New Delhi, Feb 24: BJP MLA Arvinder Singh Lovely took oath as the pro-tem Speaker of the Delhi Assembly on Monday and will chair the proceedings during the first sitting of the legislature.

Delhi Lieutenant Governor V.K. Saxena administered the oath to the Gandhi Nagar MLA at Raj Niwas.

Four-time legislator Arvinder Singh will perform the duties of the Office of the Speaker till the new Speaker is elected.

In a notification published in Delhi Gazette on Saturday, the legislative Assembly secretariat quoted an L-G’s order which said, “I hereby appoint Arvinder Singh Lovely, a member of the newly elected Legislative Assembly of the National Capital Territory of Delhi to perform the duties of the Office of the Speaker from the commencement of the said meeting and until the new Speaker is elected.”

The LG’s order added, “I also hereby appoint Arvinder Singh Lovely to be the person before whom Members of the newly elected Legislative Assembly of the National Capital Territory of Delhi shall make and subscribe oath or affirmation in accordance with the provisions of section 12 of the Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi Act, 1991.”

The CAG reports are also expected to be placed on the table of the House on February 25.

Vijender Gupta, a three-time legislator and three-time councillor who has been designated by the BJP to be the next Speaker, had said the proposal to call a three-day session of the legislature – February 24, 25 and 27 – was approved by the Delhi Cabinet in its first meeting on Thursday.

He said since the CAG reports, including the one pointing to lapses in the now-withdrawn excise policy, have already been received in the office of the Speaker of the outgoing Assembly, these will be the first to be taken up by the new House.

The CAG reports are expected to expose the alleged financial mismanagement of the previous AAP governments led by Arvind Kejriwal.

The excerpts of a few CAG reports that managed to reach the public domain revealed a revenue loss of over Rs 2,026 crore due to irregularities in the Delhi government’s excise policy.

New Delhi, Feb 22: The government is committed to providing quality healthcare services for workers and their families, Union Minister for Labour and Employment, Dr Mansukh Mandaviya, said on Saturday, emphasising the welfare of workers.

Dr Mandaviya, who visited Chandigarh to review key institutions under the Ministry, said that data-driven decision-making is crucial for enhancing economic growth, governance and service delivery.

As part of his visit, the Union Minister toured the Labour Bureau and the Employees’ State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) Model Hospital, Chandigarh, assessing their ongoing initiatives and interacting with stakeholders.

At the Labour Bureau, he was apprised of the objectives, scope and status of various activities, including price indices, labour statistics and surveys.

Dr Mandaviya also took a review of the performance and initiatives of the EPFO Regional Offices under the Punjab & Himachal Pradesh Zone at the Labour Bureau.

The Union Minister highlighted that reforms in the IT system are continuously transforming the functioning of the EPFO.

Later, the Union Minister visited the ESIC Model Hospital in Chandigarh and toured the hospital facilities. He interacted with patients receiving treatment at the hospital and reaffirmed to them that the government is committed to providing quality healthcare services for workers and their families.

Earlier this week, Dr Mandaviya instructed officials to prioritise efficient medical service delivery and expedite the timely completion of hospital renovation and construction projects.

During his visit to ESIC Hospital in Mumbai, he interacted with patients and staff to understand their experiences and feedback on the services provided.

To improve efficiency and transparency, he directed officials to accelerate the digitisation of processes, including inspections, ensure better upkeep of laboratories, and maintain a strong focus on transparency in regulatory activities.

Meanwhile, the payroll data of the Employees’ State Insurance Corporation (ESIC), released on Friday, show that as many as 17.01 lakh new employees were added in December 2024 while 20,360 new establishments were brought under the social security ambit of the ESI Scheme during the month, ensuring social security to more workers.

New Delhi, Feb 22: The Congress party has intensified its attack on the BJP and US President Donald Trump, accusing both of brazenly lying about USAID funding to India. The party has demanded the release of a comprehensive white paper detailing all funds received by political parties, individuals, NGOs, and organisations from international developmental agencies, aid mechanisms, and multilateral forums.

The Congress emphasised that this white paper should not be limited to USAID funding alone but should encompass financial assistance from all foreign entities operating within the framework of Indian law.

In a sharp critique aimed at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Congress urged him to address allegations made by President Trump, who had claimed that the US was preparing to provide $21 million to India to increase voter turnout. The Congress party said PM Modi should confront Trump directly and refute the “baseless” claims made by the US President.

“The RSS-BJP and their entire ecosystem are making wild allegations to bolster their fabricated narrative against credible civil society members, NGOs, and political parties. These actors must not only be named and shamed in public forums but also face legal action for spreading falsehoods and misleading the nation,” said Pawan Khera, Chairman of Media & Publicity (Communications Department), AICC at a press conference here on Saturday.

A report published by a leading Indian daily on Friday clarified that the $21 million in question was not directed toward India but was instead allocated to Bangladesh.

The Congress questioned the Modi government’s apparent ignorance of this development in a neighbouring country, asking, “If the funds were directed to Bangladesh, how can the Modi government remain unaware of such significant financial movements in the region? Does this not raise serious concerns about the government’s effectiveness in managing its neighbourhood policy?”

The party also dismissed the BJP’s claims regarding a 2012 agreement between the Election Commission of India (ECI) and the International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES) — a member of the Consortium for Elections and Political Process Strengthening (CEPPS) — as misleading.

“The IFES was engaged by the ECI to develop a curriculum on election management, not to influence elections in India,” Khera stated. “The course material developed by IFES was used not for domestic elections but to train electoral officials from across the world. The Election Commission itself highlights on its website that it has trained 69,362 election officials from 109 countries under this initiative.”

The Congress party’s demand for transparency and accountability on USAID funding in India has added fuel to the ongoing political slugfest between Congress and the BJP.