News Analysis India

Tag: Shivraj Singh Chouhan

  • Madhya Pradesh government in a spot over judicial custody death of tribal man

    By Express News Service

    BHOPAL: With the recent death of a tribal man in judicial custody turning into a major political issue, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan went into damage-control mode by removing the superintendent of police of Khargone district on Sunday.

    Confirming the development, Chouhan said, “a judicial probe has already been ordered and four cops have been suspended. Now, the SP of Khargone district Shailendra Singh Chauhan has been removed (from his post) for improper supervision in the entire matter.”

    Sensing that the CM and the ruling BJP were on the back foot over the issue, the Congress reiterated its demand that the CBI probe the death of Bishan Bheel on the intervening night of September 7-8 and Rs 1 crore be given as compensation to his family, along with a job for one of his dependents and the lodging of murder case against the police personnel responsible for his death.

    Just a day before, a Congress fact-finding mission, led by senior MLA and ex-minister Vijaylaxmi Sadho had gone to meet the kin of the deceased man. After the meeting, the team alleged that he died due to police torture.  Four days ago, 40-year-old Bishan Bhee was arrested in connection with an August 24 loot case. He died a few hours after being admitted to the Khargone Sub Jail.

    Doctors at the Khargone district hospital claimed there were no signs of torture on Bishan’s body. They said the post mortem established that he died due to shock triggered by septicemia, caused by a previous ulcerative infection. However, the suspended superintendent of the sub jail claimed that before Bishan was moved to the jail on September 7, he already had torture wounds on his body, owing to which he was sent to the district hospital.

    Enraged over the death, residents of Kharikundi village of Khargone district had attacked the Bistan police station on September 8. Later, acting in the matter, the government suspended four police personnel of the Bistan police station were suspended and a judicial probe was ordered.

  • Tribal man’s death in judicial custody: Shivraj Singh Chouhan removes Khargone SP

    By PTI

    BHOPAL: BHOPAL: With the death of a loot accused tribal man in judicial custody turning into a major political issue, Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan went into the damage control mode by removing the police superintendent of Khargone district on Sunday.

    Confirming the development, the CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan said, “a judicial probe has already been ordered into the probe and four cops too suspended. Now the SP of Khargone district Shailendra Singh Chauhan is being removed for improper supervision in the entire matter.”

    The CM also announced that the government will take care of the family of another tribal man Kanhaiyalal Bheel, who was killed by a group of men in Neemuch district on August 26, suspecting him to be a thief. “We’ll take care of Kanhaiyalal’s son and his education. Also, houses for Kanhaiyalal’s two brothers will be built and Rs 2 lakh each will be given to them as financial assistance.”

    Sensing that the CM and the ruling BJP was on the back foot, the state Congress unimpressed by the development stuck to its demand of CBI probe into the September 7-8 intervening death of Bishan Bheel, along with Rs 1 crore compensation to the deceased family, a job to his dependents and lodging of a murder case against the cops involved in the matter.

    Just a day before it, a Congress fact-finding team led by senior MLA and ex-minister Vijaylaxmi Sadho had gone to the deceased man’s village to meet the tribal’s kin. They alleged that he died due to police torture. The opposition party’s team also alleged cover-up by the police and government in the entire matter.

    Four days back, a 40-year-old Bishan Bheel, arrested in connection with an August 24 loot case by cops of Bistan police station in Khargone district, had died just a few hours after he was admitted at the Khargone sub-jail.

    While the Khargone district hospital doctors claimed that there were no signs of any torture on Bishan’s body and further claimed that the post mortem established that he died due to septicemia triggered shock, caused by a previous ulcerative infection. The suspended superintendent of the sub-jail claimed that before Bishan was taken into the jail on September 7, he already had torture wounds on his body, owing to which he was sent to the district hospital.

    Enraged over the death, residents of Kharikundi village of Khargone district had attacked the Bistan police station on September 8. Later, acting in the matter, four cops of the Bistan police station were suspended and a judicial probe instituted.

  • Madhya Pradesh tribal assault-death: Government to take care of son, says CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan

    By PTI

    BHOPAL: The Madhya Pradesh government will take care of the education and upbringing expenses of the son of a 40-year-old tribal man from Neemuch who died after being thrashed by a group of people and dragged behind a vehicle some days ago, Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said on Sunday.

