News Analysis India

Tag: Shivraj Singh Chouhan

  • COVID-19: Thermal screening for people coming to Madhya Pradesh from Maharashtra

    By PTI
    BHOPAL: With coronavirus cases showing an upward trend in Maharashtra, people coming to Madhya Pradesh from the neighbouring state will be subjected to thermal screening, government officials said on Monday.

    Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan issued directives in this regard while reviewing the coronavirus situation in Madhya Pradesh at a meeting in the state secretariat here.

    Start health examination of persons coming in Madhya Pradesh through districts bordering Maharashtra, Chouhan told officials at the meeting.

    After the Chief Ministers order, the Home Department issued directives for authorities of districts bordering Maharashtra.

    Madhya Pradesh, too, is witnessing a steady rise in new COVID-19 cases in the last few days.

    One of the directives asked district collectors to ensure temperature-based screening of people coming from Maharashtra, where 6,971 new coronavirus cases were recorded on Sunday, the highest single-day count in nearly four months.

    Thermal screening involves checking the body temperature of a person to ascertain if he/she has symptoms of viral infections.

    The Home Department asked districts bordering Maharashtra to hold meeting of their crisis management group on Tuesday and take appropriate decisions in view of the prevailing coronavirus situation.

    It said a large number of devotees from Maharashtra visit fairs in the central state organised on the occasion of Mahashivratri (which falls on March 11 this year).

    Hence, the district-based crisis management groups should discuss essential measures during such religious fairs, the department said.

    The department asked the district authorities to take action against those not wearing face masks and violating social distancing norms.

    Earlier at the meeting, the CM said government staff should start an immediate campaign to create awareness about COVID-19 in rural areas of districts bordering Maharashtra, the officials said.

    Chouhan directed the officials to ensure mask mandate is strictly implemented in Indore and Bhopal, the districts affected the most by COVID-19 in Madhya Pradesh, they said.

    After registering a drop in COVID-19 cases for some weeks, the viral disease is again showing an upward trend in Madhya Pradesh, especially its industrial hub Indore, with health experts blaming people for lowering their guard against the pandemic.

    Since the past one week, more than 200 COVID-19 cases are being reported daily in MP, prompting the state government to send some samples of patients to labs in Delhi and Pune to check whether a new variant of the virus has found its way into the state, a government official said.

    In September 2020, Madhya Pradesh witnessed a daily count of more than 2,000 cases for 10 consecutive days, but the graph started going down by the year-end.

    Earlier this month, the daily COVID-19 cases were below 200 in the state, but crossed the mark on February 14.

    Till Sunday evening, the state had reported a total of 2,59,427 COVID-19 cases and 3,854 deaths due to the disease.

    On Sunday, All India Institute of Medical Science (AIIMS), Bhopal, Director Dr Sarman Singh told PTI that the cases were rising as MP shares borders with Maharashtra, which has been badly hit by the pandemic.

    Besides, people have become complacent against the pandemic, he said.

    Maharashtra has been reporting a spike in new COVID-19 cases in the last one week.

    On Sunday, the state recorded more than 6,000 for the third consecutive day.

    The western state had recorded over 6,000 cases after a gap of three months on Friday.

  • Hoshangabad to be renamed as Narmadapuram, says Madhya Pradesh CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan

    By PTI
    BHOPAL: Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has announced that Hoshangabad city in the state would be renamed as Narmadapuram and a proposal to that effect would be sent to the Centre.

    He made the announcement during the Narmada Jayanti programme held in Hoshangabad on Friday evening.

    While addressing a gathering on the banks of Narmada, Chouhan asked whether the government should change the name of Hoshangabad, to which the people present there replied in the affirmative.

    “What should be the new name?” Chouhan asked, and the people replied, “Narmadapuram!” The chief minister then said, “We are now sending a proposal to the Centre to change the name of Hoshangabad as Narmadapuram.”

    The state government will not allow “cement-concrete structures” to be built along the Narmada river, he said, adding that sewage treatment plants are also being constructed in the cities located on its banks.

    Meanwhile, BJP workers, led by protem Assembly Speaker Rameshwar Sharma, expressed happiness over Chouhan’s announcement and burst firecrackers on Saturday morning.

