The CM also said that half the people in Chhattisgarh do not possess any document to prove their citizenship as their ancestors were illiterate who migrated to different villages or states.

RAIPUR: Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel has said that if the National Register of Citizens (NRC) is implemented, over half the population in his state will not be able to prove their citizenship as they neither have land nor land records.

He also said that half the people in Chhattisgarh do not possess any document to prove their citizenship as their ancestors were illiterate who migrated to different villages or states.

Talking to reporters on the sidelines of a programme here on Friday evening, Baghel reiterated that the way Mahatma Gandhi had opposed the identification scheme of Britishers in Africa in 1906, he will oppose the NRC exercise.

Asked whether people will have to stand in queues, as happened during demonetisation, to prove their citizenship once the NRC is implemented, Baghel said, “Indeed, we have to prove that we are Indians.

How those who are not able to do so, will be accommodated? “In Chhattisgarh, there are 2.80 crore people and more than half of them will not be able to prove their citizenship. They neither have land records nor land. Their forefathers were illiterate. Most of them migrated to other villages or states. From where they will bring the 50-100 years old documents,” he asked.

“This is just an unnecessary burden on people. We have several agencies to check infiltration in the country. The agencies can take action against the infiltrators. But how come they (Centre) can trouble the common people,” he said.

Likening the NRC to the identification scheme implemented in South Africa, the chief minister said, “Mahatma Gandhi had opposed the identification scheme of Britishers in Africa.

Similarly, we will oppose the NRC and I have already announced that if it is implemented, I will be the first one who will not sign the NRC document.”

Apart from NRC, Baghel had also criticised the NDA government over the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, which seeks to provide Indian citizenship to persecuted non- Muslim refugees from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan.

An oil industry expert suggested that farmers should be provided better prices for their crops if the country wants to become self-sufficient in edible oils.

NEW DELHI: After onion and garlic, prices of edible oil have registered a sharp rise due to costlier imports.

Consumers will have to dig deeper into their pockets as the cooking oil prices may rise further, say oil industry experts.

Palm oil prices have shot up by Rs 20 a litre (more than 35 per cent) in the last two months. Palm oil’s meteoric rally has led to a sharp rise in the prices of other edible oils.

“The prices of all edible oils have increased following the rise in palm oil over the last two months. Due to costlier imports from Malaysia and Indonesia, edible oil prices are likely to see a further increase,” Oil-oilseed market expert Salil Jain said.

Another oil industry expert suggested that farmers should be provided better prices for their crops if the country wants to become self-sufficient in edible oils.

“The prices of edible oils are increasing in India due to expensive imports from the international market. However, farmers are now getting a higher price of oilseeds, which will encourage them to cultivate oilseeds,” said B.V. Mehta, Executive Director of Solvent Extractors Association of India.

India is the world’s largest edible oil importer, meeting most of its edible oil needs through imports.

It is expected that the country’s dependence on edible oil imports will increase further as heavy rains damaged soybean crops and a lower than expected Rabi oilseed cultivation this year.

Moreover, an increase in export duty on soy oil from Argentina will increase the cost of soy oil imports in India, which may lead to a further rise in prices of cooking oil.

Argentina has increased the export duty on soy oil from 25 per cent to 30 per cent. On the other hand, domestic consumption of palm oil will increase in both countries after the introduction of B-20 bio-diesel programme in Malaysia next year and B-30 bio-diesel programme in Indonesia.

CPO’s December contract on Multi Commodity Exchange (MCX) fell by Rs 543.2 per 10 kg on September 24, while on Friday the CPO price jumped by Rs 744 per 10 grams. The CPO price rose by 37 per cent in about two months.

According to Solvent Extractors data, the import of vegetable oil (edible and non-edible) oils into the country was 11,27,220 tonne in November this year as compared to 11,33,893 tonne in the same month a year ago.

The CPO (crude palm oil) price at Kandla Port was $757 per tonne (CIF) on Friday, while RBD Palmolein imported from Malaysia was priced at $782 per tonne, soy price at $878 per tonne and sunflower crude at $847 per tonne.

