National News
Declare ERCP National project, hike aids for centrally sponsored schemes: Gehlot to PM

Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot has demanded that the Centre declare Eastern Rajasthan Canal Project (ERCP) a national project and increase financial assistance for various centrally sponsored schemes.
He was speaking at the seventh meeting of the Governing Council of the NITI Aayog at the Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi on Sunday.
Gehlot has been indirectly attacking Prime Minister Narendra Modi for “forgetting” the promises made to the state leading to verbal duals with Union minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat on several occasions. This time, he pitched for his demand right in front of Modi.
In the meeting chaired by Modi, Gehlot strongly presented the issues related to his state and said that ERCP is an ambitious project of Rs 37,000 crore which will help augment irrigation facilities in an area of around 2 lakh hectares in 13 districts of Rajasthan.
He said that eastern Rajasthan is a leading area in the production of oilseeds. Besides, declaring it a national project will also solve the potable water problems in these districts.
Reminding the Prime Minister of his earlier promises of adopting a positive stance with regard to this project, the chief minister said that it will also help in successful implementation of Jal Jeevan Mission.
There is an additional financial burden on the states due to the changes made in financial participation pattern in various centrally sponsored schemes, he said. He demanded that the Centre extend the period of GST compensation by five years to June 2027 and release the GST compensation of approximately Rs 3,780 crore in a lump sum outstanding from 2017-18.
Gehlot said that Rajasthan has emgered as a model state in the field of providing free medical facilities to the general public. The entire treatment is being provided free of cost and all the tests are also being conducted free of cost in all the government hospitals under ‘Nirogi Rajasthan Yojana’.
‘Mukhyamantri Chiranjeevi Swasthya Bima Yojana’ is the next step in this direction, in which 88 per cent of families in the state have been provided with insurance cover. Rajasthan tops the list in this sector in the entire country. Under the scheme, 1.34 crore families are getting free treatment in government and private hospitals.
Till now, more than Rs 2,202 crore has been spent on treating 18 lakh patients. The facility for liver, heart and kidney transplants is being provided under this scheme. He demanded that the Centre increase the ambit of ‘Ayushman Bharat Swasthya Bima Yojana’ on the lines of this scheme.
Gehlot also urged increase in assistance to farmers under Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi Yojana
He said that the Rajasthan government is giving a benefit of Rs 1,000 per month as electricity subsidy to each farmer’s family and has implemented a separate agriculture budget. He said that the central government should increase its share to 75 percent on all the schemes related to agriculture.
The Chief Minister demanded a special grant for the colleges that have been opened in scheduled areas in the state like those given in North Eastern states and to open a Global University in Rajasthan. The Chief Minister in the meeting demanded to implement the recommendation of giving central assistance of Rs 400 crore to Digital University in Rajasthan by the 15th Finance Commission. He said that the State Government is ready to spend Rs 200 crore to build this Digital Fintech University in Jodhpur.
Crime
UP Crime: Brother Kills Sister By Shooting In Her Head For Talking To Man On Mobile Phone In Saharanpur

Saharanpur, December 11: A 20-year-old man shot dead his 18-year-old sister for talking to a man on her mobile phone in Uttar Pradesh’s Saharanpur district. The incident took place in a village in the district late on Sunday night. According to the police, the victim, Muskan, was taken to the district hospital where doctors pronounced her ‘brought dead’.
‘It is still not clear with whom the deceased was talking’
“It is still not clear with whom the deceased was talking on the phone which angered her brother Aditya Prajapati. Their mother Babita, who was also present at the time of the incident, tried to hide the facts and initially told us that some unidentified persons had shot her daughter dead while she was sleeping,” said Satyendra Prakash Singh, in charge, Saharanpur Rural Kotwali police station.
The police said no FIR has been filed in this connection yet
The police said no FIR has been filed in this connection yet as their father, Jagmohan, 46, a daily wage earner who lives in Dehradun, has yet to reach the village.
‘The body has been handed over to the family for cremation’
“He is expected to reach the village later in the day. The body has been handed over to the family for cremation after the post-mortem examination,” said Singh. Vipin Tada, Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP), Saharanpur, said their mother did not inform the area police station about the incident.
Her daughter was shot by her brother
“The area police got information after the district hospital sent the information that a woman had died owing to a bullet injury. We interrogated the mother who later accepted that her daughter was shot by her brother,” said Tada. “The brother is absconding and we have formed three teams to arrest him,” he added.
National News
‘President’s Order To Scrap Article 370 Valid, Hold Elections By Sept 2024′: Big Unanimous Supreme Court Verdict

