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Infrastructure not ‘Rajniti’ but ‘Rashtra Niti’ for us: PM

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Laying the foundation Stone of Noida International Airport, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday said that for his government, infrastructure is not part of ‘Rajniti’ (politics) but part of ‘Rashtra Niti’ (national policy).

Prime Minister Modi laid the foundation stone of the airport in presence of Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, Union Ministers Jyotiraditya Scindia, General V.K. Singh, Sanjiv Baliyan, S.P. Singh Baghel and B.L. Varma.

Addressing the public gathering after laying the foundation stone, the Prime Minister said, “Infrastructure is not part of politics for us but part of national policy (rashtra niti). We are making sure that the projects do not get stuck, do not hang in limbo or do not go astray. We try to ensure that the infrastructure work is completed within the stipulated time”.

He mentioned that proposed International Airport will play a major role in the growing aviation sector of India and will be a key centre of maintenance, repair and operations of aircraft.

“A Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) facility is coming up in 40 acre, giving employment to hundreds of young people. Today India spends thousands of crores of rupees for getting these services abroad. Now, all repairs and maintenance work will be carried out at proposed MRO centre and thousands of crores will be saved,” he said.

The Prime Minister pointed out that the new India of the 21st century is building one of the best modern infrastructure today. “Better roads, better rail network, better airports are not just infrastructure projects but they transform the entire region, transforming people’s lives completely,” he said.

The Prime Minister mentioned that the new International Airport will become the logistics gateway of northern India. “This airport will make the entire region a powerful symbol of the National Gati Shakti Masterplan,” he said.

Talking about benefits of infrastructure projects, Modi said, “Employment opportunities are created during airport construction. The airport also requires thousands of people to run smoothly. Therefore, this airport will also give new employment to thousands of people of western Uttar Pradesh.”

The Prime Minister stated that after seven decades of independence, for the first time, Uttar Pradesh has started getting what it has always deserved. “With the efforts of the double engine government, today Uttar Pradesh is turning into the most connected region of the country,” he said.

Commenting on the integrated multi-modal cargo hub that is coming up, he said that in a land-locked state like Uttar Pradesh, airport will be very useful and this hub will serve industrial centres like Aligarh, Mathura, Meerut, Agra, Bijnor, Moradabad and Bareilly. “Khurja artisans, Meerut Sports Industry, Saharanpur furniture, brass industry of Moradabad, Agra footwear and Petha industry will get huge support from the upcoming infrastructure,” Modi said.

Hitting out at the opposition parties, Prime Minister said, “Uttar Pradesh, which the previous governments kept in deprivation and darkness, the Uttar Pradesh which was shown false dreams by the previous governments is making its mark not only nationally but also internationally.”

Citing Jewar airport as an example how the earlier governments in Uttar pradesh and at the Centre ignored the development of western Uttar Pradesh, he said that two decades ago the BJP government in state had conceptualised this project and later this airport was entangled in the tussle of the earlier governments in Delhi and Lucknow for many years. “The government which was earlier in UP had written a letter to the then central government and told that the project of this airport should be shelved. Now with the efforts of the double engine government, today we are witnessing the Bhumi Pujan of the same airport,” he said.

The Prime Minister mentioned that some political parties in our country have always kept their self-interest paramount. “The thinking of these people is self-interest, only their own and the development of their family. Whereas, we follow the spirit of nation first — Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas, Sabka prayas is our mantra,” he said.

International News

Bangladesh High Court orders high-level probe into power deals with Adani group amid supply cuts

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Bangladesh’s High Court ordered the formation of a high-level enquiry committee comprising international energy and law experts to reevaluate all electricity-related agreements with the Adani group, The Business Standard, a local news portal, reported on Tuesday, November 19.

The bench of Justices Farah Mahbub and Debasish Roy Chowdhury has reportedly ordered the cabinet secretary to form the committee within a month and submit the report to the court in the next two months. 

Adani Power shares closed 0.47 per cent lower at ₹524.10 on Tuesday’, compared to ₹526.60 at the previous market close. 

The court, while hearing a petition, asked why instructions should not be given to cancel the uneven agreements made with the Adani group. It also asked for the documents related to the signing of the deal within a month.

Barrister M Abdul Qayyum, representing the petitioner, filed the writ in the High Court asking for the cancellation of all electricity deals with Adani group. Adani signed the 25-year power purchase agreement in 2017; at that time, no imported coal-based power plants were operational in Bangladesh, as per the report.

Adani’s Bangladesh power supply

Adani group’s Bangladesh power is supplied from Jharkhand’s 1,600 MW power plant. The cost of power is $0.1008 per unit or Tk12 per unit, a Bangladesh Power Development Board official was quoted as saying in the report.

This rate is 27 per cent higher than the rate of India’s other private producers and as much as 63 per cent more than the Indian state-owned plants. 

After Adani Power cut the Bangladesh power supply by half over the unpaid dues, the company also set a deadline of November 7 to switch off the flow of electricity if there was no clarity on the settlement of the outstanding amount.

Bangladesh reportedly owes Adani almost $850 million. Adani group later clarified that it had not demanded the full payment in seven days, as per the report.

