Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde has ordered an assessment of crop losses caused by unseasonal rain and the payment of compensation to affected farmers. ”Authorities have been directed to conduct the panchnama of the damaged crops and affected farmers should be paid adequate compensation,” Shinde said.
He attended various programmes in Thane City on Monday when he spoke to reporters. ”This is the government of farmers and workers. The government will always stand behind these classes,” the chief minister said. Notably, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Uddhav Thackeray targeted Shinde on Tuesday for campaigning in poll-bound Telangana, even though farmers in Maharashtra are suffering due to unseasonal rains.
He said preliminary information suggests that nearly 1 lakh hectares of land under cultivation in Marathwada, Vidarbha, and north Maharashtra regions were affected by unseasonal rains over the last three to four days.
Meanwhile, Shinde said Gadchiroli district and Naxal-hit areas in the region are transforming. ”Instead of giving jobs, we want to create job-givers. I am satisfied that Balasaheb Thackeray’s dream of Maharashtra becoming a job-giver is finally coming to fruition,” he said.
The chief minister said Naxalism cannot be crushed only by the bullet and underlined the need to create development opportunities for the people living in the affected region.
Queried on recent incidents of Naxalite violence in Gadchiroli district, the chief minister said the C60 commando force has proved to be very effective.
”Naxalism menace in Gadchiroli is almost over. They are not getting new recruits, forcing the remaining cadres to shift their base to neighbouring Chhattisgarh,” he added.
Meanwhile, Union minister Kapil Patil on Tuesday urged the chief minister to expedite the assessment of the damage caused to crops by rain and hailstorms in the Bhiwandi Lok Sabha constituency. In a letter addressed to the chief minister, Patil said crops in Bhiwandi, Shahapur, Murbad and Wada talukas have suffered heavy losses and the paddy thrashing work was also affected. He urged the CM to order relief for the affected farmers and due compensation.
CPI(M) leader M Y Tarigami questions students' arrest under UAPA, leads anti-BJP protest in Jammu 3
Leading a protest against the BJP here, senior CPI(M) leader M Y Tarigami on Tuesday questioned the arrest of university students under UAPA for allegedly raising objectionable slogans and celebrating the Indian cricket team’s loss in the recent world cup final.
The protest was organised by the Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) at Maharaja Hari Singh Park in Jammu city against the “anti-workers, anti-farmers, and anti-people policies” of both the Centre and Jammu and Kashmir administrations.
“It (the students’ arrest) is wrong. They should not have slapped the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act in the first place, as we are a democratic country… Sports should not be politicised,” Tarigami, who is also the president of CITU, told PTI.
He said that just like Indian sportspeople are popular outside the country, cricketers from other parts of the globe are popular in India. “It is not a good thing to link politics and sports,” Tarigami added.
“Are they terrorists? … If the government has an objection, there are other laws. But why slap UAPA (on students),” the CPI (M) leader said. He also pointed to the arrest of NewsClick editor-in-chief Prabir Purkayastha and its HR head, Amit Chakravarty, under the law.
The arrested youths are students at the Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology (SKUAST). They were arrested after police launched an investigation into a complaint by a non-local student who alleged his college mates had harassed him and raised objectionable slogans after India lost the final match and the cup to Australia.
Tarigami said the central government was involved “in the politics of polarisation” rather than bringing them closer to each other.
He also took a dig at the UT administration over the acute power crisis, especially in the Kashmir Valley, criticising it for not making any arrangements before the winter.
The CPI (M) leader asked all political parties to raise their voices unitedly on the issue. “Our people are punished because of the Indus Water Treaty between India and Pakistan. We have raised this issue many times in the assembly and even held meetings with past prime ministers and sought compensation for the losses being suffered by J&K because of the treaty,” he said. Tarigami added that “40 per cent electricity was sought but nothing happened.” He said even the Rangarajan committee formed by the government had recommended returning two power projects to J&K to address the power crisis but even that has not been done till date.
Addressing the gathering, the CPI (M) leader expressed serious concern over “unending problems” being faced by farmers, workers, and the common man due to “job losses, unemployment, and spiralling prices of all essentials.”
“Due to government policies, the indebtedness of farmers has increased and the agrarian economy is continuing to face a crisis despite their contribution to enhanced production. All the hard-won rights of the workers have been watered down through pro-employer labour codes for ease of doing business,” he said.
