Ensure free bus travel scheme hassle-free: CM Chandrababu Naidu
Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu took stock of the preparations for launching the scheme, which is one of the NDA's Super Six promises, at the State Secretariat on Tuesday. He directed officials to take all precautionary measures to ensure the smooth implementation of the scheme without any hiccups.
With heavy passenger footfall expected after the launch of the free bus travel scheme, the traffic management should be efficient, capacity should be scaled up accordingly, and people's safety should remain a priority. Passengers should be treated politely, and there should be no inconvenience caused anywhere, he said.
The Chief Minister also stressed the need to collect regular feedback from passengers regarding the free bus travel scheme, so that improvements can be made accordingly. He also said better services should be provided through a service outsourcing agency.
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As India prepares to celebrate its Independence Day, it is undoubtedly keeping its eye on the meeting between Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump in Alaska. But why does India have a stake in the successful outcome of the meeting between Putin and Trump? What do experts say? Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin are set to meet in Alaska tomorrow (August 15). And India is watching closely. As India prepares to celebrate its Independence Day, it is undoubtedly keeping its eye on the events that are occurring nearly 10,000 kilometers away in the last Frontier State. But why does India have a stake in the successful outcome of the meeting between Putin and Trump? Let's take a closer look: New Delhi's position on the war From the beginning of the Ukraine war in 2022, New Delhi has taken a consistent and pragmatic position – the war must end through dialogue and diplomacy. This is a sentiment Prime Minister Narendra Modi has repeatedly voiced over the years. Perhaps none more memorably than in October 2022 on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Samarkand. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Modi, meeting Putin, told the Russian president 'this is not the era of war'. 'I know that today's era is not an era of war, and I have spoken to you on the phone about this', Modi said. 'We've spoken to you many times on the phone before on this, that democracy, diplomacy and dialogue — these things help the world. In the coming days, we will get the chance to talk about how to move on to the road to peace, I will also get the chance to better understand your viewpoint.' Putin at the time responded, 'I know your position on the conflict in Ukraine, the concerns that you constantly express. We will do everything to stop this as soon as possible.' Modi and India's message was even reflected in the declaration of the Bali G20 Summit in 2022. Modi also conveyed a similar message to Putin during his trip to Russia in July 2024 – which came just after a Russian airstrike on a children's Hospital in Kyiv left over three dozen dead. Modi, addressing Putin as his dear friend, said peace is 'of utmost importance' and a solution to the war in Ukraine 'cannot be found on the battlefield'. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Prime Minister Narendra Modi has repeatedly voiced the sentiment that the war must end via dialogue and diplomacy. 'I know that war cannot solve problems, solutions and peace talks can't succeed among bombs, guns and bullets. And we need to find a way to peace through dialogue,' Modi said at the Kremlin. 'When innocent children are murdered, one sees them die, the heart pains and that pain is unbearable', he added. He repeated the message when he visited Poland last year for a two-day trip and met Indian diaspora. Modi before the trip said he would 'share perspectives' on a peaceful resolution of the conflict. 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New Delhi has also pointed out that prior to the war, India bought a fraction of its crude from Moscow and that it began doing so with US encouragement, which also kept the price of crude under control for the world. It also pointed to the hypocrisy of the United States and Europe continuing to trade with Russia. It has said it has placed the national interest above all else and will continue to do so. This was backed up by the Kremlin with spokesman Dmitry Peskov saying, 'Sovereign countries should have and do have the right to choose their own trading partners.' Trump has also ruled out further trade talks with India until the 'crude oil issue is resolved'. The development came in the backdrop of India and the United States trying to negotiate a trade deal. The United States has been pushing hard to for India to open up its sensitive dairy and agricultural sector. 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File image/Reuters US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said on Tuesday that several major trade deals, including those with Switzerland and India, remain pending, remarking that New Delhi had been 'a bit recalcitrant' in its negotiations with Washington. Bessent has said that the Trump administration hopes to conclude the trade negotiations by the end of October. Modi, in his first response to Trump's move, has vowed never to compromise on the interests of India's farmers, even if it meant paying a heavy political price. 'Our farmers' welfare is paramount,' Modi said at an event in New Delhi. 'India will never compromise on the wellbeing of its farmers, dairy sector, or fishermen — and I know I may have to pay a heavy price for standing firm on this.' Keeping options open, Russia relationship A ceasefire or a peace deal in Alaska would allow India to keep its options wide open when it comes to balancing its global affairs. New Delhi has remained neutral on the Russia-Ukraine war at international forums such as the United Nations despite pressures from the US-led West. New Delhi has done so because it has friends on both sides of the aisle. India has also volunteered to act as a bridge, if possible, between Russia and Ukraine. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD India as a developing power also needs to ensure friendly relations with major powers like the United States, the European Union, China. However, it cannot sacrifice its relationship with Russia, which goes back decades, to do so. India is reliant on Russia for a lot more than oil. In fact much of India's military hardware still comes from Russia. The S-400 air defence system'. Reuters As Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) has written, 'India was the world's second largest arms importer in 2020–24 with an 8.3 per cent share of global imports. Indian arms imports decreased by 9.3 per cent between 2015–19 and 2020–24, at least partly due to India's increasing ability to design and produce its own weapons.' Russia still comprises over a third of India's arm imports. Though India is buying more from Western suppliers particularly France, Israel and the United States, New Delhi possibly replacing Moscow a as a major arms supplier remains years away at best. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD This is a testament to the long and enduring relationship with Moscow going back to the 1960s when the United States was far more predisposed towards Pakistan. What do experts say? They say many in India remain a supporter of Russia – and with good reason. 'Many Indians still find Russia today, because of the history, a reliable partner,' Harsh V Pant of the Observer Research Foundation told The Times of India. 'Many in India believe that America has always been more favourably disposed towards Pakistan.' Indian diplomats such as Pankaj Saran and DB Venkatesh Varma said that the summit could be 'defining and potentially transformative'. 'It is a defining and potentially transformative summit for the world, specially for India. Our ties with both countries are integral to the success of our national development and security goals. India should extend its full support to the summit,' Saran said. 'The Alaska summit could prove to be a turning point at the global level and India has a vital interest in its success,' Verma added.
