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Sambalpur, Dec 15 (PTI) Alleging severe irregularities in the paddy procurement process, a farmers' outfit on Monday threatened a shutdown in Odisha's Sambalpur district on December 19. Paschim Odisha Krushak Sangathan Samanwaya Samiti (POKSSS) accused the administration of indifference towards "mounting losses of farmers" during the kharif procurement process. It alleged that lapses in token generation have left vehicles loaded with paddy stranded for days near mandis, leading to quality deterioration and rising transport expenses. Around 65,143 farmers have registered for the procurement in Sambalpur this season. POKSSS said that about 40,000 farmers were issued only one token each, which is grossly inadequate to dispose of their harvested paddy, while the rest are yet to receive even one token. "One token is issued for the procurement of 75 quintals of paddy. Farmers across western Odisha have been denied second procurement tokens. Never before has kharif procurement happened at such a sluggish pace," POKSSS convenor Ashok Pradhan claimed. The crisis can be resolved only if the government intervenes and directs the administration to expedite the process, he said. On December 12, members of POKSSS and Zilla Krushak Surakhya Sangathan protested across the district, disrupting vehicular movement on the highways. "We will be continuing our symbolic protest till December 19, and wait for the government to take steps. If they fail, we will launch another massive protest without a second thought," Pradhan said. Food Supplies Minister Krushna Chandra Patra said a meeting was held on Sunday on the issues that the farmers were facing. "We will issue tokens to all registered farmers to procure paddy. We procure paddy at 17 quintals per acre in non-irrigated land and 19 quintals per acre in irrigated areas," he said. The farmers can sell their surplus paddy after token allocation in the open market or keep it at home for their own consumption, he added. PTI BBM BBM SOM

Berhampur (Odisha), Jun 6 (PTI) Environmental activist Medha Patkar on Saturday appealed to the people of Odisha for protection of Rushikulya river. The government planned to construct a dam in the river Pipalapnaka under Sorada block in the district. While participating in the Save Rushikulya river movement in Ganjam district, she said, "Rivers may be small or big, but they are our mother. We have to protect the rivers from attacks." She attended a meeting were organised by the Rushikulya Banchao Kriyaanusthan Committee (RBKC) and the Centre for Climate Justice, spearheading the agitation a ...Read More >
Chennai: Hours before Union home minister Amit Shah was to arrive in Madurai, Thuglak editor and an associate of Shah, S Gurumurthy on Saturday met PMK founder S Ramadoss. The PMK leader, however, ruled out the possibility of meeting Amit Shah during his two-day visit to Tamil Nadu.Gurumurthy met Ramadoss for the second time amid reported tension within PMK regarding alliance strategies and insistence by Anbumani Ramadoss to remain party president. The hour-long meeting took place at the T Nagar residence of A K Vijay Mahesh, son of former Union minister and PMK leader A K Moorthy, sources sai ...Read More >
Heavy rains have triggered an orange alert in five Kerala districts, leading to rising river levels and flooding. Consequently, dam shutters are being opened across the state, including Banasura Sagar and Moozhiyar. Authorities are also preparing for the potential opening of the Mullaperiyar dam, managed by Tamil Nadu, prompting evacuations in vulnerable areas of Idukki district.Heavy rains lashed various parts of Kerala with the India Meteorological Department (IMD) issuing an orange alert in fi ...Read More >
Kochi: Edison Babu's neighbours in Muvattupuzha knew him as the quiet engineer who had returned home during the pandemic. The 35-year-old former auto industry professional seemed to lead an unremarkable life in this sleepy Kerala suburb, occasionally visiting the local post office with packages: nothing unusual for someone running what appeared to be a small online business. What they didn't know was that their mild-mannered neighbour had built India's most sophisticated darknet drug empire, one that relied heavily on the very government postal service that was meant to serve the community. ...Read More >

Dehradun, Jun 6 (PTI) The Centre and Uttarakhand government are committed to making the state a national hub of horticulture, Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said on Friday. Interacting with farmers at a Kisan Chaupal in Pavwala Sauda village under Doiwala block of Dehradun, the agriculture minister said, "The quality of fruits, grains and vegetables grown in Uttarakhand is unique and they have full potential to make a mark at the global level." "The Centre and the state government together will make Uttarakhand a national hub of horticulture," he said. During his visit, the ...Read More >

