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After opposing reforms that free farmers from shackles of middlemen, Congress now sees middlemen in DBT payment to farmers

OpIndia Staff
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After opposing reforms that free farmers from shackles of middlemen, Congress now sees middlemen in DBT payment to farmers

A senior Congress leader has confirmed what was being suspected for some time now, that most who are protesting the three new farm laws have not read the laws, and are not aware of the provisions of the laws. Leader of the Congress party in Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury accused the govt of not addressing the issue of middleman in agriculture, when the fact is that new laws do exactly the same.

Reacting to the PM Modi launching the distribution of funds under PM Kisan scheme to farmers across the country, AR Chowdhury made some bizarre comments. He said that while the government claims Rs 18,000 crore directly transferred to farmers, but middlemen still exist and the entire amount does reach the farmers.

This is a completely baseless argument, because the PM Kisan scheme is implemented through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT), which does not involve any middlemen or intermediary. The Union Government of India makes the payment directly to the farmers by transferring the amount to their bank accounts. Once a farmer is registered in the system under the scheme, no further action is needed for getting the payment, the instalments are paid directly through DBT. Hence the claim that there are middlemen and farmers don’t reach the entire amount is completely false. Farmers have received instalments of Rs 2000.00 in full, without having to pay any bribe or commission.

It is notable that while farmers across the country are receiving the benefit under the scheme, farmers in West Bengal are deprived of it. This is because, the Mamata Banerjee government has refused to allow farmers of the state to receive the fund directly from the central government, and insisting that the fund should be transferred to the state government. TMC is an ally of Congress party against the BJP, and the same TMC is wanting a system that will enable middlemen in the scheme.

There were huge irregularities in the distribution of compensation to the victims of the cyclone Amphan, and the same is bound to happen if the PM Kisan scheme money is also distributed through the state govt machinery, a state famous for ‘cut money’. In the Amphan compensation distribution, several TMC Panchayat secretaries were suspended for misuse of money, and several TMC members had even admitted to receiving compensation without suffering any damage from the cyclone.

Therefore, it is ironical that while the Congress party is supporting a party that does not want direct transfer of money to farmers, it is talking about middlemen.

But that is not enough, AR Chowdhury’s comments point towards even bigger hypocrisy of the party, because it is opposing a law that specifically seeks to remove middlemen from agriculture. The Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act allows the farmers to sell their produce wherever they want, as opposed to the current system under which they can only sale to APMC markets. These markets are run by middlemen, and farmers have to pay hefty commission to those agents to sell their produce.

The new law gives the farmers the option of selling directly to buyers without having to going through middlemen, and the Congress party is supporting the farmers from Punjab who are demanding that this reform should be repealed. Therefore, the Congress party seems to confused about its stand on middlemen, and it should clarify does it want middlemen or not. In their manifesto for 2019 Lok Sabha election, the party had promised to remove the APMC system citing the same issue of middlemen, and now they are protesting against a law that does the same thing.

It is also notable that former Congress president Rahul Gandhi has been very vocal against the new farm laws, alleging that govt is dismantling the APMC system. But the fact is that the state that he represents in Lok Sabha, Kerala, does not even have APMC markets. As PM Modi noted today, if the APMC system is so good, they should demand it in Kerala also. But displaying blatant hypocrisy, the opposition parties continue to support the farmer protests against the farm laws while themselves not implementing pro-farmer policies and schemes of the central govt.

Corona affects Hindus, Muslims have dua, don’t need vaccine: Kolkata’s Maulana Barkati

OpIndia Staff
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Corona affects Hindus, Muslims have dua, don’t need vaccine: Kolkata’s Maulana Barkati

As India gears up for vaccination drive against Coronavirus, the debate over the alleged use of pork in the COVID-19 vaccines has intensified amongst various Muslim scholars and organisations. Today, Maulana Noor-ur Rehman Barkati, the Shahi Imam of Tipu Sultan Masjid in Kolkata, West Bengal, has come out to argue against the coronavirus vaccine.

