“How can he (Owaisi) marketing campaign right here, whereas backing a authorities (of the Telangana Rashtra Samithi) that has blocked entry of our potatoes there (in Telangana)?” asks Alamgir, who can also be common secretary of the Aloo Utpadak Kisan Samiti in Agra.

Alamgir estimates that about 100 vans, every loaded with some 500 50-kg luggage of potatoes, go from UP to Telangana day-after-day. Out of that, 50-60 vans are from Agra alone. Maharashtra, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu collectively account for roughly three-fourths of the 700-800 vans going day by day from UP to numerous states.

Telangana’s Agriculture Minister S Niranjan Reddy has defended his authorities’s transfer. “The potatoes now coming from UP are the produce of final yr, stored in chilly shops. Why ought to we eat this when freshly harvested potatoes grown in Telangana are arriving on the Rythu Bazar vegetable markets right here?” he requested.

UP farmers sow potato from mid-October to early-November and harvest it by February 20-March 10. They sometimes promote solely round a fifth of the crop throughout  the harvest time and deposit the remaining produce in chilly shops for making staggered gross sales until November-end. That’s when contemporary potatoes — grown in states corresponding to Himachal Pradesh (primarily Una district), Punjab (the Doaba belt), Karnataka (Hassan, Kolar and Chikkaballapur), Maharashtra (Manchar) and even UP (Farrukhabad and Kannauj) — additionally hit the market. This crop, of lesser 60-75 days length, will not be amenable to storing at 2-4 levels Celsius for 9-10 months.

“Final yr, we had a bumper crop because of which 4-5% of the overall produce (understanding to 50-60 lakh luggage) remains to be mendacity in our chilly shops. If Telangana and others cease shopping for, we must throw these on the street, as a way to make area for the brand new potatoes that farmers will carry from late-February,” says Doongar Singh Chaudhary, proprietor of Vaidyaji Sheetgrah Pvt. Ltd, a chilly retailer in Khandauli.

Telangana is searching for to advertise in depth cultivation of potato, as a part of its crop diversification plans. The state has turn into India’s second largest contributor of paddy to the Central pool after Punjab, with procurement hovering from a mere 23.57 lakh tonnes in 2015-16 to 141.09 lakh tonnes within the 2020-21 advertising season (October-September). Telangana can also be India’s third largest cotton producer (after Maharashtra and Gujarat), topping in procurement by the Cotton Company of India.

Telangana is at the moment producing potatoes in 3,500-4,000 acres, primarily within the Zaheerabad space of Sangareddy district. “Our state is most fitted for rising potatoes, notably after the irrigation initiatives we have now undertaken. There’s scope to extend the world to 1 lakh acres or extra, which can, little question, take a while. We’re concentrating on manufacturing and advertising of contemporary potatoes that may be consumed inside 4-5 days of harvest. When there may be demand for freshly grown produce, why depend upon chilly shops in Agra,” says Niranjan Reddy.

That’s clearly not excellent news for UP potato farmers and chilly retailer house owners like Alamgir and Chaudhary.

By PTI

AGRA: Congress chief Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Wednesday requested Valmiki neighborhood to recommend a reputation from amongst them to contest election from her celebration within the coming meeting election in Uttar Pradesh.

The celebration basic secretary made the request throughout a gathering with representatives of Valmiki neighborhood right here at Valmiki Vatika in Subhash Park space on MG Street.

“After I got here to Agra after the loss of life of Arun Valmiki, I questioned what might we do for individuals belonging to Valmiki neighborhood. You have got seen atrocities towards the individuals of the neighborhood many times, whether or not it’s in Hathras or in Agra,” the chief informed reporters right here after the assembly.

Arun Narwar, a sanitation employee belonging to Valmiki neighborhood, had allegedly died in police custody in Agra in October this 12 months.

He was accused of stealing Rs 25 lakh from the storage home (‘Maalkhana’) of Jagdishpura Police Station.

Priyanka had additionally visited Arun’s members of the family after the information of his loss of life hit the headlines.

“The selection of Congress celebration to have a Valmiki neighborhood candidate is aimed toward sending a message to the state and to the nation that the neighborhood which confronted atrocities in Agra and Hathras fights by itself and fights strongly,” she stated.

The Congress chief stated she had despatched a delegation of the celebration 4-5 days in the past to debate the proposal with the individuals of the neighborhood.

