Latest news with #Rs1.4
Time of India
30-05-2025
- Time of India
Dhule :90 people cheated of 1.4cr on pretext of jobs in health dept
Nashik: Sarkarwada police have filed a cheating case against two individuals who allegedly took Rs1.4 crore from 90 people in Dhule, promising them jobs in the health department. The fake vacancies included roles such as security guards, lab technicians, and nurses. The FIR names a woman from Nashik, who reportedly acted as an agent, and a man from Alibaug in Raigad district. They have been booked under sections 318(4) (cheating) and 316 (criminal breach of trust), among others of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanahita (BNS). Police initiated the investigation after receiving a complaint from a 38-year-old resident of Sakri in Dhule. The complainant, a relative of the accused woman, stated that she approached him in July 2023. She allegedly informed him about job openings in various health department roles in both Nashik and Dhule districts. "The woman convinced the complainant that if he knew people who were looking for a job, he could refer them for being hired on contractual basis. The complainant sent 90 people to her, from whom she took a total of Rs1.4 crore to confirm the jobs. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Dores nos nervos? Esse creme está surpreendendo quem já tentou de tudo. aartedoherbalismo Undo However, the individuals concerned never got placed, leading them to continuously contact the complainant to retrieve their money," a police officer said. "Over the past two years, the 90 individuals neither received jobs nor got any refund. The accused from Alibaug had employed the woman on a commission basis. The accused woman deducted her commission from the amount collected from the individuals and forwarded the remaining amount," the officer added. Since the accused duo was not returning the money, the complainant gathered Rs57 lakh — from his savings and relatives — and paid it to some of the people who got conned. On Thursday, he lodged a complaint with the Sarkarwada police station.
Time of India
20-05-2025
- Time of India
Occultist dupes Wardha family of Rs1.4L, steals jewellery
Wardha: An occultist, who allegedly exploited a family in Inzapur by instilling fear of dark forces, was on Monday booked under the Maharashtra Anti-Superstition and Black Magic Act and other relevant laws. The accused, identified as Aslam Khan Maulana, reportedly extorted money and stole gold ornaments from the complainant's house. The case was registered on Monday at the Sawangi Police Station, days after the matter was highlighted by the media and activists. The accused is on the run, said sources. The occultist performed rituals and theatrics like pretending to draw blood on paper to convince Mustaqim Khan Shamim Khan Pathan , a resident of Inzapur, and his family that they were haunted by a satanic presence. The accused gradually extracted Rs1.4 lakh in cash over multiple visits under the pretext of performing exorcism and black magic remedies. He also reportedly stole jewellery from their home. Mustaqim approached Sawangi police on May 13 to lodge a complaint, but it was allegedly not accepted. The matter was then reported to the Maharashtra Andhashraddha Nirmoolan Samiti (MANS). Gajendra Surkar, state general secretary of MANS met police officials, demanding immediate action. Preliminary investigations suggest that the accused had been residing in a locality within Wardha city for several months. Authorities suspect he may have defrauded other individuals in a similar manner. The Sawangi police are conducting a thorough probe into the matter. Wardha: An occultist, who allegedly exploited a family in Inzapur by instilling fear of dark forces, was on Monday booked under the Maharashtra Anti-Superstition and Black Magic Act and other relevant laws. The accused, identified as Aslam Khan Maulana, reportedly extorted money and stole gold ornaments from the complainant's house. The case was registered on Monday at the Sawangi Police Station, days after the matter was highlighted by the media and activists. The accused is on the run, said sources. The occultist performed rituals and theatrics like pretending to draw blood on paper to convince Mustaqim Khan Shamim Khan Pathan, a resident of Inzapur, and his family that they were haunted by a satanic presence. The accused gradually extracted Rs1.4 lakh in cash over multiple visits under the pretext of performing exorcism and black magic remedies. He also reportedly stole jewellery from their home. Mustaqim approached Sawangi police on May 13 to lodge a complaint, but it was allegedly not accepted. The matter was then reported to the Maharashtra Andhashraddha Nirmoolan Samiti (MANS). Gajendra Surkar, state general secretary of MANS met police officials, demanding immediate action. Preliminary investigations suggest that the accused had been residing in a locality within Wardha city for several months. Authorities suspect he may have defrauded other individuals in a similar manner. The Sawangi police are conducting a thorough probe into the matter.
