Centre names Puneet Kumar Goel as chief secretary of Manipur
BJP sources said the move, which is said to be part of an ongoing and significant gubernatorial and bureaucratic overhaul, was aligned with 'possible legislative business related to the state of Manipur' and likely to entail an extension of the ongoing President's Rule there during the upcoming Monsoon Session.
Manipur is under President's Rule following ethnic Meitei-Kuki clashes in May 2023 which were followed by N Biren Singh's resignation as chief minister in February 2025.
A career bureaucrat who served in various capacities across significant bodies such as the Delhi Jal Board, the Delhi transport department, the South Delhi Municipal Corporation, the power and SC/ST/OBC sectors at the Centre, and as chief secretary of Goa, Goel was moved to the Manipur state cadre following approval from the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-chaired Appointments Committee of the Cabinet.
Goel was posted as secretary, National Commission for Scheduled Tribes, at the end of his tenure as Goa chief secretary after serving in the post between February 2022 and October 2024. He will serve under Manipur Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla, the former home secretary of India, who remained in that post for five years from 2019 till his appointment in the formerly BJP-ruled state in December last year.
Towards the end of his tenure as Goa chief secretary, Goel had fielded, and denied in an affidavit to the Bombay High Court allegations of abusing his position in changing the zone of a property he eventually bought. He had told the court that the file in question was among 'more than 700' signed by him in March 2024.
In late May, a group of 10 NDA MLAs had called on Governor Bhalla to press for the formation of 'a popular government' in the state, claiming the support of 44 legislators, including seven from the BJP and three from its state ally, the National People's Party (NPP), and an Independent.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Mint
26 minutes ago
- Mint
Current agri loans over ₹28 lakh crore, but no waiver plan: Govt
The Centre has informed that agricultural loans worth over ₹ 28.5 lakh crore are outstanding but ruled out any plans for a waiver, minister of state in the ministry of finance Pankaj Chaudhary said in response to a question in Lok Sabha on Monday. Responding to Parliamentary questions by Lok Sabha MPs Supriya Sule (Nationalist Congress Party – Sharadchandra Pawar, Maharashtra), Hanuman Beniwal (Rashtriya Loktantrik Party, Rajasthan) and others, the Ministry of Finance informed Monday that outstanding agricultural loans stood at ₹ 28,50,779.43 crore as of March 31, 2025. These are due from 1,762.96 lakh accounts. 'No proposal to waive off the outstanding agricultural loans, is under consideration with Union Government,' the government said. Meanwhile, it is important to note that farmer loans are different from other categories of lending such as personal loans but lately the stance of cooperative banks to insist on credit score for approval of loans has rattled farmers no end. Read this Livemint for details on this. However, it added that several measures have been taken 'to provide relief and to improve the economic conditions of the farmers which inter-alia includes timely and adequate credit through Kisan Credit Card (KCC) under which crop loan up to ₹ 3 lakh is provided at subsidized interest rates under the Modified Interest Subvention Scheme (MISS) with additional incentives for timely repayment, fixation of progressively increased agricultural credit target, issuance of revised Priority Sector Lending guidelines to ensure improved credit flow to the agricultural sector etc.' The top five states in terms of outstanding agricultural loans are Tamil Nadu: ₹ 4,03,367 crore; Andhra Pradesh: ₹ 3,08,716 crore; Maharashtra: ₹ 2,60,799 crore; Uttar Pradesh: ₹ 2,28,560 crore; Karnataka: ₹ 2,22,301 crore. State Loans ( ₹ crore) Rajasthan 1,87,322 MP 1,62,385 Kerala 1,52,198 Telangana 1,44,346 Gujarat 1,44,330 Punjab 1,04,353 (Source: Other states with dues in excess of ₹ 1 lakh crore are Rajasthan: ₹ 1,87,322 crore; Madhya Pradesh: ₹ 1,62,385 crore; Kerala: ₹ 1,52,198 crore; Telangana: ₹ 1,44,346 crore; Gujarat: ₹ 1,44,330 crore; Punjab: ₹ 1,04,353 crore. Apart from Sule and Beniwal, the questions were put up by NCP-SP MPs from Maharashtra: Bhaskar Murlidhar Bhagare, Nilesh Dnyandev Lanke, Mohite Patil Dhairyasheel Rajsinh, Dr Amol Ramsing Kolhe, and Bajrang Manohar Sonwane, Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackrey) MP from Maharashtra Sanjay Dina Patil, and Congress MP, Prof Varsha Eknath Gaikwad, also from Maharashtra. The MPs had also asked 'whether there is any correlation found between outstanding agricultural loans and incidence of farmer suicides in states like Maharashtra and if so, the data available with the Government on such cases during the last five years.' The government said that the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) publication 'Accidental Deaths and Suicides in India' is available till the year 2022 but that it does not specify separate reasons for farmer suicides. The MPs had also asked 'whether any specific categories of farmers marginal, small, tenant, SC/ST are more burdened with outstanding loans and if so, the details thereof' to which the government said that 'NABARD All India Rural Financial Inclusion Survey (NAFIS) for the period of 2021-2022 indicates a generally positive relationship between landholding size and household indebtedness, with the proportion of indebted households increasing as land size increases, up to 1 hectare. Beyond this threshold, a marginal decline in the incidence of indebtedness is observed among households with larger landholdings.' Disclaimer: Mint has a tie-up with fintechs for providing credit, you will need to share your information if you apply. These tie-ups do not influence our editorial content. This article only intends to educate and spread awareness about credit needs like loans, credit cards and credit score. Mint does not promote or encourage taking credit as it comes with a set of risks such as high interest rates, hidden charges, etc. We advise investors to discuss with certified experts before taking any credit.
