India’s borders with Nepal, Bhutan never a cause of concern because of SSB: HM Amit Shah

Posted on by Vividh Bharathi

Kolkata, Dec 20 (IANS) India’s international borders with Nepal and Bhutan were never been a cause of concern for the Indian government because of the presence of Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) there, according to Union Home Minister Amit Shah.

“When there is fencing at the international borders, the headache of the border guard agencies is less. But in the case of open borders, the responsibilities of the border guard agencies are much more. India’s 2,450 kilometres of open international borders with Nepal and Bhutan had never been a concern for the Union Home Minister and the credit goes entirely to the personnel of SSB deputed there. The manner in which SSB is handling cross-border crimes like narcotics, arms, wildlife and human trafficking and other anti-national activities is highly commendable,” Shah said while addressing a programme at SSB’s frontier headquarters at Siliguri in Darjeeling district of West Bengal on the occasion of the 61st Raising Day of the force on Friday afternoon.

He also complimented the role of SSB in tackling the menace of Left-wing extremism (LWE) in different eastern Indian states. “SSB personnel played a significant role in combating and reducing Maoist menace in states like Bihar and Jharkhand. SSB’s role in combating LWE even in Chhattisgarh is also quite commendable,” the Home Minister said.

According to him, the manner in which SSB foiled attempts of illegal infiltration and illegal encroachment on government land without disturbing the peace relations of India with Nepal is highly commendable. “SSB has been able to evict 1,100 illegal encroachments in ‘no man’s land’ with zero tolerance but without disturbing the international peace relations,” Shah said.

At the same time, he also complimented the role played by the SSB personnel in different social welfare activities like conducting de-addiction drives among youths.

Speaking on the occasion, the Union Home Minister also highlighted the initiatives taken by Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led Union government for the welfare of the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) personnel deputed in different remote pockets of the country.

–IANS

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‘Stubborn, anti-farmer’, Kharge attacks Centre while paying tribute to Chaudhary Charan Singh

New Delhi, Dec 23 (IANS) Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge on Monday accused the Centre of being stubborn and anti-farmer, hoping that the government would not do injustice to the farmers and implement its promises.

He said this while paying tribute to former Prime Minister Chaudhary Charan Singh, whose birth anniversary is marked as the Farmers’ Day.

In a post on X, Kharge wrote, “Farmer is India, the pride of the country. Warm wishes to all farmer sisters and brothers, and farm labourers on Farmer’s Day. Respectful tributes to former Prime Minister Chaudhary Charan Singh ji on his birth anniversary, who fought for the farmers of the country.”

Attacking the Modi-led Centre, the Congress chief accused the government of being stubborn and anti-farmer. “It is hoped that the Modi government will not do further injustice to our farmers through its stubbornness and anti-farmer policies and will implement its old promises,” he further wrote.

Even as Kharge attacked the government on the farmers’ issues, the Centre on Sunday said it has been recognising the vital role of farmers and has introduced a suite of initiatives designed to support their socio-economic upliftment and ensure sustainable agricultural growth.

“These programmes, including the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN), Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY), and Pradhan Mantri Kisan Maandhan Yojana (PM-KMY), are aimed at providing financial security, risk mitigation, and long-term social security for farmers,” said a government statement.

It said that by addressing both immediate challenges and long-term needs, these schemes underscore the government’s commitment to nurturing the backbone of the nation and fostering a sustainable agricultural future.

Earlier in the day, Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and others paid rich tributes to the former PM Chaudhary Charan Singh.

Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar paid tribute to Chaudhary Charan Singh at Kisan Ghat, Delhi. Union Minister Jayant Chaudhary — RLD chief and grandson of Chaudhary Charan Singh — was also present with the Vice President.

After paying tributes, the Vice President said, “On the occasion of Kisan Diwas, I salute all the farmers of India. In 2001, the right decision was taken and Kisan Diwas was started in the name of such a great man who dedicated his life to the nation’s development along with the farmers and rural development. His thinking and philosophy are exemplary for all of us.”

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FM Nirmala Sitharaman to attend the 55th GST Council Meeting in Jaisalmer

Jaipur, Dec 20 (IANS) Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has arrived in Jaisalmer for the 55th GST Council meeting scheduled to be held on Saturday at Marriott Hotel.

