BJD slams cancellation of coastal highway tender; calls it double betrayal by Centre
BHUBANESWAR: The BJD on Tuesday voiced strong opposition to the cancellation of the tender for state's coastal highway project by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), describing it as a 'double betrayal by the double-engine government'.
BJD vice-president and former minister Sanjay Das Burma told a media conference here that the development has thrown the long-delayed project into uncertainty yet again. He said under the Centre's Bharatmala project, 413 km-long coastal highway was planned and formally announced by Union minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari at Pipili on July 9, 2015. It was proposed that the route from Ratanpur to Chandanpur would be declared a national highway and connected with the proposed coastal highway.
The proposed length of the coastal highway was later changed to 346 km. Das Burma said initially it was decided that the highway would be of four-lane and tenders were invited accordingly.
But now, after re-evaluation, there are indications that it may be downgraded to a two-lane road, which is completely unacceptable, he said. He urged Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi to immediately discuss the matter with the Centre and ensure that the project is executed as originally planned.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Hindustan Times
24 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
SC rejects urgent hearing in Tamil Nadu's plea against Centre over edu funds
The Supreme Court on Monday rejected a plea by the Tamil Nadu government seeking an urgent hearing in its suit against the Union government for allegedly withholding over ₹2,000 crore in funds under the Samagra Shiksha Scheme (SSS). The Tamil Nadu government had described the Centre's move as 'coercive tactics' to force the state to implement the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020. 'For how long has this fund not been given? What is the urgency now?' a bench of justices Prashant Kumar Mishra and Manmohan asked senior advocate P Wilson, who mentioned the matter on behalf of the Tamil Nadu government, seeking an expedited listing. As Wilson flagged the constitutional right to free and compulsory education of nearly 48 lakh students in the state being adversely impacted due to the withholding of the fund, the bench remained unconvinced and declined the request, saying: 'The plea is rejected.' The brief exchange took place during the Supreme Court's ongoing summer recess, now designated as a period of 'partial court working days' where only two to three benches sit and only matters of pressing urgency are usually considered, in addition to some old cases where both sides have given their consent to argue during the break. The regular functioning of the top court will resume on July 14. Filed under Article 131 of the Constitution, Tamil Nadu's suit accuses the Centre of linking its annual share under the SSS to the implementation of the NEP 2020 and the PM SHRI Schools Scheme -- a condition the state calls 'unconstitutional, arbitrary and coercive.' According to the suit, the Project Approval Board had approved a total outlay of ₹3,585.99 crore for Tamil Nadu under SSS for the financial year 2024–25, of which ₹2,151.59 crore was to be the Centre's 60% share. The state claims this amount was not released solely because of its principled opposition to NEP 2020. Tamil Nadu, ruled by the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), has been a vocal critic of the NEP, particularly its three-language formula, which the state believes undermines its two-language policy rooted in Tamil linguistic pride and regional identity. 'The Union Government seeks to coerce the State to implement the NEP-2020 throughout the State in its entirety and to deviate from the education regime followed in the State,' the suit submitted, while asserting that SSS is a standalone scheme that should not be tied to compliance with any other policy. The suit further alleged that the withholding of funds 'cripples the implementation of the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009,' directly impacting 43.9 lakh students, 2.2 lakh teachers, and over 32,000 school staff in the state. The state's legal team has argued that the Centre's move violates the spirit of cooperative federalism and amounts to an 'usurpation' of the state's constitutional powers to legislate on education, which falls under Entry 25 of the Concurrent List. Tamil Nadu has also urged the Supreme Court to declare that the implementation of NEP and the PM SHRI Schools Scheme, which mandates full compliance with NEP, is not binding on the state. It has sought a direction to the Centre to immediately release ₹2,291 crore (including interest), claiming the delay is 'not only illegal but also violative of constitutional morality.' While the plea for an urgent hearing has now been declined, the main suit continues to be listed for regular hearing. The standoff comes amid a broader constitutional tussle between the Tamil Nadu government and the Union government. On April 8, the Supreme Court struck down Tamil Nadu governor RN Ravi's controversial move to reserve 10 re-enacted state bills for presidential assent, and the matter is now part of a presidential reference pending before the top court.
