Sitapur (UP):  Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday accused the previous governments of promoting import and said that today the government is promoting ‘vocal for local’ so that local products get promoted and more and more employment opportunities are created.

Addressing a rally here, Modi said, “For years in place of the skills of our craftsmen these dynasts gave emphasis on import. Today we are talking about ‘vocal for local’. Our efforts behind this is that maximum production takes place in the country and more and more employment opportunities are created.” He said that but the opposition leaders get pained from ‘vocal for local’.

“Opposition party leaders get hurt when we say ‘vocal for local’, because they know that by saying ‘vocal for local’ credit will go to Modi and Yogi. These dynastic people instead of promoting skills of our craftsmen emphasised on imports,” he said.

Modi said that those who promote rioters, goons and mafia can never do development of Uttar Pradesh. “Those who promote rioters, goons and mafia can never develop UP. People of UP know this very well, therefore they are saying ‘Aayegi toh BJP, Aayenge toh Yogi (BJP is coming back, Yogi is coming back),” he said.

He said that when rule of law is not there, the poor have to pay the price. “You have a house, a bungalow, vehicle, industry, farms and every happiness of the world, but if the dead body of your young daughter or son reaches home in the evening, then what’s the use of this home and money? You need security. When the rule of law is not there, the poor have to pay the most,” he said.

Modi said, “The poor are not heard under the rule of the mafia. This was the environment which dynastic governments created in UP. Now the Yogi government is working to rid the people of these rioters and criminals. Therefore today the entire UP is saying we will bring those, who have brought the rule of law.” He said that the ‘double engine’ government is working to make UP a ‘Uttam Pradesh’, to empower the poor with ‘double power’.

“It was a dream of our poor, backward, Dalit brothers and sisters to have a house of their own. The BJP government has given ‘pucca’ houses to 34 lakh poor in the last five years,” he said. He said that the BJP government has solved the biggest problem of women by constructing two crore toilets.

“Poor mothers, sisters and daughters required freedom from the humiliation of defecating in the open. Even after seven decades of independence they had to wait for the dark. Their pain can be felt only by a son, who has seen and lived in poverty. By constructing more than two crore ‘izzat ghar’, the BJP government has removed the biggest problem of their lives,” he said. Modi said that the poor have been benefited immensely from ‘Ayushman Bharat’ scheme during corona period.

“A poor, who could not even think of treatment in a hospital, is getting free treatment today,” he said.

He said, “Between 2007 to 2017 the previous governments gave jobs to less than two lakh youths in 10 years. The Yogi government gave 4.5 lakh jobs in five years. People of UP know very well that jobs were given during the dynastic governments.”

The PM said that before 2017 there was only the rule of mining and land mafias.

“Can mafias be concerned about the problem of floods being faced by Sitapur? Farmers of Sitapur can never forget how famers, who came to sell the sugarcane, were cane charged in front of the mill gate. Their track record had been of closing sugar factories. The Yogi government is only installing new sugar factories, but is also expanding the capacity of old one,” he said.

He said that the meaning of the BJP government in UP is continuous work for the welfare of the poor. “The BJP government in UP means implementation of central schemes with double speed, regular control over ‘danga raj’, ‘mafia raj’ and ‘gunda raj’, security for sisters and daughters from roadside romeos and freedom to celebrate festivals,” he said. (UNI)

New Delhi: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Wednesday announced that a project worth Rs 450 crore to provide houses for Delhi Police personnel will start very soon to overcome housing and infrastructure issues.

Addressing its personnel and officials on Delhi Police Rising Day here, Shah said several offices and residential buildings will be built for the force.

He said a vision will be unveiled for the next five years to fill the gaps in every field including investigation, counter terrorism, narcotics, health and infrastructure.

Shah also paid tribute to police personnel who lost died while on duty and while battling Covid-19.

“Delhi Police today is a premier police organisation which has the reputation of performing exceptionally under the most adverse circumstances,” he said.

“Be it handling of massive law and order issues in the national capital or providing security to the national and international dignitaries or carrying out investigations of complex and sensitive crimes, Delhi Police has always laid down the golden standards for all other police forces of the country to emulate,:” he said. (UNI)

New Delhi: The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, vide notification dated 15th February, 2022 has amended  Rule 138 of CMVR, 1989 and has prescribed norms related to safety measures for children below four years of age, riding or being carried on a motor cycle.

This has been notified under Section 129 of the Motor Vehicles Act, which mandates that the Central Government may, by rules, provide for measures for the safety of children below four years of age, riding or being carried on a motor cycle. Further, it specifies use of a safety harness and crash helmet. It also restricts speed of such motor cycles to 40 kmph.

These rules will come into force after one year from the date of publication of the Central Motor Vehicles (Second Amendment) Rules, 2022.

New Delhi: Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Science & Technology; Minister of State (Independent Charge) Earth Sciences; MoS PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances, Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, Dr Jitendra Singh Wednesday informed that so far, 38 Ministries in Govt of India have sought technology support in different sectors.

He said, over 200 proposals/requirements were received from 38 Line Ministries/Departments for Scientific Applications and Technological Support & Solutions by all the six Science & Technology departments including Space and Atomic energy.

