Page 36 - Chhattisgarh

ED arrests woman IAS officer in Chhattisgarh in alleged coal levy case

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Saturday arrested IAS officer Ranu Sahu in Chhattisgarh, a day after the central agency conducted raids at her premises in connection with a money laundering case, officials said. "Sahu was arrested in connection with an alleged coal levy case, and produced in a court hearing Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) cases here to seek her custody," ED's lawyer Saurabh Pandey said. She is the second IAS officer in the state to be arrested in the case. Sahu, a Chhattisgarh-cadre IAS officer of the 2010 batch, is currently posted as the director of the state agriculture department. Prior to this posting, she had served as collector of the coal-rich Korba and Raigarh districts. The ED conducted raids at her residence in Raipur on Friday. Her premises were raided earlier as well and her assets were attached by the ED as part of its probe into the alleged coal levy case. This is the second IAS officer in the state who has been arrested in the case a

Congress government in Chhattisgarh survives no-trust motion moved by BJP

The Bhupesh Baghel-led Congress government in Chhattisgarh on Saturday survived a no-trust motion moved by the Bharatiya Janata Party on the last day of the Monsoon session of the state assembly. The no-confidence motion was defeated by voice vote in the state assembly shortly after 1 am. The debate, which began shortly after noon on Friday, saw the BJP presenting a 109-point "chargesheet" against the Baghel government and accusing it of corruption and failure to fulfil poll promises. The ruling party rejected the charges and said the BJP had failed to come up with concrete issues during the session, the last before assembly polls are held in the state later this year. The BJP had moved the no-confidence motion against the government on Wednesday and discussion on it was fixed for Friday.

Chhattisgarh govt floats E-tender for auction of gold, diamond mines

The state government has issued an e-tender for the allotment of three precious mineral blocks through auction for prospecting

SC asks ED to hold their hands in C'garh money laundering case for now

The oral remark was passed by the apex court while dealing with various pleas relating to Chhattisgarh liquor irregularities case

Chhattisgarh monsoon session begins, House pays tribute to departed leaders

The monsoon session of the Chhattisgarh Assembly began here on Tuesday with members paying tributes to BJP MLA Vidyaratan Bhasin and former minister in undivided Madhya Pradesh Bhanupratap Singh, who died last month. BJP MLA Ajay Chandrakar also paid tribute to former Kerala chief minister Oomen Chandy who died in Bengaluru in the early hours of Tuesday. After the obituary references, the House was adjourned for the day. Bhasin (76), the two-term MLA from Vaishali Nagar in Bhilai (Durg district), died at a hospital in Raipur after a prolonged illness on June 22. As soon as the House proceedings began, Speaker Charan Das Mahant mentioned the demise of Bhasin and Singh and paid tributes to them. Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel, Leader of Opposition Narayan Chandel, former CM Raman Singh, minister Mohan Markam and other members also paid homage to the departed leaders and recalled their contribution. Baghel said Bhasin's death is an irreparable loss to Durg district and the entire ...

Chhattisgarh Assembly session from July 18; BJP to bring no-trust motion

The Chhattisgarh legislative Assembly's monsoon session will begin on Tuesday and it is likely to be a stormy affair with the Opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) looking to corner the Congress government on a number of issues, including alleged scams, and also bring a no-trust motion ahead of polls. It will be the last session of the Assembly before the state goes to polls by the year-end. The BJP has decided to corner the Bhupesh Baghel-led Congress dispensation on several issues, including alleged scams and agitations being staged by contractual employees of government departments demanding regularisation of service. The main Opposition party will also move a no-confidence motion against the Congress government during the four-day-long session. The people of Chhattisgarh are angry with the Congress government and its policies. We will raise the voice of people in the House. The BJP will raise the issue of scams related to coal, liquor, land, ration and the Public Service ...

