Archives for August 2018

The Delhi government on Friday announced that people living in the national capital will get doorstep delivery of about 100 services from September 10.

“Doorstep delivery of services: A revolution in governance. A big blow to corruption. Super convenience for people. Happening for the first time anywhere in the world. Starts from September 10,” Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal tweeted.

By paying a facilitation fee of Rs 50 each, people can get delivered at their homes certificates of marriage, caste, domicile and income besides new water connections and driving licences among others.

The services will be provided between 9 a.m. and 9 p.m. at a time preferred by the people.

(IANS)

Militants abducted two more relatives of Jammu and Kashmir policemen on Friday taking the number to 11 within the last three days, an official said. Former Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has termed the development “worrisome”.

Even when the security forces were working their strategy to recover the hostages safely, a statement purportedly issued by Hizbul operational commander Riyaz Naikoo, on the social media said that henceforth the militants would follow “an eye for an eye policy”.

“Police has compelled us to follow the course of an eye for an eye and an ear for an ear.

“Policemen are advised in their own interest to give up their jobs or be prepared to face the worst,” Naikoo, whose father was arrested by police two days back, said.

The abducted relatives of policemen include two brothers of police officers and nine sons.

Reacting to the development, former state Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah tweeted: “11 abductions! This is a very worrying reflection of the situation in the valley.

“What’s worse is the selective outrage — people/leaders who are so vocal about alleged security force excesses are silent about these abductions.”

The Shiv Sena on Friday again attacked the BJP for demonetizing Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 bank notes in 2016, calling it a “butchering of the Indian economy” which it said even the Reserve Bank Of India (RBI) had conceded.

The hasty and ill-advised move was not ‘patriotic’ but created “economic anarchy” in the country as subsequent developments proved, it said in editorials in the party organs ‘Saamana’ and ‘Dopahar Ka Saamana’.

While announcing demonetization, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had promised that it would spell the end for corruption, black money, fake notes and terrorism, but the effect has been opposite, especially in the past two years.

“The RBI’s latest annual report says Rs 1.47 lakh crore, or 99.30 percent, of all the spiked notes have returned. Around Rs 10,000 crore have not come back into circulation. This means, a mountain was dug and not even a mouse came out, but the country’s economy was shattered for catching this elusive rodent,” the Sena said.

The result was that the country was facing an economic mess, the small and medium enterprises have been destroyed, the service sector was in crisis, housing industry was in doldrums, small and medium farmers were suffering, and scores of lives were lost in bank and ATM queues after demonetization, said the Sena.

Added to this was the fall of the GDP and the country’s pace of development, with the Indian rupee plummeting to its lowest levels in 70 years and terrorism continuing unabated.

Moreover, the government spent over Rs 15,000 crore in printing the new currency notes and Rs 2,000 crore to distribute them, Rs 700 crore to replace the existing ATM networks.

“However, despite the huge economic losses suffered, the government still continues to harp on ‘Vikaas’ and its attitude is akin to Nero fiddling while Rome burnt. Demonetization was a sheer ‘evil’ (aghori) measure,” said the Sena.

Targeting the RBI, the editorial said it was the custodian of the country’s wealth but the Governor (Urjit Patel) did nothing when it was being looted, for which he should be hauled before the courts.

“We were shown the dream that demonetization is a revolutionary step which will eradicate black money forever. However, hundreds of crore of black money of politicians are deposited in banks. A couple of Gujarat (cooperative) banks lead in this and some newspapers there had published the news of impending demonetization months in advance,” it pointed out.

The BJP’s ally at the centre and in Maharashtra said that those who opposed demonetization were treated as “traitors” but the truth is now revealed in the RBI’s (2017-18) annual report.

“For those who labelled (former PM) Manmohan Singh a ‘fool’, the reality is out and it is clear that demonetization was a fiasco. The RBI is saying so,” the editorial said.

(IANS)

The Congress on Friday attacked the Narendra Modi government over the “skyrocketing” fuel prices and alleged that it has profited by over Rs 11 lakh crore from the taxes imposed on fuels.

“Monstrous taxes being levied by the Modi government have resulted in the skyrocketing petrol and diesel prices. Modi government has already profited by over Rs 11 lakh crore from draconian taxes on fuel,” Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala said in a statement.

He said petrol and diesel prices were at an all-time high and the common people, the middle class, the farmers, the transporters and small and medium businesses were bearing the pain.

Surjewala said that the prices of essential commodities were burning holes in the budgets of the all Indians.

“People of India will not forgive and forget the Modi government for the fuel loot and give a befitting reply to the BJP in the forthcoming elections,” he said adding the Prime Minister and his government have refused to act to ameliorate the agony and anguish of the common people.

Surjewala said the diesel price at Rs 70.26 per litre was impacting farmers’ lifeline, besides a stinging effect on the runaway food inflation, while the high prices of petrol at Rs 78.57 per litre in Delhi have gravely impacted the transportation and commuting cost of common people.

In Mumbai, petrol prices were set to cross Rs 86 per litre and diesel price was at Rs 74.59 per litre owing to taxes imposed by BJP governments in the Centre and the state.

“There has been an increase of 211.7 per cent in excise on petrol prices and 433.06 per cent on diesel prices since the BJP came to power in May 2014,” he said. The central excise duty has been hiked 12 times since BJP came to power, he said.

Slamming the government for exporting the petrol and diesel at cheaper prices to 15 countries, Surjewala said, “Petrol and diesel in India are available in the range of Rs 78 – Rs 86 from and Rs 70 to Rs 75 respectively, but an RTI reply has revealed that Modi government is selling Petrol to 15 foreign countries at just Rs 34/litre and selling Diesel to 29 foreign countries at a pittance of Rs 37 only.”

“These countries include- England, Australia, America, Malaysia and Israel. This is how Modi Govt has betrayed and backstabbed the people of India.”

Surjewala said the Modi government and the BJP have refused to “listen to us” on the demand for bringing the petrol and diesel under the GST.