J&K: 22 IAS and JKAS officers transferred

Imphal, Feb 13 (IANS) President’s Rule has been imposed in Manipur on Thursday under Article 356 of the Constitution five days after the state Chief Minister N Biren Singh resigned from the post following the directions from the central BJP leaders.

A notification issued from the Ministry of Home Affairs said on Thursday that the President has received a report from the Governor of Manipur and after considering the report and other information received by the President, she was satisfied that a situation has arisen in which the government of that state cannot be carried on in accordance with the provisions of the Constitution.

“Now, therefore, in the exercise of the powers conferred by Article 356 of the Constitution, and of all other powers enabling me in that behalf, I hereby proclaim that I (a) assume to myself as President of India all functions of the Government of the State of Manipur and all powers vested in or exercisable by the Governor of the that State, declare that the powers of the Legislature of the said state shall be exercisable by or under the authority of Parliament, and make the following incidental and consequential provisions which appear to me to be necessary or desirable for giving effect to the objects of this Proclamation,” the notification reads.

Meanwhile, after the resignation of Manipur Chief Minister N. Biren Singh, hectic parleys are going on to choose an alternate leader of the ruling BJP legislature party who would lead the new government.

The BJP’s northeast in-charge Sambit Patra held a series of meetings with the Ministers, MLAs and leaders of BJP and other party allies to take their views on Monday, before the selection of the new legislature party leader.

Manipur has been witnessing ethnic violence for the last two years between the Meiteis and Kuki-Zo-Hmar which has devastated the state and finally led to the resignation of Biren Singh.

Biren Singh’s resignation comes amid hectic political activities, with the Opposition Congress earlier announcing to move a no-confidence motion against the BJP government in the Assembly session, that was set to begin on Monday but the Governor made the session ‘null and void’ hours after Biren Singh quit.

–IANS

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Chandigarh, Aug 14 (IANS) Three days after repealing the contentious policy, which triggered statewide protests by thousands of farmers, the Punjab Cabinet, led by Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, on Thursday decided to withdraw the notification of the Department of Housing and Urban Development pertaining to land pooling policy of June 4, along with subsequent Amendments.

Through the policy the government was looking to acquire 65,533 acres of land, of which 46,861 acres were to be acquired through land pooling in Ludhiana alone.

This had led to widespread protests by farmers and farmer unions and all Opposition parties.

Even the Punjab and Haryana High Court had stayed the policy, citing procedural lacunae.

A spokesperson for the Chief Minister’s Office said here that the Cabinet also approved an amendment to the Punjab Cooperative Societies Act of 1961 and the withdrawal of stamp duty and registration fee exemptions for certain classes of cooperative societies.

Currently, the Act provides exemptions from compulsory registration, originally intended to facilitate the development of cooperative institutions.

However, this provision has enabled property transactions, particularly in urban housing societies, to take place without formal registration or the payment of stamp duty and registration fees.

This situation has encouraged unregistered possession, ‘benami’ transactions, and other legally risky arrangements.

“Therefore, an amendment to Section 37 of the Act has been made by adding Clauses 2 and 3. These clauses stipulate that the state government may, through a notification in the official gazette, direct that the exemption under sub-section (1), or any part thereof, shall not apply to certain classes of cooperative societies or specified categories of instruments.

“Upon the issuance of such a notification, the instruments so notified shall be deemed to fall within the scope of clauses (b) and (c) of sub-section (1) of Section 17 of the Indian Registration Act, 1908, and will accordingly be subject to compulsory registration under that Act,” the CMO spokesperson said.

To enhance the development of rural areas through proper execution and supervision, the Cabinet also approved the creation of the post of the Panchayat Development Secretary by merging the cadres of Panchayat Secretaries and gram sevaks (village development officers).

Subsequently, a state cadre will be constituted for these posts to accelerate rural development across the state.

For existing Panchayat Secretaries, a ‘dying cadre’ will be created, who will be placed based on their self-declaration letters and as per their seniority, following the existing gram sevaks in the seniority list.

The Cabinet granted ex-post facto approval for the formation of a Group of Ministers to ensure the smooth procurement of Kharif and Rabi crops.

The Group of Ministers is chaired by the Agriculture Minister and includes the Ministers for Food and Civil Supplies, Transport and Water Resources as members.

The Cabinet also granted ex-post facto approval for the formation of a Cabinet Sub-Committee.

This committee will review and consider the recommendations made by the committee of officers regarding Parts II and III of the Sixth Punjab Pay Commission Report.

–IANS

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Bhubaneswar, Nov 3 (IANS) In a significant political development ahead of the Nuapada bye-election, senior Biju Janata Dal (BJD) leader and former Rajya Sabha MP Amar Patnaik on Monday joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), delivering a major setback to the Opposition BJD.

Patnaik formally joined the BJP at an event held here at the state headquarters of the party in the presence of Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, state BJP President Manmohan Samal, and Odisha BJP Incharge Vijaypal Singh Tomar.

Welcoming Patnaik into the party, CM Majhi said that in the political scenario of Odisha, Patnaik is known as a noted intellectual personality, both in the state as well as in the Parliament.

He also praised Patnaik for the services rendered by him as a public servant, Rajya Sabha member and his role in the Cooperative movement in Odisha.

The Chief Minister said that the experience and leadership will play a major role in strengthening the BJP.

Chief Minister Majhi said, “Patnaik must have been feeling relieved after joining the BJP and leaving the suffocating experience within the BJD, as there was little opportunity and freedom for him to grow or contribute meaningfully.”

He said by joining the BJP, he has embraced a broader national vision where there is ample scope to serve the country. Majhi expressed confidence that Patnaik would make remarkable contributions in his new role and added that he looks forward to working closely with him in various areas.

Meanwhile, Patnaik said that whenever he heard Prime Minister Narendra Modi speaking in Parliament, he felt profoundly inspired.

“His unwavering dedication to the nation’s development and his ambitious vision for a transformed India by 2047 have deeply influenced me. Under his dynamic leadership, India has risen to a position of great respect and pride on the global stage,” said Patnaik.

“I was seeking an opportunity to contribute to the development of both my country and my state, and to help create a distinct identity for Odisha. I thank the state BJP unit, CM Mohan Majhi, BJP state president Manmohan Samal for providing me that opportunity,” he further added.

It is pertinent here to mention that Patnaik’s induction into the BJP marks one of the most high-profile political switchovers in recent times in Odisha, and is being seen as a strategic boost for the BJP ahead of the crucial bypolls.

–IANS

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