
MP: Congress chief Jitu Patwari alleges corruption in central government schemes in state
Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh) [India] June 11 (ANI): A day after Chief Minister Mohan Yadav praised the achievement of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government on completion of 11 years tenure, Madhya Pradesh Congress chief Jitu Patwari on Wednesday alleged massive corruption in several centrally-sponsored schemes being implemented across the state.
Addressing the reporters, Patwari said, 'The schemes of the central government, which were started for the upliftment of the poor, farmers and people in rural areas, have become a ground for corruption in Madhya Pradesh. From Jal Jeevan Mission to Swachh Bharat Mission and schemes like Ayushman Bharat revealed to be involved in financial irregularity and fake billings. Still CM Yadav praised the achievements of 11 years of Modi government, while the reality is that every scheme of the Center in Madhya Pradesh has been stuck in corruption.'
The congress leader alleged that corruption of crores of rupees revealed in various key schemes such as Jal Jeevan Mission, Swachh Bharat Mission (Rural), Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana, Ayushman Bharat Yojana, Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), PM Kisan Samman Nidhi and others.
He further demanded that a high-level investigation should be initiated of the corruption in these schemes in the state and strict action should be taken against those found guilty.
Earlier on Tuesday, CM Mohan Yadav inaugurated an exhibition at the state BJP office in Bhopal, centred on completion of 11 years of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's tenure.
Addressing the media on the occasion, CM Yadav highlighted work done in PM Modi's tenure for 11 years and stressed that he made various bold decisions necessary for the public's welfare.
'PM Modi took bold decisions necessary for the public's welfare. He took various decisions, be it the implementation of GST, the abrogation of Article 370, the abolition of Triple Talaq or the Ram Mandir temple issue...he made decisions for the welfare of every section of the society,' the CM said.
He also emphasised that PM Modi talked about cleanliness from the Red Fort, decided to construct toilets in every house, and provided gas connections. The poor people are getting the benefit of DBT (Direct Benefit Transfer).
'There are various schemes of the Modi government for the welfare of the public, including the Ayushman Bharat scheme, 5 lakh health insurance for all elderly people above 70 years, Ujjwala Gas connection and Jal Jeevan Mission. The budget for agricultural development increased 5 times during PM Modi's tenure. Kisan Samman Nidhi is being provided to farmers for the first time. Free rations to over 80 crore people. He has also provided 10 per cent reservation to general category people (EWS), leaving a message that every section is equal,' CM Yadav said. (ANI)
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Time of India
39 minutes ago
- Time of India
‘Diplomatic intervention': Pakistan nominates Donald Trump for 2026 Nobel Peace Prize; cites role in India-Pakistan crisis
Donakd Trump Pakistan has nominated US President Donald Trump for the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize , crediting his "decisive diplomatic intervention and pivotal leadership" during the recent crisis between India and Pakistan. The announcement was made in a post on social media platform X, where Pakistani officials said Trump played a key role in defusing tensions between the two nuclear-armed neighbours. The nomination follows comments made by Trump on Friday, in which he argued he deserved the prestigious award for multiple peace efforts, including his involvement in easing tensions between India and Pakistan. 'I should have gotten it four or five times,' the president said. 'They won't give me a Nobel Peace Prize because they only give it to liberals.' While the Indian government has rejected the idea that Trump played a role in the ceasefire, Trump insists he helped prevent a potential war. 'Well, I stopped a war... I love Pakistan. I think Modi is a fantastic man. I spoke to him last night. We're going to make a trade deal with Modi of India,' he told reporters earlier this week. 'But I stopped the war between Pakistan and India. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Free P2,000 GCash eGift UnionBank Credit Card Apply Now Undo This man was extremely influential in stopping it from the Pakistan side. Modi from the India side and others. They were going at it – and they're both nuclear countries. I got it stopped.' Pakistan's Chief of Army Staff, General Asim Munir, has also secured a lunch meeting at the White House following his recommendation that US President Donald Trump be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for 2026. White House spokesperson Anna Kelly confirmed the meeting will take place but did not provide a date. This is not the first time Trump has been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize. In the past, loyal lawmakers and supporters have submitted his name for consideration. He has also repeatedly voiced frustration at being overlooked, referencing the 2009 win of former US President Barack Obama. Trump also announced on Truth Social that he had arranged a peace treaty between the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Rwanda. He said officials from both countries would travel to Washington on Monday to sign the agreement, although their joint statement listed the date as June 27. 'This is a Great Day for Africa and, quite frankly, a Great Day for the World!' Trump wrote. He also criticised the Nobel committee for not acknowledging his previous peace efforts in other regions. 'I won't get a Nobel Peace Prize for this, I won't get a Nobel Peace Prize for stopping the War between India and Pakistan, I won't get a Nobel Peace Prize for stopping the War between Serbia and Kosovo, I won't get a Nobel Peace Prize for keeping Peace between Egypt and Ethiopia. .. No, I won't get a Nobel Peace Prize no matter what I do... but the people know, and that's all that matters to me!' The peace agreement between the DRC and Rwanda, reached during three days of negotiations in Washington, aims to end a decades-long conflict in eastern Congo. Trump has positioned himself as a global peacemaker, often highlighting his negotiation skills as a key approach to ending international conflicts. However, the wars in Gaza and Ukraine are ongoing, with no resolution reached more than five months into his presidency.

Mint
an hour ago
- Mint
Kashmir's industries run on migrant labour. When they leave, everything stops.
Srinagar: Shahid Kamili still remembers the silence. On the morning of 5 August 2019, his steel plant in Srinagar's Rangreth industrial estate stood eerily still. The hot strip mills sat idle, the reheating furnace cold. Nearly 350 of his 500 workers, mostly migrant labourers, had vanished overnight. Just a day earlier, on 4 August, authorities had issued an urgent directive asking all non-local workers to leave the Kashmir Valley, ahead of the central government's move to revoke Article 370, stripping Jammu and Kashmir of its special constitutional status. By dawn, Kamili's Himalayan Rolling Steel Industries Pvt. Ltd, a ₹120-crore industrial unit, had come to a grinding halt. 'When 350 migrant workers left my steel factory in one go, I lost furnace technicians, mill fitters, and crane operators, the specialized labour needed to keep molten steel moving through the production line. No steel slabs were cast, no billets rolled, production stopped mid-cycle, and losses quickly piled up," recalls Kamili. In the months that followed, without skilled manpower to restart full-scale operations, Kamili's company slipped into financial distress. Like hundreds of other industrial units in the region, it was eventually classified as a non-performing asset. His experience underscores a vulnerability Kashmir's industries have lived with for decades: an overwhelming dependence on migrant workers from other Indian states to power its manufacturing, construction and horticulture sectors — and a recurring risk that political instability, violence or sudden government orders could drive them away, crippling production overnight. The migrant backbone of Kashmir's industries Industries in the Kashmir Valley have long battled political unrest, but one constant has been their reliance on migrant workers from Bihar, West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Haryana, and Punjab. From cement plants and steel factories to cold storage units and oxygen plants, these workers fill a labour gap locals are often unwilling to close. For Malik Wajid Mushtaq, a 31-year-old entrepreneur, migrant labour keeps his ₹70-crore cold storage unit, Alpine Agro Fresh Pvt Ltd, running. At his facility in Lassipora, Pulwama — Kashmir's major manufacturing hub — 230 of his 300 workers are migrants handling apple grading, packing, and general labour, earning around ₹18,000 per month. 'Non-local workers are punctual and dedicated. We have tried hiring local labourers multiple times, but they often lack the same level of commitment. For instance, even a slight change in weather keeps them away. In contrast, migrant workers come here with a passion to work, to earn, and to succeed," says Mushtaq, an engineering graduate. At the Industrial Growth Centre (IGC) Lassipora, home to around 350 business units, nearly 15,000 non-local labourers are employed. Aircraft engineer-turned-entrepreneur Sarwar Hussain Malik, who runs a packaged mineral water unit there, calls migrant workers the 'lifeline of Kashmir's industrial sector." 