India

No Plan To Revise the Power Subsidy Program: Delhi Government To Lieutenant Governor

Responding to Delhi’s Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena releasing a note proposing changes in the power subsidy policy in the national capital, the Delhi government stated that the subsidy will not be curtailed and will continue as it is for all people.

Our power subsidy is not going to be altered, AAP’s Atishi said.

New Delhi:

Responding to Delhi’s Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena releasing a note proposing changes in the power subsidy policy in the national capital, the Delhi government on Monday stated that the subsidy will not be curtailed and will continue as it is for all the people in the city.

The clarification from the government came after the L-G’s office released a note on the basis of a recommendation from the Delhi Electricity Regulatory Commission, seeking changes to the power subsidy policy in the national capital.

The note issued by the L-G’s office last Friday stated, “Delhi Electricity Regulatory Commission (DERC) had in 2020 issued a ‘statutory advice’ to the Delhi government asking it to consider ‘restricting’ power subsidy to the ‘poor and needy’ consumers consuming 1-5 KW of power that would not only cover nearly 95% of the consumers but also save nearly Rs 316 crore per year.”

Issuing a statement on Monday, AAP leader, who recently took oath as Delhi’s Power minister, said the government has no plans to discontinue the power subsidy for any consumer or change the basis of the subsidy.

“CM Arvind Kejriwal is committed to providing 24×7 free electricity to the people of Delhi. Our power subsidy is not going to be altered. The L-G office is deliberately spreading misinformation regarding it,” she said.

On the DERC recommendation, Atishi said, “In a letter dated 06.01.2023, DERC had recalled its prior advice to Delhi government on curtailing power subsidy to consumers having connections of fixed load above 5kW or 3kW. After a detailed examination of various legal provisions of the Electricity Act 2003 and prior SC judgments, DERC had concluded that it has no legal basis or jurisdiction to advise the Delhi Govt about the withdrawal of subsidy for any category of consumers.”

She alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi wants to discontinue power subsidies in Delhi and it was under pressure from the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) that the L-G issued such a statement.”In these days of inflation, the power subsidy has provided a huge relief to the common man in Delhi. The working and middle class of Delhi are grateful to CM Arvind Kejriwal for this relief. It is the Kejriwal Government’s commitment that the power subsidy will continue,” she said.

Atishi informed that the Delhi Electricity Regulatory Commission (DERC) had withdrawn its advice regarding the Power Subsidy in January 2023. The then Deputy CM and minister-in-charge of Power, Manish Sisodia, had written to the DERC chairman requesting it to re-examine the issue and give a fresh opinion on the matter since more than two years had elapsed since DERC’s last advice, she added.

“The DERC, upon receiving this request, carried out a detailed legal examination on the matter and placed its fresh opinion through an order dt. 6th January 2023 retracting its prior ‘statutory advice’, on legal grounds,” she said.

“In its detailed order, the DERC pointed out that as per Section 86(2) of Delhi Electricity Act, 2003, the commission can advise the government only on four defined matters. The matters include (i) promotion of competition, efficiency and economy in activities of the electricity industry; (ii) promotion of investment in the electricity industry; (iii) reorganisation and restructuring of the electricity industry in the State; (iv) matters concerning generation, transmission, distribution and trading of electricity or any other matter referred to the State Commission by that Government” Atishi added.

Atishi also said that the issue of Power Subsidy does not fall into any four of the specific areas under Section 86(2) of the Act and instead comes under Section 65 of the Act, which is the exclusive domain of the Delhi government. Thus, the Commission concluded that its prior advice regarding the subsidy was legally incorrect and without jurisdiction, she claimed.

Atishi informed further, “Given the very fact that the DERC does not have any jurisdiction to oversee power subsidy, its advice on the matter is misplaced and incorrect. “Realising the discrepancy, DERC itself clarified that their previous statutory advice stands null and void as of date.”

She added that the DERC chairperson, in his order, had also denounced the rationale used by the previous commission members to issue such advice.

On the suo-moto nature of previous statutory advice of the commission, the DERC chairperson, in his order stated, “The whole idea of suo-moto advice appears to be that the problem of Pension trust surcharge was to be resolved. Hence, advice totally uncalled for in the circumstances was given, perhaps in good gesture, but totally misplaced. This gesture, however, practical or good, it may sound but has to fulfil/justify the parameters of the law.”

“It is also worthwhile to recall that the advice has been given during the COVID period which was a dark hour in the history of mankind. The whole World, India including Delhi was affected by COVID. All things naturally had gone haywire… Maybe some of the factors of the period also were wandering in the mind of the Commission at that time,” the DERC chairperson stated further.

Citing the detailed order issued by the DERC, the Power minister questioned the L-G’s intent behind the note.

“All these documents are on file. If we are aware of it, so would the Delhi LG. It is worth questioning how the Delhi LG asked the government to alter the subsidy policy when he already knew the advice was legally incorrect?” Atishi said.

