Accept Rs 700-cr from UAE or compensate us: Flood-ravaged Kerala tells Modi govt

News Network
August 23, 2018

Newsroom, Aug 23: Noting that the 2016 National Disaster Management Plan (NDMP) provides provisions to accept voluntary offers from foreign nations in the wake of calamities, the Kerala government has asked the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led union government not to reject the UAE government’s offer of Rs 700 crore towards Kerala flood relief funds.

The Kerala government also stated that if the centre was not ready to accept the generous aid from UAE, Qatar and other nations, it should compensate the State for the loss of such a hefty sum.

“Prime Minister Narendra Modi had welcomed the UAE government making the ₹700 crore offer. It is only natural for nations to help each other,” Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan told a news conference here on Wednesday.

While Mr. Vijayan said the the State would try to resolve the issue through discussions, if necessary with the Prime Minister himself, Finance Minister T.M. Thomas Isaac tweeted that the Centre must either accept the UAE’s offer or compensate the State.

The relevant section of the chapter on ‘International Cooperation’ of the NDMP reads: “As a matter of policy, the Government of India does not issue any appeal for foreign assistance in the wake of a disaster. However, if the national government of another country voluntarily offers assistance as a goodwill gesture in solidarity with the disaster victims, the Central Government may accept the offer. The Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India, is required to coordinate with the Ministry of External Affairs, which is primarily responsible for reviewing foreign offers of assistance and channelising the same. In consultation with the State Government concerned, the MHA will assess the response requirements that the foreign teams can provide.”

“National Disaster Management Plan Chapter 9 on international cooperation accepts that in time (of) severe calamity voluntary aid given by a foreign gov can be accepted. Still if Union Gov chooses to adopt a negative stand towards offer made by UAE gov they should compensate Kerala,” Dr. Isaac tweeted.

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Abdul
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Thursday, 23 Aug 2018

  • From here on UAE shuld stop the building of Hindu Temples in UAE which Modi as asked them tooo 

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News Network
August 5,2020

Bengaluru, Aug 5: The Janata Dal (Secular) will contest all the 243 assembly seats in Bihar, the elections for which are due in October-November this year, its state unit chief Haldhar Kant Mishra announced on Tuesday.

Mishra said party supremo Deve Gowda has asked him to expand JD(S)'s base and also to prepare itself for contesting all the constituencies in view of the zeal and enthusiasm shown by party workers and office-bearers.

Deve Gowda announced the decision during a virtual meeting with presidents of party's various cells and office- bearers, he said.

He assured that the party will provide all kinds of support for its expansion and selection of candidates for the Bihar polls, Mishra said.

The former prime minister told the party functionaries that several leaders from Bihar are in touch with him and they will join the JD(S) to play their part in the elections, he added.

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News Network
March 4,2020

Bengaluru, Mar 4: CM BS Yediyurappa may reconsider plans to hike taxes and curtail populist schemes in his budget on Thursday as the Centre released part of GST compensation it owes the state. Officials said the Centre released the first instalment of the bimonthly compensation for October-November amounting to Rs 2,013 crore.

"This is welcome relief as the government has been scrambling to mobilise funds," said BT Manohar, member of GST consultative committee, government of Karnataka. The second instalment of Rs 1,523 crore is also expected to be released soon.

The CM, in his seventh budget, is expected keep the focus firmly on farmers and give top priority to irrigation, agriculture and welfare schemes.

The irrigation sector is expected to land the lion's share with an allocation of at least Rs 25,000 crore, followed by agriculture. Former CM Kumaraswamy had allocated over Rs 17,000 crore for water resources.

The bulk of funds is likely to go to the Upper Krishna (UKP) and Upper Bhadra projects, as it will help backward Kalyana Karnataka and central Karnataka regions. The two are also significant political blocs. The government will also seek assistance from the Centre for the UKP project in the erstwhile Hyderabad-Karnataka region, which enjoys special status under the Constitution owing to its backwardness. P4

Yediyurappa is also expected to spell out populist schemes for the poor.

Former CM HD Kumaraswamy had allocated Rs 17,212 crore in the previous budget for water resources and Yediyurappa is likely to go well beyond that figure. "Priority will be given to irrigation and farmers," Yediyurappa had said recently. "I am making efforts to present a budget within the financial constraints."

he amounts are released once every two months, but the Centre had fallen behind on payments. PX

"There are indications that another payment will be made."

The state's optimism stems from the fact that the Centre's GST collection crossed the Rs 1 lakh crore-mark for four successive months till February.

However, the CM could still hike tax rates marginally. At a pre-budget meet on resource mobilisation where Yediyurappa is learnt to have expressed willingness to borrow funds, officials from the finance department advocated raising tax rates instead.

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Agencies
August 2,2020

New Delhi, Aug 2: Union Home Minister Amit Shah today tested positive for COVID-19 coronavirus infection and has been admitted to a hospital. 

Shah took to social media today to inform about his infection. “I have tested positive but my health is fine," he said, adding that he has been hospitalised on the assistance of doctors. 

The Union Home Minister also appealed to those who came into close contact with him in the last few days to get themselves tested for COVID-19.

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