National News
UP’s total outstanding debt shot up by nearly 39% in five years
The Yogi Adityanath government in Uttar Pradesh has been borrowing so heavily from the market that its total outstanding debt has shot up by almost 39 per cent in five years.
However, spending on education declined while spending on health increased only marginally during this period.
What is even more surprising is the fact that in four out of five years, the state government was unable to spend even the full budgeted amount, leading to a revenue surplus.
The full support given to the Yogi Adityanath government by the Narendra Modi government — the so-called ‘double engine’ advantage — also does not seem to have helped, either in terms of finances or in planning.
According to the latest data available with the Reserve Bank of India, which compiles state government finances, the UP government has outstanding liabilities worth as much as Rs 6.5 lakh crore, as estimated in the state Budget for 2021-22.
This is 38.3 per cent more than the Rs 4.7 lakh crore debt it inherited when it took over in 2017.
The bulk of this debt mountain is owed to financial institutions, such as banks. These are called market borrowings and are taken at hefty rates of interest.
According to sources in the state finance department, a report by the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) on UP government’s finances, released last month, pointed out that of the total public debt at the end of 2019-20, Rs 1.99 lakh crore (or 47.7 per cent of the total) would be payable after seven years.
The CAG report referred to earlier made a shocking revelation.
The state government transferred a princely sum of Rs 71,000 crore from a sinking fund illegitimately to its “non-tax revenue” head in its books in March 2020. By rules, this should have been invested elsewhere.
The CAG roundly criticised this brazen violation, recommending that “the transfers out of the fund (Sinking Fund) are not to be treated as Revenue Receipts and the amount equivalent to loan repaid should be transferred from Sinking Fund to Major Head 8680 (Miscellaneous Government Account) on redemption of debt”.
The effect of this ‘creative’ book-keeping was that revenue receipts were boosted in the books only, there was no cash actually transferred. This is what caused the next year’s revenue surplus.
It is a common feature for some states to end the year with huge unspent amounts from their budgetary allocations. Poor and backward states are particularly prone to this aberrant thinking. And UP is no exception.
Under Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath’s leadership, four of the five years have seen a revenue surplus adding up to a huge Rs 1.32 lakh crore.
The figure given for 2021-22 is just estimated, presented in the Budget, and the actual amount may be larger. The deficit would have been even bigger but for the illegitimate transfer of sinking fund money to non-tax revenue accounts.
The year 2020-21 was the first year of the Covid pandemic and some extra spending took place. So, the state government ended up actually spending all of its allocated funds, running a small deficit of Rs 13,161 crore.
Despite borrowing Rs 1.8 lakh crore in five years, the state government has ended its term with an accumulated revenue surplus, i.e., unspent funds of Rs 1.32 lakh crore, which indicates bad planning.
Sources said that spending on two crucial sectors – education and health – was important but as a proportion of total revenue expenditure, the share spent on education declined from about 14.8 per cent in 2017-18 to 12.5 per cent in the budget estimates (BE) for the current financial year.
In 2020-21, when students of the state were struggling to keep up with their studies during the pandemic with schools/colleges and hostels closed and online mode was the dominant way of teaching, the state government saved a lot of money when actually more spending was needed to compensate for academic losses being suffered by the students.
In fact, teachers were not paid salaries, staff were denied wages, and mid-day meals were stopped.
Now, with the crucial Assembly elections looming, the government is busy distributing smartphones and tablets.
Even more disturbing is the minuscule increase in the share of health expenditure in total revenue expenditure — from 5.3 per cent in 2017-18 to 5.9 per cent in 2021-22 (BE) — at a time when the pandemic was at its peak.
Reports based on official data show that the healthcare system in UP remained inadequate to deal with the pandemic. All this would have been avoided if more funds had been allocated and applied by the state government.
Crime
Operation VISTA 1.0: Delhi Police arrest seven Bangladeshi nationals for violating visa conditions

New Delhi, Aug 11: In a major crackdown on foreign nationals violating immigration norms, the Anti-Auto Theft Squad (AATS) of Delhi Police’s Central District successfully carried out “Operation VISTA 1.0” (Visa Status Verification), leading to the apprehension of seven Bangladeshi nationals for violating the conditions of their visas and overstaying in India beyond the permissible period.
The operation was launched as part of an ongoing drive to identify foreign nationals residing illegally in the national capital by overstaying or breaching visa regulations. During the special verification campaign, police teams conducted extensive checks at hotels, guest houses, and other establishments accommodating foreign nationals across the Central District.
According to Delhi Police, the operation gained momentum when a police team patrolling the Nabi Karim area received specific information from a reliable source that several Bangladeshi nationals whose visas had expired were residing illegally there. Acting on the information, the police apprehended one individual, identified as MD Nazrul Islam Foisal, a resident of Noakhali district in Bangladesh.
