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Pakistan: Imran Khan and wife Bushra Bibi acquitted in last pending case, could still face legal trouble in as anti-terrorism court equated him with ‘terrorist’

OpIndia Staff
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Pakistan: Imran Khan and wife Bushra Bibi acquitted in last pending case, could still face legal trouble in as anti-terrorism court equated him with ‘terrorist’

On Saturday (13th July), an Islamabad district and sessions court acquitted Pakistan’s Former Prime Minister Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi in the Iddat case. The court also ordered his “immediate” release if the PTI founder was not wanted in any other case.

After Imran Khan had a fallout with the Pakistani army, he faced multiple convictions in the Toshaka, Cipher, and Iddat cases. But he had recently received relief in both the other cases. Afterwards, the Iddat case was the last legal hurdle keeping him in jail. However, the Pakistani army could still keep him inside jail as a Pakistani anti-terrorism court had recently equated him with ‘terrorist’ in the May 9th violence case. 

On Saturday (13th July), Additional District and Sessions Judge (ADSJ) Afzal Majoka announced the judgment a little after 3 pm after he had initially reserved the verdict. 

After accepting the appeals of the PTI founder and his wife, the judge said, “If they are not wanted in any other case, then PTI founder Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi should be released [from jail] immediately.”

The judge added that the orders for the release of PTI founder and his spouse have been issued, Dawn reported. 

He has been acquitted by various courts in several other cases that were filed against him since the infamous 9th May incident that took place last year. It was the day when Khan’s arrest triggered riots across the country. This later prompted the Pakistani army to launch a brutal crackdown against him and his party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI). 

Earlier, his sentence in the Toshakhana case was suspended and he was acquitted in the cipher case. After this, the Iddat case was the last “existing” legal hurdle that kept him behind bars. 

In May, the Islamabad High Court also approved Imran’s bail application in the 190 million pound corruption case, Dawn reported. The court had stated that the investigation into the matter was complete and the PTI founder’s “continued incarceration” would not serve any purpose. 

However, on Tuesday (9th July), a Lahore anti-terrorism court dismissed his pre-arrest bail petitions in three cases related to the May 9th riots.

On Thursday (11th July), an anti-terrorism court also observed that the actions of jailed former prime minister Imran Khan were similar to those of a “terrorist” in a case linked to the May 9 violence. 

The court ruled that he had delegated the task of attacking military installations, government properties, and police officials to party leaders to exert pressure for his release.

In connection with the May 9th violence case, the 71-year-old PTI founder and hundreds of his party colleagues are being tried under multiple cases, including one under the Official Secrets Act. It is alleged that on that day his violent supporters damaged key military installations across Pakistan. 

Iddat case

Meanwhile, in February this year, a court in Pakistan’s Rawalpindi pronounced seven-year imprisonment for both Former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi in the ‘un-Islamic’ marriage case – Iddat case. The court also imposed a fine of half a million Rupees each on the duo.

The case was filed by the first husband of Bushra Bibi, Khawar Fareed Maneka. According to his allegations, Bushra violated the Islamic practice of observing the mandatory pause, or Iddat, between two marriages. He also alleged that his ex-wife Bushra and Khan were having an adulterous relationship before their marriage.

USA: Vice President of the House Armed Services Committee Republicans accuses China of exploiting African workers, Uyghur Muslims

ANI
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USA: Vice President of the House Armed Services Committee Republicans accuses China of exploiting African workers, Uyghur Muslims

US politician and Vice President of the House Armed Services Committee Republicans, Rob Wittman, has expressed his concerns about China’s actions on African workers and Uyghur Muslims, terming the atrocities as “absolutely criminal.”

He said, “China is the greatest human rights violator on the face of the earth. What they are doing with Uyghur women is absolutely criminal. They exploit workers in Africa. They destroy the environment in Africa”.

The US Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party shared the statement on social media platform.

Since 2007, Robert Joseph Wittman has been the US representative for Virginia’s 1st congressional district, and he has also served on committees related to police and public safety.

China has faced widespread allegations and international scrutiny regarding its human rights abuses, particularly concerning the treatment of Uyghur Muslims in Xinjiang. Numerous reports from human rights organisations, including Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, have detailed allegations of mass arbitrary detention of Uyghurs and other Muslim minorities in Xinjiang.

They allege that over a million people have been detained without due process in so-called “re-education” camps where they are subjected to forced labour, political indoctrination, and severe restrictions on religious and cultural practices.

