Page 31 - Central Government

Parliament winter session: 19 Bills, 2 financial items likely to be tabled

The list was released on the day when an all-party meeting was held on Saturday, ahead of the commencement of the Winter Session on Monday

Nothing pending: Sitharaman rejects Karnataka govt charges on fund dues

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sithraman on Thursday said there is "nothing pending" from the Central government to Karnataka and the National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF) for the drought relief to the state, which is due, will be decided once the high-power committee decides. Speaking to reporters here, she said because Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been Chief Minister of a state for more than 10 years, he knows what it is for states to get their money in time. "The state government can throw the allegations. He can send me the letter and much before the letter reaches me he can put it in social media, the minister or the chief minister. And I say not just this in Bengaluru, I've even, two days ago, when I was in Kerala, I said that," Sitharaman said in response to a question on Congress government here alleging delay in release of Central funds to Karnataka. "There is nothing pending from our side for Karnataka, I'm a MP from the state, I have a responsibility also. There's ..

Govt to convene all party meet on Sat ahead of Parliament winter session

Ahead of the Winter session of Parliament, the government has convened a meeting of floor leaders of political parties in the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha on Saturday. The Winter session of Parliament begins on December 4 and will have 15 sittings till December 22, during which it is expected to consider key draft legislations, including three bills to replace the colonial era criminal laws. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi will hold the meeting on Saturday which is expected to be attended by senior leaders, including Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal. Currently, 37 Bills are pending in Parliament of which 12 are listed for consideration and passing, and seven Bills for introduction, consideration and passing. The government also plans to present the first batch of Supplementary Demands for Grants for the year 2023-24. The report of the Ethics Committee on the "cash-for-query" allegations against Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra will be .

Govt allows export of certain amount of wheat, broken rice to 5 countries

The government has permitted exports of specified quantities of wheat, wheat flour and broken rice to five countries, including Bhutan, Mali and Indonesia, a notification said on Thursday. The quantity notified for Bhutan includes 14,184 tonnes of wheat grain, 5,326 tonnes of atta, 15.226 tonnes of maida/semoline, and 48,804 tonnes of broken rice. Broken rice shipments are also permitted to Mali (1 lakh tonnes), Senegal (5 lakh tonnes in six months), Gambia (50,000 tonnes in six months), and Indonesia (2 lakh tonnes). The export is permitted through National Cooperative Exports Limited (NCEL), the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) said in a notification. NCEL is a company set up with cooperative societies as its promoters. Though exports of wheat and broken rice were banned to boost domestic supply, outbound shipments are allowed on the basis of permission granted by the government to certain countries to meet their food security needs and on request. "Export of (wheat

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Joshimath crisis: Govt approves Rs 1,658 cr recovery, reconstruction plan

The Centre on Thursday approved a Rs 1658.17 crore recovery and reconstruction plan for Joshimath in Uttarakhand which was affected by landslide and ground subsidence earlier this year. The decision was taken by a high level committee, headed by Union Home Minister Amit Shah, according to an official statement. The committee approved the Recovery and Reconstruction (R&R) plan of Rs 1658.17 crore for Joshimath, the statement said. Under this plan, Rs 1079.96 crore of central assistance will be provided from the recovery and reconstruction window of the National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF). The Uttarakhand government will provide Rs 126.41 crore from its State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) towards relief assistance and Rs 451.80 crore from its state budget, including land acquisition cost for resettlement of Rs 91.82 crore. Joshimath was hit by landslide and ground subsidence and the central government has extended all necessary technical and logistical support to the state, the

BJP leaders support caste census, says UP Dy CM Keshav Prasad Maurya

"We are also in favour of caste-wise census and our senior leaders are also in favour of it but it is a matter for the central government to conduct the caste-wise census," said Keshav Prasad Maurya

New era of peace in Manipur as Centre inks pact with militant outfit: CM

Chief Minister N Biren Singh said a new era of peace and progress has dawned in Manipur as the Centre signed a peace agreement with the United National Liberation Front (UNLF). The UNLF is Manipur's oldest militant organisation dominated by the majority Meitei community. "The signing of the peace agreement with the United National Liberation Front (UNLF) today in New Delhi was made possible under the able leadership of Hon'ble Union Home Minister, Shri @AmitShah ji," the chief minister said in a post on X on Wednesday. "With his wisdom and continuous guidance, a new era of peace and progress dawns in Manipur. A chapter of growth and development now opens as many extend their faith and trust toward the BJP Government," he added. Representatives of the UNLF signed the agreement in New Delhi with senior officials of the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Manipur government. The development after the ban on the group under the stringent Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) was ..