During questioning, Foisal disclosed that he was a Bangladeshi national residing in the Nabi Karim area. He produced his Bangladeshi passport, which was verified on the spot. Police found that his passport had been issued on February 8, and that his authorised stay in India was valid only until August 7. However, he was found residing in the country beyond the permitted period without obtaining any extension or authorisation from the competent authorities.
During sustained interrogation, Foisal revealed that several other Bangladeshi nationals were also living in Delhi after violating the conditions of their visas. The information was immediately shared with Inspector Sandeep Dabas, In-Charge of AATS, Central District, who directed the formation of a dedicated team to verify the information and take necessary action.
Based on the disclosure, police teams conducted raids at multiple locations in Delhi, including Madanpur Khaddar and Janta Flats in Sarita Vihar. During the raids, six more Bangladeshi nationals were located and apprehended. Their passports, visas and travel documents were thoroughly examined.
Verification of their immigration records revealed that all seven individuals had entered India legally on Double Entry Visas. Under the conditions of these visas, each visitor was permitted to stay in India for a maximum of 15 days per visit. However, despite the validity of their visas, all seven had exceeded the permissible duration of stay without obtaining any extension or authorisation from the authorities.
Police said the violation constituted a breach of visa conditions and attracted legal action under the applicable provisions governing the stay of foreign nationals in India.
Following verification, all seven Bangladeshi nationals were produced before the Foreigners Regional Registration Office (FRRO), which initiated legal proceedings against them. The FRRO subsequently issued Restriction Orders directing that the individuals be detained pending deportation proceedings.
The seven apprehended individuals have been identified as MD Nazrul Islam Foisal, 26, Mohammad Amjad Hossen, 26, Moinul Hossain, 24, Alamin, 25, MD Kawasae Ali, 25, Amran Hossain, 29, and Afranul Haque Bhuyan Sami, 23, all residents of different districts of Bangladesh.
During interrogation, the accused admitted that they had entered India on valid Double Entry Visas and were residing in various parts of Central and South Delhi. Detailed scrutiny of their travel documents established that although their visas remained valid, they had violated the mandatory condition restricting each stay to a maximum of 15 days.
Police officials said all facts were cross-verified with immigration records before legal action was initiated. The authorities emphasised that the action was taken strictly in accordance with immigration laws and established procedures.
As part of the proceedings, police seized and verified seven Bangladeshi passports, seven Indian Double Entry Visas and seven mobile phones. These documents have been taken into possession for verification and further legal action.
The apprehended individuals have been shifted to the Detention Centre at Sewa Dham, Shahzada Bagh, Sarai Rohilla, where they will remain until the completion of deportation formalities.
Police further stated that no previous criminal involvement of any of the seven Bangladeshi nationals has come to light during verification. The present action pertains solely to violations of visa conditions arising from overstaying beyond the permissible period prescribed under their visas.
National News
Don’t panic, don’t run away; listen to HM Shah’s reply: BJP sharpens attack on Rahul Gandhi

New Delhi, Aug 11: Amid the ongoing Parliament stand-off, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Tuesday launched a scathing critique of Rahul Gandhi and the Congress party, accusing them of holding the House to ransom and exploiting the students’ protest to gain political mileage.
In a pointed attack at the Leader of Opposition (LoP), Rahul Gandhi, the BJP claimed that his arrogance was a key reason behind the Parliament logjam.
Addressing a press conference at the BJP headquarters, Sudhanshu Trivedi said the Constitution makers would never have imagined that the temple of democracy would become ‘hostage’ to whims, fancies, and the arrogant attitude of any ‘Shehzada’, a pointed reference to LoP Rahul Gandhi.
“Bhaago mat, daro mat, aur kaan kholkar .. grih mantri ka jawaab suno,” the BJP MP said in Hindi, roughly translating into “don’t run, don’t get frightened, and listen to Home Minister’s reply with open ears”.
Pinning the blame on Rahul and Congress for the Parliament washout, he said that the Opposition’s behaviour over the past few days clearly exhibited their disruption tactics and blatant bid to derail the House proceedings.
He said the government was quick and prompt in addressing the issues raised by the Opposition, but they didn’t keep their word.
“They (Opposition) have been consistently changing the goalposts. First, they demanded stern action against the paper leak mafia and strict regulations to address flaws in the NEET examinations. A new bill was approved by the Cabinet and passed by Parliament, the Education Minister stepped down from his post, and the cases against unruly elements during the Jantar Mantar demonstration were also withdrawn,” the BJP national spokesperson said.
