Both PM and CM failed miserably to rescue farmers: Tulasi Reddy
Addressing the media here on Saturday, Tulasi Reddy referred to the unprecedented challenges farmers face, including a lack of buyers for crops like chillies, tobacco, sweet lemon, mango, paddy, and turmeric. He pointed out that the steep rise in fertilizer prices, crop insurance premiums, urea shortages, and the absence of input subsidies have made farming increasingly unviable.
He also slammed the coalition government for failing to deliver on its promise of Rs. 20,000 annually to farmers under the Annadatha Sukheebhava scheme, noting that not a single paisa has been disbursed even 14 months after the coalition assumed power. He termed the coalition's 'Super Six' election promises a 'super flop' and criticised the Central government for not providing adequate financial support to complete the Polavaram project, further burdening the state.
The Congress leader accused the state government of diverting Rs 2,100 crore from the 15th Finance Commission funds, meant for local bodies, to other purposes. This diversion, he said, has left gram panchayats unable to provide basic amenities like drinking water and sanitation.
Congress city president Gowdapera Chittibabu, PCC secretary Venkata Narasimhulu, SC Cell former president Chandrasekhar, and Chandragiri in-charge Lokesh Reddy were present.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Indian Express
3 minutes ago
- Indian Express
Amid curbs on H1B and student visas, more Indians are lining up for US investment visas
'THE TRUMP Card is Coming. Enter your information below to be notified the moment access opens,' says the new US government website on the Gold Card, the $5 million US residency visa programme announced by President Donald Trump in February. Despite curiosity around the new programme, the launch date and specific details of which are yet to be released, data shows that the existing investment-based residency programme EB-5, which the Gold Card will replace, has seen more applications from India over the past one year than ever before. According to the American Immigrant Investor Alliance (AIIA), a Washington-based collective of EB-5 investors, demand for EB-5 from Indian citizens has grown sharply since April 2024, driven by factors such as stricter controls over student and temporary work visas under the Trump regime. Data provided by United States Immigration Fund (USIF), which runs designated EB-5 regional centres in the US, confirms this. 'In the first four months of FY2025 (October 2024-January 2025), Indian applicants filed more than 1,200 I-526E petitions across reserved categories — more than any prior full year,' Nicholas Mastroianni III, president and CMO of USIF, told The Indian Express, referring to the application forms. Experts said another factor fuelling EB-5 filings could be a record backlog in other immigration categories, including H1-B and green card. According to estimates, more than 11 million US immigration applications are pending with the authorities. So, EB-5 has become the fastest and most assured route to US permanent residency, they said. Data accessed by The Indian Express from Washington-based Invest In the USA (IIUSA), an overarching trade association for the EB-5 regional centre programme, show that 1,428 EB-5 visas were issued to Indians in FY2024 (October 2023 to September 2024), as against 815 in the previous year. Between 2014 and 2021, the figures were minuscule, at 96 in 2014, and under 200 EB-5 visas until 2017. Created by the US Congress in 1992, the EB-5 programme is a pathway to green cards to immigrants who make a minimum investment of $1,050,000 (Rs 9 crore), or $800,000 (Rs 6.88 crore) in economically distressed zones called Targeted Employment Areas (TEA), to create jobs for Americans, according to the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services website. It allows the investor, their spouse and unmarried children under 21, to immigrate to the US. However, changes were brought to the programme in 2022, introducing both flexibility for investors and stronger audit checks on sources of income. Following this, experts said, filings from high net worth Indian citizens looking for US residency increased manifold. Between October 2024 and March 2025, 649 Indian nationals were issued EB-5 visas via consular processing — a strong indication that a large number of Indian filings from the financial year 2022–2023 have matured, Mastroianni said. The path is also becoming popular in the adjustment of status category, among those already in the US on non-immigrant status. 'Students and individuals on H-1B visas currently represent the primary group seeking lawful means to remain in the US with the ability to work,' said Sukanya Raman, country head, Davies & Associates, LLC, an immigration law firm. 'Indian nationals currently in the US on non-immigrant status such as H-1B or student visa and who file under the new provisions benefit from automatic issuance of work and travel permits within 3-6 months from the time of filing I-526E petition typically which remain valid until their EB-5 green card is approved,' said Raman. The number of student visas issued by the US government have dropped by 15% globally to 89,000 in the first half of fiscal year 2025 (October-March) with India reporting a massive fall of 43.5% in fresh visas compared to the same period in 2024, according to the US Department of State data. The numbers are likely to fall further in the second half of fiscal 2025 due to a nearly month-long pause in new visa appointments over May and June. While China remains top user of EB-5 visas, followed by Vietnam and India, IIUSA data also shows that most Indian filings come through the Indian consulate in Mumbai, showing that high net worth individuals from the financial capital and the region have been using this route to get US residency. Out of the total 638 unreserved consular processing (for those based in India, as opposed to adjustment of status, meant for those already living in the US) applicants between October 2024 and May 2025, 543 filed through the US consulate in Mumbai. According to Ravneit Kaur Brar, Attorney-at-law in California who deals with immigration issues, the data is always compiled with China and India as two data points because of very high volume coming out of these two countries, in almost every category. China accounts for 51% of worldwide filings. India remains the second-largest market, contributing a total of 1,341 I-526/E filings between FY2022 and July 5, 2024, with 1,057 of them filed under the Reserved EB-5 categories, Brar said. 'India shows a positive trend in approval rates over the years. India's approval rate rose from 59% in FY2022 to 82% in FY2024,' she said. The processing time from petition filing to visa issuance varies from the kind of projects being opted for by the applicant. While rural area projects take approximately 8-24 months; High-Unemployment Area Projects take 12-30 months. Mastroianni said that contrary to assumptions, there has been a surge in demand for EB-5 after the announcement of the Gold Card programme. 