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Journalist assaulted by Congress in US for asking Sam Pitroda if Rahul Gandhi will discuss attack on Hindus in Bangladesh: ‘Sam was shaken by question, it was a nightmare’, says the journalist

OpIndia Staff
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Journalist assaulted by Congress in US for asking Sam Pitroda if Rahul Gandhi will discuss attack on Hindus in Bangladesh: ‘Sam was shaken by question, it was a nightmare’, says the journalist

Last week, a journalist associated with the India Today media network was assaulted by Congress workers in Dallas, Texas. during Rahul Gandhi’s US visit. Journalist Rohit Sharma had gone to Texas to cover Indian Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi’s much-anticipated visit. During the event, Sharma was harassed by the Congress workers as he raised the question of Hindus killed in Bangladesh at the hands of Islamists after the fall of the Sheikh Hasina government there.

As per the India Today report, Sharma approached the Chairman of the Indian Overseas Congress (IOC) Sam Pitroda for an exclusive interview hours before Gandhi was scheduled to arrive at the DFW International Airport. The entire interview went well until the last question posed by the journalist.

As the interview drew closer to the conclusion, Sharma asked, “Will Rahul Gandhi raise the issue of Hindus being killed in Bangladesh during his meetings with US lawmakers?” Before Pitroda could respond to the question, other 20-30 close associates and supporters of Congress and Rahul Gandhi who were present during the interview began creating chaos saying that the question asked by Sharma was ‘controversial’.

They assaulted him, snatched his phone, and deleted the entire video of the interview.

While Pitroda said, “It’s up to Rahul and the lawmakers to decide what’s relevant, I can’t speak on their behalf but…,” other Congress workers snatched the phone of the journalist and began saying, “Band Karo, Band Karo (Stop it, Stop it).” The workers in the midst of this allowed Pitroda to escape away under the guise of receiving Rahul Gandhi.

“Sam was as visibly shaken as I was, urging calm. However, Rahul’s supporters and team had made their decision. One individual tried to grab my mic, but I resisted. They managed to stop the recording by forcibly taking my phone,” Sharma said.

Later at least 15 men stayed in the room, demanding that Sharma erase the final question from the interview. He kept insisting saying that the issue was not controversial and that their actions were unethical. However, they continued, grabbing his phone and going through it, even attempting to delete the interview. The workers refused to leave Sharma alone and forced him to delete the interview.

The Congress workers then unlocked Sharma’s phone without his consent and proceeded to delete the interview from the folder. “Desperate to ensure no trace of the interview remained, they even checked my iCloud – my phone was in airplane mode during the recording, preventing the video from syncing,” Sharma said narrating the ordeal of 30 agonizing minutes.

Later, the workers also discussed keeping Sharma’s phone for 4 more days. But the journalist firmly demanded it back. The latter also thought of calling the police but couldn’t. “Once outside, I texted Sam to tell him what had happened. He suggested we could record another interview the next day. But unsurprisingly, it never happened,” Sharma added.

However, Gandhi was eventually asked the same question by another journalist of India Today at the Press Club event. Hindus in Bangladesh have been facing horror at the hands of Islamists after the fall of the Sheikh Hasina government earlier last month. Since then, Gandhi and his party have maintained silence provoking the BJP to question the same. Attacking, and harassing journalists for rightly performing their duty is condemnable. Detailed narration about the given incident of harassment of Sharma can be read here.

Allahabad HC slams ISIS poster boy advocate Mehmood Pracha, imposes Rs 1 lakh penalty for plea questioning authenticity of election videography

OpIndia Staff
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Allahabad HC slams ISIS poster boy advocate Mehmood Pracha, imposes Rs 1 lakh penalty for plea questioning authenticity of election videography

On 10th September, the Allahabad High Court fined lawyer Mehmood Pracha Rs 1 lakh for wasting the court’s valuable time, reported Live Law. He brought a writ case against the verifiability, integrity, authentication, and security of videography during the electoral process. Furthermore, the court disapproved of his behaviour in showing up for the video conference wearing his coat and band and arguing the case without notifying the court that he would be there in person.

The bench of Justice Shekhar B. Saraf and Justice Manjive Shukla also instructed him to be “cautious” going forward and ensure he upholds the dignity and decorum of the court.

The Delhi High Court had received two petitions from him on the same issue and both times the rulings were pronounced to his satisfaction, according to the court. He nonetheless proceeded to the Allahabad High Court in pursuit of similar redress. The bench expressed its failure to comprehend the reason for his decision to submit the first two writ petitions before the Delhi High Court and then approach the Allahabad High Court. The pleas concerned the elections of the 7-Rampur Loksabha Constituency in Uttar Pradesh for the year 2024.

