Latest news with #HMShah
Hans India
2 days ago
- Politics
- Hans India
HM Shah to attend TN BJP core committee meet in Madurai today; NDA expansion likely
Chennai: Union Home Minister and senior BJP leader Amit Shah is set to visit Madurai on Saturday, sparking renewed political interest in Tamil Nadu over the party's southern strategy and the potential expansion of the NDA in the state. According to party sources, HM Shah will arrive in Madurai late on Saturday and is scheduled to participate in the BJP's Tamil Nadu core committee meeting the following day. He will also address office-bearers from the state, district, and mandal levels in what is being viewed as a strategic push to strengthen the BJP's base in the southern districts. BJP national co-in-charge for Tamil Nadu, P. Sudhakar Reddy, said the visit would primarily focus on strengthening the party's organisational structure and preparing for the 2026 Tamil Nadu Assembly elections. 'He will speak on various matters, including the achievements of the Modi government over the past 11 years. Amit Shah will also outline a road map for the BJP's strategy in the state,' Reddy said. HM Shah's visit comes at a time when discussions over the NDA's expansion in Tamil Nadu are gaining traction. His previous visit to the state on April 11 marked a significant political moment, as it was during that trip to Chennai that he formally announced the revival of the BJP-AIADMK alliance. That announcement sent ripples across the state's political landscape. Commenting on the choice of Madurai as the venue, BJP state vice-president Narayanan Thirupathy dismissed any special political significance. 'The Union Home Minister has previously chaired meetings in Chennai and Coimbatore. This time it's Madurai,' he said. However, BJP insiders suggest that Madurai, often referred to as the cultural capital of Tamil Nadu, holds symbolic value. The city has long been a stronghold of spiritual and cultural traditions aligned with the Sangh Parivar, and the party is keen to consolidate its base in the southern belt. In line with this, the BJP and its affiliate Hindu Munnani are organising a 'Lord Muruga Devotees Conference' in Madurai later this month. Tamil Nadu BJP spokesperson and senior leader ANS Prasad highlighted the impact of HM Shah's earlier visit. 'His April 11 trip to Tamil Nadu changed the political narrative in the state. The announcement of the AIADMK-BJP alliance shook the DMK and its allies. Since then, leaders including Chief Minister M.K. Stalin have consistently addressed the implications of that alliance. Tamil Nadu politics can now be seen in two phases — before and after Amit Shah's April visit.' Prasad added that HM Shah's upcoming speech in Madurai is expected to offer clear direction for the 2026 elections.
Hans India
22-05-2025
- Politics
- Hans India
Delhi, Haryana CMs discuss issues linked to raw water supply during summer
New Delhi: Stable raw Yamuna water supply and steps for river pollution prevention topped agenda as Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta met her Haryana counterpart Nayab Singh Saini at Delhi Secretariat on Thursday, said an official source. CM Gupta, who was accompanied by Cabinet Ministers Ashish Sood and Manjinder Singh Sirsa, also discussed the issue of the flow of raw Yamuna water for uninterrupted water treatment and supply in Delhi. Later, Saini told reporters that the disruption of raw water supply to both Haryana and Delhi had been threatened by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government in Punjab. The people are watching them, said Saini, hitting out at the AAP government for indulging in politics over water during summer. The meeting came on a day when Union Home Minister Amit Shah reviewed progress on installing 32 real-time water quality monitoring stations. Chairing a high-level meeting, HM Shah directed a holistic approach to clean the Yamuna, ensure drinking water supply, and improve sewage systems in Delhi. An official source said that 10 water quality monitoring stations shall be set up on the Yamuna while the remaining 22 stations shall monitor the water quality in major drains falling into the river. The water monitoring station sites for the river will include Okhla Barrage, ITO Bridge, Palla, ISBT Bridge and Nizamuddin Bridge. The meeting chaired by HM Shah was attended by Union Housing and Urban Affairs Minister Manohar Lal, Union Jal Shakti Minister C.R. Patil, Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, Union Home Secretary, Secretaries of the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs and Ministry of Jal Shakti, Delhi's Chief Secretary, and several senior officials from the Central and Delhi Governments. HM Shah said that the Ministry of Jal Shakti should develop a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for all Sewage Treatment Plants (STPs), establishing standards for their quality, maintenance, and discharge. He emphasised that this SOP should also be shared with other states. HM Shah stressed that plans for the Yamuna, drinking water, and drainage in Delhi should be made with a 20-year vision. He highlighted the crucial role of the Delhi Jal Board in cleaning the Yamuna and emphasised the need to strengthen it, directing the immediate filling of vacant posts in the Board. The Home Minister underscored the need to enhance Delhi's water distribution efficiency, stating that effective water management is essential to ensure drinking water supply across the city. He said, for water supply in Delhi, the Jal Board should strengthen the water distribution structure along with preventing leakage in the pipelines. HM Shah also emphasised the use of world-class technology for desilting drains.
