New Delhi, Dec 15: As Prime Minister Narendra Modi embarked on a three-nation visit to Jordan, Ethiopia and Oman on Monday, bolstering economic and trade ties is among the key agenda items of his visit.

PM Modi’s visit is expected to open far-reaching opportunities to enhance the country’s economic footprint across West Asia and Africa.

Last week, the Union Cabinet, chaired by the Prime Minister, approved the proposed Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between India and Oman, aimed at deepening trade and investment relations between the two countries.

The approval also came after Oman’s Shura Council approved the Gulf nation’s proposed FTA with India. The talks for the trade agreement, officially termed the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA), formally began in November 2023.

India and Oman share a long-standing and multidimensional Strategic Partnership supported by strong trade ties, energy cooperation and cultural linkages. The economic and commercial relations between India and Oman are robust and buoyant.

The bilateral trade between the two nations reached $8.947 billion during FY 2023-2024, and for FY 2024-25, it stood at $10.613 billion, according to an official statement. Bilateral investment flows have also been strong, as reflected in numerous joint ventures established both in India and Oman.

Moreover, there are over 6,000 India-Oman joint ventures present in Oman, estimated to be adding $7.5 billion to Oman’s economy in the form of total capital investment over a long period.

PM Modi will hold high-level talks with the Sultan of Oman in Muscat and discuss strengthening the Strategic Partnership as well as the strong commercial and economic relationship between the two nations.

Notably, India is Jordan’s third-largest partner, with bilateral trade at around $2.8 billion. Jordan is a key supplier of fertilisers to India, particularly phosphates and potash.

Although the size of India-Ethiopia bilateral trade was around $550 million in FY25, India was the second largest trading partner for the African nation. India’s key exports include primary and semi-finished iron and steel products, drugs and pharmaceuticals, fertilisers and machinery, among others.

Mumbai, Dec 15: The Shiv Sena Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray (UBT) on Monday accused the BJP-led Mahayuti government in Maharashtra of being engrossed in self-celebration and political self-interest even as the state grapples with an alarming rise in cases of missing girls.

In a scathing editorial in the party mouthpiece Saamana, the Thackeray camp alleged that the government machinery is being diverted to protect “traitors” and serve a handful of cronies, while public safety — particularly that of women and girls — has been pushed to the margins.

Terming the Chief Minister Fadnavis’ recent announcement on the establishment of a grand Global Capability Centre in Powai, Mumbai, a “celebratory move”, Thackeray camp claimed it stands in stark contrast to a deeply alarming crisis gripping the state — the rising number of missing girls, especially from the very city where the new centre is planned. The issue has prompted concerns about the government’s priorities and the effectiveness of welfare schemes like the ‘Ladki Bahin’ Yojana.

The Thackeray camp alleged that the government is not at all serious about the safety of mothers, sisters, daughters, and daughters-in-law. “You get Rs 1500 per month under the Ladki Bahin Yojana, take that and keep quiet. Don’t utter a word about kidnapping, atrocities, or security. The government is engrossed in its own revelry, but if the public also sits silent and apathetic, the destruction of Maharashtra will not take long; in fact, the destruction has already begun,” it warned.

According to the editorial, the Ladki Bahin Yojana was rolled out ahead of the state Assembly elections to garner votes. The editorial also referred to cash transfers announced before the Bihar elections, alleging a pattern of “vote-buying” through financial incentives.

“In Maharashtra, beneficiaries of the Ladki Bahin scheme receive Rs 1500 per month, and the Chief Minister says he will soon increase it to Rs 2100 for political gain. However, the government that buys the votes of the ‘Beloved Sisters’ by giving only Rs 1500 has failed to secure their safety in the state,” the editorial alleged.

“Exploitation of girls is happening in ashram schools, hostels, but now the rate of girls disappearing from Mumbai, including the rest of Maharashtra, has increased,” it remarked.

The editorial has highlighted a severe failing in maintaining law and order, particularly regarding the safety of women and girls.

“Once considered the safest city for women in India, life for girls and women in Mumbai has become difficult since the Shinde-Fadnavis government took power, with rising cases of atrocities and abductions. Mumbai Police records show 1187 cases of kidnapping of minor girls registered in the last ten months. An average of five to six girls are missing from Mumbai every day. About 136 cases of girls’ kidnapping were recorded in just the last 30 days. The situation is reportedly no different in Pune and Nashik,” said the editorial.

Further, Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena claimed the problem is especially acute in North Maharashtra, with Nandurbar district registering the highest rate of missing girls. It has cited two main causes, including enticement and abduction and economic distress for the girls going missing, with many being traced to the neighbouring states like Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh.

“Girls are either lured away or directly kidnapped.
Driven by extreme poverty and hardship, girls are leaving the state on their own in search of employment. This is a shameful situation for the government,” it said.

Mumbai: Malad police have arrested an interstate gang of five for cheating shop owner Dinesh Mehta of Rs 25 lakh by selling him fake gold. The accused, primarily from Rajasthan, were arrested in Gujarat and Virar.

The main accused, Babulal Waghela, who is wanted in multiple cases, falsely claimed to have discovered gold while digging near a Nashik temple. The gang gained Mehta’s trust by first showing him a silver coin, then giving him genuine gold beads to test. After Mehta handed over Rs25 lakh, they gave him a necklace made of copper and nickel.

Police traced and arrested Waghela, his wife, and three others, successfully recovering Rs15.45 lakh in cash. A fifth accused, Govind, remains wanted.