The bench observed, “This court is unable to understand this shift being made by the petitioner when the petitioner had gone on record before the Delhi High Court stating that his prayer stands satisfied. The petitioner cannot jump or shift mid-way and choose the forum he prefers. He could have approached the Delhi High Court once again as the cause of action remains the same and appears to be only incidental to the earlier prayers granted by the Delhi High Court.”

The court voiced its surprise at learning that the advocate would be making an in-person appearance as he was witnessed donning a coat and band during the hearing. The court mentioned that it learned of the development only after it delivered its order, seeking to impose costs on the petitioner. The court pointed out that he had not taken off his band before the argument and was astonished at this behaviour. It further stressed that this conduct was inappropriate for a senior attorney, who should be acquainted with the fundamental conduct necessary when speaking to the bench in person.

The bench commented, “This behaviour is not expected of a senior member of the bar who is expected to be aware of the basic etiquette to be followed while addressing the bench in person. Mr. Pracha is directed to be cautious in the future and ensure that he maintains the decorum and dignity of the court. Another aspect to be noted is that the petitioner had filed this writ petition through an Advocate (Mr. Omar Zamin). Having done so he could not have appeared in person without removing his advocate or having taken leave of the court.”

The court discarded his writ petition with a cost of Rs. 1,00,000, which is to be paid to the Uttar Pradesh State Legal Services Authority within 30 days of the date. In addition to the ‘inappropriate methodology’ he employed during his in-person appearance, the order was issued due to the writ petition being submitted incorrectly, which cost this court valuable time. The court instructed the Registrar General to take the appropriate steps to recover the amount in compliance with the law if the penalty is not reimbursed.

Controversial past of Mehmood Pracha

Advocated Mehmood Pracha is one of the most vocal voices among radical Muslims in the country. In 2020, an India-centric journal was started by a pro-ISIS (Islamic State of Iraq and Syria) media outlet. The journal called “Voice of Hind” was published by Al-Qitaal Media Center and Junudul Khilafah al-Hind and featured Mehmood Pracha on its cover page.

He is the founder and national convenor of “Mission Save Constitution” (MSC) which planned to arrange an “All India Muslim Mahapanchayat” in the Ramlila Maidan in the national capital on 29th October of last year in response to the ‘atrocities’ committed against Muslims in India. The permission provided to MSC on 16th October was rescinded by the Delhi police upon discovering the event’s communal nature. The following day, the reservation at the Ramilla Maidan was also cancelled.

His video on the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) went viral on social media in February of this year in which he was seen spreading propaganda and provoking people. “UCC is a conspiracy. It is not the Uniform Civil Code. It is the Uniform Story Code. RSS governments promote it in different states and parts of the country. They aim to snatch the rights of 99 per cent of the citizens of the country and give them to Adani and Ambani. They want to loot money from all banks and give it to their workers and help them flee the country,” he claimed.

 

‘You will have to hit the roads soon’: Sarwar Chishti, who supported economic boycott of Hindus, now incites Muslims to retaliate over Waqf amendment bill. Here is why it is dangerous

OpIndia Staff
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‘You will have to hit the roads soon’: Sarwar Chishti, who supported economic boycott of Hindus, now incites Muslims to retaliate over Waqf amendment bill. Here is why it is dangerous

A video of Sarwar Chishti, a member of the Anjuman Committee of the Ajmer dargah, went viral on social media on Wednesday (11th September). He was seen inciting Muslims to hit the streets and create chaos under the pretext of opposing the Waqf Amendment Bill of 2024.

“It’s a matter of shame that our dignity is at risk. Our houses are being bulldozed, mobs lynching us and mosques, dargahs and mazars are being demolished,” he was heard saying.

Chishti lamented, “The Waqf Amendment Bill 2024 has been brought in by the government. We are asking Muslims to scan the QR Code and ensure the rejection of the bill. As of 10th September, only 40 lakh Muslims have scanned the QR code.”

“Why are you sleeping, Miyan? You will have to hit the roads soon. You have already been late in retaliation by unnecessarily tolerating injustice,” the Khadim of the Ajmer Dargah continued to provoke.

“A person who tolerates injustice is worse than a cruel person. You are living in a democratic country at least use those rights. Why are you not doing it?” he pleaded Muslims to create a law and order situation

“I have said this before and want to say it again from my heart – Please acknowledge someone as your leader. I see Asaduddin Owaisi bravely raise his voice over issues (concerning Muslims),” Sarawar Chishti added.

He was seen endorsing Maulana Tauqir Raza and Sajjad Nomani, the radical Islamic preacher behind the Bhagwa Love trap conspiracy theory.

Criminal antecedents of Sarwar Chishti and his family

On 6th July 2022, Sarwar Chishti provoked Muslims to act against those who make alleged blasphemous remarks against Prophet Muhammad.