Shortage of Power

Bangladesh continues to face a shortage of electricity, increasing the risk of blackouts, even after making a partial payment to Adani group, according to a Bloomberg report on Tuesday. 

Adani Power has received a letter of credit for $170 million, easing pressures from lenders, reported the agency, citing two people aware of the development. The partial payment doesn’t resolve the crisis, but the company won’t halt supplies for now, pending talks with the lenders of the Godda thermal plant in Jharkhand, the officials said. 

“Payments should have been made by this time,” Ahsan H Mansur, governor of Bangladesh Bank, said in a phone interview on Friday as per the report. The central bank “issued an instruction for the payment”, Mansur had said earlier this week.

The Adani electric supply accounts for nearly 10 per cent of Bengladesh’s total supply. The power company reduced its supply further to 500 megawatts on Thursday after cutting it to 700 megawatts earlier, as per the data collected from Power Grid Bangladesh cited in the news report.

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National News

Chhattisgarh: 5 Maoists Killed, 2 Jawans Injured In Narayanpur Encounter; Visuals Surface

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Narayanpur: In a major anti-Maoist operation, at least five Maoists were killed during a fierce encounter with security forces in the dense forests of the Abujhmad region in Chhattisgarh Narayanpur district on Saturday.

The gunfight took place after security personnel received reports about the presence of Maoists in the area.

According to officials, a joint team of security forces launched a search operation early Saturday morning. Around 6 a.m., the forces came under heavy fire, leading to an intense gunfight that lasted nearly five hours.

Statement Of One Of The Jawans

One of the jawan, part of the searching team, said that approximately 20 Maoists were present there, with at least five of them killed during the encounter.

“We were a team of 1,439 personnel deployed in the search operation. The encounter lasted until around 11 a.m., during which several Maoists were also injured. I came back but the search operation is still going on to capture the remaining Maoists,” he said.

2 Security Personnel Injured

During the operation, two security personnel sustained injuries. One of them, identified as Khileshwar Gawade, suffered bullet wounds in the head and right hand, while the other, Hiraman Yadav, was hit in the thigh. Both injured personnel were immediately evacuated and airlifted to Raipur for further medical treatment. Officials have assured that their condition is stable.

Security personnel have so far recovered the bodies of five Maoists, along with some weapons. The process of identifying the dead Maoists is underway.

About Abujhmad Region

The Abujhmad region, which borders Maharashtra’s Gadchiroli district, is known for being a hotbed of Maoist activity. Just last month, security forces achieved an important victory by neutralising 31 Maoists in one of the most successful operations in Chhattisgarh’s history.

On the rising success of such operations, Inspector General of Police, Bastar Range, Sundarraj P., had, last week said that a total of 192 Maoists have been killed this year alone. Authorities believe that sustained pressure from security forces is gradually weakening the insurgents’ grip in the region.

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National News

Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge Slams BJP Over Infiltrator Issue In Jharkhand, Says ‘Ghuspetiya Andar Aa Rahe Aur Shah Sahab So Rahe’

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Jamtara (Jharkhand): As the BJP constantly evoked the issue of infiltration in Jharkhand, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge said on Saturday that the BJP is scaring everyone in the name of infiltrators and when there is their government in the Centre, why can’t they stop it?

Addressing a public rally in Jharkhand’s Jamtara, Kharge said, “They (BJP) are scaring us in the name of infiltrators. You are in the central government, you are the Prime Minister, you are the home minister, then from where did the infiltrators enter?”

“Ghuspetiya andar aa rahe aur Shah Sahab so rahe,” he added.

He further said that the BJP only knows how to divide.

“When you can stop our helicopters, why can’t you stop infiltrators? They don’t know how to run the government. They only know how to divide. They have raised the matter of infiltrators in the elections and they are making people afraid of this. People are being incited in this way. This won’t work. Now people have understood you,” Kharge added.

About The Chopper Issue

The Congress Chief further targeted the BJP after party MP Rahul Gandhi’s chopper was delayed on Friday and said that today, his chopper was also delayed.

“Rahul Gandhi also did meetings here. We don’t know what problem does BJP has with us. When we want to come our helicopter gets stopped. Yesterday Rahul Gandh’s helicopter was denied permission to fly. Today Shah was coming here so I was stopped today for 20 minutes. His path was different and my path was different. Modiji comes in every way of ours,” Mallikarjun Kharge said.

Congress President Targets BJP Star Campaigners In Jharkhand

Sharpening his attacks further, Kharge targeted BJP star campaigners in Jharkhand and said that they all have gathered like a “war” is going on.

“In Jharkhand helicopters are flying like vultures. Did they come when anyone was in need here.? Some Chief Minister from Assam, Madhya Pradesh, all have gathered like a war is going on. This is battle of democracy where people participate and leaders have no role,” he said.

Voting for the first phase of the Jharkhand assembly elections concluded on November 13, with voting taking place in 43 out of the state’s 81 seats.

Elections on the remaining 38 seats will be conducted on November 20. The counting will be held on November 23.

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