National News
Telangana presents Rs 2.56 lakh crore budget

Telangana Finance Minister T. Harish Rao on Monday presented a Rs 2.56 lakh crore budget for financial year 2022-23, up from last year’s budget size of Rs 2.31 lakh crore.
Presenting the budget in the Assembly, he proposed total expenditure of Rs 2,56,958.51 crore. Out of this, revenue expenditure is Rs 1,89,274.82 crore and capital expenditure is Rs 29,728.44 crore.
The government allocated Rs 17,700 crore for Dalit Bandhu, a new scheme launched last year on pilot basis for economic empowerment of Dalits. Under the scheme, every Dalit family will get Rs 10 lakh grant for any entrepreneurial activity of its choice.
Harish Rao called it a historic and first of its kind scheme in the country providing the highest amount of assistance directly to the beneficiary.
In all the Assembly segments of the state, 11,800 families would get the benefit at the rate of 100 families per Assembly segment.
He said by the end of the next financial year, the programme would cover two lakh families, and the government is determined to cover all the Dalit families in the state in a phased manner.
Stating that Telangana recovered much faster following the aftermath of the Covid pandemic, Harish Rao said as per the advance estimates, the GSDP growth in 2021-22 is estimated at 11.2 per cent, at constant prices, as compared with the national GDP growth of 8.9 per cent.
At current prices, GSDP growth is estimated at 19.1 per cent as compared with the estimated GDP growth of 19.4 per cent.
He pointed out that the GSDP of Telangana in 2013-14, at the time of the state’s formation (2014) was Rs 4,51,580 crore, and by 2021-22, it has gone up to Rs 11,54,860 crore.
At the country level, during 2020-21, there was a negative growth rate of (-) 1.4 per cent due to the adverse impact of corona, and many states also registered negative growth rates. But Telangana clocked a positive growth rate of 2.2 per cent during 2020-21, he said.
“The fact that Telangana withstood the havoc of the pandemic is a testimony to the strong foundations laid since the formation of the state for sustained and resilient economy.”
The contribution of Telangana to the country’s GDP improved from 4.06 per cent in 2014-15 to 4.97 per cent in 2021-22. During the last seven years, Telangana is the only state in the country whose contribution in the national economy has grown by almost 1 per cent, the minister said.
He said that the growth of Telangana has become much more broad-based. Industry and services sectors recorded impressive growth over 2020-21, and the secondary sector consisting of manufacturing and construction recorded an impressive growth of 21.5 per cent in current prices over contraction of 0.3 per cent in 2020-21.
The services sector too improved its performance significantly to 18.3 per cent in the current year over the previous year’s growth of 0.9 per cent.
He claimed that in terms of growth of per capita income, Telangana’s performance has been spectacular. In 2014-15, the per capita income of Telangana at Rs 1,24,104 was higher than the national per capita income of Rs 86,647 by 1.43 times. By 2021-22, the per capita income of the state at Rs 2,78,833 exceeded the national average of Rs 1,49,848 by 1.86 times.
The state recorded a higher growth of 18.8 per cent in per capita income in 2021-22 as compared with the national growth of 18.1 per cent. In 2020-21, Telangana is a top-ranking state in per capita income among all the southern states. This is the achievement of the people of Telangana, he said.
Harish Rao said Telangana maintained its growth momentum even in adverse situations and that it has emerged as an economic powerhouse and as one of the fastest-growing states in the country.
He slammed the Centre for discrimination towards the state, and creating hurdles in the path of progress of the State, saying that instead of incentivising the states which are progressing, the Centre is trying to actively discourage them.
Harish Rao said the promises made in the Reorganisation Act are also not yet fulfilled. “As if this was not enough, whenever there is a discussion on the formation of Telangana, it is commented that it is like – ‘killing the mother for saving the baby’. These comments made by the elders at the Centre are an insult to the people of Telangana.”
Noting that the Information Technology and Investment Region project allocated to Telangana was cancelled, he said that 9 districts of the erstwhile state were notified as backward districts, but the grant which was supposed to be given to these districts is delayed. On one hand, the Centre talks about cooperative federalism, but on the other, it acts against the spirit of federalism and is encroaching on the powers of the state, he said.