    Sharma had earlier made the demand to change the name of Hoshangabad.

    “This is a historic moment. Narmada is the lifeline of Madhya Pradesh. Hoshangabad was so far named after an attacker Hoshang Shah, but will be known after the lifeline Maa Narmada, which is a matter of happiness. I thank the CM for making this announcement by respecting the public sentiments,” he said.

    State BJP president VD Sharma and several other leaders also thanked the chief minister for the decision.

    However, state Congress spokesman Bhupendra Gupta termed the announcement as the ruling BJP’s ploy to divert the attention of people from important issues like inflation and rising prices of fuel.

    “BJP only changed the names related to the Mughals, but not of those linked to the British rulers. Why the nameof Minto Hall (old Vidhan Sabha building) has not been changed? This is just to divert the attention. Instead, it should focus on development and give relief to people,” he said.

  • Mosquitoes, overflowing water tank gives CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan sleepless night, PWD sub-engineer suspended

    By Express News Service
    BHOPAL: Sleepless night due to mosquitoes and an overflowing water tank for Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan recently at the Circuit House has resulted in the suspension of a public works department (PWD) sub engineer in Sidhi district.

    The Rewa Divisional Commissioner Rajesh Jain on Thursday issued an order to suspend Babulal Gupta, the PWD sub engineer in-charge of the Circuit House in Sidhi district.The CM was in Sidhi on Wednesday to meet the families, who had lost their loved ones in the Tuesday early morning canal tragedy, which has so far claimed 53 lives.

    The CM stayed overnight on Wednesday at the Sidhi Circuit House. He reached there late on Wednesday night after holding a meeting of divisional and district administration officials over the Tuesday morning tragedy.

    Once at the Circuit House, he couldn’t sleep due to mosquito menace after which the mosquito repellent liquid was arranged at 2.30 am. It was only an hour later that the CM fell asleep, only to wake up half an hour later at 4 am due to an overflowing water tank, which the CM had to turn off himself.

    According to the suspension order issued on Thursday, the PWD sub-engineer in-charge of the Sidhi Circuit House was told well in advance about the night stay of the distinguished guest, but the necessary arrangements weren’t made there.

    Taking notice of the unhygienic conditions which prevailed at the Circuit House during the CM’s stay, the PWD sub engineer was suspended.

  • Sidhi bus tragedy: CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan meets bereaved families 

    By Express News Service
    BHOPAL: Day after a private bus plunged in a canal killing at least 51 passengers, chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan visited the bereaved families in various parts of Sidhi district. While consoling the bereaved families, the CM said all possible relief will be provided by the government to the accident victims.

    The CM also handed over Rs 7 lakh to each family as financial assistance. It included Rs 5 lakh announced by the state government and Rs 2 lakh announced by the Prime Minister.

    After reaching the Sidhi district – around 560 km from Bhopal – the CM visited the Rampur Naikin town, where he met the family of young engineer Anil Kumar Gupta, who lost his wife Pinky Gupta and two-year-old son Atharwa Gupta.

    He visited the Community Health Centre at Rampur Naikin and enquired about the health of the injured victims undergoing treatment. He asked about the treatment of Vibha Prajapati at the health centre and condoled the death of her brother Deepu Prajapati in the accident.

    Chouhan then visited the house of deceased Vimala Dwivedi at Rampur Naikin, and consoled the family. Subsequently, he reached Churhat town by road and met the family members of deceased Shyamlal Saket in Ramnagar locality. He consoled the deceased’s wife Shanti Saket, daughter Kalpana, sons Akash and Ashish Saket. He said that the government will ensure complete arrangements for the education of children.

    The CM also visited the house of deceased Khushboo Patel in Pachokhar before meeting the family of deceased Anil Patel in Padariya village and deceased Amar Jyoti Saket, in Kukkirjhar village and consoled their families.

    In the state capital Bhopal, meanwhile, the transport and revenue minister Govind Singh Rajput gave instructions to the Additional Chief Secretary Transport to carry out a state-wide campaign for effective and systematic operation of passenger buses. He said that a special checking campaign should also be conducted in the state.

