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India Today
3 days ago
- General
- India Today
Electricity reaches remote hilltop village in Andhra, tribals dance with joy
For the first time ever, the Jeelugulowa community in Telangana's Anakapalle district danced the traditional Dhimsa with joy, because their village finally has electricity. Tucked away on the top of Samalamma hill, Jeelugulowa is home to just eight families with a population of 50 people. Until now, life after sunset meant surviving in darkness, amid dense forests and wild animals. The villagers used candles to eat, walked 7 km to Bangaru Bandalu to charge their phones, and lived in fear at night, especially when someone fell ill or was bitten by a long wait for basic infrastructure has finally ended. After multiple protests and appeals during Visakha Zilla Parishad meetings, and a visit from the National Human Rights Commission Chairman and Anakapalle Collector in 2022, promises were made to provide electricity, water, and roads. Aadhaar and ration cards were issued, but progress remained slow. On Sunday night, the lights came on. Under the Janman scheme, power finally reached the village — prompting a celebration with dance and heartfelt gratitude. The villagers extended special thanks to the Anakapalle District Collector and the electricity department district executive committee members K Govinda Rao and K Mahesh were also thanked for their continued support. While electricity is a big win, the villagers say they still await roads and drinking IN THIS STORY#Andhra Pradesh
Indian Express
27-05-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
After AAP in Delhi, CPM in Kerala becomes second party to face ED chargesheet
The Enforcement Directorate on Monday submitted a chargesheet in a special court in Kochi in connection with the 2021 Karuvannur Cooperative Bank money laundering case, naming the ruling CPI(M) as an accused along with eight party leaders, including Lok Sabha MP K Radhakrishnan, former state minister A C Moitheen and former Thrissur district secretary M M Varghese. This is only the second instance where the federal probe agency has named a political outfit as an accused under the PMLA. Last year, it had named the AAP as an accused in the liquor 'scam' case. With this, the total number of accused in the case now stands at 83. The central agency said that the accused made a monetary gain of Rs 180 crore through the alleged fraud. CPI(M) state secretary M V Govindan called the chargesheet a 'political conspiracy' and said that the case will be fought legally as well as politically. 'Party had taken action against those who took the wrong approach on the bank issue. But the ED foisted the case on three leaders who had served as party district secretaries. People of Kerala will give a fitting reply to the ED, an agency engaged in spreading lies,'' he said. The State Crime Branch police, which had initially investigated the case, said that an estimated Rs 300 crore had been siphoned off by functionaries from the CPI(M)-controlled bank. Later, the ED initiated a probe under the PMLA and confiscated assets worth Rs 128 crore. The ED alleged that the three leaders — Radhakrishnan, Moitheen and Varghese — during their stints as the district secretaries of the CPI(M), assisted the other accused persons to avail illegal loans and a certain amount from the illegal loans was channelised to the party fund. Two party committees were controlling the bank's governing body. All three were at various stages party district secretaries in Thrissur. According to the chargesheet, a bank employee, Biju M K, who was made an approver, confessed before a magistrate court that the CPI(M) district committee members, including the secretary, had put pressure on the bank authorities to grant illegal loans and obtain a certain part it from borrowers as contribution to the CPI(M) fund. Radhakrishnan, who had served as party's district secretary from 2016 to 2018, had knowingly assisted the accused persons, who availed illegal loans, for raising funds for CPI(M) from the illegal loan amount, the chargesheet said. During Varghese term as CPI(M) district secretary from 2018 to 2020, the ED said, bank accounts were opened illegally against the by-laws of the society for collecting funds from benami loanees and used for purchasing immovable property for the party. Moitheen had served as the party's district secretary from 2011 to 2016 and, as per the chargesheet, he also assisted the accused persons who availed illegal loans, for raising funds for the CPI(M) from illegal loan amounts. '… CPI(M) has collected illegal amounts from the benami borrowers of the bank as commission for arranging such illegal loans which is nothing but proceeds of crime. The amount collected from illegal loans were utilized for their local expenses, election meetings, purchase of unaccounted lands and buildings for party office, party office furniture etc,' the chargesheet said. '… similar undisclosed accounts were being maintained by the CPI(M) party at every level in every district in a decentralized manner. Therefore CPI(M) party is indulged in the process of money laundering and thereby CPI(M) party is guilty of the offence of money laundering as specified under Section 3 which is punishable under section 4 of the said Act,' it said. CWC member and senior party leader in Kerala Ramesh Chennithala questioned why the central agency did not arrest the three leaders. 'This shows the deal between CPI(M) and Sangh Parivar in Thrissur, where the BJP won in the last Lok Sabha elections. The BJP is blackmailing the CPI(M) using the ED case,'' he said.
