Former Haryana chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda on Saturday said his party is going to form government with comfortable majority and reiterated that the decision on CM's face will be taken by the high command on the opinion of the Congress MLAs. He made these remarks after the polling ended and several exit polls predicted the Congress' victory in the Haryana polls. "We are forming the government with a comfortable majority," the 77-year-old Hooda told reporters at his Rohtak residence. On several exit polls predicting a Congress victory, the senior Congress leader said, "I have been saying that according to our assessment, we are forming the government with a comfortable majority... I have been saying that people have decided to form the Congress government." On who will be the chief minister if the Congress comes to power, Hooda reiterated that there is a laid down procedure in the party, according to which "the opinion of the party MLAs will be sought and the high command will decide". Asked that Kumari Selja and Randeep Singh Surjewala are also aspirants for the CM's posts, Hooda said politics is such that one can have aspirations, "but there is a procedure that legislators will give their opinion and high command will decide". On the BJP leaders saying their party will return to power, Hooda quipped, "What else will BJP say? They will come to know once results are out." Dubbing the BJP-led government in Haryana as a "non-performing" government, he said corruption and unemployment were at their peak under their dispensation while every section including farmers, employees, poor, labourers, women and youth were fed up with this government. He said this election was also about "achievements of the previous Congress government versus the BJP's failures and their non-performance". From once being a state which was number one in terms of per capita income, investment and in various other spheres, the state now tops in unemployment while law and order situation has deteriorated and drug menace has spread its tentacles, Hooda said. The Congress veteran and two-time former chief minister, who is seeking re-election from Garhi Sampla-Kiloi in Rohtak district, had told reporters before going to cast his vote in village Sanghi in the district in the morning that the Congress will form the government and they have made up their mind to bring the party to power. There is lot of enthusiasm among people, he said. This government is a "failure" and people have decided to oust them, he added. "BJP ja rahi hai, Congress aa rahi hai (BJP is on way out while the Congress is coming back to power)," he said. Polling for all the 90 assembly seats was held on Saturday. The BJP is in power in Haryana for last 10 years and the Congress, this time, is eyeing to wrest power. PTI SUN KSS KSS This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
05 October,2024 10:22 PM IST | Chandigarh | PTIIn a massive pan-India crackdown against terrorists' outfit Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM), the NIA on Saturday conducted searches at 26 locations in five states and arrested one person and questioned several suspects involved in motivating youth into committing violent terror attacks across the country, according to an official statement. Sheikh Sultan Salah Uddin Ayubi alias Ayubi was taken into custody after searches at 26 locations in Assam, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi and Jammu and Kashmir, it said. The accused was arrested on account of his incriminatory role in the conspiracy case, said the statement issued by the National Investigation Agency (NIA). He will be produced before the NIA special court, Patiala House, New Delhi, it added. In addition, "several other suspects" have also been rounded up for questioning, the NIA said. The suspects were engaged in radicalising individuals associated with Pakistan-based JeM and were engaged in disseminating terrorist related propaganda, and "radicalising and recruiting youth into the Jamaat outfit" inspired by it, it said. These suspects were involved in motivating the youth into committing violent terror attacks across India, the NIA investigations have revealed, according to the statement. The premises searched by the NIA were located in Goalpara (Assam), Aurangabad, Jalna and Malegaon in Maharashtra, Meerut and Saharanpur in Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, and Baramulla, Pulwama and Ramban in Jammu and Kashmir. During the searches, the NIA teams seized several incriminating documents, electronic devices, pamphlets and magazines. These are being examined for further leads and evidence against the suspects whose premises were searched on Saturday, the anti-terror agency said, adding the investigations in the case are continuing. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
