Page 6 - Uttar Pradesh

Akhilesh calls for bulldozer action on codeine mafias, even if linked to SP

Escalating the war of words over allegations linked to the illegal codeine cough syrup trade, Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav on Saturday hit back at Yogi Adityanath with a poetic riposte, a day after the Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister targeted him through a couplet. Addressing a press conference at the SP headquarters here, Yadav accused the government of trying to divert attention by circulating photographs and making political allegations instead of acting against the guilty. He called for 'bulldozer action' against all those involved, irrespective of political affiliation, noting that the issue concerns not just Uttar Pradesh but also the prime minister's parliamentary constituency, Varanasi. Referring to Adityanath's poetic remark on Friday, Yadav said he was not a poet himself, but party veteran Uday Pratap, seated beside him, was a well-known literary figure. Quoting from one of his works and targeting the chief minister, Yadav recited: "Apna chehra na ponchha gaya ..

UP CM orders strict action against travel agents cheating job seekers

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Saturday directed police officials to take strict action against travel agents who cheat people on the pretext of sending them abroad, and ensure that victims recover their money, The chief minister asked the police to identify such fraudulent agents and initiate stringent action against them, according to an official statement. Adityanath issued the directions while hearing public grievances during a 'Janata Darshan' programme held on Saturday morning at the Mahant Digvijaynath Smriti Bhavan auditorium of the Gorakhnath Temple complex. Around 250 people were present for the programme. A woman informed the chief minister that an agent promised to send a family member abroad but was later found to be cheating them. Taking cognisance of the complaint, Adityanath directed the police officials present to "take strict action against the agent and ensure that the victim's money was returned." He also cautioned the woman against falling int

Initial probe suggests cough syrup scam has Samajwadi Party links: CM Yogi

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Friday said some people arrested for alleged involvement in supplying illegal codeine-based cough syrup have links to the Samajwadi Party. "Everyone knows that every 'mafia' group has ties with the Samajwadi Party," Adityanath told reporters ahead of the beginning of the Winter session of the UP assembly. The chief minister said the Legislative Assembly will not likely see any business on Friday due to the sudden death of an MLA. But the government will respond to any questions on the matter in the legislative council and if it is raised outside the House, he said. "However, initial investigation have revealed that some of the men arrested by the STF (special task force) or UP Police have links to the Samajwadi Party. The involvement of Samajwadi Party, which is already notorious and has a tarnished reputation, will also come to light since a state-level SIT is monitoring the entire case, and officers from the UP Police and the FSDA ar

Uttar Pradesh paddy procurement injects ₹5,000 crore into rural economy

The minimum support price (MSP) for paddy this season is ₹2,369 per quintal for common variety, and ₹2,389 per quintal for Grade A

PM Modi expresses grief over sculptor Ram Sutar's death, hails his legacy

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday mourned the death of noted sculptor Ram Sutar, and said his works will always be admired as powerful expressiion of India's history and culture. "Deeply saddened by the passing of Shri Ram Sutar Ji, a remarkable sculptor whose mastery gave India some of its most iconic landmarks, including the Statue of Unity in Kevadia," Modi said in a post on X. The prime minister said Sutar's workd will always be admired as powerful expressions of India's history, culture and collective spirit. "He has immortalised national pride for generations to come. His works will keep inspiring artists and citizens alike. My heartfelt condolences to his family, admirers and all who were touched by his remarkable life and work. Om Shanti," Modi said. Sutar, 100, breathed his last at this residence in Uttar Pradesh's Noida on late Wednesday night.

Uttar Pradesh govt logs ₹35,000 cr excise revenue, 55% of annual target

The annual target of the state excise department is ₹63,000 cr in revenue; in the first eight months, the state has logged nearly 55% of this target at ₹35,144 cr

Uttar Pradesh leads India in crypto adoption, tops invested value in 2025

India's crypto boom is led by non-metro regions; Tier-III and IV towns account for 43.4 per cent of activity, Tier-II add 32.2 per cent, while Tier-I cities make up about a quarter of participation

Union Minister of State for Finance Pankaj Chaudhary named new UP BJP chief

Union Minister of State for Finance Pankaj Chaudhary was on Sunday named the new president of the BJP's Uttar Pradesh unit, with his election being formally announced by Union Minister Piyush Goyal here. The announcement was made in the presence of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and Deputy Chief Ministers Keshav Prasad Maurya and Brajesh Pathak. Chaudhary filed his nomination for the post on Saturday and was the sole candidate in the fray. He submitted the papers to former Union minister and BJP state election officer Mahendra Nath Pandey and central election observer Vinod Tawde. Adityanath, his two deputies, and Jal Shakti Minister Swatantra Dev Singh were present during the filing of the nomination. A seven-time Lok Sabha MP from the Maharajganj constituency, Chaudhary belongs to the Kurmi community, categorised under Other Backwards Classes (OBC). He is considered a close confidant of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh.

