General
Punjab farmers end protest on Chandigarh borders; consensus on demands
The stalemate between protesting farmers and the Punjab government led by Bhagwant Mann ended on Wednesday with a consensus on most of their demands, comprising beginning paddy sowing from June 10.
They later called off their protest that began a day earlier on borders of the state capital Chandigarh, similar on the lines of the year-long protest against the Centre’s farm laws at the Delhi borders that ended with the revoking of the three Central farm laws.
The meeting between the Chief Minister and leaders of 23 farmers’ unions under the banner of the Sanyukt Kisan Morcha that lasted for over two and half hours here.
After the meeting, Rural Development and Panchayats Minister Kuldip Singh Dhaliwal reached the protest venue in Mohali, near here, where thousands of farmers had been staging a sit-in protest since Tuesday.
He said the meeting of the farmers with the Chief Minister was fruitful and the farmers accepted to end the protest. There was a consensus on 12 out of 13 demands of farmers.
The prominent demands include minimum support price (MSP) for the purchase of maize, basmati and moong (pulses) that the government has assured, ending staggered paddy cultivation from June 18, electricity prepaid meters not to be installed, besides a compensation of Rs 500 per quintal for those who suffered losses due to early onset of early summer.
The farmers on Wednesday threatened to break the barricades set up on borders to march to the Chief Minister’s residence in Chandigarh if their demands were not met.
After the meeting, farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal told the media that the Chief Minister has accepted their demand to divide the state into two zones for sowing of paddy instead of four.
“Now half of the state would be able to sow paddy from June 14, while the rest from June 17. We have been asked to divide the districts into two zones. Earlier, the government had ordered that the sowing would start from June 18 in a staggered manner in the four zones,” he said.
The government assured the farmers that they would get MSP on moong (lentils) and a notification in this regard has already been issued.
At the meeting, the Chief Minister asked the farmers to immediately go for paddy nursery so that paddy transplantation could be ensured within the stipulated time schedule.
He apprised the farm leaders the government has already issued a notification to procure the entire crop of ‘moong’ on MSP of Rs 7,275 per quintal.
He also assured them that the government is already in the mode of finalizing modalities to procure maize too on MSP to give boost to its ambitious programe of crop diversification.
On the issue of MSP for basmati, the Chief Minister said he would call on Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday to impress upon the government of India to immediately announce MSP on basmati so as to encourage the farmers to go for its cultivation in a big way by shifting from water guzzling paddy.
He also told the farmers that he would also take up the contentious issue of the Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB) with Shah for expeditious resolution to the satisfaction of all stakeholders.
Mann urged the union leaders to give him some time for at least one year to bring farmer-friendly reforms in the agriculture sector.
At the same time, he urged them to shun the path of agitation and if they had any grouse against the government they should sit across the table to finally find an amicable solution.
Responding to another issue raised by the farm unions, Mann said the government would soon come out with a comprehensive policy for bestowing ownership rights on the cultivators who had been in possession of panchayat land and cultivating the same since long to convert the barren land into cultivable.
In a related development, the Cabinet led by the Chief Minister approved Rs 1,500 per acre incentive to the farmers for sowing of paddy through the Direct Seeding of Rice (DSR) technology.
A sum of Rs 450 crore has been earmarked to provide incentive to the farmers for promotion of less water consuming and cost effective DSR technology.
This step would be instrumental to save nearly about 15-20 per cent water as compared to the conventional puddling method during the lifecycle of crops.
The alarming situation arisen out of fast depleting groundwater mainly due to water guzzling traditional method of paddy transplantation needs bold measures to check this serious trend instantly.
At present, the water table is falling at rate of 86 cm per year, leading to a precarious situation, where no underground water will be available across the state in coming 15-20 years.
According to a spokesperson for the Chief Minister’s Office, this technique will encourage majority of farmers to adopt as it needs far less water for irrigation, improves percolation, reduces dependence on farm labour and improves soil health and help enhancing yield of both paddy and wheat by 5-10 per cent.
The tempers of the protesting farmers had ran high a day earlier as the Chief Minister failed to meet the leaders over their demands and left for Delhi.
Late in the evening, Mann said the agitation was “unwarranted and undesirable” and asked the farm unions to join hands with the government for checking the depleting water table.
Maharashtra
Mumbai: Asif Dari’s son Sameer Khan opened fire in a money transaction dispute, two attackers arrested, claims Mumbai Crime Branch