The Imam said that though the entire world is facing the scourge of coronavirus, the Muslim community is not afraid of the virus and will not take the vaccine. “I am saying in clear words that Muslims will not use the vaccine”, said the Imam in an interview to the Hindi news channel TV9 Bharatvarsh.

“Corona a threat to Hindus, not Muslims’: Kolkata Shahi Imam Maulana

Calling it a conspiracy of the Jews to kill the Muslims of India through this vaccine, Maulana Barkati said that coronavirus was never a threat to the Muslims. “Corona is a threat to Hindus, not to Muslims. The virus has not affected the Muslim localities. We have such blessing of Allah, that we remain unaffected”, said the Maulana.

Imam Barkati cleared that none of his Muslim brothers should get this vaccine until the “formula” of the vaccine is revealed before the Islamic scholars. “It is harmful to us. Eating pork or using it in any way is considered ‘haram’ in Islam, so the formula of this vaccine should be put before the Islamic scholar and then this vaccine should be given to the people of Muslim community”, opined the Imam.

For the unversed, Shahi Imam Noor-ur Rehman Barkati, once a close aide of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, had, in 2018, stirred controversy when in a sting operation he admitted that he can fix Muslim votes for parties. The cleric is also caught confessing that he can ‘influence’ 25 lakh votes for Rs 5 crore. In 2017, an FIR was lodged against the Maulana for refusing to comply with the Centre’s ban on the use of lal batti (red beacon). “I don’t follow the orders of the Centre. Who are they to order me? Didi (Mamata Banerjee) asked me to use it”, the Maulana had then said, defying the central government’s orders.

Meanwhile, a Muslim cleric from UP’s Darul Uloom Deoband has also urged Muslims to wait for fatwa before taking coronavirus vaccine. The cleric said before taking the vaccine Muslims should check whether the ingredients used to make the vaccine are permissible in Islam or not.

Whether the vaccine is safe for Muslims will be decided by the head of the Fatwa department, he said.

Fatwa issued by Muslim scholars over rumours of pork being used in Corona vaccines

Yesterday we reported how Sunni Muslim scholars from Raza Academy, Mumbai, and All India Sunni Jamiyyathul Ulama have issued a fatwa against the ‘Chinese vaccine’ that allegedly contains pork gelatin. The Raza Academy scholars claim that the pork gelatin component of the vaccine makes it “haram” for the Muslim community.

Meanwhile, spokesperson for Pfizer, Moderna and AstraZeneca have said that pork products are not part of their COVID-19 vaccines.

Jimmy Dore sets the cat among the pigeons as Democrats and ‘Progressives’ bicker after comedian pushes ‘Force The Vote’ on ‘Medicare for All’

K Bhattacharjee
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Jimmy Dore sets the cat among the pigeons as Democrats and ‘Progressives’ bicker after comedian pushes ‘Force The Vote’ on ‘Medicare for All’

A movement has begun within the Democrat party in the United States of America that has widespread implications for the party as a whole and larger American politics. Progressive political commentator and comedian Jimmy Dore is one of the central figures of the movement which calls itself ‘Force The Vote’ and is concerned with providing healthcare to all American citizens.

The 2020 US Election results are at the core of the rise of the movement. Before the elections, Democrats enjoyed a comfortable majority in the House with 232 seats compared to 197 for Republicans. In the elections that transpired, Republicans gained 15 seats and the parties currently stand at 222-212 in favour of Democrats. The majority figure is 218.

‘Medicare for All’ activists demand that progressive politicians withhold their votes which are extremely necessary for Nancy Pelosi in order to get re-elected as the Speaker of the House unless she agrees to hold a vote on the matter on the Floor of the House. A candidate requires 218 votes in order to be elected speaker. If only five progressive congressmen and congresswomen refuse to vote for her, she cannot get elected Speaker.

Source: Force The Vote website

The website for the ‘Force The Vote’ movement states, “Voters sent progressives to Congress to fight for Medicare for all and this is their fleeting moment of leverage. Establishment Democrats make demands of Pelosi for their votes and so should progressives. Wall Street makes demands of Pelosi for their support and so should progressives.”