He recalled that NITI Aayog had recommended that an amount of Rs 24,205 crore be released for Mission Bhagiratha and Mission Kakatiya schemes, but “the Centre has not even released 24 paise”.
The 15th Finance Commission has recommended that during 2020-21, an amount of Rs 723 crore is to be given to Telangana as a special grant, but the same was disregarded.
State specific grants of Rs 2,362 crore and sector specific grants of Rs 3,024 crore were also denied. In all, a sum of Rs 5,386 crore were denied to Telangana by the Centre, which did not even extend financial assistance to tackle Covid-19 pandemic, he said.
The enhanced borrowing under FRBM was linked to reforms in the power sector, and Telangana will be deprived of Rs 25,000 crore over the next five years, he said, adding that the “autocratic attitude of the Centre can be understood from this”.
“For the sake of these Rs 25,000 crore, the state has to implement a series of reforms in the power sector which are particularly against the farming community interests. The state government is not interested in making the farmers pay for the power which is being provided to them. That is not the policy of Telangana state. Chief Minister KCR has told Centre that such a policy would not be implemented as long as he is alive.”
Crime
Delhi Police bust interstate auto theft syndicate, recover eight high end cars

New Delhi, May 30: The Delhi Police Crime Branch has busted an interstate syndicate involved in the theft and resale of high-end vehicles, a statement said on Friday.
The gang used a sophisticated modus operandi to sell stolen cars through online platforms by forging documents, opening bank accounts with fake identities, and tampering with engine and chassis numbers.
In a series of coordinated operations, the police arrested a key member of the gang and recovered eight luxury vehicles.
According to Delhi Police, the breakthrough came with the arrest of Rakesh Patel alias Pappu (38), a core operative of the syndicate, near Sahibabad Railway Station in Ghaziabad on April 21, 2025.
Acting on a tip-off, police apprehended him while he was attempting to sell a stolen Maruti Wagon-R via an online platform.
Patel, a resident of Sahibabad, Ghaziabad (UP), and originally from Mohiuddin Nagar, Samastipur (Bihar), played a central role in managing theft operations and delivering stolen vehicles across states.
His associates arranged vehicles, counterfeit documents, and fake number plates.
The gang’s method was notably elaborate. After stealing a car, they searched online car-selling portals for vehicles of the same make, model, and colour.
Using open-source information, they identified details of genuine owners and forged documents in the owner’s name — featuring the photograph of one of the accused. They also opened bank accounts using these fake identities.
To avoid detection, the syndicate would tamper with the stolen car’s engine and chassis numbers to match those of the legitimate vehicle. Fake Registration Certificates (RCs) were then prepared, making the stolen car appear genuine. Once the vehicle was thus ‘cloned,’ it was listed for sale on online platforms.
The syndicate targeted high-demand vehicles, often choosing cars parked in low-surveillance or roadside areas. The police noted the gang’s use of advanced technological tools to support their operations.
A team led by Inspector Arun Sindhu of the Crime Branch spearheaded the investigation, which led to the arrest and recovery of the stolen vehicles.
Crime
Five killed in blast at illegal firecracker factory in Punjab’s Muktsar

Chandigarh, May 30: At least five people were killed and 34 injured on Friday in a blast at a double-storey illegal firecracker factory located on the outskirts of a village in Punjab’s Muktsar district, police said.
Most of the victims were migrants from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar.
The factory, owned by Tarsem Singh, who is associated with the state-ruled AAP, in Singhwala village, was reduced to rubble owing to the intensity of the blast, trapping many under debris.
According to the police, the blast occurred at midnight. The injured were taken to nearby hospitals, including All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Bathinda, and most of them were stated to be out of danger.
Senior Superintendent of Police, Muktsar Sahib, Akhil Chaudhary, said the blast occurred in one of the rooms in the manufacturing setup of the unit, which led to the collapse of the roof.
Many people got trapped under the debris, and rescue operations were launched immediately after the police received information about the incident.
Deputy Superintendent of Police Jaspal Singh said five bodies had been recovered from the debris, and 29 injured individuals were rushed to AIIMS Bathinda and hospitals in Muktsar.
