudulently changed the mobile number and email ID of the complainant's bank account in the matter and the accused gave the same bank account to his companions. The police have recovered 1 mobile phone and 2 SIM cards used in the crime from the possession of the accused," Priyanshu Diwan, ACP (cybercrime), said.

So far the Gurugram police have arrested 23 bank officials from different banks till now who were allegedly involved in cyber fraud in Gurugram," Diwan added.

Meanwhile, the DBS Bank in a statement clarified, "The arrested 23 officials are from other banks, who were allegedly involved in cyber fraud."

--IANS

str/dan

Hyderabad, Dec 13 (IANS) Telangana government suspended Sangareddy Central Jail Superintendent Sanjeeva Reddy for taking a farmer in handcuffs to a hospital for treatment.

The suspension was announced after an inquiry into the incident on the orders of Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy.

Inspector General of Police Satyanarayana conducted an inquiry in the jail along with the Sangareddy district Superintendent of Police.

The IG and other officials questioned the jail staff for four hours. They found that the jail authorities were responsible for handcuffing Heerya Naik while being taken to a hospital in Sangareddy after he complained of chest pain.

The officials also found that the jail authorities did not inform the Vikarabad district police but gave information to the Cyberabad police.

The IG clarified that Naik was not an accused in the case relating to the attack on officials during a public hearing on land acquisition for a pharma cluster in Lagacharla village of Vikarabad district. He said Naik was accused in some other case registered in Balanagar

Earlier, Chief Minister Revanth Reddy took serious note of the incident and ordered an inquiry.

According to the Chief Minister’s Office, the Chief Minister enquired about the incident from officials. He expressed his anger and asked what was the need for handcuffing the farmer.

He directed senior officials to conduct an inquiry and submit a comprehensive report. He warned the officials that the people's government would not tolerate such incidents.

The farmer was taken to hospital after he complained of chest pain. He was later shifted to a hospital in Hyderabad.

Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS), the working president, has also condemned the farmer's handcuffing.

“Absolutely heartless, insensitive and shameful of Telangana Government. You handcuff a farmer who’s suffered a stroke. Lagacharla farmers have been in jail for over a month now. Their only mistake was they didn’t yield to the Revanth Government’s diktats to part with their agricultural land,” Rama Rao said in a post on ‘X’.

--IANS

ms/dan

Bhopal, Dec 12 (IANS) Madhya Pradesh’s Women and Child Development Department on Thursday claimed to have rescued a woman beggar near a temple in Indore with cash amount more than Rs 75, 000.

The administration claimed, that the woman, who has been shifted to a rescue centre run by the Women and Child Development Department, has confessed to earning the money within one month from begging in the area.

Project Officer of the Child Development Department in Indore city, Dinesh Mishra said, "During the interrogation woman said she had earned this money in the past month. She has been involved in begging for the last several years."

The state government has revived the beggar-free campaign which was initially planned in September 2023 by the then Indore District Collector Ilayaraja T.

Ilayaraja T is now serving as Additional Secretary of the Madhya Pradesh Tourism Department while new Indore District Collector Ashish Singh has taken forward the implementation of the scheme.

The district administration has said that the campaign has been launched so that the children and women engaged in begging at crossroads could be rescued.

An official said that a committee under the supervision of the Indore District administration, along with the concerned departments must identify sectors (hotspots) where there are cases of disguised begging.

The rescued child labourers cum beggars are being given proper counselling followed by education and training so that they are properly rehabilitated and do not go back on the streets.

"Rescued persons are counselled in three phases and if they are still found on the streets, then there is also a procedure for legal action against them," Dinesh Mishra said.

Indore district administration has deployed a dedicated team that looks after the issue along with the other departments to introduce a grassroots campaign for this purpose.

--IANS

pd/dan

Karnataka, Dec 12 (IANS) Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Haryana registered big wins on Day 4 of the ongoing 7th edition of the Men's National T20 Cricket Tournament for the Blind 2024-25, popularly known as the Nagesh Trophy. The 7th edition of Nagesh Trophy Group A & Group B league matches began on Monday. A total of five teams from Group A & five teams from Group B will be battling for glory at the ongoing Nagesh Trophy respectively.

