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The Wire
2 days ago
- Politics
- The Wire
90% Surveyed Migrants Outside Bihar Didn't Know of SIR: New Report Challenges EC's Official Line
New Delhi: A new report from the Stranded Workers Action Network (SWAN) details how Bihar's migrant workers experienced the state's recent voter roll revision, offering a perspective that differs from the Election Commission's official statements. The report follows the conclusion of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR), a process that flagged 64 lakh electors for potential deletion from the rolls. EC data also categorised 35 lakh voters as "migrated or untraceable." The SWAN report, ' For a Few Documents More,' surveyed 338 migrant workers between July 19 and 21, the group most likely to be affected by these classifications, to detail their awareness of and preparation for the drive. Information and awareness The survey found that little information reached Bihar's migrant workforce. According to SWAN, 90% of migrant workers currently outside Bihar had not heard of the revision. Of these workers, 75% were unaware of the EC's online portal for submitting forms, and less than 1% had used it. This left some workers uncertain. ' Aise kaise ho sakta hai ki ek form nahi bharne se vote nahi de payenge (How can it be that just by not filling one form, we won't be allowed to vote)? ' one worker asked. Another worker, Sujeet Ram, a 40-year-old from Vaishali now in Tamil Nadu, said, 'There are no jobs in Bihar, so we come here out of government should think about this. How will this work if they demand everything in such a hurry?' Documentation and process The report also examines the revision's document requirements. The survey found that 35% of all workers surveyed had none of the 11 specific documents the EC initially listed as proof of eligibility. It notes, however, that 96% of surveyed workers have an Aadhaar card and 83% have a Voter ID card, documents later ' suggested ' to be considered by the Supreme Court. The survey also shows the drive was conducted inconsistently. Among households an official visited, 29% said the official collected a form with one of the 11 required documents. Another 45% said the official collected the form with just a copy of an Aadhaar or Voter ID. The situation prompted some workers to return home. Saleem, a migrant worker in Mumbai, said he traveled back to Bihar because of the drive. "I heard in the news that people's forms were getting thrown away," he told surveyors. "My family and I cannot afford to have our names deleted from the list. That is why I came home to Bihar from Mumbai.' Report's conclusions The SWAN report states that these workers' experiences provide context for the EC's data, suggesting many of the "untraceable" voters are simply citizens working in other states. The report also includes testimonies from workers concerned about the process. One Muslim worker said, "We have to keep proving our identity. It's like refreshing a phone... Our rights should not be snatched from us." As Bihar begins a 30-day period for claims and objections over the 64 lakh flagged voters, the SWAN report concludes that the revision drive inverts the presumption of citizenship. It calls the findings a "signal of the potential threat of disenfranchising millions of people."
Express Tribune
4 days ago
- Business
- Express Tribune
Energy-starved Pakistan's solar rush
Solar panels are now seen installed on the rooftops of houses across the country. Photo: AFP Pakistanis are increasingly ditching the national grid in favour of solar power, prompting a boom in rooftop panels and spooking a government weighed down by billions of dollars of power sector debt. The quiet energy revolution has spread from wealthy neighbourhoods to middle- and lower-income households as customers look to escape soaring electricity bills and prolonged power cuts. Down a cramped alley in Karachi, residents fighting the sweltering summer heat gather in Fareeda Saleem's modest home for something they never experienced before — uninterrupted power. "Solar makes life easier, but it's a hard choice for people like us," she says of the installation cost. Saleem was cut from the grid last year for refusing to pay her bills in protest over enduring 18-hour power cuts. A widow and mother of two disabled children, she sold her jewellery — a prized possession for women in Pakistan — and borrowed money from relatives to buy two solar panels, a solar inverter and battery to store energy, for Rs180,000. As temperatures pass 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit), children duck under Saleem's door and gather around the breeze of her fan. Mounted on poles above homes, solar panels have become a common sight across the country of 240 million people, with the installation cost typically recovered within two to five years. Making up less than two percent of the energy mix in 2020, solar power reached 10.3 percent in 2024, according to the global energy think tank Ember. But in a remarkable acceleration, it more than doubled to 2 4 percent in the first five months of 2025, becoming the largest source of energy production for the first time. It has edged past gas, coal and nuclear electricity sources, as well as hydropower which has seen hundreds of millions of dollars of investment over the past decades. As a result, Pakistan has unexpectedly surged towards its target of renewable energy, making up 60 percent of its energy mix by 2030. Dave Jones, chief analyst at Ember, told AFP that Pakistan was "a leader in rooftop solar". Soaring fuel costs globally, coupled with demands from the International Monetary Fund to slash government subsidies, led successive administrations to repeatedly hike electricity costs. Prices have fluctuated since 2022 but peaked at a 155-percent increase and power bills sometimes outweigh the cost of rent. "The great solar rush is not the result of any government's policy push," Muhammad Basit Ghauri, an energy transition expert at Renewables First, told AFP. "Residents have taken the decision out of clear frustration over our classical power system, which is essentially based on a lot of inefficiencies." Pakistan sources most of its solar equipment from neighbouring China, where prices have dropped sharply, largely driven by overproduction and tech advancements. But the fall in national grid consumers has crept up on an unprepared government burdened by $8 billion of power sector debt, analysts say. Pakistan depends heavily on costly gas imports, which it sells at a loss to national energy providers. It is also tied into lengthy contracts with independent power producers, including some owned by