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Akhilesh Yadav was stopped as per request by the University: CM Yogi defends action after Yadav’s ‘detention’ allegations

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Akhilesh Yadav was stopped as per request by the University: CM Yogi defends action after Yadav’s ‘detention’ allegations

Samajwadi Party supremo Akhilesh Yadav was today reportedly stopped at the Lucknow airport by security officials from visiting Prayagraj and participating in the student union program slated to be held at the Allahabad University. UP CM Yogi Adityanath has now come out and defended his government’s move to stop Yadav from addressing the student union function.


Yogi contended that the Samajwadi Party chief was stopped from visiting the city of Prayagraj because his government had inputs that there might arise a problem of law and order in the city on Akhilesh’s visit there. He referred that the University itself had requested him that the Akhilesh visit could cause a dispute among the warring student organizations here and the law and order situation might get worsened. In such a situation, the government stopped him from going to Allahabad University.

Akhilesh Yadav was stopped at the Lucknow airport from where he was supposed to board a flight to Prayagraj and address a student union organisation at Allahabad University there. The former UP CM was headed to Allahabad University where his party’s students’ wing, the Samajwadi Party Chhatrasabha, leads the student’s union.

Yadav went ahead to claim that Yogi Adityanath is terrified and hence stopped him from participating in the student union event. BSP chief and Akhilesh’s former foe-turned-friend Mayawati has also joined in slamming the UP government.


However, a letter by the University administration, addressed to the personal secretary of the SP chief was accessed by Republic TV which mentions clearly that the University administration had decided not to allow political leaders to address events inside the campus due to past instances of violence. The letter was sent yesterday.

UP CM Yogi Adityanath also mentioned that Yadav was stopped as per the request by the University. He added that the grand festival of Kumbh is going on in the city of Prayagraj where Yadav had recently visited to have Darshan and the holy dip at the Triveni Sangam. However, his visit to the University was a political visit and his government had received input that it might cause law and order situation.

Another letter by the district magistrate of Prayagraj accessed by Republic also mentioned that the university administration had requested not to allow any political leaders to address events in the campus due to past instances of violence and law and order situations. He had instructed police officials to take steps to prevent the political event being addressed by Akhilesh Yadav.

The Prayagrajj SSP Nitin Tiwari claimed that necessary approvals were not sought by the Samajwadi Party chief from the University administration and hence he was stopped.

He left NDA for his own political survival, now blaming NDA to cover his own failures : Amit Shah slams Chandrababu Naidu in open letter

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He left NDA for his own political survival, now blaming NDA to cover his own failures : Amit Shah slams Chandrababu Naidu in open letter

BJP President Amit Shah has written an open letter to the people of Andhra Pradesh following CM Chandrababu Naidu’s allegations against the NDA which were followed by some personal remarks against Prime Minister Modi.

Shah came down heavily on Naidu for not just making personal remarks against the PM but also lacking the courtesy to receive the PM when he visited Andhra Pradesh. Shah wrote: “He is going too far by personally attacking Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, and even did not have the courtesy to receive the Hon’ble Prime Minister when he came to the state.”

Shah accused Naidu of betraying the people of Andhra Pradesh by supporting Congress, the very same party against which his father-in-law N T Rama Rao had founded the Telugu Desam Party (TDP).

“In his lust for power, the TDP leader has destroyed the very anti-Congress foundation on which the party was built by its founder, Shri N T Rama Rao. Congress betrayed the people of Andhra Pradesh while dividing the state and now TDP leader wants to work for bringing back Congress to power. His actions smack of political opportunism.”

The BJP President went on and said that Naidu had severed ties with the NDA for his own political benefit and he was blaming the Centre for his own failure of not implementing the populist promises he had made to the people of Andhra.

“Ever since he had snapped ties with NDA for his own political survival, he has been letting loose a deluge of disinformation against the NDA government. In a bid to cover up his own failures and inability to implement the populist promises made by him to the people, he has been blaming the Centre without any rhyme or reason.”