Rescue teams were still on the scene, working to clear the rubble and search for survivors, if any.
The exact cause of the blast is being worked out, but initial investigation suggests that the blast occurred from potash used in manufacturing crackers.
Muktsar Deputy Commissioner Abhijit Kaplish told the media that no permission was granted to the manufacturing unit under the Explosives Rules of 2008.
“An application was made by the owners, but reports from different departments were pending, so no permission was granted,” he clarified.
Scattered shoes, broken glass panes and vehicles were seen all over the accident spot, as rescuers were sifting through the rubble in search of survivors.
Shiromani Akali Dal chief Sukhbir Badal has demanded a probe into the incident and urged the government to promptly release adequate compensation to the victims’ families.
Describing the incident as unfortunate, Agriculture Minister Gurmeet Khudian said the factory owner is a supporter of the AAP, but that does not permit anyone to engage in illegal activity.
“The law will take its own course,” he added.
In 2020, a total of 23 people were killed and 27 were injured in the explosion in an illegal firecracker manufacturing unit in Punjab’s Batala town. It was manufacturing and storing crackers for a ‘nagar kirtan’ — a religious procession relating to the birth anniversary celebrations of Sikhism’s founder, Guru Nanak Dev.
A similar blast occurred in Batala in January 2017, leaving one person dead and three injured.
National News
Maharashtra attracts 40 per cent of country’s total investment in 2024-25

Mumbai, May 30: Maharashtra, under the Mahayuti government, has consolidated its position as India’s investment magnet by attracting foreign investment worth Rs 1,64,875 crore in 2024-25, which accounts for 40 per cent of the total investment received by the country this year.
According to the state government, Maharashtra continues to be the most favoured investment destination due to a business-friendly environment, dedicated sectoral facilities and availability of the highest employable workforce (70 per cent).
Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said, “I am extremely delighted to share that the figures for the last quarter (January to March 2025) of the financial year 2024-25 have now been released, and for the entire year, Maharashtra has attracted foreign investment worth Rs 1,64,875 crore. This accounts for 40 per cent of the total investment received by the country this year. The total investment in the country this year amounts to Rs 4,21,929 crore.”
“Compared to last year, Maharashtra has seen a 32 per cent increase in investment this year. In this final quarter, Maharashtra attracted Rs 25,441 crore in foreign investment. This year has set a record for Maharashtra, surpassing the past 10 years. We had already broken this record in the first nine months. I wholeheartedly congratulate the people of Maharashtra,” CM Fadnavis said.
Retaining the number one slot has come as a shot in the arm for the Maharashtra government as it has an ambitious target of becoming a $1 trillion economy by 2030 and $5 trillion by 2047. The state economy has already crossed the $500 billion mark.
The Industry Department sources said Maharashtra has formulated industry and sector-specific policies and consistently updates its incentives and offerings to align with the evolving global economic dynamics and business scenarios.
“Maharashtra continues to lead the way as a top investment destination in India. The Retail Trade Policy 2016, Maharashtra Electronics Policy 2016, Aerospace and Defence Policy 2018, and Industrial Policy 2019 are under the government’s active consideration for review to keep pace with the changing investment scenario. In addition, the government proposes to come up with the Circular Economy Policy, MSME Policy, and Leather and Footwear Policy. The state has crossed $500 billion in GDP, surpassing the GDP of several countries like Singapore and Austria, as well as Indian states like Tamil Nadu and Karnataka,” the sources added.
Further, the government has enacted ‘The Maharashtra Industry, Trade and Investment Facilitation Act’ on July 3, 2023, to create a strong, healthy and effective ecosystem for industrial development and further boost the investments in the state.
The Maharashtra Industry, Trade and Investment Facilitation (MATRI) cell aims to serve as the first point of reference for potential investors coming to the state.
Deputy Chief Minister and Finance Minister Ajit Pawar asserted that the record-breaking investment is not merely a matter of rising financial numbers, but proof of the global trust in Maharashtra.
“Now, as investment has increased, employment opportunities will also grow, new industries will be established, while further opening up new opportunities,” he said.
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