“Democrats ran under the banner of “healthcare is a human right,” but it’s easy to campaign on or sponsor legislation that will never come up for a vote. A vote on Medicare for all will prompt a national conversation on guaranteeing health care in the middle of a pandemic. It will show the country who really supports it, not just rhetorically, but in practice. Then we can hold our representatives accountable,” it adds.

The initiative was launched by Jimmy Dore and has received support from others including including Aaron Maté, Briahna Joy Gray, Caitlin Johnstone, Dr. Cornel West, Graham Elwood, Katie Halper, Krystal Ball, Kyle Kulinski, Marianne Williamson and Max Blumenthal. A petition launched for the initiative has attracted over 28,000 signatures.

Force the Vote petition

The petition was addressed to 15 specific Congress representatives who campaigned on providing ‘Medicare for All’. The list of members include Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Ayanna Pressley, Barbara Lee, Chuy Garcia, Cori Bush, Ilhan Omar, Jamaal Bowman, Jamie Raskin, Katie Porter, Marie Newman, Mark Pocan, Pramila Jayapal, Rashida Tlaib, Raúl Grijalva and Ro Khanna. The petition asks its audience and the elected representatives, “Will you stand up to Democratic Party leadership when we need it the most?”

‘Medicare for all’ has been one of the most basic progressive demand in recent times. The second most popular politician in the Democrat party, Bernie Sanders, campaigned on the idea during his presidential run. But progressives appear far more hesitant than one would have assumed them to be now that their progressive base is holding their feet to the fire.

There has been a growing disenchantment among the progressive voter-base with the establishment wing of the party and they have come to the conclusion that the ‘progressive’ politicians such as AOC they helped get elected are not doing enough to deliver on core demands such as ‘Medicare for All’.

The movement has not only exposed fissures between the progressive voter-base and their elected representatives but also within so-called progressive media. Jimmy Dore had a public falling out with Cenk Uygur, a giant in the progressive space but suspected of dubious loyalties.

Cenk Uygur, for some bewildering reason, is against the idea of withholding the vote for Nancy Pelosi and has lashed out in public against the comedian who previously worked at The Young Turks, a digital media venture established by Uygur, before going on to establish his own YouTube channel ‘The Jimmy Dore Show’.

Cenk Uygur accused Dore of ‘jumping in’ with a ‘half-baked plan’ and said that his former colleague had made a ‘mess’. Jimmy Dore, on the other hand, has shot back and accused the other of lying and took potshots at him for taking money from Clintons donors. Cenk has also fueled the notion that the Speaker’s position would fall to Republicans if progressives in the House do not vote for Pelosi, an idea that Dore calls a lie as Republican candidates would require 218 votes as well which they do not have.

Jimmy Dore goes off at Cenk Uygur

Cenk has also claimed that the comedian “has his feelings hurt so much he lashes out wildly against all other progressives” with Dore hitting back at him for taking a great deal of money from Clinton donors and asking for donations from people multiple times during the day in the middle of a grave economic crisis.

Jimmy Dore slams Uygur for asking for donations in the middle of a pandemic

Jimmy Dore also dedicated a segment to the TYT founder on his YouTube channel where he went all in at the ‘independent media guy’ for trying to subvert the progressive movement for ‘Medicare for All’. He was visibly angry with Cenk for repeated calls for donations as Dore has himself made his content free since the economic crisis began.

The two have had previous disagreements in the past and it was obvious since Dore quit TYT that the two had decided to charter different paths but the differences have been aggravated a lot more during the Trump years. Unlike Cenk, Jimmy Dore does not believe in Russia conspiracy theories and has spent significant time in debunking the Russian collusion allegations against Donald Trump.