Shah questioned the UPA for not including the provision of ‘Special Category Status’ (SCS) in the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act. Shah said that Naidu does not have the moral right to criticise the Central government.

“Had there been even an iota of sincerity towards the people of Andhra Pradesh, UPA would have included the provision of ‘Special Category Status’ in AP Reorganization Act. Similarly, why did it not facilitate speedier implementation of Polavaram project by transferring the seven Mandals located in Khammam district to Andhra Pradesh? Why did it not promulgate an ordinance in this regard? Let Shri Naidu and the Congress answer the above questions before accusing anybody. Till then, they have no moral right to criticize the Central Government”, Shah wrote.

Shah did not even spare the media for helping Naidu spread his “false propaganda”. He reminded Naidu that the same Congress party had dismissed his father-in-law N T Rama Rao in 1984.

“Now with the support of a section of willing media, he has been indulging in false propaganda at all forums and virtually made the TDP subservient to the Congress. The TDP leader joined hands with a party which had imposed Emergency and had dismissed his father-in-law—the popularly elected Telugu Desam founder and former Chief Minister, Shri  N T Rama Rao in 1984.”

Regarding Naidu’s demand of SCS for Andhra Pradesh, Shah said that the Central government had worked out special assistance for the State with the State government as 14th Finance Commission recommendations did not distinguish between special and general category states for financial support and tax devolution.

“As regards granting Special Category Status to Andhra Pradesh, the Centre has been constrained by the recommendations of the 14th Finance Commission, which did not make a distinction between special and general category states for financial support and tax devolution. As a result, the Centre in consultation with the state Government worked out special assistance for AP. The Central Government has agreed to give a special assistance measure for Andhra Pradesh for five years, which would make up for the additional Central share the state might have received during these years, i.e. 2015-16 to 2019-20, as envisaged in the then Prime Minister’s statement dated 20.2.2014”, his letter mentioned.

He listed out various development projects of the Central government which are underway in the State. He concluded by accusing Naidu of breaking the trust of the people and expressed faith in the truth.

“In the end, I would like to say to all of you that Shri Chandrababu Naidu has broken the trust of the people of Andhra Pradesh. His delusional politics is about to end. Our full faith and belief is in ‘सत्यमेवजयते’. Let us jointly contribute to the development of Andhra Pradesh and India.”

Shah had written a detailed open letter to Naidu earlier when he had exited the NDA.

Naidu, who is in Delhi currently organising a protest against the central government, has stated that the central government is hitting him “below the belt” and they (PM and Amit Shah) have to “maintain the decorum”.

It is notable here that Naidu’s Delhi protests faced condemnations yesterday after derogatory posters mocking the Prime Minister’s humble familial backgrounds were displayed by the TDP.

Chhattisgarh: Congress government removes Pt Deendayal Upadhyay, puts Rajiv Gandhi and Indira Gandhi names in schemes

OpIndia Staff
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Chhattisgarh: Congress government removes Pt Deendayal Upadhyay, puts Rajiv Gandhi and Indira Gandhi names in schemes

In a display of loyalty towards the Nehru-Gandhi dynasty, the newly-formed Congress government in Chhattisgarh has renamed several schemes named after late Jan Sangh leader Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya by the previous BJP government with names of former Congress leaders Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi.

The Chhattisgarh Congress government has renamed four out of five schemes introduced by the previous BJP regime with either Indira Gandhi or Rajiv Gandhi, while one scheme has been renamed in the honour of the architect of the Indian Constitution Dr. B.R.Ambedkar.

As per the order, Pt Deendayal Upadhyaya Swavlamban Yojna has been renamed as Rajiv Gandhi Swavlamban Yojna while Pt Deendayal Upadhyaya Sarvasamaj Manglik Bhavan Yojna will now be known as Dr. B R Ambedkar Sarvasamaj Manglik Bhavan Yojna, an official said. The official added that order to rename the schemes was issued on Monday night by the state government.