Benefits of central schemes should reach last man: Ajit Pawar lauds PM Modi

Maharashtra is set to undergo polls next year. The state had undergone several political disturbances in its last legislative term

Manipur's oldest militant group UNLF renounces violence, signs peace pact

The United National Liberation Front (UNLF), an extremist group operating in Manipur, on Wednesday signed a peace agreement with the government and agreed to renounce violence, Union Home Minister Amit Shah announced here. The UNLF is the oldest Imphal valley-based armed group in Manipur. "A historic milestone achieved!!! Modi govt's relentless efforts to establish permanent peace in the Northeast have added a new chapter of fulfilment as the United National Liberation Front signed a peace agreement today in New Delhi. "UNLF, the oldest valley-based armed group of Manipur, has agreed to renounce violence and join the mainstream. I welcome them to the democratic processes and wish them all the best in their journey on the path of peace and progress," Shah said in a post on X. The peace agreement with the UNLF by the government of India and the government of Manipur marks the end of a six-decade-long armed movement, Shah said. "It is a landmark achievement in realising PM @narendram

Afghan embassy in New Delhi will be functional in few days: Taliban govt

The Afghan embassy in New Delhi will resume operations in the next few days, Deputy Foreign Minister in the Taliban set up, Sher Mohammad Abbas Stanikzai, has said. Stanikzai told Afghan broadcaster RTA that officials at the Afghan consulates in Hyderabad and Mumbai have visited the embassy following instruction from Kabul. The Taliban leader said Afghanistan wants good relations with the neighbouring countries. His comments about resuming operations at the Afghan embassy came days after the mission under the control of Ambassador Farid Mamundzay announced its permanent closure, citing "persistent challenges from the Indian government". Mamundzay, appointed by the previous Ashraf Ghani government in Kabul, has been out of India for the last few months. On Friday, the embassy announced its permanent closure. The diplomats at the embassy appointed by the previous government had announced on September 30 too that the mission is ceasing its operations from October 1, alleging a "lack

Bills to replace criminal laws among 18 listed for winter session

The government on Wednesday listed 18 bills, including two to extend provisions of the women's reservation act to Jammu and Kashmir and Puducherry and three to replace the criminal laws, during the Winter Session of Parliament beginning next week. According to a bulletin issued by the Lok Sabha Secretariat, the government also plans to bring a bill that seeks to increase the strength of the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly from 107 to 114 in a bid to provide representation to Kashmiri migrants, displaced persons from Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir and Scheduled Tribes. Besides the bills, the government has listed the first batch of supplementary demands for grants for the year 2023-24 for presentation, discussion and voting during the session. The Winter Session of Parliament begins on December 4 and continues till December 22.

Centre aims to add coal-fired power capacity amid record demand: Report

The expansion drive comes ahead of this week's U.N. climate summit COP28, where France and the United States are expected to clamp down on financing for coal plants

Uttarakhand tunnel episode: Congress seeks thorough audit of all projects

A day after 41 workers were rescued from the Silkyara tunnel in Uttarakhand, the Congress on Wednesday demanded a thorough audit of all projects under implementation while also calling for putting on hold all future projects in the Himalayan region and subjecting them to professional ecological scrutiny. Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said while "we salute the rescued workers and applaud the entire rescue team", there should be a reflection on some larger questions thrown up by the tunnel collapse. "While we salute the rescued workers and applaud the entire rescue team -especially the twelve 'rat-hole' miners who displayed both skill and daring, and who surely deserve a more appropriate name for the work they do -- we should also reflect on some larger questions thrown up by the tunnel collapse," the former environment minister said in a post on X. The fragility and complexity of the Western Himalayan ecosystem has been brought home to us in a stark manner, he said. "What