According to the sowing data released by the Union Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare last week, the area under oilseeds crops has been 68.24 lakh hectares this year, which is 2.47 lakh hectares less than last year.

The production of soybean, the major oilseed crop in the last Kharif season, is estimated to be down by about 18 per cent in the country as compared to last year.

According to the Soybean Processors Association of India (SOPA) estimates, soybean production in the country this year is 89.94 lakh tonnes, which is 71.73 per cent less than the previous year’s production of 109.33 lakh tonnes.

The estimates of damages comes after violent protests erupted in different parts of the country over the contentious Citizenship (Amendment) Act.
 

NEW DELHI: Amid uproar over Citizenship Amendment Act, railway property worth and estimated Rs 88 crore has been destroyed in the various zone across the Indian Railway network.

“Property worth Rs 72 crores have been damaged in Eastern zone, 13 crores in the South Eastern zone, three crores worth was damaged in North East Frontier zone,” informed Indian Railways.

The estimates of damages comes after violent protests erupted in different parts of the country over the contentious Citizenship (Amendment) Act.

Earlier reacting strongly to reports of damages being caused to railway property during protests, Union Minister of State (MoS) Railways, Suresh Angadi on Tuesday had warned that the concerned district administration and railway authorities to ‘shoot’ at sight if anybody destroys the public property.

“I strictly warn concerned district administration and railway authorities, if anybody destroys public property, including railway, I direct as a Minister, shoot them at sight”, Angadi said while replying to a question regarding the railway facing losses in West Bengal and other states due to the ongoing protests in the region.

The minister had further asserted that it is taxpayers’ money and to develop one train it takes years together.

The Citizenship Amendment Act seeks to grant Indian citizenship to refugees from Hindu, Christian, Sikh, Buddhist and Parsi communities fleeing religious persecution from Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Bangladesh, and who entered India on or before December 31, 2014. 

Pakistan has been violating ceasefire in the Tangdhar and the Kanzalwan sectors along the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir sector.

SRINAGAR: Pakistan on Saturday resorted to unprovoked ceasefire violation from its positions in the Neelum Valley in Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK).

In response to the provocative actions by Pakistan Army, the Indian Army retaliated strongly around midnight on Friday.

Pakistan has been violating ceasefire in the Tangdhar and the Kanzalwan sectors along the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir sector.

The Pakistanis had tried to do a BAT action a few days back in the Sunderbani sector in which one Indian soldier had lost life while two Pakistani elite Special Services Group commandos were killed in Indian Army retaliatory action.

“They have been captured in video and CCTV footage. We will take ”badla” (revenge) on them,” Yogi Adityanath said

Lucknow: 

“There is no place for violence in a democracy,” Yogi Adityanath said.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said on Thursday his government will take “revenge” on those involved in the violence over the amended Citizenship Act by auctioning their property to compensate for the losses.

“There is no place for violence in a democracy. In the name of opposing the CAA, the Congress, SP and Left parties have pushed the entire country to fire,” he said.

“There was violence in Lucknow and Sambhal and we will deal with it strictly. All properties of those involved in damaging public assets will be seized and auctioned to compensate for the losses,” he said.

“They have been captured in video and CCTV footage. We will take ”badla” (revenge) on them,” Mr Adityanath said.

He added that prohibitory orders under section 144 of the CrPC has been in force in the state since November 8 and no demonstration can take place without permission.

“Violence in the name of demonstration is not acceptable. I have talked to the officers and will ensure that the common man does not have any problem. We will strictly deal with those involved in violence,” the chief minister said.

He alleged that opposition is creating confusion on CAA as it was sidelined and ignored by the people.

“The CAA its is not against any religion or section of society. It will ensure safety and help refugees from the other countries,” Mr Adityanath contended.

Any slippage could see India’s overall public finances come under pressure and raise the risk of a downgrade by rating companies.

The growth slowdown means weaker revenue for states, especially collections from GST

India’s sharp slowdown is endangering the fiscal deficit targets of its states, threatening to unravel progress made over the past few years and driving borrowing costs higher for some of them.

