Maharashtra losing out on the mega Vedanta-Foxconn semiconductor project to Gujarat

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September 16, 2022

No matter how much we criticize Uddahv Thackrey and Maha Vikas Aghadi, but they have really made efforts to bring business and industries to Maharashtra. Vedanta and Foxconn’s was one of the joint projects in Maharashtra which went to Gujarat due to the laxity of the present government”, which resulted in the loss of employment to 1 lakh youth. Rattled by the political fallout of the Vedanta Group-Foxconn Rs 2.06 lakh-crore mega project choosing Gujarat is deliberate failure of Eknath Shinde who is blaming former CM Uddhav Thackeray’s government for the loss. At the same time the Opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi allies slammed Shinde for “treachery, and bulldozing the state economy

A day after Vedanta-Foxconn signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Gujarat government to set up the project, which was once proposed in Maharashtra, a political blame game began with the Opposition accusing the Eknath Shinde-Devendra Fadnavis government of failing to safeguard the economic interests of the state. This project has gone to Gujarat because BJP leaders in Maharashtra are more interested in pleasing their bosses in Delhi. They want the blessings of their leaders from Gujarat to continue. Many such projects were announced in the favour of Gujarat since 2014.

Central and Maharashtra governments, in which BJP is a major partner, over inflation and unemployment should understand how they are damaging the state bit by bit. Clearly taken aback by the political-economic bombshell with long-term consequences, Shinde spoke with Prime Minister Narendra Modi where the latter reportedly assured him of “giving even bigger projects to Maharashtra” in the future. But how could Shinde be agreed to the larger project for the future when in the present scenario the state is at a loss? All parties in state have demanded a thorough probe into the sequence of events leading to Vedanta-Foxconn opting for Gujarat when more than 90 percent of its deal was finalized with Maharashtra, including allotment of 1,100 acres of land near Pune.

Holding MVA responsible for letting the project relocate to Gujarat, Shelar said, “Then Industries minister Subash Desai (MVA) government owes an explanation as to what they did to retain the project.” Shelar said Shinde and his deputy Devendra Fadnavis had gone all out in pursuing the project since July 2022. He said, “On July 26, a delegation under the managing director of Vedanta Global, Arya Hebbar, met the CM and Deputy CM and gave a presentation on the project”…”the delegation said they were keen to invest in Talegaon, Pune due to the availability of skilled manpower, industry-friendly environment, connectivity to Mumbai and JNPT ports, strong value chain, and modern infrastructure.”

As the political blame game escalated in Maharashtra over Vedanta-Foxconn picking Gujarat for their semiconductor plant the state lost the $20 billion project. To solace himself and misguide people CM Eknath Shinde announced they had a meeting with Vedanta-Foxconn and offered subsidies and incentives and blamed the MVA government for the JV picking Gujarat for their USD 20 billion project.

New industries must come to Maharashtra and Centre must support the state but Modi ji’s prime interest is Gujarat. BJP’s state government is not making any efforts. The mega semiconductor project of Vedanta-Foxconn going to Gujarat was an attack on Maharashtra’s ‘prestige’. When BJP’s Devendra Fadnavis was chief minister from 2014-19, the GIFT City project was handed over to Gujarat, and current CM Eknath Shinde similarly allowed the semiconductor plant to slip away. Maharashtra had also lost a proposed bulk drug park project in Raigad district as the Centre approved similar parks in Himachal Pradesh, Gujarat and Andhra Pradesh instead.

Fadnavis’ post on Twitter came after Vedanta’s Anil Agrawal in a series of tweets, said they “have to start in one place & based on professional & independent advice we chose Gujarat”. This multi-billion dollar long term investment will change the course of Indian electronics. We will create a pan Indian ecosystem and are fully committed to investing in Maharashtra as well. Maharashtra will be our key to forward integration in our Gujarat.