'Vision India @2047' document in making for 'Viksit Bharat': NITI Aayog CEO

NITI Aayog CEO BVR Subrahmanyam on Wednesday said a vision document is being prepared for India to become a developed economy of about USD 30 trillion by 2047. The draft 'Vision India @2047' document will outline the institutional and structural changes/ reforms that will be needed for the country to become a developed nation by 2047. "A vision plan is being prepared for India to become a developed economy...the prime minister will release the document in January," Subrahmanyam said while addressing an event organised by industry body FICCI. In 2023, NITI Aayog was entrusted with the task of consolidating the 10 sectoral thematic visions into a combined vision for Viksit Bharat @2047. Subrahmanyam said the government wants college enrolment rate in India to increase from 27 per cent to 50-60 per cent. "So, the college going population would go up from 4 crore to 8- 9 crore. So we need thousand more universities, in addition to thousand universities we have today," he ...

Union Cabinet approves Pradhan Mantri Janjati Adivasi Nyaya Maha Abhiyan

The Union Cabinet has approved the Pradhan Mantri Janjati Adivasi Nyaya Maha Abhiyan (PM-JANMAN) to focus on 11 critical interventions through various ministries, Union minister Anurag Thakur said Wednesday. The scheme, announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Janjatiya Gaurav Diwas in Jharkhand's Khunti, will have a total outlay of Rs 24,104 crore. The Central share will be Rs 15,336 crore and states will contribute Rs 8,768 crore. The nod to the scheme was given by the Union Cabinet on Tuesday night. Seventy-five communities located in 18 states and the Union Territory of Andaman and Nicobar Islands have been categorised as Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs). These PVTGs continue to face vulnerability in social, economic and education sectors, the government noted. The PM-JANMAN will focus on 11 critical interventions through nine ministries, including the Ministry of Tribal Affairs. The Ministry of Ayush will set up Ayush Wellness Centre as per existing norms and

Centre extends PMGKAY free ration scheme for another five years till 2029

At a cabinet briefing, Anurag Thakur said that the extension will cost the exchequer Rs 11.8 trillion

K'taka health dept issues advisory after respiratory illness surge in China

The action comes after the Centre issued an advisory to States and Union Territories urging them to immediately review public health and hospital preparedness measures

Delhi minister slams Centre over demolition of houses in slum cluster

Delhi Urban Development Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj slammed the Centre on Tuesday over the demolition of houses at a slum cluster located between the Sunder Nursery and Delhi Public School, Mathura Road. Bharadwaj alleged that through its Land And Development Office (LNDO) department, the Bharatiya Janata Party-led Centre took a "cruel stand" in the high court to demolish the slums and that the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) was "duty-bound to rehabilitate" the poor people before their houses were demolished. The slum cluster, inhabited by about 1,000 to 1,500 people, most of whom work as ragpickers, street hawkers, domestic helps, labourers and small-scale traders, was demolished in a drive following a court order last week. "According to the law, the central government's DDA was duty-bound to rehabilitate these poor people before the demolition of their homes. Even though the high court had provided the relief in view of the Graded Response Action Plan-3, the Centre provided ...

Tribunal set up for adjudication of ban extended on Meitei extremist groups

The Centre on Tuesday formed a tribunal consisting of a Gauhati High Court judge for adjudication of the extension of another five-year ban on nine Meitei extremist groups and their associate organisations, which mostly operate in Manipur. The Union Home Ministry announcement came a fortnight after it extended the ban on the Meitei extremist groups and their association organisations for their anti-national activities, and launching fatal attacks on security forces. In exercise of the powers conferred by sub-section (1) of section 5 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967 (37 of 1967), the central government constituted "The Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Tribunal" consisting of Justice Sanjay Kumar Medhi, Judge of the Gauhati High Court, for adjudicating whether or not there is sufficient cause for declaring the Meitei extremist organisations of Manipur, along with their factions, wings and front organisations as unlawful associations, the home ministry said in a ...