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Aizawl/Imphal, Jan 23 (IANS) Assam Rifles on Friday seized drugs valued at over Rs 7.28 crore in Mizoram and recovered a large cache of explosive materials in Manipur by arresting two persons in connection with separate operations, officials said. A defence spokesman said that, acting on credible intelligence inputs related to narcotics trafficking, Assam Rifles conducted an operation at Ngur areas in Mizoram’s bordering Champhai district on Friday. During the operation, one person in China made Kenbo bike was intercepted. A thorough search resulted in the recovery of 2.2 kg of highly addictive Methamphetamine tablets, a highly dangerous psychotropic substance with an estimated international market value of Rs 6.6 crore.The person carrying the contraband was identified as Lalhmangaihzuala ...

Shahdol, Jan 23 (IANS) Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on Friday, digitally inaugurated the loan and credit card distribution programme under the PM SVANidhi Scheme from Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala. Under this initiative, a programme was also organised at the Municipal Council premises in Madhya Pradesh's Shahdol district.During the event, loan amounts were distributed to eligible beneficiaries of the scheme.Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the loan amount and credit card distribution programme for eligible beneficiaries of the PM SVANidhi Scheme across the country from Thiruvananthapuram. In the same sequence, loan amounts were also distributed to eligible beneficiaries in Shahdol district of Madhya Pradesh.BJP MLA from Jaisinghnagar Assembly constituency, Manisha Singh, told IANS, "Th...

Bengaluru, Jan 23 (IANS) Union Minister for Heavy Industries and Food H.D. Kumaraswamy on Friday appealed to women not to be lured by the Rs 2,000 monthly assistance for woman heads under the Gruha Lakshmi scheme and urged them to give him five years, stating that the guarantees offered by the Congress-led government are not a permanent solution to their lives.He appealed to them not to fall victim to what he described as the Congress-led government’s deception.Speaking after inaugurating the newly constructed Adishakti Sri Maramma Amma Temple at Ragimuddenahalli village in the Tumakuru Rural Assembly constituency, Kumaraswamy said the five guarantees offer only temporary relief and serve no real purpose.“For these guarantees, the government is spending Rs 50,000 crore every year. It is gi...

New Delhi, Jan 23 (IANS) A Delhi court is likely to pronounce on Saturday its order on whether to take cognisance of the Enforcement Directorate’s (ED) chargesheet filed against businessman Robert Vadra, son-in-law of former Congress president Sonia Gandhi, in a money laundering case linked to UK-based defence dealer Sanjay Bhandari. The federal anti-money laundering agency has filed a prosecution complaint against Vadra, husband of Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) before the Rouse Avenue Court.The case pertains to alleged overseas assets and financial transactions connected to Bhandari, who is already facing proceedings in connection with holding undisclosed assets abroad.The ED had named Vadra as an accused after com...

Bhubaneswar, Jan 23 (IANS) With the Mahanadi Water Disputes Tribunal (MWDT) nearing the end of its tenure in April, the matter has once again come into political focus.Odisha Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Suresh Pujari on Friday remarked that the previous state government failed to sufficiently safeguard Odisha’s interests during proceedings before the tribunal.It is worth noting that the Mahanadi Water Disputes Tribunal (MWDT) was constituted in March 2018 under the Inter-State River Water Disputes Act, 1956, as both Odisha and Chhattisgarh could not reach an amicable agreement on water sharing.Addressing the media following a high-level meeting here on Friday, Pujari alleged that during the earlier government’s tenure, no serious effort was made to argue in favour of Odisha’s ...

Imphal, Jan 23 (IANS) Manipur Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla on Friday highlighted the state’s significant contribution to India’s freedom movement, particularly through the Indian National Army (INA), saying it remains a source of immense pride and reflects Manipur’s long-standing commitment to the ideals of patriotism and national service. The Governor on Friday attended the event to observe Parakram Diwas 2026, the 129th birth anniversary of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, at the INA War Museum-cum-Library, Moirang in Manipur’s Bishnupur district. He said that observing Parakram Diwas at Moirang is both a tribute to India’s freedom struggle and a reaffirmation of the nation’s enduring resolve to safeguard its sovereignty and unity.Recalling that the Indian National Army first hoisted the tricol...

Surat/Bhagalpur, Jan 23 (IANS) The Prime Minister's SVANidhi Scheme has transformed the lives and helped to strengthen the economic condition of millions of street vendors hailing from Surat (Gujarat) and Bhagalpur (Bihar).Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday launched a credit card virtually for street vendors and also distributed loans to one lakh beneficiaries.At a programme organised by the Surat Municipal Corporation at the Surat Science Centre, Union Minister C.R. Patil distributed cheques to street vendors and also felicitated bank officials who provided loans to the vendors.On this occasion, Surat Municipal Commissioner Shalini Agarwal told that the credit card has been launched under the Prime Minister Street Vendors' AtmaNirbhar Nidhi (PM SVANidhi) scheme. Under this scheme, t...

Patna, Jan 23 (IANS) Amid intense speculation over a possible split within the Bihar Congress and fears of defections following the 2025 Bihar Assembly election results, the party’s top leadership held a crucial meeting in Delhi on Friday to address internal challenges.The meeting was chaired by Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge and Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, and focused on organisational weakness and growing dissent within the Bihar unit of the party.According to sources, Rahul Gandhi made it clear that Bihar Congress leaders must recognise their responsibilities and work seriously at the grassroots level.He reportedly said that while he is ready to support leaders whenever required, his efforts alone cannot revive the party.He stressed that strengthening ...

Bengaluru, Jan 23 (IANS) Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said that BJP's ally, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu's concerns on the Viksit Bharat – Grameen Rozgar and Migration Guarantee Act (VB-G RAM G) validate the opposition stand and termed the development as politically significant.Taking to social media X, CM Siddaramaiah stated on Friday, "The reports that the Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh, N. Chandrababu Naidu, has raised concerns with the Union Government over the implementation of the VB-G RAM G Act - especially regarding the altered funding pattern and the additional burden on states - are politically significant and consequential for Centre–State relations."These concerns are important as they come from a key ally of the BJP, whose support is critic...