The comedian has also been appreciative of Trump on specific issues and was not onboard the ‘Orange Man Bad’ train. He was a staunch supporter of Bernie Sanders who gave up on the Democratic Socialist because he believed the latter lacks leadership qualities and is not willing to fight for his supporters. Dore has also appeared on Tucker Carlson Tonight on Fox News to speak on progressive issues.

It remains to be seen how the ‘Force The Vote’ movement transpires and if it manages to secure a victory. But clearly, the issue itself has immense support on the ground and overwhelming support among Democrats. Medicare for All would guarantee healthcare to every citizen in USA at a time when millions of people have lost their insurance after falling into unemployment.

The movement has clearly exposed the fissures within the Democrat party as well and even within the ‘Progressive’ bandwagon itself. AOC, by some weird twist of fate, is not enthusiastic about Dore’s idea. The comedian shot back at her as well after the Congresswoman made it clear that she was not enthusiastic about the idea.

Jimmy Dore has made quite a few ‘enemies’ due to his relentless criticism of ‘progressive’ politicians and Joe Biden. At a time when supporters awarded Joe Biden their complete support, Dore maintained that he was not sure the president-elect was a lesser evil than Donald Trump. During this movement, he is again facing a barrage of criticism and personal attacks, including allegations that he received money from a ‘pro-Assad’ group.

UK police arrests three pro-Khalistani men accused of RSS leader’s murder in 2009

OpIndia Staff
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UK police arrests three pro-Khalistani men accused of RSS leader’s murder in 2009

The West Midlands police in the United Kingdom has arrested three pro-Khalistani persons accused in the murder of RSS leader Rulda Singh in 2009. The three accused who are nationals of the UK have been identified as Gursharanbir Singh Wahiwala, Amritbir Singh Wahiwala and Pyara Singh Gill. They were arrested on December 21 after extradition warrants were issued against them by the Westminster magistrate’s court. They were released on bail with strict conditions after being produced before Westminster magistrates’ court.

Murder of Rulda Singh

Rulda Singh was associated with the Rashtriya Sikh Sangat, an affiliate of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). Rulda Singh was murdered in Patiala in 2009. He was reportedly shot dead outside him shop by some assailants. On his visits abroad, Singh used to urge Sikh living in foreign countries to return to India.

Accused had travelled to India to kill Rulda Singh

According to reports, a senior Punjab Police official said that Gursharanbir Singh Wahiwala and Pyara Singh Gill had come to India to murder Rulda Singh. Gursharanbir had reportedly travelled on his brother Amritbir Singh Wahiwala’a passport. In 2009, Punjab police had arrested four people in connection to his murder but released them later. Punjab police has shared details of the case of Rulda Singh’s murder with the the West Midlands police in July 2010 after which Gursharanbir was detained temporarily. A team of UK police had visited Patiala in December 2010 to interrogate the other accused in the case who were lodged in Nabha jail at that time.

Gursharanbir Singh Wahiwala was declared a proclaimed offender by a Patiala court in February 2015. Five others arrested by the police in relation to his murder were acquitted by Patiala court due to lack of evidence.

NIA probe revealed Gursharanbir Singh’s Khalistani links

Gursharanbir Singh Wahiwala was also found to be one of the chief conspirators in the case of targeted killings in Punjab between 2016 and 2017 which included the murder of RSS leader Brigadier Jagdish Gagneja (Retd). He was reportedly a key associate of Harminder Singh Mintoo, head of Khalistan Liberation Force, who died in 2018 in a jail in Punjab. Mintoo faced several cases other than murders and unlawful activities. Gursharanbir Singh Wahiwala is also said to be a close relative of British national Jagtar Singh Johal, one of the prime accused in the targeted killings. In September 2018, the West Midlands Counter-Terrorism Unit (WMCTU) had raided the house of Gursharanbir Singh Wahiwala.

Last month, the NIA had filed the charge sheet naming 11 accused in case of the murder of RSS leader Brigadier Jagdish Gagneja (Retd). Brigadier Jagdish Gagneja was shot dead by some assailants in August 2016 in Jalandhar. Gursharanbir Singh Wahiwala and Jagtar Singh Johal have been named in the charge sheet.

