Drought looms large over more States

July 22, 2012

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New Delhi, July 22: Drought conditions loom over south Karnataka and central Maharashtra adding to concern at the severely deficient southwest monsoon in parts of Rajasthan and Gujarat.

These States have been advised to go for early rabi (winter) plantation to make up for the shortfall in kharif sowing. Much will depend on the progress of the monsoon in the last week of July.

With an average 40 per cent deficiency in monsoon rain in the northwest so far, farmers in paddy-growing Punjab and Haryana are stressed due to the higher cost of cultivation. As water levels in the Pong and Bhakra dams are below normal, farmers in these States are using excessive power and diesel to draw groundwater to save kharif paddy.

Alarmed at the situation, the Centre on Saturday convened a meeting of the affected States, including Karnataka, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Punjab, Haryana and Gujarat. What triggered the move was the grim situation. Two-thirds of the kharif sowing period are already over.

Now only late varieties or short-duration crops or fodder can be sowed to save farmers in the affected States. What hits them most is that the credit/loan they take for normal sowing cannot be returned if they fail to sow. If they go for renewed sowing of contingency crops, they will have to seek a fresh loan.

Agriculture Secretary Ashish Bahuguna, who convened the meeting with the Principal Secretaries of the six States on a non-working day, said he reviewed the situation with the States that faced “contingency.” The situation is worst in Karnataka, where sowing of coarse cereals, pulses and oilseeds has been hit. The monsoon has bypassed large tracts of the State where these crops are raised. Kharif sowing is short by 10 lakh hectares, mostly in coarse cereals and groundnut, in the State.

In the Pune-Sholapur-Sangli-Satara belt of Maharashtra, rainfall deficiency has severely hit the sowing of pulses and coarse cereals. About 8.5 lakh hectares remained unsown. These districts have been advised to go for early rabi sowing of guar, gram and maize to make up for the shortfall.

In Rajasthan, monsoon has been delayed in the western districts and jowar and bajra sowing on nearly 15 lakh hectares has been affected.

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Kejriwal invites PM Modi for his swearing-in ceremony on Sunday

News Network

February 14,2020

New Delhi, Feb 14: AAP convenor Arvind Kejriwal has invited Prime Minister Narendra Modi to his swearing-in ceremony scheduled to take place at the Ramlila Maidan on February 16, senior party leader Gopal Rai said on Friday.

Rai, the convenor of the Aam Aadmi Party's Delhi unit, said a letter was sent to the prime minister on Friday morning.

All seven Delhi MPs and eight newly-elected BJP MLAs have also been invited for the oath-taking ceremony, Rai told news agency.

No chief minister or political leaders from other states will be part of the event as it will be a "Delhi-specific" ceremony, Rai had said on Thursday.

Kejriwal, through front-page advertisements in newspapers, has urged Delhiites to attend his oath-taking ceremony as he is set to become the chief minister of Delhi for the third consecutive term.

Kejriwal will take oath as Delhi Chief minister along with his cabinet at Ramlila Maidan at 10 am on Sunday.

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Coronavirus scare: India suspends airlines from China, visas declared 'invalid'

Agencies

February 4,2020

The government suspended all the India-bound air travel from China and has declared all visas 'invalid', on Monday, due to the rapid escalation of cases of novel coronavirus outbreak which originated in Wuhan.

"Embassy and our Consulates have been receiving several queries from Chinese citizens as well as other foreign nationals, who are based out of China or visited China in the last 2 weeks, as to whether they can use their valid single/multiple entry visas to travel to India," tweeted the Embassy of India in Beijing, China.

"It is clarified that existing visas are no longer valid. Intending visitors to India should contact the Indian Embassy in Beijing ([email protected]) or the Consulates in Shanghai ([email protected]) and Guangzhou ([email protected]) to apply afresh for an Indian visa," it said.

Further, regarding the validity of visas, the embassy said, "Indian Visa Application Centres (http://blsindia-china.com) in these cities may also be contacted in this regard. Visa Section of the Embassy/Consulates of India in China can be contacted to ascertain the validity of visa before undertaking any visit to India."

"All those who are already in India (with regular or e-visa) and had traveled from China after January 15 are requested to contact the hotline number of Ministry of Health and Family Welfare of Government of India (+91-11-23978046 and email: [email protected])," the embassy said.

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Defectors should be banned from holding public office for 5 years, fighting next poll: Kapil Sibal

Agencies

July 19,2020

New Delhi, Jul 19: Amid the political firestorm in Rajasthan following Sachin Pilot's rebellion, senior Congress leader Kapil Sibal on Sunday called for amending the anti-defection law to ban all defectors from holding public office for five years and fighting the next election.

Sibal also said that the "antibodies" against the "virus of corrupt means" to topple elected governments lie in amending the Tenth Schedule of the Constitution (anti-defection law).

His attack comes in the wake of Pilot's open rebellion against the Ashok Gehlot government, which has been on shaky ground since, with at least 18 legislators backing the rebel leader.

Pilot was sacked as deputy chief minister and the state Congress chief earlier this week.

The Congress has accused the BJP of making efforts to topple the Gehlot government by indulging in horse-trading.

"Need for Vaccine: Virus of 'corrupt means' to topple elected governments has spread through a 'Wuhan like facility' in Delhi," Sibal tweeted, in an apparent swipe at the BJP.

"Its 'antibodies' lie in amending the Tenth Schedule. Ban all defectors from: Holding public office for five years, fighting the next election," he said.

Taking a swipe at Pilot over his claim that he is not joining the BJP, Sibal on Thursday had asked what happens to his "ghar wapsi" and whether Rajasthan's dissident legislators are vacationing in Haryana under the "watchful eye" of the saffron party.

In the house of 200, the Congress has 107 MLAs, including the 19 dissidents who have been issued notices of disqualification by the speaker and they have challenged them in the high court.

The Congress has maintained the claim that the Gehlot government has the support of 109 MLAs, including the two BTP MLAs.

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I FULLY AGREE WITH MR. KAPIL SIBAL. IN FACT, IT IS NEED OF THE HOUR TO SAVE OUR DEMOCRACY.