Several reports have highlighted allegations that Uyghur women are subjected to forced birth control methods, including sterilisation, as part of efforts to reduce birth rates among the Uyghur population. Family separations, where children are placed in state-run orphanages or boarding schools, have also been reported. These allegations are supported by a wide range of sources, including investigative journalism, satellite imagery analysis and testimonies from survivors and witnesses.

Recently, the United Kingdom, the United States, and several other nations voiced criticism of China’s human rights practices during a rare review of its policies at the United Nations.

The UK urged China to stop persecuting and arbitrarily detaining Uyghurs and Tibetans, and to ensure genuine freedom of religion, cultural expression, and freedom from surveillance, torture, forced labour, and sexual violence.

Similarly, the US called for China to release all individuals detained arbitrarily and to end policies aimed at forcible assimilation, such as the operation of boarding schools in Tibet and Xinjiang.

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

Numbers of Muslims-Christians increasing 2 times faster than Hindus-Sikhs, population declined in hill districts: Uttarakhand UCC panel report

OpIndia Staff
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Numbers of Muslims-Christians increasing 2 times faster than Hindus-Sikhs, population declined in hill districts: Uttarakhand UCC panel report

The Uttarakhand government has resolved to bring a Uniform Civil Code in the state, the draft of which has also been submitted to the administration. Meanwhile, a 4-part report of the UCC panel was made public on 12 July which stated that people are migrating from the mountains to the plains due to which the urban populace has increased very rapidly. Notably, people from other states have also contributed to the growing numbers. Importantly, the population of Muslims and Christians in the state have expanded by more than twice as much as those of Hindus and Sikhs.

The report of the Uttarakhand Uniform Civil Code panel has drawn attention to the changing demography. The population of Uttarakhand is rising swiftly in the plains, but it is declining in the steep regions. Migrants from other states have made the most contribution to this. As per the Statistical Diary of Uttarakhand 2021-22, urban areas in plains saw a ‘population growth of 30.23%’ in the decade 2001-11, primarily driven by migration, as reported in Chapter 2 of its first volume. However, over this same period, there has been an “absolute decline” in the population of the two hill districts of Almora and Garhwal.

According to Election Commission data, there has been a “sharp increase of about 30%” in the number of voters in the state’s plains during the past ten years, based on the report. This is significantly greater than the average decadal population growth rate, per the report, which also suggested a sharp spike in migration from other states. The research added that the state’s plains are home to a sizable number of religious minority groups. For instance, the Muslim population in the districts of Haridwar and Udham Singh Nagar is, respectively, 34.3% and 22.6%.

According to data from the most recent census, approximately 10% of people living in Udham Singh Nagar identify as Sikh. It noted that between 2001 and 2011, Muslims and Christians experienced an average yearly population growth rate of almost 3.9 per cent, surpassing that of Sikhs (1.15%) and Hindus (1.60%). During the same time frame, the Jain population also experienced a decline.

98% of the recommendations from the state’s “hill belt” were in favor of the UCC, with only 2% being against it, according to the data and pie charts offered in the panel report. There has apparently been a large migration from other states onto the plains, where the situation is very different. Just 38% of the suggestions that were submitted here supported the UCC, while 62% opposed it. Similarly, 99% of the panel’s recommendations from a personal field visit indicated support for UCC in the hilly region. 8% of the recommendations were against UCC in the case of plains, compared to 92% in support.

The public can now access the entire report as of 12th July evening because previously the Uttarakhand government had only made the report’s highlights available. The report is available for everyone at https://ucc.uk.gov.in/. On 27th May 2022, the Pushkar Singh Dhami government formed a five-person committee to draft the UCC. Retired Judge Ranjana Desai chaired the committee when it was formed. 2.33 lakh people submitted recommendations for UCC to the committee via a variety of channels and 43 public dialogue programs. Afterwards, the committee sent the UCC report to the government on 2nd February of this year.

Chief Minister Dhami presented the UCC draft to the assembly on 7th February, after the committee’s submission of their findings and it was passed by a voice vote there. Uttarakhand then went on to become the first state in the nation to implement UCC. President Draupadi Murmu accepted the UCC Bill on 11th March after it was brought to her for enactment. Pushkar Singh Dhami declared that Uttarakhand would implement it in October.

