Imphal, April 15: In a series of joint operations, the security forces have recovered illegally held 77 arms, improvised explosive devices (IEDs), grenades, various ammunition and war-like stores, officials said on Tuesday.

The security forces also arrested nine militants of different outfits.

A Defence spokesperson said that the Army, Assam Rifles, CRPF, BSF, ITBP and Manipur Police during the past few days recovered the 77 arms, several IEDs, grenades, different types of ammunition and war-like stores from seven districts — Churachandpur, Bishnupur, Imphal East, Kakching, Jiribam, Kangpokpi and Imphal West.

He said that the recovered arms include Carbines, Self-Loading Rifles (SLR), AK series rifles, AK series rifles, .303 Light Machine Guns (LMGs), Carbine Machine Guns, .303 Rifles, INSAS rifles, Snipers rifles, Double-barrelled Rifles, Single-barrelled Bolt Action Rifles and pistols.

He said that the joint operations by security forces have also resulted in the apprehension of six cadres from various extremist groups, adding that the apprehended extremists and the recovered arms and ammunition have been handed over to the Manipur Police.

“These coordinated efforts by security forces highlight their unwavering commitment to maintaining peace and security in Manipur,” the defence official said.

In separate operations, Manipur Police arrested two militants of the PREPAK outfit and a cadre of the United National Liberation Front (UNLF) group from Bishnupur, Jiribam and Imphal East districts and recovered a few arms and ammunition from their possession.

An official said that extortion money of Rs 21.50 lakh was recovered from the UNLF militant.

He said that the search operations and area domination were conducted by security forces in the fringe and vulnerable areas of hill and valley districts. During these operations, temporary shelters of a training camp for Village Volunteers were dismantled at Gelmol village in Churachandpur District.

Bhopal, April 15: In alignment with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of Gareeb, Yuva, Annadata, and Nari (Poor, Youth, Farmer, and Woman), the Madhya Pradesh government on Tuesday launched ‘Annadata Kalyan Mission’ (Farmers’ welfare mission) in a “Policy frame”.

The state cabinet in a meeting chaired by Chief Minister Mohan Yadav has approved the policy.

The state government is aiming to implement a comprehensive policy to increase farmers’ income through diverse activities beyond traditional agriculture.

“The policy has been designed to augment farmers’ earnings through allied sectors, adopting a multidimensional approach to their growth and prosperity. Over the years, agricultural productivity has shown remarkable progress, with yields per hectare rising from 1,195 kg in 2003 to 2,393 kg in 2024 — a significant increase of nearly 200 per cent,” said Kailash Vijayvargiya, the State Urban Development Minister.

The mission aspires to transform farmers into progressive entrepreneurs, promoting practices such as organic farming to boost productivity while safeguarding environmental health, the minister said.

Support will also be extended to farmers cultivating high-value horticultural crops, offering them better market returns. Programmes from horticulture, veterinary, and fisheries departments, among others, will be integrated to provide holistic assistance to the farming community, he said.

“We have already launched policies for the poor, youth, and women in mission mode, as envisioned in the Prime Minister’s GYAN concept. The Annadata initiative will also operate in mission mode,” he added.

Emphasising the state government’s commitment to farmers, the minister pointed out that the agricultural budget has witnessed an exponential rise — from Rs 600 crore during the previous administration to Rs 27,000 crore under the current regime. Furthermore, through the Nadi Jodo Abhiyan (river linking project), Rs 1,00,000 crore has been allocated to enhance irrigation infrastructure, with plans to expand irrigated land across the state. Agriculture now constitutes 39 per cent of the state’s GDP, he said.

“A high-level committee has been established under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Mohan Yadav, while another will be formed under the Chief Secretary’s leadership. Similar committees will be constituted at the district level to ensure streamlined implementation,” the Minister elaborated.

Highlighting the impressive growth in the agricultural sector, the Minister noted that the agriculture growth rate has surged from 3 per cent in 2003 to the current rate of 9.1 per cent, reflecting an extraordinary increase of over 327 per cent.