Maharashtra: NCP Corporator’s husband Aziz Sheikh charged with committing robbery at factory headed by BJP leader

OpIndia Staff
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Maharashtra: NCP Corporator’s husband Aziz Sheikh charged with committing robbery at factory headed by BJP leader

In a new turn in the robbery case at Vaidyanath Sahakari sugar factory in Parli Taluka, headed by BJP leader Pankaja Munde, the husband of the local NCP corporator has been charged by the police for carrying out the theft.

Husband of NCP corporator charged of theft at Munde’s sugar factory

The accused, identified as Aziz Ismail Sheikh alias Mangaldada, is charged for stealing materials worth Rs 38 lakhs from Munde’s sugar factory. Aziz Sheikh is currently absconding and the police are on the lookout for him. Police have arrested Aziz Sheikh’s son in connection with the case.

A complaint was lodged in the case with the Parli Rural Police on December 22 which mentioned that unknown thieves stole goods worth Rs 37.84 lakh from the factory store godown and workshop. The police registered a case and launched an investigation into the robbery. So far, 4 suspects have been arrested in the case.

Robbery committed at sugar factory and godown in October 2020

Vaidyanath Sahakari Sugar Factory, headed by Pankaja Munde, has a store godown and a workshop godown. The theft took place on October 17, 2020 in this godown. Storekeeper G.T. Munde informed about the robbery to the factory clerk and legal in-charge Zamin Sheikh. Sheikh had then inspected the theft site. At that moment, it came to notice that the shutters at the back of the store and the workshop had been lifted, confirming the robbery.

An investigation was launched by the sugar factory administration after the theft was confirmed. It began by estimating what materials were stolen from the factory.

According to the factory administration, goods worth Rs 37 lakh 84 thousand had been stolen. These include factory computers, copper material, mill bearings, bush sound bars and many more.

Hyderabad: Superstar Rajinikanth admitted to hospital. Know why

OpIndia Staff
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Hyderabad: Superstar Rajinikanth admitted to hospital. Know why

On Friday, actor Rajinikanth was admitted to Apollo Hospital in Hyderabad in Telangana after fluctuations in his blood pressure levels. He had earlier isolated himself after several people on the set of his upcoming film ‘Annaathe’ had tested positive for the Wuhan Coronavirus.

In a statement released by the hospital administration, it said, “Mr Rajinikanth has been admitted in the hospital today in the morning. He was shooting for a movie in Hyderabad since the fast 10 days. A couple of people on the sets tested positive for Covid-19. Mr Rajinikanth was tested on 22 December for Covid-19 and he was negative. Since then he isolated himself and was monitored closely.”

The hospital further informed, “Though he did not have any symptoms of Covid-19, his Blood Pressure showed severe fluctuations and needed further evaluation for which he has been admitted to the hospital. He will be investigated and monitored closely in the hospital till his blood pressure settles down before being discharged. Apart from fluctuating blood pressure and exhaustion he does not have any other symptoms and is hemodynamically stable.

Shoot for film ‘Annaathe’ featuring Rajinikanth postponed

Earlier on Wednesday, Sun Pictures informed on Twitter that the shooting of the movie ‘Annaathe’ featuring Rajinikanth, had been postponed after four crew members were diagnosed with Coronavirus.

It tweeted, “Announcement: During routine testing at Annaathe shoot, 4 crew members have tested positive for Covid19. Superstar Rajinikanth and other crew members have tested negative. To ensure (the) utmost safety, Annaathe shooting has been postponed.

PM Modi transfers Rs 18,000 cr to 9 cr farmers, busts propaganda by opposition parties on 3 farm laws

OpIndia Staff
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PM Modi transfers Rs 18,000 cr to 9 cr farmers, busts propaganda by opposition parties on 3 farm laws

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday released the next instalment of benefits under Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN). PM Modi transferred Rs 18,000 crores to more than 9 crores beneficiary farmers via video conferencing on December 25, which is also the birth anniversary of former PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi also spoke to farmers from several states, as part of the virtual event after releasing the instalment of PM-KISAN to nine crore farmers. The prime minister also interacted with farmers from different states to understand how various government policies under the PM-KISAN scheme have benefited them.

