All India Congress Committee’s Punjab unit on Wednesday wrote to former Punjab Chief Minister, Captain Amarinder Singh’s wife and Congress leader Preneet Kaur seeking an explanation over her “anti-party remarks”.

The letter written by State Congress in-charge, Harish Choudhary to Kaur read, “From the last many days, we are continuously receiving reports from Congress workers, MLA’s, leaders from Patiala and the media about your anti-party activities. This information and news has been coming ever since your husband Captain Amarinder Singh Ji resigned from the party and floated his own party: Punjab Lok Congress.” “We are also made aware of your open announcements in the media about siding with your husband’s party,” the letter read.

The Congress party sought an explanation on her stand on this issue within a period of seven days failing which the party will take necessary disciplinary action.

Punjab is scheduled to go for Assembly polls in 2022.

In the 2017 Punjab Assembly polls, Congress won an absolute majority in the state by winning 77 seats and ousted the SAD-BJP government after 10 years. Aam Aadmi Party emerged as the second-largest party winning 20 seats in 117-member Punjab Legislative Assembly. The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) could only manage to win 15 seats while the BJP secured 3 seats.

As many as 199 terrorists are active in the Kashmir valley at present out of which 110 are locals and 89 are foreigners, informed the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) on Wednesday.

Citing an intelligence report shared by all concerned agencies of Kashmir valley, a senior CRPF officer said, “Total 199 terrorists are active in the valley that includes 110 locals and 89 foreigners.” “In counterterrorism operations in the valley along with Jammu and Kashmir Police and army, this year till date (November 24), as many as 148 terrorists have been killed, out of which 127 were locals and 21 foreigners,” the officer added.

He further said that the deployment of CRPF in Jammu and Kashmir is second highest after Left Wing Extremists affected areas where around 100 companies are deployed.

“In the valley, around 65,000 CRPF personnel are deployed. Recently, 25 additional CRPF companies were added after the attack on civilians in the valley,” he said.

The CRPF official informed that this year, a total of 11 CRPF personnel have been killed in action, out of which, three were in Jammu and Kashmir and eight were in areas affected by Left Wing Extremism (LWE).

The officer added that in the last seven days, they have arrested a total of 27 Left-Wing Extremists that including 13 in Chhattisgarh, three in Bihar and 11 in Jharkhand.

“CRPF has revised an ex-gratia risk fund for personnel who are killed in action from Rs 21.5 lakh to 35 Lakh. And in other cases, the risk fund was Rs 16.5 lakh that has been revised to 25 lakh. The decision was taken during the Annual Governing body meeting of the CRPF,” the official said.

On November 22, Seven Chakras including five Kirti Chakra and two Shaurya Chakra were presented to CRPF by the President of India for gallantry, the official added.

Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi requesting him to ensure timely supply of jute gunny bags as per the plan issued by the Union Food Department on November 12.

In his letter, Baghel stated that: “As per the plan, Chhattisgarh has got permission to purchase 2.14 lakh bales of new jute bags through Jute Commissioner Kolkata.

Against this, the state has so far received only 86,856 bales of new jute gunny bags, which is much less than the quantity required as per the plan. The state needs 5.25 lakh bales of gunny bags for paddy purchase. According to the plan by the Jute Commissioner, if 100 percent gunny bags are not supplied on time, then law and order situation can be created in the state.”

The Chief Minister said that the work of purchasing paddy from farmers on the support price announced by the central government in the Kharif Marketing Year 2021-22 in Chhattisgarh is likely to start from December 1, for which all necessary preparations are being made.

In the Kharif marketing year 2021-22, 105 lakh tonnes of paddy are expected to be procured from farmers in the state on support price, for which 5.25 lakh bales of gunny bags will be required.

Out of this, permission has been given to purchase 2.14 lakh bales of new jute bags through Jute Commissioner Kolkata through a letter issued by the Union Ministry of Food and Public Distribution on November 12. Accordingly, the schedule has been issued for the month wise supply of 0.19 lakh bales for August, 0.32 lakh bales for September, 0.72 lakh bales for October, 0.15 lakh bales for November and 0.76 lakh bales for December.

Baghel also said that indents have been issued by Chhattisgarh State Co-operative Society Marketing Federation Headquarters, Nava Raipur, to purchase 2.14 lakh bales of jute gunny bags; against this the state has so far received only 86,856 bales of new jute gunny bags.

Continuous efforts are being made from the state level for 100% supply of all the above new jute gunny bags to be received by the Jute Commissioner. Despite best efforts being made by the state, satisfactory progress has not been reflected in the speed of gunny bags being supplied by the Jute Commissioner.

Baghel told the Prime Minister that last year, on an average, 10,000 bales of gunny bags were being required for the procurement of paddy at the minimum support price. In such a situation, if 100 percent gunny bags are not supplied on time as per the supply action plan by the Jute Commissioner, Kolkata, then law and order situation may arise during the paddy procurement period.