'Kashmir mostly has small-scale industrial units, but we still lack sufficient skilled manpower to fill even those needs. From operating machines to managing production and repairing faults, it is the migrant workers who handle most of the critical tasks," says Malik. Read this | A fire, a mushroom, and Kashmir's vanishing spring According to the 2011 census, migrant labourers account for 80% of Kashmir's construction workforce, with an estimated 400,000-500,000 migrant workers currently employed across the region. Why locals stay away Despite steady industrial growth, convincing Kashmiri youth to join private-sector jobs remains difficult. Kamili, who also serves as president of the Federation Chamber of Industries Kashmir (FCIK), explains the dilemma. 'Such is the obsession with government jobs in the Valley that local youth prefer to work as daily wagers in government departments for a paltry salary of ₹6,000 to 8,000 per month, rather than earn ₹25,000 to 30,000 as labourers in the private sector." Shakeel Qalandar, a prominent industrialist, argues that to boost local participation, vocational training and skill development need urgent attention. 'Our educational centres need better infrastructure and updated technical courses that align with the needs of today's industries. Without this, the gap between job seekers and available industrial roles will only widen." Srinagar-based economist Ejaz Ayoub points to larger economic disparities driving this dynamic. 'Most of the workers who come here take up menial jobs that locals often avoid. They come from extremely poor backgrounds, and for them, even the low-end labour opportunities in Kashmir are worth the long travel and effort. In contrast, our local youth, especially in the construction sector, shows minimal participation." The underlying economics are stark. 'India has nearly 21% of its population below the poverty line, while J&K has only around 10.2%. That difference matters. In Kashmir, you do not see people sleeping on the footpaths or scrambling for daily bread. Most fall between the lower and middle-income groups. We are not very poor, and we are not very rich either, which is why many locals shy away from physically demanding or low-paying jobs. Every year, around 500,000-700,000 migrant workers arrive in J&K Union Territory to fill that gap and the local economy quietly relies on them," says Ayoub. Seasonal cycle of hardship Every spring, tens of thousands of workers descend on Kashmir for the brief construction season, taking up hard labour in masonry, carpentry, welding, and farming. As winter sets in, they return home. Mohammad Majeed, a mason from Bihar's Purnia district who has been working in Kashmir since 2020, says the Valley offers better conditions compared to other cities. 'The weather here is ideal. I have worked in Bengaluru and Delhi, but I prefer Kashmir. The wages are also higher. We earn around ₹1,200 a day here, while it is only ₹800 outside." For Majeed, who supports a dozen family members, discipline is key. 'I have never hired locals for the kind of work we do. They do not show up on time and can not work overtime when needed. For us, the focus is simply to work with dedication and efficiency to earn as much as possible." In Sangam, Kashmir's bat manufacturing industrial zone, Tara Singh, a craftsman from Meerut, Uttar Pradesh, who has been making cricket bats for eight years, highlights another reason for choosing Kashmir. 'We are respected and treated as any other dignified human being. Even in disturbed times I work without any hesitation and I am treated by people like their family members." The pattern repeats across sectors. At the brick kilns, Muzaffar Ahmad, a young entrepreneur, watches lorries packed with freshly made bricks roll out. 'The bricks that build Kashmir's houses are made by labourers from Bihar and Uttar Pradesh. Working inside those kilns is not easy. It takes blood and sweat. The heat, the soot — it is work most locals simply avoid." Beyond construction, migrant workers are vital to Kashmir's orchards, paddy fields, and horticulture — the Valley's largest industry. The apple sector alone supports 3.5 million people and anchors the ₹8,000-crore horticultural economy. During harvest, migrants handle the plucking, grading, and packing of apples bound for national and international markets. Their labour fuels the journey of Kashmir's famous apples year after year. Fragile industries in a volatile region This reliance, however, comes at a cost. Periodic unrest and violence repeatedly disrupt the fragile system. According to data available with Mint, a total of 36 migrant workers were killed in Kashmir between 2019 and 2024. In one of the deadliest recent attacks, terrorists opened fire near a tunnel construction site in Ganderbal last October, killing six migrant workers and a local doctor. 