05 October,2024 09:56 PM IST | New Delhi | PTIKarnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Saturday came down heavily on the opposition BJP and the JD(S) for dragging his wife Parvathi B M in the MUDA case, who had never stepped into public life and stayed within her house. He also accused the opposition of targeting him because they could not tolerate a person from a backward community in the chief minister’s post. Speaking at the ‘Swabhimani Samavesha’ (self-esteem convention) in Manvi Taluk, which was organised for the ‘AHINDA’ (minorities, backward and Dalit) communities, Siddaramaiah said the five guarantees introduced by the Congress government last year is strengthening the poor, backward, minorities, women and Dalits by raising their economical and social status, which the opposition BJP and the JD(S) could not tolerate. "They (opposition) got so frustrated that they dragged my wife, who had never entered politics or stepped out of her house (in public life), on the road. You need to ask (opposition) this question whether this is justified," the chief minister said. There is mounting pressure from the opposition parties on Siddaramaiah to resign from his post after a special court ordered the Lokayukta police on September 25 to investigate him in the Mysore Urban Development Authority (MUDA) site allotment case. Accordingly, the Lokayukta police on September 27 registered an FIR against Siddaramaiah, his wife Parvathi, brother-in-law Mallikarjuna Swamy, Devaraju -- from whom Mallikarjuna Swamy purchased land and gifted it to Parvathi -- and others. The order of the Special Court came a day after the High Court upheld the sanction granted by the Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot to conduct an investigation against Siddaramaiah. The ED has also registered an Enforcement Case Information Report (ECIR), equivalent to an FIR by police, against the chief minister over the alleged irregularities in the allotment of 14 sites to his wife by the MUDA. The MUDA on October 1 decided to take back the 14 plots allotted to Siddaramaiah's wife, following her decision to relinquish their ownership and possession. The MUDA has ordered to cancel the sale deed of these plots, its Commissioner A N Raghunandan had said. Siddaramaiah asked the audience whether it was wrong to give them five guarantees and also Indira Canteens offering subsidised breakfast and meals, 'Ksheera Bhagya' scheme, 'Ksheera Dhaare' scheme, 'Vidya Siri' scheme and 'Mathrupoorna' scheme. He alleged that the opposition wanted to tarnish his image and trouble him politically, though he did not commit any mistake. "They want to topple the Siddaramaiah government for just one mistake, that I belong to a backward community. That’s their (opposition party leaders) heartburn. Can you tolerate this?" the chief minister charged. "My mistake is that I worked towards giving the backward communities the kind of social freedom B R Ambedkar had dreamt of," he added. Earlier speaking to reporters, Siddaramaiah said the ‘Swabhimani Samavesha’ was not against anyone but to increase the self-esteem of minorities, backward communities and Dalits (AHINDA communities) in the state. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
05 October,2024 09:49 PM IST | Raichur (Karnataka) | PTIIndia conducted three successful flight tests of a new generation of very short-range air defence missile systems at Rajasthan's Pokhran firing ranges, paving the way for their production. The tests were carried out on October 3 and 4 against high-speed targets and the weapon systems demonstrated very critical parameters of "maximum range and maximum altitude interception", the defence ministry said. It said the successful trials paved the way for "early user trials and production in a short time span" in line with the government's vision of 'Aatmanirbhar Bharat' (self-reliant India). "The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) successfully conducted three flight tests of the fourth generation, technically-advanced miniaturised Very Short Range Air Defence System (VSHORADS) at the Pokhran field firing ranges," the ministry said. "The development of VSHORADS missiles has been completed and two production agencies have been engaged in the development-cum-production partner (DcPP) mode," it said. Watch Video below In a series of trials against high speed aerial target Very Short Range Air Defence System(VSHORADS) has been successfully tested, demonstrating repeatability of hit to kill capability of weapon in various target engagement.@PMOIndia@DefenceMinIndia@SpokespersonMoD pic.twitter.com/k1IYaza15C — DRDO (@DRDO_India) October 5, 2024 Defence Minister Rajnath Singh congratulated the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and the Indian Army for the flight tests of the missile system. Singh said this new missile, equipped with modern technologies, will give further technological boost to the armed forces against aerial threats, it said. VSHORADS is a man-portable air defence system designed and developed indigenously by Research Centre Imarat (RCI) in collaboration with other DRDO laboratories and Indian industry partners. The missile incorporates many novel technologies including a miniaturised reaction control system (RCS) and integrated avionics which have been successfully proven during the tests, the ministry said in a statement. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
