Chhattisgarh: Locals benefit under PMGKAY in Maoist-affected regions

Posted on by Vividh Bharathi

Raipur, Feb 26 (IANS) The Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY) is proving to be a boon for poor families in the Naxal-affected areas of Mohla-Manpur and Ambagarh Chowki districts of Chhattisgarh.

Under this scheme, those eligible for government ration are receiving free rice, gram, sugar, and salt every month. This has brought a transformational change in the lives of farmers by enabling them to live a respected and dignified life while improving their economic condition.

Many families and beneficiaries are expressing their gratitude to the Modi government for this public welfare scheme.

Beneficiary Kamala Bai told IANS that the free ration provided by the government is very helpful for her family.

“We receive rice, sugar, and gram every month, which easily helps us survive for the entire month,” she said.

Kamerath, a beneficiary from Navagaon, also praised the scheme, saying that the ration provided by the government is a great support for her family.

“We receive free grain, rice, and sugar, which helps us support our families,” he stated.

Samaru Ram Komre, a resident of Tolum Panchayat, also praised the scheme as extremely useful. He said that this government initiative provides his family with a full month’s ration.

Thanking the government, Samaru Ram said that this scheme is bringing stability to the lives of rural and needy families.

Another beneficiary said that his family, consisting of two members, receives rations every month under the government scheme. He said that receiving rice, sugar, gram, and salt covers the entire month’s expenses, and he does not have to worry about food grains.

District Food Officer Dilip Kumar informed that there are a total of 77,757 ration card-holding families in the district, comprising 296,785 members. All these families are benefiting from the Chief Minister’s Food Scheme and the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana.

Notably, the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY) was launched with the specific purpose of mitigating the hardships faced by the poor and needy due to economic disruptions caused by the COVID-19 outbreak in the country.

–IANS

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MP: PM Modi to perform bhoomi-pujan of PM Mitra Park in Dhar on Aug 25

Bhopal, Aug 11 (IANS) Prime Minister Narendra Modi will perform bhoomi-pujan of the country’s first ‘PM MITRA Park’ in Madhya Pradesh’s Dhar district during his visit to the state on August 25, Chief Mohan Yadav said on Monday.

Chairing a review meeting in view of PM Modi’s visit to Dhar, Chief Minister Yadav called for micro-planning of the entire event and factual dissemination of information to citizens about the employment-based industries and their benefits.

At the venue, a waterproof dome will be set up, featuring a stage for VVIPs, adequate seating arrangements, drinking water facilities, and well-organised logistics. He emphasised convenient access routes, including alternate roads and necessary repairs.

Chief Minister instructed the commissioners of Indore and Ujjain divisions, along with all district collectors, to work in close coordination to ensure better arrangements. He reviewed preparations via video conferencing.

“While other states are still in the initial preparation stages for their PM MITRA Parks, Madhya Pradesh will already be holding the groundbreaking ceremony on August 25,” Yadav said, adding that it has been made possible through continuous coordination with the Central government.

The PM Mega Integrated Textile Region and Apparel (PM MITRA) Park to be set up in Dhar will be a key step in making India a global textile powerhouse.

Spread over more than 2,158 acres with an investment exceeding Rs. 2,000 crore, it aims to become a textile hub through state-of-the-art infrastructure, sustainable development and strategic policy support.

During the review meeting, the Chief Minister also emphasised that once completed, the PM MITRA Park will give a major boost to the development of the entire Malwa region.

The Dhar district area is poised to become the second large industrial hub after Pithampur. Developed as a greenfield project by the State Authority, it will feature modern trunk infrastructure such as stormwater drainage, water supply, waste management, sewage systems, a 220 KVA substation, SCADA-controlled utilities, well-planned street lighting, and amenities.

Chief Yadav also expressed that the project would generate three lakhs direct and indirect jobs, and Dhar’s Badnawar tehsil will also become part of the Indore Metropolitan City Area, gaining access to metropolitan facilities.

–IANS

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Gujarat tightens security across key locations; ups surveillance in coastal, border areas

Gandhinagar, May 7 (IANS) A high-security alert has been issued across several states with Gujarat also intensifying its preparedness measures after the Indian Armed Forces’ pre-dawn airstrikes on Wednesday on nine terror hideouts in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir under “Operation Sindoor”, an official said.

Security agencies in coastal and border areas, particularly in Jamnagar, have launched extensive checking and surveillance operations. The Special Operations Group (SOG), Marine Police, and Task Force commandos have been deployed for patrols along sensitive coastal zones, including Halar beach — known for its proximity to the Pakistan border.

