logo
INDIA bloc remains 'intact', will contest UP elections unitedly: Akhilesh Yadav

INDIA bloc remains 'intact', will contest UP elections unitedly: Akhilesh Yadav

India Gazette6 hours ago

Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh) [India], June 17 (ANI): Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav on Tuesday asserted that the INDIA bloc remains intact and will unitedly contest the upcoming Uttar Pradesh assembly elections in 2027.
He said that the opposition was not bothered by statements made by 'others' regarding the situation of the INDIA bloc and that those who want to leave the alliance are free to do so.
'We don't care about statements made by others. Our INDIA alliance is intact...Those who want to leave the alliance are free to do so. The INDIA bloc will fight the 2027 UP Assembly elections,' Yadav told reporters while addressing a press conference.
Over the deaths in the Kumbh Mela stampede, Yadav criticised the government and stated that the government announced compensation for Kumbh victims, but would not officially name the victims.
'This (UP) government will give Rs 5 lakh in compensation to the Maha Kumbh (stampede) victims, but will not reveal their names officially,' he added.
Meanwhile, Yadav during the day launched a scathing attack on Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, and accused him of being out of touch with the issues affecting the people, particularly the weaver community.
Speaking at a press conference, Yadav alleged that weavers are exploited by middlemen, who take away their profits. He further alleged that the government has failed to support farmers and is purchasing less than 20 per cent of the wheat crop.
The leader also criticised the government's handling of the dairy industry, stating that milk production has come to a halt and the first cow milk plant built has been shut down. (ANI)

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Ministry of Defence moves to shrink time for procurement, replace trials with simulation
Ministry of Defence moves to shrink time for procurement, replace trials with simulation

Indian Express

timean hour ago

  • Indian Express

Ministry of Defence moves to shrink time for procurement, replace trials with simulation

Compression of procurement timelines, faster contract awards and quicker payments to private vendors are among specific steps listed by the Ministry of Defence in meetings that it has had with the Finance Ministry in the run-up to and post Operation Sindoor. Specific measures cited by the Ministry of Defence include the replacement of field evaluation trials, which sometimes take a couple of years or more, with digitisation and simulation to get around long-drawn trials, alongside fast-tracking negotiations to speed up procurement and incentivising the private sector to step up production of vital inputs such as anti-drone equipment and smart ammunition, sources said. Officials aware of the discussions said work has been fast-tracked to ensure speeding up procurement deadlines to the end of this year, with special focus on pushing the domestic defence industry, especially private players, and the purchase of equipment that have interoperability between the different services of the armed forces. This is linked to specific instructions being issued by the Ministry of Defence to private vendors for upscaling supplies of certain ammunition, including for anti-drone and smart ammunition, alongside equipment such as armored vehicles that can be integrated with different weaponry – loitering munitions and guided missiles. The Ministry of Defence has, in the meetings, pitched this as a radically new approach to defence procurement. The Ministry of Finance, in turn, is learnt to have given its explicit support to help meet whatever capex requirement is there from the armed forces, even as it does not see the allocated amount shooting up sharply beyond the allocation in Budget for the ongoing financial year 2025-26, officials said. Officials of the Ministry of Defence are learnt to have acknowledged the slow absorptive capacity for capex, especially in terms of the ability to spend the budgeted amount quickly, both in the domestic industry and in terms of global orders because of various geopolitical factors. 'Work is being done towards compressing the procurement timelines by removing the barriers and delays, especially in areas relating to RFPs (requests for proposal), and negotiations,' an official said. However, officials pointed out that purchasing mechanisms for contingencies are in place with emergency purchasing powers approved up to Rs 40,000 crore, adding that the additional demand by armed forces will not be limited by the budgeted amount. 'I don't think defence expenditure should increase sharply. There is adequate amount for business and contingency measures. Even though we do not anticipate a very big demand, demands for strategic requirements will not be constricted,' another official said. The Defence and Finance ministries have had these discussions in the days before and after Operation Sindoor. They are looking to speed up procurement deadlines to the end of this year. Simulation and digitisation will get around long-drawn field evaluation trials to fast-track the process. The discussions have centred around the need to focus on contract fulfilment and on project management to ensure meeting the delivery schedules. Based on the milestones of the delivery schedules, payments would also be required to be made quickly in time, officials said. As per the latest data by Controller General of Accounts, the Ministry of Defence has spent 9 per cent or Rs 64,221 crore of its overall budget allocation of Rs 6.81 lakh crore in the first month of April of the ongoing financial year. On the capex front, the Ministry has spent 2 per cent or Rs 4,384 crore in April, out of the total budgeted amount of Rs 1.8 lakh crore. In April 2024, the capex had been 1 per cent of the budgeted amount for FY25. While experts have pointed out the requirement for India's defence expenditure to be at least 2 per cent of the GDP for credible deterrence against its neighbouring countries, the defence expenditure has remained below 2.5 per cent over the last five years as a share of the country's GDP. For FY25 and the ongoing financial year 2025-26, it has been even lower than 2 per cent, estimated to be 1.98 per cent and 1.91 per cent as a share of the GDP, respectively. Aanchal Magazine is Senior Assistant Editor with The Indian Express and reports on the macro economy and fiscal policy, with a special focus on economic science, labour trends, taxation and revenue metrics. With over 13 years of newsroom experience, she has also reported in detail on macroeconomic data such as trends and policy actions related to inflation, GDP growth and fiscal arithmetic. Interested in the history of her homeland, Kashmir, she likes to read about its culture and tradition in her spare time, along with trying to map the journeys of displacement from there. ... Read More