Trivedi stated that the government also agreed to the Opposition’s demand for the Home Minister’s reply, but they decided to run away from debate.
“They insisted on Home Minister Amit Shah’s statement on the Delhi Police crackdown. The government and Home Minister are ready to give a reply in the House, but the Congress party is bent on disrupting the House by now allowing it to function,” the BJP MP pointed out, accusing them of holding the House to ransom.
Claiming that Congress has a history of ‘running away’, he stated that whenever the government readies its reply on any issue, the Opposition develops cold feet and runs away from the House. He cited previous instances, including the Prime Minister’s reply on the Manipur crisis.
“You must not be frightened; you must not run away from debate. You are neither going to Ranchi, nor are you listening to debate that you are demanding,” he said.
Further taking a swipe at ‘Chhattron ki Goonj’, a Congress event to mobilise students’ anger over paper leaks, Trivedi said that the agony and pain of protesting students was not audible to Rahul and the Congress party because of their duplicity.
“Congress party is least worried about the causes and interests of students and is rather milking the issue for political point-scoring, and their leader (Rahul Gandhi) is leaving no opportunity to hold the House to ransom,” he said.
“When Parliament session is underway, he runs away from the House, and after the session is over, he heads on jaunts at foreign locations,” said Trivedi in a bitter taunt.
National News
Mixed response to Jharkhand bandh, ABVP workers held during protest in Ranchi

Ranchi : The bandh called by the BJP across Jharkhand and the Assembly gherao programme organised by the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) in Ranchi on Tuesday, in protest against the police lathicharge on students agitating over alleged irregularities in the JPSC and JSSC recruitment examinations, witnessed a mixed response.
While BJP workers staged demonstrations and blocked roads at several locations in the state capital, ABVP activists attempting to march towards the Jharkhand Assembly were stopped and detained by the police.
Despite sporadic disruptions, normal life remained largely unaffected in many parts of Ranchi during the morning hours. Most commercial establishments stayed open and vehicular movement was largely smooth across the city.
From around 8 a.m., BJP workers took to the streets in several localities, urging traders to down shutters in support of the bandh. Road blockades were reported from Kanke Road, Ratu Road, Harmu Chowk, Argora Chowk, Bodeya and near the CMPDI gate.
Protesters also burnt tyres at several places, disrupting traffic for brief periods before police personnel cleared the roads and restored movement.
In Namkum, BJP workers staged a sit-in protest at Bazaar Chowk around 11 a.m. and blocked the Ranchi-Jamshedpur highway after burning tyres. Police later detained the protesters and removed the blockade, resulting in long queues of vehicles on both sides of the highway.
A similar protest was organised in Lowadih under the leadership of BJP Mandal president Ashok Gop. According to police, 11 bandh supporters were detained from Lowadih and 17 from Namkum and taken to the local police station.
However, the impact of the bandh was uneven across the state capital. Markets remained open and traffic moved normally in several areas, including Main Road, Bariatu and Morabadi.
Meanwhile, the ABVP’s Assembly gherao programme saw activists from across the state gather near the old Assembly complex to protest Monday’s police action against students associated with the JPSC-JSSC movement.
Sloganeering activists sat on the road and attempted to proceed towards the Assembly premises, but were stopped by police.
A brief scuffle ensued between protesters and security personnel during the standoff.
Police subsequently detained the activists and escorted them into buses. In a dramatic show of protest, some student leaders climbed onto bus roofs and continued raising slogans, while others lay down on the road in front of and behind the vehicles.
Outside Ranchi, the bandh had a more pronounced impact in several districts, including Hazaribagh, Palamu, Giridih and Chatra, where BJP workers organised demonstrations and road blockades, affecting vehicular movement.
In Palamu district, BJP workers blocked roads at Chhahmuhan and Redma Chowk in Daltonganj from the early hours of the morning. BJP’s Palamu district president Amit Tiwari accused the state government of endangering the future of the state’s youth through alleged irregularities in recruitment examinations.
In Simdega, party workers blocked National Highway-143 at multiple locations, including Biru, disrupting traffic. Similar road blockades were reported from Dhanwar in Giridih district and Pratappur in Chatra district. Demonstrations backing the bandh were also reported from several other parts of the state.
The bandh call came a day after clashes erupted between students and police during a march towards the Jharkhand Assembly. Thousands of students had gathered on Monday demanding cancellation of the disputed JPSC and JSSC examinations, reforms in the recruitment process, and a CBI probe into the alleged irregularities.
Police had erected multiple barricades to prevent protesters from advancing towards the Assembly. Water cannons and tear gas were used to disperse the crowd, following which a lathicharge was carried out. Several students and police personnel were reportedly injured in the confrontation.
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