Raipur, Jun 7 (PTI) Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai said on Saturday that he discussed two proposed irrigation projects in the state with Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his visit to Delhi and sought the Centre's nod for them. Sai, who returned to Raipur in the morning, said the PM assured that he would consider the two projects - Bodhghat and Indravati-Mahanadi interlinking work. Crucial for the development of the Bastar region, where Naxalites are retreating, they have been proposed for implementation as national projects, he said. "I met PM Modi ji in Delhi on Friday and sh ...Read More >

New Delhi, June 7 (PTI) In an effort to rejuvenate the Yamuna, the Delhi government is working on an action plan to improve the environmental flow of the river by increasing water discharge from various sources, officials said on Saturday. Treated water from the Coronation Pillar and Yamuna Vihar Sewage Treatment Plants (STP) will be discharged into the Yamuna downstream at Wazirbarad, for which the Delhi Jal Board (DJB) will develop a conveyance system. The survey work was completed and a detailed project report is being finalised, officials said. E-flow is the minimum quantity of water fl ...Read More >

New Delhi [India], June 8 (ANI): External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar will undertake an official visit to France, the European Union (EU), and Belgium from June 8 to 14, 2025, the Ministry of External Affairs announced in a press release on Sunday. The visit marks a significant step in further strengthening India's strategic partnerships with Europe. The EAM will first travel to Paris and Marseille, France, where he will hold bilateral discussions with the Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs of France, Jean Noel Barrot. Also Read | Indian Citizen Dies in UAE: Civil Engineer Issac Paul ...Read More >
NEW DELHI: Monsoon covered the entire country on Sunday, nine days before the normal date, advancing into the remaining parts of Delhi-NCR, Rajasthan, west UP and Haryana, IMD said.This is only the fourth time in the past 25 years that monsoon covered NCR and remaining parts of northwest India the same day. The last time this happened was on July 13 in 2021, whereas the earliest date on which such an event took place was June 16 in 2013 -- the day Kedarnath witnessed a major disaster due to cloudburst and flash floods.It has taken monsoon 37 days to cover the entire country this time since its ...Read More >
Chandigarh: Haryana chief minister Nayab Singh Saini on Tuesday said the state govt was consistently working to provide better resources to the doctors and quality healthcare services to the citizens.He mentioned that medical colleges were being established in every district.While there were only six medical colleges in 2014, the number has now increased to 15, and nine new colleges are under construction. As a result, MBBS seats in the state increased from 700 in 2014 to 2,185, at present. The state govt aims to increase the MBBS seats to over 3,400 by 2029, said Saini.The CM was addressing a ...Read More >

KOZHIKODE: A woman from Palakkad who recently tested positive for Nipah virus, remains in critical condition at the Kozhikode Government Medical College Hospital. She is currently receiving critical care in the hospital's specialised Nipah isolation unit. The patient was initially admitted to a private medical facility in Perinthalmanna. However, late on Saturday night, due to a significant deterioration in her health, she was transferred to the Kozhikode Medical College. Her symptoms, consistent with a severe viral infection, first appeared on July 1, prompting her to seek medical attention. ...Read More >

Coimbatore (Tamil Nadu), Jul 7 (PTI) AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami launched his statewide campaign for the 2026 Assembly election from Tamil Nadu's Mettupalayam on Monday. The former chief minister justified the alliance with the BJP whose leaders too joined his roadshow in the evening, and said the combine would register a resounding win in next year's poll. Addressing a mammoth crowd at the roadshow taken from the Gandhi Statue to the bus station here, Palaniswami took a dig at Chief Minister M K Stalin saying "some people will get fever after watching this massive roadsh ...Read More >

New Delhi: The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has approved the increase in the Minimum Support Prices (MSP) for 14 Kharif Crops for Marketing Season 2025-26. It has raised the MSP for paddy by 3 per cent to Rs 2,369 per quintal for the season. The support price for common and A grade varieties has been increased by Rs 69 per quintal to Rs 2,369 and Rs 2,389 per quintal, respectively, for the forthcoming kharif season of 2025-26 crop year (July-June). Among pulses, support price for tur has been raised by Rs 450 to Rs 8,000 per quintal, while t ...Read More >

Srinagar: Before towering cranes and cutting-edge engineering transformed the Himalayan landscape, the monumental dream of connecting "Kashmir to Kanyakumari" by rail began with the plodding footsteps of humble mules. This extraordinary backstory underpins the official realization of the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL), inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on June 6, 2025, a project crowned by the awe-inspiring Chenab Bridge. According to Afcons Infrastructure Limited, the company behind the Chenab Bridge, the earliest and most formidable hurdle wasn't just the design of ...Read More >

