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Khurda (Odisha) [India], Dec 24 (ANI): Expressing concerns over the state of healthcare sector in Odisha, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday took a jibe at the ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD) government asserting that the people are asking the state government why the Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PMJAY) or the Ayushman Bharat scheme are not being implemented.
Addressing a public rally here during his day-long visit in the state, the Prime Minister said: “Today, people of the state are asking why Odisha has not accepted Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana. If Odisha had implemented this scheme, people across the country would have got free medical care”.
Talking about his cleanliness campaign, Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, Prime Minister Modi said that when the country achieved 97 per cent of cleanliness in the country, he questioned why Odisha was lagging behind in the mass movement.
Continuing his tirade against the BJD, the Prime Minister said: “In Odisha, both children and mothers are suffering from malnutrition. More than half of the positions for doctors in the state are lying vacant. Farmers are facing issues over irrigation and they are not getting suitable procurement. Chit fund scam has emerged here, corruption is thriving in Odisha.”
He said that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led government at the Centre is making tireless efforts to improve the healthcare facilities in the state, adding that five new medical colleges have been approved in the state.
Talking about his government schemes, Prime Minister Modi elaborated: “We are spending five times more on infrastructure and connectivity in villages and cities of Odisha. Under the Mudra Yojana, more than one crore loans have been given to the youth of Odisha. Nearly 12 lakh houses have been constructed here under the Pradhanmantri Awas Yojna.”
“35 lakh gas connections have been given to women in Odisha. Four-and-half years ago, only 20 per cent families had gas connection, and now it is 70 per cent. In the near future, everyone should have a gas connection and we are working in that direction,” he added.
He said that families of around 18 lakh farmers are beneficiaries under the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana, adding that in the event of crop failure, Rs 1700 crore have been provided to them.
Talking about farmers’ welfare, Prime Minister Modi further said: “Farmers and consumers should not be intermediate. For this, the farmers are being connected via the Internet through the mandis, and are being connected through online banking. To increase the income of the farmers, special attention is being given to farming as well as other related activities like animal husbandry, poultry, beekeeping and fish farming.”
Invoking late former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Prime Minister Modi recalled that when the BJP was in power in the 2000s, a campaign to connect villages and cities of Odisha began.
Heaping praises on Vajpayee, Prime Minister Modi said: “The determination that Atalji had shown during a cyclonic storm that came here 20 years ago, is still remembered by the people here today. The work that he (Vajpayee) had started for the development of Odisha is being carried forward by us at a fast pace now.”
Underlining that Odisha is emerging as a centre of higher education, the Prime Minister elucidated: “With the efforts of the central government, prominent institutes like IIT Bhubaneswar, IIM Sambalpur, IISER Brahmapur will help the youth to scale new heights. A world-class skill development institute has also been established in Bhubaneswar. In addition, more than 90 Eklavya schools have been opened for the education of tribal children.”
Before signing off, Prime Minister Modi went on to say that the central government’s main goal is — all-round development of Odisha and development that encompasses the people of the state, including youth, women, farmers and entrepreneurs. (ANI)

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Gurugram (Haryana) [India], Dec 24 (ANI): Effecting the biggest ever seizure of heroin this year, the Special Task Force (STF) of Haryana Police has arrested a Nigerian national from DLF here and recovered 3.2 kg heroin from his possession. The value of the seized drug in the international market is around Rs 12 crore.
Stating this in a statement, a spokesman of the Haryana Police Department said that arrested accused has been identified as Taraour Ahmed, a resident of Nigeria. Currently residing in Delhi, he was arrested following a tip-off by a team of STF Hisar from Sikandarpur Metro Station area in Gurugram.
Divulging the details about the seizure, he said that an STF team, which was present in Gurugram, got secret information about drug smuggling. On getting information, police team immediately rushed at Sikandarpur metro station, DLF-2 area where it spotted a suspicious person with scooty at a street in front of metro station gate. After seeing police, accused suddenly started scooty in a hurry. The police team immediately nabbed him. When searched, 3.2 kg heroin was recovered from his possession hidden in scooty.
A case under relevant sections of NDPS Act was registered against him at DLF-2 Police Station, Gurugram. “The accused would be taken on police remand by producing him in the Court so that the name of supplier involved in this racket of drug peddling could be unearthed,” he said. (ANI)

