About 3,000 people live and die unrecognized in a desert land bordering Sudan and Egypt.There is no proof of their birth, death,marriage, educational qualification or skills.

The 2,060 square kilometers of land belong to no one in particular. No kingdoms or governments have come forward to support them.

The region in question is Birland or Bir Tawil, a landlocked area caught in a quandary between Sudan and Egypt since the early 19th century. The only status it has is – Terra Nullius (no man’s land).

An entire population’s efforts began to pay off in 2014 – 2015 when H.R.M. King Emir A.Haiyawi established Birand as a state.

Soon, Prof. Dr. Queen Eden Soriano Trinidad was appointed Prime Minister.A few representatives from different countries were appointed to amplify the humanitarian concerns and seek support from the United Nations (UN) for Birland’s administrative stature.

The current administration has been in talks with global administrations to support the people in attaining their rights.

The biggest challenge for the current administration is to build an entire nation from scratch. There are no infrastructure facilities – water, healthcare, sanitation etc. – in the region.

The youth in the area gaze at an uncertain future, considering the region’s lack of educational establishments and employment opportunities.

They desire a quality life, unlike the ones their ancestors lived. The access to the world is via Sudan, which demands better transportation facilities, including an airport.

King Emir A.Haiyawi and his team have already completed the documentation work and even received a Certificate of Membership to UNIGO (United Nations Intergovernmental Organization).

There is a long way to go, and the people of Birland hope to be recognized by the world.

NEW DELHI: With the hike of 80 paise in prices of petrol and diesel on Saturday, the rates have been increased by Rs 3.20 per litre in five days.

After the latest price revision, petrol in Delhi will be sold at Rs 98.61 per litre and diesel at Rs 89.87 per litre.

The petrol will cost Rs 113.35 after an increase of by 84 paise and after the hike by 85 paise diesel will be sold at Rs 97.55 in the finance capital Mumbai. In Mumbai, the prices are the highest among all the metros cities.

LUCKNOW: His becoming a minister wasn’t unexpected but a symbol of faith reposed by the party in its dedicated worker, said UP’s lone Muslim minister Danish Azad Ansari on Friday.

Ansari hails from Ballia and took oath as a minister of state in the new BJP-led government in Uttar Pradesh on Friday.

Currently, Ansari is not a member of either house of the UP legislature.

“I thank the party for giving an ordinary party worker like me such a big opportunity. I thank them for this. I would discharge my duties with full honesty.

When asked whether getting the ministerial berth was unexpected, he said, “No, this was not the case. The BJP recognises the hard work of each and every worker. For me, it is a symbol of trust reposed by the party in its dedicated worker.”

He also claimed that the faith of Muslims in the BJP has increased.

“The welfare schemes run by the BJP are benefitting the Muslims. This government does not ask anyone’s caste and religion before giving them benefits of the schemes. The BJP works for basic facilities and necessities of the Muslims,” he said.

Ansari is the only Muslim face in new Uttar Pradesh government led by Yogi Adityanath.

He replaced Mohsin Raza, who served as the minister of state for minorities’ welfare in the previous Adityanath government.

Thirty-two-year Danish had joined the ABVP in 2010 when he was a student at Lucknow University.

He has done Masters in Public Administration and Quality Management.

He was nominated to the Urdu Language Committee in the Yogi government in October 2018, having the minister of state status.

Danish was appointed the general secretary of the minorities cell of the BJP just before the Assembly elections.

Born on May 30, 1988, Danish is a native of Apayal village in Bansdih Assembly constituency of Ballia.

Danish did his schooling from Ballia’s Holy Cross School.

LUCKNOW: In the first major decision of the Yogi Adityanath government in Uttar Pradesh, the state cabinet on Saturday decided to extend the free ration scheme initiated during the Covid pandemic by three more months.

A total of 15 crore people are benefiting from the programme in the state, Adityanath said.

The programme was an important narrative in the just-concluded Assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh.

After swearing-in on Friday, the first cabinet meeting of Adityanath’s second consecutive government met here this morning.

“In this introductory meeting, the chief minister thanked the people of the state for reposing their faith in nationalism, safety, good governance and development,” the Uttar Pradesh government said in a statement yesterday.

He also said that serving the people is the most pious work, and discharging duties with commitment and loyalty provides satisfaction.

Observing that honesty and transparency are extremely important in public life, the chief minister said the focus should be on performance-based work.

The ministers should also keep a special watch on their private staff.

They should visit their districts as in-charge ministers, do physical verification of development work and also take feedback from the people, Adityanath said.

The chief minister added that a special programme be organised for the ministers at IIM-Lucknow to give speed to the developmental works, the statement said.

After taking oath as the Uttar Pradesh deputy chief minister for the second time, Keshav Prasad Maurya on Friday said every promise made in the BJP poll manifesto will be fulfilled on time and assured all-round development of the state.

Maurya expressed his gratitude towards the central BJP leadership, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, for appointing him as the deputy chief minister again.

He also expressed his gratitude towards the people and workers of the state.

Talking to reporters at his official residence on Kalidas Marg, Maurya said, “Every promise made in the Lok Kalyan Sankalp Patra (BJP manifesto) will be fulfilled on time and all-round development of Uttar Pradesh will be done.”

“With the motto of Sabka Sath, Sabka Vikas and Sabka Vishwas (everyone’s support, development, trust), every possible help will be provided to every person of the state without any discrimination while law and order will be maintained,” he added.

Maurya said service of the people and the interests of farmers will be paramount for the BJP government in the state.

“The state will continue to move forward on the path of development,” he said.

Promising to respect the mandate given by the people, he said, “The honour of every individual and the dignity of BJP workers will be fully protected.”