China, for which it pays a fixed amount regardless of actual demand. A government report in March said the solar power increase has created a "disproportionate financial burden onto grid consumers, contributing to higher electricity tariffs and undermining the sustainability of the energy sector". Electricity sales dropped 2.8 percent year-on-year in June, marking a second consecutive year of decline. Last month, the government imposed a new 10-percent tax on all imported solar, while the energy ministry has proposed slashing the rate at which it buys excess solar energy from consumers. "The household solar boom was a response to a crisis, not the cause of it," said analyst Jones, warning of "substantial problems for the grid" including a surge during evenings when solar users who cannot store energy return to traditional power. The national grid is losing paying customers like businessman Arsalan Arif. A third of his income was spent on electricity bills at his Karachi home until he bought a 10-kilowatt solar panel for around 1.4 million rupees (around $4,900). "Before, I didn't follow a timetable. I was always disrupted by the power outages," he told AFP. Now he has "freedom and certainty" to continue his catering business. In the eastern city of Sialkot, safety wear manufacturer Hammad Noor switched to solar power in 2023, calling it his "best business decision", breaking even in 18 months and now saving 1 million rupees every month. The cost of converting Noor's second factory has now risen by nearly 1.5 million rupees under the new government tax.
Hans India
23-07-2025
- Hans India
State bans use of sirens during VIP movement: DGP issues strict order
Bengaluru: In a significant move aimed at enhancing public safety and curbing noise pollution, Karnataka's Director General and Inspector General of Police (DG & IGP) Dr. M.A. Saleem has issued an official order banning the use of sirens during the movement of VIPs across the state. The order, issued on Sunday, states that the use of sirens not only creates unnecessary disturbance on public roads but also potentially exposes the route of VIPs to unauthorized individuals, thereby increasing the risk to their security. Considering this, the DGP has directed that sirens must not be used for VIP convoys or movement. The directive also highlights that sudden use of sirens on public roads can inconvenience other motorists and may lead to accidents, especially when vehicles are forced to make abrupt movements to make way. The order recommends that any urgent coordination during VIP travel should be conducted through wireless communication channels rather than sirens. According to the guidelines laid down in the order, only emergency service vehicles such as ambulances, police vehicles, and fire brigades may use sirens, and only in genuine emergency situations. The DGP further emphasised that as per Supreme Court directives, no vehicle other than emergency services is permitted to use sirens. Even police vehicles are restricted from using sirens unless responding to an emergency. Violation of this rule will attract legal action under Section 190(2) of the Motor Vehicles Act, which could result in a fine along with up to three months of imprisonment. This decisive step by the Karnataka Police aims to ensure safer roads, reduce noise pollution, and maintain the secrecy and security of VIP movements.
Time of India
21-07-2025
- Time of India
Karnataka cops resume booking drug usersto cut demand & trace peddlers
Bengaluru: In a policy shift, police have resumed the practice of booking drug users too, in addition to taking action on peddlers and their networks. Officials say the move under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act is intended to curb demand and extract critical leads to track peddlers. Monday, police arrested a Kerala-based man in Avalahalli, on the city's outskirts, with 32 LSD pills in his possession. Alongside him, a suspected buyer—a young professional—was also taken into custody. Both are now facing charges under the NDPS Act and are being interrogated. You Can Also Check: Bengaluru AQI | Weather in Bengaluru | Bank Holidays in Bengaluru | Public Holidays in Bengaluru For the past few years, Bengaluru police had largely refrained from booking drug consumers, citing concerns over alleged corruption in investigations. During the period, consumers were usually produced before magistrates, fined, and let off without criminal prosecution. However, this method had a side effect — investigations often stopped at the consumer level, making it hard to track the peddling networks operating in the city. City police commissioner Seemanth Kumar Singh said the revised approach is part of a broader strategy to crack down on the drug trade more effectively. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like No annual fees for life UnionBank Credit Card Apply Now Undo "Consumers are vital links in the drug network. By booking them, we can trace the source. A case is a case, and every participant should be brought to justice," he told TOI. DG&IGP MA Saleem confirmed that the policy shift is being implemented statewide. Police superintendents and commissioners across districts have been asked to work closely with public prosecutors, both at the chargesheet stage and during trials, to secure more convictions in drug cases. Records show that from Jan 2021 to Feb this year, Karnataka registered 23,869 NDPS cases. Of these, 9,534 led to convictions, while around 300 suspects were acquitted. Bengaluru and its surrounding areas accounted for 13,115 of these cases, with 5,587 convictions, underscoring the city's role as a prime target for drug networks. ADGP (law and order) R Hitendra said conviction rates in cities like Mangaluru, Belagavi, and Mysuru remain lower compared to Bengaluru. "We are focusing on minimising errors in booking cases and filing chargesheets. Often, suspects secure acquittal because of procedural lapses. That needs to change. We are training the staff," he said. Advocate Srinivasa Rao also backed the move to prosecute consumers and said the NDPS Act provides for punishment for possession, even in small quantities meant for personal use. "However, in practice, consumers are often left out of criminal cases. By bringing everyone under the legal framework, investigations can become more thorough and may lead to unmasking the supply chain," he added. Police officials acknowledged that with the addition of consumers to NDPS cases, the total number of reported cases is expected to rise. But they argue that this will provide a more accurate picture of the drug problem, allowing law enforcement agencies to mount stronger and more targeted crackdowns.