She also said the government had not received any note or file from the L-G office in this regard and she got to know of the issue through the media only.

It is clear that the L-G wants to impede the functioning of the government by hook or by crook and is acting with malice, the minister claimed.

India

Karnataka Polls: 2,613 Candidates In Fray, Rebel Trouble For Parties

A total of 2,613 candidates are in the poll fray, as the withdrawal of candidatures for the May 10 Assembly elections in Karnataka came to an end on Monday, election officials said.

Karnataka Polls: A total of 517 candidates have withdrawn their candidature till Monday.

Bengaluru:

A total of 2,613 candidates are in the poll fray, as the withdrawal of candidatures for the May 10 Assembly elections in Karnataka came to an end on Monday, election officials said.

A total of 517 candidates have withdrawn their candidature till Monday, even as parties faced “rebel trouble” in several segments.

Out of 2,613 candidates in the poll fray, 2,427 are male, 184 females and 2 others, office of the Chief Electoral Officer, Karnataka said.

Among the contesting candidates from recognised political parties- 224 from BJP, 223 Congress (supporting Sarvodaya Karnataka Party in Melukote), 207 JD(S), 209 AAP, 133 BSP , 4 CPI(M), 8 JD(U) and 2 NPP.

While 685 are from Registered Unrecognised Political Parties (RUPP), 918 are independents.

In 16 constituencies there are more than 15 candidates in the fray, so two Ballot Unit (BU) will be used in these segments during the poll.

Political parties made efforts till the last minute to ensure rebel candidates, who had filed nomination disgruntled over being denied tickets by their respective parties, to withdraw their papers.

In some cases, the parties were successful in convincing such candidates to withdraw, while “rebel trouble” loomed large on the electoral prospects of the official candidates in several constituencies.

The rebel trouble seems to be more in the case of BJP and Congress, compared to other parties.

According to party sources, Congress is facing rebel in Pulakeshinagar (Akhanda Srinivas Murthy), Harapanahalli (M P Latha Mallikarjun), Shirahatti (Ramakrishna Doddamani), Shikaripura (Nagaraj Gowda), Jagalur (H P Rajesh), Arakalagudu (Krishnegowda), among others.

In BJP rebel trouble is in – Puttur (Arun kumar Puttila), Afzalpur (Nitin Guttedar), Goolihatti Shekhar (Hosadurga), Bailhongal (Vishwanath Patil), Gundlupet (M P Sunil), Chennagiri (Madal Mallikarjun), Malur (Vijay Kumar), Gandhi Nagar (Krishnaiah Shetty), among others, party sources said.

Among those who have withdrawn as rebel candidates include – former Bengaluru Mayor- Congress’ Gangambike Mallikarjun from Chickpet, BJP’s Mahadevappa Yadawad from Ramdurg.

The elections to the 224-member assembly will be held on May 10 and results will be declared on May 13.

India

Shivraj’s Chouhan Makes A Big Announcement Before Polls

The Shivraj Singh Chouhan-led government in Madhya Pradesh, in what appears a last-minute strategy tweak, is trying to court Brahmins months ahead of the assembly elections with the constitution of a Welfare Board for the community.

Madhya Pradesh has 21,104 temples including two Jyotirlingas.

Bhopal:

Besides, the government has also announced that it would develop the Bhagwan Sri Parashurama Lok religious corridor in Indore’s Janapav. Temples, meanwhile, have been given more power over their own land.

“We have decided that the government will not have any control over the activities of the temples and the auction of temple land will be done by priests and not by collectors,” Mr Chouhan said. “Brahmins have always protected religion and culture. So for their welfare, we will set up a ‘Brahmin Welfare Board’,” he added.

Madhya Pradesh has 21,104 temples including two Jyotirlingas. Of these, 1,320 temples have more than 10 acres of agricultural land. For temples without agricultural land, priests are paid an honorarium of Rs 5,000 a month.

The government’s move has triggered questions, especially since Brahmins comprise only 5 to 6 per cent of the state’s electorate.

A clue appears to lie in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the state. The Prime Minister visited Rewa, located in Vindhyas — probably the only region in the country where the upper castes constitute the largest portion of the population. In some assembly seats of Satna and Rewa districts, the population of Brahmins crosses 40 per cent.

In 2018, the Vindhya region prevented Congress from returning to power with full majority. The area now seems to be emerging as one of the most intriguing battlegrounds of the poll-bound state.

In 2018, BJP won 24 out of 30 seats in Vindhyas – up from 17 in 2013. The number of Congress seats slid from 11 to six.

But two recent events – the emergence of Arvind Kejriwal’s Aam Aadmi Party in the area and a new party floated by MLA Narayan Tripathi — have given the BJP some cause for concern, sources indicated.

In Rewa and Singrauli, the BJP lost the urban local body polls last year as AAP made its Madhya Pradesh debut with a victory in Singrauli. Mr Tripathi, who earlier belonged to the BJP, has meanwhile been flexing muscle, claiming that his party will contest 30 assembly seats in the region.