    He also said that his government would construct houses for two brothers of the deceased and also provide them assistance of Rs 2 lakh each.

    “In an unfortunate incident, a man identified as Kanhaiyalal Bheel had died in Neemuch district. We have decided that the state government will take complete care for the upbringing and education of his son Durgashankar, who is currently in Rajasthan with his mother,” Chouhan said in a statement.

    Bheel (40) was thrashed and dragged after being tied to the rear part of a vehicle in Neemuch district on August 26 following a minor road accident with a milkman riding a motorcycle on Neemuch-Singoli road. As per the police, the motorcycle knocked down Bheel and the milkman, identified as Chhitar Mal Gurjar, got enraged as his milk cans fell down, leading to wastage.

    Gurjar called up his friends, all of whom assaulted Bheel, and then tied him to a vehicle and dragged him, leading to severe injuries that caused his death the next day. Eight people have been arrested for murder and other offences in connection with the case.

  • Madhya Pradesh govt’s ‘Gangster’ law to distribute proceeds of organized crime among poor

    By Express News Service

    BHOPAL: The Shivraj Singh Chouhan government in Madhya Pradesh is working on bringing a law against organized crime under which property attained/proceeds generated through illegal means will be distributed to the poor.

    “A new Gangster Act is in the making in MP, which will aim at tightening the leash on organized crime, including the illicit liquor mafia. Under Section 16(5) of the law, provision will be made not only to confiscate property attained through organized crime, but also to distribute it among the poor,” State’s Home Minister Narottam Mishra told The New Indian Express on Friday.

    “That particular provision in the law, the draft of which is being finalized, will ensure that property snatched or obtained from poor people by the organized criminals goes back to the same poor people and not the organized criminals or syndicates,” Mishra claimed.

    He added that the new Gangster Act will also have provisions for special fast track courts to ensure speedy trial of cases of organized crime. The new Gangster law being drafted will also have specific provisions for motivating-protecting independent witnesses, as well as have provisions for punishment to those who directly or indirectly aid organized crime gangs/syndicates.

    According to informed official sources, the draft of the new law will be put before the state cabinet for approval next month, after which it will be introduced as a Bill in the winter session of the Vidhan Sabha.

    The law in the making will particularly focus on crackdown against organized mafia/syndicates engaged in rampant illegal mining, land sharks and the illicit liquor mafia.

  • MP flood fury: Chouhan govt seeks Rs 2,043 crore from Centre for reconstruction works

    Express News Service

    BHOPAL: The Shivraj Singh Chouhan government in Madhya Pradesh has sent a detailed report to the Centre on the devastation caused by torrential rains and resultant floods in 9 districts of the state last month. Chauhan sought central assistance of Rs 2,043 crores for restoration and reconstruction works.

    The 140-page report sent by the state government about the floods contains details on various parameters of devastating floods in nine districts — Guna, Sheopur, Morena, Gwalior, Shivpuri, Ashok Nagar, Bhind, Datia and Vidisha in the first week of August.

    As per the report, 9334 people were rescued, 32,960 evacuated and 278 people airlifted during the rescue operations by the state police, NDRF, SDRF, Indian Air Force, central paramilitary forces and Indian Army columns.

    The flash floods damaged 1874.18 km roads and 1583 bridges and culverts, 939 village panchayat buildings, community halls and ponds. As many as 1,700 schools and hostels too were damaged by the floods. Further 2446 urban infrastructure structures, 65 health department facilities and 464 water resources department structures too were damaged.

    The report sums up that as many as 63 development blocks in nine districts were affected by the floods. Crops in a total 1,14,889 hectare area were affected by the floods, causing a total crop loss of Rs 577.33 crores.

    The floods in all major rivers of the Gwalior-Chambal region and Vidisha districts following two three days of unstopped rains also damaged/destroyed 62,107 houses, 2383 cattle sheds, leading to loss of 1230 animals and 5977 poultry stock.

    According to informed sources in the state government, while the state government is already engaged in relief and rehabilitation measures and is compensating the population of the affected areas through its own resources, an assistance of Rs 2043 crores has been sought from the centre. The Centre has also been requested to release Rs 728 crores as the second installment for the State Disaster Relief Fund.