05 October,2024 09:42 PM IST | New Delhi | PTIPrime Minister Narendra Modi during his Maharashtra visit on Saturday said that the classical language status will boost research and education in Marathi, reported the PTI. PM Modi on Saturday inaugurated and laid the foundation stones of several projects worth more than Rs 32,000 crore in Maharashtra. Addressing a function in Mumbai, two days after the Union Cabinet approved the classical language tag for Marathi and four other languages, Modi said it was a "golden moment" for the Marathi language. "Marathi is a historical language whose knowledge sources have guided several generations. The Marathi language showcased literature, religion, social reforms, the freedom movement etc., over the years. The culture, history, literature, and folk art are linked to the language," the prime minister said, according to the PTI. PM Modi said that the classical language status would help boost research and education in the Marathi language and appealed to Marathi speakers to ensure that the language reaches a global audience. The Prime Minister emphasised that the Union government always encouraged imparting education in the mother tongue. As per the National Education Policy, medical and engineering studies can be pursued in the Marathi language, he added, as per the PTI. PM Modi said that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) led government at the Centre ensured that the operative part in court judgements is given in the mother tongue. "Language should be the vehicle of ideas," he said, the news agency reported on Satutrday. Noting that translations can break the language barrier, PM Modi proposed using technology to popularise the Indian languages in the world. "It is the responsibility of every Marathi-speaking person to contribute to developing the language," PM Modi added. So far, India has six classical languages-- Tamil, Sanskrit, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam and Odia. After a language is notified as a classical language, the Union Education Ministry provides certain benefits for its promotion, which include two major annual international awards for scholars of eminence in the said languages. An official statement had on Thursday had said that the Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Modi has approved to confer the status of classical language to Marathi. Classical languages serve as a custodian of Bharat’s profound and ancient cultural heritage, embodying the essence of each community’s historical and cultural milestone, it said. The statement said that a proposal from the Maharashtra Government in 2013 was received in the Ministry requesting Classical Language status to Marathi, which was forwarded to the Linguistics Experts Committee (LEC). The LEC recommended Marathi for classical language and during the inter-ministerial consultations on the draft note for cabinet in 2017 for conferring classical status to the Marathi language, MHA advised to revise the criteria and make it stricter. The PMO vide its comment stated that the Ministry may conduct an exercise to find out how many other languages are likely to become eligible. (with PTI inputs)
05 October,2024 09:33 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentAt least seven students sustained minor injuries after their school bus overturned in Maharashtra's Chandrapur district on Saturday, the police said, reported the PTI. The incident took place near Hardona village, an official said. According to the PTI, about 40 students a school in Gadchandur town were travelling on the bus when it skidded and flipped over, the official said. At least seven students suffered bruises. They were treated at a local hospital and discharged, he said, adding that a probe is underway. 1 killed, 12 injured as Delhi-bound bus overturns in UP In an another incident in Uttar Pradesh, one person was killed and 12 were injured when a private bus, carrying passengers from Bahraich to New Delhi, overturned on Kisan Path in Gosaiganj area here on Friday evening, police said, as per the PTI. According to police, the driver of the bus lost control of the vehicle and it hit a road divider, causing it to overturn. The injured were taken to the community health centre in Gosaiganj for treatment. "Shahida (65), a resident of Bahraich, succumbed to injuries at the hospital. Three others, Rama (40), Shanti (30), and Devidin (40), sustained serious injuries and were referred to civil hospital for further treatment. "Eight others suffered minor injuries and were discharged after treatment at the treated at the community health centre," the statement read. Two fishermen drown in sea as boat capsizes off Sindhudurg coast in Maharashtra Meanwhile, two fishermen reportedly died after their boat capsized in the Arabian Sea off the Sindhudurg coast in Maharashtra, the police said, as per the PTI. The incident took place in the wee hours of Saturday, the police said. "There were a total of 14 fishermen on board the boat. They had gone fishing when their boat capsized. While two fishermen drowned, 12 others managed to reach a safe place," an official said, reported the PTI. "The incident occurred at around 2 am off the Nivati beach in Sindhudurg," a police official said. The deceased fishermen were identified as Raghunath Dharmaji Yeraji (49) and Anand Pundlik Paradkar (52), he said. Both were residents of Vengurla taluka of Sindhudurg district, he added. An accidental death report has been filed at the Nivati police station in this connection, and investigation is underway, the official said, reported the news agency. (with PTI inputs)
