Lok Sabha Committee review meet begins in Jaipur

Posted on by Vividh Bharathi

Jaipur, May 5 (IANS) A meeting of the Review Committee on Committees constituted by the Lok Sabha got underway on Tuesday at the Constitution Club of Rajasthan. This is the second meeting of the committee, with its inaugural session having been held earlier in Bhopal.

Speakers from six states will deliberate on strengthening and empowering legislative committees, focusing on enhancing their effectiveness in governance and oversight.

The meeting aims to review and strengthen the committee system of legislative bodies across the country. Rajasthan Assembly Speaker Vasudev Devnani said on Monday that the high-level committee aims to enhance the effectiveness and functioning of legislative committees. The committee comprises Speakers of the Legislative Assemblies of Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Odisha, Sikkim, and West Bengal. The first meeting was held in Bhopal.

The committee is chaired by Narendra Singh Tomar. Other members include Satish Mahana, Kuldeep Singh Pathania, Surama Padhy, and Mingma Norbu Sherpa. Speaker Devnani met Narendra Singh Tomar on Monday at the Constitution Club to review arrangements for the meeting.

Delegates from Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Odisha, and Sikkim have arrived in Jaipur to attend the meeting. Principal Secretary of the Rajasthan Assembly, Bharat Bhushan Sharma, welcomed the dignitaries at the airport and the Constitution Club on Monday.

A cultural programme and banquet will follow, which will be attended by Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma.

Guests will experience Rajasthan’s traditional cuisine and folk performances. Devnani said the visiting Speakers will tour the Rajasthan Legislative Assembly, including its fully digitised, paperless House.

Each MLA is equipped with a tablet for accessing proceedings digitally. Delegates will also visit the Assembly Museum, which showcases Rajasthan’s political and cultural history through digital exhibits, including the Constitution Gallery and Vande Mataram Gallery.

A visit to the Khatu Shyam Temple has been arranged for the visiting Speakers.

Earlier, Narendra Singh Tomar offered prayers at the Salasar Balaji Temple and Khatu Shyam Temple during his visit.

–IANS

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TN Minister Moorthy inaugurates Alanganallur Jallikattu

Chennai, March 16 (IANS) Tamil Nadu Commercial Taxes and Registration Minister Moorthy inaugurated the much-anticipated Alanganallur Jallikattu in Vadipatti, Madurai on Sunday.

This year’s competition features 1,000 bulls and 650 participants from the Madurai Melur constituency. Winners will be awarded cycles, mixies, silver coins, and other exciting prizes.

To ensure a smooth and safe event, over 100 police personnel have been deployed for security. Veterinary doctors are conducting thorough checks on the bulls before granting approvals, while medical professionals are on standby to provide any necessary assistance.

Several dignitaries, including District Collector Sangita, MP Su Venkatesan, and Melur Revenue Divisional Officer Sangita, are attending the event.

The event is being held as part of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. K. Stalin’s 72nd birthday celebrations.

Minister Moorthy, who is overseeing various welfare programmes benefiting over 14,000 people, stated: “Various programmes have been organised since March 1 to mark the Chief Minister’s birthday, and Jallikattu is a key part of these celebrations.”

The festival has drawn a large crowd, including DMK party members, district secretaries, local government representatives, and Jallikattu enthusiasts.

Special seating arrangements have been made for the public to watch the event free of charge, and special bus services have been arranged from Madurai to the Jallikattu arena for visitors.

Jallikattu, an ancient bull-taming sport, holds great cultural significance in Tamil Nadu, especially during the Pongal festival.

The first Jallikattu event of the year was held on January 14 at Thachankurichi village in Pudukottai district as part of the Pongal festivities.

However, Madurai’s Jallikattu events – especially those in Alanganallur – are internationally renowned for their vibrant celebrations of Tamil heritage, culture, and rural valour.

Pudukottai district is known for hosting the highest number of Jallikattu events in Tamil Nadu. Over 120 Jallikattu events and more than 30 bullock cart races were held annually between January and May. Over 50 vadamadu (tethered bull) competitions are held annually in these areas.

The Madurai district administration has introduced specific guidelines for the 2025 Jallikattu competitions: As per these guidelines, each bull can participate in only one of the three Jallikattu events in the district. Only the owner of a bull and one trainer familiar with the animal are allowed to accompany it. Bull tamers and owners must register through the official district administration website (madurai.nic.in).

