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Cabinet Approves Rs 13,000 Cr For Vishwakarma Scheme; Nod For Digital India Programme & Railway Projects

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The Union Cabinet on Wednesday approved four major initiatives, including the PM Vishwakarma scheme that seeks to benefit lakhs of traditional artisans and craftsmen and the PM-eBus Sewa that aims at promoting green mobility while improving city bus operations. The other two schemes to get Cabinet nod are the extension of the Digital India programme and seven multitracking projects of Indian Railways. The Vishwakarma scheme, for which an outlay of Rs 13,000 crore has been set aside for a period of five years, seeks to benefit about 30 lakh families of traditional artisans and craftsmen, including weavers, goldsmiths, blacksmiths, laundry workers, and barbers.

Scheme will be launched on September 17

PM Modi had on Tuesday announced that the scheme will be launched on September 17. The artisans and craftsmen will be provided credit support of up to Rs1 lakh (first tranche) and Rs2 lakh (second tranche) with a concessional interest rate of 5 per cent. The government will also provide support of up to Rs15,000 to buy modern tools. The cabinet also gave its nod to the PM-eBus Sewa to promote green mobility and improving bus connectivity with cities that have no organised service.

10,000 e-buses will be deployed in 169 cities

As many as 10,000 e-buses will be deployed in 169 cities on a public-private partnership (PPP) model at an estimated cost of Rs57,613 crore of which Rs20,000 crore will be borne by the Centre. The scheme will cover cities with a population of three lakh or more and support bus operations for 10 years. States/cities will be responsible for running the bus services and making payments to bus operators, while the Centre will provide subsidies, the government said.

Union cabinet approved the extension of the Digital India programme

The Union cabinet has also approved the extension of the Digital India programme with an outlay of Rs14,903 crore to boost digital initiatives in skilling, cyber security, high performance computing and simplifying technology for masses, among other areas. The outlay has been approved for a five-year period from 2021-22 to 2025-26, Vaishnaw said. Under the extended programme, nine more super computers will be added under the National Supercomputing Mission (NCM), he said. The Digilocker app will be extended to micro, small and medium enterprises to help them avail of credit and other services by verifying their document stored in the app. As many as, 6.25 lakh IT professionals will be re-skilled and 2.65 lakh persons will be trained in information security, he said.

Cyber awareness courses will be conducted

Besides, cyber awareness courses will be conducted for 12 crore college students under the programme. The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs also approved seven multi-tracking projects of Indian Railways at an estimated cost of around Rs32,500 crore, Vaishnaw said. The projects, which will be fully funded by the Centre, will help increase the existing line capacity, smoothen train operations, reduce congestion and facilitate ease of travelling and transportation. The projects will cover 35 districts in nine states, including Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Odisha, Jharkhand and West Bengal, and increase the existing network of Indian Railways by 2,339 km and provide employment of an estimated 7.06 crore man-days to the people of the states.

Maharashtra

Indian soldier Murali martyred in Pakistani firing in Mumbai

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Mumbai: After the terrorist attack in Kashmir Pahalgam, the Indian Army retaliated and launched a massive attack on Pakistan under “Operation Sindoor”. While the enemy was defeated in this operation, 27-year-old Murali Naik, a resident of Kamaraj Nagar, Mumbai, was martyred in firing on the border.

As soon as the news of the martyrdom of Martyr Murali Naik reached the area, a wave of mourning spread throughout Kamaraj Nagar. Every eye was moist and every heart was filled with pride. Former corporator of the area, Parmeshwar Kadam, said that Murali was honest and sociable since childhood and was also a capable soldier. He dreamed of serving the country at a young age. Even after facing setbacks, Murali joined the army. Some relatives even forbade him from joining the army, but Murali’s passion was unwavering. With hard work and dedication, he fulfilled his dream by joining the army.

Murli Naik joined the Indian Army in 2022. After training in Nashik, he was posted in Assam, then Punjab. Just a month ago, he was sent to the Uri sector of Jammu and Kashmir, where he was martyred in firing by Pakistan on Friday morning. The mortal remains of martyr Murli Naik will be taken to his native village in Andhra Pradesh tomorrow, where his last rites will be performed with full state honours. Murali, who belongs to the Dhangar community, was sociable and lively since childhood. Today, not only Mumbai but the entire country is proud of Murali Naik. He made his great sacrifice while protecting Mother India.

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Maharashtra

Removing the Pakistani flag at Vile Parle station was costly, a case was registered against five people including a woman, police took action after the video went viral on social media

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Mumbai: The Juhu police has registered an FIR against six unidentified individuals, including a burqa-clad woman, for allegedly gathering unlawfully, verbally abusing, and physically assaulting people who opposed the removal of Pakistani flags near the west side of Vile Parle railway station.

According to the FIR, the incident took place on May 4, when the accused were seen removing Pakistani flags that had been pasted on the stair steps of the Vile Parle railway station as part of a protest against the April 22 massacre of Hindu tourists in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir.

The police have registered the case under Sections 189(2) (unlawful assembly), 190 (every member of an unlawful assembly guilty of an offence committed in pursuit of a common object), and 352 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of peace) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.

The complainant, Santosh Salukhe, 49, a policeman, stated that he saw a video on Facebook, showing a veiled woman and four to five unidentified youths removing the Pakistani flags from the stair steps at Vile Parle railway station (West).

Salukhe immediately rushed to the location and learned that around 4 p.m. the same day, some unidentified individuals had pasted the Pakistani flags in front of the ticket counter at the station and on the steps as a symbolic protest against the recent terrorist attacks on tourists in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir. The flags carried the message “Step on it.” Those who pasted the flags left soon after.

Later, the veiled woman and her group arrived at the Vile Parle railway station and began removing the flags, which created a disturbance for commuters. When some people tried to stop them, the woman and her associates allegedly physically assaulted and verbally abused them, resulting in a brief period of tension at the station. Gurpreet Anand of Ankush Foundation had distributed free stickers of the Pakistani flag with the message “Step on it” printed at the bottom.

On Wednesday, he went to Juhu police station along with Parag Alavani MLA and others with a view to register an FIR. “However, the police did not register our FIR,” he told Media. But on Friday, a constable filed an FIR. Subsequently, the police registered a case. Juhu police officials said no arrests have been made yet, and no notices have been issued as they are in the process of identifying the accused.

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Maharashtra

Mumbai bus travel becomes more expensive, fares increase

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SOURCE: FREE PRESS JUORNAL

Mumbai : Mumbai citizens have been hit by inflation ahead of the BMC elections. The fare hike for BEST buses has been approved. An additional fare of twice the fare will be implemented from today, which will now mean that BEST passengers will have to pay an additional fare, which will affect the pockets of the passengers. The BEST administration has decided to implement the new fare from May 9. The fare has been increased for distances of 5, 10, and 20 kilometers.

The fare for a distance of 5 kilometers has been doubled. The fare for a distance of 5 kilometers has been increased from Rs 6 to Rs 12. No concession has been given in the fare for a 12-year-old child. The daily pass was previously Rs 60, but now the new fare has been increased to Rs 75. The monthly pass is from Rs 900 to Rs 1,800. The facility of Chalo Bus Pass has been provided for children of the Municipal Corporation. The increase in bus fares and tickets in Mumbai has put a burden on the pockets of the citizens. Shared taxis and auto rickshaws are also operated in Mumbai city and its suburbs, but due to the fare, many passengers are unable to pay for these shared means of transport and travel by buses.

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