Hans India
21-05-2025
- Politics
- Hans India
HM Amit Shah lauds security forces' effort to eliminate 27 Maoists in Chhattisgarh
Raipur: As security forces have neutralised 27 Maoists in Chhattisgarh, Union Home Minister Amit Shah has termed it as a 'landmark achievement in the battle to eliminate Naxalism.' Sharing the information on his X handle, Shah said, 'Today, in an operation in Narayanpur, Chhattisgarh, our security forces have neutralised 27 dreaded Maoists, including Nambala Keshav Rao, alias Basava Raju, the general secretary of CPI-Maoist, topmost leader, and the backbone of the Naxal movement.' He further said that this was the first time in three decades of Bharat's battle against Naxalism that a general secretary-ranked leader has been neutralised by our forces. 'I applaud our brave security forces and agencies for this major breakthrough. Also glad to share that after completion of Operation Black Forest, 54 Naxalites have been arrested and 84 Naxalites have surrendered in Chhattisgarh, Telangana, and Maharashtra.' HM Shah reaffirmed that the Modi government is resolved to eliminate Naxalism before March 31, 2026. Speaking to IANS, Prabhat Kumar, Superintendent of Narayanpur, said the encounter had been going on since Tuesday morning. According to senior police officials, security forces eliminated 27 Maoists in the Abujhmad forest in Narayanpur district on Wednesday morning. All 27 bodies and weapons have been recovered. Basava Raju, who had a bounty of Rs 1.5 crore on his head, was also among the Maoists killed. A DRG (District Reserve Guard) jawan was martyred in the firing. An encounter is going on at the border of Dantewada, Narayanpur and Bijapur districts. The police had received information that Naxalite politburo member and Naxalite organisation general secretary Basava Raju was present in Boter of Abujhmad. On this basis, the force was dispatched. As soon as the jawans reached Boter of Abujhmad, the Maoists opened fire on them. State Home Minister Vijay Sharma has described this operation of the security forces as a big success. HM Shah had earlier last month made an appeal in Bastar to Maoists to return to mainstream and partake in development activities. He also clarified that forces will not come back or make any conditional compromise.
Hans India
19-05-2025
- Business
- Hans India
HM Amit Shah launches revamped OCI portal to ease registration process
Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Monday launched the new Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) portal, offering enhanced security and smoother registration to help the five million Indian-origin citizens remain connected with the country. HM Shah said that under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, India is continuously striving to provide world-class immigration facilities to its OCI cardholder citizens. He emphasised that many Indian-origin citizens reside in various countries worldwide, and we must ensure they face no inconvenience when visiting or staying in India. He said that a revamped OCI portal with an updated user interface has been launched to simplify the registration process for Overseas Citizens. The Union Home Secretary, the Director of the Intelligence Bureau (IB), and other senior officials of the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) were present on the occasion. The new portal will provide enhanced functionality, advanced security, and a user-friendly experience for the existing over five million OCI cardholders and new users. The new OCI portal is available at the existing URL: The Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) scheme was introduced through an amendment to the Citizenship Act, 1955, in 2005. The scheme provides for the registration of Persons of Indian Origin as Overseas Citizens of India, provided they were citizens of India on or after January 26, 1950, or were eligible to become citizens on that date, said a statement. However, individuals who are or have been or whose parent or grandparent or great-grandparent citizen of Pakistan or Bangladesh, are not eligible. The existing OCI Services portal was developed in 2013 and is currently operational in over 180 Indian missions as well as 12 Foreigners Regional Registration Offices (FRROs), processing approximately 2,000 applications per day. Given the significant technological advancements over the past decade and feedback received from OCI cardholders, a revamped OCI portal has been developed to address existing limitations and enhance user experience, the statement said. The new OCI portal introduces several user-friendly features, including user sign-up and segregation of registration menu; auto-fill of user profile details in registration forms; dashboard displaying completed and partially filled applications; and an integrated online payment gateway for those who filed in FRROs. The other features include seamless navigation across application steps; categorisation of requisite documents to upload based on application type; editing option to the applicant at any stage before submission; integrated FAQ in the portal; reminder to the applicant to verify information before final submission; display of eligibility criteria and requisite documents based on selected application type an in-built image cropping tool for uploading applicant photos and signatures.