Similarly, Pt Deendayal Upadhyaya LED Path Prakash Yojna has been rechristened as Indira Priyadarshini LED Path Prakash Yojna, Pt Deendayal Upadhyaya Ajivika Kendra (livelihood center) Yojna is now Rajiv Gandhi Ajivika Kendra Yojna while Pt Deendayal Upadhyaya Shuddh Peyjal (clean drinking water) Yojna has been named as Indira Priyadarshini Shudhh Peyjal Yojna, he added.

However, the opposition party, BJP has expressed its unhappiness over renaming of the schemes, stating that the step indicated “political vindictiveness”. The former chief minister and senior BJP leader Raman Singh said they would protest against the government’s move during the ongoing session of the Chhattisgarh Assembly.

“The state government deliberately rechristened schemes named after Pt Deendayal Upadhyayaji on his death anniversary, which was observed on Monday (February 11). This reflects Congress’ mentality,” Singh said in a statement.

He further asked whether the incumbent Congress government had done anything to make these schemes better. “Without making any new provisions, they have just renamed the schemes which clearly indicates that it’s a new episode of ‘Badlapur’ (vindictive politics),” he alleged.

It may be noted that during the long rule of Congress in the center in various states, thousands of schemes and institutions were named after members of the Gandhi family. This includes awards, national parks, educational institutions including an IIM, sports stadiums, apart from numerous government schemes. After Congress losing power in most of the states, few of them have been renamed, but most still remain.

JNU Ph.D Scholar claims professor forced him to project Hindi as a ‘Communal Language’

OpIndia Staff
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JNU Ph.D Scholar claims professor forced him to project Hindi as a ‘Communal Language’

A 35-year-old research scholar at the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) has approached the Delhi High Court accusing his professor of forcing him to carry out his research to endorse a view that Hindi is a ‘communal language’, reported The Indian Express.

Ashutosh Kumar Roy, pursuing a PhD at the Centre for Historical Studies, School of Social Sciences at JNU has alleged that his professor “arbitrarily” suggested him to change the course of his research to state that Hindi is a ‘communal language’ and demanded him to endorse the same.

Justice C Hari Shankar of the Delhi High Court heard the petition, issued a notice to the JNU and the associate professor in question while directing them to file their responses by April 23. While seeking to enforce his fundamental right under the Constitution, the petitioner had sought directions to the university to assign him a PhD Supervisor for grant of registration in the Winter Semester 2019.

Dibyanshu Pandey, the counsel representing Roy, has filed a petition seeking an inquiry into the denial of registration by JNU and its authorities to carry out research pertaining to research on ‘Hindi Public Sphere (1870-1970): Debates on Nationalism’, which deconstructs significant prevailing ideas pertaining to the Hindi language.

The petition contends that the acting supervisor’s and others’ actions “coax the petitioner to carry out motivated research against the Hindi language, against stalwarts of Hindi language, and the arbitrary denial of permission to pursue PhD is a blatant violation of his fundamental rights as well as university rules”.

The petitioner also states that after his previous research supervisor left, his requests to grant a new supervisor did not receive any reply from the university authorities. Roy says he continued his work without any supervision and submitted his PhD synopsis last year, which was approved by faculty members with some verbal suggestions for changes.

However, upon submission of the work to the Committee for Advanced Studies and Research, a professor allegedly derided the pro-Hindi nature of the work and stated, “There is no place for such pro-Hindi research in JNU! You better go to Delhi University….and idolise Bhartendu Harishchandra!”.

Deccan Aviation owner GR Gopinath in CBI’s radar for his alleged role in Mallya loan fraud case

OpIndia Staff
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Deccan Aviation owner GR Gopinath in CBI’s radar for his alleged role in Mallya loan fraud case

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has put the Deccan Aviation Ltd (DAL) founder, GR Gopinath under the scanner for his alleged role in the debt default by fugitive economic offender Vijay Mallya.

