Govt allocates road funds, MZP calls off proposed bandh
1
2
Aizawl: The Mizo Zirlai Pawl (MZP) Lunglei southern headquarters on Thursday called off its proposed bandh scheduled from Friday after the state govt issued an order allocating additional Rs 58.99 crore for the maintenance of the Aizawl-Thenzawl-Lunglei (ATL) Road, along with an assurance of further financial support.
The student body had launched a blockade on the ATL Road from Monday in protest against the govt's decision to divert Rs 44.89 crore — out of the originally sanctioned Rs 90.69 crore for ATL Road maintenance — for road works in Aizawl city.
In a statement, the ruling Zoram People's Movement (ZPM) Lunglei district headquarters clarified that the diversion of Rs 44.89 crore was part of an interim adjustment, and CM Lalduhoma had assured that once the Central Road Research Institute (CRRI) finalises the revised estimates, additional sanctions — possibly exceeding Rs 100 crore — would be provided as required.
However, given the urgency of the situation, the CM approved an immediate release of Rs 58.99 crore from various sources, which the party described as a commendable step.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
36 minutes ago
- Time of India
Odisha IAS officer hailing from Tripura caught taking bribe
1 2 3 4 Bhubaneswar: IAS officer Dhiman Chakma (36), once celebrated on social media for his inspiring journey as the first successful candidate from Tripura's remote Kanchanpur town, was caught accepting Rs 10 lakh bribe in Odisha's Kalahandi district on Sunday. Chakma was sent to judicial custody on Monday after the court rejected his bail plea. Chakma's career began in 2019 when he was selected in UPSC's Indian Forest Service. He joined as an assistant conservator of forests in Baripada, Mayurbhanj district. In 2024, he cleared the IAS exam and joined as sub-collector at Dharmagar in Kalahandi. His journey of becoming an IAS officer had captured public imagination. His story, featuring accounts of his preparation and eventual triumph, was widely shared on social media, inspiring countless aspirants. The narrative took a dark turn when Odisha vigilance arrested Chakma. Besides the bribe money, an additional Rs 47 lakh cash was recovered in a house search. "We are verifying his movable and immovable assets. Policy related decisions taken by him are also being scrutinised," a vigilance official said. The contrast between Chakma's past and present has sparked intense discussions on social media. "This case underscores how quickly public servants can deviate from their sworn duties in the very beginning of their career. It is very disappointing...," retired DGP Santosh Kumar Upadhyay said. "The incident has prompted broader discussions about corruption in civil services and the need for stronger accountability measures. Chakma's fall from grace also serves as a cautionary tale about the responsibilities that come with public service positions and the consequences of betraying public trust," retired chief secretary Bijay Patnaik said.
Time of India
41 minutes ago
- Time of India
Calcutta HC stays payouts to sacked group-C, D staff
The Calcutta High Court on Monday directed the West Bengal government not to pay monthly allowance to the Group-C and Group-D categories of employees, who lost their jobs following a Supreme Court verdict in April, along with the SSC teachers. Recently, the Trinamool government announced a monthly allowance of Rs 20,000 and Rs 25,00 for Group-C and Group-D categories respectively under a new scheme 'West Bengal Livelihood and Social Security Interim Scheme, 2025' early this month. Justice Amrita Sinha , who was hearing the case today, asked the state's Advocate General Kishore Dutta, whether the Group-C and D employees, who will get the allowance under the 'West Bengal Livelihood and Social Security Interim Scheme, 2025' will do some work or will get the allowance, sitting at home. Dutta, however, stated the matter included in the scheme. "This money is allocated from a special fund, Dutta added. Justice Sinha asked on what basis the allowance was determined and how many employees will get this money? In which cases was such financial assistance given in the past?"
&w=3840&q=100)
Business Standard
an hour ago
- Business Standard
Governing Council urges NIIF to boost global presence, adopt new strategy
The Governing Council (GC) on Monday advised the National Investment and Infrastructure Fund Limited (NIIF) to leverage its sovereign-backed design and emphasised the need to professionally showcase its role and performance on the global stage and within the international investor community. 'The team at NIIF was advised to have a proactive approach to fund-raising and the need to explore diversified sources of financing. The GC expressed its confidence in an enhanced role for NIIF going forward and advised that the meeting be held annually,' said the finance ministry statement. Union Minister for Finance and Corporate Affairs, Nirmala Sitharaman, chaired the sixth meeting of the Governing Council (GC) of the National Investment and Infrastructure Fund Limited (NIIF) in New Delhi. The meeting was also attended by Ajay Seth, Finance Secretary and Secretary, Department of Economic Affairs (DEA); M. Nagaraju, Secretary, Department of Financial Services (DFS); Anuradha Thakur, OSD (DEA); C.S. Setty, Chairman, State Bank of India; and Uday Kotak, Founder and Director, Kotak Mahindra Bank. Moreover, the GC took note of progress on NIIF's upcoming Private Markets Fund II, which has a target corpus of $1 billion, and appreciated the fact that PMF II has successfully onboarded private investors — in line with earlier GC guidance — and is set for its first closing shortly. The GC was also informed about the proposed bilateral fund currently under discussion with the United States. Guidance was provided on aspects related to strategy, successful fund-raising, timely operationalisation and effective deployment. The GC appreciated that both the Master Fund and the Private Markets Fund are already 100 per cent committed and that part of the Master Fund's investments has gone into the creation of greenfield assets in areas such as ports and logistics, airports and data centres. The Governing Council appreciated NIIF's evolution as a sovereign-linked asset manager and acknowledged its sustained efforts in building strong partnerships with marquee global investors, including sovereign wealth funds such as the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority (ADIA) and Temasek; pension funds such as AustralianSuper, Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan and the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board (CPPIB); multilateral development banks including the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), Asian Development Bank (ADB) and New Development Bank (NDB); as well as strategic government institutions such as the Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC). Recognising NIIF's expanding role in mobilising capital into infrastructure and other priority sectors of the Indian economy, the GC appreciated its performance and took note of the growth in its assets under management, which now exceed Rs 30,000 crore, while catalysing capital of Rs 1,17,000 crore. 'The Council was also briefed on NIIF's overall strategy, sectoral focus, investment progress and future roadmap across its four active funds: the Master Fund for infrastructure, the Private Markets Fund (Fund of Funds), the India-Japan Fund focused on climate and sustainability, and the Strategic Opportunities Fund aimed at growth equity,' said the finance ministry statement.