    Earlier, on Monday, the MP CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan transferred a relief sum of Rs 31.51 crore to over 24,500 beneficiaries in the nine flood-hit districts. So far, Rs 109.89 crore relief aid has been sent to the accounts of more than 27,000 flood-affected people.

  • Shivraj government plans recruitment for youth in Balaghat to counter Naxal menace

    By PTI

    BHOPAL: In a bid to prevent youngsters from joining Naxal ranks, the Madhya Pradesh government is planning to launch various development works and the recruitment drive for the police and other departments in the Naxal-hit Balaghat district, Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said.

    Chouhan, who chaired a meeting of officials in Balaghat on Sunday, directed them to prepare block-wise schemes to check Naxal activities in the district.

    “These schemes will speed up development and ensure employment for local youths. Special attention should be paid to road connectivity, irrigation and employment in the villages falling under the Naxal-affected development blocks. Forest rights should be given to the eligible people on priority,” he said.

    Chouhan also lauded police officials for curbing Naxal activities in the area and said the government is mooting to recruit youths in the police and other departments in the district.

    “Police personnel combating Naxalism will be given out-of-turn promotion,” he said.

    Chouhan also said the investment proposals worth Rs 4,500 crore were received during the investors meet held recently.

    This investment is likely to employ 10,000 people in the area, he added.

    “Entrepreneurs have shown interest in setting up biofuel ethanol and Ferro manganese units in the Balaghat district, which has forest and minerals in abundance. Infrastructure will be arranged for industries,” he said.

    Chouhan also inaugurated and dedicated to people the developmental works worth Rs 158.56 crore.

  • Pro-Pak slogans: Ten held; NSA invoked against four in Ujjain

    By PTI

    UJJAIN: Police on Sunday invoked the stringent National Security Act (NSA) against four persons out of ten arrested so far for allegedly raising pro-Pakistan slogans during a Muharram event in Ujjain of Madhya Pradesh, a senior police officer said.

    The development comes a day after some right-wing organisations and religious leaders clad in saffron staged demonstrations, torched effigies of Pakistan, and demanded tough action by the police against those people who had raised pro-Pakistan slogans in the Geeta Colony area on the night of August 19.

    Ujjain superintendent of police Satyendra Shukla confirmed to PTI that the NSA has been invoked on four persons who among others had allegedly shouted the slogans.

    He refused to give names of the accused.

    The district collector invoked the NSA on four accused on the recommendation of the police, police sources said.

    Shukla said police have arrested ten people for sloganeering so far.

    Reacting to the incident on Friday, Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan had said his government would not tolerate a “Taliban-like” mindset.

    When asked if the sloganeering was a reaction to the district administration’s decision to ban all public processions because of the coronavirus pandemic, Ujjain police had denied any such link.

    Police had booked over a dozen people under sections 124 (a) (sedition) and 153 (provocation which can cause riot) of the Indian Penal Code.

    “We have identified 16 persons who raised the slogans. Efforts are on to identify others,” Shukla said.

    CM Chouhan had also said the government has taken a tough stand vis-a-vis the Ujjain incident.

  • Working under CM Shivraj Chouhan’s leadership to win next Madhya Pradesh polls: Jyotiraditya Scindia

    By PTI

    INDORE: Union minister Jyotiraditya Scindia on Thursday said “all BJP leaders” were working under Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan’s leadership to win the next Assembly elections in Madhya Pradesh. His statement came amid speculation over who would be the BJP’s face for the next assembly elections.

    “As far as 2023 elections are concerned, all BJP leaders are working under the leadership of chief minister Chouhan. I believe that with his governance, the state would scale new heights of development,” said Scindia, recently inducted in the Union cabinet as civil aviation minister.

    Chouhan worked every day in public interest when coronavirus cases surged and also during the recent floods in Gwalior and Chambal regions, the former Congress leader told reporters here. On efforts to evacuate people from Afghanistan, Scindia said they will continue till the last stranded person is brought home safely.

    The Indian government is capable of bringing home all those with valid visas, he added.