The Items and Service Tax (GST) authorities, which launched searches on the properties linked to the Kanpur-based dealer final Wednesday, claimed to have recovered Rs 177.45 crore unaccounted money. “As per the document offered by the GST authorities, Rs 177.45 crore in money has been recovered from his premise in Kanpur,” stated authorities counsel Nitika Srivastava.

Whereas searches at Kanpur premises of Jain have concluded, it’s nonetheless on in Kannauj, stated Finance Ministry in a press release. It stated that about Rs 17 crore in money and 23 kg of gold has been recovered from Jain’s Kannauj residence, including that additional counting was underway.

“Large unaccounted uncooked supplies used within the manufacture of perfumery compounds, together with greater than 600 kg of sandalwood oil, had been discovered hidden in underground storage, having a market worth of about Rs 6 crore,” it stated.

Appearing on a tip-off, officers of the Directorate Basic of GST Intelligence (DGGI) of Ahmedabad unit reached Kanpur on Wednesday and started searches on the manufacturing unit of Trimurti Perfume Pvt Ltd, which manufactures Shikhar Pan Masala and tobacco merchandise, and the workplace and godowns of Ganpati Street Carriers. The residential premises of companions of Odochem Industries in Kannauj, which provides perfumery compounds, had been additionally searched.

Jain was arrested on Sunday. He has been booked underneath part 132 of the Central Items and Service Tax (CGST) Act.

The assembly additionally comes days after the Allahabad Excessive Courtroom final week urged the EC and Prime Minister to postpone the upcoming Uttar Pradesh Meeting polls because of the menace of the Omicron variant of Covid-19.

“The fee can be continuing to Lucknow on Tuesday afternoon for a scheduled ballot preparedness evaluate assembly there and return on thirtieth afternoon,” an EC official mentioned.

The Well being Ministry has despatched multidisciplinary groups to Uttar Pradesh and Punjab – for reporting vaccination beneath the nationwide common. The groups, which is able to stay stationed within the states for the subsequent 3 to five days, will assess the scenario, recommend remedial actions and submit a report each night by 7 pm.

Chief Election Commissioner Sushil Chandra final Friday additionally mentioned the Comission will take a name after reviewing the scenario within the state.

The Well being Secretary had on December 23 directed the poll-bound states to “exponentially ramp up vaccination” – particularly within the “low protection districts” to guard the weak inhabitants.

Bhushan, through the evaluate assembly with all states, additionally raised a crimson flag that pockets with low vaccination protection could also be extra weak to the brand new Omicron variant, and that district administrations should pay particular consideration to ramp up vaccination in these pockets. Elections are anticipated in Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Uttarakhand, Goa and Manipur early subsequent 12 months.

Throughout his go to to Uttarakhand final week, when requested in regards to the Allahabad Excessive Courtroom’s request, Chandra mentioned he had been knowledgeable that Uttarakhand had one case of Omicron up to now. He reiterated the EC’s measures for making elections Covid-safe and mentioned the Fee would take motion as per the Structure and the Illustration of the Individuals Act, 1951.

Final Friday Allahabad Excessive Courtroom urged the Prime Minister to “take sturdy steps” and take into account “stopping and suspending” rallies, conferences and elections.

The Commision is presently visiting all poll-bound states forward of the scheduled meeting elections. It’s customary for the Comission to go to poll-bound states forward of saying their dates. The Chief Election Commissioner Sushil Chandra, and Election Commissioner Anup Chandra Pandey and Rajiv Kumar have already visite the ballot sure states of Punjab, Goa and Uttarakhand and are scheduled to go to, Uttar Pradesh and Manipur subsequent.

Chandra, throughout his evaluate go to to Goa mentioned the Election Fee is able to maintain the elections in Goa (and by extension, the opposite states going to polls across the identical time), regardless of the looming menace of one other wave of the coronavirus pandemic, however emphasised that native election officers have been empowered to make sure strict adherence to Covid protocols throughout campaigning, and that the polling itself can even be held with ample precautions.

The present time period of the legislative assemblies of Goa, Manipur, Punjab and Uttarakhand are coming to an finish in March 2022, whereas the time period of the Uttar Pradesh legislative meeting is scheduled to finish in Could.