Business Recorder
17-05-2025
- Business
- Business Recorder
Another blow to development
EDITORIAL: To take money out of the Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) and reallocate it as subsidy is not just bad policy — it's a confession. When the Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) surrendered Rs50 billion from the PSDP to the Power Division to meet circular debt targets set by the IMF, it tacitly admitted that long-term development has once again been sacrificed at the altar of short-term survival. Even worse, this wasn't a contingency. The plan to fund solar tube wells in Balochistan was approved nearly a year ago. That it still wasn't reflected in budget allocations — and now requires a last-minute diversion of core development funding — says all that needs to be said about planning capacity and fiscal governance. That this comes amid chronic under-utilisation of the PSDP makes the decision all the more indefensible. According to the Planning Commission, just 41 percent of the revised PSDP allocation has been spent in 10 months. The total allocation had already been revised downward — from Rs1.4 trillion to Rs1.1 trillion — yet only Rs448.6 billion was utilised by end-April. Clearly, the problem is not a lack of available funds, but a near-systemic inability to spend them productively. The gap between funds released and funds utilised is particularly revealing. Of the Rs638 billion authorised for various ministries and divisions, only Rs339 billion has actually been spent. The PSDP release schedule from the Finance Division had allowed for 73 percent of funds to be disbursed by this point in the fiscal year. The fact that actual utilisation is lagging so far behind points to failures in coordination, execution, and oversight. Worse still is the complete inaction by several ministries. The commerce, communications, and religious affairs divisions, among others, have spent nothing from their PSDP allocations so far. This is not merely inefficiency — it is dereliction. Ministries that cannot spend even a fraction of their budgetary authorisations are not just administratively weak, they are obstructing national development itself. And yet, one line item has bucked the trend: funds earmarked for parliamentarians. Against a revised allocation of Rs25 billion, a full Rs35 billion has already been spent. In a year where so many ministries failed to move a rupee, development funds for elected officials have not only been fully disbursed, they've overshot the budget. This alone captures how public money continues to be lavished on political priorities at the cost of national ones. The government has claimed that the Rs50 billion reallocated to the Power Division will help solarise 27,000 tube wells in Balochistan. While the solarisation plan may have merit, the fact that Rs14 billion had already been disbursed under this head shows that it was an established project — yet one that never made it into actual planning frameworks or development allocations. Now, instead of correcting that oversight, the government is plugging the hole by cannibalising PSDP funds, further diminishing the scope of broader development. All this is happening during a time of rare macroeconomic breathing room. The IMF's recent satisfaction with Pakistan's performance and a relatively low inflation environment had created a small window for consolidating fiscal reform and rebooting growth. Instead, mis-governance is squandering it. For yet another year, PSDP utilisation is likely to fall well short of target—continuing a pattern of underperformance that spans governments and budget cycles. It is telling that this year, ministries were asked to surrender unspent funds a month earlier than usual. While this may have been intended to enforce discipline, it has instead amplified confusion. Some divisions reportedly cut their development activity prematurely, fearing that delayed paperwork would result in permanent loss of funds. That budget management is still subject to such reactive, uncoordinated decision-making speaks volumes about the institutional fragility of the system. Pakistan cannot afford to treat development spending as a flexible account. The PSDP is not a slush fund to be redirected when convenient — it is the country's primary lever for building infrastructure, improving services, and fostering long-term growth. But unless budgeted funds are actually spent, and unless they are spent well, none of this matters. Time and again, successive governments have failed to meet development targets not because of economic constraints alone, but due to inefficiency, poor governance, and often outright neglect. In the end, the numbers speak for themselves. Billions remain unspent, core ministries are dormant, yet parliamentarians are flush with funds. And once again, what passes for planning is little more than posturing. It's not just wasteful — it's unforgivable. Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