PM Meets German Chancellor, Discusses Ways To Strengthen Bilateral Ties
PM Meets German Chancellor, Discusses Ways To Strengthen Bilateral Ties

NDTV

timean hour ago

  • NDTV

PM Meets German Chancellor, Discusses Ways To Strengthen Bilateral Ties

Kananaskis: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday met German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and discussed ways to strengthen bilateral cooperation in key areas such as trade and investment, defence and security, green energy and technology. The two leaders, who met on the sidelines of the G7 Summit here, also exchanged views on regional and international developments, Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said. Prime Minister Modi thanked Chancellor Merz for Germany's strong solidarity and support to India in the fight against terrorism, he said. "Commemorating steadfast 25 years of Strategic Partnership. PM @narendramodi met Chancellor Friedrich Merz @_FriedrichMerz of Germany on the sidelines of #G7 Summit in Kananaskis, Canada," Mr Jaiswal said on X. "Both leaders discussed ways to strengthen India-Germany bilateral cooperation in key areas of trade and investment, defence and security, green and sustainable development partnership, green energy, technology, innovation, education and mobility," he added. Earlier, Modi had said he would be discussing important global issues and emphasise the priorities of the Global South as he meets world leaders at the G7 Summit.

Record 57% MNREGS funds spent on agri activities in UP
Record 57% MNREGS funds spent on agri activities in UP

Time of India

time2 hours ago

  • Time of India

Record 57% MNREGS funds spent on agri activities in UP

Lucknow: The utilisation of Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MNREGS) funds on agriculture and allied activities reached an all-time high of more than 57% in Uttar Pradesh, in what is seen as yet another indicator of the Yogi Adityanath govt's ever-sharpening focus on the farming sector to boost the state economy. The UP govt spent 57.41% of the total over Rs 4,400 crore released by the Centre to UP under the flagship scheme on agriculture and allied activities in the first quarter of the 2025-26 fiscal, according to the latest data from the rural development department. This was 13 percentage points more than in 2024-25 when 44.36% of the total MNREGS funds were spent on agriculture and allied activities in the state. Even during the pandemic, when economic activities came to a grinding halt and scores of people migrated back to their villages, only 33.76% of the MNREGS funds were spent on agriculture. MNREGS is a demand-driven scheme, meaning funds are released to states based on the agreed-upon labour budget. Officials in the rural development department said that the activities primarily carried out under MNREGS included land development, construction of irrigation canals, water harvesting structures, construction of farm ponds, plantation activities, and fencing. Analysts said that an increased focus on agriculture under MNREGS essentially meant improved farm productivity, employment generation in rural areas, and the creation of durable assets for the farmers. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 임플란트, 지금 시작하세요 [자세히 보기] 임플란트 더 알아보기 Undo Experts said that the higher allocation for agriculture under MNREGS showed clear prioritisation of rural development through agriculture-focused assets, which potentially aligns well with the needs of a predominantly agrarian state like UP. Unlike temporary wage work, agriculture-related MNREGS projects will help create long-term infrastructure (like irrigation systems, ponds, bunds, etc.) that directly benefit farming productivity. Spending on agriculture, analysts said, also leads to multiplier benefits—improved irrigation, better yields, and more income for farmers, which in turn stimulates local rural economies. Activities like the construction of ponds may primarily help small and marginal farmers in storing water during dry months.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store