According to sources, the CBI is scrutinizing Gopinath’s role in signing the ‘instruments’ through which the ‘diversion’ of loans from the State Bank of India was allegedly caused. He is also said to be in the agency’s radar for the ‘diversion of funds’ through Axis Bank accounts.

However, Gopinath has been unavailable for comments and despite multiple attempts to reach out to him, he remains irresponsive.

Incidentally, when the loans were disbursed to Kingfisher Airlines, Gopinath was one of the directors of the airlines. He joined the board after selling Air Deccan to Mallya in 2007.

Gopinath is being inspected with regards to a loan of Rs 340 crore sanctioned by SBI to Deccan Aviation. He had signed the instruments of diversion, as per the investigation. He was the authorised signatory for DAL.

Also, a payment of Rs 30 crore by Kingfisher Airlines to Gopinath in February 2008 is being examined. This payment reportedly coincided with the disbursement of Rs 29.96 crore by SBI to Kingfisher Airlines on February 1, 2008.

The Serious Fraud Investigation Office (SFIO) in its 2017 report, had also disputed this particular payment of Rs 30 crore by KAL to Gopinath contending that the ‘non-compete fee’ was given without disclosing it to stakeholders or the high court.

A number of suspects, apart from Mallya, that include top Kingfisher Airlines executives, senior bank officials and a former Reserve Bank of India deputy governor were brought under the scanner by the investigative agency, but it is still undecided as to whose name would appear in the yet to be filed chargesheet.

Vijay Mallya is wanted by investigating agencies in India on the charges of Money Laundering, Fraud and violation of Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA). His Kingfisher airlines owe around ₹9,000 crore of debt to creditors, and Debts Recovery Tribunal (DRT) has attached a significant amount of properties belonging to Mallya.

Recently the UK home secretary signed the order to extradite fugitive businessman Vijay Mallya to India. In December last year, the Westminster Magistrates’ Court had ordered the extradition of liquor baron Vijay Mallya after a trial that lasted over a year, and the decision was pending with the UK government.

Vijay Mallya will soon join the bandwagon of several high-value extradited individuals that India has been successful in expatriating from various foreign countries in the recent past.

Karnataka: Speaker asks Kumaraswamy govt to form an SIT to probe alleged ‘poaching’ tapes

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Karnataka: Speaker asks Kumaraswamy govt to form an SIT to probe alleged ‘poaching’ tapes

Karnataka CM HD Kumaraswamy, on Friday, had released an audiotape, accusing BJP of luring its leaders in lieu of money and ministerial berths. The alleged tapes also involved the name of the assembly speaker KR Ramesh Kumar, prompting him to order a SIT into the matter on Monday, when the house was convened.

CM Kumaraswamy had reportedly written a letter to KR Ramesh, informing him that the discussions in the audio tape regarding him are disrespectful of his position. When the tapes came to discussion in the house, the speaker expressed shock over the matter and said that it has hurt him deeply. BJP’s JC Madhuswamy said that as the alleged conversation in the tape has taken place outside the house, it should not be a business of state assembly to discuss it.

While the state government agreed on the SIT, BJP leaders demanded a probe by a judicial or a House committee. The audio tapes, released by CM, claiming that the conversation is between JD(S) MLA Naganagowda Kandukar’as son Sharna Gouda and BJP MLA Shivanagouda Nayak. The latter’s alleged voice can be heard offering Rs 25 crore and a minister’s post to JD(S) leader, in order to topple the state government. In the same tape, the name of assembly speaker also allegedly popped up, as an alleged voice of Nayak is heard saying that “all arrangements have been made for (speaker) Ramesh Kumar to accept the resignations when the number of MLAs reaches 15. The money has been fed to him.”

Another tape was also released by CM, in which the alleged conversation can be heard between Sharna Gouda, BJP state president Yeddyurappa and MLA Nayak.