Mumbai, Jun 8 (PTI) Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Sunday said Congress MP Rahul Gandhi, instead of introspecting on the defeat in the 2024 state assembly polls, has been repudiating the mandate given by the people because they rejected him. The leader of opposition in the Lok Sabha is preparing his excuses for future defeats in the upcoming assembly elections, including Bihar, Fadnavis said in his articles published in the Indian Express and Marathi daily Loksatta. On Saturday, Gandhi, in an article published in several newspapers and in posts on X, claimed the 2024 Maharas ...Read More >

Srinagar- Congress MP Shashi Tharoor on Saturday said foreign countries were told clearly during the post-Operation Sindoor diplomatic outreach that in case of a fresh provocation, India would repeat its action. Speaking at a discussion at the Ahmedabad Management Association, Tharoor said Indian delegations which visited foreign countries in the aftermath of Operation Sindoor managed to convey that India acted with restraint and responsibility. "In other places, we actually were able to get some very high-placed people to say not only that they respected and supported India's right of self- ...Read More >

Bengaluru, Jul 8 (PTI) The Karnataka government has said that it has approved the release of Rs 244.10 crore to cover additional expenses such as wholesale and retail margins and transportation charges under the Annabhagya scheme for the months of February to May, 2025. This fund allocation comes in addition to a previously released grant of Rs 2,082.99 crore, which was meant for the purchase of an extra five kg of rice per beneficiary and other related costs for the four-month period, a government order issued on Monday said. The order was issued as the lorry owners transporting rice and ot ...Read More >

Srinagar, Jun 7 (PTI) Authorities on Saturday barred Eid prayers from taking place at the Eidgah ground and the Jama Masjid in the old city here, while Hurriyat Conference chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq claimed that he was put under house arrest. "Anjuman Auqaf Jama Masjid Srinagar deeply regrets to inform that the authorities have once again disallowed Eid-ul-Adha prayers at the Eidgah as well as at the historic Jama Masjid in Srinagar by closing the gates of the mosque and deploying police personnel outside," the management of the historic mosque said in a statement. ...Read More >

Imphal, June 29 (UNI) A series of successful operations carried out by Manipur Police and security forces during the last 24 hours led to the arrest of several individuals involved in vehicle theft, insurgent activity, and the recovery of a significant cache of arms and ammunition. Police arrested a vehicle lifter identified as Syed Riyaj from his residence at Lilong Chaobok in Thoubal District. The arrest was made under Lilong Police Station. Authorities seized a blue two wheeler without registration number, along with a key and an Aadhaar card believed to be linked to the suspect. In a s ...Read More >

Inflow into the Stanley Reservoir in Mettur increased to 80,984 cusecs on Saturday. Following an increase in inflow, the Water Resources Department (WRD) issued a flood warning to people living in low-lying areas on the banks of the River Cauvery. On Saturday, the dam's water level stood at 117.93 feet against its full capacity of 120 feet. The storage level stood at 90.20 TMC against its full capacity of 93.47 TMC. At 8 a.m., inflow into the dam increased to 73,452 cusecs from Friday's inflow o ...Read More >
Mumbai: Congress Legislature Party leader Vijay Wadettiwar launched a scathing attack on the Maharashtra government in the Assembly , accusing it of betraying farmers after winning the elections. He demanded an immediate and unconditional farm loan waiver and criticized the formation of committees as an excuse to delay action. Speaking on the opposition's proposal concerning farmers' issues under Rule 293, Wadettiwar said, "Before elections, the ruling alliance promised full loan waivers and fair prices for crops. But now in power, they've slashed compensation amounts and are hiding behind co ...Read More >
HYDERABAD The Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) has ridiculed the argument of Minister for Irrigation N. Uttam Kumar Reddy, who had stated that it was not possible to lift water from Medigadda Barrage damaged due to the sinking of piers, and observed that it is not the barrage that had sunk but it is the willingness of the ruling party. Speaking at a party meeting here on Monday, former minister for irrigation T. Harish Rao accused Mr. Uttam Kumar Reddy of waiting for 'auspicious' time to switch on the motors of Kalwakurthy, when Andhra Pradesh had already started drawing water from Pothireddypad ...Read More >
New Delhi, Jan 27 (PTI) LT Foods, a leading player in the basmati and speciality rice segment, on Monday posted 4.75 per cent drop in consolidated net profit at Rs 145.38 crore on higher expenses. The company had logged a net profit of Rs 152.64 crore in the year-ago period. Total income rose to Rs 2,288.25 crore from Rs 1,949.68 crore in the corresponding period of the previous year, according to a regulatory filing. Expenses rose to Rs 2,094.42 crore from Rs 1,757.67 crore. The Board reappointed Ashwani Kumar Arora and Surinder Kumar Arora as Managing Directors of the company, subject to ...Read More >