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New Delhi, Dec 23 (ANI) A Parliamentary Committee has taken a dim view of the infrastructure on the border with China and favoured improved coordination between the Army and the Air Force for better defence preparedness.
The Committee on External Affairs also pitched for a comprehensive Border Engagement Agreement between the Indian Army and the Chinese Peoples Liberation Army (PLA).
The Agreement should subsume all established mechanisms for confidence building, including border personnel meetings, flag meetings, meetings of the Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination on Border Affairs (WMCC) and other diplomatic channels, the Committee said in its report.
It underlined that while it must be ensured that PLA is not allowed to “establish facts on the ground”, the situation must also not be allowed to spiral out of control in case of transgressions.
“The Committee believe that there is a demonstrated need for a significant increase in the resources being allocated by the government of India to the armed forces and other civilian and paramilitary agencies operating in the area, including the SSB,” the report said.
It said, “there is a case for improved coordination between the Army and the Air Force, which could provide better airborne early warning and control support to the forces on the ground when difficult conditions arise, including through the deployment of unmanned aerial vehicles or drones.”
“Furthermore, the committee wish to emphasise the fact that our armed forces and security agencies must ensure that our persuasive deterrence continues to be effective and constantly adapted to take into account psychological, cyber and other technological changes that China may and indeed will continue to confront us with,” it added.
Both sides should also ensure that for normal functioning of ties it is indispensable that our border largely remains peaceful, said the report tabled in Parliament this week.
The Committee also expressed unhappiness over the infrastructure on the border with China and pressed for expediting of road construction work and speedy clearances by the government departments.
“It goes without saying that better connectivity clearly gives an advantage to China in terms of defence preparedness … The committee .. feels that the Indian side needs to do a lot more,” it said.
“The committee are perturbed to note that despite a marked progress in recent years, the border road infrastructure on the India-China border is grossly inadequate, as confirmed by its own observations from its visits to sections of the border regions,” the report said.
“In fact, on a number of important sectors, we are dependent on single access routes, a risky proposition in times of conflict,” it said.
The Chinese Army had specifically taken advantage of this in the 1962 war and “therefore, we ought to draw lessons from the past on this matter,” the Committee said.
The committee has been assured by the ministries of Defence, External Affairs and Home Affairs about likely improvements in the state of border roads, the report said.
It said it has been seized of the problems related to inadequate infrastructure, including roads along the India-China border and desire that the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) works to achieve full connectivity.
“The main reasons attributed to the delay as stated by the ministry of Defence is difficult terrain, delay in getting environmental clearances, inadequate infrastructure with BRO, etc,” the Committee said.
“The committee, therefore, desires that for a strong Indian presence on the border, better infrastructure should be created for habitation and transportation so that our armed forces may not feel any difficulty in accommodation, logistics, movement and infrastructure as well as storage and movement of arms and ammunition in emergency,” the report said. (ANI)

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New Delhi [India], Dec 22 (ANI): Former union minister Rajiv Pratap Rudy was appointed as the national spokesperson of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Saturday.
Rudy, who is a Lok Sabha member of Parliament (MP) from Bihar’s Saran constituency, was inducted into the new role by BJP chief Amit Shah, read an official statement of the BJP.
Rudy was appointed as Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship in 2014. He also shared Parliamentary Affairs department jointly with Minister of State Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi.
Rudy, who holds a commercial pilot’s license, is featured in Limca Book of Records for being the only parliamentarian to fly a commercial aircraft, having flown Airbus-320 and Indigo airlines. (ANI)