Karnataka BJP has called the audiotape doctored.


“To my misfortune, a person named me and said if anybody is willing to resign I will accept their resignation because I have taken Rs 50 crore. They have said courts will be fixed and the PM has also been named. This is not a good development.” Speaker was quoted by reports. He also said that judicial probe, that BJP is demanding, will take time and so recommended formations of a SIT to monitor the allegations, and submit a report within 15 days.

The speaker, in addition to this also expressed his confidence in BJP leader Yeddyurappa and said that he was not the person who made the statement in tape. But, he added, that it needs to be unearthed that which lawmaker of the house, made such allegations.

On Friday, CM Kumaraswamy presented the State Budget and will face voting on 15th February. The party is witnessing a crisis as several of its coalition MLAs have rebelled openly and refused to show up on important party meeting and session. On voting day, BJP is expected to demand the division of votes, making it mandatory for JD(S)-Congress alliance to prove the numbers on the floor.

Fact check: Has Bhupen Hazarika’s family ‘rejected’ the Bharat Ratna?

OpIndia Staff
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Fact check: Has Bhupen Hazarika’s family ‘rejected’ the Bharat Ratna?

Last night, several media houses reported that the family of Dr. Bhupen Hazarika has rejected the Bharat Ratna that the government of India had decided to confer on him last month. On January 25, it was announced that Dr. Hazarika, Pranab Mukherjee, and Nanaji Deshmukh will be conferred with Bharat Ratna.

Later, it emerged that the family member that ‘rejected’ the award is Tej Hazarika, the long forgotten only child of Bhupen Hazarika who lives in the USA. It was reported that Tej is refusing to accept the award in protest against the citizenship amendment Bill.

But when the statement issued by Tej Hazarika emerged, it became clear that he refusing the award was fake news. In a statement issued on Facebook, Tej clearly states that there is no question of accepting or refusing the award, as he has not received any such invitation from the government.

He has stated that he is clarifying this because he has been receiving questions from the media asking him whether he will be accepting or refusing the award. Tej Hazarika has written against the Citizenship Amendment Bill in his statement and accused that his father’s name is being used to pass an unpopular bill. But he didn’t say that he is refusing to accept the award, that part was invented by media.

It is interesting to note that just two weeks ago when Dr. Bhupen Hazarika’s name was announced for Bharat Ratna, Tej Hazarika had welcomed the move. He had said that the decision to confer Bharat Ratna on his father is a victory for humanity, diversity and the country’s secular character. At that time, he didn’t link it with the Citizenship Amendment Bill. Although the bill is facing opposition in the state, most people opposing the bill had not linked it with the Bharat Ratna, only a few leaders of Congress party had tried to do it, for which they had to face criticism in the state.

Via: NDTV.com

Now suddenly Tej Hazarika has done a turnaround and now seems to think the Modi government has done it to pass the bill. He writes that decision is a “display of short-lived cheap thrills”. Which is a strange argument, and by doing so, he himself is politicising the award while accusing others of doing the same.

Other family members of Dr. Bhupen Hazarika have said that they do not agree with the comments of Tej Hazarika and asserted that Bhupen Hazarika deserves the Bharat Ratna, which should not be dragged into any controversy. Bhupen Hazarika’s brother Samar Hazarika and sister-in-law Manisha Hazarika, both of whom are singers, said that views of Tej Hazarika are his own and they are not the views of the entire family.

Therefore, the news that Bhupen Hazarika’s family has rejected the Bharat Ratna in protest against the Citizenship Amendment Bill is completely fake news. His son has objected to perceived linking of the award with the Bill, and other family members of Hazarika, who were more closer to him, have objected to his comments and reiterated that they welcome the decision to award him the Bharat Ratna.