“The situation in the country right now, is such that people are committing blasphemy. They are doing mischief in the glory of the Prophet, in the glory of the Khwaja. We will not tolerate this at all. We will launch such a massive agitation that the whole Hindustan will shake,” he had threatened.

A few days later, an audio clip went viral on social media wherein the radical Islamic preacher was heard calling for an economic boycott of the Hindu community.

“No one should buy anything from their shops in the Dargah Bazar area and the Nalla Bazar area. They earn only through the lovers of the Khwaja Sahab. And see what courage they are attempting, they are closing the shops in front of us. They are supporting Nupur Sharma. Spread this word everywhere you can, so that no one transacts a single rupee with them,” he was heard saying.

Sarwar Chishti was also caught on camera inciting a group of Muslims. In a viral video, he was seen saying that Muslims were the rulers of India for hundreds of years and that by changing the names of railway stations, the current government could erase the fact that Muslims ruled the country.

He had warned the administration saying that such activities will only force the Muslims to aim to rule India again. In 2020, Chishti glorified the Islamic terror outfit ‘People’s Front of India (PTI)’ as an organisation that was supposedly “trying to save the Indian Constitution.”

Chishtis of Ajmer Dargah have made many hateful statements in the recent past. Sarwar Chishti’s son Aadil made derogatory things about Hindu deities.

“If Nupur Sharma is a Hindu, I have a few questions for her. How can one believe in the existence of 333 crore gods? How is this logical? We can understand if there is one god. We all are equal as humans irrespective of our religions. We believe in the existence of god and that there is an absolute god. There can be different interpretations of people of different religions. But, 333 crore gods, a wholesale of gods, how can that be believable? I feel that even if a person lives a thousand years, he cannot possibly please all 333 crore gods and goddesses,” Aadil had claimed.

Sarwar Chishti’s nephew Gauhar Chishti gave ‘Sar Tan Se Juda’ calls demanding beheading of Nupur Sharma and those who allegedly insulted Prophet Muhammad.

He also met Kanhaiya Lal’s killers, who was brutally was killed in Udaipur for sharing a social media post supporting Nupur Sharma.

Controversy surrounding Waqf Amendment Bill

The Waqf Act 1995 empowers the Waqf Board to declare any property or building as Waqf property in the name of charity.

Recently, it came to light that the Waqf Board has issued notifications to declare protected monuments as Waqf properties, resulting in conflicts with the rights granted under the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act 1958.

The Waqf (Amendment) Bill 2024, which was introduced in Lok Sabha on 8th August this year, proposed several major changes to the Waqf Act. One of the most significant is the removal of contributions by non-Muslims.

It changed the definition of ‘Waqf’, which states that it is the dedication of any movable or immovable property by a person practising Islam for at least five years.

It added that the creation of waqf-alal-aulad (An endowment for the family of the donor) should not result in the denial of inheritance rights of heirs, including women heirs of the donor.

The amendment further added maintenance of widows, divorced women and orphans to the use of proceeds of such dedicated property.

The amendment introduced the position of Collector who would exercise powers some of which were once vested with the Waqf Board. The new act mandated all registered waqfs to file details of the waqf and properties dedicated to the waqf.

The amendment added a provision to stop the misappropriation of govt land by claiming to be waqf property.

It stated that any government property ‘identified’ or ‘declared’ as waqf, before or after the Amendment, should not be deemed to be waqf property. In case of dispute, the collector would conduct an enquiry.

As per current law, the decision of the Tribunal in case of any dispute regarding waqf property is final, which can’t be challenged. The amendment changes this, saying that a suit can be constituted within a period of two years from the publication of the list of waqf properties.

Section 40 the waqf act, which allows the board to collect information regarding any property which it has reason to believe to be waqf property, has been abolished.

It further states that two non-Muslilm members will be appointed to the Waqf Board, apart from two women members.

Creation of waqf without execution of a waqf deed has been stopped, and the Collector will conduct an enquiry into the genuineness of the application. If it is found to be disputed or govt property, registration won’t be done.

An alarming moment

Radical Islamic preachers across the country are making inflammatory speeches and brainwashing Muslim youth about the Waqf Amendment Bill of 2024.

They are building consensus at the ground level and carrying out a nefarious campaign to set the foundation for large-scale riots in the name of Islam.

The playbook was in force during the anti-CAA agitation of 2019 in Shaheen Bagh and Jamia Nagar, which later culminated into the anti-Hindu Delhi riots of 2020.

If the likes of Sarwar Chishti continue to incite, provoke and spew venom, then, India can easily witness an alarming law and order situation across the length and breadth of the country.

The governments both at the State and Centre must act against radical Islamic preachers with all their might and quash any movement designed to hold the administration to ransom.

