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Haryana in debt trap of over Rs 2.29 lakh crore

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Every child born in Haryana is saddled with a debt of Rs 1 lakh. This is true with the estimated total debt on the state increasing to over Rs 2.29 lakh crore.

The main opposition Congress, which was at the helm for a decade till 2014, has been blaming the BJP-JJP government for pushing the state into debt and taking it towards bankruptcy.

As per official figures, the state’s debt was Rs 70,931 crore in 2014-15 when the BJP assumed power in the state for the first time.

In the current fiscal, it is expected to touch a whopping Rs 229,976 crore by the end of this fiscal.

As per budget estimates of 2021-22, the debt to GSDP ratio is estimated at 23.27 per cent in 2020-21, while it was 16.23 per cent in 2014-15. For the next fiscal, it is estimated at 25.92 per cent.

Leader of Opposition and two-time Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda told IANS that the BJP-JJP government is taking the state towards bankruptcy.

“That is why the debt figures were not clearly stated in the last budget speech. As per our estimations, the total debt has increased to Rs 2.25 lakh crore by March 2021,” he said.

Opposing the steep hike in development charges in areas falling under the civic bodies, Hooda said the Congress would question the government on issues of corruption, debt and unemployment in the upcoming Budget session of the Assembly.

He said the state had a debt of about Rs 70,000 crore when the BJP took over the reins of the state after the 2014 Assembly elections. Before handing over the helm several projects of national importance were commissioned by the Congress government.

“In the past seven years, the debt has increased to Rs 2.5 lakh crore,” said Hooda, adding no major project was established. “Where have these thousands of crores gone?”

According to Hooda, under the Congress government Haryana had become number one in per capita income, investment and generating employment.

“The neglect of 52,000 anganwadi workers is a living example of the negative thinking of the BJP-JJP government towards the daughters. Women workers say the government is not implementing the announcement made by the Prime Minister on September 10, 2018, to increase the honorarium of workers by Rs 1,500 and for helpers by Rs 750,” he said.

A revenue surplus state till 2008-09, Haryana has consistently been in deficit after that. In 2016-17, the debt burden was Rs 124,935 crore.

In 2017-18, the interest payments were pegged at Rs 11,257 crore — up from Rs 9,616 crore in 2016-17. In 2015-16, it was Rs 8,284 crore.

CRISIL’s last year study of the top 18 states, including Haryana and Punjab, says the aggregate indebtedness of states, measured by debt to gross state domestic product (GSDP), is expected to remain elevated at 33 per cent this fiscal, despite the post-pandemic recovery bolstering the shrinking revenue graph.

The ratio had risen to a decadal high of 34 per cent last fiscal. Sticky and elevated revenue expenditure and the need for higher capital outlay will keep borrowings up this fiscal, it adds.

For the rising financial debt, Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar, who also holds the finance portfolio, is blaming the Congress government for leaving behind a debt liability of Rs 98,000 crore.

“In 2014, when the BJP assumed power the state had a debt of Rs 98,000 crore, while the Opposition used to claim it to be Rs 61,000 crore,” he told the media on February 23.

Also he defends by saying the loan liability is increasing because the capital expenditure (money spent on creating assets) is also increasing.

“When the BJP came to power in 2014-15, a debt of Rs 27,860 crore of power distribution companies was included in the government’s debt under the Ujjwal Discom Assurance Yojana. For this reason, the total debt has increased. When the Congress tenure ended, the debt liability was Rs 70,900 crore. If the loan amount of Rs 27,860 crore taken by power discoms is added, the total debt is Rs 98,000 crore,” Khattar said.

He said revenue collection had dipped during the coronavirus period and an additional expenditure of Rs 1,500 crore was incurred.

Blaming the BJP-JJP government for the monstrous cycle of a huge debt, Congress general secretary Randeep Singh Surjewala said, “The BJP-led government has increased the state’s debt from Rs 68,000 crore to Rs 2 lakh crore in seven years of its rule.”

Officials said the outstanding debt by the end of Khattar’s maiden term from 2014 to 2019 was Rs 185,463 crore.

While presenting the budget in March 2021, Khattar said the debt liability of the state is likely to go up to Rs 229,976 crore as on March 2022 from Rs 199,823 crore as on March 2021, constituting 25.92 per cent of the gross state domestic product (GSDP).

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241 dead, one survivor as Air India Dreamliner crashes after takeoff from Ahmedabad: Air India

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New Delhi, June 13: In what is being described as one of the worst aviation disasters in Indian history, an Air India Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner carrying 242 people crashed shortly after takeoff from Ahmedabad airport.

The aircraft, operating as Flight AI-171 from Ahmedabad to London Gatwick, plunged into a residential complex near BJ Medical College, killing 241 people on board.

The ill-fated flight had 230 passengers, 10 cabin crew, and two pilots. According to officials, only one person, a British national of Indian origin seated in 11A, survived the crash and is currently undergoing treatment at a local hospital.

The aircraft took off from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport at 1.38 p.m. (IST) on Thursday before losing control moments later and crashing into a densely populated area, igniting a massive blaze and triggering emergency response teams across the city.

Air India confirmed the accident in an official statement on X: “UPDATE: Air India confirms that flight AI171, operating from Ahmedabad to London Gatwick on 12 June 2025, was involved in an accident. The 12-year-old Boeing 787-8 aircraft departed from Ahmedabad at 1338 hrs, carrying 230 passengers and 12 crew. The aircraft crashed shortly after take-off. We regret to inform that, of the 242 aboard, there are 241 confirmed fatalities. The sole survivor is being treated in a hospital.”