In 2015-16, Fadnavis had taken initiative to get Asia’s first green refinery project to Maharashtra. The project promised investment of Rs 3 lakh crore and employment to one lakh people. It was to be a joint venture between Indian Oil Corporation Ltd, Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd, Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd and Saudi Arabia’s Aramco. However, the Shiv Sena, which was then an alliance partner of the BJP in the coalition government between 2014 to 2019, opposed the project in the coastal Konkan region. As a result, the process of land acquisition for the world’s largest single-complex refinery project was stopped and the project was scuttled.

Kerala man undergoing treatment after falling into pothole dies in Kochi

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ANI

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September 16, 2022

In a pothole-linked accident, a man died while undergoing treatment at Kochi’s Aluva hospital on Thursday. The deceased has been identified as Kunhumuhammed (74) who fell in the pothole on the Aluva-Perumbavoor road in the Ernakulam district on August 20 and was undergoing treatment at Kochi’s Aluva hospital.

He did not regain consciousness since the accident as he had sustained severe injuries in his head. Following the incident, locals blocked the Aluva-Perumbavoor road and burnt the effigies of Kerala Public Works Department (PWD) Minister PA Muhammad Riyas and Aluva MLA Anwar Sadath.

There are several complaints about the road which was allegedly damaged after one month of renovation. Due to this, the Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau (VACB) has probed the matter and submitted its report to the Kerala High Court after the Court asked about the road’s condition.

Pothole accidents remain a concern in India. The government, in December, informed the Parliament that over 3,500 road accidents occurred in the year 2020 due to potholes. Ministry of Road Transport and Highways said that 4,775 and 3,564 accidents occurred in the years 2019 and 2020, respectively, due to potholes.

Congress to begin second phase of Bharat Jodo Yatra from Gujarat

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ANI

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September 16, 2022

Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said that if the Bharat Jodo yatra led by Rahul Gandhi from Kanyakumari to Kashmir turns successful then the party will go ahead with another yatra from Gujarat to Arunachal Pradesh.

As Congress’ Bharat Jodo Yatra entered its eighth day, party leaders led by Rahul Gandhi started the march from Kollam on Friday.

Jairam Ramesh indicated that the Bharat Jodo Yatra is not linked to the election campaigns in Gujarat and Himachal. “We’ll cover nearly 3,100km in 150 days in the second phase. This is the longest march undertaken by any political party in the world. Earlier it was the one undertaken by Chinese leader Mao Zedong. If the yatra from Kanyakumari to Kashmir turns successful, we’ll go ahead with the one from Gujarat to Arunachal Pradesh,” AICC general secretary Jairam Ramesh said in Kollam.

Congress reacted after political parties questioned about taking the yatra from States where BJP is not predominant. “Bharat Jodo or Seat Jodo? 18 days in Kerala, 2 days in UP. Strange way to fight BJPRSS,” said a tweet by the CPM whose Pinarayi Vijayan heads Kerala’s Left Democratic Front (LDF) government.

Kerala is the only state where the Left has a government. The CPM was the Congress’s election partner in the 2021 West Bengal Assembly election but the grand old party is the Left outfit’s principal opposition in the southern state.

2 Indigo officials nabbed for aiding gold smuggling at Karipur airport

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ANI

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September 16, 2022

arrest, Jammu and Kashmir — Image for representative purpose

The customs department arrested two officials of IndiGo Airlines for allegedly helping in gold smuggling at Kozhikode International Airport.

The accused have been identified as Sajid Rehman, a senior executive and Mohammad Samil, a customer service agent.

It has been reported that the accused were arrested for helping in smuggling 4.9 kg of gold from abroad worth Rs 2.5 crore. The gold was found in the baggage of a passenger who left it at the airport and fled.

Several incidents of gold smuggling have been reported from airports across the country.

US announces USD 600 mln additional military package for Ukraine

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ANI

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September 16, 2022

US will provide USD 600 million in additional military assistance for Ukraine, the State Department said on Friday (local time).

