Latest news with #ArvindKumar
The Hindu
19 hours ago
- Business
- The Hindu
State disaster management authority recast in Telangana
The Telangana government issued fresh orders to reconstitute the Telangana State Disaster Management Authority (TGSDMA) under the provisions of the Disaster Management Act, 2005. The move follows a thorough review of the authority's existing structure, with the aim of enhancing disaster preparedness and coordination across departments. The Chief Minister will be Chairperson of the reconstituted authority, with key cabinet ministers, including those handling Revenue, Home, Finance, Health, Irrigation, Roads, and Panchayat Raj, designated as members. The Chief Secretary would be member convener and will also act as the Chief Executive Officer of the authority. A Special Chief Secretary from the Revenue department will be a special invitee. The notification was issued by the Revenue (Disaster Management-I) department and signed by Special Chief Secretary Arvind Kumar. The restructuring is aimed at strengthening the State's institutional response to natural and man-made disasters.
Hans India
6 days ago
- Hans India
Formula E Probe: IAS officer Arvind Kumar summoned again
Hyderabad: The Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB), currently probing alleged irregularities in the Formula E Race case, has re-issued summons to IAS officer Arvind Kumar, directing him to appear for questioning on July 1. This marks the second time Kumar has been called in connection with the Formula E investigation. He was previously interrogated for six hours on January 9, during which he reportedly informed officials that the funds transfer in question was made under the direct instructions of the then Municipal Administration Minister, KT Rama Rao. Kumar, who was recently out of the country and has since landed in New Delhi, is expected to arrive in Hyderabad within a day or two. He has been asked to present himself at the ACB office in Banjara Hills. The ACB's First Information Report (FIR) names BRS working president KT Rama Rao as the prime accused in the alleged irregularities surrounding the organisation of the Formula E Race. Allegations also surfaced against the then MAUD Secretary Arvind Kumar and HMDA Chief Engineer BLN Reddy. The Enforcement Directorate (ED) had also previously summoned both Rao and the official for questioning.
NDTV
7 days ago
- Business
- NDTV
Senior IAS Officer Summoned By Anti-Corruption Bureau In Formula E Race Case
Hyderabad: Special Chief Secretary in Telangana, Arvind Kumar, has been summoned by the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) on July 1 in connection with the Formula E race case. The ACB is probing into alleged irregularities related to the Formula E Race, which was organised when BRS working president KT Rama Rao was the municipal administration and urban development minister. Arvind Kumar has been named as an accused in the FIR registered by the ACB, alongside former minister KT Rama Rao and retired HMDA engineer BLN Reddy. Mr Kumar had informed the state government earlier that he transferred the funds under the directions of the then minister, KT Rama Rao. Whereas, KTR said he took the decision to conduct the games, but procedural details have to be taken care of by officers. In January, Arvind Kumar was questioned by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) regarding allegations of violations in the transfer of funds for conducting the Formula E race in Hyderabad. The agency is investigating whether there were any violations of the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA) or if money was laundered through the transfer of funds to Formula E Operations (FEO). The investigator asked about the bypassing of rules and regulations in transferring foreign currency from the Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority (HMDA) bank accounts. They also questioned why no approval was obtained from the state Cabinet or the Finance department to transfer funds. Arvind Kumar, the then Municipal Administration department special chief secretary, reportedly told the ED that the then Municipal Administration and Urban Development (MAUD) minister KT Rama Rao instructed him to make the payment immediately, "as any disruption to the Formula E race would damage the state's brand image." The ED further questioned why RBI guidelines were not followed during the fund transfer and sought clarification on Arvind Kumar's interest in approving the payment from HMDA accounts without a proper agreement with the race organisers.
Time of India
7 days ago
- Science
- Time of India
Phillippines university ties up with CSMCRI to develop salt technology
Rajkot: Despite having one of the world's longest coastlines, salt production in the Philippines is negligible. To overcome challenges it faces in salt manufacturing, the country has sought the expertise of the Central Salt and Marine Chemicals Research Institute (CSIR-CSMCRI) in Bhavnagar, a premier institution in salt technology . The Philippines has a coastline of over 36,000km yet it produces only 7% to 8% of its annual salt requirement of 7 lakh metric tonnes. In contrast, Gujarat, with a coastline of just 1,600km, produces approximately 2.4 crore tonnes of salt each year. Experts cite climatic conditions including frequent La Nina events, which bring heavy rain and cooler temperatures, along with the lack of modern technology and infrastructure such as coastal roads, as major obstacles to salt production in the Philippines. To address these issues, Pangasinan State University (PSU) in the Philippines is establishing the Accelerating Salt Research and Innovation (ASIN) initiative. PSU has been in discussions with CSIR-CSMCRI for over a year to collaborate on developing advanced salt production technologies, including membrane technology and marine biotechnology. Earlier this month, a memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed in Bhavnagar between PSU and CSIR-CSMCRI for technology transfer. The event was attended by delegates from the Philippine department of science and technology (DOST) and Mariano Marcos State University. "There are many challenges the Philippines faces in salt production, particularly due to climate. Salt production requires prolonged dry weather, but their coastal regions get rain almost every month. We will help them develop technologies that enable faster salt production through forced evaporation and enhanced evaporation rates," said Dr Arvind Kumar, chief scientist at CSIR-CSMCRI. Beyond salt production, CSMCRI will also assist PSU in developing water desalination technologies and methods to extract salt from rejected water. Additionally, the institute will support research and development in algae cultivation. The MoU also outlines provisions for faculty and student exchange programmes. Scientists from CSIR-CSMCRI will visit Philippine institutions to provide training and technical guidance under this collaborative partnership.
United News of India
7 days ago
- Politics
- United News of India
Telangana ACB summons IAS officer over Formula E case
Hyderabad, June 25 (UNI) Telangana's Anti-Corruption Bureau has asked special chief secretary Arvind Kumar to appear before it on July 1 in connection with the financial irregularities in the Formula E race during the BRS regime. This comes days after the former minister and BRS working president KT Rama Rao was interrogated by the ACB for almost eight hours on June 16. Kumar had appeared before the ACB in January this year. Senior IAS officer Arvind Kumar has once again been summoned by the ACB in connection with the alleged irregularities over the transfer of Rs 54 crore from the state exchequer to the Formula E race. Kumar was the secretary of the municipal affairs and urban development (MAUD) department with KT Rama Rao as the minister when the fund transfer happened. He is currently in charge of state's disaster management department where he was shunted after the Congress government assumed office. The IAS officer has been designated as accused number 2 in the Formula E case, followed by the then HMDA's chief engineer, BLN Reddy, who is accused number 3. The ACB has accused KT Rama Rao of committing irregularities in the Formula E case, directly transferring funds to the organisers when the official sponsors backed out. Rao maintained that procedures were jumped because it was election time and he had done it to save the image of the state. He also said that the transferred sum was still lying in the account of the Formula E organisers but the Congress government has so far not made any attempt to retrieve the funds. The BRS government wanted the Formula E race to be held in 2024 after its success in 2023 but the event was cancelled by the Congress government after it came to power, citing huge costs. The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has also taken up the case. UNI XC RN
