PM Modi Embarks on Two-Day Visit to UAE, Followed by Qatar Trip

New Delhi, Dec 17 (IANS) Accusing the AAP government of making a mockery of constitutional institutions, the BJP’s Leader of Opposition, Vijender Gupta, on Tuesday demanded notification of the Assembly session within 48 hours for tabling of 14 CAG reports.

The much-delayed CAG reports purportedly talk about the alleged lapses of the AAP government related to the now-withdrawn excise policy, spending to control air pollution and other matters of state finances that may cause embarrassment to the Atishi government just before the Assembly session.

Addressing a press conference, Gupta said the BJP will take the fight to the streets and approach the High Court again if AAP National Convenor Arvind Kejriwal does not make public the CAG reports, which are public documents, within the next 48 hours.

“It will prove to be the last nail in the AAP’s coffin if Kejriwal or CM Atishi fail to call a session of the Delhi Assembly to table the CAG reports,” Gupta said, adding that any delay in tabling of the reports would confirm the suspicion about financial irregularities by the Kejriwal government.

The LoP said the BJP would continue to demand a session of the Assembly despite the AAP government’s efforts to delay the matter and suppress the CAG reports.

“The government is indulging in a conspiracy to block the tabling of the CAG reports. We will again go to the High Court if Chief Minister Atishi fails to follow the court’s direction,” he said.

Gupta said the tabling of the CAG report had no connection with the Model Code of Conduct which may come into force with the announcement of Assembly election dates, a development which is expected to take place any day.

BJP leader Satya Ranjan, who appeared for the party in the HC, said in the constitutional scheme of things, especially under Chapter 5 of the CAG, the government auditor is mandated to ensure transparency and accountability.

“Its reports on financial activities of a government are crucial for maintenance of institutional integrity,” he said.

“The HC has given us the freedom to approach it again in case no decision is taken – within 2-3 days starting Monday – on the calling of an Assembly session for tabling of the CAG report,” said Ranjan.

Since June 23, 2022, the CAG has given 14 reports highlighting the financial condition of Delhi but the state government is sitting over it, not allowing these reports to be tabled in the Assembly.

He also appreciated Lieutenant Governor V.K. Saxena’s prompt approval of the CAG reports before returning them to CM Atishi for presenting them before the Speaker ahead of tabling in the Assembly.

–IANS

rch/rad

Hyderabad, Dec 16 (IANS) Opposition Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) staged a protest at the Telangana Assembly complex over the alleged ill-treatment of farmers arrested in connection with the Lagacherla incident. The BRS legislators reached the Assembly building holding placards and raising slogans over the handcuffing of one of the arrested farmers.

They were stopped by the police and Assembly security personnel, saying there was no permission to enter the premises with placards.

BRS working president K.T. Rama Rao and senior leader T. Harish Rao were among the MLAs who participated in the protest. They demanded the immediate release of all farmers.

A farmer lodged in Sangareddy Jail was handcuffed when he was taken to a hospital after he complained of chest pain on December 12. The tribal farmer Hirya Naik was arrested in connection with the attack on officials during a public hearing on land acquisition for a pharma cluster in Lagacherla village of Vikarabad district.

Taking serious note of the incident, Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy had ordered a probe. The same day Sangareddy Central Prison Superintendent Santosh Roy and Jailer P. Sanjeeva Reddy were suspended.

Meanwhile, BRS working president K.T. Rama Rao took potshots at the Congress government over the arrests of farmers and the recent arrest of actor Allu Arjun. He also criticised the Chief Minister over his frequent visits to the national capital.

“As the Telangana Assembly proposes to discuss ‘Tourism policy’, the two specific areas where Congress Govt has achieved remarkable progress in this sector are 1) Delhi Tourism – More than 100 trips of CM and all Ministers combined! 2) Jail Tourism — 40 Kodangal farmers in Jail — Actors in Jail even after Bail — Social Media warriors being jailed — LnT CFO being threatened to be jailed,” Rama Rao posted on ‘X’.

Meanwhile, the BRS staged a walk-out from the Assembly over the issue of non-payment of long-pending bills of former sarpanches. The former sarpanches and other public representatives have been demanding the government to pay the bills to the tune of Rs.1,300 crore.

They say that they had borrowed money to take up various development works in their villages. Both the ruling Congress and opposition BRS blamed each other for pending bills.

Minister for Panchayat Raj Seethakka said that the Congress government inherited the arrears from the previous government. She said that if the then Finance Minister Harish Rao had signed a file, all the pending bills would have been cleared.

Responding to this, Harish Rao claimed that the BRS government was releasing Rs 275 core every month to gram panchayats under Palle Pragathi programme. He said the previous government said Rs 3,300 crore were released to gram panchayats since the launch of the scheme for the development of villages.

The BRS leader slammed the Congress government for not clearing the bills of poor sarpanches, MPTCs, ZPTCs and small contractors for the last year. Terming the government’s reply to the important question raised by them as ‘irresponsible’ the BRS staged a walk-out.

–IANS

ms/skp

Nagpur, Dec 19 (IANS) Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Thursday asserted that Maharashtra tops among other states in attracting domestic and foreign direct investments saying that the government will have zero tolerance against extortion by people affiliated to various political parties from the investors.

He denied the opposition’s accusations that Gujarat has outpaced Maharashtra and claimed that the state was the favoured investment destination in the past, today and will remain so also in the future.

In his reply to the debate on the Governor’s address in the state Assembly here, Fadnavis said, ”Maharashtra was top among other states in attracting foreign direct investment between 2015 and 2019. However, during the Maha Vikas Aghadi rule, Gujarat and Karnataka outsmarted Maharashtra. However, after the MahaYuti government came to power, Maharashtra has gained its top position.”

“Maharashtra is receiving huge investment. I expect political parties will not support the extortionists. If the investors are harassed and face extortion demands, they will not invest in the state. If you don’t protect extortionists the Maharashtra will grow at a faster pace. The government will implement zero tolerance against extortionists,” he warned.

Fadnavis said that the state government is actively pursuing the use of renewable energy in a bid to achieve net zero carbon footprint. “Maharashtra’s installed power generation capacity is 44,000 mw and the government has signed power purchase deals for 54,000 mw. At present, 84 per cent of power is generated through traditional energy sources against only 16 per cent by renewable energy sources. The government has aimed to increase the share of power generation through renewable energy sources to 52 per cent bringing down the share of traditional energy sources to 48 per cent,” he added.

Fadnavis said that the government will carry out infrastructure development on the fast track saying that the second phase of Mumbai Metro 3 Colaba-Bandra-SEEPZ would be completed by May 2025.

“The first phase of Mumbai Metro 3 between Aarey and BKC was put into service on October 7. The second phase from Colaba to BKC will open by May 2025,” he declared.

–IANS

sj/skp