Express Tribune
06-05-2025
- Business
- Express Tribune
RMC finalises Rs1.4b infrastructure, beautification project
The Rawalpindi Municipal Corporation (RMC) has finalised a major project worth Rs1.4 billion aimed at the carpeting, expansion and complete restoration of 16 key roads in the garrison city, along with an upgraded drainage system. The project also includes the underground cabling and beautification of the historic Raja Bazaar and Commercial Market areas. According to the sources, the tender for technical bids for the carpeting, expansion, and design of the 16 roads, as well as the completion of the uplift and drainage system, will be opened on May 13. The 16 roads include Ganj Mandi Road, Liaquat Road, DAV College Road, Holy Family Road, Food Street Road, Siskat Road, Faisal Chowk to Door Line Road, ICP Institute Road to Old RWMC Road, Pir Panjra Chowk to Phagwari Road, Dhoke Dalal Road, Pir Wadhai Bridge to Dhoke Dalal Bridge, Bani Chowk to Asghar Mall Road Chowk, Gandum Mandi Novelty Cinema Road, Imambargah Road, and Degree College Asghar Mall Road. However, the work for the restoration and carpeting of roads in Raja Bazaar and Commercial Market will only begin once the underground cabling project is completed. The municipal corporation has already engaged consultants to oversee the underground cabling and beautification of these two areas. Based on the consultant's report, Islamabad Electric Supply Company (IESCO) will issue a demand note for the underground cabling project. The agreement between the municipal corporation and IESCO stipulates that the municipal corporation will first obtain a report from the consultants to facilitate the issuance of two separate demand notes for the underground cabling work in Raja Bazaar and Commercial Market.
Express Tribune
03-05-2025
- Automotive
- Express Tribune
Ride-hailing service for EV transition
Hanif highlighted that tax reduction and exemption on electric vehicles will promote a fuel efficient and greener economy. PHOTO: FILE Listen to article Pakistan's transportation sector is steadily shifting gears from traditional fuel-powered engines to electric vehicles (EVs), driven by a mix of local innovation, international partnerships, and a growing emphasis on sustainability. Leading this charge is global mobility platform inDrive, which has launched multiple initiatives to accelerate EV adoption, targeting cost savings for drivers, reducing carbon emissions, and aligning with the government's vision of 30% EV penetration by 2030. "The EV market in Pakistan is poised for growth," said Aman Alekseev, Impact Projects Manager at inDrive, in an interview with Express Tribune. "New local manufacturers are emerging, and Chinese companies are entering the market. We are building collaborations to make this transition inclusive and scalable," he added. One of its flagship projects involves partnering with local startups to offer drivers an affordable pathway to EVs. Through a retrofitting model, petrol motorcycles are converted into electric ones at a fraction of the cost of buying new ones. Equipped with swappable batteries, these bikes are supported by 21 swap stations in Islamabad alone. Over six months, 60 converted motorcycles have collectively travelled over 400,000 kilometres, saving drivers approximately Rs1.4 million in fuel and maintenance costs. On average, riders save 40% monthly compared to petrol bikes. To further ease the financial burden, the company with its partners are piloting a 'Buy Now, Pay Later' (BNPL) scheme, allowing drivers to purchase new electric bikes with minimal upfront costs, Alekseev said. The inDrive is also targeting four-wheeled EVs through other partnerships, which plans to deploy 50 electric cars each in Islamabad, Lahore, and Karachi for ride-hailing services. "Initiatives like these build trust and awareness," said Alekseev. "They show EVs aren't just a concept, they're a reality benefiting everyday people." The company is the first in Pakistan to integrate AI into ride-hailing operations, leveraging machine learning for smarter dispatching, fraud detection, and better customer experience," Country Head in Pakistan Muhammad Awais Saeed said while talking to a group of journalists. It is currently engaged in discussions with stakeholders to introduce electric vehicles and sustainable transport alternatives," he said adding that projects in development include bike swapping stations, retrofitting existing bikes, and potential collaboration with local automaker Honri on their EV model. He also drew attention towards a few bureaucratic speed bumps the company is grappling with in Pakistan.