The Hindu
30 minutes ago
- The Hindu
Supreme Court refuses urgent hearing to T.N.'s plea against Centre over education funds
The Supreme Court on Monday (June 9, 2025) refused to accord urgent hearing to a plea filed by the Tamil Nadu government against the Centre for allegedly withholding over ₹2,151 crore in central education funds under the Samagra Shiksha Scheme for 2024-2025. A Bench comprising Justices Prashant Kumar Mishra and Manmohan took note of the fact that the State government filed the petition in May alleging withholding of central funds for 2024 and this year also. "There is no urgency and it can be taken up after the 'partial working days' (the new name of summer vacation)," the Bench said. In May, the Tamil Nadu government moved the top court against the Centre for allegedly withholding the funds. The DMK government's plea, filed against the Union Ministry of Education, invokes Article 131 of the Constitution which provides exclusive jurisdiction to the top court to hear pleas between the Centre and one or more States, or between one or more States. The State government alleged the Centre attempted to force the implementation of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 and the associated PM SHRI Schools Scheme which it strongly objected to, particularly the contentious three-language formula. The top court, therefore, was urged to declare that the NEP and the PM SHRI Schools Scheme are not binding on the plaintiff State unless and until a formal agreement is entered into between the plaintiff and the defendant for their implementation within Tamil Nadu . The lawsuit has also sought a declaration that the action of the Centre to link Tamil Nadu's entitlement to receive funds under the Samagra Shiksha Scheme to the implementation of the NEP, 2020, and the PM SHRI Schools Scheme within the State are unconstitutional, illegal, arbitrary, unreasonable . It has also urged the top court to declare the Centre's letters of February 23, 2024 and March 07, 2024 as illegal, null, void ab initio and not binding on the State government. The plea sought a direction to the Centre to pay "₹2,291,30,24,769 (two thousand two hundred and ninety-one crore thirty lakhs twenty-four thousand seven hundred and sixty-nine) within a time frame to be fixed by this court" along with a future interest of 6% per annum on the "principal sum of ₹2,151,59,61,000 (two thousand one hundred and fifty-one crore fifty nine lakh and sixty one thousand) from May 1, 2025 until realisation of the decree". The dispute stems from the non-release of central funds under the Scheme, a flagship centrally sponsored programme for school education aimed at universalising quality education. The Project Approval Board (PAB) of the Ministry of Education had approved a total outlay of ₹3,585.99 crore for Tamil Nadu for FY 2024 25, of which the Union Government's committed 60% share amounted to ₹2,151.59 crore. The plea said despite this approval, no instalments have been disbursed by the Centre as yet. The Centre, it said, unilaterally linked the release of these funds to Tamil Nadu's full implementation of NEP 2020 and the signing of an MoU for the PM SHRI Schools Scheme, conditions which were neither part of the original Samagra Shiksha Scheme nor agreed upon by the State. The reason for such non-disbursement is that the defendant has linked the release of Samagra Shiksha Scheme funds with the implementation of national education policy and NEP exemplary PM SHRI Schools' Scheme despite the fact that these policy/scheme are separate schemes, it said. Also read: How the two-language policy officially came into force in the State of Madras Referring to the impact of non-release of Samagra Shiksha funds, the plea said paying salaries was crucial in maintaining competent and motivated teachers and supporting staff. It directly impacts the quality of education provided to students and contributes to overall societal development by nurturing the next generation with the skills and knowledge needed for success, it added.
The Hindu
30 minutes ago
- The Hindu
Govt aims to turn India into food basket of the world
Union Agriculture Minister Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan announced that the Centre has set a goal of turning India into the food basket of the world. Addressing farmers at the ICAR-IIHR campus in Hessarghatta in Bengaluru city outskirts, as part of the Viksit Krishi Sankalp Abhiyan, the Minister indicated that the Centre is looking beyond feeding the 145 crore people of India. The Union Government would collaborate with State Governments, agricultural universities, Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs), farmers, and scientists to draw a comprehensive roadmap to achieve this goal. He said the Viksit Krishi Sankalp Abhiyan initiative was aligned with the Prime Minister's vision of a Viksit Bharat (developed India) by 2047. The campaign has a motto of ensuring development of agriculture sector in the country, he explained. As part of this, the 'Lab to Land' initiative has been launched, involving over 16,000 scientists who are engaging with farmers across the country to provide scientific knowledge and support. 'Over the last 10 days, 1,896 teams have interacted with about 9 lakh farmers across 8,188 villages,' he said. In Karnataka alone, more than 70 interdisciplinary teams comprising scientists and officials from agriculture and allied departments were visiting farms daily under this programme, the Minister said. These teams were recording feedback directly from farmers to shape need-based, problem-oriented agricultural research programmes. So far, 639 teams have visited 2,495 villages, engaging with 2,77,264 farmers in Karnataka, he said. He said the Viksit Krishi Sankalp Abhiyan envisioned 'One Nation, One Agriculture, One Team'. To ensure farmers receive fair prices for their produce, the Centre would bear transportation cost of agricultural produce under the Market Intervention Scheme (MIS), he said. During the event, the Minister felicitated seven outstanding farmers from Karnataka — Ratnamma, Gopal Gowda, Padmini Gowda, H.K. Raghu, Mangalamma, Mahesh H.N., and Sreenivas — for their significant contribution to agriculture.