Supreme Court on Monday announced the verdict on Article 370 and the court upheld the validity of the Constitutional Order abrogating Article 370. The Supreme Court today announced the verdict on a batch of petitions challenging the abrogation of the provisions of Article 370. A five-judge bench which was headed by Chief Justice of India (CJI) DY Chandrachud passed its decision on whether the decision taken by the Government of India to abrogate the provisions of Article 370 of the Constitution was valid or not.
Constitutional Order abrogating Article 370 is valid
The Supreme Court in its verdict, has announced that the Constitutional Order abrogating Article 370 is valid. The decision on abrogation of provisions of Article 370 was taken by the Centre on August 5, 2019.
Jammu and Kashmir is an integral part of India
The Supreme Court observed that Jammu and Kashmir is an integral part of India and Maharaja Hari Singh surrendered the sovereignty of the state. The court also said that the provisions of Article 370 was a temporary provision and it was created due to war conditions.
Union government cannot take actions of irreversible consequences
The Supreme Court also said the argument of petitioners that the Union government cannot take actions of irreversible consequences in the State during Presidential rule is not acceptable.
‘Every decision taken by Union on behalf of State is not subject to challenge’
CJI DY Chandrachud also said, “Every decision taken by Union on behalf of State is not subject to challenge, this will lead to chaos and uncertainty and would bring the administration of the State to a standstill.” The Supreme Court held that Jammu and Kashmir became an integral part of India as evident from Articles 1 and 370 of the Constitution of India.
The concurrence of the State government was not required
Supreme Court said that the concurrence of the State government was not required to apply all provisions of the Constitution using Article 370(1)(d). So, the President of India taking the concurrence of the Union government was not malafide. Supreme Court said, “No maladies in exercise of power under Article 370(3) by President to issue August 2019 order. Thus, we hold the exercise of Presidential power to be valid.” It further said, “When Constituent Assembly of J-K ceased to exist, special condition for which Article 370 was introduced ceased to exist.”
Hold Elections by September 30, 2024
The court also directed the Election Commission of India (ECI) to hold elections in the state. “We direct that steps shall be taken by the Election Commission of India to conduct elections to the Legislative Assembly of Jammu and Kashmir by 30 September 2024,” said CJI reading judgement in Article 370 matter.
SC upholds reorganisation of Ladakh as Union Territory
The Supreme Court in its decision further has upheld the reorganisation of Ladakh as Union Territory. The Supreme Court said, “Given the Centre’s submission on the restoration of statehood of Jammu and Kashmir, it directs that statehood shall take place as soon as possible.”
National News
Dhiraj Sahu IT Raids: After 5 Days, Cash Counting Ends With Total Seizure Of Over Rs.350 Crore

Odisha: After IT completing raids at Premises linked to Congress MP Dheeraj Sahu, counting of cash seizure has come to an end and over ₹ 350 crore has been recovered. The cash was seized by the Income Tax department from distillery units in Odisha.
This is the highest-ever cash seizure by an agency in a single operation. The counting of the seized currency notes took five days and concluded on Sunday.
The seized cash was taken in bags for counting to three SBI branches — in Balangir, Sambalpur and Titlagarh. The highest cash was recovered in 176 bags filled with cash that were taken to SBI’s Balangir branch, where additional manpower had to be deployed for counting the notes.
Income Tax officials however continue to conduct the survey at properties linked to Dheeraj Sahu with documentation process still on.
During the Income Tax raids at properties connected to Rajya Sabha MP Dheeraj Sahu, huge stacks of currency notes were seized. According to sources the amount of cash recovered was in excess of Rs 300 crore.
SBI Regional Manager, Bhagat Behera on Sunday said that out of the 176 bags received, 140 have been accounted for, and the counting of the remaining bags is scheduled on Monday.
176 bags full of cash recovered
“We received 176 bags and 140 of them have been counted, the rest will be counted today. Officials from 3 banks are involved in the counting process, and 50 of our officials are involved. About 40 (currency counting) machines were brought here, 25 are in use and 15 are kept as backup,”
Meanwhile, the currency note banding machine was brought to Balangir SBI’s main branch to complete the currency counting process.
Cash worth Over 300 crore recovered
The Income Tax sleuths conducted raids at the premises of Boudh Distilleries Private Limited on Sunday, as the crackdown by the central agency entered its fifth day. Baldev Sahu Infra Pvt Ltd company is a group company of Boudh Distilleries, which is being raised. It is allegedly linked to Sahu.
Income Tax sleuths have, so far, recovered more than Rs 300 crore cash from several locations in Odisha and Jharkhand during their raids against Boudh Distilleries Private Limited (BDPL) and entities linked to it.
The residences of Sahu were also searched. The recovery has given fresh ammunition to the BJP to come out all guns blazing at the Congress on the issue of graft.
Dheeraj Sahu faces Massive criticism
Earlier, on Friday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi took a swipe at the Congress, tagging a news report about the I-T department’s recovery of Rs 200 crores in cash from various locations of a business group allegedly linked to Sahu.
“Countrymen should look at these piles of currency notes and then hear the addresses of its (Congress) leaders on honesty. Every penny looted from people will have to be returned. This is Modi’s guarantee,” PM Modi posted from his official handle.
Union Minister Amit Shah also criticised the Congress and members of the INDIA bloc for remaining silent on the raids
“I am very surprised. After independence, such a large amount of cash has been seized from an MP’s house. Crores of rupees have been recovered but the whole INDI alliance is silent on this corruption. I understand Congress is silent as corruption is in their nature but JDU, RJD, DMK, and SP all are sitting silently…Now I understand why a campaign was run against PM Modi that agencies are being misused. It was run because there was a fear in their mind that all the secrets of their corruption would be revealed…”.
Congress distances itself from cash recovered
The Congress has chosen to distance itself from the Cash recovered at it MPs home claiming that only Dheeraj Sahu can explain how huge amounts of cash were found at his business.
“The Indian National Congress is in no way connected with the businesses of Dheeraj Sahu, MP. Only he can explain, and should explain, how huge amounts of cash have been reportedly unearthed by the income-tax authorities from his properties” Congress MP Jairam Ramesh said.
With the Congress yet to take any punitive action against its MP the BJP is expected to further raise the pitch on the issue.
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