PM Modi speaks to farmers who narrate how govt schemes have benefitted them

Hearing to a farmer from Odisha, who narrated how he has gained immensely from PM-KISAN scheme, Prime Minister Modi urged him to inform other farmers about the Kisan Credit Card and its various benefits which include the availability of loans at low-interest rates.

Another farmer from Odisha – Naveen, during the interaction with PM Modi, said that he received my Kisan Credit Card in 2019 and took an amount of Rs 27,000 on loan from the bank on a mere 4 per cent interest as compared to 20 per cent from intermediaries.

Manoj Patidar, farmer from Dhar, Madhya Pradesh also shared his success story during the interaction. He said, so far, he has received Rs 10,000 under PM Kisan Samman Nidhi scheme. “Under the new farm laws, we can now sell the farm produce to any private business/organisation. This year, I sold 85 quintal soybean to ITC,” Patidar said.

Echoing similar sentiments, Hari Singh Bishnoi, a farmer from Fatehabad in Haryana, added that he used to do rice farming earlier but he is also interested in gardening.

“I have planted lemons in 3 acres and guavas in 7 acres of land. We sell them in local mandis and get a good amount for it,” Bishnoi added.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi also said that “some elements are spreading misinformation” that contract farming would mean farmers will lose their lands, as he spoke to farmers from Arunachal Pradesh. “Thanks for clarifying that your land would remain intact,” he told them the farmer from Arunachal.

Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi is a central sector scheme under the government of India which provides income support to the farmers and their families. Under this scheme, all small and marginal farmers will be provided with income support of Rs.6,000 per year in three instalments which will be deposited directly to their bank accounts. 

Prime Minister addresses the nation, clarifies on three farm laws

Addressing the nation, Prime Minister Modi attacked the opposition parties for spreading myth and lies that the land of farmers will be snatched away if farmers enter into contract farming. PM Modi, interacting with farmers who cited benefits from new farm laws, said some parties were pushing political agenda by opposing new farm laws.

“Today, more than Rs 18,000 crores have been directly deposited in the accounts of farmers – no middlemen, no commissions,” said PM Modi.

PM Modi also lashed out at West Bengal government for not letting over 70 lakh state farmers benefit from Centre’s direct money transfer scheme. He said all states have come aboard PM-KISAN scheme and farmers from there are availing its benefits, except one state, West Bengal whose farmers are not benefiting from funds from the Centre.

He added that more than 23 lakh farmers of Bengal have applied online to take advantage of this scheme, however, the state government is not allowing their farmers to avail the benefits.

“Bengal is your dharti, then why have you not let farmers there benefit from the Centre’s schemes? And now you have marched to Punjab? Do you think the country’s people don’t see through this?” PM Modi questioned WB CM Mamata Banerjee.

Launching a scathing attack on the opposition parties who are instigating farmers to protest against the Modi government over alleged changes in the APMC system, PM Modi said that these opposition parties want to incite the farmers in Punjab, but do not want to talk about Kerala, where there is no APMC.

“Those who are waving farmers’ flags and attempting to gain political mileage will have to answer. You have time to mislead Punjab farmers, but no time for those of West Bengal and Kerala,” PM Modi dared the opposition.

Prime Minister Modi also said that farm reforms became necessary because poor farmers, who are over 80%, were getting poorer during rules of earlier governments. He added that the government has made more crops eligible for minimum support price benefit and given a record amount of money to farmers.

Addressing the farmers, PM Modi said that every farmer today know where he will get the best price for his farm produce. “With these farm reforms, farmers can sell their produce to anyone anywhere. What is wrong if the farmers are being benefitted?” he asked.