Kolkata, June 28: A political slugfest has erupted in West Bengal after a woman accused Padma Shree awardee monk Kartik Maharaj, who is posted with the Murshidabad unit of Bharat Sevashram Sangha, of allegedly raping her 12 times for six months in 2013. As per the police complaint lodged by the woman, Kartik Maharaj raped her multiple times 12 years ago promising her a job at a local school. The ruling Trinamool Congress is highlighting the issue in a major way and accusing the BJP of being silent on it since the accused monk had been reportedly close to the saffron party. The woman accusin ...Read More >

Srinagar: After over seven decades, an unrelenting heatwave has breached records with Kashmir experiencing the third hottest July day ever on Saturday, worrying large farming communities in the face of a prolonged dry spell. Director of the Meteorological Centre, Srinagar, Mukhtar Ahmad, told ETV Bharat that the third-highest day temperature in July was recorded on Saturday, since 1946. "That year saw the mercury soar to 38.3 degrees Celsius, followed by 37.8 in 1953. Today, we recorded 37.4 degrees Celsius in Srinagar," he said. June was recorded to be the hottest since 1978, said Ahmad, wi ...Read More >

Hyderabad: With the early onset of pre-monsoon showers, farmers across Telangana have started their agricultural activities ahead of schedule. However, the agriculture department is facing strong criticism for failing to provide adequate fertilizers and seeds necessary for the current season. According to officials, there is a significant shortfall in the availability of essential inputs like urea and cotton seeds, which may negatively impact crop planning and productivity across the state. Also Read: Madhuri Dixit Recalls 'Hum Aapke Hain Koun' Magic with Salman Khan as Monsoon Arrives For ...Read More >

New Delhi [India], June 7 (ANI): As the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government completes 11 years of governance, India's agricultural sector has undergone a profound transformation over the years which is rooted in the philosophy of Beej Se Bazaar Tak (seed to market), while also championing inclusivity, supporting small farmers, women-led groups, and allied sectors, while making India a global agricultural leader, said a statement from the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare (MoAFW). PM Modi also highlighted today about ensuring prosperity of farmers and also focussing on issues ...Read More >
Kerala is experiencing intensified monsoon rains, leading to flooding in Ernakulam, Idukki, and Thrissur districts. The IMD has issued an orange alert for seven districts, indicating the possibility of very heavy rainfall. In Wayanad, continuous rains caused the Chooralmala River to swell, raising concerns due to the area's history of deadly landslides. Monsoon rains intensified in Kerala on Thursday with some parts of Ernakulam, Idukki and Thrissur districts getting flooded and the India Meteor ...Read More >

Jammu- Union Minister Jitendra Singh on Saturday said the much-anticipated Ujh Multipurpose project in the Kathua district of Jammu and Kashmir is being revived to benefit the people. The Minister of State in the Prime Minister's Office was addressing a gathering during a 'public darbar' at Basholi in Kathua, which is part of his Udhampur parliamentary constituency, an official statement said. Singh held the public darbar as part of his continued outreach efforts to engage directly with citizens and local representatives, not only at the district level but also at the tehsil, block and pancha ...Read More >
Koraput, Dec 6 (PTI) Thirty-six-year-old Raimati Gheuria, a tribal woman from Odisha's Koraput district who has conserved 72 varieties of traditional rice and 30 types of millet has been conferred with an honorary doctorate by Odisha University of Agriculture and Technology (OUAT) for her remarkable contributions to agriculture. President Droupadi Murmu conferred the honorary doctorate to Raimati at the 40th Convocation of OUAT on Thursday. Raimati of Nuaguda village in Koraput district, affectionately known as 'Mandia Rani' or 'Millet Queen', has been known for her relentless efforts in pre ...Read More >