Dr Jitendra Singh said that after the unlocking of the Space Sector for private players, Innovative Start-Ups are coming in a big way to explore the untapped potential. He said, more than 50 Start-ups are working in the Space Sector and about 10 of them are having funding of over Rs 50 Crore or more individually. The Minister was happy to note that apart from NAVIC based applications, Start-ups are also working on software solutions for debris management in Space having global ramifications.

The Minister was presiding over a high – level joint meeting of all the Science Ministries and Science Departments at Prithvi Bhawan here. The meeting was attended by Shri Bhaskar Khulbe, Advisor to Prime Minister, Prof. K VijayRaghavan, Principal Scientific Adviser, Government of India, Dr Shekhar Mande, Secretary CSIR, Dr. M. Ravichandran Secretary, Ministry of Earth Sciences, Dr S. Chandrasekhar, Secretary Department of Science & Technology, Dr Rajesh Gokhale Secretary Department of Biotechnology, Shri S. Somanath, Secretary Space & Chairman ISRO, Dr K.N. Vyas, Secretary Atomic Energy, Hemang Jani, Secretary Capacity Building Commission and other senior officials.

Dr Jitendra Singh said, concerned Science Ministries and Departments are on the job applying different scientific solutions for sectors like agriculture, land mapping, dairy, food, education, skill, railways, roads, Jal Shakti, power, coal and sewage cleaning to name a few. He said, building on from previous such meetings, Joint Working Groups are being set up between Science Departments and Line Ministries to speed up identification of the scientific applications for proposals and problems of Line Ministries.

Dr Jitendra Singh said, with the help of Capacity Building Commission, a template is also being prepared to take up theme wise deliberations between Centre and States/UTs depending on specific needs, from place to place. The Minister said, the first round of meetings involving Science Ministries and Departments from the Centre and all States and UTs has been completed and demands from the States for scientific solutions are being compiled. He said, different States have different capacities but all of them are on board to work jointly with the Centre in areas like R&D, Innovation and STI Ecosystem.

Dr Jitendra Singh informed that Gujarat is the only State in the country to have S&T policy, but after brainstorming sessions for the last four months, 11 more states including Sikkim, Manipur and Arunachal Pradesh are preparing their S&T policy. He said, each of the States and Union Territories has been asked to identify the areas where technological interventions can help in resolving diverse problems to enable ease of living for common man. He said, for instance the UT Govt of Jammu & Kashmir will be assisted through the latest snow clearing technology while Puducherry and Tamil Nadu are being assisted in restoration and renovation of sea-beach.

Dr Jitendra Singh said that Vigyan Prasar is being revamped completely and it will cater to communication needs of the six S&T departments including Space and Atomic energy. He said, Vigyan Prasar has been asked to make small documentaries on success stories like Aroma Mission, UV technology installed in Central Hall of Parliament, Heli-Borne survey for water management, mechanised sewage cleaning system for wider dissemination.

Dr Jitendra Singh said that a Common Booklet on Reforms undertaken by all the six S&T departments including Space and Atomic energy since 2014 will be compiled and released in coming days. The Minister informed that work is also progressing fast to develop a Common Portal for all the six S&T departments including Space and Atomic energy to avoid duplicity and to achieve greater synergy in policy and programmes.

Srinagar: Northern Army Commander, Lt Gen Upendra Dwivedi concluded his three-day Kashmir visit on Wednesday.

This is Dwivedi’s maiden visit to Chinar Corps after taking over the command of the prestigious Northern Army Command, based at Udhampur on February 01, 2022.

Briefing about the itinerary of the Army Commander, PRO Defence in a statement received here said that he arrived at Chinar Corps Headquarters on 14 Feb 2022.

The visiting officer was briefed by Lt Gen DP Pandey, GOC Chinar Corps on the prevalent security situation and measures instituted to counter adversaries’ design. He interacted with the senior officers of Chinar Corps and lauded the strong counter infiltration grid along the Line of Control.

“He also appreciated the strict control exercised by the formation to abide by the cease fire understanding between the DGMOs of both India and Pakistan, which will complete one year on 25 February 2022.  For the hinterland, the Army Commander complimented Chinar Corps for the conduct of operations with precision ensuring zero collateral damage.  He was appreciative of the excellent Soldier – Citizen connect activities, which have resulted in overall reduction in the [militant] recruitments”, the statement reads.

“The visiting officer also paid homage to the 40 bravehearts of CRPF who had made the supreme sacrifice during attack on the convoy on this day three years ago”, the statement reads.

“The Army Commander interacted with various civil functionaries and members of the civil society. He appreciated the rapid steps that are being taken by all agencies for sustainable peace and development of Kashmir. He lauded the synergy between all elements of the security forces and the Civil Administration”, the statement concludes.

Mumbai: The funeral of Disco King Bappi Lahiri, who passed away in Mumbai, will be held on February 17, the family said on Wednesday.