UK: Mohammed Sadiq hires Pakistan-born Shazeb Khalid for £2,000 to kill a Tamil Indian restaurant manager, contract killer uses a stolen car to mow down the victim

OpIndia Staff
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UK: Mohammed Sadiq hires Pakistan-born Shazeb Khalid for £2,000 to kill a Tamil Indian restaurant manager, contract killer uses a stolen car to mow down the victim

In a horrifying turn of events, Shazeb Khalid, a 25-year-old Pakistani man, was found guilty of the heinous murder of Vignesh Pattabiraman, a 36-year-old Indian Tamil restaurant manager from Reading, UK. The crime occurred on Valentine’s Day this year.  

On Wednesday, the jury at Reading Crown Court found Khalid guilty of intentionally running down Pattabiraman while driving a stolen red Range Rover, motivated by a £2,000 ‘contract fee’. The man died from his injuries at Royal Berkshire Hospital in the early hours of 15th February. The deceased victim’s post-mortem report confirmed head injuries as the cause of death.

According to the prosecution, a sinister conspiracy involving Vel’s operation manager, Mohammed Sadiq Ishmail, who reportedly recruited his accomplice, Soiheem Hussain, to intimidate Pattabiraman. Ishmail suspected Pattabiraman was informing authorities about illegal staff employment at the restaurant. Witnesses reported seeing Khalid emerge from the wrecked car and attack Pattabiraman with a series of attacks.

Moreover, Khalid stole money from Pattabiraman’s bag after the murder. Vel Restaurant in Brighton was fined £20,000 in December 2022 for employing two illegal workers, while a following raid on Vel Reading in August 2023 resulted in no further action. Defending his actions, Khalid, who came to the UK from Pakistan in 2007, claimed his actions were inadvertent, claiming he just intended to “scare him” and “maybe grab him and tell him to stop snitching.” He denied violence and stealing. Meanwhile, Hussain rejected charges that he hired Khalid to cause serious injury, resulting in his acquittal on the murder charge but punishment for helping an offender. Khalid and Hussain are expected to be sentenced on the 10th of October.

Chaos at Punjab Power Corp: Employees extend strike until Sep 17 as locals outrage over 20+ hours of power outage

OpIndia Staff
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Chaos at Punjab Power Corp: Employees extend strike until Sep 17 as locals outrage over 20+ hours of power outage

Residents of Harmilap Nagar Phases I and II, Saini Vihar, Gurjivan Vihar, and several others protested outside PSPCL’s power grid in Dhakoli, Punjab on Thursday, 12th September after suffering from electricity power cut since 10 pm on Monday.

The enraged public raised chants against the PSPCL and the Punjab government, stating that there was no power in a dozen housing societies from Monday night (10 pm) until Tuesday evening (7 pm). PSPCL officials had to call the police to deal with the furious people, which included children and women.

For the majority of the day, the supply of electricity in Baltana remained inconsistent. Surinder Singh Bains, Executive Engineer at Zirakpur PSPCL, stated that “many employees were on strike, which affected supply.” Rains additionally served as an intrusion.

PSPCL executives stated that a mass exodus by various union members of the PSPCL exacerbated the matter. Many PSPCl employees went on strike today, taking mass leave from various Mohali office locations. Residents of Badhmajra also reported experiencing lengthy power outages.

Major decisions to escalate the ongoing struggle were made during a meeting chaired by Ratan Singh Majari and Gurpreet Singh Gandiwind, both convenors of the PSEB Employees Joint Forum, Electricity Employees Ekta Manch Punjab, and the Association of Junior Engineers. The two convenors and the state president of the association, Ranjit Singh Dhillon, attended a state-level press conference in Ludhiana to provide information about the meeting in Chandigarh, which was called by the electricity minister.

Addressing a press conference, Ranjit Singh Dhillon, provincial leaders Additional SDO Raghveer Singh, Rachpal Singh Pali, and Kewal Singh Banvait of Panserj Union demanded the proper management of the state electricity board employees. He said that the grid of unauthorized officials instilled fear and uncertainty in the electricity workers as the former allegedly carried out unlawful actions.

Given this, union representatives have decided to extend the collective break from September 13th to September 17th (5 days), and all power workers will demonstrate in front of the board headquarters. As per the reports, the next action will be declared on September 17th, with a state-level demonstration in front of the headquarters in Patiala.

During the protest, black flags will be exhibited to the power corporation’s management, including the power minister. He further stated that, after the farmers’ unions, they have additionally received the support of the Patwar Union.

Ranjit Singh Dhillon, provincial leader Additional SDO Raghveer Singh and Rachpal Singh Pali further apologized for the inconvenience caused to the people and urged them to cooperate in their action against the Punjab government, the power minister and the management of the electricity corporation.