Indian Express
26-05-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
Karuvannur co-op bank ‘scam': CPM dist unit, party MP named in ED chargesheet
The Enforcement Directorate on Monday submitted a chargesheet in a special court in Kochi in connection with the 2021 Karuvannur Co-operative Bank money laundering case, naming ruling CPI(M) party's Thrissur district committee as an accused along with its eight party leaders including Lok Sabha MP K Radhakrishnan, former state minister A C Moitheen and former Thrissur district secretary M M Varghese. With this, the total number of accused in the case now stands at 83. The central agency said that the accused made a monetary gain of Rs 180 crore through the alleged fraud. CPI(M) state secretary M V Govindan called the chargesheet a 'political conspiracy' and said that the case will be fought legally as well as politically. 'Party had taken action against those who had taken the wrong approach in the bank issue. But ED had foisted the case on three leaders who had served as party district secretary. People of Kerala will give a fitting reply to the ED, an agency engaged in spreading lies,'' he said. The State Crime Branch police, which had initially investigated the case, said that an estimated Rs 300 crore had been siphoned off by functionaries from the CPI(M)-controlled bank. Later, ED initiated a probe under PMLA and confiscated assets worth Rs 128 crore. The ED alleged that the three leaders — Radhakrishnan, Moitheen and Varghese — during their stints as the district secretary of the CPI(M) had assisted the other accused persons to avail illegal loans and a certain amount from the illegal loans was channelised to the party fund. Two party committees were controlling the bank's governing body. All three were at various stages the party's district secretary in Thrissur. According to the chargesheet, a bank employee Biju M K, who was made an approver, had confessed before a magistrate court that the CPI(M) district committee members, including the secretary, had put pressure on the bank authorities for granting illegal loans and obtain a certain part it from borrowers as contribution to CPI(M) fund. Radhakrishnan, who had served as party's district secretary from 2016 to 2018, had knowingly assisted the accused persons, who availed illegal loans, for raising funds for CPI(M) from the illegal loan amount, the chargesheet said. During Varghese term as CPI(M) district secretary from 2018 to 2020, the ED said, bank accounts were opened illegally against the by-laws of the society for collecting funds from benami loanees and used for purchasing immovable property for the party. Moitheen had served as the party's district secretary from 2011 to 2016 and as per the chargesheet he also assisted the accused persons who availed illegal loans, for raising funds for the CPI(M) from illegal loan amounts. '… CPI(M) has collected illegal amounts from the benami borrowers of the bank as commission for arranging such illegal loans which is nothing but proceeds of crime. The amount collected from illegal loans were utilized for their local expenses, election meetings, purchase of unaccounted lands and buildings for party office, party office furniture etc,' the chargesheet said. '… similar undisclosed accounts were being maintained by the CPI(M) party at every level in every district in a decentralized manner. Therefore CPI(M) party is indulged in the process of money laundering and thereby CPI(M) party is guilty of the offence of money laundering as specified under Section 3 which is punishable under section 4 of the said Act,' it said. This is only the second instance where the federal probe agency has named a political outfit as an accused under the PMLA. Last year, it had named the AAP as an accused in the alleged liquor scam case. CWC member and senior party leader in Kerala Ramesh Chennithala questioned why the central agency did not arrest the three leaders. 'This shows the deal between CPI(M) and Sangh Parivar in Thrissur where BJP won in the last Lok Sabha elections. BJP is blackmailing CPI(M) using the ED case,'' he said.
India Today
23-04-2025
- Politics
- India Today
Tamil Nadu Vice-Chancellors meet: Raj Bhavan says no power struggle with state
The Tamil Nadu Governor's office strongly denied allegations of a political tussle with the state government, clarifying that the upcoming Vice-Chancellors' conference in Ooty on April 25 and 26 is a long-standing academic initiative and not a reaction to recent political a press release issued on Tuesday, Raj Bhavan dismissed media reports that portrayed the annual academic conference as a power move in response to the recent Supreme Court verdict limiting gubernatorial discretion over state reports are entirely erroneous and mischievous,' the statement read, terming the allegations 'scandalous and far from truth.' The controversy stems from the timing of Governor RN Ravi's announcement of the annual Vice-Chancellors' meet, which follows a landmark Supreme Court verdict that curbed the powers of state Governors by setting a three-month deadline for clearing state legislation. In Tamil Nadu, the judgment had direct implications: ten Bills — many of them seeking to strip the Governor of the Chancellor role in state universities — were deemed to have received after the verdict, Chief Minister MK Stalin convened a high-level meeting with Vice-Chancellors and Registrars. The session focused on future-ready academic reforms, enhanced inclusivity, and transforming Tamil Nadu's higher education institutions into global research hubs. Stalin emphasised that Tamil Nadu's education model, despite not adopting the National Education Policy (NEP), had already surpassed its targets, with a Gross Enrollment Ratio of 51.3 per cent — nearly double the national this backdrop, the Governor's call for a separate Vice-Chancellors' conference raised eyebrows and drew sharp criticism from opposition parties. Tamil Nadu Congress president K Selvaperunthagai accused the Governor of defying the spirit of the apex court's ruling. 'The Governor should have resigned after the verdict. Holding a meet now disrespects the Constitution,' he posted on social state secretary P Shanmugam was more scathing, calling for a boycott of the Ooty conference and branding Ravi an 'RSS agent.' He noted that the state legislature had already acted to remove the Governor's oversight in university appointments, arguing that holding the event now was 'unconstitutional.'However, the Raj Bhavan has rebutted these claims by pointing out that the annual academic meet has been held every April since 2022. 'Preparations for this year's conference began in January itself, with several meetings held to make it more productive,' the statement read. It emphasised that the conference aims to bring together leaders from academia and industry to explore ways to improve student outcomes and academic excellence across the state's higher education landscape.'Earlier, State Universities largely functioned in silos, to the disadvantage of our students and institutions. These conferences have changed that, facilitating dialogue and cooperation,' the release Governor's office stressed that the event is not politically motivated but instead part of a structured and recurring effort to address evolving challenges in education, science, and technology. 'It is unfortunate that some ill-informed media reports have twisted this academic exercise and wrongly linked it with a recent Court judgment,' the release concluded.