    Blaming the previous UPA government for skyrocketing fuel prices, Scindia said, “This party (Congress) mortgaged India to foreign forces in 70 years, due to which the country could not become self-reliant in raw fuel production. Under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership, Indian oil companies are focusing on exploring raw fuel reserves to become self-reliant in production”

    He also accused the opposition of trying to “stifle democratic process and destroy the temple of democracy” during the monsoon session of Parliament.

    Asked why BJP general secretary Kailash Vijaywargiya was not seen with him during his three-day Jan Ashirwad Yatra in the state, Scindia said reporters were “looking for juicy stuff”, but he has had a “very cordial relationship” with the senior leader for the last 20 years. “Before the start of the Yatra, he handed me a bouquet of flowers at the Indore Airport,” Scindia added.

  • MP to hold mega Covid vaccination campaign on August 25-26: CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan

    By Express News Service

    BHOPAL: Having administered over 3.76 crore doses of COVID-19 vaccines so far, Madhya Pradesh will hold two days mega vaccination campaign on August 25 and 26 to target completing COVID-19 vaccination exercise by the year end.

    Speaking at the Independence Day function in Bhopal on Sunday, the MP CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan recounted that a record 16.95 lakh plus people were vaccinated in a single day as part of the mega vaccination campaign against the killer viral infection on June 21. A similar COVID vaccination ‘Mahaabhiyan’ has been planned for August 25 and 26 across the state.

    Maintaining that women empowerment was a key resolve of his government, the CM announced that under the Ladli Laxmi Yojana, at the time of the birth of a girl child, Rs 2,000 will be deposited in her account. As soon as Ladli Laxmi daughters enter the college, they will be provided Rs.20,000. There will be a system of free higher education for daughters.

    Reiterating the thrust of the government on infrastructure development, the CM said the target was to increase the irrigation potential in the state to 65 lakh hectares by 2024-25. Ken-Betwa Link National Project will provide irrigation to 8.11 lakh hectares agricultural land in Madhya Pradesh, drinking water to 41 lakh population and power facility of 103 MW too will be available.

    He further said that construction and upgradation of 2,000 km long roads, renovation of 2,5000 km roads and construction of 80 major bridges and railway over bridges are being done in the state on which Rs 5,530 crores will be spent.

    Also, the CM said the protection, honour, employment and education of the Scheduled Castes will be fully taken care of. A provision of Rs 17,980 crore has been made for it in the budget. 

    “Our government will leave no stone unturned in the implementation of 27 percent reservation for backward classes. A new commission will be constituted to study the social, educational and economic condition of the backward classes, which will study the conditions of the backward classes on a large scale and give its recommendations for improving their conditions. Our government is committed for the welfare of the backward classes.”

  • Amid Opposition pressure, Shivraj government to seek lifting of HC’s OBC quota hike bar

    By Express News Service

    BHOPAL:  The Madhya Pradesh government on Thursday said it will plead for a hike in reservation for the OBCs in the next hearing on the matter in the High Court.

    It comes as the Opposition, led by the Conrgess, is trying hard to corner the Shivraj Singh Chouhan government over its inability to get a High Court stay on hike in OBC reservation lifted.

    The CM chaired a meeting of the BJP’s OBC cell, comprising OBC ministers and MLAs in Bhopal on Thursday evening.

    During the marathon meeting that lasted for more than three hours, it was decided to press for a final hearing of the writ petition in the MP High Court in March 2019, challenging the decision to provide 27% reservation to OBC in government jobs and institutes of higher education.

    “On the next hearing, the state’s advocate general and top advocates, including country’s solicitor general Tushar Mehta and Ravishankar Prasad will plead the HC for final hearing in the matter,” senior cabinet minister Bhupendra Singh said after the meeting.

    With the OBCs accounting for 56% of MP’s population, the Congress is trying to corner the BJP government over the issue, keeping an eye on the coming by-elections to three Assembly seats and one Lok Sabha seat.

    On March 8, 2019 then Kamal Nath government, with an eye on the Lok Sabha polls, decided to hike the 14% existing OBC quota in government jobs and admissions to institutions of higher education in the state to 27% through an ordinance.

    Two days later, medical PG course aspirants moved the HC seeking stay against the ordinance. Nine days later, the HC had through an interim order stayed the operation of the ordinance.