New Delhi, Sep 1: Retail sales of onions continue at Rs 35 per kg and a total of approximately 669 metric tonnes (MT) of the staple vegetable has been sold to date, comprising 223 MT through bulk channels via the e-NAM portal and similar online platforms at prevailing mandi prices, and 446 MT through retail channels across the country, the government said on Tuesday.

The affordable onion sale is being organised through the NCCF, the NAFED, Kendriya Bhandar outlets, and mobile vans, ensuring affordable availability for consumers.

“Simultaneously, around 1,000 MT of onions are being transported by road to major consumption centres, based on prevailing market conditions and price trends, with the aim of improving availability and moderating seasonal price pressures,” the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food, and Public Distribution said in a statement.

Further, Rs 210 crore has been paid directly to around 3,400 farmers, ensuring timely payments.

The government said it has begun a calibrated release of onion buffer stocks through a hybrid transportation model comprising railway rakes (Kanda Express) and road transport to major consumption centres to ensure adequate availability and moderation of seasonal price pressures.

As part of this initiative, two Kanda Express consignments have been dispatched from Nashik. The first rake, carrying 450 MT of onions, reached Delhi in the late hours of August 27.

Of this, 140 MT was subsequently distributed across Varanasi, Lucknow, Chandigarh, and Amritsar, with the remaining quantity distributed across the Delhi-NCR region.

The second rake, carrying 840 MT of onions, reached Chennai on August 31. The Tamil Nadu government plans to distribute these onions through the Public Distribution System (PDS) against the requirement of 1 kg per card.

The onions are likely to be distributed across various districts of Tamil Nadu as per the proposed district-wise clustering:

Retail intervention efforts have expanded significantly across 19 cities, supported by the dispatch of over 30 trucks to ensure widespread availability, said the official statement.

The release of onions from buffer stocks has improved market availability and eased prices, particularly in centres where onion consignments have reached, such as Varanasi, Amritsar, Delhi and nearby markets. Prices have shown a decline from the day following the commencement of disposal, with increased supplies expected to further support price stability.

Mehsana, Sep 1: A constable posted at Satlasana Police Station in Gujarat’s Mehsana district and a local resident were allegedly caught accepting a Rs 83,000 bribe during an Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) trap, after a person approached the bureau’s toll-free helpline 1064, officials said on Tuesday.

The accused have been identified as Kanji Chaudhary, a police constable posted at Satlasana Police Station, and Ashish Chaudhary, a resident of Chaudhary Vas in Navavas-Rajpur of Satlasana.

The ACB said the entire alleged bribe amount of Rs 83,000 was recovered during the operation.

According to the ACB complaint, a gambling case had been registered at Satlasana Police Station against the complainant and several other persons.

In connection with the case, the complainant and the others were required to appear at the police station.

The ACB alleged that accused police constable Kanji Chaudhary demanded Rs one lakh from the complainant in exchange for not assaulting the complainant and the others when they appeared at the police station.

Following negotiations, the alleged bribe amount was settled at Rs 83,000, with the payment agreed to be made on Monday.

Unwilling to pay the bribe money, the complainant contacted the Anti-Corruption Bureau through its 1064 toll-free number and lodged a complaint.

Based on the complaint, the bureau set up a trap on Monday (August 31). During the operation, the two accused allegedly remained in telephone contact with the complainant and accepted Rs 83,000 from him.

The transaction took place in the car of a friend of the accused on a public road opposite Suraj Complex in Satlasana.

The ACB team subsequently caught the accused at the spot and recovered the entire alleged bribe amount of Rs 83,000.

The ACB officials said that further legal proceedings were being initiated in connection with the alleged offence.

“The trap was conducted by D.B. Mehta, Police Inspector, ACB Field-3 (Intervening), Ahmedabad, along with his team,” officials said.

The investigation will continue to probe if there were similar instances involving the said cop in the past.

Bishkek, Sep 1: Prime Minister Narendra Modi delivered a strong message against terrorism at the 26th Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit in Bishkek on Tuesday, calling for dismantling the entire ecosystem of terror financing, recruitment, radicalisation and safe havens, stating that it cannot be used as a “strategic asset for anyone”.

Addressing the 26th Meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the SCO in Kyrgyzstan’s Bishkek on Tuesday, PM Modi stressed that terrorism continues to pose a serious challenge to humanity and asserted that there can be no room for double standards on terrorism.

“Terrorism continues to pose a serious challenge to humanity. In our fight against it, we cannot limit ourselves to a mindset of action and reaction. We must dismantle the entire ecosystem of terrorist financing, recruitment, radicalisation, and safe havens,” the Prime Minister said.

“We must speak with one voice that there can be no room for double standards on this serious issue. Those countries which make terrorism a tool of their policy, provide shelter and support to terrorists, will have to be given a strong message that terrorism cannot be a strategic asset for anyone,” he added.

PM Modi reiterated India’s stance that all wars and conflicts should be resolved through dialogue and diplomacy and not on the battlefield. He said that the conflict in West Asia is not confined to that region and impacts the energy security, maritime trade and supply chains of the whole world.

“In today’s interconnected world, the scope of security has expanded even further. The crisis in West Asia has shown that conflict in one region is not confined to that region. It impacts the entire world’s energy security, maritime trade, and supply chains. Countries in the Global South bear the brunt of this. Therefore, India has been calling for the resolution of all tensions and wars through dialogue and diplomacy, not on the battlefield,” he said.

The Prime Minister flagged drug trafficking as a serious threat to the young generation and regional security. He welcomed the centres being established within the SCO to address challenges like security threats, organised crime, information security, and narcotics as a “positive step” and called for making them effective instruments of practical coordination and timely action.

PM Modi expressed India’s support for efforts to connect markets, facilitate trade and create new pathways for development.

“Another foundation for our shared development is strong and reliable connectivity. India supports all efforts that connect markets, facilitate trade, and open new avenues for development. However, respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all countries is essential in these efforts. This is also the core spirit of the SCO Charter,” he said.

“In the coming times, the scope of connectivity will become even more extensive. Along with roads, railways, and air corridors, we will need to simplify customs processes, promote digital documentation, and make logistics networks more efficient,” he added.

He outlined three main pillars of India’s approach to SCO – Security, Connectivity and Opportunity. He said that cooperation of SCO members should be people-driven and not government-driven and highlighted India’s initiatives taken by India within the SCO.

“Our cooperation in the SCO should be people-driven, not just government-driven. I am pleased that under Kyrgyzstan’s presidency, special emphasis has been placed on youth engagement in the SCO. India has taken initiatives such as the Start-up Forum, the Young Authors’ Conclave, and the Young Scientists’ Forum within the SCO,” he added.

“Last year, India proposed the SCO Civilizational Dialogue Forum. I am pleased that its first session will be held in India this year. I am confident that with your active participation, this Forum will become a powerful platform for vibrant dialogue within the SCO,” he added.

The SCO comprises 10 member states – Belarus, India, Iran, Kazakhstan, China, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. It has two observer states – Azerbaijan and Armenia and 15 dialogue partners – Azerbaijan, Armenia, Egypt, Cambodia, Qatar, Kuwait, Laos, Maldives, Myanmar, Nepal, UAE, Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Sri Lanka.