Ex-Chhattisgarh Congress chief Mohan Markam takes oath as cabinet minister

Two days after he was replaced as the Congress party's Chhattisgarh unit president, tribal leader Mohan Markam was sworn in as a minister in the Bhupesh Baghel-led cabinet on Friday. Governor Biswabhusan Harichandan administered the oath of office and secrecy to Markam during a swearing-in ceremony at the Raj Bhavan here. Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel was present on the occasion. Markam is yet to be assigned a portfolio. The resignation of state School Education Minister Premsai Singh Tekam on Thursday paved the way for Markam's entry into the Baghel cabinet. The development comes a few months ahead of the state Assembly elections. Markam (56), who represents the Kondagaon assembly seat, is a prominent tribal face of the grand old party in Bastar region-south Chhattisgarh. A two-time MLA, Markam had been leading the Chhattisgarh Pradesh Congress Committee since June 2019. He was the first tribal president of the state Congress after Chhattisgarh was carved out of Madhya Pradesh

CM Baghel approves investment incentive package for industrial promotion

Chief Minister Baghel took the decision at a cabinet meeting at his residence office today

South Eastern Coalfields plans Rs 1,218 cr investment for solar projects

As part of its net zero commitments, Chhattisgarh-based mining company SECL has lined up an investment of Rs 1,218 crore spread up to financial year 2025-26 for setting up solar projects. South Eastern Coalfields Ltd (SECL), with 67 blocks, is among the top three coal producing subsidiaries of Coal India Ltd (CIL), under the Ministry of Coal. In FY23, CIL's output was 703.21 MT, out of which SECL's contribution was 167 MT. "SECL aims to become a net-zero energy company. SECL plans to develop solar projects of more than 600 MW in the coming years, and plans to invest more than Rs 1,000 crore in renewable energy. The investments are part of the company's strategy to expand and diversify its business to achieve net zero commitments," SECL said in a statement. Sharing the break up of the investment plan, SECL said two solar projects of 20 megawatt (MW) each are being set up at Bhatgaon and Bishrampur, and another 0.8 MW at Saraipali Korba area in Chhattisgarh. Total cost of these projec

South Eastern Coalfields to turn old mine in Chhattisgarh into tourism hub

Recently, the company released Rs 5.60 crore to the district collector of Korba to expedite the project

SECL to develop Manikpur Pokhri coal mine in Korba into eco-tourism spot

The South Eastern Coalfields Ltd (SECL), a subsidiary of Coal India, has decided to develop its closed Manikpur Pokhri open-cast coal mine in Chhattisgarh's Korba district as an eco-tourism spot, a company official said on Sunday. This will be the second such project in the state after a similar mine in neighbouring Surajpur district was developed into a tourist spot. The SECL along with Municipal Corporation Korba will spend more than Rs 11 crores to develop Manikpur Pokhari mine into an eco-tourism destination and the company has already released Rs 5.60 crore to Korba Collector for the purpose, SECL spokesperson Sanish Chandra said. Mining in Manikpur Pokhri, one of the first mines in Korba district, started in 1966 with Russian technical consultation. About 24 years later, during the excavation, groundwater source was discovered there and the inflow of water was so much that it could not be drained out even with the help of motor pumps etc. and finally the mine had to be closed,

LIVE: ED attaches assets worth Rs 52.24 cr belonging to Manish Sisodia

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Assembly polls: BJP picks in-charges for Raj, Chhattisgarh, MP, Telangana

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has appointed union ministers and senior party leaders as in-charges for the upcoming state elections this year

Chhattisgarh govt spends over Rs 247 cr on cow-dung purchase in three years

Under the scheme, gauthans (livestock sheds) have been set up, and they have emerged as centres of livelihood for villagers. Cow-dung is purchased through gauthans at Rs 2 a kg