    ALSO READ | MP bus tragedy: Driver claims he heard strange sound before vehicle fell into canal

    As per Rajput, the week-long campaign to be conducted at the state level, will consist of checking the validity of permits of passenger vehicles, fitness certificates, passenger vehicles plying on routes other than for those permits have been issued. Carrying more passengers than the capacity, carrying goods on the roofs of passenger buses plying in big cities like Bhopal and Indore, papers related to insurance and tax will also be checked. If any of them is found to be deficient, action will be taken against the concerned as per rules.

  • Basant Panchami turns tragic in MP as bus falls into canal killing 47

    Express News Service
    BHOPAL: Residents of Madhya Pradesh’s Sidhi district woke up to a shocker on Basant Panchami morning on Tuesday as an overcrowded bus with over 50 passengers on board plunged into a canal. 

    Forty-four bodies were retrieved till 6 pm. While six passengers were rescued. one swam to safety. A woman, who was rescued alive, succumbed at the hospital in Sidhi’s Rampur Naikin area later, taking the toll till 6 pm to 47, the IG-Rewa Zone Umesh Joga said.

    The incident happened at around 8 am when the private bus (which had a 32 seat capacity) boarding over 50 persons. The bus, which started from Sidhi district was heading to Satna district when it plunged into a deep canal near Patna village.

    An NDRF team from Varanasi (which was camping in Sidhi district) and SDRF teams, besides Home Guards and divers from Sidhi and adjoining districts, retrieved 37 bodies from the bus and six more bodies from the canal, which carries water from the Bansagar Dam (built on Son river in Shahdol district) to parts of adjoining UP and Bihar. Search operations were underway till evening.

    Over 40 dead in a major accident in Madhya Pradesh’s Sidhi after a bus carrying 50 passengers plunged into a canal. @anuraag_niebpl pic.twitter.com/NELxUBhKQs
    — The New Indian Express (@NewIndianXpress) February 16, 2021

    With the water level being high and the current too strong, the rescue operations gained momentum only around 9.30 am, after the release of water into the canal was stopped on CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan’s orders.

    The deceased included 24 men, 20 women, and a four-year-old boy — mostly hailing from the Sidhi district. Twentyone of them have so far been identified. Most of the passengers, including at least 16 young girls and women, were on their way to Satna district to appear in the auxiliary nurse midwife (ANM) recruitment test, while some of the young men were on their way to watch a cricket match.

    The deceased also allegedly included the bus conductor, who is reportedly the nephew of the bus owner Kamlesh Singh, a resident of Sidhi. The bus driver, however, jumped out of the bus to safety when the vehicle plunged into the canal. He is absconding.

    The tragedy prompted CM Chouhan to postpone all official events slated on the occasion of Basant Panchami, including the grand event pertaining to Grih Pravesham (house warming) of houses built for around 1.10 lakh beneficiaries under the PM Housing Scheme across MP. The event was to be graced by Union Home Minister Amit Shah through video conferencing.

    “We also postponed Tuesday’s state cabinet meeting slated at 12.30 pm. Later, we held the meeting in the evening as it was necessary for finalising next week’s annual state budget as well as taking stock of the situation at the accident spot,” Chouhan said.

    As per official sources, all events for Wednesday, including CM’s tour to Damoh district, are likely to be postponed. “We’ve sent two ministers — Tulsi Silawat and Ram Khelawan Patel — to the accident spot for taking stock of the situation on the ground,” Chouhan informed.

    “I’m in constant touch with the officials and police. A sum of Rs 5 lakh has been sanctioned as financial assistance to the families of each of the deceased,” the CM said.  PM Narendra Modi too has released Rs 2 lakh out from the PM Relief Fund as ex-gratia for each of the bereaved families, besides Rs 50,000 for the injured being treated at the hospital.

    How did the mishap happen?

    A young girl, whose brother Ritesh Maurya (also on board the bus) is still untraceable, told journalists at the hospital, “Owing to a huge traffic jam at the main route — the Chhuiya Ghati highway (which connects Sidhi to Satna via Rewa’s Govindgarh) — the driver took the bus through a circuitous route, which was long. Possibly, to compensate for the lost time, he was driving at a very high speed ignoring the passengers who asked him to slow down.”

    After the bus travelled for around 80 km, it went out of control near the canal and plunged into it.