After strong opposition by trade unions against privatisation, the government brought the National Monetization Pipeline project and “handed over” all public sector assets to big corporations “to make money without any investment,” Tarigami said.
“Rs15.32 lakh crores have been written off by the public sector banks during the last nine years but this government is not ready to write off debts of peasants,” he added.
Speaker Narwekar resumes the hearing of the disqualification of Shiv Sena MLAs 5
Amid the ongoing hearing of the disqualification pleas of the Shiv Sena MLAs, Speaker Rahul Narwekar said on Monday that he is taking all the efforts to adjudicate the petitions within the stipulated time given by the Supreme Court. Narwekar also said that he will ensure that principles of natural justice are followed and that the rules of the legislative assembly cannot be violated during the process.
Narwekar told mediapersons in Sindhudurg “I have planned to complete the hearings and adjudicate the petitions within the time frame given by the apex court. I am taking care not to affect the principles of natural justice. I will decide on the disqualification of (Shiv Sena) MLAs at an appropriate time.” Setting the timeline, the Supreme Court had last month directed Narwekar to adjudicate disqualification petitions of rebel Sena MLAs by December 31.
The apex court had come down heavily on Narwekar over the delay in adjudication of the petition against Shinde-led Sena MLAs, saying the Speaker cannot defeat the orders of the top court. Dismissing Sena UBT MP Sanjay Raut’s allegation over the “instability” of the state government, Narwekar said that the government has already achieved the magic figure of majority in the Assembly.
Narwekar also slammed Sena (UBT) MLA Aaditya Thackeray over his comments on violating anti-defection laws, stating that it is the Speaker who will decide whether there has been a violation of the anti-defection law and not Aaditya Thackeray.
“The Assembly Speaker will decide whether or not there has been any violation of the anti-defection laws. Thackeray should not make any comments about it. If the violation has taken place, I will make an appropriate decision. I can assure the people of the state that I will not take any wrong decisions,” he told the media. Meanwhile, Narwekar will resume the hearing of the disqualification on Tuesday, during which Sena MLA Sunil Prabhu’s cross-examination by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde’s lawyer will continue.
Kerala High Court advocates for a maintenance law for destitute women, children 7
The Kerala High Court has urged Parliament to consider bringing in a comprehensive maintenance law so that destitute women and children get monthly allowances without taking legal steps.
Justice C.S. Dias pointed out that the apex court had come out with guidelines to eliminate stumbling blocks in the disposal of maintenance applications and the enforcement of orders, but for some reason there is a huge delay, and hence it was suggested that the Parliament bring in changes to the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) which deals with the maintenance of wives, children, and parents.
“Destitute women and children are made to loiter in the corridors of the courts to receive their monthly maintenance, which adds to their woes. In the light of the authoritative pronouncement by the Hon’ble Supreme Court in Rajnesh v. Neha and again reiterated in Aditi Alias Mithi v. Jithesh Sharma, this Court is of the firm view that the time is ripe for the Parliament to ponder bringing corresponding changes in Chapter IX of the Code to make it in consonance with the law declared in Rajnesh or even think of a comprehensive maintenance law,” said the court.
It was considering a revision petition moved by a man challenging the order of a family court sentencing him to undergo imprisonment for ten months after he failed to pay the arrears of maintenance allowance to his wife and two children for twenty-eight months.
“In the said situation, it would be a mockery of justice to sentence the revision petitioner to a fleabite sentence of imprisonment for one month, as urged by his counsel, when admittedly the revision petitioner has to pay arrears of maintenance for 28 months. It is only a hyper-technical contention that the respondents have to file separate execution applications for each month’s default, and only then can separate sentences of imprisonment for up to a month be imposed. The law does not postulate such an arduous procedure to be followed by persons living in vagrancy and destitution,” held the court.
After going through the procedures in the case, the court confirmed the order of the family court imposing 10 months imprisonment but clarified that he shall be released from prison after paying the entire maintenance sum due to his wife and children.
Ex-officer Derek Chauvin, convicted in George Floyd's killing, stabbed in prison 9
Derek Chauvin, the former Minneapolis police officer convicted of murdering George Floyd, was stabbed by another inmate and seriously injured on Friday at a federal prison in Arizona, a person familiar with the matter told AP.
