Page 10 - Uttar Pradesh Government

DMK flays Centre, UP govt for 'hiding' Mahakumbh stampede casualties

The BJP government at the Centre is "protecting" the Uttar Pradesh government by hiding Mahakumbh stampede deaths and showing a flawed death toll, Tamil Nadu's ruling DMK alleged on Wednesday. Appropriate arrangements must have been made for the devotees taking part in that event if the BJP had 'real bhakthi.' However, it was not done. "The BJP and its associates show their bhakthi only outside the temple and only in politics. That is why the kumbh fest was conducted in a negligent manner," DMK mouthpiece 'Murasoli' alleged in an editorial on February 5 adding the BJP government was responsibile for the tragic deaths. Pointing to participation of crores of devotees in the festival, the "unmanageable crowd" and deaths rising gradually, the Dravidian party newspaper alleged "restriction was imposed on news outlets" to not report the increase in the number of deaths and accordingly, the news was withheld. "Only after 17 hours, the Yogi government confirmed the number of deaths as 30,"

UP SMEs eye offshore markets as state targets Rs 3 trillion in exports

To grab international trade opportunities, Indian Industries Association (IIA) will leverage global trade fairs to showcase domestic products across different product categories

'Not very big incident': BJP MP Hema Malini on Maha Kumbh stampede

BJP MP Hema Malini said that so many people are coming to the Maha Kumbh Mela and it gets very difficult to manage

UP govt prioritises 'zero-error' Basant Panchami Amrit Snan after stampede

Shaken by the deadly January 29 stampede, top Uttar Pradesh government officials on Sunday stressed the compliance of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath's directive of "zero-error" during the ongoing Maha Kumbh's final 'Amrit Snan' on Basant Panchami. The government said said expects five crore pilgrims to take the holy dip Monday, and several steps has been taken to ensure the event remains incident-free. "Operation Eleven" has been implemented for crowd management, one-way traffic system has been put in place in the mela area for smooth movement for pilgrims and preventing congestion at Triveni Ghats, barricades have been raised, and additional police forces deployed, particularly on pontoon bridges, to avoid any mishap. Other key measures include increased security at the New Yamuna and Shastri bridges, deployment of armed state and central police forces at major crowd points like Tikarmafi Turn and Phaphamau Bridge, and strategic traffic diversions. Rail and bus operations have bee

Ensure 'zero errors' for Amrit Snan on Basant Panchami: UP CM to officials

Ahead of Monday's Amrit Snan at the Maha Kumbh on Basant Panchami, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has instructed officials to ensure "zero errors" in arrangements. During a review meeting in Prayagraj on Saturday, he said the traditional 'shobha yatra' of 'akharas' should be conducted with grandeur and all necessary preparations completed on time, according to a statement. The chief minister highlighted the importance of security and said the safety and convenience of everyone should be ensured. He also directed the officials to increase parking space and ensure that devotees had to walk as little as possible. Senior police officers should be assigned to manage traffic at key locations, he said. Adityanath stressed that Sunday and Monday would be critical and said no VIP protocol would be in place before, during or after major bathing days. The directions came after at least 30 people died and 60 were injured in a stampede that broke out on Wednesday when the area c

Maha Kumbh 2025: Locals of Prayagraj provide meals, shelter to pilgrims

Residents of Prayagraj have thrown their doors open to the hundreds of stranded and hungry after an incontinent surge in number of pilgrims arriving for the Maha Kumbh sent the city infra groaning under its weight. While the administration grapples with the crowd after the deadly stampede on Mauni Amavasya, the city's residents, businesses, and students have risen to the occasion, providing food, shelter, and transport help to the countless devotees arriving for a holy dip at the Triveni Sangam. Dr Anjali Kesari, a local, summed up the sentiment: "In Allahabad, we don't see the Maha Kumbh pilgrims as outsiders, we are hosts and they are our guests." Speaking to PTI, she shared how her neighbourhood in Chowk, close to the railway station, banded together to serve food to weary pilgrims. "Yesterday alone, we distributed tea that took 80 litres of milk into its preparation along with snacks, while others prepared meals like tehri and dal-chawal for the pilgrims," she said. Many local

Mahakumbh devotees take refuge in Ayodhya's night shelters as influx grows

Devotees have praised the well-organised system, highlighting the cleanliness, safety measures, and accessibility of essential amenities