In a statement, they said, “It is a deeply sad moment for us. Our beloved Bappi Da has left for heavenly abode last midnight. The cremation will take place on arrival of Bappa (his son) From LA tomorrow mid-morning. We are seeking love and blessings for his soul. We will keep you updated.”

Lahiri, who was suffering from Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) for past one year and recurrent chest infection, was hospitalised in Criticare Hospital, Juhu, for 29 days, the hospital said in a statement.

He was discharged on February 15 but later his health deteriorated and was re-admitted in a critical state. At 11:45 pm on Tuesday, the 69-year-old singer-composer succumbed to his illness, the hospital added.

He was also hospitalised last year after he tested positive for coronavirus. Fondly known as Bappi Da, real name Alokesh Lahiri, was born in 1952 in a family of singers Aparesh Lahiri and Bansuri Lahiri in Jalpaiguri, West Bengal.

He was awarded the Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award at 63rd Filmfare Awards in 2018. In 1974, the singer started his career with his composition for the Bengali film ‘Daadu’. Bappi Lahiri was known for popularising the disco music in Bollywood as he delivered popular songs in several films of the late 1970s-80s like ‘Chalte Chalte’, ‘Disco Dancer’, ‘Namak Halal’, ‘Dance Dance’ and ‘Sharaabi’. His last Bollywood song titled ‘Bhankas’ was for the film ‘Baaghi 3’, released in 2020. (UNI)

Interacts with representatives of FCIK

Srinagar: Chief Secretary, Dr. Arun Kumar Mehta Wednesday interacted with representatives of Federation Chamber of Industries Kashmir (FCIK), who called on him here today at Civil Secretariat.

During a marathon interaction, a range of vital issues pertaining to the industrial sector were discussed in detail.

Principal Secretary, Industries and Commerce (I&C), Ranjan Prakash Thakur; Director I&C, Kashmir, Mehmood Ahmad Shah and other officers of I&C department also participated in the interaction both in person and through video conferencing.

The representatives of FCIK sought devising a local purchase policy mandating procurement by the government departments from local MSME units to enable them to survive in the market. They also demanded clearance of payments pending with the government departments as well as allotment of land to all those bonafide prospective entrepreneurs, who applied for the same as per the parameters prescribed by the government. They also demanded exemption of Bat manufacturers and Pencil makers from SRO-103, besides ease of some clauses in tendering procedure for industrial unit holders of J&K.

Responding to the issues raised by the delegation, the Chief Secretary reiterated that the revival of the industrial sector was the prime objective of the LG administration and several initiatives have been taken for Ease of Doing Business here. He added that the government was improving the use of technology and digital means in government departments and in recent months over 200 services have been made online bringing a significant improvement in the services delivery mechanism.

Dr. Mehta, while deliberating on the issues raised by the FCIK representatives, directed   the I&C department to draft a comprehensive proposal for making the unit holders competitive for government tenders. He further directed to complete the process of granting permission for industrial clusters.

While assessing the progress of the industrial sector and proposed future plans, the Chief Secretary directed the I&C department to initiate a research study to decode the local industrial potential and impediments which hinder the progress of this sector.

Regarding the issue of delay in payments, the Chief Secretary highlighted that with the introduction of e-tendering, BEAMS and PaySys, the delay of payments within government departments has been reduced to a large extent.

Dr. Mehta advised the representatives to make use of different digital platforms of the J&K government launched recently for better service delivery both to the public and business community.

While deliberating on other issues raised by the FCIK representatives, the Chief Secretary assured them that all their genuine demands will be looked into and resolved on priority.

By: Nadeem Nadu

Srinagar: Jammu and Kashmir on Wednesday reported 230 new covid-19 cases, the lowest single-day count in six weeks, even as there was no death due to the pathogen for the third consecutive day on Wednesday, officials said.

They said 126 of the cases were from Jammu Division and 104 from Kashmir Valley, taking the overall tally to 451560.

Giving district wise details, the officials said that Srinagar reported Srinagar reported 50, Baramulla 8, Budgam 14, Pulwama 3, Kupwara 18, Anantnag 3, Bandipora 5, Ganderbal 2, Kulgam 0, Shopian 1, Jammu 54, Udhampur 8, Rajouri 3, Doda 39, Kathua 3, Samba 0, Kishtwar 1, Poonch 9, Ramban 9 and Reasi 0.

A few cases were confirmed at diagnostic centre associated with GMC Anantnag and include male (50) from Habbak, male (15) from Dadsara, female (65) (NA) from Chota bazar, male (73) (NA) from Chanpora, male (34) from Banihal and female (50) from Kangan.

There was no death either from Jammu or Kashmir in the last 24 hours, they said. So far 4745 persons have succumbed to the virus—2323 in Jammu and 2422 in Kashmir.

Besides, they said, 827 Covid-19 patients—356 from Jammu and 471 from Valley— recovered during the time. So far 443132 people have recovered, leaving the active case tally at 3683— 1621 in Jammu and 2062 in Kashmir.

They said there was no new confirmed case of mucormycosis (black fungus) reported today. So far 51 black fungus cases have been confirmed in J&K, the officials said. They also informed that 28846 doses of covid-19 vaccine were administered during the time in J&K. (GNS)