Snake told me in the dream that it will kill me on the ninth attempt: Vikas Dubey from Fatehpur who survived 7 snake bites in 40 days

ANI
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Snake told me in the dream that it will kill me on the ninth attempt: Vikas Dubey from Fatehpur who survived 7 snake bites in 40 days

A 24-year-old man from Uttar Pradesh’s Fatehpur who has survived alleged snake bites seven times in 40 days claims the reptile appeared to him in a dream and told him that it will take his life on its ninth attempt.

The man Vikas Dubey, a resident of Soura village in the district said that he suffered another snake bite, allegedly the seventh, when he was at his uncle’s home on Thursday evening.

“The first incident he said took place on June 2 when Dubey was bitten after getting out of bed at his house. Every Saturday I am getting bitten by a snake. This is the third time I have had this dream in which the snake tells me that will bite me nine times and will take my life on the ninth attempt. The snake also told me that no one will be able to save me. No doctor, tantrik, maharaj or pandit can save my life, it told me and said that the snake will take me along with it after it bites me for the ninth time,” Vikas Dubey told ANI.

Doctors are also baffled with the strange phenomenon in which Dubey gets bitten by a snake either on a Saturday or a Sunday. He said that prior to getting bitten each time, he gets a premonition.

“Three to four hours before I get bitten I get a premonition about that the snake is going to bite me. I tell my family members about this and they try to protect me” said Dubey.

The doctor who treated Dubey, Dr Jawahar Lal found it all strange and advised him to leave his house and stay elsewhere.

“After the fourth snakebite, I was advised to leave my house and stay elsewhere. Then I moved to my aunt’s house in Radhanagar, but I was bitten again for the fifth time. The day I got bitten for the seventh time It was a Thursday and I had gone to my uncle’s residence,” Dubey said.

He further asserted that this coming Saturday the snake will not bite him as the snake has bitten him on Thursday.

Reacting to the matter, Chief Medical Officer Rajiv Nayan Giri said Dubey had requested for financial help from the authorities.

“The victim came to the Collectorate and wept that he had spent a lot of money to treat the snake bite and requested for financial help from the authorities. I advised him to visit a government-run hospital where he could get anti-snake venom free of cost,” Giri told ANI on Friday.

The CMO further said that it is very strange that a person is bitten by a snake every Saturday.

“We still need to figure out if it is actually a snake that’s biting him. We also need to see the competence of the doctor who is treating him. A person being bitten by a snake every Saturday and that person being admitted to the same hospital every time, and recovering in just one day seems strange,” he said.

The Chief Medical Officer further said that they had formed a three-doctor team to investigate the matter.

“This is why we thought of forming a team to investigate the case, after which I will tell the people the truth of the matter,” he added.

According to officials, every time the snake attacked Vikas Dubey, he was taken to the hospital and recovered after getting treatment.

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

Playing badminton, riding luxury boats, and attending weddings: How Lalu Prasad Yadav, out on bail on ‘medical grounds’, is making a mockery of judiciary

Paurush Gupta
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Playing badminton, riding luxury boats, and attending weddings: How Lalu Prasad Yadav, out on bail on ‘medical grounds’, is making a mockery of judiciary

On Friday (12th July), several I.N.D.I. alliance leaders including West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee, Samajwadi Party Chief Akhilesh Yadav, and Shiv Sena (UBT) Chief Uddhav Thackeray among others, attended the wedding celebrations of Mukesh Ambani’s son, Anant, and Radhika Merchant, daughter of Viren Merchant who is the CEO of Encore Healthcare. 

Ironically, the I.N.D.I. alliance leaders attended the Ambani family’s wedding function despite accusing him and other top industrialists of colluding with the Modi government and indulging in corrupt practices and so-called ‘crony capitalism’. 

Strikingly, RJD Chief Lalu Prasad Yadav and his family were also among the prominent leaders on the guest list. Earlier on Friday, out on bail convicted politician Lalu Yadav along with his family members travelled from Patna to attend the Ambani family’s wedding function in Mumbai. The RJD Chief was accompanied by his wife Rabri Devi, son Tejashwi Yadav, daughter Misa Bharti and others.  

While the I.N.D.I. alliance leaders received flakes for their hypocritical stand vis-a-vis their allegations of wrongdoings against top Industrialists including Mukesh Ambani and attending his family’s celebrations, Lalu Yadav’s presence at the function stands out as he is currently out on bail under the guise of his ‘ill health’.

