Latest news with #CabinetSub-Committee
The Hindu
5 days ago
- Politics
- The Hindu
Cabinet to meet on June 5; Yuva Vikasam and employee issues on the agenda
The State Cabinet is scheduled to convene on June 5 to deliberate on several critical issues, including the ambitious Rajiv Yuva Vikasam programme and the Cabinet Sub-Committee report on employee-related matters. The decision was taken during a meeting of ministers chaired by Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy at the Integrated Command Control Centre on Sunday (June 01). It was attended by Deputy Chief Minister Bhatti Vikramarka and all the Ministers. The upcoming Cabinet meeting is expected to be a significant one, as it will address two major constituencies that were instrumental in the Congress party's return to power — the youth and government employees. The Rajiv Yuva Vikasam scheme, which has emerged as a flagship initiative aimed at youth empowerment, received overwhelming interest from the public. Ministers informed the Chief Minister that the volume of applications had exceeded expectations and flagged widespread complaints about attempts by ineligible individuals to exploit the scheme. To ensure transparency and credibility, the Cabinet will consider delaying the final announcement of beneficiaries until all applications are thoroughly screened. 'Not a single ineligible person should benefit from the scheme,' the CM said indicating the government's fairness intent. In addition, the Cabinet will take up the report submitted by the committee on employee issues. Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka, who received the report earlier, briefed the meeting on its findings. The meeting felt that the government must prepare a roadmap on all the demands of employees, and it requested the Deputy CM to conduct the next meeting with the government employee leaders soon to resolve them. The Ministers also reviewed reports from their recent visits to districts on May 29 and 30, where they assessed preparations for major initiatives like finalisation of list of beneficiaries of Indiramma house scheme, Revenue department conferences, and the cultivation readiness for the monsoon season. The ministers lauded Minister for Civil Supplies N. Uttam Kumar Reddy for his proactive efforts in streamlining grain procurement operations, ensuring minimal disruption to farmers.
Hans India
23-05-2025
- Business
- Hans India
Crop planning should align with mkt demand: CM
Vijayawada: Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Thursday directed the officials of the Agriculture department to go for crop-specific planning aligned with national and global market trends. Naidu emphasised the need to inform farmers in advance about suitable crops based on market dynamics to ensure a balance between supply and demand and prevent losses. "Farmers must cultivate only high-demand crops to avoid losses," said Naidu. He instructed the officials to adopt scientific planning and monitor global agricultural developments regularly. During an official review on key crops such as tobacco, cocoa, mango, and paddy, he discussed immediate and long-term farmers' issues. He stated that both short-term and long-term challenges in agriculture must be addressed through the Cabinet Sub-Committee. The CM instructed officials that cocoa stocks with farmers should be purchased at Rs 500 per kg, and if the companies fail to do that, he said the government should step in for direct procurement. He also ordered accurate registration of HD Burley tobacco stocks through an app and approved a crop holiday for that variety due to lack of market demand. He is pursuing the inclusion of HD and White Burley varieties under the Tobacco Board and will discuss farmer concerns with union ministers. The Chief Minister also reviewed challenges faced by tomato farmers and instructed officials to encourage more tomato processing units in the state to ensure fair prices. On paddy, officials informed him that procurement is progressing smoothly, with even rain-damaged stock being purchased. To boost mango pulp consumption, he suggested a Goods and Service Tax (GST) reduction on pure juices and proposed its use in mid-day meals and Tirumala-Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) temple offerings to increase demand. This initiative is aimed at boosting mango juice consumption and alleviating the financial strain on mango farmers, who are currently grappling with declining prices. It has been observed that a lack of orders has led to a slowdown in mango procurement, causing considerable distress among mango growers. Naidu directed officials to ensure that pulp processing companies immediately resume procurement. However, officials highlighted that existing stockpiles and a shortage of bank loans for pulp companies are limiting their capacity to purchase fresh stock. To address this, the CM instructed officials to facilitate bank loans for these processing units. Ministers Ayyanna Patrudu, Nadendla Manohar, Gottipati Ravikumar, Nimmala Ramanaidu, and Payyavula Keshav participated in the review meeting.