Dinesh Sharma, Shrikant Sharma and Siddharth Nath Singh are among the prominent faces who are missing from the UP government this time.

The oath ceremony was held at Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Stadium in the presence of PM Narendra Modi and top BJP leaders.

Dinesh Sharma, who in the previous Yogi Adityanath government held the charge of the deputy CM, has been replaced by Brajesh Pathak.

Dinesh Sharma is a member of the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Council.

Shrikant Sharma and Siddharth Nath Singh also failed to make the cut.

Shrikant Sharma held the charge of the power minister in the previous BJP-led government while Siddharth Nath Singh held the MSME portfolio.

The name of Satish Mahana, who headed the industry department in the previous BJP government and was elected from Maharajpur in Kanpur district, was missing from the list of new ministers.

Ramapati Shastri, a BJP MLA from Mankapur in Gonda district, too was left out.

Earlier, he held the charge of the social welfare minister.

With UP BJP chief Swatantra Dev Singh taking oath as a cabinet minister, the post of state party chief is likely to fall vacant and a new leader may be appointed to the position, a senior leader said, citing the “one person, one post” principle.

Among the leaders who failed to get a ministerial berth this time were Jai Pratap Singh, Ram Naresh Agnihotri, Ashutosh Tandon, Neelkanth Tiwari and Mahendra Singh.

Mohsin Raza, who was the lone Muslim minister in the previous state government, was replaced by Danish Azad Ansari.

Swami Prasad Maurya, Dharam Singh Saini and Dara Singh Chauhan, who were ministers in the previous BJP government, had quit the BJP just ahead of the Assembly polls and contested from the Opposition Samajwadi Party.

Ministers Mukut Bihari Verma and Swati Singh were not given ticket by the BJP in the just-concluded Assembly polls.

A know how of the new Yogi Cabinet

Danish Azad Ansari: Lone Muslim face in UP government

Danish Azad Ansari is the only Muslim face in new Uttar Pradesh government led by Yogi Adityanath.

Hailing from Ballia, Ansari replaced Mohsin Raza, who served as the minister of state for minorities’ welfare in the previous Yogi Adityanath government.

He took an oath as a minister of state.

Thirty-two-year Danish had joined the ABVP when he was a student at Lucknow University, from where he completed his graduation.

He was nominated to the Urdu Language Committee in the Yogi government in October 2018, having the minister of state status.

Danish was appointed the general secretary of the minorities cell of the BJP just before the Assembly elections.

He has done his schooling from Ballia’s Holy Cross School.

Swatantra Dev Singh: Former journalist, influential OBC leader

An influential OBC leader and currently the state BJP president, Swatantra Dev Singh was named Congress Singh by his parents.

Born on February 13, 1964 in a village of Mirzapur district, he changed his name after joining the BJP.

Singh, who belongs to the backward Kurmi caste and played a crucial role in paving the way for the party’s second consecutive win in the UP Assembly polls, was elevated to the post of the state BJP chief in 2019.

Singh had started his career as a reporter for a Hindi daily in 1986.

He was made a minister in the Yogi Adityanath-led previous government and earlier held various positions in the party, including that of its state vice-president and general secretary.

He also held the post of the the state president of the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha.

At present, Singh is a member of the state Legislative Council and had played a crucial role in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s 2014 and 2017 election rallies in UP.

Singh holds BSc degree from Bundelkhand University.

Baby Rani Maurya: Quit as Uttarakhand Governor to enter active politics

An influential Jatav leader, Baby Rani Maurya last year resigned from the Uttarakhand governor’s post, taking a plunge into active politics.

On Friday, the 65-year-old Dalit leader was sworn-in as an Uttar Pradesh cabnet minister.

Maurya had resigned from the governor’s post in September last year, leading to speculations that the party want her to enter active politics.

She held the post for three years.

She was made the national vice-president of the party and was elected to the state Assembly from Agra (Rural) in the just-concluded elections.

With a degree in education (B.Ed) and Masters in Arts, she has been a member of the National Commission for Women.

She had contested the 2007 Assembly elections from Etmadpur on a BJP ticket but was defeated then.

Her husband Pradeep Kumar retired from a senior post in a bank.

Baby Rani Maurya had joined the BJP in 1995 and then became the mayor of Agra.

After that, she held several positions in the party.

Keshav Prasad Maurya: Back in saddle as Uttar Pradesh deputy CM

Despite having lost the recent Assembly elections, Keshav Prasad Maurya’s continuation as UP deputy chief minister speaks volumes about his popularity and hold over the backward classes, whose crucial support was instrumental in the BJP retaining power in the state.

The 52-year-old leader lost from Sirathu by nearly 7000 votes, leading to speculations of his omission from the new Adityanath-led government.

But the party reposed its faith in him.

Coming from a humble background, his political career started during the Ram temple movement under the guidance of Vishwa Hindu Parishad’s Ashok Singhal.

BJP insiders say Maurya helped his parents in agricultural work, ran a tea shop and also sold newspapers in his early days.

He also remained a “pracharak” of the VHP and the Bajrang Dal for 18 years.

Though his electoral journey witnessed early defeats, Maurya won from Sirathu seat as a BJP candidate in 2012.

Maurya came into the limelight in 2013, when he led a protest against the arrival of a Christian missionary in a college of Allahabad.

In the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, he was fielded by the party from Phulpur and won the seat with a record number of votes.

His real test came in 2016 when he was made the state president of the BJP and he undertook extensive tours of the state to muster the support of the backwards.

His hard work paid off as the BJP defeated the ruling Samajwadi Party in the elections, winning 312 of the 403 seats, with the allies chipping in with 13 more seats.

Maurya was made the deputy chief minister in the previous government.

He resigned from Parliament and was elected to the upper house of the state legislature.