The attack happened at the Federal Correctional Institution, Tucson, a medium-security prison that has been plagued by security lapses and staffing shortages. The person was not authorised to publicly discuss details of the attack and spoke to the AP on the condition of anonymity.
The Bureau of Prisons confirmed that an incarcerated person was assaulted at FCI Tucson at around 12.30 pm local time on Friday. In a statement, the agency said responding employees contained the incident and performed ”life-saving measures” before the inmate, who it did not name, was taken to a hospital for further treatment and evaluation.
No employees were injured and the FBI was notified, the Bureau of Prisons said. Visiting at the facility, which has about 380 inmates, has been suspended.
Messages seeking comment were left with Chauvin’s lawyers and the FBI.
Chauvin’s stabbing is the second high-profile attack on a federal prisoner in the last five months. In July, disgraced sports doctor Larry Nassar was stabbed by a fellow inmate at a federal penitentiary in Florida.
It is also the second major incident at the Tucson federal prison in a little over a year. In November 2022, an inmate at the facility’s low-security prison camp pulled out a gun and attempted to shoot a visitor in the head. The weapon, which the inmate shouldn’t have had, misfired and no one was hurt.
Chauvin (47) was sent to FCI Tucson from a maximum-security Minnesota state prison in August 2022 to simultaneously serve a 21-year federal sentence for violating Floyd’s civil rights and a 22-and-a-half-year state sentence for second-degree murder.
Chauvin’s lawyer, Eric Nelson, had advocated for keeping him out of general population and away from other inmates, anticipating he’d be a target. In Minnesota, Chauvin was mainly kept in solitary confinement ”largely for his own protection”, Nelson wrote in court papers last year.
Last week, the US Supreme Court rejected Chauvin’s appeal of his murder conviction. Separately, Chauvin is making a longshot bid to overturn his federal guilty plea, claiming new evidence shows he didn’t cause Floyd’s death.
Floyd, who was Black, died on May 25, 2020, after Chauvin, who is white, pressed a knee on his neck for nine-and-a-half minutes on the street outside a convenience store where Floyd was suspected of trying to pass a counterfeit USD 20 bill.
Bystander video captured Floyd’s fading cries of ”I can’t breathe”. His death touched off protests worldwide, some of which turned violent, and forced a national reckoning with police brutality and racism.
Three other former officers who were at the scene received lesser state and federal sentences for their roles in Floyd’s death.
Chauvin’s stabbing comes as the federal Bureau of Prisons has faced increased scrutiny in recent years following wealthy financier Jeffrey Epstein’s jail suicide in 2019. It’s another example of the agency’s inability to keep even its highest profile prisoners safe after Nassar’s stabbing and ”Unabomber” Ted Kaczynski’s suicide at a federal medical centre in June.
An ongoing AP investigation has uncovered deep, previously unreported flaws within the Bureau of Prisons, the Justice Department’s largest law enforcement agency with more than 30,000 employees, 158,000 inmates and an annual budget of about USD 8 billion.
AP reporting has revealed rampant sexual abuse and other criminal conduct by staff, dozens of escapes, chronic violence, deaths and severe staffing shortages that have hampered responses to emergencies, including inmate assaults and suicides.
Bureau of Prisons Director Colette Peters was brought in last year to reform the crisis-plagued agency. She vowed to change archaic hiring practices and bring new transparency, while emphasising that the agency’s mission is ”to make good neighbours, not good inmates”.
Testifying before the Senate Judiciary Committee in September, Peters touted steps she’d taken to overhaul problematic prisons and beef up internal affairs investigations. This month, she told a House Judiciary subcommittee that hiring had improved and that new hires were outpacing retirements and other departures.
But Peters has also irritated lawmakers who said she reneged on her promise to be candid and open with them. In September, senators scolded her for forcing them to wait more than a year for answers to written questions and for claiming that she couldn’t answer basic questions about agency operations, like how many correctional officers are on staff.
Congress appeals to voters in Rajasthan to exercise franchise, Rahul says vote for 'govt of guarantees' 11
On Saturday, the Congress appealed to voters in Rajasthan to exercise their franchise and elect its ”government of guarantees” and one that works for the benefit of the people.