05 October,2024 07:43 PM IST | Chandrapur | mid-day online correspondentHaryana recorded a voter turnout of 61 per cent till 5 pm on Saturday across all the 90 assembly seats in the single-phase assembly polls in the state, ANI reported. According to ANI, in the data released by the Election Commission of India, the highest voter turnout was recorded in Mewat at 68.28 per cent, while the lowest was Gurugram at 49.97 per cent till 5pm. Yamunanagar has recorded a voter turnout of 67.93 per cent, followed by Palwal with 67.69 percent, Fatehabad with 67.05 per cent, Jind with 66.02 per cent, Mahendragarh 65.76 percent, Kurukshetra with 65.55 percent and Sirsa with 65.37 percent. As per the ECI, Hisar recorded 64.16 per cent, Bhiwani 63.06 per cent, Kaithal 62.53 per cent, Ambala 62.26 per cent, Rewari 60.91 per cent, Panipat 60.52 per cent, Jhajjar 60.52 per cent, Rohtak 60.56 per cent, Karnal 60.42 per cent, Charkhi Dadri 58.10 per cent, Sonipat 56.69 per cent, Faridabad 51.28 per cent and Panchkula 54.71 per cent voter turnout, ANI reported. Meanwhile, voting has wrapped up in Haryana assembly elections with EVM and VVPAT at a polling booth being sealed and secured for the day of counting. The Haryana polls commenced at 7am and went till 6pm. A total of 1,031 candidates are competing in all 90 constituencies, and around 20,632 polling booths have been set up for voting. The votes will be counted on October 8, alongside Jammu and Kashmir. Union Minister Kiren Rijiju said that a good deed has been done in Haryana in the past 10 years and no on takes Congress's talks seriously. "In the last 10 years, good work has been done in Haryana with the blessings of PM Modi. No one takes seriously what Congress says. For 70 years, they have made false promises. They can win a few elections here and there but will not come to power. The words of Rahul Gandhi are so objectionable that it saddens us, he can criticise us but he shouldn't say things which harm the nation," Rijiju said while talking to ANI reporters in the national capital amid voting in the neighbouring state. Congress leader and wrestler Bajrang Punia said after voting in the Haryana elections that the Congress government should take over the state next, while Dronacharya awardee Mahavir Singh Phogat praised the Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP) and said the party has done a lot of work in the state over the past ten years. The main contesting parties in Haryana include the BJP, Congress and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), as well as the pre-poll alliance between the Indian National Lok Dal-Bahujan Samaj Party (INLD-BSP) and the Jannayak Janta Party (JJP)-Azad Samaj Party (ASP). The results for the Haryana Assembly Elections will be declared alongside Jammu and Kashmir's election results on October 8 In the 2019 Haryana Assembly elections, the BJP won 40 seats out of 90, forming a coalition government with the JJP, who won 10 seats. The Congress secured 31 seats. However, JJP later broke out of the coalition, ANI reported. (With inputs from ANI)
05 October,2024 07:31 PM IST | Chandigarh | mid-day online correspondentAt least 10 people have died in floods and landslides in Meghalaya's West Garo Hills and South Garo Hills districts, Following severe downpour since Friday, ANI reported. According to the ANI, seven people were killed in the landslides at Gasuapara area in South Garo Hills district on Saturday, and three people died in floods at Dalu area in West Garo Hills district on Friday, as per CM's office. Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma held a review on Saturday about the ongoing floods crisis in Garo Hills, which has affected all fiver districts, mainly South and West Garo Hills. The unceasing rains since Friday midnight have led to flooding in the Dalu area of West Garo Hills and plain belt areas, there has also been significant damage in Gasuapara, South Garo Hills, where a bridge has been washed away, ANI reported. According to CMO, CM Sangma has instructed the administration to release the ex-gratia to the deceased's nearest of kin as soon as possible. He also gave the administration instructions to make sure help is provided in the impacted areas and to ask the government for any assistance. Meanwhile, the NDRF team is conducting a search and rescue operation in the region, where seven persons have been reported deceased in Hatiasia Songma, a village in the South Garo Hills district administered by the Gasuapara police station. They were buried under a landslide, ANI reported. Due to