India News
Farmers announce 3-hour nationwide chakka jam on Feb 6
Farmer unions protesting against three contentious farm laws on Monday announced three-hour nationwide road blockade on state highway and national highways
Farmer unions protesting against three contentious farm laws on Monday announced three-hour nationwide road blockade on state highways and national highways on February 6 in protest against the suspension of internet at their agitation sites and alleged harassment meted out to them by authorities.
The Union leaders in a press conference at the Singhu border said that they will block the roads between 12 pm to 3 pm on February 6. The farmer unions also alleged that they have been ignored in the Union Budget 2021-22, and the water supply have been cut off at their protest sites.
The Samyukt Kisan Morcha alleged that the Twitter accounts of Kisan Ekta Morcha and a user named ‘Tractor2Twitter’ have been restricted. Farmer leader Darshan Pal said the announcement of the Chakka Jam has been made to protest against the government’s repressive measures against the protesters and reduction of budgetary allocation for the agriculture sector.
On Monday, over 100 twitter accounts related to the farmers’ protest went off the microblogging platform as the Information Technology Ministry ordered Twitter to remove these accounts under section 69A of the Information Technology Act. The suspended accounts included those of Kisan Ekta Morcha, The Caravan Magazine, Prasar Bharti CEO Sashi Shekhar among others.
According to the sources, the withheld accounts had tweeted against Prime Minister Narendra Modi with the hashtags like #ModiPlanningFarmerGenocide. However, Twitter later unwithheld the accounts on grounds of freedom of speech and presence of newsworthy elements.
Farmer leader Balbir Singh Rajewal said farmers coming to join the agitation by trains were also being harassed, hence a protest will be staged against all these atrocities in the form of a three-hour chakka jam across the nation.
The Punjab Mail was diverted while another train, running via Punjab and Haryana and headed to Old Delhi, was short-terminated at Bahadurgarh on Monday, allegedly to prevent farmers from reaching Delhi to join the ongoing protests.
Swaraj Abhiyan leader Yogendra Yadav had claimed that the action against the Twitter account was taken on the request of government authorities. He also said the Union government has reduced the allocation to the farm sector in this budget, when people hoped they would keep something for farmers as it was being presented during the agitation.
Also Read: Rajya Sabha adjourned twice as opposition walks out demanding debate on farm laws
In the Budget 2021-22, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman had proposed giving the APMCs mandis and the minimum support price provisions to the agriculture market. However, the union government has reduced its fund allocation for agriculture and allied sectors by Rs 6,000 crore, i.e reduced from 5.1% last year to 4.3% this year.
Meanwhile, a slew of measures came into effect on Monday by authorities in a bid to deter the protest even as the farmers announced nationwide blockade on Saturday. From embedding spikes on roads, extending internet ban in seven Haryana districts by another 24-hours to diverting Delhi-bound trains, the authorities have been trying every possible way to stop the farmers from entering the national capital.
More than 2,000 iron nails have been embedded in rows across the breadth of Rohtak Road at the Tikri protest side. Also, several layers of security including metal barricading, barricading by stone boulders and concrete barricading have been used to fortify the security at the Delhi side of the border with Haryana.
Also Read: Union Budget 2021: Social media flooded with memes, jokes
The suspension of mobile internet services have been extended till 5pm on Tuesday in seven districts of Haryana to prevent any disturbance of peace and public order, according to the police official. Kaithal, Panipat, Jind, Rohtak, Charkhi Dadri, Sonipat and Jhajjar districts in Haryana will face internet suspension till 5 pm today.
India News
AAP Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh arrested in connection with money laundering case linked to Delhi liquor policy
The Enforcement Directorate has mentioned Sanjay Singh’s name in its charge sheet. According to the investigating agency Dinesh Arora a middle man said he had met Singh during a party in his restaurant. The name of the restaurant is Unplugged Courtyard.
The Enforcement Directorate on Wednesday arrested Aam Aadmi Party Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh after searches were conducted at his residence in connection with the Delhi liquor policy case. The central investigating agency questioned Sanjay Singh for 10 hours before arresting him.
Houses of several people close to the AAP MP were also searched. The Enforcement Directorate had named Sanjay Singh in its charge-sheet. According to the investigating agency, Dinesh Arora, a middle-man, said he had met Singh during a party in his restaurant, Unplugged Courtyard.
Before leaving his home with the ED officers, Sanjay Singh touched his mother’s feet to take her blessings. Sanjay Singh’s father said they would cooperate fully with ED officials. He added he told his son Sanjay not to worry. He said the future was positive for them as the government will change soon.