All submitted documents will be verified. Only eligible participants will get a downloadable token, which is mandatory for entry. Without this token, neither the bull nor the tamer will be allowed to participate.

The event continues to uphold Tamil Nadu’s age-old traditions, attracting thousands of spectators and reinforcing the region’s deep-rooted cultural identity.

–IANS

aal/svn

CM Stalin to inaugurate Pongal gift hamper distribution on Jan 8

Chennai, Jan 3 (IANS) Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. K. Stalin will inaugurate the distribution of Pongal gift hampers on January 8 in Chennai, official sources said.

With the launch of the annual welfare programme drawing closer, indications have emerged that the State government may soon announce whether a cash component will be provided along with the traditional Pongal gift package.

Pongal, the harvest festival celebrated with great enthusiasm across Tamil Nadu, is marked by a series of cultural and family gatherings.

Every year, the State government distributes Pongal gift hampers through the Public Distribution System (PDS) to ensure that people from all sections of society can celebrate the festival with joy and dignity.

The initiative has become a hallmark of the government’s festive welfare measures. For the current year, the Tamil Nadu government has announced that Pongal gift hampers will be distributed to about 2.22 crore rice ration cardholders across the State.

Each hamper will include one kilogram of raw rice, sugar, and a whole sugarcane—items that are traditionally associated with Pongal celebrations.

To facilitate procurement, packaging, and distribution of these essentials, the government has allocated Rs 248 crore.

Officials said the process of issuing tokens to beneficiaries for collecting the gift hampers would begin shortly.

The tokens will be distributed in advance to ensure smooth and orderly collection at fair price shops, helping to avoid overcrowding and delays during the festive period.

The inauguration of the Pongal gift hamper distribution is expected to set the process in motion across the State.

Sources indicated that Chief Minister Stalin may also make an official announcement regarding the distribution of cash assistance along with the gift hampers.

While no formal confirmation has been issued yet, reports suggest that a decision on the cash component could be announced soon.

In previous years, the inclusion of a cash component alongside the Pongal gift hamper had been widely welcomed by beneficiaries, particularly low-income households coping with rising prices.

The possibility of a similar announcement this year has generated considerable anticipation among ration card holders. The Pongal gift scheme is seen as part of the government’s broader commitment to social welfare and inclusive development, particularly during major festivals.

Further details regarding the distribution schedule, eligibility, and any additional benefits are expected to be announced in the coming days.

–IANS

aal/svn

Calcutta High Court puts stay on order declaring Hooghly DPSC illegal

Kolkata, Feb 5 (IANS) In a case concerning teacher transfers, the Calcutta High Court had declared the District Primary School Council (DPSC) in Hooghly district illegal.

The division bench of Justice Tapabrata Chakraborty has now issued an interim stay on this single-bench order, court sources said on Thursday.

The court said that the Primary School Council can continue its work for the time being. However, the division bench has directed the council to submit relevant documents regarding the matter.

Earlier, a single bench of the Calcutta High Court had ruled that the council was not formed in accordance with the rules and laws governing its operation and formation.

Therefore, since the council is illegal, it has no existence. It further said that the council had no authority to issue instructions to the chairman or other office-bearers of the district primary council.

Even if any instructions had been issued, they were not valid.

The primary council challenged this order before the High Court’s division bench.

On Wednesday, in the case related to the matter, the division bench ordered that the council can continue its work for the time being.

The copy of the order was uploaded on the court’s website on Thursday.

During the hearing, Bishwabrata Basu Mallick, the lawyer for the Hooghly district primary council, said, “The DPSC handles all aspects of primary education, from recruitment to transfers.

“This entire process has been halted. Not only that, the council is unable to perform any of its other functions. The employees of the council are also facing difficulties.”

According to legal experts, this order from the division bench has resolved the deadlock that was about to complicate primary councils across the state.

The council, which was suffering from an existential crisis, has now been freed from that predicament.

Incidentally, the Hooghly DPSC had issued a transfer order for a teacher named Chandana Bhui.

Claiming her transfer to be illegal, she challenged the order in court.

In that case, the single bench of the High Court not only cancelled the teacher’s transfer but also declared the council itself illegal.

–IANS

sch/pgh