'When the workers leave, industries are unable to resume production for months. During that time, losses accumulate, bank interest on loans continues to grow, and electricity demand charges also keep adding up. The fixed costs do not stop, even when operations do. For many units, it becomes unsustainable. Shutdowns follow, and industrialists are left buried in debt," says Kamili. The Valley's main industrial estates — Khunmoh, Rangreth, and Lassipora — are dotted with sick units where machinery lies idle and production lines have stalled for years. Some decades-old units, once run by migrant industrialists, remain abandoned since the 1990s insurgency forced owners to flee. Their rusting machinery and overgrown campuses stand as stark reminders of industrial decay. Also read | Death overs: After a century, Kashmir's batmakers could be run out Even today, Kashmir's Labour Commission estimates that around 400,000 non-local workers are employed across the region. But as one official admits, 'Despite their large numbers, the sector remains entirely unorganised, with no formal mechanisms for registration or oversight. The informal nature of this workforce makes it difficult to track their exact numbers or monitor their working conditions."


Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
Odisha marching forward under Majhi govt: PM
Bhubaneswar: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday showered praises on the Mohan Charan Majhi-led BJP govt in Odisha for its achievements over the past year while criticising the previous govts for not doing enough for the state and its people. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The PM also slammed the Congress model of governance, which he said had never made life easy. Speaking at an event here to mark one year of the BJP govt in Odisha, PM Modi said, "In the past year, Odisha has embraced the mantra of both vikas (development) and virasat (heritage) and has moved forward rapidly." Modi, who inaugurated and laid foundation stones for projects worth over Rs 18,600 crore, pointed out that development of entire eastern India, including Odisha, gained momentum after the BJP govt came to power in the state a year ago. He also said that from Paradip to Jajpur, the industrial sector is expanding in the state. "This is benefiting the minerals and port economy in Odisha. The state is rapidly moving towards becoming India's petrochemical hub," the PM said. Modi, who released the Odisha Vision 2036 and 2047 documents prepared by the state govt, appreciated the fact that the BJP govt is not limited to just one year's achievements or thinking about five years. "It is working on what will happen in Odisha's development road map for the coming decades. The state govt has made a special plan for when Odisha will be 100 years old in 2036. The govt also has a road map for 2047, when the country completes 100 years of independence," he said. Adding that many challenges have been identified, the PM said, "I have firm faith. The talented and vibrant youth of Odisha will achieve every milestone. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Together, we will lead Odisha to new heights of development. With this promise, once again, many congratulations to all of you." Criticising the Congress, Modi said its governance model did not make life easier for people. "Delaying and obstructing simple development projects was the hallmark of the Congress development model," Modi said. Pointing out that the country has broadly witnessed the BJP's development model in recent years, with several states electing BJP govts for the first time, he said in all such states not only has the govt changed, but a new era of social and economic transformation has also begun. He gave the example of Assam, which was marked by instability, separatism and violence a decade ago, and Tripura, which was lagging behind in development. "Today, Assam is on a new path of development… After decades of Leftist rule, people gave BJP a chance for the first time in Tripura. Everyone was troubled by violence and corruption. Since BJP got the opportunity to serve, Tripura is becoming an example of peace and progress," he said. Returning to Odisha, Modi said the state has also faced numerous problems for decades. The poor and farmers were not receiving their due rights. "Corruption was rampant, and many areas in Odisha were falling behind in development. These challenges became Odisha's misfortune. To address these challenges, the BJP govt has worked with full strength over the past year. The double-engine development is showing its benefits," he said. Modi said Odisha has a large tribal population, but unfortunately in the past, the tribal community faced neglect, backwardness, poverty and deprivation. "The party that ruled for a long time used the tribal community for political purposes without providing them development or participation," he said.