multiple landslides, road commute from Dalu to Baghmara and other places have been disrupted. According to ANI, CM Sangma has directed the administration to look out for alternative routes to restore road travel in the Dalu-Baghmara area. Sangma has also directed rebuilding of the wooden bridges that have been washed away or damaged. He has recommended Bailey Bridge technology for the construction. (It is a modular, prefab, truss bridge design that allows quick assembly and easy transportation.) Sangma claimed that all wooden bridges in the state have been identified and will be replaced with new construction. Officials have said that electricity will be According to ANI, officials said that the electricity will be restored to the majority of the region by Saturday. The Chief Minister has also issued an order directing all efforts be made to guarantee sufficient relief operations and to relieve public life. CM Sangma has also asked the administration to be on high alert with officials to continuously monitor the situation, ANI reported. (With inputs from ANI)
05 October,2024 06:39 PM IST | Shillong | mid-day online correspondentA petition has been filed in the Supreme Court to establish an expert committee overseen by the sitting or retired judges of the apex court to examine potential measures in order to control cyber fraud, the ANI reported. According to ANI, the petition filed by advocate Pradeep Kumar Yadav cited various incidents where the judges themselves were allegedly the victims of cyber crime. According to a news article mentioned in the petition, retired Chief Justice of India RM Lodha was defrauded of Rs 1 lakh in 2019 after retrieving emails from a different senior Supreme Court judge's account requesting "emergency funds." Another incident mentioned in the petition was when a scammer posing as the current Chief Justice of India, DY Chandrachud, wrote that he was heading for an important meeting at Collegium but was stuck in Connaught Place and was in need of Rs 500 and promised to return that money, ANI reported. The petition also stated that another incident that occurred earlier this month when a cybercrime gang posed as officers of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), staged a false virtual courtroom with documents closely resembling original ones and one of them impersonating the CJI duped Vardhman Group head SP Oswal of Rs 7 crore. The petition further stated that Ramesh Devkinandan Dhanuka, retired Chief Justice of the Bombay High Court had lodged an FIR in 2023 with the Colaba police saying that an unidentified person sent him a message asking to update his pan card details, and upon opening the link and submitting the details, Rs 49,998 was drawn out of his bank account. In 2023, another cyber fraud came to light for misusing the identity of Karnataka High Court judge Justice G Narendra. The petitioner claimed that because he was getting calls from several mobile numbers and was getting OTPs from scammers, he was going to become a victim of cyber fraud. A criminal complaint was filed in this regard at the Tilak Marg police station on August 16, 2024. In the plea, a suitable framework to address the legal voids and widespread concerns raised by India's relentless surge in cybercrime was requested. The PIL said, "In today's interconnected digital landscape, the prevalence of cybercrime has reached unprecedented levels, posing significant threats to individuals, businesses and nations alike. As technology advances, so do the tactics employed by the cybercriminals, ranging from sophisticated hacking and ransomware attacks to identify theft and online fraud." The National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) reports that from 21,796 occurrences in 2017 to 27,248 incidents in 2018, there was a notable increase in cybercrime cases. In response to this trend, the NCRB began categorising crimes against women and children separately starting in 2017, noted the petition. "There needs to be an we have a legal framework in the name of Information Technology (Amendment) Act, 2008, which needs to be strengthened by expanding the definitions of cybercrimes and enhancing the legal framework for cybersecurity. This should hold intermediaries responsible for content and data hosted on their platforms, compelling them to adhere to stringent data protection measures," the petition said. The central government, through the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India, are made party in the petition, ANI reported. (With inputs from ANI)