    As per the informed sources, the Chhuiya Ghati (NH-75) is the straight route connecting Sidhi with Satna, but for the last three-four days, there is a prolonged traffic jam on it, which possibly forced the driver to take a different route.

    State Transport Minister Govind Singh Rajput said a primary probe has revealed that the bus had taken a 7 km-diversion which wasn’t sanctioned in its permit. The permit for the has been terminated.

    “A probe headed by the transport commissioner has been ordered. The deputy transport commissioner has been sent to the spot,” Rajput said.

    The young brave-heart

    A young girl Shivrani and fellow villagers at the spot turned out to be the savior for seven people (but one of the survivors died later at the hospital).   Local MP Riti Pathak and party MLA Sharadendu Tiwari, who were among the first politicians to reach the spot, introduced the braveheart to the media.

    “She saved a woman and an elderly man by jumping into the canal,” the BJP MP said.

    Shivrani said, “I, my brothers, and some villagers were near the canal when the incident happened. We just jumped into the canal to save some lives. We didn’t mind the strong current and depth of the canal. I myself managed to save two passengers.”

  • 2,000 hectares of land freed from clutches of mafia: Madhya Pradesh CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan

    By PTI
    BHOPAL: Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Tuesday claimed that around 2,000- hectares of land, worth Rs 10,000 crore and grabbed by land mafia, has been freed in the state.

    The government has also acted against chit fund companies which duped people and forced such firms to return investors’ deposits, he was quoted as saying by an official release.

    As much as 2,000 hectares of land worth around Rs 10,000 crore has been freed from the illegal possession of 1,271 persons during an ongoing campaign, he told ministers before a cabinet meeting.

    “The campaign against mafia will continue,” he said.

    He also informed that a total of Rs 800 crore were refunded to about 50,000 depositors defrauded by chit fund companies.

    Six manufacturing units were demolished during a drive against food adulteration, he said.

    Action was taken against 331 people involved in black marketing of food grains meant for Public Distribution System (PDS) shops, the CM informed.

    Under ‘Operation Muskaan’ to search for missing children, 9,500 children, 80 percent of them girls, were reunited with their parents, he said.

  • Land worth Rs 1,000 crore freed in Madhya Pradesh’s anti-mafia drive: CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan

    By PTI
    GWALIOR: Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Sunday said that under the ongoing crackdown on mafia, the government has freed land worth Rs 1,000 crore from them across the state.

    He was speaking to reporters here.

    “The government has freed land worth Rs 1,000 crore in Madhya Pradesh from the mafia as part of the drive against them…This operation will continue to deter the malefactors to remain off the government land in the state,” he said.

    Chouhan said the drive was going on in an impartial manner.

    Replying to a query, he said that henceforth, permission will not be granted to open any new liquor shop in Madhya Pradesh and a campaign against alcohol consumption would be launched.

    Addressing a public meeting in the city later, the chief minister said that help would be taken from the members of the society to end the menace of drinking and drug addiction.

    He said that Rs 5,000 crore would be pumped in for Gwalior in the next five years.

    Addressing another function, he said that the 105- year-old annual Gwalior Mela would commence from February 15, adding that those buying vehicles there will get sops.

    In his address, Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Tomar praised the Chouhan-led BJP government for “working tirelessly for the uplift of Gwalior-Chambal region, which it will continue to do”.

    BJP’s Rajya Sabha member Jyotiraditya Scindia said, “Gwalior would turn heads in the country considering the rapid pace at which its development is taking place.”

    Later, Chouhan, Tomar and Scindia had a meal at the house of a sanitary worker named Ramsevak.

    The chief minister handed over a cheque of Rs 20,000 to Ramsevak to get his house repaired.

  • Beware of anti-social elements misusing farmers’ stir: Madhya Pradesh CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan

    By PTI

    INDORE: Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Sunday appealed to BJP workers to beware of those elements, who he said were purportedly carrying out anti-national and anti-social activities by misusing farmers’ agitations in Delhi.

    “BJP workers should develop an understanding to identify such people,” Chouhan is quoted as saying in a release while speaking at the first meeting of the newly-formed BJP state executive committee here. Chouhan said that a good understanding existed between the state government and the BJP in Madhya Pradesh. “The BJP is going to better its tally in the upcoming civic polls,” the CM said.