Polling began Saturday morning for the 199 assembly seats in Rajasthan, where the BJP is going all out to wrest power from the Congress, which hopes to beat the state’s anti-incumbency tradition.
In a post in Hindi on X, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said, ”Savings, relief, growth, and dreams flying high, people benefiting from welfare schemes… will choose only Rajasthan!” The aware people of Rajasthan know that their valuable vote is the guarantee of their happiness, he said.
The people of Rajasthan, the land of great heroes and a symbol of social unity, are requested to exercise their franchise, he said.
”Make sure that there are no obstacles in your improving life. It is an appeal to young friends and first-time voters to cast their vote. Choose social security, choose economic empowerment, and choose only the guarantee of prosperity and development,” Kharge said.
In a post on X, former Congress president Rahul Gandhi said, ”Rajasthan will choose free treatment. Rajasthan will choose a cheaper gas cylinder. Rajasthan will choose an interest-free agricultural loan. Rajasthan will choose English education. Rajasthan will choose OPS. Rajasthan will choose the caste census.” ”Today, go out in large numbers and exercise your franchise. Elect a Congress government of guarantees and one that is beneficial to the people,” he said.
Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra also urged the people of Rajasthan to cast their ballot.
”Your every vote, for a beautiful future, for rights, for Congress’ guarantee,” she said.
Priyanka Gandhi also listed the promises of the Congress, such as free treatment of up to Rs 50 lakh, Rs 10 thousand annually to the female head of family, a gas cylinder for Rs 400, a legal guarantee of an old pension, 10 lakh new jobs, the right to housing, buying cow dung at Rs 2 per kg, MSP to farmers, loans of Rs 2 lakh without interest, laptops for college students, free education even in private schools and caste census.
Congress general secretary organization K C Venugopal appealed to the voters of Rajasthan to come out in record numbers and vote for a progressive, prosperous, and inclusive Rajasthan.
”You have seen 5 years of exemplary governance, with welfare programmes that have changed the face of Rajasthan and given a safe and secure environment for everyone. The Chiranjeevi Scheme, mobile phones for women, Indira Rasoi, and many such pro-poor schemes have made a meaningful impact,” he said in a post on X.
”You also remember a dark period of the BJP’s misrule and corruption, where day-to-day life was tough and their leaders were busy pitting one community against the other and looting the state’s coffers,” he said.
”When we return to power, we will fulfil the 7 Guarantees made during the campaign. We did it in Karnataka, we will do it in Rajasthan as well!” Venugopal said.
The time has now come to break this cycle of interrupting a people-centric government with that of the BJP -and vote for 5 more years of Congress, he added.
While the ruling Congress is hoping that it will retain its government in Rajasthan, opposition BJP is eyeing a return in the state ahead of the Lok Sabha polls next year.
Assembly Elections 2023: Rajasthan is a binary state with Congress and BJP 13
Rajasthan has a strong tradition of voting because it is a binary state, with the Congress and BJP winning alternate terms. Rajasthan has had a tradition of voting out the incumbent government since 1998. Congress was the beneficiary of this trend in 2018 but by 2023, Congress would be at the receiving end of this trend. Gehlot is managing to deal with open discord by Sachin Pilot and internal dissent by his close associates. Another factor is caste. That will play a huge role in the voting process. Anti-incumbency may see Gehlot out, with Vasundhara Raje just managing to win. If the BJP displeases Vasundhara in that case, she will make it a point that the BJP loses. She cleverly blocked Sachin Pilot’s entry into the BJP for understandable reasons. Then there is Paonia, another BJP contender backed by the RSS but not supported by the locals.
On one side, Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo has made a big impact and on the other side, Modi’s road show with scattered flowers and temple visits might do wonders for the BJP. Hindutva votes are another gimmick that always favors the BJP. Ashok Gehlot’s government is not that capable of making a breakthrough. Most of his ministers have wasted their energy fighting dissent led by Pilot by letting the governance go for a toss. And to the BJP’s luck, the vote margin between them and Congress was hardly 1% in 2018. If the BJP manages to swing 4–5% votes in its favour, garner 40% votes, and restrict the Congress below 35%, then the BJP would easily cross 120 seats.