Hans India
29 minutes ago
- Hans India
AIADMK's Palaniswami Sparks Controversy With Temple Land Ownership Promise For Delta Residents
Tamil Nadu's opposition leader Edappadi K Palaniswami has ignited a fresh political controversy by pledging to grant formal land ownership rights to families residing on temple properties across the state's delta region, should his AIADMK party regain power. The promise has drawn sharp criticism from political commentators and sparked renewed debate over temple land management. Palaniswami defended his proposal by highlighting the long-term residence of numerous families on temple-owned land, arguing that his previous administration had initiated steps toward regularizing their occupancy. During his tenure as Chief Minister, he had announced a comprehensive scheme whereby the government would conduct land assessments, compensate temples appropriately, and subsequently issue ownership documents to current residents. The former Chief Minister acknowledged that legal challenges had previously derailed the initiative, with court interventions resulting in stay orders that prevented implementation. He expressed confidence that a future AIADMK government would successfully navigate these legal obstacles and complete the ownership transfer process for affected families. However, the proposal has faced immediate pushback from political analysts who question both its legality and appropriateness. Sumanth Raman, a prominent political commentator, strongly condemned the plan through social media, emphasizing that temple lands remain outside government ownership and cannot be arbitrarily redistributed. He characterized Palaniswami's promise as fundamentally flawed and politically irresponsible. The controversy extends beyond land ownership issues to broader questions about temple administration and fund utilization. During his ongoing statewide campaign, Palaniswami has consistently attacked the ruling DMK government's approach to temple management, accusing them of misappropriating religious institution funds for secular purposes. Palaniswami has specifically criticized the DMK's practice of using temple revenues to establish educational institutions, arguing that such expenditures represent improper diversion of religious funds. He contends that the state government should finance educational infrastructure through its own budget rather than utilizing temple resources designated for religious purposes. The DMK leadership has responded forcefully to these accusations, citing existing legal frameworks that explicitly permit such fund utilization. The HR&CE Act provides clear authorization for temple institutions to allocate surplus funds toward educational and charitable activities, making Palaniswami's criticism legally questionable. Chief Minister MK Stalin has characterized Palaniswami's position as reflecting BJP ideological influence rather than traditional AIADMK policies. This accusation suggests that the opposition leader has shifted toward more religiously conservative positions that align with national BJP narratives about temple autonomy and Hindu religious rights. Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin escalated the political rhetoric by labeling Palaniswami a "Sanghi," implying ideological alignment with RSS-BJP thinking rather than authentic AIADMK principles. This characterization represents an attempt to portray the opposition leader as abandoning his party's historical positions in favor of external ideological influences. The temple land ownership promise reflects broader political calculations about rural constituency appeals and religious sentiment mobilization. Palaniswami's strategy appears designed to attract support from families currently residing on temple properties while simultaneously positioning his party as protective of religious institutions against alleged DMK mismanagement.
Time of India
29 minutes ago
- Time of India
Akhilesh Yadav's mosque visit sparks BJP outrage over political meeting and Dimple Yadav's attire
Akhilesh Yadav recently visited a mosque near Delhi's Parliament accompanied by his wife Dimple Yadav and other SP MPs, including Imam-MP Mohibullah Nadvi. The BJP has strongly condemned the visit, alleging that it disguised a political meeting and even calling the mosque an unofficial Samajwadi Party office. BJP leader Jamal Siddiqui also criticised Dimple Yadav's attire, claiming it violated religious norms and hurt Islamic sentiments globally. The BJP has threatened an FIR over the incident. In response, the Samajwadi Party denied all allegations, accusing the BJP of orchestrating a distraction from pressing national issues. Show more Show less