BJP set to elect new UP prez; senior leaders to file nominations on Dec 14

With the nomination phase formally beginning Saturday, the BJP is poised to unveil its new Uttar Pradesh chief on Sunday

UP to open 50 urad procurement centres, MSP set at ₹7,800 per quintal

The Uttar Pradesh government on Friday said the NAFED is set to open 50 urad procurement centres across 17 districts of the state, where farmers will be able to sell their produce at a minimum support price of Rs 7,800 per quintal. Registration has already started, and procurement will begin shortly, it said in a statement. Payments will be transferred directly to the farmers' bank accounts within three working days of the sale, it said. Under the Aatmanirbhar Dal Yojana of the National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India (NAFED), direct procurement from farmers will continue until January 29, 2026. The initiative guarantees fair price and eliminates middlemen from the process, the statement said. NAFED state head Rohit Jaiman said that under the guidance of its Managing Director Deepak Agarwal, the entire system is being implemented swiftly, simply and with a strong farmer-first approach, ensuring that every eligible farmer benefits. Procurement preparations a

ED raids 25 sites across states in probe into UP illegal cough syrup racket

The Enforcement Directorate on Friday raided multiple locations in various states as part of a money laundering investigation against an alleged illegal cough syrup trade racket in Uttar Pradesh, officials said. The searches are covering 25 premises in Lucknow, Varanasi, Jaunpur and Saharanpur in Uttar Pradesh apart from those located in Ranchi and Ahmedabad, they said. The federal probe agency has booked a criminal case under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) to probe the alleged illegal trade. Locations linked to absconding main accused Shubham Jaiswal and his alleged associates Alok Singh, Amit Singh and some others, cough syrup manufacturers and a Chartered Accountant (CA) Vishnu Aggarwal are being raided, according to ED officials. The ED action is based on about 30 UP Police FIRs that were registered after the state government took cognisance of incidents related to misuse of codeine-based cough syrups (CBCS), their illegal manufacturing, trade and transport ...

UP's electric vehicle tax review sparks fresh jitters among automakers

Uttar Pradesh is the second-largest car market in India by volume, but when it comes to EV sales, the state currently ranks eighth

Uttar Pradesh govt funnels 11 new FDI proposals worth ₹13,610 crore

The US, Japan, Belgium, the United Kingdom, Poland, and Singapore are among the state's key global investment partners

World Bank approves funds to help UP, Haryana improve air quality

The programmes are aimed at reducing air pollution through airshed-based planning, clean mobility, improved cooking access and multisector green transitions

Uttar Pradesh govt aims to set up three electronics hubs in hinterland

UP plans three new semiconductor and electronics hubs-beyond Noida-to expand high-value manufacturing and attract global investments under a PPP-led industrial strategy

UP's $1 trillion target gathers steam as state revives transformation panel

State government has operationalised the UP State Transformation Commission and tasked it with the job of catalysing growth

Ram temple's foundation, its construction key moments in my life: UP CM

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Saturday termed the laying of the foundation of the Ram temple in Ayodhya, its construction and the recent hoisting of the "Dharamdhwaj" as an "important moment" in his life. He also asserted that the BJP will be winning the 2027 Assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh, and its preparations are underway. Responding to queries at the Hindustan Times Leadership Summit in Delhi on Saturday, Adityanath said, "I am the first Chief Minister to have served for such a long time in a large state like Uttar Pradesh." He said that it is also associated with him that after working for 5 years, the people have elected them again, which has happened for the first time. "Our government worked from 2017 to 2022, and in 2022, we won again with a thumping majority and formed the government," Adityanath said and added that preparations to win the 2027 assembly elections are on. When asked to list one of his works, which he would term a masterstroke, Aditya

Will establish measures to protect Ambedkar statues: UP CM Adityanath

CM Yogi announced a series of measures to protect Ambedkar statues and strengthen welfare initiatives for marginalised communities

Varanasi police deploy next-gen drones for Kashi Tamil Sangamam security

The Varanasi district police have stepped up surveillance for the ongoing fourth edition of Kashi Tamil Sangamam by deploying an advanced fleet of new-generation drones. According to Deputy Commissioner of Police Varanasi Commissionerate Saravanan Thangamani, a dedicated 10-member drone team is ensuring the safety and protection of the people visiting the venue. "We are using new-generation drones. Last year, there was usage of drones but it was minimal. We are using the three types of drones which are mini drones, micro drones and nano drones," he told PTI here. Highlighting the role of the drone fleet, he said the Mini Drone is unique as it can be self-charged, allowing round-the-clock operations unlike other battery-dependent models. "This drone has the capability to run 24x7 and ensure constant surveillance in a region," he explained. On the 'Macro Drone', the official said it is capable of monitoring a vast 2 km area. "It can cover a larger area and will be used in the jungl

SC grants 1 week interim protection to petitioners facing demolition in UP

The Supreme Court on Thursday granted interim protection for a week to two petitioners facing demolition of properties in Uttar Pradesh, and directed that status quo be maintained by the parties till then. A bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta asked the petitioners, who said that partial demolition of their residential or marriage hall premises was already carried out by the authorities, to approach the Allahabad High Court for appropriate order. The bench said it is granting interim protection for a week considering that partial demolition has already been affected. "Further considering the aforesaid fact, we grant interim protection for a period of one week from today as status quo would be maintained by the parties," the bench said. The top court made clear that interim protection granted by it would not influence the high court in entertaining the petition and considering the prayer for stay on its own merits. The bench passed the order while hearing a plea seeking