Hans India
18-05-2025
- Business
- Hans India
Strong cooperative structure vital for national progress, says Amit Shah
Union Home Minister and Gandhinagar Member of Parliament Amit Shah addressed the Gujarat State Cooperative Union's Summit in Ahmedabad on Sunday, where he emphasised the crucial role of cooperation in India's development journey. He highlighted the importance of both the "science of cooperation" and the "science in cooperation", underlining that cooperative synergy is essential for the sector's growth. HM Shah stressed that cooperation among cooperatives -- whether in dairy, banking, housing, or agriculture -- is vital for mutual benefit and progress. According to him, 'to become a developed nation, a strong cooperative structure significantly contributes to national progress, and India must follow suit by integrating modern practices into its cooperative framework.' In his address, the Home Minister pointed out that changes and technological advancements in the cooperative sector will only be meaningful when they reach the grassroots, particularly the farmers. "Until these innovations and systems benefit farmers directly, they cannot be considered truly effective," he stated. He also called for greater transparency across cooperative institutions to ensure accountability and enhance trust among stakeholders. Transparency, he said, is not optional but necessary for the cooperative model to sustain and flourish. Highlighting Gujarat as a testing ground for innovative cooperative models, HM Shah revealed that cooperatives in the state are being empowered to manufacture machinery and equipment for producing dairy products such as ice cream, paneer, and cheese. 'Machines and equipment to make ice cream, cheese, paneer -- everything will be built within cooperatives. We are already trying it in Gujarat,' he shared, reflecting the government's push towards self-reliance through local production ecosystems. The Union Minister further elaborated on the need for interlinking different sectors within the cooperative system. He emphasised that dairy cooperatives must coordinate with cooperative banks, and cooperative housing societies must engage with other cooperative institutions. This kind of integrated approach, he said, would lead to shared success and long-term sustainability. Amit Shah also inaugurated and laid the foundation stone for various development projects across Gandhinagar city and district, worth more than Rs 708 crore. The Gandhinagar Municipal Corporation led the initiative with the inauguration of civic and infrastructure projects valued at Rs 200.94 crore, while new works amounting to Rs 352.76 crore had their foundation stones laid. The Gandhinagar District Administration contributed projects worth Rs 45.70 crore, and the Gandhinagar Urban Development Authority (GUDA) initiated additional works valued at Rs 107.85 crore. Among the notable projects inaugurated were RCC and CC roads in the villages of Basan, Palaj, and Por, totalling Rs 8.91 crore. Primary Health Centres were inaugurated at Vavol and Pethapur for Rs 5.43 crore, and landscaping works along the CH-0 to GH-0 corridor were completed for Rs 4.68 crore. The broader development package also included the installation of sewerage and drainage pipelines in areas like Borij and Kolavada, town planning development works amounting to Rs 75.08 crore, and the establishment of a Rs 30.97 crore sewage treatment plant at Bhat. Additionally, a new road underpass between Sectors 21 and 22 was initiated, with an investment of Rs 16.45 crore.