By PTI

NEW DELHI: BJP’s Brahmin leaders from poll-bound Uttar Pradesh on Monday met social gathering president JP Nadda, a day after holding a brainstorming session on reaching out to the essential vote section within the state.

Varied points in regards to the neighborhood had been mentioned at size throughout the assembly with Nadda.

On Sunday, greater than a dozen Brahmin leaders of the BJP from Uttar Pradesh held a marathon assembly at state in-charge, Union minister Dharmendra Pradhan’s residence to chalk out a method for reaching out to neighborhood members.

In accordance with sources, the social gathering has shaped a committee comprising BJP’s Rajya Sabha chief whip Shiv Pratap Shukla, social gathering chief Abhijat Mishra, former nationwide secretary and Gujarat MP Ram Bhai Mokariya and Mahesh Sharma to succeed in out to Brahmin members of the neighborhood.

The social gathering’s Brahmin leaders, together with Union Minister Ajay Mishra, whose son has been arrested in reference to the Lakhimpur Kheri violence, will attain out to neighborhood members of their respective areas, ultimately touching all 403 constituencies of the state.

Meeting polls in Uttar Pradesh are scheduled early subsequent 12 months.

By PTI

NEW DELHI: The folks of Uttar Pradesh do one thing new in each election and after voting on caste and faith foundation up to now, they’re able to vote based mostly on points regarding them this time, Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel stated.

Baghel, who’s the senior ballot observer for the Congress in Uttar Pradesh, in an interview to PTI stated the social gathering will contest on all of the seats within the state within the upcoming meeting elections, giving 40 per cent seats to ladies this time.

The Congress will struggle the polls beneath the management of Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, who has fearlessly and aggressively raised folks’s points within the state, be it farmers’ issues, unemployment, value rise or dwindling incomes, or atrocities in opposition to Dalits, ladies and youth, he stated.

This may profit the Congress, the senior chief asserted.

He additionally stated that farmers haven’t forgotten their “humiliation” by the hands of the BJP authorities after what occurred with them within the final over a yr and over “700 of them dropping their lives”.

They may vote out the BJP this time, Baghel stated.

The groundswell of anger in opposition to the BJP can be mirrored within the Uttar Pradesh election, the Chhattisgarh chief minister stated.

“The folks of Uttar Pradesh do one thing new in each election. Uttar Pradesh provides you solutions to the questions of the current instances,” Baghel stated.

He stated there was a time when folks voted on the idea of caste, and (Bahujan Samaj Occasion supremo) Mayawati and (Samajwadi Occasion president) Akhilesh Yadav turned chief ministers.

They once more voted on the idea of faith and the BJP, which was quantity 4 in 2012, emerged because the winner within the 2017 meeting polls, Baghel stated.

“However, the folks of Uttar Pradesh now wish to vote on their points – be it value rise and diminished incomes, unemployment, farmers, Dalits, youth, workers, ladies. Solely the Congress is addressing these points and Priyanka ji has talked about all these points within the social gathering’s pledges,” he famous.

The Congress chief admitted that within the final election, folks rejected the coalition and the Congress-Samajwadi Occasion mix misplaced badly attributable to anti-incumbency of the Akhilesh Yadav authorities.

However, now, each one is contesting in a different way and all have completely different agendas.

Nonetheless, nobody is addressing folks’s points, Baghel stated.

Solely Priyanka Gandhi is addressing points, be it about farmers, workers or artwork and craft and native industries of various areas, he stated.

Requested if the opposition vote can be divided with all events contesting individually, he stated, “Opposition vote is not going to be divided. Those that neither like Akhilesh Yadav or (Chief Minister) Yogi Adityanath, will vote for the Congress.”

The senior Congress chief famous that persons are not related with just one social gathering and stated if one sees the journey from 2012 to 2022, there are loads of ups and downs, and so they have voted on completely different points.

“We have now seen a number of mixtures additionally play out – be it Dalit-Brahmin, Yadav-Muslims, experimented with faith, in addition to on caste foundation.

However they (folks) really feel they didn’t get something out of it,” he stated, including that they are going to vote for these elevating their points this time.

He stated beneath Priyanka Gandhi, the social gathering is shifting ahead whereas taking widespread folks’s issues and she or he has helped the Congress emerge as a 3rd different earlier than Adityanath and Yadav.