Some people are also questioning the ‘right’ of Tej Hazarika to question the Bharat Ratna awarded to his father. Bhupen Hazarika was married to Priyamvada Patel in 1950 in the USA, and Tej was born there two years later. Soon they were separated, although not divorced, and Priyamvada Patel lived in the USA and later in Canada with his son. In all those decades till the death of Dr. Bhupen Hazarika, people of Assam never heard or saw anything about Priyamvada Patel and her son. In fact, while the siblings of Bhupen Hazarika are well known in Assam, all of them being associated with the field of music, most general people were not even aware that Bhupen Hazarika was married and he has a son. Now suddenly Tej Hazarika linking the matter of Bharat Ratna to his father with the CAB has raised eyebrows in the state.

Moreover, people in Assam believe that Bhupen Hazarika is the cultural icon of Assam, much beyond anyone’s father or brother. When Bharat Ratna for him was announced, the entire state welcomed this move, irrespective of political affiliation. Bharat Ratna for Dr. Hazarika had been demanded for a long time, the state government had proposed the same immediately after his death. But the UPA government at that time had refused to do so, perhaps due to the reason that one he had contested Lok Sabha election on a BJP ticket. The recent decision to confer Bharat Ratna on Dr. Hazarika was seen as a late but welcome move, and the attempt to politicise the same by the estranged son has attracted severe criticism in the state.

Rajasthan: 79 fresh cases of Swine Flu detected in a single day, death toll at 112

OpIndia Staff
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Rajasthan: 79 fresh cases of Swine Flu detected in a single day, death toll at 112

Rajasthan has been facing a severe health crisis as nearly 79 fresh cases of swine flu have been reported in the state, reported ANI.

According to the state’s Health Department data, five people died because of Swine flu on Monday alone in Barmer, Jaisalmer, Jaipur, Udaipur and Chittorgarh taking the death toll to 112 in a span of over a month from January 1 to February 11.

Thirty-six cases were detected positive on Monday in Jaipur, nine in Barmer, four in Jhunjhunu, three each in Dausa, Bikaner, Ganganagar and Udaipur, two each in Sikar, Jodhpur, Jaisalmer, Kota, Nagaur, Ajmer and Rajsamand, and one each in Bhilwara, Baran, Bharatpur, and Alwar.

Swine Flu has claimed more than 250 lives this year alone. However, Rajasthan has been the worst hit in terms of deaths and the number of cases reported. Gujarat has seen 54 deaths and 1,187 cases reported.

National capital Delhi has also seen 6 deaths and 1409 cases reported while Punjab has registered 30 deaths and 301 cases, Madhya Pradesh has seen 16 deaths and 81 cases. Maharashtra has reported 13 deaths and 197 cases of Swine Flu.

The state government has issued a high alert in the state. Leaves of doctors and paramedical staff in the state stand canceled. The state government is claiming to have made the required arrangements for procuring swine flu medicines.

Swine flu is an infection caused by one of the several swine influenza viruses (SIV), with the H1N1 strain being the most common across the country. The illness is originally known to affect pigs. It is known to have spread to humans who came in direct contact with pigs. The virus is transmitted from person to person through the same medium as other flu viruses.

Chhattisgarh: With Congress in power, Nandini Sundar gets clean chit by police in murder case

OpIndia Staff
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Chhattisgarh: With Congress in power, Nandini Sundar gets clean chit by police in murder case

The Chhattisgarh police have given a clean chit to DU professor Nandini Sunder, JNU professor Archana Prasad and five other persons in the 2016 murder case of a Sukma resident.

As per a report in the Hindustan Times, the CG police filed a charge sheet in a local court on Monday which claimed that no evidence was found against Sunder, Archana Prasad, Joshi Adhikari Sansthan’s Vineet Tiwari, CPM leader Sanjay Parata, a local Sarpanch Manju Kawasi and Mangla Ram Verma in the case of the murder of Shamnath Baghel, a resident of the Nama Village in Sukma district.

