STATE’S

Chennai, Jan 1 (IANS) Senior Congress leader and former Union Finance Minister P. Chidambaram on Thursday asserted that assessing a state’s financial health solely on the basis of its total debt is fundamentally flawed, as such comparisons ignore broader economic realities.In a statement where he extended New Year greetings, Chidambaram said that rising public debt is a global phenomenon and should not be selectively used to criticise individual states like Tamil Nadu. Developed economies such as the United States, the United Kingdom, Japan, France, and Canada continue to witness an annual increase in their overall public debt, he noted. "The same trend is visible in India as well. Both the country’s total debt and the combined debt of all states rise every year. This, by itself, is not ab...

Patna, Jan 1 (IANS) Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar visited his ancestral village, Kalyan Bigha in the Harnaut block of Nalanda district on Thursday on the death anniversary of his mother Parameshwari Devi.He paid heartfelt homage by offering floral tributes at her statue located at the Kaviraj Ramlakhan Singh Memorial Garden.The Chief Minister also paid his respects by offering floral tributes at the statues of his late father, Ramlakhan Singh and his late wife Manju Sinha.On the solemn occasion, his elder brother Satish Kumar, son Nishant Kumar, and other close family members were present and joined him in paying tribute.Nishant Kumar was seen interacting with the locals.Several prominent leaders and dignitaries attended the event, including Rural Development Minister Shravan Kumar, MP...

Thiruvananthapuram, Jan 1 (IANS) The Sabarimala gold heist case has emerged as a far more extensive and meticulously executed crime than initially believed, with the Special Investigation Team (SIT) detecting that gold was systematically removed from multiple sacred structures within the hill shrine, pointing to an organised and prolonged operation.According to a crucial report submitted by the SIT before the Kerala High Court recently, the theft was not limited to one place in the temple.Investigators have found that gold was stripped from as many as seven-layered structures associated with the sanctum.The report states that gold plating embedded on the Shiva idol and the 'vyali' (mythical creature) figures positioned above the kattila layers was also carefully removed, underscoring the p...

Chennai, Jan 1 (IANS) With just four months remaining for the Tamil Nadu Assembly elections, political activity across the State has intensified, and Union Home Minister Amit Shah's visit on Sunday is set to mark a major turning point in the evolving electoral landscape. The visit is being closely watched as a key step towards strengthening the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in Tamil Nadu.HM Shah will arrive in Tiruchirappalli on January 4 and proceed to Pudukottai, where he will participate in the concluding event of the state-level campaign led by BJP state president Nainar Nagenthran.The event will be held at Pallathivayal in Nathampannai village, where a massive public meeting is being organised with elaborate arrangements, including a large stage and pavilion.Senior leader...

Pune, Jan 1 (IANS) The row over ticket distribution for the Pune Municipal Corporation elections has intensified with the BJP's Rajya Sabha member Medha Kulkarni openly raising questions.Kulkarni waded into the ongoing controversy after questioning the party's functioning and supporting the disgruntled party workers, thereby intensifying the debate over the "Loyalists vs. Outsiders" divide.Taking to social media to express her concerns, Medha Kulkarni shared a poignant post explicitly addressed to "Loyal Party Workers (Nishthavant Karyakarta)". In her post, she used a cryptic yet powerful poetic couplet of Gulzar to highlight the pain of those overlooked. "Kuch keh gaye, kuch seh gaye. Kuch kehte kehte reh gaye, (some spoke out, some endured in silence, and some were left silenced while tr...

New Delhi, Jan 1 (IANS) Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday visited the High Commission of Bangladesh in New Delhi to express condolences over the death of Bangladesh National Party (BNP) chairperson and former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia.Signing the condolence book, Singh conveyed deep sorrow and extended his thoughts to Khaleda Zia’s family and the people of Bangladesh."Went to the High Commission of Bangladesh in New Delhi. Signed the Condolence Book expressing our profound sorrow at the passing of former Prime Minister and BNP Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia. Our thoughts are with her family and the people of Bangladesh," the Defence Minister posted on X.Following Singh's visit, Bangladesh's High Commissioner to India, Riaz Hamidullah, took to X, stating, "Honoured to welcome HE ...

Chikkamagaluru (Karnataka), Jan 1 (IANS) An incident involving the murder of a man for allegedly sending messages on Instagram to his former girlfriend, whose marriage had been fixed with another man, was reported from Tarikere taluk of Chikkamagaluru district on Thursday.The deceased has been identified as 21-year-old Manjunath, a resident of Udeva village near Tarikere. The arrested persons include the girl’s brother Kiran, her fiance Venu, and their friends Appu and Manju. Manjunath was stabbed on Wednesday night near the Attiganalu village flyover and later succumbed to his injuries at a hospital.According to the police, Manjunath and the woman were previously in a relationship, which she later ended. She had recently got engaged to Venu. However, Manjunath allegedly continued to send ...

New Delhi, Jan 1 (IANS) The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) has told the National Green Tribunal (NGT) that Delhi generates 11,852 tonnes of municipal solid waste per day but processes only 7,611 tonnes, leaving a daily gap of 4,241 tonnes that ends up at dumpsites in Bhalswa and Ghazipur. The information came in an affidavit filed by the CPCB in a suo motu case registered by the green tribunal on a media report titled, “We can smell it even inside our homes: Southeast Delhi localities choke on garbage”, which highlighted the serious garbage problem and foul odour in areas such as Shaheen Bagh and Sarita Vihar.Referring to the annual report submitted by the Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) for 2024–25, the CPCB said the processing capacity in Delhi stands at 8,173 tonnes per...