
Delhi Confidential: Suitable space
Taste Of Bengal
TMC MPs are 'delighted' with a change of menu at the Parliament cafeterias. The reason: 'grilled Bhetki fish'. Sharing the 'good news', MPs of the West Bengal-based party said 'grilled Bhetki' was a welcome change at the Parliament cafeterias as so far only Basa fish was served, which most Bengali fish eaters found 'flavourless'. The rate of the Bhetki dish — `350 per plate — also meant TMC MPs could enjoy it at an 'affordable price'.
Surprise Invite
Uttar Pradesh Horticulture Minister (Independent Charge) Dinesh Pratap Singh has written to PM Narendra Modi, inviting him to lay the foundation stone of the International Potato Centre's (CIP) South Asia Regional Centre (CSARC) in Agra. The letter has taken several officials at the Centre by surprise. The Union Cabinet had only approved the proposal to establish CSARC on June 25, and Singh sent the letter to the PM the very day. The minister extended the invitation even before the formal MoU between the Union Ministry of Agriculture and CIP was signed, and without any formal proposal yet from the UP Chief Minister's Office for such a ceremony, it is learnt.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
Andhra Pradesh CM Naidu turns heat on defaulters in green energy space
Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads New Delhi: Chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu-led Andhra Pradesh government has launched a crackdown on renewable energy developers sitting on land parcels without initiating work and has ordered scrutiny of projects worth ₹4 lakh the first action, the government has cancelled a 328 MW wind power project allocated to Sreeja Infrastructure, a subsidiary of the Italian renewable energy major Enel Green, which was recently acquired by Gujarat-based Waaree Energies . The project was sanctioned in 2018 when Naidu was in power. However, the Capacity Sanction Agreement, required for formal commencement of work, was signed in 2022 under the previous Jagan Mohan Reddy-led YSRCP company had to complete the project in 24 months by December 2024. The government has now cancelled the project and ordered forfeiture of performance bank guarantee worth ₹6.5 crore. Over the last two weeks, two hydro projects have also been cancelled for delayed Naidu-led administration has now sought updated implementation status and timelines from all renewable projects allotted in the state, covering over 60 GW of capacity. This forms part of a broader audit aimed at unlocking stalled green energy potential in Andhra Pradesh. Sources said projects with an investment worth ₹4 lakh crore are under scrutiny. These include big players like Axis Energy, Suzlon Energy , Indosol and Ecoren. According to sources, close to 36 project sites have been allotted to three investors with no progress on ground. Indosol has been allotted 1.52 lakh acres of land to develop 3000 MW project, Ecoren has been allotted 4.35 lakh acres to develop 3500 MW capacity at six locations and Axis has 15.13 lakh acres of land to develop 12,000 MW capacity at different locations. Sources indicated that the government is serious about taking action against those sitting on solar and wind resources and action against Sreeja Infrastructure is to signal that failure to commence work immediately would result in cancellation and penalties. "This is not just about enforcing deadlines. This is about reclaiming credibility, land, and clean energy targets," said an official adding, "Valuable wind zones are being locked up by companies that are not acting. In a resource-constrained geography like ours, we can't afford such strategic delays."Unlike government land leases, Sreeja's project is slated to be built on private land, but the government had already earmarked exclusive wind coordinates for the project, effectively blocking any other renewable developer from using the site. With limited high-velocity wind zones in Andhra Pradesh, these land-coordinate allocations are prized Naidu, who returned to power with a strong development agenda, the message is clear - land is not to be hoarded, and renewable energy, once allotted, must translate into megawatts on the grid. The government has set a target of 160 GW of renewable energy capacity by 2030.


