CM Naidu to launch free power, GST relief for AP weavers on National Handloom Day
The first initiative is a `189.62 crore free electricity scheme, which provides 200 units of free power for handlooms and 500 units for power looms. This move is expected to significantly reduce operational costs for weavers, resulting in annual savings of Rs 14,956 for handloom users and Rs 32,604 for those operating power looms.
The second scheme introduces a Rs 5 crore thrift fund aimed at enhancing weaver welfare. This fund will serve as a financial cushion for artisans, helping them manage unforeseen expenses and invest in their craft with greater confidence.
The third measure is a 5% GST exemption on handloom products. By removing this tax burden, the government hopes to make handloom goods more affordable for consumers, thereby boosting demand and ensuring year-round employment for weavers.
Under Naidu's leadership, the coalition government has revitalised the handloom sector, which now supports over 2.5 lakh weavers and contributes to a Rs 1,374 crore industry. The government's Textile Policy is poised to create 1.51 lakh jobs through the development of MSME park units, textile parks in Emmiganur, Rayadurgam, Mylavaram, and Pamidi, and skill development programmes.
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The Hindu
13 minutes ago
- The Hindu
Robert Vadra gave evasive replies, put onus on deceased associates: ED chargesheet in Gurugram land deal case
Robert Vadra, the businessman husband of Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, gave "evasive" replies during questioning in a 2008 "fraudulent" land deal in Shikohpur village of Haryana's Gurugram, and put the "entire onus" on his three deceased associates, the Enforcement Directorate has said in its chargesheet. The ED also alleged that in the alleged money laundering linked real estate transaction, Robert Vadra exerted "undue influence" on Haryana government officials through former chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda. The 332-page chargesheet mentioning these charges was filed by the federal probe agency on July 17 before a special Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) court in Delhi. Mr. Vadra, 56, received Rs ₹58 crore as "proceeds of crime" in the land deal, the ED alleged. Special Judge (PC Act) at Rouse Avenue Courts, Sushant Changotra, on August 2 issued a notice to all 11 accused named in the ED chargesheet before taking cognisance of the prosecution complaint and has listed the matter for August 28. The judge also directed that a copy of the chargesheet be shared with the accused. Mr. Vadra has been named as accused number 1, apart from seven companies linked to him and two directors of SGY Properties (formerly Omkareshwar Properties) named Satyanand Yajee and Kewal Singh Virk. There was no immediate comment from Mr. Vadra's legal team on the allegations made by the ED against the businessman. The case The case pertains to Mr. Vadra's company Skylight Hospitality (SLHPL) purchasing a 3.5 acre land in Shikohpur village in Sector 83 of Gurugram from Omkareshwar Properties (OPPL) at a price of ₹7.5 crore in 2008. The ED took cognisance of a September 2018 FIR of the Gurugram police to file a money laundering case in December that year. The police FIR claimed the land deal was a "bribe" to Mr. Vadra's company (SLHPL) so that he could help OPPL in getting housing licence in the same village from the then CM Hooda, who was also minister of town and country planning, by his personal influence as he (Vadra) was the son-in-law of the then Congress president Sonia Gandhi. "He (Vadra) entered into a dishonest or fraudulent execution of deed of transfer containing false statement of consideration and thus acquired 3.5 acres of land," teh ED claimed. "Robert Vadra through his entity SLHPL has purchased 3.5 acres of land in Shikohpur village without making the payment at the time of registration of sale deed, and declaring that full and final payment has been made," the ED alleged in the chargesheet. It claimed the businessman issued a cheque of Rs 7.50 crore from his other entity named SLRPL (Sky Light Realty) to "misrepresent" the facts in the sale deed. "This cheque was never encashed and no payment was ever made by SLRPL at the time of execution of sale deed," the ED probe found. Mr. Vadra, as per the ED, created structures to "launder" the proceeds of crime generated out of criminal activities. It said the buyer in this case was SLHPL but the stamp duty was paid by the seller, i.e., OPPL. "The allegations in the FIR (Haryana Police) that Mr. Vadra has undue influence through the then CM of Haryana (Hooda) was evident from the fact that the financial capacity to build a colony in the absence of any financial details and documents were accepted by the officials of DTCP (department of town and country planning) at entry level for the only reason that Robert Vadra was the director of this company. "Moreover, the processing of file on the day of its submission by every official in DTCP in a single day and approving by the then CM of Haryana within five days clearly indicates the influence of Robert Vadra, where the government has to take such decision which have a cascading effect on the planning of the cities of Haryana," the ED said. It alleged Mr. Vadra acquired "proceeds of crime" worth ₹58 crore as the land was sold to DLF for the said amount (Rs 58 crore). This was done by entering into a joint venture with DLF Retails Ltd on the basis of Letter of Intent (LoI) issued by DTCP on 3.5 acres of land owned by SLHPL. The ED alleged Mr. Vadra transferred the illicit funds to his various entities for purchasing movable and immovable assets apart from making "conspicuous" expenditure. 'Evasive replies' The agency alleged Mr. Vadra gave "evasive" replies during his questioning and he put "all the onus on three deceased persons (his associates) named late H L Pahwa, late Rajesh Khurana and late Mahesh Nagar for acting on behalf of him". "However, no documentary evidences were provided by him to substantiate his claim," the ED said. It has furnished Mr. Vadra's statement in the chargesheet where he defended himself by saying that these transactions took place in 2007-08 and that he was a "novice" to real estate matters and dependent on his three associates (Khurana, Pahwa and Nagar), and whatever agreements were prepared were with their (three associates) understanding, experience and knowledge. "I didn't decide who should be representing or signing these documents, they were decided by late Rajesh Khurana," Mr. Vadra told the ED during his questioning in April. Mr. Vadra reiterated these matters were 18-year-old and he doesn't "specifically remember" these land deal transactions.