Baghel famous that the groundswell over farm legal guidelines and farmer agitation could be very a lot alive and they’ll vote the BJP out.

“The farmers is not going to overlook what has occurred to them and can vote in opposition to the BJP. The federal government has earned the excellence of getting a ‘ghamandi chehra’ (smug face) over the farm legal guidelines concern. (Prime Minister Narendra) Modi ji just isn’t working any extra and the BJP is getting a beating in each state,” he famous.

Requested in regards to the Congress prospects within the subsequent spherical of meeting elections, together with in Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Goa and Punjab, Baghel stated will probably be in favour of the Congress social gathering and a few good outcomes will come out.

By PTI

JAIPUR: Former Rajasthan deputy chief minister Sachin Pilot on Sunday claimed that PM Narendra Modi is visiting Uttar Pradesh ceaselessly as BJP leaders concern that the celebration might lose subsequent 12 months’s Meeting polls there.

The Congress chief stated it’s only his celebration that may exchange the BJP on the nationwide degree as he slammed the BJP-led Union authorities for failing to examine inflation.

“Be it petrol, diesel, LPG gasoline or meals gadgets, costs are skyrocketing however the central authorities has didn’t comprise inflation. We now have tried to offer aid to folks within the state however the Centre has no real interest in curbing inflation,” Pilot advised reporters in Tonk, his Meeting constituency.

He stated BJP leaders bask in politics of faith and caste, and the general public has realised this.

BJP leaders are involved and concern that the celebration might lose elections in Uttar Pradesh because of which the prime minister is ceaselessly visiting the poll-bound state, he stated.

“It’s the Congress Social gathering that may exchange the BJP on the nationwide degree. The general public will stand with the Congress within the Meeting elections in 5 states,” he added.

Responding to a query on the demand of regularisation of jobs by contractual workers, he stated the state authorities will do no matter doable on this regard.

“Subsequent week, we’ll go to Uttar Pradesh and overview the scenario there. Then take an applicable determination,” CEC Sushil Chandra stated at a press convention in Dehradun throughout a two-day go to to Uttarakhand to overview the preparations for the Meeting elections within the state.

When requested in regards to the Allahabad Excessive Court docket’s request, Chandra stated he had been knowledgeable that Uttarakhand had one case of Omicron to this point. He reiterated the EC’s measures for making elections Covid-safe and stated the Fee would take motion as per the Structure and the Illustration of the Individuals Act, 1951.

On Thursday, the Allahabad Excessive Court docket urged the Prime Minister to “take sturdy steps” and take into account “stopping and suspending” rallies, conferences and elections.

Justice Shekhar Kumar Yadav, whereas urging the Registrar Normal of the Allahabad Excessive Court docket to border guidelines to take care of the scenario, stated in his order: “At the moment once more, elections to the Vidhan Sabha in UP are close to, for which events are holding rallies and conferences and gathering crowds of lakhs. It’s not attainable to look at Covid protocol in these programmes. If this isn’t stopped in time, then the outcome might be extra horrifying than the second wave.”

The Fee is at the moment visiting all poll-bound states forward of the scheduled meeting elections. It’s customary for the Fee to go to poll-bound states forward of saying their dates. The Chief Election Commissioner Sushil Chandra, and Election Commissioner Anup Chandra Pandey and Rajiv Kumar have already visited the poll-bound states of Punjab, Goa and Uttarakhand and are scheduled to go to, Uttar Pradesh and Manipur subsequent.

Chandra, throughout his overview go to to Goa stated the Election Fee is able to maintain the elections in Goa (and by extension, the opposite states going to polls across the identical time), regardless of the looming risk of one other wave of the coronavirus illness pandemic, however emphasised that native election officers have been empowered to make sure strict adherence to Covid protocols throughout campaigning, and that the polling itself will even be held with satisfactory precautions.

The present time period of the legislative assemblies of Goa, Manipur, Punjab and Uttarakhand are coming to an finish in March 2022, whereas the time period of the Uttar Pradesh legislative meeting is scheduled to finish in Might.

The Election Fee (EC) is remitted beneath regulation to carry elections at any time inside six months earlier than the five-year time period of the Lok Sabha or Legislative Meeting expires.

The polls are normally timed in a method that the brand new Meeting or Lok Sabha is in place on the day of the dissolution of the outgoing Home.