Military intelligence and Maharashtra police bust fake army recruitment racket, man impersonating army major arrested for running recruitment training camps

ANI
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Military intelligence and Maharashtra police bust fake army recruitment racket, man impersonating army major arrested for running recruitment training camps

In a joint operation, military intelligence and Maharashtra police arrested a man impersonating an army major for allegedly running a massive fake recruitment racket across several states.

He was running an army recruitment training camp in Dehradun and Aurangabad.

According to a senior officer, on specific input, Military Intelligence, Pune, and Bingar Camp Police station, Ahmednagar, have launched a joint operation Wednesday and arrested an accused Satyajit Barath Kamble at Belapur, Shrirampur, Ahmednagar Maharashtra, after chasing him from New Delhi.

The accused was impersonating an Army Major running a massive fake recruitment racket across Maharashtra, Telangana, and Karnataka. Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Punjab, Haryana & New Delhi, etc., along with accomplices who have duped hundreds of candidates under the pretext of providing them jobs in the Armed Forces (Army & MES).

Investigation revealed that Satyajit Barath Kamble is the kingpin of the fraudulent recruitment module being run across the country along with his accomplices (a few of whose names surfaced during interrogation, including female touts who were spread over in the & and southern states of the country).

Further, the fraudulent recruitment module established a fake training camp at Dehradun, Uttarakhand and Shrigonda, Maharashtra, for hundreds of aspirant candidates by impersonating an Army officer and serving Army staff of recruitment zones and duping Rs 7-8 lacs from each candidate.

It has also come to light that the module approximately made Rs 3-4 crore out of a fake army recruitment racket till date, as the nexus was being run over across various states by the assistance of his accomplices.

The accused revealed that the modus operandi of the module was to allure candidates from across Maharashtra, Telangana, Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Punjab, Haryana, and New Delhi by the assistance of academies located in different states and also approached candidates directly at recruitment rallies to allure them to join fake training camps as established by the module in the Dehradun and Shrigonda jungles and issued them counterfeit joining letters in the name of Ex Southern Army Commander, Chief Engineer Oficer & other appointments of Army.

Further, the module has managed camping stores akin to military patternss from local markets in New Delhi and Dehradun and provided shelter to aspirant candidates during training and issued them identity cards as undertrained trainees.

A senior officer added that the further details as to how many others from various states were involved in the module would come out in due course of investigation. As the module duped numerous candidates, which raises suspicion of involvement of a greater number of accomplices in the nexus.

(This news report is published from a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has not been written or edited by OpIndia staff)

Who benefitted? CAG finds major irregularities in Odisha’s ore mining sector, losses over 22,000 crores incurred under Naveen Patnaik govt, says report

OpIndia Staff
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Who benefitted? CAG finds major irregularities in Odisha’s ore mining sector, losses over 22,000 crores incurred under Naveen Patnaik govt, says report

Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) has shared alarming details about the loss of mining revenue incurred by the state administration of Odisha under former Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik. According to the CAG, the Odisha govt under the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) lost at least Rs 22,392 crore because leaseholders misreported the quality of the iron ore and underestimated the grade of ore mined between 2015 and 2022 as well as exceeded the mining plan.

The production of chromite without forest clearance, short royalty assessments, non-utilization of sub-grade iron ore, production exceeding permitted in mining plans and environmental clearance and reports of lower-grade iron ore and iron ore fines as screened fines were estimated by CAG when determining the loss figure.

CAG carried out a performance assessment of “Systems and Controls in Assessment and Collection of Revenue from Major Minerals.” It was focused on concerns pertaining to the granting and extension of mining leases, licenses, and licences for the years 2015 through 2022. CAG audited six iron ore mines in the state and the report was laid before the state assembly on 11th September.

What led to the staggering loss

Twenty leaseholders reported the majority of their mined ores as “screened iron ore fines” which are small and less desirable in steel plants. As a result, the ores were subject to lower royalty rates than normal iron ore fines, which are larger and attract higher royalty owing to a state government order in 2010. This resulted in the state losing Rs 10,294 crore, which amounted to half of the total loss in mining revenue.

“There was a significant decrease in reporting of crushed fines from the production pattern of crushed and screened fines as prevalent before the order, leading to revenue implication of Rs 10,294.24 crore for the 20 test checked mines consisting of royalty of approximately Rs 5,841.80 crores and premium of approximately Rs 4,452.44 crores (for four auctioned mines),” the audit agency stated.

In 2010, the State Steel and Mines Department issued an order directing the government to impose a greater fee on “crushed fines” and a lower royalty on “screened fines.” Following this notice, there was an unusual rise in the reported production of screened fines (which have a lower royalty) and a downward trend in the reported production of crushed fines from 2010 to 2011. Notably, it pointed towards a serious possibility of misreporting the “crushed fines,” to avert the imposition of higher royalty and premiums.