Jitendra Shukla, SP, Sukma, was quoted by Hindustan Times as saying that the police have found no evidence against the above-mentioned people in the murder case registered in Tongpal police station. The charge sheet also says that the statement by the villagers has clarified that Sunder and others were not present during the murder.

Sunder, Prasad, Tiwari and the others were booked in November 2016 over the allegations by Baghel’s wife. The former IG (Bastar Range) SRP Kalluri has stated that Sunder and the others were booked under the charges of rioting, criminal conspiracy, and murder.

It was alleged that Sunder had traveled to Sukma once in May 2016 and once later under an alias Richa Keshav with Prasad, Tiwari, and the others and had held a meeting with the locals in the Nama village. 2 days later, a local tribal man, Shamnath Baghel had reported to the police that Sunder and the others were instigating the villagers not to cooperate with the police and support the Naxals instead.

Baghel had also claimed in his complaint that has been threatened for going against the Naxals and if he were to be killed Sunder and the others will be responsible. Baghel was murdered on 4 November 2016.

It is notable here that SRP Kalluri was soon transferred out of the Bastar range after the FIR was registered and is currently heading the Anti-Corruption Branch in Chhattisgarh.

In May 2017, Podium Pandu alias Pandya, a surrendered Maoist leader had named Sunder, Bela Bhatia, and several others as Urban Naxals who were in regular touch with Naxal commanders in the state. He had also claimed that he used to help Sunder and others in arranging meetings with Naxal commanders like Hidma.

World’s largest container shipping company Maersk to move 16 containers on River Ganga from Varanasi to Kolkata

OpIndia Staff
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World’s largest container shipping company Maersk to move 16 containers on River Ganga from Varanasi to Kolkata

In a big boost to country’s inland shipping sector, the world’s largest container shipping company Maersk is all set to move 16 containers of cargo on river Ganga along the National Waterway-1 from Varanasi to Kolkata tomorrow, reports PIB.


Reportedly, Maersk will be moving containers on river Ganga after the successful transportation of cargo from other firms like PepsiCo, Emami Agrotech, IFFCO Fertilizers, Dabur India. With the entry of Maersk, the cargo movement across the hinterland will be much easier as they move directly to and from Bangladesh and the rest of the world through the Bay of Bengal.

Maersk, a Danish business conglomerate, is the largest container ship and supply vessel operator in the world and moves nearly 12 million containers yearly across the globe. The firm is now all set to enter the Indian market to transport cargo across inland waterways for the first time.

On November 12, 2018, Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi had dedicated India’s first riverine multimodal terminal on river Ganga across National Waterway-1 at Varanasi to the nation. On the same day, he had also received the country’s first container cargo that travelled on National Waterway-1 from Kolkata to Varanasi. The twin events are considered to be the watershed moments in the development of Inland Water Transport (IWT) in India.

The MMTs are being developed as a part of the government’s Jal Marg Vikas project (JMVP) that intends to develop the stretch between Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh to Haldia in West Bengal for navigation of large vessels weighing up to 1500-2000 tonnes.

The World Bank has been funding the JMVP with technical assistance and investment support of Rs. 5,369 crores. The Multi-Model Terminal project in Varanasi is built at a cost of Rs 206 crores. The MMT project in Varanasi is expected to produce 500 direct employment and will create additional 2000 indirect employment opportunities in the surrounding areas of the project.

Recently, for the first time in India’s history, a container vessel was used for logistics transportation on the National Waterways-1 along the River Ganga. A container cargo belonging to PepsiCo (India) transported 16 containers of food and beverages from Kolkata to Varanasi.


India has a vast network of inland waterways in the form of rivers, canals, backwaters and creeks. The total navigable length is 14,500 km, out of which about 5,200 km of river and 4,000 km of canals can be used by mechanized crafts. National waterways provide a logistically efficient, cost-effective and environment-friendly mode of transport, whose development as an additional mode will bring down the load-stress and traffic from over-congested roads and railways.

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