News18
29-04-2025
- Politics
- News18
Indus Water Treaty Suspension: India's Hydro-Political Response To Pakistan's Proxy War Doctrine
India's suspension of the IWT signals to the world that New Delhi is prepared to reframe the contours of South Asian diplomacy In a turn of events that lays bare the enduring proclivity of Pakistan's military-intelligence apparatus for perfidious adventurism, the subcontinent has once again been plunged into the vortex of tragedy and retribution. On 22 April, the scenic tranquillity of Pahalgam in Jammu and Kashmir was shattered by a heinous act of terror—an attack carried out by assailants of Pakistani provenance, leaving in its wake a trail of innocent blood, most of it that of unsuspecting tourists. This egregious violation of human sanctity provoked an unequivocal and resolute response from New Delhi. In a swift Cabinet Sub-Committee review chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 23 April, the Indian government charted a bold course of action, announced by India's Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri. Among the arsenal of retaliatory instruments under consideration, it was the suspension of India's obligations under the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) that emerged as the most telling—and symbolic—rebuke to Islamabad. This abrupt departure from what has long been a pillar of regional diplomacy signals a watershed moment—both literally and metaphorically—in South Asia's geopolitical tapestry. For more than six decades, the IWT has served as an improbable exemplar of bilateral cooperation, a rare artefact of amity amidst a chronically discordant relationship. That India should now suspend this treaty reflects a fundamental recalibration of its strategic posture, particularly vis-à-vis Pakistan's sustained dalliance with proxy terrorism. But before one delves into the ramifications of this audacious move, one must first examine the edifice of the Indus Waters Treaty—its origins, its operational architecture, and the significance it has come to assume in both geopolitical and existential terms. In what can only be described as an act of magnanimous restraint, India ceded exclusive control over the three Western rivers—comprising nearly 70% of the total water volume—to Pakistan, while retaining dominion over the three Eastern ones. This asymmetry, while glaring, was accepted in the spirit of regional stability and the hope that water, the most elemental of life's resources, might also irrigate the parched soil of subcontinental peace. But alas, that noble aspiration has withered. Successive regimes in Islamabad have weaponised non-state actors, cultivating a cottage industry of jihadist terror that has repeatedly spilled across the Line of Control and stained Indian soil with blood. And yet, even amidst war and vitriol, India abided by the treaty, honouring its commitments with a stoic discipline that belied the provocations it endured. This forbearance, however, is not inexhaustible. The Cost of Generosity To understand the magnitude of India's concession, consider the numbers. The Eastern rivers—Ravi, Beas, and Sutlej—over which India has unfettered rights, collectively yield about 41 billion cubic metres of water annually. The Western rivers, gifted to Pakistan, deliver nearly 99 billion cubic metres—more than double the volume under Indian control. This hydrological largesse has become the very artery of Pakistan's survival. In a nation where agriculture constitutes over 25 per cent of GDP and sustains approximately 70 per cent of the populace, water is not a mere resource—it is an existential imperative. The Indus basin fuels its farms, powers its turbines, and feeds its people. To perturb this flow is to imperil the nation's economic equilibrium and societal cohesion. And yet, Pakistan's security establishment has long treated this precious accommodation as a given—immutable, untouchable, and immune to the vagaries of geopolitical conduct. This misplaced confidence has emboldened it to pursue a duplicitous doctrine—of nurturing militant proxies even as it benefited from the benevolence of Indian water diplomacy. The Straw That Broke the Canal By suspending the IWT, India is sending a message steeped in symbolism but not lacking in substance. This is not merely an outburst of indignation—it is a calibrated policy shift. The message is unequivocal: India shall no longer subsidise its adversary's antagonism with strategic concessions. If Pakistan insists on fomenting unrest through insidious means, it must also be prepared to forfeit the privileges accorded to it under treaties predicated on good faith. One may argue, with some justification, that India's current water infrastructure lacks the immediate capacity to divert or fully harness the Western rivers. The requisite reservoirs, barrages, and canal systems for such a hydrological overhaul are still under development. But in geopolitics, perception often precedes practice. The very act of invoking the treaty's suspension has rattled the strategic calculus in Islamabad and laid bare the fragility of its assumptions. For decades, Pakistan has operated on the belief that India's strategic restraint—especially in the hydrological domain—was sacrosanct. It misread India's civility as weakness. That illusion has now been spectacularly shattered. A Faustian Bargain That Failed What, then, has Pakistan gained from its Faustian pact with terror? Has its strategy of bleeding India through a thousand cuts yielded dividends? On the contrary, the costs have been profound and self-defeating. Far from 'liberating" Kashmir or coercing India into negotiations on its own terms, Pakistan finds itself internationally isolated, diplomatically suspect, and economically anaemic. Worse still, the terror groups it once mentored have now metastasised, turning their guns inward and threatening the cohesion of the Pakistani state itself. The logic of proxy warfare—premised on the deniability of violence and the expendability of cannon fodder—has unravelled. In its place stands a polity riddled with extremism, plagued by economic fragility, and mired in geopolitical ignominy. The international community, once indulgent of Pakistan's strategic anxieties, now views its double game with growing exasperation. The Geopolitical Ripple Effect India's suspension of the IWT, while unilateral in action, has multilateral implications. It signals to the world that New Delhi is prepared to reframe the contours of South Asian diplomacy. Water—long considered sacrosanct—can no longer be divorced. To paraphrase the ancient wisdom of the East, one cannot bathe twice in the same river—because the water has moved on, and so has time. Pakistan, too, must now move on—from the shackles of militancy, from the dogmas of military overreach, and from the delusion that duplicity can be a permanent policy. top videos View all If it fails to do so, history may not be as forgiving as the Indus once was. The writer is an author and a columnist. His X handle is @ArunAnandLive. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect News18's views. tags : indus water treaty Indus Waters Treaty Pahalgam attack Location : New Delhi, India, India First Published: April 29, 2025, 19:40 IST News opinion Right Word | Indus Water Treaty Suspension: India's Hydro-Political Response To Pakistan's Proxy War Doctrine