Maha Kumbh stampede: CM Yogi reviews arrangements, issues fresh directives

Following the stampede at the Maha Kumbh on Mauni Amavasya Wednesday, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath issued a slew of guidelines on crowd management, traffic flow, prevention of build-up of devotees and coordination among departments. He ordered the deployment of Ashish Goyal, who served as Divisional Commissioner of Prayagraj during Kumbh 2019, and Bhanu Goswami, a former Vice Chairman of ADA, to further strengthen the arrangements, according to an official statement. Adityanath asked the chief secretary and the director general of police to conduct a thorough review of the Maha Kumbh Mela arrangements on Thursday. "Every aspect related to security and public convenience must be carefully examined to ensure seamless arrangements for Basant Panchami," he said. He said the incumbent ADG and the District Magistrate of Prayagraj must ensure safe and smooth departure of every devotee. Five Special Secretary-level officers are being assigned to oversee operations, according to the ...

Kumbh Mela stampede updates: 25 people killed in stampede identified, says DIG Vaibhav Krishna

Prayagraj Kumbh Mela stampede updates: A stampede-like situation broke out at Sangam in the early hours of Wednesday amid the ongoing Maha Kumbh, as millions of pilgrims turned up for a holy bath

Akhilesh calls for Army takeover of Maha Kumbh management after stampede

Yadav criticised the state government for failing to deliver on its promises of a world-class system

UP CM Yogi should 'guide' Amit Shah to fix Delhi law and order: Kejriwal

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath should "guide" Union Home Minister Amit Shah about how to improve law and order and eliminate gangsters in Delhi, AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal said on Friday. Adityanath, in back-to-back to election rallies in Delhi on Thursday, slammed Kejriwal over a host of issues, alleging the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) settled Bangladeshi and Rohingya infiltrators in Okhla and other parts of the city. Addressing a press conference, Kejriwal claimed that Adityanath said in Delhi that he improved law and order and eliminated gangsters in Uttar Pradesh. "Yogi said a very good thing yesterday. He said law and order has collapsed in Delhi. I hundred per cent agree with him. There are 11 big groups of gangsters in Delhi, who are openly operating, dividing the city into 11 sections," Kejriwal said. He further charged that the gangs are openly demanding ransoms of crores of rupees from traders and women find it difficult to go out of their houses, adding that ...

Sambhal demolition: SC to hear plea against authorities after a week

The Supreme Court on Friday said it would hear after a week a plea seeking contempt proceedings against Sambhal authorities for allegedly violating its verdict on demolition of properties. Justices B R Gavai and Augustine George Masih posted the matter after a week after the lawyer appearing for petitioner Mohammed Ghayoor sought an adjournment on the ground that the arguing counsel was in a personal difficulty. He requested the bench to post the matter after a week. In his plea filed through advocate Chand Qureshi, the petitioner alleged the authorities violated the top court's November 13 2024 verdict which laid down pan-India guidelines and barred demolition of properties without a prior showcause notice and giving 15 days to the aggrieved party to respond. The plea claimed authorities in UP's Sambhal bulldozed a part of the petitioner's property on January 10-11 without a prior notice or an opportunity to him or his family members. "The petitioner and his family members had al

Demolition in Sambhal: SC to hear plea seeking contempt action after a week

The Supreme Court on Friday said it would hear after a week a plea seeking initiation of contempt proceedings against authorities in Sambhal for alleged violation of the apex court's verdict on demolition of properties. The plea came up for hearing before a bench of Justices B R Gavai and Augustine George Masih. The lawyer appearing for petitioner Mohammed Ghayoor sought a short adjournment, saying the arguing counsel was in a personal difficulty. He requested the bench to post the matter for hearing after a week. The bench said the plea would come up for hearing after one week. In his plea filed through advocate Chand Qureshi, the petitioner has alleged violation of the November 13 last year verdict of the top court which laid down pan-India guidelines and said no property should be demolished without a prior show cause notice and the affected must be given 15 days to respond. The plea claimed that authorities in Sambhal in Uttar Pradesh had bulldozed a part of the petitioner's