The states have budgeted a consolidated fiscal deficit target of 2.6 per cent of gross domestic product in the financial year ending March, a recent study by the Reserve Bank of India shows. While the deficit ratio has remained within the mandated threshold of 3 per cent of GDP in the previous two years, doubts are growing about their ability to meet the latest goal.

Any slippage could see India’s overall public finances come under pressure and raise the risk of a downgrade by rating companies. Only last month, Moody’s Investors Service cut the nation’s credit rating outlook to negative, citing a litany of problems from a worsening shadow banking crunch and a prolonged slowdown in the economy to rising public debt.

Outstanding debt of states has risen over the last five years to 25 per cent of GDP, posing medium-term challenges to its sustainability, according to the RBI study. India’s gross general government debt — including central and states’ borrowings — stood at 69 per cent of GDP, higher than China’s 55.6 per cent, according to the International Monetary Fund.

That spells bad news for states’ borrowing costs. The yield on 10-year bonds sold by West Bengal, which has one of the lowest deficit ratios among India’s 28 states, rose to 7.29 per cent in December from 7.06 per cent in July, data compiled by Bloomberg News show. That’s still lower than the 8.21 per cent at the beginning of the year, as yields tracked the RBI’s aggressive interest rate cuts.

Despite attractive yields on states’ debt that carry an implicit sovereign guarantee, there’s little interest from global funds — which have used only 2.2 per cent of the Rs 61,200-crore ($8.6 billion) investment limit available to them in such notes. Part of the reason, according to fund managers, is a lack of price differentiation between the better-run and poorer states.

West Bengal is joined by states such as Gujarat and Maharashtra that have managed to keep their fiscal deficits at less than 3 per cent of GDP. But they all pay a coupon similar to that of, or greater than some of their financially weaker peers. Take Rajasthan: the state had an average gross fiscal deficit of 5.4 per cent between financial years 2016 and 2019, but sold 10-year bonds this month at a yield of 7.18 per cent.

States haven’t had a problem attracting local investors with yields that are typically higher than those on notes issued by the central government.

Internet services remained suspended for the fifth consecutive day while banking services and businesses have been badly hit.

ALIGARH: A red alert was sounded and the city put under a heavy security cover in view of the first Friday prayers since the police crackdown on the students of Aligarh Muslim University protesting the Citizenship (Amendment) Act earlier this week.

A senior official said that District Magistrate Chandra Bhushan Singh has issued a red alert, and 10 companies of Provincial Armed Constabulary (PAC) and four companies of Rapid Action Force (RAF) have been deployed as a precautionary measure.

The heavy security measures are in view of the Friday prayers, officials said.

Internet services remained suspended for the fifth consecutive day while banking services and businesses have been badly hit.

The city has been witnessing continued demonstrations for the past few days, with the situation turning violent on Sunday when hundreds of AMU students protesting the amended Citizenship Act clashed with the police at a campus gate, leaving 60 injured.

Teachers from AMU took out a protest march on Thursday while shopkeepers in some areas of the city briefly downed shutters in support.

Over 62.4 per cent voter turnout was recorded at 15 Assembly constituencies covering four districts that went to polls in the fourth phase of elections in Jharkhand on December 16.

RANCHI: An estimated 12.01 per cent of over 40 lakh voters exercised their franchise till 9 am on Friday in the fifth and final phase of Jharkhand Assembly elections, Election Commission (EC) officials said.

The voting process, which began at 7 am, is underway in 16 assembly constituencies spread across six districts in the Santhal Pargana region of the state.

Women and men were seen waiting in queues outside the polling booths to exercise their franchise, braving the December cold.

Polling will end at 3 pm in five constituencies of Borio (ST), Barhait (ST), Litipara (ST), Maheshpur (ST) and Shikaripara (ST).

The other seats where polling is being held in this final phase are Rajmahal, Pakur, Nalla, Jamtara, Dumka (ST), Jama (ST), Jarmundi, Sarath, Poreyahat, Godda and Mahagama.

Voters in these 11 assembly segments can exercise their franchise till 5 pm.