Baghel mentioned in the letter that in the Kharif marketing year 2021-22, permission has been given by the Union Food Department to take 61.65 lakh tonnes of rice under the central pool, in addition to the need of 16 lakh tonnes of central pool in the state, the remaining 45.65 lakh tonnes of rice is to be deposited in the Food Corporation of India under the central pool, which also requires continuous supply as per the plan of new jute bags.

Keeping in view the above circumstances, Baghel requested the Prime Minister to direct the Union Food Department and Jute Commissioner Kolkata to supply new jute gunny bags on time as per the plan.

NITI Aayog has released a discussion paper titled “Digital Banks: A Proposal for Licensing and Regulatory Regime for India”, seeking comments till 31 December 2021.

The Discussion Paper can be accessed on the NITI Aayog website. As per an official release, the Discussion Paper has been prepared by NITI Aayog, in consultation with eminent experts in the field of finance, technology and law and based on inter-ministerial consultations.

“India has made rapid strides towards enabling financial inclusion catalyzed by Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana (PMJDY) and India stack. However, credit penetration remains a public policy challenge, especially for the nation’s 63 million odd MSMEs that contribute approximately 30 per cent to the Gross Domestic Product, about 45 per cent to manufacturing output, more than 40 per cent of exports, while creating employment for a significant section of the population, which in terms of volume stands next to agricultural sector. This is hindering the development of a conducive business environment for expansion of the MSME sector,” read the release.

“Over the past few years, with the help of unprecedented level of technology-led digitization and digital disruption heralded by Jan Dan-Aadhar-Mobile (JAM) trinity, biometric Aadhar system etc., financial inclusion has become a viable reality for the citizens of India. This has been furthered by the Unified Payments Interface (UPI) which has witnessed extraordinary adoption. UPI recorded over 4.2 billion transactions worth over Rs 7.7 trillion in just October 2021,” it added. The release further informed that the platform approach taken by the government in conceptualizing UPI has resulted in valuable payments products being developed on top of it, as a result of which payments can be made with the click of a mobile phone not just at retail outlets but also peer to peer, completely redefining the way in which money is transferred between individuals.

Former Indian cricketer and Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP) MP Gautam Gambhir has allegedly received a second death threat mail from ‘ISIS Kashmir’.

Delhi Police said that they have received a complaint and an investigation was being done. The second threat mail said, “We intended to kill you, but you survived yesterday. If you love the life of your family, stay away from politics and Kashmir issue.”

A video containing footage from outside his residence is also attached with the second threat e-mail.

Gambhir informed the police about the second threat mail which was received after security was tightened outside his home.

DCP Central, Shweta Chauhan had said earlier that Gautam Gambhir has submitted a written complaint about the death threat received by him. “He has received the threat on his official email id. The security has been increased outside his residence,” she said.

“We are going to kill you and your family,” read the threat email received from ‘ISIS Kashmir’.

The senior officials of Delhi Police said that the complaint has been marked to the Cyber Cell of the Special Cell to know the source of the mail. Further investigation is being carried out.

Yogi Adityanath government and Yamuna Expressway Industrial Development Authority (YEIDA) on Wednesday said that the airfare from Noida International Airport (NIA) in Jewar may be cheaper than Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport. All preparations are in full swing ahead of Prime Minister Modi’s visit to NIA in Jewar on 25 November for bhoomi pujan.

Addressing a press conference here, officials of YEIDA and the Uttar Pradesh government made the announcement. “Operators will try to bring more flights to come to Jewar, definitely both airports will compete with each other, I think initially travelling from Jewar airport will be more economical than Delhi,” Additional Chief Secretary, Uttar Pradesh, SP Goyal said.

According to YEIDA CEO, Arun Vir Singh, Jewar airport will be operational after three years in 2024. Jewar MLA Dhirendra Singh said that the airport will bring the opportunity of employment in the region. “Jewar airport will not only bring change in the state, but passengers will get cheap tickets than that in Delhi and will also bring a big opportunity of employment in the region,” he said.

He said that the compensation process with the farmers has been done by the government despite facing huge challenges for the acquisition of land from the farmers for the airport. “In an area where bullets were fired for two yards of land and getting the right compensation by acquiring land on a large scale from farmers was a big challenge,” he said.

The airport is being developed by Yamuna International Airport Private Limited (YIAPL), a 100 per cent subsidiary of the project’s Swiss concessionaire Zurich International Airport AG.

Yamuna International Airport Pvt Ltd (YIAPL) is developing Noida International Airport under the PPP model in close partnership with the Government of Uttar Pradesh and the Government of India.

According to the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), the airport is strategically located and will serve the people of cities including Delhi, Noida, Ghaziabad, Aligarh, Agra, Faridabad and neighbouring areas. The airport is spread over more than 1300 hectares of land, the completed first phase of the airport will have a capacity to serve around 1.2 crore passengers a year.