Seven of the 14 mines for which production data for the time frame before 2010 was available, showed production of no screened fines at all, while three reported producing less than 7%, one mine 12%, and just three mines between 23 to 42%. However, from 2010 to 2011, when the state government’s directive was issued, the percentage of screened fines produced from the same mines increased.

When compared to the production pattern of crushed and screened fines that were common before the order, by 2021–2022, the reported proportion of screened fines at the 12 active mines ranged from 60% to as high as 82% in the case of 10 mines, 44% for one mine and 27% for another mine.

Suspicious claims of decline in iron ore grade

The apex audit body pointed out an interesting loophole in the auction regime which was adopted after huge mining irregularities were revealed across the country. An “abrupt and abnormal decline in the grade of iron-ore and its classification” was noted following the auction of the selected mines in 2020. A total of Rs 4,162 crore in mining revenue was lost as a result between 2020 and 2022. Prior to the commencement of the auctions in 2020, over 83% of the production was recorded in the 62–65% iron grade, however, in the two years after the sale (2020–2022), that percentage dropped to 16%.

“The decline of the grade of iron ore has resulted in a revenue implication of approximately Rs 4,162.77 crore for the financial years 2020-21 and 2021-22 in the form of lesser royalty and premium (post-auction),” the report mentioned. CAG’s report number 6 of this year highlighted that the mines that supplied better-grade iron ore before the 2020 auction also reported increased percentages of lower-grade iron ore (with less than 60% Fe) after the auction, ranging from 11% to more than 60%.

The average production of iron ore with grades above 60% Fe in a mine under Joda Circle in the Keonjhar district was approximately 77% before the auction, however, afterwards, it decreased to 9.88% in 2020-21 and then to nil in 2021–22 when a new lessee took over operation of the mine.

“It is highly improbable that the grades of mineral reserves, produced from the auctioned mines, would witness an abrupt decline within a short period of one or two years. Such a significant and sharp decline in the grade of iron-ore indicated a significant risk that the new lessees were misreporting the grade of iron-ore produced, in order to avoid higher royalty and premium payable on higher grades,” the report unveiled.

CAG further mentioned, “For the six test-checked mines, changes in reported grades of production of lumps and fines after the auction, as compared to the consistent pattern in the grade of production, as reported by the older lessees, have consequently resulted in a revenue loss.” The loss in mining revenue was also brought to the attention of the CAG since at least eight iron ore mines incurred losses worth Rs 3,618.50 crore due to leaseholders mining above the permitted mining plans’ limitations.

Additionally, leaseholders mined past the boundaries of environmental permissions, costing the state Rs 1,700 crore in lost mining revenue. Furthermore, the CAG noted that Rs 1.48 crore tonnes of iron ore were moved via weighbridges and check gates without e-passes, resulting in a further loss of Rs 1,473 crore in mining income.

The state govt took no action to probe

The CAG report observed that the state administration had “not taken any steps to investigate” the grades of iron-ore production reported by the new lessees as of March 2022, despite an abnormal fall in the grades of iron-ore lumps and fines that indicated the possibility of misreporting.

‘Hold officers accountable’, says CAG report

The government has been advised by the CAG to hold officers accountable for suggesting an extension of the lease period despite objections from various departments regarding irregularities committed by the lessees. Moreover, a thorough and prompt investigation should be conducted across all mines that have been auctioned to figure out whether there was intentional or willful misreporting of lower grades of iron ore to evade paying higher royalties and premiums.

A committee headed by the director of mines and geology was reportedly established by the state government to investigate the disparity in ore downgrading and false reporting of ore size. The committee unearthed that ore was downgraded in three leases and that there was a mismatch in ore size in six leases. Lessees who have favoured the review of the cases before the revision authority are liable for paying an amount of Rs 471.48 crore by the government as a result of the breach.

The report conveyed that mining operations that violate applicable environmental protection laws and go beyond the parameters of the mining plan will undoubtedly have a negative influence on the surrounding ecosystem. “Therefore, the present status clearly indicates the existence of system failure to timely detect the actual grades of lumps and fines produced, which adversely impacted the state government revenue,” the significant report concluded.

Research funds totally exempt from GST, notices sent to private institutions like IIT, Anna, Punjab University no longer to be sought

OpIndia Staff
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Research funds totally exempt from GST, notices sent to private institutions like IIT, Anna, Punjab University no longer to be sought

Following the GST Council’s decision to exempt central and state-governed higher education institutions from settling GST on their research funding, notices issued to some prominent institutions, including IIT-Delhi, Anna University, and Punjab University, concerning their outstanding GST pays will no longer be sought out.

The Goods and Services Tax (GST) Council, in its 54th meeting on Monday, resolved to exempt universities and research centers run by the central or state governments, as well as those exempt from income tax, from paying GST on research funding. The exemption applies to research money received from both the government and the commercial sector. Until the above, they had to pay 18% GST on their research grant.