Chief Ministers, Deputy Chief Ministers, and Finance Ministers from various states, along with Finance Secretaries and senior officials, also reached Jaisalmer on Friday. The dignitaries were welcomed at Hotel Marriott amidst tight security arrangements.

Jaisalmer Airport witnessed significant activity as leaders from across the country, including Deputy CM Diya Kumari, Haryana CM Nayab Singh Saini, J&K CM Omar Abdullah, Goa CM Pramod Sawant, Meghalaya CM Conrad Sangma, and Odisha CM Mohan Charan Majhi, arrived by special flights. Union Finance Minister Sitharaman was received at the airport by Rajasthan Deputy CM Diya Kumari.

Local officials, including MLA Chotu Singh Bhati, District Collector Pratap Singh and SP Sudhir Chaudhary, ensured smooth logistics and security for the event. Over 2,000 security personnel have been deployed across the city, with extensive arrangements in place to ensure the safety of more than 250 VVIPs participating in the meeting.

The pre-meeting discussions at Hotel Marriott included Deputy CMs Samrat Chaudhary (Bihar), Jagdish Devda (MP), Chowna Mein (Arunachal Pradesh), Bhatti Vikramarka Mallu (Telangana), and T. R. Zeliang (Nagaland), alongside Finance Ministers from other states and Chief Economic Advisor Dr V. Anantha Nageswaran.

The main GST Council meeting will commence on Saturday, December 21, from 11:00 a.m. to 1:45 p.m., followed by a second session at 4:30 p.m. Sitharaman will stay overnight in Jaisalmer and depart for Delhi on Sunday at 2:25 p.m.

For the event, four premier hotels—Marriott, Taj Gorbandh, ITC Hotel, and Rang Mahal—have been fully booked to accommodate the participants. The discussions in the 55th GST Council meeting, chaired by Sitharaman, are expected to address significant fiscal issues ahead of the budget preparations.

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SC tells UP, Haryana to ban crackers in NCR region to curb air pollution

New Delhi, Dec 19 (IANS) The Supreme Court on Thursday asked the Uttar Pradesh and Haryana governments to impose a complete ban on firecrackers in the areas falling under the NCR region.

A bench, headed by Justice Abhay S. Oka, said that the ban already imposed by the Delhi and Rajasthan governments will turn effective only when the remaining states impose similar measures.

The Bench, also comprising Justice A.G. Masih, was hearing a public interest litigation (PIL) relating to the control of pollution in Delhi and NCR region.

In the course of the hearing, the apex court was told that while Haryana had permitted the use of green crackers, Rajasthan had imposed a complete ban on firecrackers in the NCR region.

It asked the Uttar Pradesh and Haryana governments to impose a ban on firecrackers in the same terms as imposed in Delhi and posted the matter for further hearing on January 15, 2025.

Also, the top court directed the governments of Delhi and NCR states to constitute teams for strict implementation of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP)-IV norms.

In an earlier hearing, the Supreme Court had asked the state governments of Delhi and adjoining states to take a call on a permanent ban on the use of firecrackers.

Asking the state governments to place their stand on record, it had indicated issuing necessary guidelines, including on the manufacture, storage, sale and distribution of firecrackers.

“The ban on firecrackers will be helpful not only to curb the air pollution but the noise pollution as well. We will consider issuing necessary directions to the state governments on the issue of ban on use of firecrackers,” it had said.

Earlier in November, after Diwali, the Supreme Court had remarked that the ban on firecrackers was hardly implemented in the national capital and pulled up the Delhi government for not implementing the firecrackers ban. It had called for an affidavit from the Delhi government and Police Commissioner detailing the steps taken to enforce the same.

The apex court had suggested that the premises of sellers of firecrackers should be sealed, apart from enforcing a ban on importing firecrackers from neighbouring states.

The Delhi government, in September this year, issued a notification imposing a ban on firecrackers till January 1, 2025, to mitigate air pollution in winter.

Delhi’s Environment Minister Gopal Rai had said that to keep the air clean in the national capital, a notification was issued to mitigate pollution caused by firecrackers by banning their use in the winter months. The notification also banned online sales and delivery of firecrackers in Delhi.

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