UP Cabinet meets in Maha Kumbh Mela area, approves key projects, policies

The Uttar Pradesh Cabinet met in the Maha Kumbh Mela area on Wednesday following which Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath announced several key decisions on development projects and policy changes aimed at boosting the state's growth. Addressing the media, the CM highlighted the wide range of topics discussed at the meeting, including the development of Uttar Pradesh, policy matters, and specific issues related to Prayagraj. One of the major announcements was related to the state's aerospace and defense policies. The CM said the aerospace and defense policy, initially implemented in 2018, has completed five years and will now be revamped. "The revised policy will include new incentives to attract large investments into the sector," Adityanath announced. The cabinet also discussed the distribution of incentives under the Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) and Fortune 500 investments made in Uttar Pradesh. "New investment proposals were presented, and Letters of Intent (LOIs) will be issue

Judicial commission visits Sambhal to investigate November 24 riots

A judicial commission formed by the Uttar Pradesh government visited Sambhal on Tuesday to inspect areas affected by the riots during the survey of the Shahi Jama Masjid on November 24 last year and record statements of witnesses. The Commission, formed on December 1 last year, revisited these locations, including the Shahi Jama Masjid area, where the violence occurred. The delegation was accompanied by District Magistrate Rajender Pensiya, Superintendent of Police Krishna Kumar Vishnoi, and Moradabad police range DIG Muniraj G. The team, led by the Commission members, conducted an extensive inspection lasting over an hour. Following this, they moved to the PWD guest house on Chandausi Road in Sambhal, where they will record public statements until 4 pm. The Commission comprises retired high court judge Devendra Arora, former DGP Arvind Kumar Jain, and former Uttar Pradesh Principal Secretary Amit Mohan Prasad. It was formed to investigate the incidents and ensure ...

Maha Kumbh 2025: FSSAI deploys mobile food testing labs to ensure safe food

In collaboration with the Food Safety and Drug Administration of Uttar Pradesh, FSSAI has stationed 10 Mobile Food Testing Labs and food analysts across the Maha Kumbh area

Mahakumbh Mela 2025: Over 2.5 mn pilgrims visit on sixth day till 4 pm

As of Friday, January 17, more than 73 million pilgrims have visited the Mahakumbh Mela so far, as per data

Uttar Pradesh govt approves solar power projects worth Rs 10,000 crore

The UP New and Renewable Energy Development Agency (UPNEDA) has picked the two companies to develop three solar power projects, which are expected to become operational by December 2025

Maha Kumbh 2025: UP's handicraft industry to witness Rs 35 crore trade

The Maha Kumbh at Prayagraj is proving to be a significant platform for artisans of Uttar Pradesh. Officials estimate a turnover of about Rs 35 crore for the handicraft industry during the 45-day fair. After taking a dip in the Sangam, people are also visiting the 'One District, One Product' (ODOP) exhibition set up across 6,000 square metres area. The exhibition showcases an array of exquisite handicrafts, including carpets of Kushinagar, zari-zardozi work, Firozabad's glass toys and Varanasi's wooden toys, among other things. Joint Commissioner of Industries in Prayagraj Division, Sharad Tandon, said a remarkable growth in business is expected this time over the last Kumbh held in 2019. "In 2019, the turnover was Rs 4.30 crore, but this time we anticipate a turnover of up to Rs 35 crore. This remarkable increase will offer new opportunities for employment and empower small entrepreneurs," Tandon said. Besides, the online marketplace Flipkart has set up a stall in the fair area w

Relief for Mayawati as SC disposes of 2009 PIL against statues of herself

In a relief to BSP supremo Mayawati, the Supreme Court on Wednesday disposed of a petition filed in 2009 seeking a probe into the alleged spending of more than Rs 2,000 crore from the Uttar Pradesh government's budget on installing elephant statutes and personal glorification, when she was the chief minister of the state. A bench of Justices B V Nagarathna and Satish Chandra Sharma disposed of the petition filed by two lawyers -- Ravi Kant and Sukumar -- after observing that most of the prayers had become infructuous. It noted that the Election Commission (EC) has already issued guidelines on the issue and that a stay on the installation of the statues cannot be granted as those have already been installed. The public interest litigation (PIL) matter filed by the lawyers had alleged that a total amount of about Rs 2,000 crore was used from the state's budget for 2008-09 and 2009-10, when Mayawati was the chief minister, for installing her statues and the Bahujan Samaj Party's (BSP)