Kuwait Times
17-07-2025
- Business
- Kuwait Times
Quiet solar rush puts pressure on Pakistan's national grid
Households look to escape soaring electricity bills, prolonged power cuts KARACHI: Pakistanis are increasingly ditching the national grid in favor of solar power, prompting a boom in rooftop panels and spooking a government weighed down by billions of dollars of power sector debt. The quiet energy revolution has spread from wealthy neighborhoods to middle- and lower-income households as customers look to escape soaring electricity bills and prolonged power cuts. Down a cramped alley in Pakistan's megacity of Karachi, residents fighting the sweltering summer heat gather in Fareeda Saleem's modest home for something they never experienced before — uninterrupted power. 'Solar makes life easier, but it's a hard choice for people like us,' she says of the installation cost. Saleem was cut from the grid last year for refusing to pay her bills in protest over enduring 18-hour power cuts. A widow and mother of two disabled children, she sold her jewelry — a prized possession for women in Pakistan — and borrowed money from relatives to buy two solar panels, a solar inverter and battery to store energy, for 180,000 rupees ($630). As temperatures pass 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit), children duck under Saleem's door and gather around the breeze of her fan. Mounted on poles above homes, solar panels have become a common sight across the country of 240 million people, with the installation cost typically recovered within two to five years. Making up less than two percent of the energy mix in 2020, solar power reached 10.3 percent in 2024, according to the global energy think tank Ember. But in a remarkable acceleration, it more than doubled to 24 percent in the first five months of 2025, becoming the largest source of energy production for the first time. It has edged past gas, coal and nuclear electricity sources, as well as hydropower which has seen hundreds of millions of dollars of investment over the past decades. As a result, Pakistan has unexpectedly surged towards its target of renewable energy, making up 60 percent of its energy mix by 2030. Dave Jones, chief analyst at Ember, told AFP that Pakistan was 'a leader in rooftop solar'. Soaring fuel costs globally, coupled with demands from the International Monetary Fund to slash government subsidies, led successive administrations to repeatedly hike electricity costs. Prices have fluctuated since 2022 but peaked at a 155-percent increase and power bills sometimes outweigh the cost of rent. 'The great solar rush is not the result of any government's policy push,' Muhammad Basit Ghauri, an energy transition expert at Renewables First, told AFP. 'Residents have taken the decision out of clear frustration over our classical power system, which is essentially based on a lot of inefficiencies.' Pakistan sources most of its solar equipment from neighboring China, where prices have dropped sharply, largely driven by overproduction and tech advancements. But the fall in national grid consumers has crept up on an unprepared government burdened by $8 billion of power sector debt, analysts say. Pakistan depends heavily on costly gas imports , which it sells at a loss to national energy providers. It is also tied into lengthy contracts with independent power producers, including some owned by China, for which it pays a fixed amount regardless of actual demand. A government report in March said the solar power increase has created a 'disproportionate financial burden onto grid consumers, contributing to higher electricity tariffs and undermining the sustainability of the energy sector'. Electricity sales dropped 2.8 percent year-on-year in June, marking a second consecutive year of decline. Last month, the government imposed a new 10-percent tax on all imported solar, while the energy ministry has proposed slashing the rate at which it buys excess solar energy from consumers. 'The household solar boom was a response to a crisis, not the cause of it,' said analyst Jones, warning of 'substantial problems for the grid' including a surge during evenings when solar users who cannot store energy return to traditional power. The national grid is losing paying customers like businessman Arsalan Arif. A third of his income was spent on electricity bills at his Karachi home until he bought a 10-kilowatt solar panel for around 1.4 million rupees (around $4,900). 'Before, I didn't follow a timetable. I was always disrupted by the power outages,' he told AFP. Now he has 'freedom and certainty' to continue his catering business. In the eastern city of Sialkot, safety wear manufacturer Hammad Noor switched to solar power in 2023, calling it his 'best business decision', breaking even in 18 months and now saving 1 million rupees every month. The cost of converting Noor's second factory has now risen by nearly 1.5 million rupees under the new government tax. 'The tax imposed is unfair and gives an advantage to big businesses over smaller ones,' he said. 'Policymakers seem completely disconnected from the public and business community.' – AFP
