India News
Mumbai BMC Budget 2023: Rs 52619.07 crore budget focuses on infra, pollution; air purifiers at five locations
Four pillars of this year’s BMC budget are health, education, environment, and transparency: Municipal Commissioner
The budget of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) for the fiscal year 2023-24 was presented today, February 4. BMC’s Additional Commissioner P Velarasu presented the budget estimates for the financial year 2023–24 to Municipal Commissioner Iqbal Singh Chahal at the civic headquarters at 10:30 am.
BMC presented a Rs 52,619 crore budget estimate for 2023–24, which is 14.52 percent higher than the last year’s budget. This is the first time the budget estimate has crossed the Rs 50,000 mark.
Four pillars of this year’s BMC budget are health, education, environment, and transparency: Municipal Commissioner
Mumbai BMC Budget 2023-24 highlights
- The budget allocated Rs 27,247 crore for capital expenditure to spend on various development projects like roads, stormwater drains and water projects.
- The education budget estimate is proposed at Rs 3,347 crore.
- Air purifiers are to be installed in the five most crowded areas of the city which are Dahisar Toll Naka, Mulund Check Naka, Mankhurd, Kalanagar Junction and Haji Ali Junction.
- Rs 25 crore has been allocated to tackle air pollution and waste management.
- The long-pending Mumbai Sewage Disposal Project has been allocated Rs 2792 crores in the budget. The total cost of the project is around Rs 30,000 crore.
- Rs 1060 crore has been allocated for the Goregaon Mulund Link Road project.
- Rs 800 crore has been allocated for the Brihanmumbai Electricity Supply and Transport Undertaking (BEST).
- The BMC allocated Rs 3,545 crore for the Coastal Road project.
- 32 civic public parking lots off street parking and 91 on-street parking will be regulated
India News
India suspends visa services in Canada as diplomatic crisis worsens
The incidents took place three days after the Canadian prime minister accused India of being involved in the assassination of Khalistani leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar.
In the midst of a diplomatic dispute between the two nations over allegations linking Indian government officials to the death of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Canada in June, India has banned visa services for Canadian citizens until further notice.
The notice issued by centre reads, with effect from September 21, 2023, Indian visa services have been suspended until further notice, according to a notice posted on the website of BLS International, an online visa application centre in India that also offers visa consultancy services.
The incidents took place three days after the Canadian prime minister accused India of being involved in the assassination of Khalistani leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar.
In his Monday speech to Parliament, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau claimed that Indian spies were responsible for Hardeep Singh Nijjar’s death by gunshot.
The Canadian citizen, who also served as the president of Surrey’s Guru Nanak Sikh Gurdwara, was killed, according to Trudeau, and there are reasons for national security agencies in his country to suspect that agents of the Indian government were responsible.
According to Trudeau, Canadian security agencies have been actively pursuing credible allegations of a potential association between Government of India agents and the murder of a Canadian citizen, Hardeep Singh Nijjar.
India responded to Canada’s charges by calling them absurd and motivated.
The two nations then each removed a senior official; India expelled a top Canadian diplomat on Tuesday for interference in internal matters and their involvement in anti-India activities while Ottawa ordered a senior Research and Analysis Wing officer to leave the country.
To discuss relations between India and Canada, PM Modi and External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar met on Wednesday in the new Parliament building.
The Canadian Prime Minister’s and Foreign Minister’s statements in their Parliament were both rejected, according to a statement from the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA).
India News
Parliament Special Session: PM Modi says Women’s Reservation Bill marks golden moment in parliamentary journey, thanks all MPs for passage of bill in Lok Sabha
He also stated that this bill marked a golden moment in the parliamentary journey of India.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday expressed his gratitude to all the Members of Parliament in the Lok Sabha for the passage of the Women’s Reservation Bill.
He also stated that this bill marked a golden moment in the parliamentary journey of India.
PM Modi said the decision which was taken on September 20, was a golden moment in India’s parliamentary journey. He said that all the MPs of the House deserve that golden moment. After the Women’s Reservation Bill passed in Rajya Sabha today, the transformation in women’s power and the trust that is going to be formed will be unimaginable and unprecedented power that will take the country to new heights, PM Modi added.
Today in the Rajya Sabha, BJP President JP Nadda hailed PM Modi for the Women’s Reservation Bill. He presented his statement in support of the 128th Constitutional Amendment Bill. The Women’s Reservation Bill, also named Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam was passed uninterrupted in the Lok Sabha on September 20, he said. He also hopes that the bill will pass in the Rajya Sabha too, said BJP President JP Nadda.
The BJP MP Nadda said women always had an important role in the Indian culture. People have always seen them as Shakti, a Devi (goddess) who guided society. He said the Bhartiya Janta Party is not interested in taking political advantage, but the main objective is to empower women, the BJP President added.
India News
Delhi: Rahul Gandhi meets railway porters at Anand Vihar railway station | Watch here
Recently a video had gone viral in which the porters of the railway station had expressed their desire to meet Rahul Gandhi.
Senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Thursday met railway porters at Anand Vihar railway station in Delhi. He interacted with the porters to know their concerns. His visit follows a month after the porters of the railway station expressed their desire to meet him.
During the course of interaction, Rahul Gandhi was seen wearing the porter’s uniform and badges. He also carried a load of baggage on his head. Speaking to PTI, a person who was present at Anand Vihar railway station, expressed that they are extremely happy that Rahul Gandhi met auto drivers and coolies at Anand Vihar.
The person added that senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi assured them that he will put forth the issues of porters and auto drivers in front of the central government. Taking to X, formerly Twitter, Congress shared that Rahul Gandhi met his porter colleagues at Anand Vihar railway station in Delhi today.
The social media post by the political party added that recently a video had gone viral in which the porters of the railway station had expressed their desire to meet him. The post concluded stating that Bharat Jodo journey continues.
Earlier in August, Rahul Gandhi visited the Azadpur Mandi in the national capital and met vegetable and fruit vendors there. In Azadpur Mandi, the Congress leader discussed vendors’ work, their problems, rising prices and learnt about their future aspirations.
Rahul Gandhi had also visited Bengali Market, Jama Masjid area to have food and then visited Mukherjee Nagar area to interact with the UPSC aspirants. In addition, he had also visited Delhi University’s PG Men’s hostel to have lunch with the students.
He further visited the farm lands during the paddy sowing season and interacted with farmers in Haryana’s Sonepat. The Congress leader also visited bike mechanic shops in Delhi’s Karol Bagh area.