PM Modi also noted that previous governments for several years left the farmers on their own by forgetting promises that were made. “Due to the agriculture policies of the previous government, the poor became poorer, was it not important to change this state of farmers?,” he asked

He added, “We are making life easier for farmers in villages. Those making big speeches today did nothing for farmers when they were in power”.

Rejecting the fearmongering carried out by the opposition parties claiming that their lands will be snatched, PM Modi categorically stated that in many parts of the country, agreement farming has been tried and it has been done in the dairy sector. He asked the farmers whether have they heard that a company has monopolised the dairy industry.

“Some people feigning concerns about farmers’ land; We all know about those whose names came up in media for land grabbing,” PM Modi said in a sly against the Congress party.

Concluding his speech, PM Modi offered an olive branch to the protesting farmers saying, “Due to our commitment towards farmers, we are ready for discussions on all their issues with an open mind”.

‘If APMC is so good, why not implement it in Kerala?’ PM Modi slams the opposition for hypocrisy on agriculture issues

OpIndia Staff
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‘If APMC is so good, why not implement it in Kerala?’ PM Modi slams the opposition for hypocrisy on agriculture issues

Prime Minister Narendra Modi today addressed the farmers of the country on the occasion of release of the next instalment of the PM-Kisan scheme, under which the farmers are paid Rs 6000 per year in three instalments of Rs 2000 each. He interacted with farmers from various places across the country via video conferencing, after which he addressed the nation on farm related issues.

During his speech, PM Narendra Modi came down heavily on the opposition parties for their hypocrisy on the three recent farm laws. He exposed how the opposition ruled states are denying the farmers their rights, while pretending to be fighting for the farmers by supporting the ongoing protests by farmers from Punjab against the farm laws.

The Prime Minister particularly mentioned the West Bengal governments, two states ruled by the left, Congress and TMC for a long time, for their hypocrisy in the issue. He informed how the Mamata Banerjee government is not allowing the farmers of her state to receive the fund under the PM Kisan scheme, as she wants it routed through her government, instead of direct transfer to the accounts of the farmers.

‘More the 9000 crore farmers in the country have received the money in their accounts directly, without any middleman, without any commission, ensuring that there is no leakage of the fund. While farmers from across the country have benefited from this scheme, more than 70 lakh farmers of the West Bengal are deprived of the scheme, they are not getting the money, because the Bengal government is stopping it for political reasons’, the PM said. He noted that the money is being paid by the central govt, state govt does not have to pay a single rupee, but still, the govt is not coordinating by refusing to provide the list of eligible farmers.

He said that a larger number of farmers from the state have directly submitted online application for the same, but the state government has blocked the processing of the same. Slamming the Communists which ruled the state for decades, he said that he is shocked that they are not doing any protest in the state for the rights of farmers, but supporting the protestors from Punjab.

Read- 2.3 million voluntarily sign up at PM Kisan portal, even as Mamata Banerjee stalls scheme that could benefit Bengal’s farmers by Rs 9,800 cr

He also slammed the Mamata Banerjee government for supporting the farmer protests, while refusing the PM Kisan scheme benefits for the farmers of the own state.

Similarly, PM Modi also exposed the hypocrisy of politicians from Kerala, a state that does not have the APMC law. He asked the Kerala politicians who are supporting the protests, if the APMC act is so good, why not implement in the state. Without naming Kerala MP Rahul Gandhi, Modi said, instead of getting photographed here, do protests in Kerala to start APMC in the state.

PM Modi said that the protests do not have any fact, any logic, and the innocent farmers have been misled by political parties for political reasons.

2.3 million voluntarily sign up at PM Kisan portal, even as Mamata Banerjee stalls scheme that could benefit Bengal’s farmers by Rs 9,800 cr

OpIndia Staff
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2.3 million voluntarily sign up at PM Kisan portal, even as Mamata Banerjee stalls scheme that could benefit Bengal’s farmers by Rs 9,800 cr

Days after West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee urged the central government to transfer the funds under the PM Kisan Samman Nidhi scheme (PM-Kisan) to her government and not to the farmers, as many as 2.3 million West Bengal farmers have voluntarily signed up to the ambitious central scheme, which has benefited 8.45 crore farmers so far in the country, reports The Economic Times.

