Udhampur (Jammu and Kashmir) [India], March 8 (ANI): National Conference (NC) president and former chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir, Farooq Abdullah on Sunday accused Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of spreading lies and attempting to pit leaders of other parties against each other.
Abdullah said, “A few days ago I got a fake call where a person impersonating as Jharkhand Chief Minister asked me to work for Mamata Banerjee in Kolkata and get rupees 50 lakh. I called up Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) MP who told me tjat Devegowda ji (former PM) got the same call. They (BJP) will use any means to pit us against one another.”
The National Conference president made this statement while addressing a meeting of party workers leaders in Udhampur.
On the revocation of Article 370 of the Constitution, Abdullah said it is not just a Kashmir-centric issue and much more important for the regions of Jammu and Ladakh.
Abdullah, Member of Parliament from Srinagar said, he continued to reiterate demand for the restoration of statehood and Article 370 and 35 A “to protect the rights of residents of Jammu and Kashmir, the land and government jobs.”
He also contested the claim by the BJP-led government of development in Jammu and Kashmir after the revocation of Article 370. “Unemployment is at its peak here,” he claimed. (ANI)

Chandigarh [India], March 8 (ANI) Punjab Chief Secretary Vini Mahajan on Sunday held a high-level meeting with experts to tackle the second COVID-19 wave.
Mahajan chaired a virtual meeting of the State Health Response and Procurement Committee of the Departments of Health, Medical Education, and School Education, reviewed and discussed with experts the possible steps to effectively tackle the spread during the second wave, according to a press release.
Central Government’s Joint Secretary Dr Mandeep Bhandari, who had recently visited Punjab as head of the Central team along with Dr Lakshmi from PGIMER, shared their observations that the COVID spread in Punjab is not just specific to schools alone as other places are also affected and the primary reason for the surge in cases in the State is because people are not following COVID Appropriate Behaviors and not religiously abiding the COVID safety protocols.
The state Principal Secretary (Medical Education) DK Tewari informed that in Medical Colleges, students are getting tested every 15 days and no positivity has been found yet.
He also confirmed that all Government Labs are functional for RTPCR testing with a combined capacity of more than 30,000 tests per day.
The Chief Secretary directed the Health and Medical Education Departments to strengthen their treatment facilities to deal with the second wave and fill their remaining vacancies on priority.
Mahjan said that the government is keeping a close watch and depending upon the situation, the decision to reduce occupancy or closure of restaurants, malls and cinema houses will be taken in coming days.
Principal Secretary (Health and Family Welfare) Hussan Lal said that the number of vaccination sites would be extended to District Hospitals, Sub-Divisional Hospitals, and Community Health Centres to facilitate vaccination of eligible general population.
According to the union health ministry’s update on Saturday morning, Punjab had 6,661 active cases. As many as 5,898 people have so far lost their lives to COVID-19 in the state. (ANI)

New Delhi [India], March 8 (ANI): Union minister Smriti Irani on Sunday expressed confidence that India will become self-reliant or Aatmanirbhar in silk production in the next two years.
The Minister for Textiles and Women and Child Development said the government aims to provide employment to over one crore people exclusively in the silk segment through the Krishi Vigyan Kendra programme according to a statement.
She said that India’s raw silk production increased by 35 per cent in the last six years.
The Minister said that more than 90 lakh people have got employment in raw silk production.
She made the statement while addressing a programme to announce a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Textiles Ministry and the Agriculture Ministry.
On the eve of International Women’s Day, the minister also distributed Buniyaad Reeling Machines to women silk reelers with an aim to eradicate unhygienic and obsolete thigh reeling practice.
The Minister informed that 8000 women thigh reelers were identified for providing Buniyaad machines and 5000 women have already been supported under Silk Samagra Phase I. She said that for the remaining 3000 thigh reelers, fund provision has been made in order to eradicate Unhygienic and Obsolete Thigh Reeling Practice from the country.
The Central Silk Board (CSB) under the Ministry of Textiles and the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on a convergence model for the implementation of Agro-forestry in the silk sector under the ongoing Sub-Mission on Agroforestry (SMAF) Scheme, in the presence of Irani and Minister of State for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Parshottam Rupala.
The minister further stated that the MoU will increase the agricultural income from 20 to 30 per cent.
Referring to the PPE (Personal protective equipment) kits, in which India has become the second-largest producer in the world, she said that India has the capability of creating history in Agro-Technical Textiles also. She said farmers income has almost increased to 60 per cent by adopting Agro Technical Textile.
The Minister observed that consumption of agriculture-based technical textile will increase by involving Krishi Vigyan Kendra in creating awareness about Agro-tech and Technical textiles. She said this will lead the way for the creation of new products. (ANI)