These institutes claim that the move represents a significant step toward reducing budgetary strains, allowing them to focus more on innovation and high-impact research activities. They do, however, point out that there is still tremendous room for flexibility in other areas, such as college fees, particularly those at private colleges.

“The recent exemption of GST on research grants in educational institutions has been broadly welcomed within the academic community… Reducing the tax burden allows institutions to invest with greater confidence in potentially groundbreaking and risky projects,” Bhuvnesh Kumar, dean of research at Sharda University was quoted as saying.

Kumar noted that the removal of GST from college costs will benefit students. Eliminating this tax would reduce financial pressures for students and educational institutions. He noted that eliminating the GST on food and accommodation bills will significantly decrease the financial strain on students and their families.

The ruling comes a month after the Directorate General of Goods and Services Tax Intelligence issued show-cause orders to many educational institutions across the country for failing to pay GST on research funding received.

While IIT-Delhi received a Rs 120 crore warning, Tamil Nadu’s Anna University received a Rs 36 crore notice for research money received between 2017-18 and 2021-22. Following this, the Union Ministry of Education stepped in and commenced talks with the Ministry of Finance.

According to Department of Revenue officials, the GST Council’s decision will consider previous instances ‘as is, where is’. Nonetheless, educationists argue that, while exemption would undoubtedly foster scientific temper and increase research and development, it would provide an unusual obstacle to privately run colleges.

Exempting research organizations and universities from claiming input tax credits on grant purchases will result in increased operational costs for their research projects. Furthermore, these organizations would face challenges with tax compliance and record keeping.

The GST Council recently announced tax reductions on a variety of goods and services, including cancer treatments and helicopter trips. Following the council meeting, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman stated that the lower rates will apply prospectively.

In Budget 2024, Sitharaman proposed a record Rs 1.20 lakh crore for education. However, the allocated amount for FY25 is Rs 9,091 crore less than the updated estimate for 2023-24, representing a nearly 7.26 percent reduction from the prior revised estimates of Rs 1,29,718 crore.

The Indian Institutes of Technology, the government-run public technical establishment, received Rs 10,324 crore for FY25, compared to Rs 9,661 money in the BE for FY24, which was then amended to Rs 10,384 crore.

The allocation to the University Grants Commission (UGC), the higher education regulatory agency, was lowered to Rs 2,500 crore. Last year, UGC was allocated Rs 5,360 crore, which was later increased to Rs 6,409 crore. 

Labourers from UP-Bihar not allowed inside villages while locals embracing Christianity or migrating to Canada – tragedy of Punjab that not many want to talk about

OpIndia Staff
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Labourers from UP-Bihar not allowed inside villages while locals embracing Christianity or migrating to Canada – tragedy of Punjab that not many want to talk about

Three years ago, the former Chief Minister of Punjab and Congress leader Charanjit Singh Channi called migrant workers coming from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar as “Bhaiya” in a derogatory sense. Although Channi apologised due to backlash, this disdain against migrant workers is gaining momentum in Punjab. In August this year, several migrant workers were driven out of a village in Mohali by the locals. In some villages, boards with 11 ‘restrictions’ for migrant labourers have been put up.

According to an exclusive report by Aaj Tak, migrant labourers are not allowed to rent a house inside the Jandpur village under the Kharar sub-district of Sahibzada Ajit Singh Nagar (Mohali), which has imposed eleven restrictions on migrant workers. The restrictions include a ban on movement after 9 PM, no smoking or chewing tobacco, and others, as OpIndia reported earlier. Multiple display boards were placed across the village explaining the restrictions.

Moreover, there are several restrictions regarding the clothes they wear. Local people argue that with the arrival of outsiders, violence, thefts and robberies, harassment of women has increased. However, the migrant labourers say that although they earn money here, they receive no respect. The situation of these migrant labourers is such that they don’t want to stay there anymore.

The report says that this trend of driving UP, Bihar migrant labourers out of the village began from Mundo Sangtian in August this year. While all the migrants were driven out of the village, some were also expelled from their jobs. Eventually, the matter reached the Punjab and Haryana High Court as one Vaibhav Vats filed a plea against the illegal expulsion of migrant workers by the locals.

As per the Aaj Tak report, the Jandpur village is filled with signboards advertising visa to various countries like Canara, USA and Poland. Apart from that, there were boards praising and thanking ‘Prophet’ Bajinder Singh from the Chuch of Glory and Wisdom. Banners claiming that if one takes his blessing, visas will be issued immediately were also found by the reporting team of Aaj Tak.

As per the report, there is a conversion lobby working in the area who helps youths migrating to Canada by becoming Christians. They get the youths to convert to Christianity, cut their hair to settle abroad.