Meanwhile, in line with the directives issued by the Central government, a large-scale Civil Defence mock drill was conducted across Gujarat.

Chief Secretary of Gujarat, Pankaj Joshi, oversaw the exercise through a virtual monitoring session held at the State Emergency Operation Centre (SEOC) in Gandhinagar.

The mock drill aimed to assess the preparedness of various districts in responding to potential emergency situations and to enhance inter-agency coordination.

During the virtual review, senior officials including Additional Chief Secretary of the Revenue Department Dr. Jayanti Ravi, Director General of Civil Defence Manoj Agarwal, Transport Commissioner Anupam Anand, and Relief Commissioner Alok Kumar Pandey were present.

The statewide drill included simulated scenarios to test the effectiveness of disaster response mechanisms, communication networks, and civil protection infrastructure.

Authorities emphasised the importance of such exercises to ensure Gujarat remains ready to handle crises with efficiency and speed.

In response to the heightened alert, all flights to and from key cities including Jamnagar, Bhuj, Rajkot, Jodhpur, and Amritsar, have been suspended.

Jamnagar Airport has implemented strict security checks under the supervision of district police, with teams inspecting vehicles and questioning drivers. Flights between Jamnagar and Mumbai will remain suspended for the next three days.

Amid these developments, Amit Arora, Joint Administrative Manager of the Sardar Sarovar Narmada Nigam and CEO of the Statue of Unity, chaired a review meeting to assess the readiness of the security system at the Narmada Dam.

He directed officials to ensure uninterrupted power and communication lines, while keeping backup systems ready to face any emergencies.

The State Reserve Force stationed in Ekta Nagar continues its 24×7 surveillance of the dam and surrounding areas.

Mock drills are also being conducted across the state to prepare for emergency scenarios.

In Jamnagar, the Fire Department is leading coordinated drills across four city zones, involving over 100 personnel and 30 fire engines.

Chief Fire Officer K.K. Bishnoi held a detailed pre-briefing for station officers, ensuring readiness for any disaster resulting from escalated tensions.

The Jamnagar district police, led by SP Premsukh Delu, also held a comprehensive review with top law enforcement officials, focusing on maintaining law and order and coordination among various departments.

Meanwhile, the state government, in coordination with central agencies, has reinforced surveillance and readiness measures to prevent any potential threats.

Key urban centers, including Ahmedabad, Gandhinagar, Surat, and Vadodara, are under increased watch, with additional deployment of police forces and paramilitary units in sensitive zones.

High-traffic public spaces like railway stations, airports, religious sites, and major stadia — including the Narendra Modi Stadium — are being patrolled regularly while and security checks have been intensified.

–IANS

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Kerala BJP chief Rajeev Chandrasekhar to boycott controversial film ‘Empuraan’

Thiruvananthapuram, March 30 (IANS) Kerala BJP State President and former Union Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar has announced that he will not be watching the recently released Malayalam film ‘Empuraan’, starring superstar Mohanlal.

Directed by actor-filmmaker Prithviraj Sukumaran, ‘Empuraan’ is the much-anticipated sequel to ‘Lucifer’, a 2019 blockbuster.

However, the film has been mired in controversy, prompting the leader to take a stand.

Taking to social media platform X, Chandrasekhar expressed his disappointment after learning about significant changes made to the movie.

He revealed that the filmmakers had agreed to 17 cuts following public outrage, which led to a re-censorship process.

“I had watched Lucifer and liked it. I was looking forward to watching Empuraan as it was a sequel. But now I’ve come to know that the makers themselves have implemented 17 edits and that the movie is undergoing re-censorship,” he wrote.

Chandrasekhar criticised the alleged distortion of facts in the film, saying, “A movie should be watched as a movie. It can’t be seen as history. Any film that tries to build a story by distorting the truth is doomed to fail.”

“So, will I watch this sequel to Lucifer? No. Am I disappointed by this type of moviemaking? Yes,” he said.

The controversy erupted after the film’s release on Friday, with viewers raising objections to certain scenes that reportedly depicted the 2002 Gujarat violence.

Senior RSS national leaders, J. Nandkumar and A. Jayakumar, voiced their disapproval on social media.

Various RSS-affiliated organisations in Kerala also criticised the film, intensifying the backlash.

According to sources close to the production, the film is now undergoing re-censorship with 17 cuts.

The name of the antagonist, Baba Bajrangi, will be changed. The film also reportedly portrays central investigative agencies like the NIA, IB, and ED in a negative light. These scenes are also expected to be removed as part of the re-censorship process.

Meanwhile, RSS sympathisers have turned their ire toward the regional censor board members, accusing them of negligence.

–IANS

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