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New Delhi [India], Dec 21 (ANI): It seems like apart from being a dynamic leader, former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi also had the skills for photography, and Sonia Gandhi’s recent throwback pictures prove the same.
The Congress party recently took to their Instagram account to share some ‘Throw Back Thursday’ pictures. The post captioned “The grace and charm of #SoniaGandhi captured through the lens of #RajivGandhi,” featured the pictures of United Progressive Alliance (UPA) chairperson from when she was young.
The pictures are a flashback to when Sonia Gandhi did not have the responsibility of one of India’s largest political party. While it might be hard to imagine the politician wearing anything other than her signature cotton saree, in the pictures, Sonia can be seen donning western clothes.

Everything about the snaps, from the perfectly applied lipstick and ‘kajal’ to the shining long black hair falling over her shoulder, to a small but bright smile, radiates a feeling of happiness, which has been beautifully captured by her late husband Rajiv Gandhi.
Sonia Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi got married back in February 1968. The two welcomed their son, Rahul Gandhi in 1970 and their daughter, Priyanka Gandhi in 1972.
It was only after the sudden death of her husband in 1991, that Sonia Gandhi decided to enter the profound world of Indian politics, and has been an inseparable part of it ever since. (ANI)

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New Delhi [India], Dec 21 (ANI): With the Lok Sabha witnessing repeated disruptions, Speaker Sumitra Mahajan on Friday said she expected self-discipline from the members of Parliament (MPs) since they are elected representatives of the people.
Mahajan’s comments came after she chaired a meeting of the Rules Committee that was convened to discuss the smooth running of the House.
“We are trying to make sure that the House functions. We are talking to all parties for co-operation to support for functioning house,” she told ANI.
Referring to Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge’s comments that his party was ready to discuss the Triple Talaq Bill on December 27, the Speaker said: “I believe that on 27th the House will function smoothly,” he said.
When asked whether there was any need to initiate disciplinary action against members who disrupt the House, Mahajan said there is no such need in these times.
“There is a need for self-discipline. All Parliamentarians have come here after getting the mandate from the people. They are representatives of the people. It’s everybody responsibility to ensure that the House functions,” she added.
The House has not been functioning properly ever since the Winter Session began on December 11, as members from some parties have been creating uproar over various issues.
The issue of triple talaq was taken up in the Parliament in August last year after a five-judge bench of the Supreme Court ruled unconstitutional a law that allowed Muslim men to divorce their wives simply by uttering “talaq” three times in quick succession.
In a landmark 3-2 verdict, the top court found the practice un-Islamic and “arbitrary”, and disagreed that Triple Talaq was an integral part of religious practice.
The Triple Talaq Bill was taken up earlier this year in the House during the Monsoon Session of Parliament. However, owing to lack of consensus, the Bill could not be passed.
Subsequently, an ordinance was passed by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led Union Cabinet in September.
On Monday, a fresh Bill which prohibits divorce of Muslim couples by pronouncing ‘talaq’ (divorce) three times by their husbands, was first introduced in the Lok Sabha to replace the ordinance issued in September.
Under this proposed law, Muslim men giving instant triple talaq will attract imprisonment of three years. (ANI)

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Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], Dec 21 (ANI): A special CBI court on Friday acquitted all 22 accused in the Sohrabuddin Sheikh fake encounter case, citing unsatisfactory circumstantial evidence.
Sohrabuddin was killed in Gujarat in 2005 by the state police, allegedly in a fake encounter, while his aide, Tulsiram Prajapati, died a year later in another alleged fake encounter.
In 2010, the CBI took over the case from the CID. Special CBI public prosecutor BP Raju submitted that most of the evidence was procured by the CBI. Raju also said that the trial was hampered because of 92 witnesses turning hostile.
The CBI had filed a charge sheet in 2012, which had named BJP president Amit Shah and former Rajasthan home minister and BJP leader Gulab Chand Kataria as accused in the case.
During Friday’s hearing, special CBI judge SJ Sharma, while delivering the judgement, said that the government machinery and prosecution brought 210 witnesses in the case, but they turned hostile during the course of the case. “No fault of Prosecutor if witnesses don’t speak,” he observed.
Analysing the case, Sharma said although medical reports claimed that Sohrabuddin died of bullet injuries, evidence suggested that the present accused were not responsible for the crime.
“I felt sorry for the families of the deceased, but I could not find anything against these present accused. Legal process is based on evidence, which I could not find,” he said.
Sharma also rejected reports of Prajapati’s abduction. (ANI)

