Odisha: BJD slams Revenue Minister over his ‘ideology’ remark

Aizawl, Aug 14 (IANS) In separate operations, Assam Rifles have recovered Rs 60 lakh in unaccounted Indian currency and heroin worth approximately Rs 78 lakh in Mizoram’s Champhai district, a hotspot for drug trafficking, wildlife smuggling, and other illicit activities, officials said on Thursday.

A man and a woman were arrested in connection with the recovery of Indian currencies.

A Defence spokesman said that based on specific intelligence inputs regarding narcotics trafficking, Assam Rifles launched a search operation at Zote areas in eastern Mizoram’s Champhai district.

During the operation, Assam Rifles troops conducted a thorough search of the location and recovered 94.6 grams of heroin valued at approximately Rs 78 lakh.

The recovered items have been handed over to the Excise and Narcotics Department, Champhai, for further investigation and necessary legal action.

In another operation, the para-military force recovered Rs 60 lakh of unaccounted Indian currencies from a vehicle at the same Zote areas of Champhai district.

Two occupants of the vehicle, who are identified as Joseph Lalthansanga and Vanlalruati were arrested.

The recovered currencies and the vehicle, and the individuals have been handed over to Champhai Police for further investigation and legal action.

The successful seizure of narcotics and Indian currencies underscores relentless efforts of Assam Rifles in disrupting supply chain of drugs trafficking, an Assam Rifles statement said.

Meanwhile, Mizoram Chief Minister Lalduhoma said on Wednesday that the state lies within close proximity to the ‘Golden Triangle’, a region notorious for drug trafficking.

Flagging off the Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyan (Drugs Free India Campaign) in Aizawl, the Chief Minister said that this geographical location has led to the frequent inflow of drugs into the state.

Noting that drugs bring no benefit to society and must be eradicated completely, Lalduhoma, a former IPS officer, also urged communities to be vigilant and united in their stand against drug abuse, ensuring that Mizo society remains protected from such harmful influences.

The Chief Minister encouraged young people to abstain entirely from drugs, warning that even occasional use is the first step towards addiction. He further called on those already trapped in addiction to courageously step away and rebuild their lives.

–IANS

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Thiruvananthapuram, May 8 (IANS) In the Congress party, the road to power has often resembled Kerala’s monsoon, one moment bright sunshine, the next moment a sudden downpour. And as the high-stakes race for Kerala’s next Chief Minister shifts to Delhi, old timers in the party are once again reminded that in Congress politics, the cup has frequently slipped just before it touched the lip.

The suspense this time revolves around V.D. Satheesan, Ramesh Chennithala and K.C. Venugopal, all three now firmly in the reckoning after the Congress-led UDF scripted a historic victory in the May 4 Assembly polls.

Few had predicted the scale of the political tsunami.

The Pinarayi Vijayan-led Left Front, which had confidently hoped for an unprecedented third straight term, was swept aside as the UDF stormed to a staggering 102 seats.

The Left Front was reduced to 35, while the BJP-led NDA reopened its account with three seats.

Now, as the scene shifts from Kerala to the power corridors of Delhi, the million-dollar question is who will finally land the prized chair.

If Congress’ history is any indication, certainty is the one thing nobody should have.

In 2011, minutes before Congress legislators met to elect their leader, Ramesh Chennithala stunned even close aides by walking out before television cameras and announcing that he was not in the race. That made Oommen Chandy’s elevation a mere formality.

But Chennithala did not disappear into the political wilderness. Three years later, he returned dramatically to the Cabinet, with Chandy parting with the powerful Home portfolio.

Ironically, that very same year, V.D. Satheesan too experienced the bitter taste of political disappointment when, despite expectations, he was left out of Chandy’s ministry altogether.

A decade earlier, in 2001, it was Oommen Chandy himself who endured a similar slight. Though widely credited with scripting A.K. Antony’s impressive victory, Chandy surprisingly failed to secure a Cabinet berth.

Then came 2021, perhaps Chennithala’s cruellest near-miss. As Leader of Opposition, he led the UDF campaign, believing the tide had turned against Vijayan.

Instead, Vijayan rewrote Kerala’s political history by becoming the first Chief Minister to retain power consecutively.

To add salt to the wound, when the opposition leadership was later decided, the party high command chose Satheesan over Chennithala.

And now comes another Congress irony. Mallikarjuna Kharge had, in March, reportedly directed sitting Lok Sabha members against entering state electoral battles. Yet among the three names now before him is K.C. Venugopal, sitting MP from Alappuzha and one of the party high command’s most influential strategists.

Should Venugopal emerge as the choice, Congress may well end up rewriting its own unwritten rulebook overnight.

And in Kerala’s Congress politics, once one rule bends, everyone immediately begins checking if the next one can too.

–IANS

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New Delhi, Feb 11 (IANS) The air quality in the national capital deteriorated on Wednesday morning, with the Air Quality Index (AQI) rising to 294, placing it in the ‘poor’ category, according to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). Delhi-National Capital Region (NCR) is likely to witness mainly clear skies with mist during the morning hours, while temperatures are likely to remain close to seasonal averages, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said.

On Tuesday, the air quality in the Delhi-NCR also remained in the ‘poor’ category, with the AQI recorded at 267.

As per CPCB data, several monitoring stations in Delhi reported high AQI levels. Anand Vihar recorded 342, Bawana 312, Burari Crossing 321, Chandni Chowk 365, and DTU 290. Dwarka Sector-8 recorded 280, while IIT Delhi stood at 209. Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium reported 321, Mandir Marg 214, and Mundka 374.

Other areas, including Narela (331), North Campus (320), Patparganj (313), Pusa (262), R.K. Puram (280), and Rohini (345) also remained in the ‘poor’ category. Sonia Vihar recorded 357, while Wazirpur reported the highest AQI at 375.

In the NCR, Noida also witnessed poor air quality. Noida Sector-125 recorded an AQI of 328, Sector-62 stood at 268, Sector-1 at 275, and Sector-116 at 284.

Meanwhile, Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on February 10 said that pollution control requires sustained, year-round action. She made the remarks while inaugurating six Continuous Ambient Air Quality Monitoring System (CAAQMS) stations to expand real-time tracking of air quality across the capital. She also flagged off 100 ‘Vayu Rakshak’ vehicles for stricter monitoring and enforcement of pollution control norms.

With the addition of the new stations, the total number of CAAQMS in Delhi has increased to 46, making it the largest air quality monitoring network in any city in the country. Of these, 30 stations are operated by the Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC), 10 by the India Meteorological Department/IITM, and six by the CPCB. Additionally, 14 more monitoring stations are planned to be installed soon.

As part of the initiative, 100 ‘Vayu Rakshaks’ have been deployed to work in coordination with the DPCC for on-ground pollution control. In addition, 600 Vayu Rakshaks, along with the Delhi Police, are monitoring violations related to traffic and emissions.

The IMD said maximum temperatures in Delhi on February 11 are likely to range between 24 and 26 degrees Celsius, while minimum temperatures may settle between 10 and 12 degrees Celsius. Similar weather conditions are expected on February 12 and 13, with mainly clear skies and light morning mist. Maximum temperatures are forecast between 23 and 25 degrees Celsius, and minimum temperatures between 9 and 11 degrees Celsius on both days. Winds are expected to blow mainly from the northwest, strengthening in the afternoon and weakening by evening.

–IANS

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