Since the West Bengal government led by CM Mamata Banerjee has not yet joined the central scheme, almost 7 million potential beneficiaries in the state have been kept deprived of the benefits under the scheme.

“Each farmer in West Bengal would have got Rs 14,000 so far, including the instalment being transferred tomorrow (Friday) by the Prime Minister to farmers across India, translating to nearly Rs 9,800 crore for the state’s farmers,” a central government official told ET on condition of anonymity.

“These farmers want the money, which is evident as over 2.26 million out of seven million farmers in the state have self-registered on the ‘Farmers Corner’ on the PM-KISAN portal so far. But the state has neither appointed a state nodal officer nor verified the data to enable the transfer,” said the official, adding that West Bengal is the only state in the country not to implement the scheme.

PM Narendra Modi, Friday, released Rs 18,000 crore as next instalment under the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi scheme to 80 million farmers, which, unfortunately, West Bengal’s farmers will again miss out on.

Central Govt to respond shortly to Mamata Banerjee’s letter asking for PM-Kisan funds to be transferred to the state govt

Meanwhile, Union agriculture minister NS Tomar is likely to write to Mamata Banerjee soon, in response to the CM’s letter of December 21 asking for the PM-KISAN funds to be transferred to the state government and not directly to the farmers. Tomar will be once again specifying that funds under PM-KISAN are sent directly to the bank accounts of the intended beneficiaries after their details are duly verified by the state government.

Mamata Banerjee writes to govt to disburse money under PM-Kisan scheme to her

In her letter issued on December 21, Mamata Banerjee had alleged that the West Bengal government still awaits the disbursement of funds to the state government for the onward transfer of the payments to the farmers of the state. Interestingly, the West Bengal CM has also enclosed a copy of a letter dated 9 September 2020 to allege that her government had not received the funds from the central government even after demanding for the same earlier in September.

Centre rejects Banerjee’s demand for routing the funds allocated under the scheme through the state government

In September 2020, Mamata Banerjee had written a letter to the Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar, asking him to disburse the amount meant for farmers under the PM Kisan Samman Nidhi scheme to the West Bengal government. The Centre had then rejected Mamata Banerjee’s demand of routing the money to the state government, categorically stating that the scheme is based on direct benefit transfer to farmers’ account and “routing money through the state government would be against the spirit of the scheme”.

West Bengal remains the only state which has not implemented this scheme that provides an annual support amount of Rs 6,000 to farmers in three equal instalments.

Child rescued in Uttar Pradesh after she was being forced into prostitution by relative Gulshan Bano

OpIndia Staff
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Child rescued in Uttar Pradesh after she was being forced into prostitution by relative Gulshan Bano

A shocking incident of a relative pushing a minor girl into prostitution has to come to fore from Uttar Pradesh’s Ballia district. Gulshan Bano, the accused brought her relative’s minor daughter from Bihar to Uttar Pradesh and was allegedly forcing her into prostitution. However, prompt action by Ballia police and Child Welfare Committee officials prevented the woman from bringing about her vile designs.

Minor girl’s family approach CWC

The matter came to light when the family of the minor girl approached the CWC official on Wednesday this week, informing them that their relative, Gulshan Bano, had taken away their daughter to UP’s Ballia and was forcing her into prostitution. 

The minor girl’s family also told the CWC official about the place where the girl was held. Realising the urgency of the matter, the CWC official immediately informed the local police, following which a joint team was constituted to rescue the girl. 

Joint team of police and CWC raids Gulshan Bano’s place

The joint team of police personnel and CWC officials raided the place of Gulshan Bano in a locality under Kotwali police station and arrested her after rescuing the girl. The girl was later sent to protection home after being produced before the CWC. 

Meanwhile, a case has been filed against Gulshan Bano under IPC sections 366A (procuration of minor girl and 323 (voluntary causing hurt).

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