Medha Patkar

Narmada Bachao Andolan leader Medha Patkar on Monday said infrastructure projects should not be launched without properly assessing their ecological impact as she extended support to the Joshimath Bachao Sangharsh Samiti.
Arriving in the subsidence-hit Uttarakhand town on Monday, Patkar apologised for visiting late.
"The Joshimath crisis is a warning bell. The authorities must wake up to the damage caused by mega development projects to the fragile Himalayan ecology," she said.
Infrastructure projects should not be launched without properly assessing their impact on the ecology, Patkar added.
She also addressed a meeting organised by the Joshimath Bachao Sangharsh Samiti on the tehsil premises and said she stood with the affected people.
The Samiti's 11-point list of demands includes the permanent scrapping of the NTPC's Tapovan-Vishnugad hydel power and the Helang-Marwadi bypass road projects that, it feels, are responsible for the subsidence crisis in Joshimath. It has also dema

J P Nadda, Jagat Prakash Nadda

Nadda said, Medha Patkar has always taken a stand for anti-development. Rahul Gandhi standing next to her means he is also anti-Gujarati"

Amit Shah, Home Minister

Union Home Minister and BJP MP Amit Shah on Wednesday said Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's gesture of taking along anti-Narmada activist Medha Patkar during his Bharat Jodo Yatra is the "biggest insult" meted out to Gujarat's people by the Opposition party.
He was addressing a poll rally in Jasdan town in Rajkot district in support of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate Kunvarji Bavalia for the next month's Gujarat Assembly elections.
Voting on Jasdan and 88 other seats will be held on December 1 in the first phase of the two-phase polls.
"Medha Patkar, who had stalled the Narmada dam project through litigation, is now walking with Congress' prince Rahul Gandhi. The party owes an answer to the people. This is akin to sprinkling salt on the wounds of the people of Gujarat," the Gandhinagar MP said.
The official handle of Bharat Jodo' had tweeted a photo of Patkar with Gandhi when the Yatra was in Maharashtra, along with a caption, When you do something for the society, people ...

Prime Minister Narendra Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday targeted Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for walking with Narmada Bachao Andolan activist Medha Patkar during the Bharat Jodo Yatra.
A Congress leader was seen taking out a padyatra with a woman who stalled the Narmada dam project for three decades, Modi said, addressing a rally at Dhoraji in the poll-bound state.
Ask the Congress when it comes to demand your vote that you are taking out a padyatra by keeping your hand on the shoulders of those who were against Narmada dam. What would have happened had Narmada dam not been built,Modi said.
Gujarat will go to polls in two phases on December 1 and 5 with the counting of votes on December 8 along with that of Himachal Pradesh. Of the total 182 Assembly seats in Gujarat, voting for 89 seats will be held on December 1 and the balance 93 seats on December 5.

Vijay Rupani

Former Gujarat chief minister  Vijay Rupani on Saturday attacked Congress over activist Medha Patkar joining its 'Bharat Jodo Yatra', saying she had opposed the Narmada dam project

According to the sources, Patkar has till date not submitted any reply despite the lapse of more than 30 days

Medha Patkar. Photo: Twitter

Government deputed about 8,000-10,000 policemen in the area, locals said

Social activist Medha Patkar to go on indefinite fast from Thursday

To protest against alleged forced eviction of the affected families from Sardar Sarovar Project area

Overseas institutions are also a better bet for Adani. Tapping Indian banks, especially state-run lenders, would be a tad cheaper, but might invite greater political scrutiny ahead of general election

Adani, Adani Group

Adani Group on Thursday bagged two contracts worth Rs 13,888 crore from a state-owned discom to install smart meters.
A total of six tenders were awarded by the Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company Ltd (MSEDCL) to install smart meters, of which two have been bagged by the Adani Group, according to an official communiqu from the discom seen by PTI.
The diversified group, which has a sizeable presence in the power sector and had recently won a Rs 1,000 crore contract to install smart meters in the area serviced by BEST Undertaking in Mumbai, will act as an advanced metering infrastructure service provider for smart prepaid metering in MSEDCL, it said.
The two zones awarded to Adani include Bhandup, Kalyan and Konkan having 63.44 lakh meters, and Baramati and Pune having 52.45 lakh meters, it said.
Letter of Awards have been issued to the successful firms, as per the communiqu.
Officials from Adani Group were not immediately available for comment.
The group's transmiss

