AP sets new benchmark in governance
Speaking to the public, the minister explained that the state government has implemented unprecedented welfare schemes, benefiting millions of citizens across various sectors. He said that 67 lakh students are receiving Rs 15,000 each under the 'Thalliki Vandanam' scheme, 64 lakh beneficiaries getting social security pensions worth Rs 34,000 crore annually, as the pension amounts increased from Rs 3,000 to Rs 4,000, with disabled persons receiving Rs 10,000 every month. He said that the government is providing three free gas cylinders under the Deepam-2 scheme.
The minister informed that the administration is filling 16,300 teacher positions as promised during the election campaigns and working toward creating 20 lakh private sector jobs through various policy initiatives. He mentioned that the government has invested approximately Rs 50 crore in road construction within the Addanki constituency alone, including concrete and tar roads in rural areas.
He emphasised the state's commitment to creating world-class infrastructure to attract investments. He said that the government is positioning Andhra Pradesh to compete with neighbouring states like Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, and Telangana in terms of development and investment attraction.
He directed the officials to ensure seamless implementation of welfare schemes at the grassroots level and provide immediate solutions to beneficiary concerns.
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Indian Express
an hour ago
- Indian Express
Mega eviction drive across 3 Assam villages sees stone pelting and lathi charge; 1,400 families displaced
Tensions rose on Tuesday as the Assam government carried out one of its largest evictions to date, displacing around 1,400 families from 3,500 bighas (over 450 hectares) of land in Dhubri district to make way for a proposed thermal power project. The eviction drive, carried out across three revenue villages of Charuabakhra, Santoshpur and Chirakuta Pt. 1, started on Tuesday morning. Violence flared around midday when residents began pelting stones and bricks at a bulldozer, prompting police to resort to lathi charge to disperse them. According to officials, two pieces of equipment were damaged. Sivasagar MLA and Raijor Dal leader Akhil Gogoi also travelled to the site but was detained by the police and taken away. Calling the eviction illegal and unconstitutional, Gogoi said, 'This is nothing but bullying of minorities. I clearly stated that the affected people should be fairly compensated.' These 3,500 bighas of government khas land in Dhubri district is primarily occupied by Bengali-speaking Muslims, and the district administration estimates there are around 1,700 structures built on it where 1,400 families live. 'This is government khas land which has been allotted to the APDCL (Assam Power Distribution Company Limited) for a thermal power plant, and they will do the tendering for the project,' said Dhubri DC Dibakar Nath. Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma had visited these sites last month and announced that the land had been earmarked as the site of a proposed 3,200 MW thermal power plant, a project for which the state government has been in talks with the Adani group. In April this year, Sarma met Jeet Adani in Guwahati to 'finalise key Adani projects in Assam', including a thermal power plant. This is the fourth such drive carried out by the Assam government in the past month, with similar evictions in Goalpara, Nalbari and Lakhimpur. Over 2,300 families have been displaced in total. Jakir Hussain (39) is one of the few residents of Charuabakra who has stayed in his house through the eviction. 'Since we have patta (land rights) in the village, the circle officer told us that we will be given land somewhere else. So we are holding tight and waiting to be told where we will be given some land. We have been given time till July 15 to leave,' he said, adding that his family had moved to the village around 40 years ago after they were displaced from a char (riverine sandbar) elsewhere in Dhubri because of river erosion. His family is among 197 pattadars identified by the district administration among those living in these villages. 'In the case of these people, there will be land acquisition, and they will be given land or money. The rest are encroachers; they have been given Rs 50,000 ex gratia per family, mostly to assist them with transportation. We have allocated 300 bighas of land in Baizar Alga village where people who will become landless after the eviction can go and take possession,' said DC Nath.
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
Trade unions, farmer bodies to go on general strike on Wed; may disrupt banking, other services
Banking, postal and other services are likely to face disruption on Wednesday as more than 25 crore workers affiliated with central and sectoral trade unions have announced to go on strike across the country to protest against new labour codes and privatisation, and press for demands such as minimum wage of Rs 26,000 and old pension scheme, according to union leaders. The general strike is expected to disrupt services in sectors like banking, insurance, postal, coal mining, highway and construction, a trade union official said. The Central Trade Unions such as CITU, INTUC and AITUC are pressing for doing away with the four labour codes, contractualisation, and privatisation of PSUs, increasing minimum wages to Rs 26,000 per month, as well as the demands of farmer organisations for Minimum Support Price (MSP) for crops based on Swaminathan Commission's formula of C2 plus 50 per cent and loan waiver. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Join new Free to Play WWII MMO War Thunder War Thunder Play Now Undo Sectoral organisations such as the Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) and NREGA Sangharsh Morcha have extended their support to the nationwide strike. RSS-aligned Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh (BMS), however, will not participate in the general strike, calling it a politically-motivated protest. Live Events A R Sindhu, National Secretary of Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) said around 25 crore workers, including workers in organised and unorganised sectors, are likely to take part in the general strike. "Protests will be held in industrial areas, services like banking, postal services, and public sector companies are likely to be closed," Sindhu told PTI. "Not all unorganised sector workers may be able to join the protest, but they will also be mobilised, and roadblocks and 'rail roko' (stopping railways) would also be done," she said. Sindhu said workers in the country are facing a grave situation. "In Delhi, how many workers earn over Rs 10,000 in a month? Even in the public sector, over 70 per cent of employees are contractual," she said. "Casualisation and unemployment are high. Farming is not viable anymore, so the poor people are forced to come to the cities to work. Wages have also been falling in real terms," she said. "Workers are not being criminalised for organising... Right to unionise is the basis of democracy," she said. She also called the strike another step forward in consolidating the emerging unity of workers and farmers. "We had joint action during the Farmers' Protests as well, this will be further consolidation of workers and farmers for future action," she said. Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM), which had led the 2020-21 farmers' protests, will hold protest rallies at the tehsil level across India on July 9 independently as well as in coordination with the trade unions and agricultural workers unions. SKM has urged farmers to intensify the struggle on demands, including enacting a law for MSP at C2 plus 50 per cent, with guaranteed procurement for all crops, comprehensive loan waiver to free the peasantry from the debt trap and end rampant peasant suicides across India, withdrawal of National Policy Framework on Agriculture Marketing. The SKM has also opposed bilateral and free trade agreements hurting agriculture, industry and services, privatisation of electricity, and "indiscriminate acquisition of land violating the Land Acquisition Act 2013. The NREGA Sangharsh Morcha has called for MGNREGA workers across the length and breadth of the country to participate in the general strike. Their demands include wages of Rs. 800 per day, resumption of MGNREGA in West Bengal, scrapping NMMS and ABPS, among other things. This is the 22nd General Strike since the advent of neo-liberal policies in India in 1991, as per the unions. The general strike was initially called for May 20 but was rescheduled following the Pahalgam terror strike and subsequent Operation Sindoor. The ten trade unions are INTUC, AITUC, HMS, CITU, AIUTUC, TUCC, SEWA, AICCTU, LPF and UTUC. A forum of 10 trade unions has given a 17-point charter of demand. It includes withdrawal of fixed-term employment and scrapping of Agnipath scheme, 8-hour workday, restoration of non-contributory Old Pension Scheme and a minimum monthly penion of Rs 9,000 for the EPFO subscribers, among others. The forum has alleged that the economic policies are resulting into more unemployment, rising prices of essential commodities, depression in wages, cut in social sector spending in education, health, basic civic amenities, and all these are leading to more inequalities and miseries for poor, people of lower income group as well as the middle class. The four labour codes that have been passed by the Parliament are meant to suppress and cripple the trade union movement, increase working hours, snatch workers' right to collective bargaining, right to strike, and decriminalise violation of labour laws by employers, the forum has stated. They also demand implementation of the recommendation of Indian Labour Conference to give worker status to scheme workers-Anganwadi, Asha and Midday meal, Asha Kiran etc and ESIC coverage to them. The charter also suggests that here is an urgent need to form a Climate Resilience Fund to cover the risks and damages caused due to extreme climate conditions including heat wave, floods, cyclones, unseasonal rains and so on. Besides, unions have demanded for immediate halt to the privatisation of Indian Railways, road transport, coal mines and other non-coal mines, Port and Dock, Defence, Electricity, Postal, Telecom, Banks and Insurance sector etc. PTI
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
Govt limits women's job quota to state residents
Patna: The state cabinet on Tuesday approved a proposal to restrict the 35% reservation in govt jobs for women to those who are permanent residents of Bihar. This move means that women from other states will no longer be eligible for this quota, which was introduced as part of the state's efforts to empower Bihar's women. The decision was taken amid demands for the implementation of a domicile policy in govt jobs in the state. "With the clearance of this proposal, the women job aspirants from other states will now have to compete for Bihar govt posts under the general category," said additional chief secretary of the cabinet secretariat department, S Siddharth, during a press briefing. The decision will not affect women from outside Bihar who have already availed themselves of the 35% reservation and are currently serving in state institutions. Effectively, the cabinet's move brings a partial implementation of a domicile policy within the women's job quota, closing access to non-residents. In another key decision, the cabinet approved financial assistance for divyang (physically challenged) candidates preparing for the main examinations of the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) and Bihar Public Service Commission (BPSC), after clearing their preliminary examinations. Under the scheme, eligible candidates will receive Rs 50,000 for preparing for the BPSC mains and Rs 1 lakh for the UPSC mains. Siddharth said earlier physically challenged people from backward classes, economically weaker sections (EWS) and the general category were not receiving such support under the govt's 'Sambal' scheme. The cabinet also approved the Bihar Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Policy, 2025, aimed at ensuring effective implementation and continuous monitoring of projects funded through CSR contributions. A 24-member State CSR Society will be established under the policy to oversee the execution of such projects. "The society, constituted under the policy, will monitor all schemes implemented with CSR funds. Suppose someone wants a school built in Bihar using CSR contributions, they can do so, but its implementation will be monitored by this body, as the government wants such funds utilised under official oversight," Siddharth said. The cabinet also gave its nod to the Bihar Urban Gas Distribution Policy, 2025, aimed at encouraging the use of natural gas in households to reduce carbon emissions. The policy includes provisions to restore road infrastructure damaged during the laying of gas pipelines. In a financial move, the cabinet sanctioned Rs 105 crore as share capital for Jeevika Cooperative Bank, which supports self-help groups. The funds, drawn from the state's contingency fund, will be used both as grants and for establishment-related expenses during the 2025-26 financial year. To boost infrastructure, the cabinet approved road construction projects worth Rs 707 crore across 13 districts, as proposed by the road construction department. The cabinet cleared Rs 100 crore for diesel subsidies to support farmers during the ongoing Kharif season, particularly in light of erratic rainfall. The subsidy will assist farmers in operating diesel pumps to irrigate up to eight acres of farmland, helping offset water shortages caused by a weak monsoon.