News18
24 minutes ago
- News18
We want to know the truth, we want transparency: US lawyer on AI 171 crash
Ahmedabad (Gujarat) [India], August 11 (ANI): The lead US attorney, Mike Andrews, representing over 65 families affected by the tragic AI171 plane crash here, emphasised the importance of transparency and truth in the ongoing investigation.'We want to know the truth, we want transparency and exactly what happened," Andrews told ANI. 'These families want to know, and they deserve the respect to know what happened to their loved ones."'We also met the survivor and his family. This appears to be a very humble and hardworking family that is suffering a horrific tragedy. We are currently working on several potential theories that could have caused the throttle control malfunctioning system," he area of focus is the potential impact of moisture on the system. 'One question is whether or not moisture can affect the systems and cause a problem," Andrews explained. He also slammed the ongoing compensation delays for the victims' families, noting that such a 'bureaucratic process" would not have existed if former Chairperson of the Tata Group, Ratan Tata, had been highlighted the late Ratan Tata's legacy of compassion, suggesting his presence could have prevented such hurdles faced by the grieving families.'Even in the US, we know who Ratan Tata was. We know a little bit in the US about his work ethic and his focus on being humble and taking care of his employees and so we know that if he were here today, we don't believe employees and victims and people who were on the aeroplane and on the ground would be subjected to a bureaucratic process in which they're delayed payment," he July 26, Air India released Rs 25 lakh in interim compensation payments to the families of 147 of the 229 passengers who lost their lives in the crash and 19 others who lost their lives on the ground. These payments will be adjusted against the final compensation to be determined Tata Group has also established 'The AI-171 Memorial and Welfare Trust' in memory of the victims. The Trust has pledged an ex gratia payment of Rs 1 crore for each deceased individual and also supports the rebuilding of the BJ Medical College Hostel infrastructure, which was damaged in the accident, and provides assistance to first responders, medical personnel, and other support workers affected by the June 12, Air India flight AI171, a Boeing 787-8 aircraft, crashed shortly after it took off from Ahmedabad's Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport, killing 260 people, including 229 passengers, 12 crew members, and 19 people on the ground. (ANI)
Time of India
42 minutes ago
- Time of India
103% rise in booking e-tickets in Khurda Road rly division in 1st quarter: Data
Bhubaneswar: Use of paperless general and platform tickets through the unreserved ticketing system (UTS) on the mobile platform has seen a 103% rise in the first quarter of 2025-26 compared to the similar period in 2024-25, according to latest data released by the Khurda Road railway division. The railway division oversees major stations like Bhubaneswar, Puri, Cuttack, Khurda and Berhampur. From April to June, the division issued 1.83 lakh paperless general and platform tickets, compared to 90,005 tickets issued in the first quarter of 2024-25. "Because of the rise in booking paperless tickets, stations are now witnessing a reduction in queues for unreserved tickets at booking counters," said an official. During 2024-25, the division issued 5.35 lakh paperless general and platform tickets through the UTS on mobile, serving over 22.41 lakh passengers and generating a revenue of Rs 4.76 crore. In 2023-24, it issued 2.56 lakh tickets for 14.81 lakh passengers, generating Rs 2.82 crore in revenue. In 2022-23, around 1.27 lakh tickets were issued for 8.95 lakh passengers, generating Rs 1.53 crore. "This year-on-year growth shows that people want hassle-free services without standing in queues for platform or general tickets. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Use an AI Writing Tool That Actually Understands Your Voice Grammarly Install Now Undo This exponential growth is attributed to wider public acceptance, user-friendly technology and enhanced payment options such as UPI-based QR code transactions, leading to shorter queues and faster processing," read an official statement. The statement said passengers can now book journey, season and platform tickets directly from their smartphones, leveraging the UTS on mobile platform, eliminating the need for ticket printouts. "The app is available in Hindi, English, and regional languages, ensuring ease of use even for first-time users. Tickets are delivered directly to the app and can be shown to ticket-checking staff using the 'show ticket' option — no hard copy needed," an official source said. An official said passengers can now book unreserved tickets up to three days in advance for journeys above 200km and purchase half-yearly and yearly season tickets, apart from platform tickets, with ease. "The app supports multiple digital payment methods and is compatible with Android, iOS and Windows smartphones," the official added. Stay updated with the latest local news from your city on Times of India (TOI). Check upcoming bank holidays , public holidays , and current gold rates and silver prices in your area.