05 October,2024 05:22 PM IST | New Delhi | mid-day online correspondentChhattisgarh Assembly Speaker & former Chief Minister Raman Singh on Saturday described the encounter of 31 Naxalites in the Maad area on the Narayanpur-Dantewada border as a 'huge success', adding that the vision of Home Minister Amit Shah has done a tremendous job in the double-engine government, ANI reported. Speaking to ANI, Raman Singh said, "This is a huge success, I congratulate the Chief Minister, Home Minister and the entire team for this great operation. The thinking and vision of Union Home Minister Amit Shah have done a great job in the double-engine government and they deserve congratulations... Congratulations to everyone for such a big operation for the first time." His response came after a total of 31 bodies of Naxalites were recovered by DRG Dantewada and STF Narayanpur in the ongoing joint operation in the Maad area on the Narayanpur-Dantewada border, said police to ANI. According to ANI, Chhattisgarh Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Sharma said that this has been Chhattisgarh's biggest security operation so far. "This is a very big operation in which 31 bodies have been recovered so far, this is the biggest operation in Chhattisgarh so far," Chhattisgarh Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Sharma told ANI. Chhattisgarh Minister Ramvichar Netam also congratulated the security personnel involved in this operation, stating that the government is working to eliminate Naxal by 2026 in the state. Chhattisgarh Minister Ramvichar Netam said "I congratulate and salute all the Jawans that were involved in this operation. It is certain that the resolution that Union Home Minister Amit Shah ji has to eliminate Naxalism from the state by 2026, we are working to achieve that target. Under the leadership of CM Vishnu Deo Sai, all the armed forces are running operations and Naxalites are either surrendering or being eliminated and we are moving ahead towards a decisive victory..." After receiving the information that leaders of Naxal in the region would be meeting at the Narayanpur-Dantewada border, Dantewada DRG, Narayanpur DRG, and STO teams launched an operation and killed 31 Naxalites, the police said to ANI. According to ANI, the police claimed that a huge number of arms and ammunition had also been found. "... We had received information that the top Naxal leaders of the region will be meeting at the Narayanpur-Dantewada border. Dantewada DRG, Narayanpur DRG, and STO teams were dispatched two days ago. There was an intense exchange of fire since yesterday afternoon and continued till late night. The dead bodies of 31 Naxals have been recovered. A large number of arms and ammunition have also been recovered... We had information of SCZM and DVCM rank Naxals to be present here and they were likely there owing to the large quantity of weapons... The geographical condition of the encounter site was difficult... East Bastar Division Company 6 has caused us a lot of trouble and loss... 1 jawan was injured after which he was airlifted to Raipur. He is under observation and in a stable condition," Narayanpur SP Prabhat Kumar said to ANI. (With inputs from ANI)
05 October,2024 01:52 PM IST | Raipur | mid-day online correspondentPrime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday launched Rs 23,300 crore initiatives related to agriculture and animal husbandry sectors at Washim in Maharashtra, reported news agency PTI. PM Modi, who is on a one-day visit to Maharashtra, arrived at the Nanded airport in the morning, from where he was flown to Washim in a helicopter. In Washim, he offered prayers at the Jagdamba Mata temple in Poharadevi. He later paid tributes to Sant Sevalal Maharaj and Sant Ramrao Maharaj at their 'samadhis' (memorials) in Poharadevi. During PM Modi's Maharashtra visit, the PM then inaugurated Banjara Virasat Museum, celebrating the rich heritage of Banjara community. During an event held later, PM Modi disbursed PM-KISAN Samman Nidhi's 18th instalment of Rs 20,000 crore to around 9.4 crore farmers. With the release of this instalment, around Rs 3.45 lakh crore have been released to farmers under this scheme, officials said. The PM also launched the 5th instalment of NaMo Shetkari Mahasanman Nidhi Yojana disbursing about Rs 2,000 crore. He inaugurated more than 7,500 projects under the Agriculture Infrastructure Fund (AIF), worth over Rs 1,920 crore. The major projects include custom hiring centres, primary processing units, warehouses, sorting and grading units, cold storage projects, post-harvest management projects among others, reported PTI. During PM Modi's Maharashtra visit, the PM also launched 9,200 Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs) with a combined turnover of around Rs 1,300 crore. He launched the Unified Genomic Chip for cattle and indigenous sex-sorted semen technology. This initiative aims to increase availability of sex sorted semen at affordable price to farmers and reduce the cost by around Rs 200 per dose. Unified Genomic Chip, GAUCHIP for indigenous cattle and MAHISHCHIP for buffaloes, have been developed along with genotyping services. With the implementation of genomic selection, young high-quality bulls can be identified at an early age, reported PTI. Modi inaugurated five solar parks with a total capacity of 19 MW across 'Maharashtra under 'Mukhyamantri Saur Krushi Vahini Yojana 2.0'. During the programme, he also honoured beneficiaries of the Mukhyamantri Majhi Ladki Bahin Yojana, the Maharashtra government's financial assistance scheme for women. (With inputs from PTI)
05 October,2024 01:45 PM IST | Washim | mid-day online correspondentADVERTISEMENT