The Mumbai Crime Branch has claimed to have solved the case of the shooting of Sameer Khan, son of D and underworld don Dawood Ibrahim and Chhota Shakeel’s close aide Asif Dari, in the Mumbai Dockyard Road area. In this case, the Crime Branch has succeeded in recovering weapons, mobile phones and a motorcycle. Due to a money transaction and dispute, the accused targeted Asif Dari’s son Sameer Khan and attacked him. After that, the police reached the spot and conducted other investigations including forensic examination and started a parallel investigation in this case of the Mumbai Crime Branch and the Crime Branch found the trace of the accused attackers on technical grounds, after which the Crime Branch Unit 3 arrested both the shooters near Mahim Dargah on the outskirts of Mumbai in the middle of the night. On the instructions of Mumbai Police Commissioner Devin Bharti, Joint Police Commissioner Lakshmi Gautam and DCP Raj Tilak Roshan carried out this operation. The accused have confessed to the crime in the initial investigation and said that they were involved in a money dispute. After the shooting incident, a case was registered in the Byculla police under the Arms Act and a case of murder was registered in this case. The Mumbai Crime Branch is investigating the case from an angle. The two accused who have been arrested have been identified as Sadiq Sheikh Liaquat Sheikh, 30, and Zeeshan Anwar Sheikh, 30. Asif Dari has underworld connections, so the Crime Branch is also investigating this angle. It is said that Sameer Khan is also the owner of a construction company and has also obtained the contract for its construction. The Mumbai Crime Branch is also investigating this case. After this shooting, there was a sensation and tension in Mumbai, but the Mumbai Crime Branch solved the case within a few hours and the accused are in police custody. The Crime Branch is also investigating whether more people are involved in this or not and who had ordered the attack on Sameer. In the initial investigation, both the accused were found to be involved in this case.
Maharashtra
Osama Bin Laden is reborn in Owaisi! Nitesh Rane once again strongly criticizes AIMIM leader Asaduddin Owaisi

Mumbai: Maharashtra Minister Nitesh Rane once again criticized All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen chief Asaduddin Owaisi, who had earlier called him equal to Osama bin Laden, but now he said that Osama bin Laden has been reborn in Asaduddin Owaisi, and that is why he has such ideas. There is no place for those who reflect such ideas in India. He showed venom in the case of Nida Khan and said that AIMIM had supported Nida Khan, but now as the facts have been exposed, AIMIM has also been exposed. Nitesh Rane, while describing India as a Hindu nation, said that this is a country of gods and goddesses. If someone does not accept Vande Mataram, then he should take his beard and round cap and go to his father’s Pakistan because they will not be tolerated in India. He said that could these people support India while living in Pakistan? Only these people do such things while living in India. Even after comparing Owaisi to Osama bin Laden, Nitesh Rane is sticking to his stance, and Rane has even declared AIMIM a terrorist organization.
Maharashtra
Instead of increasing parking fees by 40%, BMC should focus on affordable parking and traffic discipline, Raees Sheikh writes to Mumbai Municipal Commissioner

Mumbai: As the Mumbai Municipal Corporation prepares to hike parking fees by 40 per cent, Samajwadi Party MLA from Bhiwandi East Raees Sheikh has written to Municipal Commissioner Ashwini Bhide, requesting him to review the current parking policy before increasing the fees and revive the defunct Mumbai Parking Authority (MPA). MLA Sheikh has demanded in the letter that the municipality should focus on improving traffic discipline and affordable parking instead of considering parking as a source of revenue generation. In his letter to the commissioner, MLA Raees Sheikh said that before making any changes in parking fees, a comprehensive review of the current parking policy and its implementation should be conducted. Citizens are facing many challenges due to inadequate parking infrastructure, uncontrolled parking on roads, lack of proper enforcement and irregularity of organized parking spaces. Before increasing parking fees, attention should be paid to making parking facilities affordable, transparent and accessible to the common citizen. MLA Raees Sheikh said that increasing fees without proper improvements in infrastructure and management can put unnecessary financial burden on residents, middle-class families, office workers and small traders. Stressing the need for strict enforcement of ‘no parking’ rules in the city, Raees Sheikh explained that traffic congestion due to illegal parking on roads, footpaths and squares is adding to the inconvenience of both pedestrians and motorists. Instead of just increasing parking fees, strict enforcement with better planning and digital monitoring system will help improve traffic discipline. The inefficient Mumbai Parking Authority should be revived so that parking management in the city is handled through a dedicated and accountable mechanism. MLA Raees Sheikh, in a letter to Commissioner Ashwini Bhide, suggested that a special authority could undertake scientific planning, formulate uniform parking policies, coordinate with the traffic police and transport departments and ensure a long-term solution to the growing number of vehicles in Mumbai.
-
Crime4 years agoClass 10 student jumps to death in Jaipur
-
Maharashtra2 years agoMumbai Local Train Update: Central Railway’s New Timetable Comes Into Effect; Check Full List Of Revised Timings & Stations
-
Maharashtra2 years agoMumbai To Go Toll-Free Tonight! Maharashtra Govt Announces Complete Toll Waiver For Light Motor Vehicles At All 5 Entry Points Of City
-
Maharashtra2 years agoFalse photo of Imtiaz Jaleel’s rally, exposing the fooling conspiracy
-
National News2 years agoMinistry of Railways rolls out Special Drive 4.0 with focus on digitisation, cleanliness, inclusiveness and grievance redressal
-
Maharashtra1 year agoMaharashtra Elections 2024: Mumbai Metro & BEST Services Extended Till Midnight On Voting Day
-
National News2 years agoJ&K: 4 Jawans Killed, 28 Injured After Bus Carrying BSF Personnel For Poll Duty Falls Into Gorge In Budgam; Terrifying Visuals Surface
-
Crime2 years agoBaba Siddique Murder: Mumbai Police Unable To Get Lawrence Bishnoi Custody Due To Home Ministry Order, Says Report
