Budget 2018-19

  The world famous Saibaba Temple at Shirdi in Ahmednagar is all set to receive Union Home Minister Amit Shah . The world famous S aibaba Temple  at Shirdi in Ahmednagar is all set to receive Union Home Minister Amit Shah who arrives on a two-day visit to Maharashtra starting Saturday, officials said here on Friday. A trust official said Shah is likely to take ‘darshan’ of Saibaba Samadhi Temple prior to the pre-noon ‘aarti’ to ensure there is no disturbance to the regular devotees who throng here from all over the country daily. The trust is planning to felicitate the Union Home Minister — who has been a frequent visitor to the temple in the past — in Maharashtrian traditions with a shawl, coconut, Saibaba’s ‘vibhuti’ (holy ash) and a miniature statue of the saint revered by all communities. Several other engagements are lined up for Shah in Mumbai, Pune and Ahmednagar during his trip. Besides the  Shirdi Temple , Shah — who is also the Union Cooperatives Minister — will...

  Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Wednesday expressed his condolences over the demise of Chief of Defence Staff, General Bipin Rawat Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Wednesday expressed his condolences over the demise of Chief of Defence Staff, General Bipin Rawat, who along with his wife was among the 13 persons who were killed after an IAF chopper they were travelling in crashed near Coonoor in Tamil Nadu. Taking to twitter, Shah said, “A very sad day for the nation as we have lost our Chief of Defence Staff, General  Bipin Rawat  Ji, in a very tragic accident. He was one of the bravest soldiers, who served the Motherland with utmost devotion. His exemplary contributions and commitment cannot be put into words. I am deeply pained.” In another tweet, he said: “I also express my deepest condolences on the sad demise of Smt. Madhulika Rawat and 11 other Armed Forces personnel. My thoughts and prayers are with the bereaved families. May God give them the strength to bear t...

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Monday said that the government is determined to take the ongoing fight against the unrest created by naxals to its logical conclusion Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Monday said that the government is determined to take the ongoing fight against the unrest created by naxals to its logical conclusion. The minister, who is on a visit to Chhattisgarh, made the comment after paying tributes to the 22 security personnel who were killed by naxals in the state on Saturday. “Paid tributes to the brave security personnel who were martyred while fighting the naxalites at Jagdalpur in  Chhattisgarh naxal attack ” he said in a tweet in Hindi. “The country will never forget your bravery and sacrifice. The whole country stands behind the bereaved families. We are determined to take the ongoing fight against the unrest created by the naxals to its logical conclusion,” said Shah. The minister will chair a meeting at the Police Coordination Centre in Jagdalpur to ...

  Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday extended birthday wishes to Union Minister Smriti Irani and recalled her noteworthy efforts to transform the textiles sector and further women’s empowerment Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday extended birthday wishes to Union Minister Smriti Irani and recalled her noteworthy efforts to transform the textiles sector and further women’s empowerment. “Birthday greetings to Union Minister @smritiirani Ji. She is making noteworthy efforts to transform the vital textiles sector and further women empowerment. May she lead a long and healthy life,” PM Modi wrote on Twitter. Union Home Minister Amit Shah also extended birthday wishes to Smriti Irani and prayed for her long and healthy life. “Warm wishes to Union Minister @smritiirani Ji on her birthday. May she continue to work relentlessly towards the development and progress of our nation. Praying for her long and healthy life,” Amit Shah tweeted Railway Minister Piyush Goyal also wished Smri...

Union Home Minister Amit Shah Thursday said the process of granting Indian citizenship to refugees under the CAA, will begin once the process of COVID vaccination has ended. Union Home Minister Amit Shah Thursday said the process of granting Indian citizenship to refugees under the CAA, including to the Matua community of West Bengal, will begin once the process of COVID vaccination has ended. Accusing the opposition parties of misleading the minorities about the Citizenship (amendment) Act, he said, its implementation will not impact the citizenship status of Indian minorities. Shah said the Modi government had in 2018 promised it will bring in a new citizenship law and kept it when the BJP was voted to power in 2019. He said, after the country was hit by the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, its implementation had to be kept in abeyance. “Mamata didi said we made a false promise. She started opposing the CAA and saying she will never allow it. The BJP always fulfils the promises it makes. W...

  A breakthrough in the farmer unions’ key demand for an assurance on continuation of the Minimum Support Price (MSP) procurement system is also said to be in the works The fourth round of talks between protesting farmers and the Centre on the three agriculture Acts seemed to make some headway, with the government willing to consider some of their objections to the legislation. Their demands include a having level playing field in taxes between proposed private mandis under the new Acts and the existing agriculture produce marketing committees (APMCs), and traders’ mandatory registration even if they trade outside those. Sources said a breakthrough in the key demand of the  farmers union  for an assurance on continuing minimum support prices (MSPs) in procurement was also in the works. In their present form, the agriculture trade Act says that no state or Centre can levy any sort of tax or levy on any trade done outside APMCs (an area which has been designated as trade ar...

  The comments came a day before more than 30 farmers’ groups are scheduled to meet Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar and Food Minister Piyush Goyal The central government is open to considering some suggestions from farmers on ways to improve the three agricultural Acts but will not repeal them as they have been passed by Parliament, sources said. The bigger question of incorporating any provision that could give a legal standing to the minimum support price (MSP) is also not being considered at this stage as that will dilute the freeing up the market, the sources added. “Any legislation is not an end in itself and there is always scope for improvement and if farmers’ groups feel that their advice can better the legislations, it could be surely considered, which can then be incorporated into the Acts either by way of amendments or through tweaking of the rules,” a senior official said. The comments came a day before more than 30 farmers’ groups are scheduled to meet ...

Govt has urged farmer groups to share their specific complaints with regard to the three central Acts by December 2 so that they could be taken up for discussions the next day Talks on Tuesday between farmers’ groups and the Centre to break the deadlock over the agricultural Acts remained inconclusive, with both sides deciding to meet again on December 3. Sources said during the more than two-hour-long meeting, farmers remained firm on their stand that nothing short of repealing the three Acts would be acceptable to them while the Central government offered to set up a committee to look at the issues raised by them. The Central government, according to an official statement, has urged the groups to share their complaints on the three Central Acts by December 2. Then the matter will be taken up for discussion the next day. The farmers have, meanwhile, decided to continue their sit-in at two Delhi borders for the time being and could move to more areas and rope in other groups of agricul...

  Andhra Pradesh has suffered agricultural and infrastructural damages worth Rs 8,084 crore in the recent heavy rains and floods Andhra Pradesh has suffered agricultural and infrastructural damages worth Rs 8,084 crore in the recent heavy rains and floods. “The estimated loss is about Rs 8,084 crore, of which Rs 5,000 crore occurred due to infrastructure damages. Also, agriculture and allied sectors suffered flood damage of Rs 3,000 crore as incessant rains occurred right before the harvesting period,” said a government statement. On Wednesday, the Central government team which visited five districts to assess flood damages in the southern state called on Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy. For the last two days, the team toured  Andhra Pradesh flood -affected East Godavari, West Godavari, Krishna, Guntur and Anantapur districts. On a request from Reddy, the team visited Anantapur, considering the groundnut crop was extensively damaged. Reddy requested the team to help as m...