Closing Bell on Thursday, September 21: The broad-based selling was led by public sector banks with the Nifty PSU Bank index sliding 2.3 per cent

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Tensions have been high since Canadian PM Trudeau on Monday alleged that the Indian government was behind the fatal shooting of Hardeep Singh Nijjar

visa, Canada

Catch all the latest updates from across the globe here

Manipur

Here is the best of Business Standard's opinion pieces for today

Democracy

Canada said it was expelling a top Indian diplomat Monday as it investigates what Prime Minister Justin Trudeau called credible allegations that India's government may have had links to the assassination in Canada of a Sikh activist.
Trudeau said in Parliament that Canadian intelligence agencies have been looking into the allegations after Sikh leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a strong supporter of an independent Sikh homeland known as Khalistan, was gunned down on June 18 outside a Sikh cultural centre in Surrey, British Columbia.
Trudeau told Parliament that he brought up the slaying with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the G-20 last week, that he told Modi that any Indian government involvement would be unacceptable and that he asked for cooperation in the investigation.
Canadian Foreign Minister Mlanie Joly said the head of Indian intelligence in Canada has been expelled as a consequence. "If proven true this would be a great violation of our sovereignty and of the most basic

Hardeep Singh Nijjar

No injury or loss of life was reported in the incident, Srinagar Police informed further, adding that the terrorist fled the spot after opening fire at the CRPF vehicle

Gun shooting, mass shooting

Delhi government has targeted to raise the number of registered construction workers in the city to 15 lakh this year and increase spending on various welfare schemes for them by 20 times, officials said on Monday.
The move comes in the wake of Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal earlier this year expressing dissatisfaction over less number of registration of workers and emphasising to increase it further.
As per official data, the number of registered workers was 13 lakh by end of 2022-23.
The Delhi government will also raise spending on welfare schemes meant for construction workers to Rs 246 crore this year, up from 12.66 crore last year, officials said.
Last year over 4,500 applications were received from registered construction workers for various welfare schemes run by Delhi Building and Other Construction Workers Welfare Board.
Out of which, just over 2,000 were processed for benefits of different schemes with an expenditure of Rs 12.66 crore, a labour department officer said.


Highway labourer at par with construction worker after new wage norms

Nijjar, who was wanted in India, was gunned down outside a gurdwara, in a parking area in Canada's Surrey, BC on June 18

Justin Trudeau

The government introduced the Women's Reservation Bill in the Parliament almost three decades after it was first drafted

Parliament

The fiscal burden of states will increase over time

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Former RBI Governor Bimal Jalan said it is better if the person's expertise is considered than whether he/she is a bureaucrat or a private sector executive

TRAI

Prime Minister Narendra Modi begins Whatsapp Channel following conclusion of the first day in the new parliament building

PM Modi on Whatsapp Channels (Photo: Whatsapp)

Canada identifies expelled Indian diplomat as RAW station chief in Ottawa, sources say Canadian diplomat expelled from Delhi is intelligence officer

Prime Minister Narendra Modi with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau

More than 10 people were injured when Manipur security forces fired tear gas shells on protesters for trying to storm police stations and court arrest demanding the unconditional release of the five arrested youths on Thursday.
As a precautionary measure, the state government cancelled curfew relaxations in the twin districts of Imphal from 5pm, officials said.
Responding to a call by six local clubs and Meira Paibis demanding the release of the five village volunteers, hundreds of protesters holding placards and shouting slogans tried to enter the Porompat police station in Imphal East and Singjamei police station and Kwakeithel police outpost in Imphal West district.
However, police and RAF personnel deployed at strategic positions fired several rounds of tear gas shells to disperse the crowd.
A protester, identified as Th Bimola at Porompat said, "We were left with no option but to court arrest as the government failed to release the five village volunteers. If such village ...