Notably, Lalu Yadav was convicted in the fodder scam and he is also an accused in the Land-for-jobs scam. The central agencies including the Enforcement Directorate are probing a money laundering case against Lalu Yadav and others for seeking land parcels in lieu of giving jobs. 

Last year in October, a Delhi court granted him bail in the CBI case in the land-for-jobs scam. Over the years, the RJD Chief has received relief from the courts on “medical grounds”. Incidentally, on the grounds of his poor health, he was allowed to go abroad despite serious corruption charges. However, the Central agencies had, on multiple occasions, asserted before the court that he was exploiting the legal system and opposed his plea on ‘medical grounds’ stating that he would likely use bail on medical grounds for political purposes. In fact, on many occassions, he is accused of exploiting bail received on grounds of ill health for recreational activities. 

Incidentally, on multiple occasions, he was caught on camera playing Badminton, riding luxury boats, attending highly intense election campaigning rallies and I.N.D.I. alliance meetings as well as attending weddings as in the recent case, contrary to the claims of his “poor health” because of which he was granted bail. 

Conspicuously, Lalu Yadav, who is out on bail on ‘medical grounds’ despite conviction, has been alleging that the country is going through an “Undeclared emergency”. According to him, this period is far worse than the Emergency imposed by then-PM Indira Gandhi in 1975. 

The convicted leader who is accused of exploiting the legal system in the name of liberal bail conditions, cited the incineration of a few political leaders who, incidentally, have spent time behind bars following the due process of law and under the supervision of courts. According to him, the incarceration of a few political leaders during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s tenure is far worse than Indira Gandhi’s Emergency when opposition leaders were jailed en masse. Not only, they were not allowed to go through the liberal judicial system that the likes of Lalu Yadav currently enjoy, but also their Fundamental rights were tramped.

Nonetheless, it is pertinent to note that politicians worldwide have been excelling in the trait of deflecting concerns about their perceived or visible ailments while being in active politics – barring the stellar example of Japan’s PM Shinzo Abe, who resigned over health concerns. However, health issues often catch up with them once they face legal troubles, and Lalu Prasad Yadav’s videos of attending intense political rallies/meetings, attending out-of-town functions, vacations, and doing high-energy exercise like playing badminton expose the farce of an argument of “extremely poor health” that warrants to avoid or do travesty with justice in corruption cases. 

Vulgar and obscene remarks on Captain Anshuman Singh’s widow: Delhi Police registers FIR against social media user after NCW took cognizance

OpIndia Staff
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Vulgar and obscene remarks on Captain Anshuman Singh’s widow: Delhi Police registers FIR against social media user after NCW took cognizance

Following a complaint by the National Commission for Women (NCW), the Delhi Police on Saturday, July 13, registered a First Information Report (FIR) against a social media user for ‘lewd and derogatory’ remark on Smriti Singh, the wife of Kirti Chakra awardee Captain Anshuman Singh.

Delhi Police’s Intelligence Fusion and Strategic Operation (IFSO) cell registered the FIR over an alleged lewd remark made on the widow of Kirti Chakra awardee Captain Anshuman Singh on social media platform X, officials said.

FIR has been registered at the IFSO unit under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita (BNS) act and Information Technology (IT) Act. The social media platform owned by Elon Musk, X, has also been asked to provide details of the social media account using their platform.

Earlier, on Monday, July 8, the NCW issued a letter referencing specific legal provisions violated by the lewd comment, including Section 79 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, which penalizes acts intended to insult the modesty of a woman, and Section 67 of the IT Act, 2000, which deals with the punishment for publishing or transmitting obscene material in electronic form.

Several lewd and vulgar comments had surfaced on social media after Captain Anshuman Singh’s widow was pictured collecting his posthumous Kirti Chakra award.

The NCW took a suo motu cognizance in the matter and filed a complaint with the Delhi Police. It also wrote to the Police Commissioner of Delhi, demanding the man’s arrest and sought a detailed report within three days.

‘Emergency was a North India issue. Indira won in south’: Rajdeep Sardesai downplays Emergency after Centre announces ‘Samvidhan Hatya Diwas’

OpIndia Staff
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‘Emergency was a North India issue. Indira won in south’: Rajdeep Sardesai downplays Emergency after Centre announces ‘Samvidhan Hatya Diwas’

India Today ‘journalist’ and husband of All India Trinamool Congress (AITC or TMC) Rajya Sabha MP Sagarika Ghose, Rajdeep Sardesai, tried to downplay the Emergency imposed on the country by former PM Indira Gandhi.