In Bengaluru, Karnataka secured a dominant win over Tamil Nadu. Put to bat first, Tamil Nadu scored a total of 117/9 in their 20 overs, while Karnataka defeated Tamil Nadu with a score of 87/5 in 8.5 overs.

Karnataka won by 5 wickets through the DLS method where the match was reduced to 13.0 overs with a target of 85 runs. Sunil Ramesh from the Karnataka team was adjudged as the player of the match.

In the second clash, between Delhi and Himachal, the match was abandoned due to the prevailing weather conditions in Bengaluru.

Group B action at JK Pavilion Ground saw Andhra Pradesh and Pondicherry facing each other. Having to put to bat first, Pondicherry scored 142/7 in their 20 overs. Andhra Pradesh won the match by scoring 143/5 in 16.1 overs.

Gopalachary from Andhra Pradesh was adjudged the player of the match for his brilliant knock of 50 off 34 balls.

In the second game between Haryana and Bihar, Haryana having batted first managed to score a victory by scoring 192/6 in 20 overs. Bihar managed to score 162/8 in 20 overs. Deepak Malik from Haryana was adjudged the player of the match for his brilliant knock of 127 of 61 balls.

This year’s league matches are hosted across six venues, culminating in the Super 8 stage in February 2025. A total of 28 teams, including state and union territory squads and an Indian Railways team, are vying for the championship.

--IANS

bsk/

Jammu, Dec 12 (IANS) J&K Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Thursday chaired a meeting of the Department of Floriculture, Parks, and Gardens to review its functioning and discuss strategies to enhance the sector’s potential, an official statement said.

Addressing the meeting, the Chief Minister highlighted the immense opportunities in the floriculture sector, especially with Kashmir Valley soon to be connected with the rest of the country through railways.

He emphasised the need to leverage this connectivity to market Kashmir’s flowers across India and globally.

“We must engage progressive growers and other stakeholders to fully realise the sector’s potential,” the Chief Minister said.

He further directed the department to plant tulips along Airport Road to enhance the aesthetic appeal and launch ad campaigns to attract more tourists to Srinagar’s iconic Tulip Garden.

Earlier, the Commissioner Secretary gave a detailed presentation on the department’s functioning, highlighting achievements and ongoing projects.

Key milestones and initiatives discussed included, Tulip Show 2024 in which a record 1.7 million tulips of 72 varieties were planted, attracting 4.46 lakh tourists in March 2024.

The meeting also discussed significant developments in the floriculture sector, including the establishment of ornamental cherry tree gardens (Sakura) and the creation of a Tulip Garden in Sanasar.

The establishment of peony and rose gardens at Pahalgam was also highlighted, alongside progress in the process of enlisting six historic Mughal Gardens as UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Discussions further focused on various ongoing and upcoming projects aimed at the modernisation and enhancement of the region’s parks and gardens.

These included the upgradation of Bagh-e-Bahu Garden and the establishment of Bour Camp Garden in Jammu.

Other projects discussed were the development of chrysanthemum plantations at Udhampur, the upgradation of Badamwari, and the establishment of the Dara Shikoh Garden.

The creation of theme gardens at Gulmarg, the development of floriculture nurseries, and the establishment of a model flower centre in Jammu were also deliberated.

Additionally, plans for an amphitheatre and beautification projects at Bagh-e-Bahu were reviewed.

The Chief Minister emphasised the importance of modernising and mechanising garden maintenance to enhance efficiency while optimising resources and generating revenue. He urged the department to prioritise initiatives that boost the tourism potential of Jammu and Kashmir while preserving the region’s rich natural heritage.

The Chief Minister emphasised the need for modernisation and mechanisation of garden maintenance, resource optimisation, and revenue generation.

He urged the department to focus on projects that enhance the tourism potential of Jammu and Kashmir while preserving its natural heritage.

--IANS

zi/dan