The airline also shared the nationality breakdown of passengers: 169 Indian nationals, 53 British, seven Portuguese, and one Canadian.

“Air India offers its deepest condolences to the families of the deceased. Our efforts now are focused entirely on the needs of all those affected, their families and loved ones. A team of caregivers from Air India is now in Ahmedabad to provide additional support,” the statement added.

The national carrier has pledged full cooperation with authorities investigating the cause of the crash and has established dedicated helplines for families seeking information.

Domestic callers can reach the support team at 1800 5691 444, while international callers are advised to dial +91 8062779200.

Regular updates will be provided through Air India’s official website and its X handle.

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Plastic nurdle spill from sunken cargo ship reaches TN’s Dhanushkodi sanctuary, raising alarm

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Chennai, June 10: A plastic nurdle spill from the sunken cargo ship MSC ELSA 3 has spread into the newly declared Dhanushkodi Greater Flamingo Sanctuary in Ramanathapuram district, threatening one of India’s most fragile coastal ecosystems.

The MSC ELSA 3, a Liberian-flagged vessel, sank off the Kochi coast a few weeks ago while carrying 640 containers, including 13 with hazardous materials, 12 with calcium carbide, 367 tonnes of furnace oil, and 84 tonnes of diesel.

The ship’s cargo manifest remains undisclosed, fuelling speculation about the full extent of environmental risk.

Dhanushkodi Sanctuary, located within the Gulf of Mannar Biosphere Reserve, supports 128 species of birds — including Greater and Lesser Flamingos — and is home to sea turtles, crustaceans, molluscs, and fish. Its dunes, marshes, and seagrass beds form part of the Central Asian Flyway for migratory birds.

The nurdles — tiny plastic pellets used in industrial manufacturing — resemble fish eggs and can be deadly to marine life. When ingested, they cause internal blockages, starvation, and often death. They also absorb toxins, entering the food chain and posing long-term health hazards.

About 80 bags, each weighing 25 kilograms, have reportedly washed ashore along a 12-km coastal stretch. Affected sites include the Dhanushkodi old church, Irattaithalai, Mugandharayan Chathiram, Gothanda Ramar temple, and Patchappatti village.

Carried by ocean currents from the Thiruvananthapuram-Kanniyakumari coast, the spill now threatens the adjacent Gulf of Mannar Marine National Park, home to vital coral reefs and seagrass beds.

Experts warn these habitats could be smothered by plastic debris, blocking sunlight and disrupting photosynthesis.

Ramanathapuram District Collector Simranjeet Singh Kahlon said, “We’ve identified between 15 and 30 nurdle bags along the coast. A special team has been deployed for cleanup, and additional teams are monitoring for further debris.”

He urged the public not to panic, stating that swift action was underway.

The disaster evokes memories of the 2021 X-Press Pearl incident in Sri Lanka, where 1,680 tonnes of nurdles led to mass marine deaths and crippled fisheries.

Studies showed severe impacts on plankton and larval life forms, threatening entire food chains.

Cleanup efforts in Ramanathapuram face challenges due to the nurdles’ buoyancy and small size, worsened by monsoon waves that break them into microplastics.

With the 61-day annual fishing ban nearing its end, fishermen fear reduced fish catches and consumer hesitancy could harm their livelihoods if the spill worsens.

Environmentalists are calling for urgent intervention, cargo transparency, and long-term containment measures to prevent irreversible damage to one of India’s most critical marine ecosystems.

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Eight Punjab and Haryana HC judges take lead to boost Kashmir tourism post Pahalgam terror attack

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Srinagar, June 9: To give a boost to Kashmir tourism post Pahalgam terror attack, eight judges of the Punjab and Haryana High Court are visiting the valley along with their families.

The visit of the legal personalities along with their families carries a powerful message for the revival of tourism in Kashmir, which got shattered after the Pahalgam terror attack.

On April 22, Pakistan-backed terrorists of Lashkar-e-Kashmir (LeT) killed 26 civilians, including 25 tourists and a local pony owner.

The pony owner sacrificed his life while trying to protect the tourists from the bullets of the terrorists.

The terror attack caused outrage in the entire country, and to avenge the killings of innocent civilians, the Indian Armed Forces carried out airstrikes against terror infrastructure in Pakistan under Operation Sindoor.

In retaliation for India’s attack on terrorist infrastructure, Pakistan resorted to heavy mortar shelling on civilian facilities in Poonch, Rajouri, Baramulla, Kupwara and Bandipora districts.

Eighteen civilians were killed in Pakistan shelling, 13 of them in Poonch district, in addition to the destruction of scores of homes, shops, a temple, a mosque, a church and a Gurudwara.

The itinerary of the visiting high court judges includes visits to the Mughal Gardens of Nishat and Shalimar, Shikara rides on the Dal Lake, a visit to the historic Pari Mahal and buying a few handicrafts at the local market.

There could be no better omen for the revival of tourism in Kashmir than the decision of the honourable justices of the High Court to come here along with their families.

Coinciding with the visit of these dignitaries, local tour and travel operators and hotel owners are reporting a gradual rise in the tourist bookings that had virtually stopped after the Pahalgam terror attack.

Tour and travel operators and others connected with the tourist industry have expressed hope that the visit by the most respected legal dignitaries, like the high court judges, will restore confidence among visitors, both domestic and foreign, that Kashmir is a safe tourist destination.

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