    During their January 26 parade, scores of protesters had stormed the Red Fort in Delhi, with some of them hoisting religious flags on its ramparts.

    Thousands of farmers, mostly from Punjab, Haryana and parts of UP have been protesting at Delhi’s borders for over two months now, demanding a rollback of the Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020, the Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, 2020 and the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020.

    The government has offered some concessions including keeping the new farm laws on hold for 1-1.5 years and the Supreme Court has set up a panel to look into the matter while keeping the contentious legislation in abeyance for two months.

    However, the agitating farmer unions have rejected both and intensified their stir.

  • Scindia family pulled down Congress governments in MP twice: CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan

    By PTI
    BHOPAL: Jyotiraditya Scindia was the second member from his clan to pull down a Congress government in Madhya Pradsh, decades after ‘Rajmata’ Vijaya Raje Scindia toppled the “anti-people” Congress government in the state, Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said on Monday.

    He also said the entire Scindia family is now part of one party (BJP).

    “Rajmata, who was one of thefounding members of the BJP, had toppled the anti-people DP Mishra-led Congress government in the state (in 1967). She would have been happy to see that her grandson (Jyotiraditya Scindia) helped in bringing down the minority government of Congress (in year 2020). Now, the entire (Scindia) family is in one party,” Chouhan said.

    He was addressing a programme organised at the state BJP headquarter to mark the death anniversary of Vijaya Raje Scindia, popularly known as the Rajmata of Gwalior.

    Chouhan was referring to the collapse of Kamal Nath-led Congress government in March last year, after 22 MLAs, who were loyalists of Jyotiraditya Scindia, resigned and quit the party.

    They later joined the BJP, which returned to power under Chouhan.

    Meanwhile, the Congress has taken a dim view of Chouhan’s remarks.

    “The sense of glory and pride in toppling an elected government is a shameful expression of democratic values. People’s verdict should be respected,” he said.

  • Shivraj Singh Chouhan says ‘obscene content being served’ on OTT platform, bats for censorship

    By PTI
    BHOPAL: Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Sunday underlined the need to censor “obscene” content on OTT (Over the Top) platforms and said the Centre is seriously thinking in this regard.

    Chouhan’s comments came against the backdrop of a controversy over web series “Tandav” and registration of multiple FIRs in many states, including Madhya Pradesh, against its makers for hurting religious sentiments.

    “Obscene content is being served on OTT platforms. Young children are also getting affected due to Internet and mobile phones. After seeing such content on mobile phones, a 12-year-old boy recently misbehaved with a six-year-old girl,” Chouhan said.

    He was speaking at the launch of PANKH abhiyan as part of the “Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao” drive.

    ​ALSO READ | Saif Ali Khan among nine named in FIR lodged by Hindu outfit leader in MP against Tandav

    “Young minds are getting affected by such content. Shouldn’t such content be censored? Children are like a soft clay and learn what they watch. The Government of India is considering it (censor on OTT) seriously,” the senior BJP leader said.

    An over-the-top is a streaming media service offered directly to viewers via the Internet.

    OTT bypasses cable, broadcast, and satellite television platforms.

    Chouhan said the people who commit crimes against women will not be spared.

    “Similarly, drug mafia who makes youth addicted to drugs won’t be spared. Drugs ruin lives. These criminals make young children and girls drug addicts and force them to commit wrong deeds. Young children commit criminal acts by watching pornographic videos. Government and society should come together to stop such cases,” he said.

    Chouhan said he had introduced the “Ladli Laxmi Yojana” for girls so that they should not be considered a burden by their families.

    He reiterated the demand for a debate on increasing the legal age of marriage for women from the current 18 years to 21 years, on par with men.

    The chief minister also underlined the need to usher in reforms in “our judicial system, which does not spare the people who commit crime against daughters in the name of human rights”.

    Chouhan said the ruling BJP government will “crush” criminals who commit crimes against women.

    He also advocated capital punishment for criminals involved in rape cases.

    Speaking on PANKH drive, the CM said, “P stands for protection, A for awareness, N for nutrition, K for knowledge and H for health. Under this drive, various schemes for the welfare of girls and women will be implemented at a fast pace,” the CM said.

    Chouhan also said that society should come forward to create awareness about women and girls.