'We are witnessing one of the most promising surges in EB-5 interest from Indian families in recent history. The uncertainty surrounding future visa programmes like the proposed Gold Card, combined with heightened scrutiny of traditional student and work visa routes, has pushed many investors to act now — not later. What's changed is not just demand, but decisiveness,' he said. 'With the spectre of visa retrogression looming and the current ability to file concurrently from within the US, families are prioritising stability, permanence, and long-term security. EB-5 is no longer seen as an alternative — it's become the preferred strategy,' Mastroianni said. Divya A reports on travel, tourism, culture and social issues - not necessarily in that order - for The Indian Express. She's been a journalist for over a decade now, working with Khaleej Times and The Times of India, before settling down at Express. Besides writing/ editing news reports, she indulges her pen to write short stories. As Sanskriti Prabha Dutt Fellow for Excellence in Journalism, she is researching on the lives of the children of sex workers in India. ... Read More
Time of India
20 minutes ago
- Time of India
NGT fines HP officials for not disclosing action against polluting sewage treatment plants
Kullu: The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has imposed a fine of Rs 10,000 each on Himachal Pradesh State Pollution Control Board (HPSPCB) state chief secretary and member secretary for not disclosing any action taken against sewage treatment plants (STPs) that are polluting rivers. In a recent order, NGT chairperson Prakash Shrivastava directed the chief secretary to file a report within a week and asked the HPSPCB member secretary to inform it when the report was submitted. During the previous hearing in March, the tribunal observed that many STPs in the catchment area of Sukhna Khad and Ashwani Khad were not complying with environmental norms, and hence environmental compensation should be imposed against them. The tribunal also ordered the HPSPCB to submit a fresh report disclosing details on the environmental compensation imposed against the project proponents running the STPs, which are not complying with environmental norms. During the same hearing, the tribunal observed that the chief secretary, in his report, did not disclose STP-wise details regarding installed capacity and capacity utilisation. In May last year, NGT directed the chief secretary to file a report on STPs in the catchment area of nine rivulets, which are getting polluted due to the discharge of industrial effluents. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Why Seniors Are Snapping Up This TV Box, We Explain! Techno Mag Learn More Undo The tribunal also ordered the chief secretary to disclose in the report the results of the analysis of samples collected from these STPs. Acting suo moto, the tribunal had in Jan last year asked the state chief secretary to file a report on pollution levels in nine rivulets — Ashwani Khad, Giri, Markanda, Pabbar, Ratta, Shikari Khad, Baald, Sarsa, and Sukhna Khad. The tribunal also asked the chief secretary to file his response on the govt's action plan to clean these rivulets. The tribunal observed that the water quality assessed by the Central Pollution Control Board at 137 locations across 37 rivers and rivulets in the state revealed disturbing trends due to the unregulated disposal of industrial effluents and untreated sewage. NGT also noted that biological oxygen demand (BOD) level in the nine rivulets exceeded prescribed pollution standards, posing a threat to public health, agriculture, and biodiversity. As per a report submitted to the tribunal by CPCB, there are 15 STPs installed in catchment areas of six of the nine rivers. There are no STPs in the catchments of Shikari Khad in Rohru and Giri river and Markanda Khad in Sirmaur. The report revealed that most of these STPs are operating without consent to operate (CTO) and violating environmental norms. Get the latest lifestyle updates on Times of India, along with Friendship Day wishes , messages and quotes !
Time of India
20 minutes ago
- Time of India
Guv visits disaster-affected areas in Mandi, calls for stronger disaster preparedness
1 2 Mandi: Himachal Pradesh governor Shiv Pratap Shukla visited the disaster-affected areas of Thunag, Bagsiad, and Janjehli in the Siraj assembly constituency of Mandi district on Sunday. During the visit, the governor met the affected families and distributed essential relief materials. The governor first interacted with disaster victims in Thunag and remarked that the sub-division suffered the most damage in the recent natural calamity, with extensive losses to private property, land, and livestock. He said cases amounting to over Rs 3 crore in compensation had been approved for final sanction. Commending the resilience of the local people, he said, "Despite the massive loss, the courage and determination of the residents here are truly commendable. While complete compensation for the damage is not possible, all possible assistance will be provided." He emphasised the need to consider both internal resources and additional arrangements to tackle such situations effectively. Shukla also visited the relief camp at Bagsiad and held discussions with the affected residents at the PWD Rest House in Thunag. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like TV providers are furious: this gadget gives you access to all channels Techno Mag Learn More Undo He later visited Panchayat Ghar Pakhred and reviewed the situation in the affected areas of Jhundi and Pakhred panchayats. The governor also met disaster-hit families in Janjehli and offered words of comfort. He said five truckloads of relief material had been dispatched to Mandi and one to Kullu from Raj Bhavan. He assured that more assistance would be sent promptly if requested by the district administration. Calling the calamity a major disaster, the governor said that immediate restoration is a challenge and there is a pressing need to take preventive measures to avoid such situations in the future. Referring to the Supreme Court's observations on environmental protection, he said they must be taken seriously and acted upon collectively. Leader of opposition Jai Ram Thakur, who also accompanied the governor, said the people are still in deep shock as their sources of livelihood were destroyed. He appreciated the state govt for restoring essential services like roads, electricity, and water supply through the district administration. Get the latest lifestyle updates on Times of India, along with Friendship Day wishes , messages and quotes !