The Information and Broadcasting Ministry on Thursday advised TV news channels to refrain from giving platform to those belonging to proscribed organisations or facing charges of terrorism and serious crimes.
In an advisory to all private satellite TV channels, the ministry said it has come to its notice that "a person" in a foreign country who faces serious cases of crime including terrorism was invited for a discussion on a television channel.
During the discussion, the person made several remarks detrimental to the sovereignty and integrity of India, its security and friendly relations with a foreign state, the ministry said, without naming the person or the news channel.
The remarks of the person also had the potential of disturbing public order in the country, the ministry added.
While the government upholds media freedom and respects its rights under the Constitution, the content telecast by the TV channels must adhere to the provisions of the Cable Television Networks ...

TRP, tv news channels, viewership, media, entertainment, OTT

In a step towards enhancing last-mile connectivity with public transportation, Delhi govt has invited proposals for the deployment of 3,000 high-speed e-scooters, low-speed e-scooters, and e-cycles

Fire-safety norms for Li-ion battery could push up e-scooter prices by 10%

electric scooters, e-scooters, EV, Electric vehicles

DLF's rental arm DCCDL has raised Rs 1,100 crore through issuance of non-convertible debentures on a private placement basis.
In a regulatory filing on Thursday, DLF informed that the DLF Cyber City Developers Ltd (DCCDL) board has approved the allotment of debentures.
DCCDL said that the securities allotment committee of the Board of Directors has approved the allotment of 1,10,000 senior, listed, rated, secured, redeemable, transferable, rupee-denominated NCDs (Non Convertible Debentures) of the face value of 1 lakh each on a private placement basis to eligible investor(s).
The size of the issue is Rs 1,100 crore. These NCDs will be listed on the BSE. The coupon rate is 8.25 per cent per annum. The maturity is August 17, 2033.
DCCDL is a joint venture between DLF and Singapore sovereign wealth fund GIC.
DLF holds a 66.67 per cent stake while the GIC has a 33.33 per cent stake in the DCCDL.
DLF holds the bulk of its rental assets (offices and shopping malls) through DCCDL.  DCCD

More than five lakh Ayushman Bharat beneficiary cards have been made in just four days since the launch of the Ayushman Bhav campaign, Union Health Secretary Sudhansh Pant said on Thursday.
He further said that more than 20 lakh ABHA IDs have been generated while footfall of more than 20 lakh have been registered at the Ayushman Bharat-Health and Wellness Centres and Community Health Centres for availing free treatment and screening services, he said.
The Ayushman Bhav campaign, launched on September 14 by President Droupadi Murmu, is a comprehensive nationwide healthcare initiative that aims to provide saturation coverage of healthcare services in every village and town in the country.
It is being implemented during the 'Seva Pakhwada' (fortnight of service) which began on Prime Minister Narendra Modi's birthday on September 17 and will continue till October 2.
The three components of the Ayushman Bhav campaign -- Ayushman - Apke Dwar 3.0, Ayushman Melas at Health and Wellness ...

This revised health benefit package is expected to be rolled out from November this year, the health ministry said

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Medha Patkar

Projects must not be launched without assessing impact: Medha Patkar

Rahul is anti-Gujarati: Nadda on Medha Patkar joining Bharat Jodo Yatra

Shah targets Rahul, says Medha Patkar's presence in Yatra insult to Gujarat

PM targets Rahul for walking with Medha Patkar during Bharat Jodo Yatra

'Congress is against development': Rupani on Medha Patkar joining Yatra

Trouble for Patkar: Passport office sends notice for non-disclosure of info

Medha Patkar, 5 others taken into custody by MP Police

Social activist Medha Patkar to go on indefinite fast from Thursday