Speaking to AajTak, the villagers claimed that migrant workers lived in squalor, and roamed around half-naked when we used to go to Gurudwara. They used to fight and the behaviour of the migrant women was also not good. The villagers said that due to this alleged inappropriate behaviour, they voted which included people from the Gurudwara Committee and decided to oust the migrants from the village.

Lamenting the mistreatment faced by migrant workers in Mohali, a migrant worker Mansukh said that the local people taunt them with “Bhaiya Bhaiya” remarks and that they mock them by saying “you people eat from our money”. The worker said that if migrants take money, in exchange, they do hardwork. Other than belonging to UP and Bihar, these migrant workers are also allegedly mistreated due to their dark complexion. “We look different from them, that’s the whole problem,” the migrant worker said.

When asked about why suddenly this became an issue when migrants have been working in Punjab for many years, a local explained that earlier, these migrant workers used to work in fields and stay on their motor vehicles, but since last three-four years, they have begun entering the villages. In addition, since locals have placed a restriction on their sons moving to Canada and other countries, they look for work here. However, since most of the jobs are taken up by the migrants, they face difficulty in finding work.  A Panchayat member Charanjit Singh alleged that migrants have eloped with many local minor girls.  

As reported earlier, police verification has been made mandatory for migrant workers. The residents who provide accommodation on rent to these migrant workers are now also required to provide them with dustbins. More than two migrant workers will not be allowed to stay in a single room and they cannot roam around in “half attire”. In case the migrant workers are found indulging in illegal activities, the house owners who rented them accommodation would be held responsible.

The list of restrictions came in response to the allegations levelled against the migrant workers from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. The allegations include spitting on roads outside the village Gurudwara, which is considered disrespectful to the Sikh religion. Locals accused migrant workers of roaming around half-naked, causing embarrassment to the female residents. Several migrant workers have decided to leave the village following the restrictions. Other workers might follow suit.

US imposes sanctions on suppliers to Pakistan’s ballistic missile program including multiple China-based companies

OpIndia Staff
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US imposes sanctions on suppliers to Pakistan’s ballistic missile program including multiple China-based companies

On 12th September the United States State Department placed penalties on China-based companies that supplied Pakistan’s ballistic missile development, according to the missile sanctions rules. State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller informed, “The Department of State is taking action against five entities and one individual that have been involved in the proliferation of ballistic missiles and controlled missile equipment and technology. Specifically, the Department of State is designating the Beijing Research Institute of Automation for Machine Building Industry (RIAMB) pursuant to Executive Order 13382, which targets proliferators of weapons of mass destruction and their means of delivery.”

Notably, RIAMB has collaborated with Pakistan’s National Development Complex (NDC), which the US considers responsible for the country’s long-range ballistic missile development and manufacturing.

The statement further added, “Additionally, the United States is imposing sanctions under the missile sanctions laws (i.e., the Arms Export Control Act [AECA] and the Export Control Reform Act [ECRA]) on three PRC-based entities, one PRC individual, and a Pakistani entity for ballistic missile proliferation activities: PRC-based firms Hubei Huachangda Intelligent Equipment Company, Universal Enterprise Limited, and Xi’an Longde Technology Development Company Limited (aka Lontek); PRC individual Luo Dongmei (aka Steed Luo); and Pakistani-based entity Innovative Equipment.”

Matthew Miller further added that the US ‘will continue to act’ against proliferation and associated procurement activities of concern, wherever they occur. “These sanctions are being imposed because these entities and individuals knowingly transferred equipment and technology controlled under the Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR) Annex, in support of MTCR Category I missile programs, to a non-MTCR country.”

The US had designated four entities targeting proliferators of weapons of mass destruction and their means of delivery previously as well. These entities too had supplied missile-applicable items to Pakistan’s ballistic missile program, including its long-range missile program. The entities included Belarus-based Minsk Wheel Tractor Plant, which has worked to supply special vehicle chassis to Pakistan’s long-range ballistic missile program. It further imposed sanctions on three Chinese entities, including, “Xi’an Longde Technology Development Company Limited”, “Tianjin Creative Source International Trade Co Ltd” and “Granpect Company Limited.”

“We’re going to continue to disrupt and take actions against proliferation networks and concerning weapons of mass destruction procurement activities wherever they may occur. Just let me say, broadly, we advise anyone considering business deals with Iran to be aware of the potential risk of sanctions. But ultimately, the government of Pakistan can speak to their own foreign policy pursuits,” declared State Department Principal Deputy Spokesperson Vedant Patel in April.

“The sanctions were made because these were entities that were proliferators of weapons of mass destruction and the means of their delivery,” he pointed out. He revealed that these firms were based in China and Belarus.

(With inputs from ANI)

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