YSRCP accuses TDP govt in AP of misusing power to wrest Pulivendula by-poll
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Hindustan Times
8 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
Punjab: Under pressure, Mann govt denotifies land-pooling policy
Amid stiff opposition from political parties and farmer bodies, the Bhagwant Mann-led Aam Aadmi Party government on Monday denotified the controversial land-pooling policy. Chief minister Bhagwant Mann-led Punjab government had been facing flak from Opposition parties and various farmer bodies, which dubbed the policy a 'looting' scheme aimed at 'robbing' farmers of their land. 'The government hereby withdraws the land-pooling policy dated May 14 and its subsequent amendments,' read a release by principal secretary, housing (Vikas Garg). 'Consequently, all actions, like letters of intent issued, registration done, or any other action taken thereunder shall be reversed henceforth,' it added. Although the government had been vehemently defending the policy, saying it aimed at giving 'planned urban development' a big push, the Punjab and Haryana high court, a few days ago, ordered an interim stay on its implementation for four weeks. 'The AAP has been a farmer-friendly party from the very beginning. The land-pooling policy was brought for the benefit of farmers, but they did not support it. Therefore, it has been withdrawn without any delay,' said finance minister Harpal Singh Cheema. The state government had planned to acquire around 65,000 acres of land in 164 villages, including in Ludhiana, to develop residential and industrial zones. According to the policy, a land owner was to be given a 1,000 square yard residential plot and a 200 square yard commercial plot in fully developed land in lieu of one acre of land. The Mann government, however, had been facing flak from Opposition parties and various farmer bodies, which dubbed the policy a 'looting' scheme aimed at 'robbing' farmers of their land. The Shiromani Akali Dal, the BJP and the Congress, among others, had held multiple protests against the policy while various farmer bodies, including the Samyukta Kisan Morcha, had also planned demonstrations and protests. The AAP had hit out at Opposition leaders for spreading 'propaganda' against the state government's policy, with party leaders describing it as 'farmer-friendly'. On August 7, the high court, while ordering an interim stay on the policy, had held that it appears to have been notified in haste and concerns, including social impact assessment and environmental impact assessment, should have been addressed before its notification. Last week, CM Mann had announced that his government would reach out to people and farmers over the land-pooling policy. Reacting to CM's statement, leaders of farmer unions had categorically said that scrapping the policy was the only solution. Opposition parties and farmer bodies described the scrapping of the policy as victory of Punjabis. 'The recall of the policy clearly shows that people of Punjab are aware of their rights and government has to bow before their might,' they said.
Time of India
18 minutes ago
- Time of India
Public school transportation in Ohio curtailed as state prioritises private school students
When students in Dayton, Ohio step outside for the first day of school this week, nearly 2,000 of them will find no familiar yellow bus waiting. For Ruben Castillo, an 11th grader at Meadowdale Career Technology Center, the absence of a ride is more than an inconvenience, it is a financial strain. 'I'm going to have to use Uber, and it's going to cost me $25-$30 a day to get to and from school,' Castillo told The Guardian . 'In wintertime, when demand is higher, it's probably going to be more.' Over a 180-day school year, the bill runs into thousands of dollars, a cost he will bear himself. Legal mandate shifts buses away from public school students The shortage is not due to neglect or oversight. According to The Guardian , Ohio law requires public school districts to provide transportation for students attending private and charter schools. Failure to comply can result in fines amounting to millions of dollars. In districts like Dayton, where there is already a shortage of drivers and buses, the requirement has forced administrators to give priority to non-public school students while public school students are left to find alternative transport. Safety concerns prompt end to public bus vouchers For several years, Dayton and other cities such as Cincinnati attempted to bridge the gap by issuing public transportation passes to students. But the system had its own risks. Reports emerged of students facing safety concerns on public buses, and transit authorities struggled to manage the additional demand. According to The Guardian, the tension came to a tragic point in April, when 18-year-old Alfred Hale III was shot dead at a downtown Dayton bus hub while on his way to Dunbar High School. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like No annual fees for life UnionBank Credit Card Apply Now Undo Following the incident, Ohio lawmakers passed legislation prohibiting Dayton Public Schools (DPS) from providing public bus vouchers to its students. The burden of daily transport has since shifted to parents, grandparents, local churches and community organisations. Families who choose to continue using public buses must now pay at least $540 a year per high school student. 'There seems to be an aggressive approach to the most vulnerable families and people in America,' said David Lawrence, superintendent of DPS, according to The Guardian . 'Not only is it unfair, it's onerous that public schools have to provide transportation to non-public school students.' Part of a broader education policy shift The situation reflects a broader trend across Republican-led legislatures in the United States, The Guardian noted. In Ohio, lawmakers have established a $1 billion voucher fund for families to send children to private and charter schools, many operated by religious organisations. States such as Texas, Florida, Iowa and Tennessee have implemented similar measures, directing large amounts of taxpayer funding into private school voucher systems. In cities like Cincinnati and Columbus, the impact is visible. Cincinnati has cut more than 100 yellow bus routes, leaving children as young as 13 reliant on public transport. In Columbus, the public school system is required to bus students from 162 private and charter schools, despite more than half of its own students being African American. District leaders say law directly affects service Dayton Public Schools board member Jocelyn Rhynard put the issue plainly in her comments to The Guardian : 'It's simple – if we did not have to bus non-public school students on our transportation, we could transport every single one of our K-12 students on yellow buses.' Currently, DPS transports between 4,000 and 5,000 private and charter school students each day. Republican state representative Phil Plummer, who supported the voucher ban for Dayton, argues that the measure was necessary for safety. 'We had an 18-year-old get shot and killed. The environment for the students is not good down there. The NAACP interviewed the children, they don't want to ride the public transportation buses, they want to ride the yellow school buses,' he told The Guardian . Plummer says he and others located 25 buses that DPS could buy, but claims the district chose not to transport its own students. Cost and procurement challenges DPS leaders counter that meeting current demand would require about 70 buses, a purchase that could take up to two years. 'It's an 18-month cycle,' said Lawrence. 'Buses are $150,000 to $190,000 each to buy, and ones with backup cameras and air conditioning are more expensive. Then drivers have to take at least 10 tests before they become fully qualified.' The law took effect just months before the new school year, leaving families to improvise. William Johnson, a DPS educator, described the logistical challenge for his own family: 'I'm a single dad raising two kids on my own. We all have to be at school at the same time. That's a big dilemma. I'm lucky that my 80-year-old father is going to help out taking them to school. But I ask the state [politicians] – please come up with a solution. We're going to lose a whole generation of kids if this continues.' A community adapting to policy change From the city's bus hubs to its classrooms, the changes have reshaped daily life for thousands of students. For Castillo and others like him, the school year begins not with a ride, but with a reminder of how policy decisions in Columbus can alter the morning routine for an entire community. TOI Education is on WhatsApp now. Follow us here. Ready to navigate global policies? Secure your overseas future. Get expert guidance now!