The Congress has scoffed at the BJP move, saying the Chief Minister is thinking of giving respect to Brahmins after 18 years. “Till date, he kept neglecting them in the cabinet, now he is making announcements to woo the Brahmins,” said Congress spokesperson KK Mishra.

Claiming that Mr Chouhan has made announcements in Janapav, the birthplace of Parshuram, he said, “What happened to those announcements?”

“It should not be seen from the point of view of elections or votes,” said BJP leader Rahul Kothari.

“Let the Congress makes allegations but they should first answer for the condition of the temples during their tenure. They should answer for the Ramvan Path Gaman,” he added.

India

Senior Citizen Dead After Man Jumps On Him In Mumbai Swimming Pool

A 72-year-old man died after another person jumped on him from a height in a swimming pool in Mumbai, a police official said.

The incident took place at Mumbai’s Goregaon area.

Mumbai:

A 72-year-old man died after another person jumped on him from a height in a swimming pool in Mumbai, a police official said.

The incident took place on Sunday evening at Ozon swimming pool in Goregaon area.

The dead, identified as Vishnu Samant, was swimming when a 20-year-old man jumped into the pool from a height, the official said.

“Samant suffered injuries on his neck and other parts of the body. He was declared dead on arrival at a nearby hospital. On his wife’s complaint, a case has been registered against the 20-year-old man under Indian Penal Code Section 304-A (causing death by negligence),” he said.

India

UP Chief Minister receives death threat, case registered: Cops

A case has been registered against an unidentified person in Lucknow after a death threat was received for Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, the police said on Tuesday.

The threat was received via message on ‘Dial 112’.

Lucknow:

A case has been registered against an unidentified person in Lucknow after a death threat was received for Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, the police said on Tuesday.

The threat was received via message on ‘Dial 112’ (a number launched by the Uttar Pradesh government for the emergency services), in which the person stated, “I will kill CM Yogi soon”.

After receiving the threat, the Operation Commander of ‘112’ filed a case in the police station Sushant Golf City.

A case has been registered under the Indian Penal Code (IPC) Section 506, 507 and IT Act 66.

“Case has been registered under sections 506 and 507 IPC and 66 IT Act in PS Sushant Golf City against an unknown person after ‘Dial 112’ receives death threat for Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath,” the police said.

In an unrelated incident on Sunday, the police arrested the person who wrote a letter threatening to launch a suicide bomb attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his visit to Kochi scheduled for April 24.

The accused has been identified as Xavier, said the police.

On Saturday, Kerala BJP chief K Surendran said that he received a letter last week about a conspiracy to assassinate Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

While talking to ANI, Kochi City Police Commissioner, K Sethu Raman said, “The person who sent the threat letter against the Prime Minister was arrested. Xavier, the accused was arrested yesterday. The reason is personal enmity. He wrote the letter to trap his neighbour. We found him with the help of forensics.”

“Tight security has been arranged for the Prime Minister arriving in Kochi. 2060 policemen have been appointed for this purpose. As part of this, traffic control has also been imposed from 2 pm,” the Commissioner added.

India

West Khasi Hills in Meghalaya is hit by a 3.5 magnitude earthquake

An earthquake of magnitude 3.5 Richter scale struck Meghalaya’s West Khasi Hills on Monday, according to National Center for Seismology (NCS).

According to the NCS, the earthquake occurred at 3:33 pm (local time).

New Delhi:

An earthquake of magnitude 3.5 Richter scale struck Meghalaya’s West Khasi Hills on Monday, according to National Center for Seismology (NCS).

The earthquake occurred at around 7:47 am, informed NCS.

“Earthquake of Magnitude:3.5, Occurred on 24-04-2023, 07:47:14 IST, Lat: 25.47 & Long: 90.94, Depth: 5 Km, Location: West Khasi Hills, Meghalaya,” NCS said in a tweet.

Earlier on Sunday, an earthquake struck Meghalaya’s South Garo Hills. The magnitude of it was recorded at 3.5 on the Richter scale according to NCS.

According to the NCS, the earthquake occurred at 3:33 pm (local time).

In a tweet, NCS said, “Earthquake of Magnitude:3.5, Occurred on 23-04-2023, 15:33:33 IST, Lat: 25.26 & Long: 90.94, Depth: 5 Km, Location: South Garo Hills, Meghalaya.”

On April 16, an earthquake of magnitude 3.6 on the Richter scale hit Manipur’s Bishnupur district. As per the readings from the centre, the earthquake occurred northwest of Bishnupur at 7:22 am (local time).

“Earthquake of Magnitude:3.6, Occurred on 16-04-2023, 07:22:49 IST, Lat: 24.84 & Long: 93.69, Depth: 10 Km, Location: 24km NNW of Bishnupur, Manipur, India for more information Download the BhooKamp App,” the NCS had said in a tweet.