Revoking Article 370 a step towards realising Sardar Patel's dream: PM Modi

Agencies
August 15, 2019

New Delhi, Aug 15: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday hailed his government's decision to revoke Article 370 of the Constitution that granted special status to Jammu and Kashmir, saying that it was a step towards realising the dream of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel.

Addressing the nation from the ramparts of the Red Fort on the 73rd Independence Day, Modi said: "The government is yet to complete 10 weeks and we have provided speed to the development programme. We did not wait even a day to start our work.

"In this short span of time, we have taken important steps in every sector. Article 370 and 35A being revoked from Jammu and Kashmir is a step towards realising the dream of Sardar Patel."

He said the work which was pending for the last 70 years was accomplished in less than 70 days under his government.

Previous governments made efforts in the past 70 years to deal with Kashmir, but it did not bear results, he said, adding "a new approach was needed".

"Our government does not delay decisions. We neither nurse problems nor keep them pending," he said while referring to Article 370.

"If Article 370 was so important and life changing, why was this Article not made permanent? After all, those people had large mandates and could have removed the temporary status of Article 370. Those who supported Article 370, India is asking them," PM Modi said in his speech.

"The spirit of one nation, one Constitution has become a reality now. And India is proud of it," he said.

He added that his government had taken important steps to end triple talaq, for the welfare of farmers and traders and also to make the medical sector even more people friendly.

Talking about water conservation, the Prime Minister said: "India understands the importance of water conservation and thus, a new Ministry for 'Jal Shakti' has been created."

He also paid tribute to the those who laid their lives for the independence of the nation.

"There were many who laid their lives for the nation. Many were hanged to death for our freedom. Today I remember all of them. Today, for the development of our free India, everybody who has contributed to this, I remember all of them."

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News Network
March 28,2020

Amaravati, Mar 28: The state governments of Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka carried out a joint quarantine operation to help over a thousand migrant labourers from various districts of Andhra Pradesh.
The Andhra Pradesh administration received the information that 1,334 migrant labourers were trying to return to the state after obtaining passes from the Deputy Director of Fisheries in Mangalore, Karnataka.
The labourers, according to a press release by the Andhra Pradesh government, were headed towards the Nangili Toll Plaza in Kolar district, from where they would enter the state to return to their native places.
"The Chittoor Collector, Superintendent of Police and Sub-Collector rushed to the spot to coordinate with their counterparts from Kolar, Karnataka. The migrant workers were not permitted to enter AP due to the lockdown and the guidelines of the Union as well as state government," according to the release.
Instead, both the governments decided to initiate a joint quarantine operation in Kolar while taking precautionary measures to ensure that none of the labourers are carriers of the COVID-19 infection.
The Andhra government also reassured the Kolar administration that it will provide doctors, healthcare and all other facilities. It has also issued directions for logistical support, food, water, transport to take the labourers to quarantine facility, and medical team, consisting of 12 doctors, 22 supervisors and other staff, to be provided.
While the Prime Minister had imposed a nationwide lockdown, including the suspension of inter-state travel to prevent the spread of coronavirus, migrant workers and labourers around the country have started returning back to their native places fearing joblessness and cash crunch.
Andhra Pradesh as of Saturday 9:30 am, had 14 confirmed cases of coronavirus while Karnataka's count stood at 55, according to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.

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News Network
April 10,2020

New Delhi, Apr 10: With 896 COVID-19 cases reported in the country in the last 24 hours, India's total number of coronavirus positive cases rose to 6,761 on Friday, informed the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.

Out of all these cases, 6039 are active cases, 516 have been cured/discharged/ migrated, and 206 deaths have been reported so far.

The country witnessed the highest one day increase with 896 cases.

37 deaths were reported in the last 24 hours.

Maharashtra with 1364 cases is the worst affected state followed by the Union Territory of Delhi with 898 cases and Tamil Nadu with 834 cases.

The country is under a 21-day lockdown until April 14 which was imposed to curb the spread of the virus.

States like Odisha and Punjab have extended the lockdown till April 30.

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News Network
March 5,2020

New Delhi, Mar 5: Retirement fund body EPFO on Thursday lowered interest rate on provident fund deposits to 8.5 per cent for the current financial year, said Labour Minister Santosh Gangwar on Thursday.

The EPFO had provided 8.65 per cent rate of interest on EPF for 2018-19 to its around six crore subscribers. The decision was taken at a meeting of the the Employees' Provident Fund Organisation's (EPFO) apex decision making body -- the Central Board of Trustee.

"The EPFO has decided to provide 8.5 per cent interest rate on EPF deposits for 2019-20 in the Central Board of Trustees (CBT) meeting today," Gangwar told reporters after the meeting here.

Now, the labour ministry requires the finance ministry's concurrence on the matter. Since the Government of India is the guarantor, the finance ministry has to vet the proposal for EPF interest rate to avoid any liability on account of shortfall in the EPFO income for a fiscal.

The finance ministry has been nudging the labour ministry for aligning the EPF interest rate with other small saving schemes run by the government like the public provident fund and post office saving schemes.

The EPFO had provided 8.65 per cent rate of interest to its subscribers for 2016-17 and 8.55 per cent in 2017-18. The rate of interest was slightly higher at 8.8 per cent in 2015-16.

It had given 8.75 per cent rate of interest in 2013-14 as well as 2014-15, higher than 8.5 per cent for 2012-13.

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