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New Delhi [India], Dec 21 (ANI): The Delhi High Court on Friday dismissed a plea filed by Congress leader Sajjan Kumar seeking more time to surrender.
Kumar, who was convicted in a case related to the 1984 anti-Sikh riots earlier in the week, was asked to surrender by December 31. However, he had filed a plea seeking 30 additional days to surrender, on account of settling family affairs with regard to property and inheritance.
“The applicant has been on bail throughout the trial and is currently under the state of shock and surprise in view of the conviction. Seeking extension as the applicant has statutory remedy to file an appeal for which he has to engage senior counsel in the apex court. Currently, most of the senior counsels are on leave due to Winter break,” read the plea.
The Delhi High Court had sentenced Kumar to life imprisonment, reversing the acquittal granted to him by a trial court in 2013. The case pertains to the murder of five members of a Sikh family in the Delhi Cantonment area during the 1984 riots.
As per official records, over 2,700 Sikhs were killed across India after the assassination of former prime minister Indira Gandhi in 1984 by her Sikh bodyguards, Satwant Singh and Beant Singh. (ANI)

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Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], Dec 19 (ANI): The Bombay High Court on Wednesday adjourned the Maratha reservation matter till January 23, 2019.
Furthermore, the counsel of the Maharashtra government told the court that no appointments will be made till the prescribed date of hearing.
Advocate General of Maharashtra Ashutosh Kumbhkoni informed the court that the government had some reservations about making the State Backward Classes Commission’s report public as it contains material which is not directly related to the recommendations of the Commission for reservation, but delves in the history of the Maratha community which the government felt, may cause unrest in the state. However, Kumbhkoni said the government can share the complete copy of that report with the court, if necessary.
“Government can share the relevant portions of the report connected to the issue of reservation, but not the whole report. The government has to truncate some parts of it while sharing it with the petitioners challenging Maratha reservation,” he noted.
Kumbhkoni also stated before court that the state government will be able to file replies to each petition in this regard by January 23, adding that directions will be issued by the general administration department of Maharashtra to all government bodies and those covered under the new Maratha Reservation Act not to make new appointments till the matter comes up for hearing next month.
The Bombay High Court has directed all petitioners to file their amendments and additional documents by January 11. (ANI)

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New Delhi, Dec 19 (ANI) The BJP has deputed union minister Thawar Chand Gehlot to assess the reasons behind the party’s defeat in just-held Assembly elections in Madhya Pradesh.
Gehlot, a senior leader from the state, will hold deliberations with the state leaders of the party in Bhopal and present his report to BJP President Amit Shah, sources said here on Wednesday.
The issue of Leader of Opposition in the state Assembly will also be discussed by Gehlot, the Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment, with the state leaders, the sources said.
The BJP, which ruled the state for 15 years consecutively, lost power in the elections whose results were declared on December 11.
In the 230-member Assembly, the BJP managed to get 109 seats while the Congress won 114 seats.
The Congress, which got support from two-member BSP and one-member Samajwadi Party, formed the government headed by Kamal Nath.
The assessment of causes of defeat in the Assembly elections is crucial for the party as it would have to address the deficiencies before the Lok Sabha polls due by May next year.
After failing to cross the majority mark in the Assembly elections, the BJP had decided against staking claim to form the government in the state.
“As we have not got clear majority, we are not going to stake claim to form the government…,” Chouhan tweeted soon after the results came in.
After the defeat, senior BJP leader and Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley had said the party would assess the reasons behind the loss. (ANI)

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