Latest news with #Welfare
New Straits Times
21-05-2025
- Politics
- New Straits Times
Leak of assembly portal data a serious intrusion
GEORGE TOWN: Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow has called for a thorough investigation into a security breach and data leak involving the official online portal used by state assemblymen. This follows the leak of an answer to an oral question from Ong Ah Teong (DAP – Batu Lancang), directed to state Social Development, Welfare, and Non-Islamic Religious Affairs Committee chairman Lim Siew Khim (DAP – Sungai Pinang).Chow said the matter was serious and required immediate attention from State Speaker Datuk Seri Law Choo Kiang to uphold the integrity of the assembly."Only state assemblymen should have access to the portal."However, some unauthorised individuals accessed it, took screenshots of the information, and shared them — this is a serious intrusion," he said the premature circulation of the information before it was officially answered in the state legislative assembly was highly urged action to be taken against the officer responsible for uploading the answer ahead of time, citing confirmed that the error had been addressed and the answer removed from the said answers were typically uploaded only after they were presented during an assembly sitting."We will ensure such incidents do not recur."We also hope that assemblymen will help maintain confidentiality when others are given access," Law leak sparked a heated response from Lim during her winding-up speech who had responded to the leaked answer earlier, later apologised and retracted his said the leaked version did not represent the complete response and criticised Ong for making assumptions based on partial information.
Sky News
20-05-2025
- Politics
- Sky News
Kemi's Tories drop to 4th
👉Listen to Politics At Sam And Anne's on your podcast app👈 Sky News' Sam Coates and Politico's Anne McElvoy serve up their essential guide to the day in British politics. It'll be a day when the PM goes again at selling the merits of his EU deal. One former cabinet minister tells the podcast it's all "concrete and waffle". Welfare is on the agenda today too - with a DWP committee session on child welfare. And, did someone mention Nick Clegg? The former Deputy PM has used the c-word about the Lib Dems. Sam and Anne discuss coalition after another favourable poll for them.
Sky News
20-05-2025
- Politics
- Sky News
'Concrete and waffle': PM sells EU deal
👉Listen to Politics At Sam And Anne's on your podcast app👈 Sky News' Sam Coates and Politico's Anne McElvoy serve up their essential guide to the day in British politics. It'll be a day when the PM goes again at selling the merits of his EU deal. One former cabinet minister tells the podcast it's all "concrete and waffle". Welfare is on the agenda today too - with a DWP committee session on child welfare. And, did someone mention Nick Clegg? The former Deputy PM has used the c-word about the Lib Dems. Sam and Anne discuss coalition after another favourable poll for them.
The Hindu
19-05-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
Hire unemployed youth instead of ex-servicemen, Mehbooba urges Omar
Former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) president Mehbooba Mufti on Monday (May 19, 2025) opposed the J&K government's move to hire ex-servicemen to safeguard vital installations in the Union Territory. Ms. Mufti, in a post on social media platform X, said she had written to J&K Chief Minister Omar Abdullah about it, and urged him 'to reconsider his government's decision to employ 4,000 ex-servicemen to guard key installations'. 'While I hold the utmost respect and gratitude for our ex-servicemen, we mustn't & cannot overlook the mounting crisis of unemployment afflicting youth in J&K whose numbers have now crossed into lakhs,' Ms. Mufti said. Wrote to Omar Sahab urging him to reconsider his government's decision to employ 4,000 ex-servicemen to guard key installations. While I hold the utmost respect and gratitude for our ex-servicemen we mustn't & cannot overlook the mounting crisis of unemployment afflicting youth… — Mehbooba Mufti (@MehboobaMufti) May 19, 2025 She said the soaring unemployment was not just an economic issue but a social emergency. 'With few opportunities amidst utter despondency many youngsters are falling into the grip of drug addiction and tragically some are even driven to suicide. We must come to their rescue by being more mindful of their future,' Ms. Mufti said. The Indian Army recently confirmed that the J&K government had approved a proposal to hire the services of at least 4,000 ex-servicemen volunteers drawn from the Sainik Welfare Board of Jammu & Kashmir to safeguard vital infrastructure across the Union Territory. The Army said it was 'a major step towards strengthening community-based security and harnessing the capabilities of former military personnel'. According to the proposal, the ex-servicemen volunteers will serve under the overall coordination of the respective District Sainik Welfare Officers. 'They will function in close coordination with the district administration and local police. Their role is non-combatant, focusing on static guard duties, presence-based deterrence, and local coordination,' an Army spokesperson said. The spokesperson added that training and orientation programmes were being planned to ensure standardised conduct and efficiency. 'This initiative not only utilises the discipline, experience, and commitment of the ex-servicemen community but also represents a model of inclusive and participatory security. It further cements the Indian Army's legacy of service beyond the battlefield, contributing meaningfully to civil society and local governance structures in J&K,' the Army said.
The Hindu
15-05-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
Siddaramaiah tells officials to place recommendations of district and taluk planning bodies in pre-Budget meetings
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Thursday told the Karnataka State Policy and Planning Commission and the Karnataka State Decentralised Planning and Development Committee to place the recommendations of the taluk- and district-level planning committees in the pre-Budget meetings. The Chief Minister chaired a meeting of the two bodies and said taluk- and district-level planning committees need to be strengthened to further empower the Panchayat Raj system and to formulate schemes as per the requirements of people. Elections not held The District Planning Committees (DCP) and Taluk Planning Committees (TPC) have apparently become ineffective as elections have not been held for zilla and taluk panchayats. Currently, the district in-charge Ministers chair the meeting of these committees. Mr. Siddaramaiah said he had announced in the State Budget for 2023-24 that responsibility mapping had to be done regarding the functioning of Panchayat Raj organisations as per the 73rd Amendment to the Constitution. Responsibility mapping Accordingly, the Rural Development Department has prepared a responsibility map for 13 departments, out of which the responsibility maps for the functioning of nine departments, including Health, Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribes Welfare, Backward Classes and Minority Welfare, Agriculture, Watershed Development, Horticulture, and Sericulture have been notified. However, responsibility mapping of Women and Child Welfare, Education, Animal Husbandry and Fisheries departments was not notified so far, he said. The Chief Minister directed officials to complete the responsibility mapping of all departments by this August 15. He instructed the officials to submit a proposal to the government regarding the Revenue and Panchayat Raj departments' decisions on re-surveying villages and fixing boundaries. He also instructed the officials to submit proposals for establishing a land bank to develop infrastructure for urban and rural local bodies. Noting that people's involvement was important in the decentralisation, he said public opinions should be respected. Deputy Chairman of the Planning Commission B.R. Patil had been told to tour the State regularly to understand the ground situation, the Chief Minister said. Mr. Patil told officials to adopt a bottom-up approach while formulating plans and schemes for the benefit of the needy. Decentralisation needed Mr. Siddaramaiah said he was in favour of decentralisation, and rural local bodies need to be empowered. He instructed officials to ensure implementation of the reservation in urban and rural local bodies as per the provisions of the Panchayat Raj Act. Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Minister Priyank Kharge, chairman of the Fifth Finance Commission and former MP C. Narayanaswamy, Chief Secretary Shalini Rajneesh, and senior officials attended the meeting.