Speaking at the ‘Neta Nagri’ show of The Lallantop, Sardesai said raising the issue of the Emergency at present would take away the limelight from current problems. He further added that Congress emerged victorious in elections even after gagging the whole of India during the dark period of Emergency, implying that people had moved on and once again accepted the party.

He said, “North India faced the major brunt of the emergency. India Gandhi and Congress managed to win and dominate in South India in 1977. However, they didn’t manage to sweep Maharashtra like they did in the North. Now, you are telling the young people in 2024, the kids who belong to today’s generation or were born after the emergency and are between 18 to 38 years of age, to learn what happened on 25th June. You cannot do politics from the rearview mirror.”

“If you keep revisiting the past how will you tackle today’s challenges including, unemployment, inflation, Agniveer, NEET-UG paper leak, terror attacks in Jammu, violence in Manipur, and floods in Bihar?” Sardesai said.

Notably, the comments followed after Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led union government pronounced 26th June as the “Samvidhaan Hatya Diwas” (Constitution Murder Day) to pay tribute to the victims of the emergency. The Union Home Ministry on 11th July issued a gazette notification saying that the Government of India has declared 25th June as “Samvidhaan Hatya Diwas.”

The notification states that a proclamation of Emergency was made on 25th June 1975, following which there was gross abuse of power by the Government of the day and the people of India were subjected to excesses and atrocities. It adds that the people of India have abiding faith in the Constitution of India and the power of India’s resilient democracy.

“Therefore, the Government of India declares 25th June as ‘Samvidhaan Hatya Diwas (संविधान हत्या दिवस)’ to pay tribute to all those who suffered and fought against the gross abuse of power during the period of Emergency and to recommit the people of India to not support in any manner such gross abuse of power, in future,” the notification further added.

Apple engaged in abusive conduct and practices, reveals CCI’s anti-trust probe, slams iPhone maker’s dominance in apps market

OpIndia Staff
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Apple engaged in abusive conduct and practices, reveals CCI’s anti-trust probe, slams iPhone maker’s dominance in apps market

Apple engaged “in abusive conduct and practices” to take advantage of its dominating position in the app stores market for its iOS operating system, according to an investigation by India’s antitrust body. A confidential research obtained by Reuters revealed the information. Since 2021, Apple Inc. (AAPL.O) has been under investigation by the Competition Commission of India (CCI) for potentially abusing its dominating position in the app market by pressuring developers to use its exclusive in-app purchase mechanism. Apple has refuted any wrongdoing, claiming to be a minor participant in India, where Android-powered phones predominate.

Apple has “significant influence” over how digital goods and services reach customers, particularly through its iOS platform and App Store, according to a 142-page assessment from the CCI’s investigations branch that was obtained by Reuters but has not yet been published. The CCI unit on the 24th of June stated, “Apple App Store is an unavoidable trading partner for app developers, and resultantly, app developers have no choice but to adhere to Apple’s unfair terms, including the mandatory use of Apple’s proprietary billing and payment system. From the perspective of app developers, the Apple iOS ecosystem is indispensable.”

The probe report from India coincides with growing antitrust scrutiny for Apple in other nations. The technology giant could be subjected to a major penalty after European Union antitrust regulators declared in June that the iPhone maker had breached the bloc’s tech regulations. An inquiry into the company’s new app developer fees is also underway. Apple announced intentions to enable software developers to distribute their programs to users in the European Union through channels other than Apple’s App Store in January, in response to a new regulation known as the Digital Markets Act.

The CCI report, the most important stage of the Indian probe, is about to be examined by senior officials of the watchdog. Prior to a final ruling, which might involve both financial penalties and orders to alter corporate procedures, Apple and other parties will have the opportunity to submit their reply.

A little-known non-profit organization named “Together We Fight Society” initially brought the Indian lawsuit, charging that Apple’s up to 30% in-app fee damages competition by driving up costs for both app developers and users. Subsequently, a collection of Indian entrepreneurs, including Match (MTCH.O), the owner of Tinder and the Alliance of Digital India Foundation, brought similar petitions against Apple before the CCI, which were being heard concurrently. According to the CCI inquiry team’s report, Apple has not given any permission for any third-party payment processor to offer in-app purchase services.