People expected a lot from the BJP in 2014; their promises were lucrative, but gradually they failed to fulfil their promises, and people felt betrayed. They’ve realized that “Bure din” under Ashok Gehlot was much better than the jumla of “acche din” (good days) under Vasundhara. No doubt Rajasthan needs a lot of attention because farmers and youth in this region suffered a lot due to the lack of opportunities provided by the government. Voters have not witnessed any major change to resolve any relevant problems in Rajasthan. As a matter of fact, they’re even worse after the reign of the BJP in Rajasthan. The only factor that can make the BJP win more seats, which is expected to be minimal, is the Modi factor or by playing the Hindu card. But as we’re watching the opposition get stronger with their tactics, when facing Marwaris, the Modi factor is also estimated to have failed.
Rajasthan knows the power of vote; this time, Rajasthan may choose to vote for the one who’ll benefit their society as a whole, not a bunch of individuals. The only headache for the BJP top brass with regards to Rajasthan is the issue of leadership. The BJP top brass wants to get rid of Vasundhara Raje and bring new leadership. With the weakening of Vasundhara Raje, parallel power centres have emerged in the Rajasthan BJP: Gajendra Singh Shekhawat Bhupender Yadav, Sunil Bansal, and Satish Poonia. Too many cooks spoil the broth. To get a strong mandate, the BJP should set its house in order.
The inner fight between Ashok Gehlot and Sachin Pilot was at its peak. But a sudden compromise between the groups in Congress has happened. We need to wait and see whether this holds good or not. At the same time, the inner-party fight within the BJP has come to the fore. After the results of the by-polls, Vasundhara Raje has started putting in more effort. She is out to prove that she is the face of the BJP in Rajasthan. But Amit Shah has categorically said that it is going to be collective leadership that will face the election. This is seen as a setback for Vasundhara.
The BJP is more confident of winning in Rajasthan than in the other four states (Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Telangana, and Mizoram), which will be going to polls this month. The BJP is trying to capture the state that it lost to Congress in 2018. The party is facing severe factionalism in its state unit, with leaders lining up to stake claims for the top post. They want to be named the CM candidate for the polls. Former chief minister Vasundhra Raje Scindia, Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, Union Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal, Leader of Opposition Rajendra Rathore and Deputy Leader of Opposition Satish Poonia are contenders for the CM chair. The party believes contesting elections under united leadership will bring them back to power. Announcing someone as the chief ministerial candidate will lead to chaos and infighting within the party. This is the method of the BJP when they are contesting elections in a state while in opposition.
The party is trying to unite all its state leaders to put up a united front against a faction-ridden Congress. This was evident in MODI’s recent Ajmer rally, where all the big leaders were made to sit in front along with the Prime Minister. The BJP will make the contest PM vs. CM by highlighting the success of the nine-year rule at the center and the flaws of the Ashok Gehlot-led Congress government. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will lead the party’s campaign and urge the people of the state to vote for a double-engine government.
Sanjay Raut and BJP's Bawankule locked horn over casino controversy 15
A few days ago, state BJP chief Chandrashekhar Bawankule was seen in a casino in Macau, sharing the photograph Shiv Sena (UTB) leader Sanjay Raut had posted a photograph on X purportedly showing Bawankule in a casino in Macau. He wrote in his post, “I do not know whose photo it is. Someone told me he was a prominent personality from Maharashtra. Within a span of twenty-four hours, he spent ₹3.5 crore. It means there is suddenly ‘acche din’ in Maharashtra,” he told reporters two days ago.
While clarifying the allegation, Maharashtra BJP chief Chandrashekhar Bawankule said it was a deliberate attempt to defame him and hurt his family. He denied allegations made by Raut that he was seen in a casino in Macau. Bawankule claims the photo was taken to defame him and says it is impossible to take such a large amount of money to a foreign country. Raut has defended his actions, saying he tweeted the photo out of humanity.
“I have reached this stature through hard work and struggle. I am so busy with party work that I manage to spend only one day a month with my family. They (the family) insisted that I stay with them for three days, and hence we planned a trip to Macau. Every hotel there has a casino, and you cannot reach your room without going past the casino. The picture was clicked during that period just to defame me,” he said.
Bawankule further explained how anyone could take Rs 3.5 crore to a foreign country. “Even if you carry Rs 1 lakh, you are made to go through several rounds of checks. Neither do I have any friends there. Therefore, the question of spending such a huge amount does not arise at all.”