AAP convener and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said the move showed BJP’s desperate measures as it stares at defeat in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. Delhi Education Minister Atishi tweeted the BJP’s fear of losing to the INDIA alliance is clearly visible. She said Sanjay Singh worked for the people of Delhi and wondered why they don’t open an ED office in the AAP headquarters itself. Atishi added the BJP is surviving by making false allegations against AAP.
The Enforcement Directorate had arrested then Delhi Deputy Chief Minister and AAP leader Manish Sisodia in connection with the Delhi liquor policy case. Large number of comments from different political leaders of different parties started coming immediately. BJP MP Manoj Tiwari said the way the AAP leaders used to write letters it seemed there was no one as honest as them. Tiwari added the AAP leader’s co-accused have turned approvers. He said the flame will not end with Sanjay Singh, Manish Sisodia and Satyendar Jain but will reach Arvind Kejriwal as well.
India News
Government hikes subsidy for Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana beneficiaries from Rs 200 to Rs 300 per LPG cylinder
Ujjwala beneficiaries are paying Rs 703 per 14.2 cylinder as against the market price of Rs 903. After this announcement they will pay Rs 603.
Union Minster Anurag Thakur announced the Central government has hiked the subsidy amount for Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana beneficiaries from Rs 200 to Rs 300 per LPG cylinder on Wednesday. Anurag Thakur said the subsidy will bring an additional financial implication of Rs 7680 crore for the financial year 2023-24.
Ujjwala beneficiaries are paying Rs 703 per 14.2 cylinder as against the market price of Rs 903. After this announcement they will pay Rs 603. The decision has been made one month after the central government reduced the price of the price of cylinders for domestic cooking gas by Rs 200 for all customers.
The Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY) was launched by PM Modi on May 1, 2016 in UP’s Ballia. The scheme aims to provide cooking gas like LPG to the people of rural India. The scheme focuses on offering LPG connections to women from disadvantaged groups, forest dwellers, Antyoday Anna Yojana (AAY), Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY), SC/ST communities and BPL households.
The Union Cabinet has approved the extension of PMUY for release of 75 lakh LPG connections over three years from the financial year 2023-24 to 2025-26. The 75 lakh additional Ujjwala connections take total number of PMUY beneficiaries to Rs 10.35 crore.
The decision to give additional subsidies for Ujjawala beneficiaries has come ahead upcoming elections in Telangana, Chhattisgarh, Mizoram, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan. Congress has repeatedly attacked the BJP government at the centre as it is an important issue. It was also a part of BJP’s election campaign in 2014 when Congress was in power at the centre. The decision has been taken by the Union government at a time when domestic LPG cylinders are available at a retail price of Rs 1103 per LPG cylinder.
India News
Rasabali: Famous sweet dish of Odisha’s Kendrapara district gets GI tag
Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik took to X (formerly twitter) and said it is a matter of pride for Odisha to get the GI tag for Kendrapara Rasabali. Patnaik added Rasabali has special importance to tradition and food culture of Odisha.
The Geographical Indications Registry, Chennai under the ministry of Commerce and industry gave the GI tag to the sweet dish, which is known as Kendrapara Rasabali. Kendrapara Rasabali Mistanna Nirmata Sangha and the rural infrastructure development and employment department had applied for GI tag for Rasabali. They had submitted the supporting documents to the registry.
Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik took to X (formerly twitter) and said it is a matter of pride for Odisha to get the GI tag for Kendrapara Rasabali. Patnaik added Rasabali has special importance to tradition and food culture of Odisha. The origin of the sweet dish is from the 262 year old Sree Baladevjew temple. The presiding diety of the shrine is offered Rasabali as bhog. Rasabali finds its place among the chappan bhog at Shree Jagannath Temple in Puri.
The tag is a matter of pride for the sweetmakers. The recognition gives the product its own identity and image. Baishnab Panda, president of Kendrapara Rasabali Makers association was delighted and said the sweet will get better exposure now. Kendrapara’s Rasabali is one of the most delicious sweets in India. But it is not getting marketed properly due to poor export facilities and poor promotion.
Kendrapara Rasabali Mistanna Nirmata Sangh had prepared a dossier in the year 2021 in order to claim geographical identification tag for the sweetdish. Basudev Das a researcher of Kendrapara said the request had been submitted to the state government. The government further forwarded the request to the office of Geographical Indications Registry in Chennai.
The GI tag will help Kendrapara Rasabali to get more prominence in the market. This will in turn help the makers to fetch a better price for the sweetdish. According to NandaKishore Parida This GI certification will help in stopping the adulteration of Kendrapara Rasabali. As a result the sweet dish will fetch better prices in the market.