US State Secretary Antony Blinken said, “I am authorizing our twenty-first drawdown of U.S. arms and equipment for Ukraine since September 2021. This USD 600 million drawdown includes additional arms, munitions, and equipment from U.S. Department of Defense inventories.

This drawdown will bring the total U.S. military assistance for Ukraine to approximately USD 15.8 billion since the beginning of this Administration.

” He noted that together with Allies and partners, the US is delivering the arms and equipment that Ukraine’s forces are utilizing so effectively as they continue their successful counter-offensive against Russia’s invasion.

Quoting President Joe Biden, Blinken said that the President has been clear that the US will support the people of Ukraine for as long as it takes.

“With admirable grit and determination, the people of Ukraine are defending their homeland and fighting for their future. The United States is providing Ukraine military assistance alongside our Allies and partners from more than 50 countries to support its defence. The capabilities we are delivering are carefully calibrated to make the most difference on the battlefield and strengthen Ukraine’s hand at the negotiating table when the time is right,” he added.

Pakistani netizens express fear as telecom authority crackdown on encrypted internet networks

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ANI

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September 16, 2022

Pakistani netizens are expressing fear of state surveillance after the country’s telecom authority announced that it would crack down on virtual private networks (VPNs), a means by which personal data remains hidden or encrypted, media reports said.

A statement on the website of the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) read that using any mode of communication including a VPN is a violation of PTA regulations, reported agencies.

After the announcement of the VPN crackdown, netizens are rattled. The PTA has simplified the process of registration, the notification read adding that now public and private sector organisations, foreign missions and freelancers, who wish to use a VPN for their legitimate purposes, must register it by using an online application by October 31, 2022, to avoid disruption.

An application for a VPN registration would only be accepted through the mentioned online link, it read and noted that the applications communicated through any other means shall not be accepted.

CBI arrests former West Bengal Board president in SSC scam case

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ANI

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September 15, 2022

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Thursday arrested the former president of the West Bengal Board of Secondary Education, Kalyanmoy Ganguly, for his alleged involvement in the School Service Commission (SSC) scam case.

“It was alleged that the accused extended undue advantage and in conspiracy with others had facilitated illegal appointment to the undeserving and unlisted candidates to the post of Group-C staffs in various schools across the State of West Bengal,” read a statement by CBI.

CBI registered the instant case in May this year. The arrested accused has been taken to SSKM Hospital for a mandatory medical check-up and will be produced on Friday before the Court of Special Judge of CBI Court in the Alipore district of Kolkata.

On Thursday, CBI conducted searches at six locations in Delhi and Kolkata at the premises of a software company in connection with the West Bengal School Service Commission (SSC) scam.

Earlier on September 1, West Bengal Leader of the Opposition (LoP) Suvendu Adhikari said that Partha Chatterjee and his close associate should be punished “severely” in response to their extended judicial custody.

In a veiled attack on Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, Adhikari told to agencies that Partha Chatterjee took a bribe of Rs 800-1000 crore under the influence of Banerjee.

“These people should be punished severely. A special trial should be conducted… under the influence of Mamata Banerjee, Partha Chatterjee took a bribe of Rs 800-1000 Cr and destroyed the dreams of unemployed youth,” he said.

“It is shameful that the poor don’t have a place to live and politicians are purchasing apartments to hide their illicit funds. The corrupt individuals should be punished according to the law,” he added further.

In response to Banerjee referring to him as “Gaddar”, Adhikari stated that everyone knows who “Gaddar” is or not. She should introspect herself first.

“The outcome of the Nandigram election speaks for itself, people are aware of who is ‘Gaddar’ and who is not. People have answered this, so I won’t say much more,” he added.

A special court in Kolkata had extended the judicial custody of former West Bengal Minister Partha Chatterjee and his close associate, Arpita Mukherjee, till September 14 in connection with the School Service Commission (SSC) recruitment scam case.