To counter Bawankule, Raut tweeted only one photograph of humanity. “Bawankule should teach leaders from his own party about the pain the families of opposition leaders go through after the attack from those in the ruling alliance. What the leaders of his party do is part of their culture.”
Actor Jamie Foxx accused of sexual abuse in New York lawsuit 17
Oscar-winning actor Jamie Foxx was accused of sexual assault in a lawsuit filed in New York City on Wednesday that alleges he groped a woman at a rooftop bar and restaurant in Manhattan in August 2015.
The plaintiff, identified in the complaint only as Jane Doe, said the assault occurred in a secluded corner of the Catch NYC rooftop lounge after she and a friend had approached the film star and had their pictures taken with him. Foxx’s representatives did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the lawsuit, which seeks unspecified damages.
The lawsuit said Foxx began groping the woman and putting his hands under her clothing against her will until her friend found the two of them, interrupting the encounter, and she left. The actor is best known for his Academy Award-winning portrayal of singer Ray Charles in the 2004 film “Ray.” He also earned an Oscar nomination for his supporting role that same year in the film “Collateral.”
He is one of the latest high-profile celebrities accused of sexual wrongdoing in a recent series of lawsuits filed under the Adult Survivors Act, a New York state law allowing such lawsuits to be filed in court even if the statutes of limitations have run out. The deadline for the special one-year window for such complaints under the law expires at the end of this month.
Music industry veteran Jimmy Iovine was likewise sued on Wednesday by an woman claiming he sexually abused her. In the Iovine complaint filed in New York state court in Manhattan, a woman identified only as “Jane Doe” said she was sexually abused, forcibly touched and subject to sexual harassment and retaliation in August 2007.
A spokesperson for Iovine said they were “quite shocked and baffled” by the complaint. “This inquiry is the first we’ve heard of this matter. No one has ever made a claim like this against Jimmy Iovine, nor have we been contacted or made aware of any complaint by anyone, including this unknown plaintiff prior to now,” the spokesperson said.
The plaintiff’s attorney, Douglas Wigdor, declined further comment. Iovine, a onetime recording engineer, co-founded Interscope Records, a music label associated with West Coast hip hop that is now part of Universal Music Group. Iovine later partnered in 2006 with producer Dr. Dre to launch Beats Electronics, a company which Apple acquired in 2014 for $3 billion.
Others sued under the law include actors Russell Brand and Bill Cosby, former movie producer Harvey Weinstein, a former president, Donald Trump, and hip-hop mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs, whose case was settled after one day. Axl Rose, the former lead singer of Guns N’ Roses, was sued under the law on Wednesday by Sheila Kennedy, an actress and former Penthouse Pet of the Year, over an alleged 1989 assault.
Raj govt's Chiranjeevi scheme 'model' for country, insurance coverage hike will benefit poor: Congress 19
The Congress said on Thursday that its Chiranjeevi Health Insurance Scheme in Rajasthan is a “model” for the entire country and its promise of increasing the medical coverage under it to Rs 50 lakh will provide maximum relief to the poor and the middle class.
In a post on X, Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh noted that former party chief Rahul Gandhi reached Mahatma Gandhi Hospital in Jaipur and met some patients who were getting free treatment under ‘Chiranjeevi Yojana’.
“Chiranjeevi Yojana is proving to be a boon for the people of Rajasthan. When one falls ill, it is very difficult to get treatment. Even middle-class people get into debt due to illness. But the people of Rajasthan need not worry. The armour of the revolutionary Chiranjeevi Yojana is with them,” Ramesh said.
”Chiranjeevi Yojana is a model for the entire country, under which everything, from kidney and liver transplants to cancer and heart disease treatment, is provided free of charge. Operation, dialysis, and implants are all free,” he said.
”Now the amount of treatment has also been increased from Rs 25 lakh to Rs 50 lakh. This will especially provide maximum relief to the poor and middle class,” Ramesh said.
Gandhi on Wednesday described the Rajasthan government’s ‘Chiranjeevi Health Insurance Scheme’ as the best free treatment scheme in the country.
The scheme offers free treatment up to Rs 25 lakh. The ruling Congress has promised to increase this cover to Rs 50 lakh if it comes to power again.
Rajasthan is slated for state Assembly polls on November 25.
