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An estimated $600 mn is needed to provide farmers with alternatives, but the BJP of PM Narendra Modi and Opposition parties in power in New Delhi and nearby Punjab are squabbling over who will pay As pollution level climbed to 12 times above the recommended limit this week in India’s capital, government officials said they knew what was needed to control the smoky haze, but nothing would be done, at least this year. A major source of the smog at this time of year across northern India, including New Delhi, is farmers burning the stubble of the previous crop to prepare for new plantings in November. An estimated $600 million is needed to provide farmers with alternatives, but the Bharatiya Janata Party of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and opposition parties in power in New Delhi and nearby Punjab states are squabbling over who will pay, said three federal government officials who have been briefed on the situation. “Nothing more is likely to happen this year,” said ...

Real policy is not defensive short term emergency measures but something proactive spanning multiple years Every Diwali, a billion people in India wake up to the news of smog-ridden cities in the aftermath of celebratory fireworks. And much like the hangover after a night of drinking, we promise ourselves, never again!; that moderation will be the key next time around!, etc. Yet, we once again find ourselves in a similar (if worse) situation. And in 2016 again, a year after three infants challenged the Supreme Court to curb air pollution from firecrackers (one of the families has since migrated away from Delhi), we are faced with yet another hangover. For the first time, more than 1,800 schools have been closed in the national capital region in response to high   Delhi Air Pollution   levels originating from a complex mix of emissions: from the Diwali fireworks burning, stubble burning in Indo-Gangetic states, wintertime meteorological changes and the ever-present urba...

Mamata Banerjee during oath taking ceremony in Kolkata West Bengal Governor Keshari Nath Tripathy administers the oath of secrecy to West Bengal Chief Minister   Mamata Banerjee   during swearing-in ceremony in Kolkata

Victory in Assam could help passage of GST, hope of seats in 2019 from all across India After a disastrous 2015, where it was electorally mauled first in Delhi and then Bihar, the year 2016 has brought much cheer for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The results are beyond   BJP ’s expectations -– it has comprehensively won Assam byand nearing the majority mark on its own, it has won its first ever seat and over 11 per cent votes in Kerala, as many as half dozen seats and 10 per cent vote share in Bengal and to top it, has the comfort of the return of a favourable government in Tamil Nadu. The results will sweeten Modi government’s second anniversary celebrations, brighten hopes for the passage of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) Constitution amendment in the Monsoon session and boost BJP’s preparations for the important Uttar Pradesh assembly polls due by February 2017. Most of all, the results are good news for the BJP in the context of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. T...

Should Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, known for his unconventional views and infallible belief in saving the environment have been on the same stage as Sri Sri Ravishankar whose  Art of Living   function got him a fine from the National Green Tribunal (NGT)? Kejriwal’s presence and his warmth towards “pujya guruji” has disappointed many followers. Others just shrug. After all, Kejriwal and Sri Sri have a history that cannot be forgotten. Show full article

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal today said ‘jan sabhas’ will be held across the city to seek public opinion on the odd-even scheme, which will be rolled out as and when “people decide”. Kejriwal said, starting today, every Aam Aadmi Party MLA will organise meetings at the constituency level to decide the future course of the road rationing measure, that was enforced from January 1 to 15 in its pilot phase. “We have decided to organise meetings in every constituency to seek suggestion on when odd-even should be brought again and for how long. I have asked the MLAs to make arrangements in this regard.  Read Full Article Over Here :  Business Standard News  

The car rationing formula by the Delhi Government officially ends today as the odd-even plan has completely its 15-day trial period. The Delhi government had said yesterday said that, the decision for the second phase of the experiment is likely to be taken in the review meeting scheduled for Monday.  Read Articles

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and his Delhi counterpart Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday condoled the demise of Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister  Mufti Mohammed Sayeed , who breathed his last at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) here due to multiple organ failure. “Deeply saddened to hear of Mufti Sahib’s demise. My condolences to his family and supporters,” tweeted Nitish. Kejriwal also took to twitter to express his grief. Read More

The  Delhi High Court   on Wednesday asked the Aam Aadmi Party government whether it can limit plying of even and odd numbered vehicles in Delhi on alternative dates for “a week” instead of the planned 15 days. A division bench of Chief Justice G Rohini and Justice Jayant Nath asked the government to produce the data on air pollution it has collected in a week during implementation of the odd-even scheme in national capital. “Is it really necessary to have it for two weeks? Can’t it be confined to eight days? Can you end it on Friday? People are facing inconvenience. Take instructions,” the bench asked the government posting the matter for Friday.  Read More