He attributed this achievement to consistent hikes in the Minimum Support Price (MSP) for farm yields and the implementation of various welfare initiatives aimed at bolstering the farming community.

Acknowledging the challenges posed by climate change, the Minister underscored the need to adapt farming practices accordingly. “Sustainable agriculture and biodiversity are being prioritised to ensure resilience and sustained productivity,” he said.

To promote millet cultivation on a large scale, the government has launched schemes focusing on Shree Anna.

Sharing an example from Rourkela, the Minister remarked, “When I visited the town, I saw women who were well-dressed and adorned with gold jewelry — a testament to the success of Shree Anna cultivation, which has significantly enhanced their family incomes,” Vijayvargiya said.

“They sell millet at Rs 60 per kg, compared to the previous Rs 1-2 per kg, illustrating the transformative impact of this initiative. Ensuring farmers receive the right price for their produce remains a priority,” the Minister said.

The Farmers Welfare Department of Madhya Pradesh and the Horticulture Cooperative Department will collaborate to drive farmer development.

Complementary measures such as interventions in public health and medical education, are being introduced to support rural communities.

Collectively, these policies aim to revolutionize the agricultural sector, empowering farmers to achieve sustainable and profitable livelihoods.

Financial assistance under the mission is designed to alleviate farmers’ economic burdens by offering affordable loans tailored to their needs, the Minister added.

Mumbai, April 15: The Maharashtra Cabinet, chaired by the Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, on Tuesday approved the amendment to the Maharashtra Municipal Councils, Municipal Panchayats and Industrial Towns Act, 1965, empowering the members to remove the presidents of Municipal Councils, Municipal Panchayats and Industrial Towns.

As the state legislature is not in session, the state government will issue an ordinance.

Earlier, for the removal of the president from office, a proposal with the signatures of fifty percent of the elected members needed to be sent to the District Collector. After that, action was taken at the government level to remove the president from office. Instead, now the elected members will be given the power to remove the president from office.

Accordingly, a proposal with the signatures of two-thirds of the elected members will be sent and based on which the District Collector will have to hold a special meeting within ten days and take a decision through voting.

In a related development, the Cabinet also approved to harmonise the rules for leasing real estate of municipal corporations and properties in municipal councils, municipal panchayats and industrial towns. It was also decided to issue a notification regarding new rates, Rules were framed on November 6, 2023, regarding the lease, renewal and transfer of immovable property of Municipal Corporations in the state.

Accordingly, uniformity will be brought in the transfer of properties in all urban local bodies in the state. For this, Maharashtra Municipal Councils, Nagar Panchayats and Industrial Towns (Transfer of Immovable Property) (Amendment) Rules 2025 will be framed on the lines of the Municipal Property Transfer Rules. The properties of the Municipal Council, Nagar Panchayat, and Industrial Town have been classified as residential, educational, charitable, and public, commercial, and industrial.

According to the revised rules, the lease rate of properties for residential, educational, charitable, and public use will not be less than 0.5 percent of the current market value (ready reckoner).

The Cabinet also approved the provision for the lease rate for properties for commercial and industrial use, which will be less than 0.7 per cent of the market value. The valuation, lease rate and security deposit of these properties will be determined by a five-member committee headed by the District Collector of the respective districts. Objections and suggestions will be invited regarding these rules, and then a final notification will be published.

Meanwhile, the Cabinet also cleared the Abhay Yojana for property tax dues in Municipal Council, Nagar Panchayat, Industrial Township areas by waiving penalties. The government release said that there is a provision to impose a penalty of 2 per cent per month on the arrears of property taxes in the municipal council, municipal panchayat and industrial town areas.

Due to this, the total arrears of the property holders increase, and the amount of the penalty often exceeds the original tax amount. Since the penalty amount is more than the original tax amount, property holders are reluctant to pay the tax.

As a solution to this, the Abhay Yojana will be implemented by waiving the penalty on the arrears of property tax. There is no provision for such a penalty waiver in the previous Act. The Cabinet approved the inclusion of such a provision in the Act.