In all, 40,05,287 electorate, including 19,55,336 women and 30 third gender voters, are eligible to cast their vote, Jharkhand Chief Electoral Officer Vinay Kumar Choubey said.

Adequate security forces have been deployed, he said.

Of 5,389 polling stations, 396 in Naxal-affected areas have been marked as “critical” while 208 have been declared “sensitive”.

In all, 1,321 polling stations in non-left wing extremism affected areas have been marked as “critical” while 1,765 declared “sensitive”.

The Election Commission has set up 8,987 ballot units, 6,738 control units and 7,006 VVPAT machines.

Altogether, 249 polling stations have been marked as model booths.

As many as 133 polling stations have women staff while 1,347 have webcasting facilities, Choubey said.

BJP candidate and Jharkhand Agriculture Minister Randhir Singh is seeking re-election from Sarath.

State Women and Child Development Minister Louis Marandi is contesting against JMM’s working president and former chief minister Hemant Soren from Dumka.

Louis Marandi had defeated Soren in the 2014 assembly elections.

Like the previous assembly polls when he contested from two seats, Soren is in the fray from Barhait as well.

Soren’s sister-in-law Sita Soren is seeking re-election from Jama.

The BJP, which is contesting on all 16 seats in this final phase, has fielded sitting MLAs Ashok Kumar Bhagat, Anant Ojha and Amit Mandal from Mahagama, Rajmahal and Godda assembly constituencies, respectively.

Former deputy chief minister and sitting JMM MLA Stephen Marandi is seeking re-election from Maheshpur.

The state president of the Janata Dal (United) and former MP, Salkhan Murmu, is contesting from Sikaripara.

The JMM-Congress-RJD alliance has fielded candidates from all 16 constituencies.

While the JMM has fielded nominees in 11 constituencies, the Congress and the RJD are contesting from four and one segments, respectively.

The Babulal Marandi-headed Jharkhand Vikas Morcha (Prajatantrik) has also fielded candidates in this round.

Candidates of the Bahujan Samaj Party, Lok Jan Shakti Party, AJSU Party and the Left are also in the fray.

Of the 81 assembly seats, elections had concluded in 65 constituencies in the previous four phases between November 30 and December 16.

Votes will be counted on December 23.

Condemning the raids on its offices in Guwahati and the arrest of its State President Aminul Haque, Popular Front of India (PFI) has slammed the central government, accusing them of trying to silence organizations like them.

PFI Assam President Aminul Haque was arrested Tuesday in connection with the arson and the violence that took place outside the Janata Bhawan in Guwahati. There are allegations on Haque for instigating the mob to set public property on fire. This incident took place on December 12, the day when the Parliament passed the Citizenship (Amendment), Bill.

Earlier in the day, the Finance Minister of Assam, Himanta Biswa Sarma accused PFI, Campus Front of India (CFI) and Assam Pradesh Youth Congress (APYC) of being involved in the attack.

In an official statement released by the organisation, PFI’s National Secretary Abdul Wahid Sait termed the allegation against them as baseless and ill-motivated.

“These repressive actions of the police are totally biased as the fact is that no Popular Front leader or member had indulged in any violent activity. The police actions started after the statement of a state minister that alleged Popular Front among those who are behind a particular incident without showing any evidence. The Central Secretariat of Popular Front has termed the allegation baseless and ill-motivated,” the statement read.

Demanding the immediate release of Haque, PFI accused the BJP-led government of turning the agitation against the Citizenship Act as anti-Muslim, by targeting the organisation.

“The BJP agenda behind isolating and targetting Popular Front is to turn the ongoing ethnic agitation of Assamese people as anti-Muslim, in an attempt to ultimately break and defeat the present agitation,” it said.

According to the Citizenship Act, members of Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, Parsi and Christian communities who have come from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan till December 31, 2014, and facing religious persecution there will not be treated as illegal immigrants but given Indian citizenship. The Act intentionally leaves out Muslims.

The BJP-led government has said the new law will be followed by a National Register of Citizens (NRC) that means Muslims must prove they were original residents of India and not refugees from these three countries. Non-Muslims listed in the law, by contrast, have a clear path to citizenship.