With Delhi only a few hours into the AAP government’s  odd-even scheme , car traffic at one of the busiest intersections in the city near the Income Tax Office – popularly known as ITO – appeared to be relatively sparse. While trans-Yamuna commuters using cars still appeared to be present in normal numbers, traffic from the South Delhi side appeared to be thin. Speaking to Business Standard, a policeman posted at the intersection said, “Personally, I haven’t seen as many offenders as I thought there would be today.” However, volunteers, pressed into action to ensure the smooth enforcement of the scheme, were present in strength at the intersection, not to mention a sizeable contingent of reporters from various agencies, reaffirming ITO’s status as the pre-eminent bottleneck of Delhi Auto-rickshaws were scarce going towards Mayur Vihar in the morning, according to a Business Standard reporter. However, the commute to office, via an Ola cab, was smooth with little or no...

Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi today kept up his tirade against the Narendra Modi government and said ’ Achhe din ’ has come only for the Prime Minister and not the aam aadmi who are groaning under unprecedented price rise. On a two-day visit to his Amethi parliamentary constituency, Gandhi, who led the opposition attack against the NDA government in and outside Parliament, said, “There is no achhe din for aam aadmi, achhe din is only for Prime Minister Narendra Modi.” “Inflation is at its peak. Nothing has been done for the farmers and the youth,” he said, addressing a roadside meeting at Nigoha village here. The Congress vice-president said that during the Lok Sabha election campaign, Modi had promised to deposit Rs 15 lakh in every person’s account after bringing back the black money stashed away abroad. “Has it been deposited,” he asked on a sarcastic note. Read More News :  National Herald case  |  Paris climate change  |  Budget 2016   |...

Prime Minister  Narendra Modi  defended Finance Minister Arun Jaitley at a weekly meeting of the BJP parliamentary party and likened Jaitley to former Bharatiya Janata Party President and stalwart LK Advani who was chargesheeted but later acquitted in the 1990s hawala scam. This was the PM’s first reaction on the latest crisis to hit his government. To MPs, Modi reportedly said Jaitley would come out “with flying colours” in the Delhi cricket body controversy just as Advani had emerged unscathed. But there is a difference. Advani had resigned. “The day allegations were raised against me based on the Jain diaries, that evening itself, sitting in my house in Pandara Road I took the decision to resign (as MP). It was no one else’s decision, it was mine. Soon after I called up (Atal Bihari) Vajapyee to inform him of my decision. He asked me not to resign but I did not listen to anyone,” Advani told interviewers earlier this year. Read More News :  National Herald case...

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley filed civil and criminal defamation cases against Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal  and five Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leaders, while proceedings of both Houses of Parliament were disrupted by Opposition members demanding probe into the alleged corruption in the functioning of Delhi’s cricket body. The highlight was when Congress President Sonia Gandhi tried to catch the attention of Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan to allow Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Kirti Azad to speak in the Lok Sabha on the issue of purported financial irregularities in the Delhi and District Cricket Association (DDCA). Some in the BJP claimed the Congress President had implored with shouts of “Kirti” to ask Azad to speak and how this was further proof that Azad was Congress’ “Trojan horse” in the BJP.  "Outrageous, (that) I took instructions from Congress President?! We have been fighting since nine years, shown fraud companies with fraud bank accounts?“Azad t...

The Central Bureau of Investigation has raided Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal’s office. The office has been sealed. No specific reason has been given yet.   Media reports suggest that the raid is connected to a case of criminal misconduct against Delhi CM’s principal secretary Rajender Kumar. Aam Aadmi party have said that the Chief Minister’s office was kept in the dark about the sudden raid. Arvind Kejriwal  has tweeted confirming the development. When Modi cudn’t handle me politically, he resorts to this cowardice Modi is a coward and a psycopath There’s no official comment from CBI yet. The latest development follows a series of confrontation between the AAP and the central government.

Enraged over a demolition drive that has been blamed for the death of a 6-month-old infant, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal today said he has sought a meeting with Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu over the issue. “Sought an appointment with Railway Minister, Sh Suresh Prabhu ji,” Kejriwal wrote on Twitter. A fresh confrontation raged between the  Arvind Kejriwal  Government and Centre over the death of the infant girl at a slum cluster at Shakurbasti Railway Colony that was demolished by Railways yesterday. The AAP government has ordered a magisterial inquiry into the demolition drive and death of the six-month girl though railways has said that the incident had “nothing to do with removal of encroachments”. Police had said prima facie the baby died due to suffocation after a heap of clothes fell on it when the parents were preparing to move out of the jhuggi and hence no case was registered. Yesterday, Kejriwal met Railway officials at his residence over the iss...