PM Modi lays foundation stone of projects worth Rs 7,600 cr in Chhattisgarh

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday inaugurated and laid foundation stones of eight projects worth around Rs 7,600 crore in Chhattisgarh capital Raipur. During an event held at the Science College ground here, PM Modi also virtually flagged off a new train between Antagarh in Kanker district of the state and Raipur. He kickstarted the distribution of cards of the Centre's Ayushman Bharat scheme to beneficiaries in the state. Assembly elections in Chhattisgarh are due by the end of this year. Speaking on the occasion, PM Modi said these new projects will open up ample employment opportunities for the people of the state and ease their lives. The projects will start a new journey of facilities and development in tribal-dominated areas, he said. "In the last 9 years, the Centre sanctioned National Highway projects of 3,500 km length in Chhattisgarh, of which projects of 3,000 km length have been completed," he said. "We have been developing infrastructure in the areas which have

PM Modi to visit Chhattisgarh, Uttar Pradesh today, dedicate projects

He will then travel to Gorakhpur in UP where he will participate in the closing ceremony of centenary celebrations of Gita Press Gorakhpur

Chhattisgarh highway projects to have dedicated infra for wildlife movement

A six-lane, 2.8-kilometre tunnel with 27 animal passes and 17 monkey canopies is a key component of the three national highway projects in Chattisgharh, the foundation stone for which will be laid by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday. The tunnel will ensure unrestricted wildlife movement in the Udanti Wildlife Sanctuary area. Noting this, official sources said the development of such dedicated infrastructure for the safe passage of wildlife and their habitation while building national highways and expressways has been a frequent feature of highway development under the Modi government. On Friday, the prime minister will lay the foundation stone for three national highway projects for the Chhattisgarh section of the six-lane greenfield Raipur-Visakhapatnam corridor. "It has been the vision of Prime Minister Modi to minimise the impact of highway development on wildlife," an official said. Citing an example, the sources said the Delhi-Dehradun economic corridor, the foundation

Chhattisgarh 'liquor scam' generated Rs 2,161 cr corruption money: ED

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has claimed that Rs 2,161 crore of corruption money was generated in the alleged "liquor scam" that began in 2019 in Chhattisgarh with the syndicate comprising senior bureaucrats of state, politicians, their associates and officials of the Excise Department. In its prosecution complaint filed on Tuesday before a special court here in a money laundering case linked to alleged liquor scam in the state, the central agency said this Rs 2,161 crore amount should have gone to the state exchequer. It named Anwar Dhebar, brother of Congress leader and Raipur Mayor Aijaz Dhebar, Managing Director of Chhattisgarh State Marketing Corporation Limited (CSMCL) Arunpati Tripathi, liquor businessman Trilok Singh Dhillon, hotelier Nitesh Purohit and Arvind Singh as accused. The 'prosecution complaint' along with relied upon documents, in 13,000 pages, was filed in the court under provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), said ED's counsel Saurabh .

Tata Power bags Rs 1,744 cr smart metering project in Chhattisgarh

Tata Power on Wednesday announced bagging a smart metering project worth Rs 1,744 crore in Chhattisgarh. The order has been awarded by Chhattisgarh State Power Distribution Company Limited (CSPDCL), Tata Power said in a statement. "Tata Power receives order worth Rs 1,744 crore to implement smart metering project in Chhattisgarh. The LOA has been issued in conclusion to the tender floated by CSPDCL for three packages for different areas under the Chhattisgarh discom," it said. The project shall be carried out in the Raipur area (Raipur city and Raipur rural areas) of Chhattisgarh over a period of 10 years. The company will install and maintain 18.60 lakh meters in the given area, the statement said. Praveer Sinha, CEO & MD, Tata Power, said: "We are pleased to announce that we have won a significant order worth Rs 1,744 crore to implement smart metering project in CSPDCL. It is a testament to our execution expertise in delivering high value and specialized projects which are aimed

Attempts to create polarisation through UCC: Chhattisgarh Dy CM TS Deo

Be it Sikh, Christian, tribal or any other community, everyone has their separate culture and traditions, he added