It further stated that, in the majority of instances, the apps are prohibited from having any external links that send users to other payment platforms, in violation of Indian competition regulations. As of mid-2024, about 3.5% of India’s 690 million smartphones ran on Apple’s iOS operating system and the remainder, according to Counterpoint Research, employed Android. However, the company notes that Apple’s smartphone base in the nation had grown five times over the previous five years. Apple argued in its CCI submissions that Google has a 90–100% market share in India, compared to its “insignificant” 0-5% share. Additionally, the business claimed it was able to grow and preserve the security of its App Store owing to the in-app payment method.

“App stores are OS (operating system) specific and Apple’s App store is the sole App store available for reaching iOS users. The payment policy of Apple adversely affects the app developers, users and other payment processors,” CCI pointed out. The CCI report disclosed that throughout its probe of Apple, it took into account feedback from other businesses, including Microsoft, Uber, and Amazon. Google has also been under fire from CCI for its in-app purchasing system. Google was fined $113 million by the CCI in October 2022 and ordered to stop pressuring developers to utilize its in-app payment mechanism and permit third-party billing. Google has contested the verdict.

Racism is the new cool? Official X handle of American TV show demonises Indians as ‘street-shitting ragheads’

OpIndia Staff
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Racism is the new cool? Official X handle of American TV show demonises Indians as ‘street-shitting ragheads’

On Friday (12th July), the official X (formerly Twitter) handle of ‘The Sopranos‘ stirred the hornet’s nest for making racist and derogatory remarks towards the Indian community.

In a tweet posted on the micro-blogging platform, the American TV series referred to Indians as ‘mother fuckers’ and ‘street-shitting ragheads.’ The caption wrote – ‘Motherfucking fucking–Street-shitting raghead Indian fucks.’

The official X handle of ‘The Sopranos’ tried to pass off the derogatory remark as ‘real dialogue’ from the TV series. However, one user was quick to point out that such remarks were not part of the show.

Screengrab of the tweet by The Sopranos

An X user (@SaiyanWhoKills) stated that the character featured in the screenshot did not say anything about Indians. He had also uploaded a short video clip of the scene to substantiate his point.

In the original clip, the character Tony Soprano was heard saying, “Motherfucking fucking — Fucking dreams, Jesus Christ.”

As such, it becomes clear that the X handle of The Sopranos deliberately posted the racist message to mock Indians. To understand the context behind the sudden tweet, we need to look into the background of the controversy.

The Background of the Controversy

The official X handle of The Sopranos made the disturbing remarks in response to a harmless tweet posted by an Indian user ‘Dhanwal'(@himankkumar1).

“This Twitter page absolutely sucks. You should hire someone who doesn’t just post random screenshots from the entire series. Unfollowed,” Dhanwal wrote.

Screengrab of the tweet

The Sopranos thereafter dubbed the entire Indian community ‘mother fuckers’ and ‘street-shitting ragheads.’

The controversial tweet by the popular American TV series promoted other racists, Islamists and white supremacists to mock Indians as ‘pajeets’ and other dehumanising terms.

OpIndia had previously reported how Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology was being used by extremist groups to spread hate and propaganda against Indians, especially the Hindu community.

No electricity subsidy for taxpayers: Congress govt in Himachal Pradesh

OpIndia Staff
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No electricity subsidy for taxpayers: Congress govt in Himachal Pradesh

At a Cabinet meeting on Friday, the Congress government in Himachal Pradesh decided to discontinue the free electricity scheme for income-tax payers. However, the 125-unit free power subsidy for domestic consumers will remain in place for other groups, such as BPL and IRDP families.

The cabinet took key decisions, including streamlining provisions for the Zero Electricity Bill, limiting subsidies to a ‘One Family One Meter’ policy, and connecting electricity connections to Aadhaar-seeded ration cards. The Cabinet notably ended subsidies for a broad range of officials and categories, including Chief Ministers, ministers, MPs, MLAs, government employees, and income taxpayers.

Additionally, the Cabinet approved land acquisition and compensation for families affected by the Kangra Airport expansion. Education reforms included the creation of 486 lecturer physical education posts, 157 supernumerary principal school cadre posts, and 245 special educator positions to support children with special needs. The Cabinet also sanctioned new positions for fire officers, and police personnel for heliport deployment, and regularized 18 Grameena Vidya Upasaks as junior basic teachers.

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