Time of India
20 minutes ago
- Time of India
Giani Harpreet is first SC prez of reorganised SAD
1 2 Amritsar/Jalandhar: In a historic shift in Punjab's political landscape, Giani Harpreet Singh emerged as the first president of the reorganised Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) — and notably, the first person from a Scheduled Caste background to hold this position. His elevation came at a time of deepening fissures within the traditional SAD, led by Sukhbir Singh Badal . Harpreet Singh's entry into political leadership followed a series of tumultuous events. On Dec 19, 2024, he was barred from performing his duties as the acting jathedar of the Akal Takht by the executive committee of the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC). In response to a question posed shortly after that decision, Harpreet Singh hinted at a political future, saying he would consider taking up leadership if given the opportunity. Known for his outspoken stance against certain leaders within the Badal-led SAD, Harpreet Singh has not shied away from controversy. He publicly accused prominent SAD leader Virsa Singh Valtoha of allegedly causing internal divisions. He had also claimed that he faced personal threats — including abduction threats to his daughters — and caste-based harassment. Harpreet also claimed he was being targeted for his perceived proximity to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Rashtriya Sikh Sangat (RSS), allegations that further deepened the political divide. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Your Finger Shape Says a Lot About Your Personality, Read Now Tips and Tricks Undo Tensions escalated on Oct 15, 2024, when the Sikh high priests issued a directive calling for Valtoha's expulsion from the SAD for 10 years. Before the party could act on this directive, Valtoha tendered his resignation, which was subsequently accepted by SAD working president Balwinder Singh Bhundar. Significantly, Harpreet Singh, now president of SAD, was one of the signatories of the Dec 2, 2024 directives in the capacity of jathedar of Akal Takht, which constituted the seven-member committee — now a five-member committee — to reorganise the SAD. According to the Sikh clergy, the SAD had lost the moral authority to give political lead to the panth due to its 'sins'. The Sikh clergy also declared Sukhbir Singh Badal 'tankhiya' (guilty of religious misconduct) after Badal, along with other SAD leadership including Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa and others, and pronounced a religious sentence upon them. Bout within Akali space to get more intense and bitter The Akali crisis, once expected to be resolved with the intervention of Akal Takht, will now be addressed in the people's court with more intensity and bitterness. This follows the formal establishment of a new Akali Dal on Monday, with former Takht Damdama Sahib Jathedar Giani Harpreet Singh, who also served as acting Jathedar of Akal Takht, becoming its President. If this development poses a challenge for Sukhbir Singh Badal and his camp, Giani Harpreet Singh and the other Akali leaders in his camp also face a significant challenge. The real test for both would be to capture the imagination of the Sikh masses, when MP Amritpal Singh's camp has its own support base. The Badals lost considerable ground in the community over the last 10 years, and they have yet to show signs of major recovery. However, this does not mean that Giani Harpreet Singh and his associates can take things for granted. He is on a slippery turf with an equal proportion of opportunities and adversities. Giani Harpreet Singh was a prime target of Sukhbir's camp, especially after the December 2 pronouncement, and he faced numerous personal attacks. Sukhbir is not only facing another faction but also a leader who happens to be his bete noire. While Sukhbir has resources, particularly a well-oiled social media cell, Harpreet Singh, during his tenure as Akal Takht acting Jathedar and then as Damdama Sahib Jathedar, demonstrated the capability of building or countering narratives on crucial occasions. However, his test now is whether he will present his own narrative or merely respond to what Sukhbir's camp throws at him. The RSS-BJP may feature more frequently in their competing narratives. Sukhbir's camp has already alleged that the RSS-BJP were behind attempts to dislodge him, using the 'BJP-agent' label for adversaries in the Sikh political space, including Harpreet Singh. The latter accused the BJP govt of sheltering Sukhbir by not holding SGPC elections. A challenge for both camps is that a major section of Sikh voters did not vote for any other party and would prefer one or the other Akali faction. For many, Congress remained untouchable. However, over the last decade, a significant section of Sikh voters shifted towards the Aam Aadmi Party and Congress. 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.