Economic Times
an hour ago
- Economic Times
Opposition to step up protest; BJP says SIR debate off-limits
Synopsis The Opposition in India is intensifying its protest against the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar, alleging bias and demanding a parliamentary discussion. Opposition leaders are planning meetings and protests, accusing the Election Commission of favoring the BJP. ANI Opposition leaders to protest against SIR in Parliament complex The Opposition is gearing up to escalate its protest over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar, following the release of the draft roll by the Election Commission. It is also planning to press for a discussion on the issue in both Houses of Parliament, which have remained stalled for the past two weeks, barring a 16-hour debate on Operation coordinate their next moves, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi have invited leaders of the INDIA bloc for a dinner meeting on August 7 at Gandhi's official residence in New Delhi. Uddhav Thackeray, Sharad Pawar, Abhishek Banerjee and Tejashwi Yadav are among those who have confirmed Opposition is also considering a protest at the Election Commission's office in Delhi on August 8, in addition to sustained floor action during the ongoing the government has pushed back. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju reiterated that a discussion on SIR cannot be allowed under parliamentary rules. "The government is ready to discuss any issue as per rules. But this is a process undertaken by a constitutional authority and it's not the first time it's being done," he said. Citing former Lok Sabha Speaker Balram Jakhar, he added, "What is not favoured by rules and convention cannot be discussed." He also asked who in the House would answer on behalf of the leaders, however, remain firm. Rahul Gandhi, after a meeting with Speaker Om Birla, accused the EC of acting on behalf of the BJP. "Whoever in the Election Commission is involved in this exercise-from top to bottom-we will not spare you. You are working against India. This is no less than treason," he said. In Rajya Sabha, several opposition MPs have submitted notices under Rule 267 seeking to suspend regular business and hold a discussion on the SIR, as well as issues such as alleged atrocities against Bengali-speaking people in some sources told ET that Rule 267 notices are rarely accepted and are meant for extraordinary situations. "Currently, members are submitting notices on a range of issues, but there is no consensus among them," a source Chairman Harivansh, addressing members in the Upper House on Thursday, urged them to use Question Hour and Zero Hour more productively. "This session provided opportunities for 120 questions, 120 Zero Hour submissions and 120 Special Mentions. But only 11 questions, three submissions and 17 mentions could be taken up. The House has lost 30 hours and six minutes of members' time-not government business time," he said.


The Print
2 hours ago
- The Print
Haryana CM Saini says Rahul Gandhi's allegations on Arun Jaitley exposes his ‘politics of lies'
'The late Shri Arun Jaitley ji passed away in 2019, while the (now repealed) agricultural laws were introduced in 2020. Despite this, Rahul Gandhi is claiming that Jaitley ji came to threaten him not to oppose the agricultural laws. Addressing an event recently, Gandhi claimed that Arun Jaitley had threatened him to not speak against the farm laws, else he would face action, a charge rubbished by the BJP as 'fake news'. Chandigarh, Aug 3 (PTI) Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini Sunday said Rahul Gandhi's allegations against former finance minister Arun Jaitley on the farm laws issue expose the Congress leader's 'lack of political understanding and his politics of lies'. 'This statement by Rahul Gandhi is not only laughable but also exposes his lack of political understanding and his politics of lies. By fabricating falsehoods in the name of deceased leaders, he is trying to regain his lost credibility, which is extremely shameful and condemnable,' the Haryana CM posted on X in Hindi Sunday evening. Saini added that people will not be 'misled by such false statements'. The BJP slammed Gandhi over the comments, saying he was rewriting timelines to 'suit narratives'. Congress leader Pawan Khera had responded, saying the farm laws of 2020 were the culmination of a long, deliberate, anti-farmer agenda of the BJP government. In a post on X on Saturday, Khera, chief of Congress' media and publicity department, wrote: 'For the uninitiated who have been jumping since the morning, sit down and listen: The Farm Laws of 2020 were not the only anti-farmer legislations of the BJP government. They were the culmination of a long, deliberate, anti-farmer agenda that the BJP government had been cooking up in its cauldron of destructive policy.' He said the 'first blow came in December 2014 itself, when Modi resorted to diluting the Land Acquisition and Rehabilitation Bill of 2013. Then in 2017 came the so-called Model Agricultural Produce and Livestock Marketing Act – another backdoor assault on farmers' rights'. Khera said the Congress, led by Rahul Gandhi, 'vehemently opposed these anti-farmer laws'. It is in this context that the late Arun Jaitley came to 10 Janpath to meet Rahul Gandhi, carrying a threat, he claimed. PTI SUN SKY SKY This report is auto-generated from PTI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.