CM Eknath Shinde states”Special hospitals will be developed for eye disorders in Mumbai”

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Web Team

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September 15, 2022

Chief Minister of Maharashtra Eknath Shinde has stated that a special hospital for eye disorders will be developed for the mumbaikars so that they can get better treatment. An inspection will also be taken place to see if better treatment is been given to the patients.

The project of redevelopment of the new eye hospitals is in progress and it will be completed through the Mumbai Municipal Corporation and the construction would take place in 19 hospitals.

A meeting was set up today in the ministry to discuss over the concerns raised on health issues of Maharashtra. The meeting had the presence of Medical Education Minister Girish Mahajan , MLA Sada Saravankar, Mumbai Municipal Commissioner, IAS Iqbal Singh Chahal, Managing Director of Mhada Anil Diggikar and others.

As per the reports, Mumbai Municipal Corporations have 16 suburban hospitals along with the other hospitals which are King Edward Memorial (KEM), Lokmanya Tilak Municipal General Hospital in Sion, Bai Yamunabai Laxman Nair hospital, Rustom Narsi Cooper Municipal General Hospital.

The suburban hospitals have approximately 3245 beds available which are working to make sure other patients are allotted for those beds. Many other hospitals will also be built which is Bandup Multispeciality which has started at Babasaheb Ambedkar super speciality hospital located at Nahur.

Sonali Phogat Case: CBI takes over case from Goa police

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ANI

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September 15, 2022

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has taken over the probe in the case related to the suspicious death of BJP leader and actor Sonali Phogat from the Goa Police, sources said on Thursday.

A senior CBI officer confirmed that they have registered an FIR into the case and a detailed probe has been ordered.

This comes after Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Monday said that he will request Union Home Minister Amit Shah regarding handing over the Phogat case to the CBI.

On September 12, the Ministry of Home Affairs recommended for CBI Investigation into Sonali Phogat’s death case.

Earlier, CM Sawant in a statement to the media had said that on the request of Sonali Phogat’s family members, especially that of her daughter, the state will request Home Minister Amit Shah to hand over the probe to the CBI.

Earlier on Sunday, Haryana CM Manohar Lal Khattar had also said that the CBI would probe Phogat’s death if the family was not satisfied with the Goa police’s investigation.

Talking to media persons, Khattar said, “We had asked for a CBI probe in writing but they’ve stated that first Goa would complete their own investigation and if the family is not satisfied with it, the investigation will be handed over to CBI.”

Earlier, a Khap Mahapanchayat was held in Hisar demanding a CBI inquiry into the death of Sonali Phogat.

Punjab and Haryana HC grants bail to Daler Mehndi in 2003 human trafficking case.

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ANI

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September 15, 2022

Punjab and Haryana High Court gave relief to singer Daler Mehndi and granted him bail on Thursday in a 2003 human trafficking case.

Singer Daler’s lawyer Sumanjit Kaur confirmed Mehndi’s bail. “I had filed a petition to review it and taking cognizance of it on behalf of the Punjab Haryana High Court, it has been suspended and Daler Mehndi has got bail. Daler Mehndi will be released from jail,” said Kaur.

Earlier in July, the Patiala district court sentenced Singer Daler Mehndi to two years of imprisonment in a 2003 human trafficking case.

Following the court’s order, the singer was taken into custody by Punjab Police. According to Advocate Gurmeet Singh, Mehndi’s application for release on probation was also dismissed by the court.

Bakshish Singh, the complainant alleged that Mehndi and his bother took Rs 13 lakh from him on the pretext of sending him to Canada.

“Daler Mehndi and his brother Shamsher Mehndi took Rs 13 lakh from me to send me to Canada. Neither did they send me abroad, nor did they return my money. At that time, they used to do this work of sending people abroad,” Bakshish Singh told to agencies.