BJP will demolish all slums if it comes to power in Delhi: Arvind Kejriwal
New Delhi, Jan 12: AAP national convenor Arvind Kejriwal on Sunday claimed that the BJP will demolish all slums in Delhi if it is voted to power in the upcoming assembly elections.
Addressing a press conference in the Shakur Basti area here, the former chief minister accused the BJP of prioritising land acquisition over the welfare of slum dwellers.
"They want your votes first and your land after the elections," Kejriwal said, referring to the BJP.
He also criticised the BJP's 'Jahan Jhuggi Wahan Makaan' scheme, terming it an eyewash.
"In the past five years, they have constructed only 4,700 flats for slum dwellers," he added.
Kejriwal also alleged that the BJP has plans to take over the land currently occupied by slum dwellers without addressing their housing needs.
"They will demolish all the slums and acquire the land without any concern for the people living there," he said.
Kejriwal was accompanied by senior AAP leader Satyendar Jain, the party's candidate from Shakur Basti constituency. Jain is seeking re-election from the seat for the fourth time after winning it in 2013, 2015 and 2020.
Delhi goes to polls on February 5 and the results will be announced on February 8.
The AAP, which won 62 of the 70 seats in Delhi in the 2020 elections, is eyeing a third consecutive full term.
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KSDL invites innovative technology to check sandalwood theft
Bengaluru (PTI): The Karnataka government has invited farmers, scientists and organisations to come up with innovative technologies to prevent sandalwood theft in the state.
The state-owned Karnataka Soaps and Detergents Limited (KSDL), which manufactures Mysuru Sandal Soap has also planned sandalwood cultivation, state Large and Medium Industries Minister M B Patil said on Thursday.
"In a bid to promote sandalwood cultivation, the KSDL has planned a major initiative. As part of it, farmers, scientists, and organisations possessing information on advanced equipment or innovative technologies to prevent sandalwood theft have been invited to approach KSDL and share the details," Patil said in a statement.
Those interested in this initiative will be given an opportunity to demonstrate such technologies before the organisation, the minister said, adding if the proposed solutions are found suitable and effective, steps will be taken for consideration and implementation.
Patil stated that the cost involved in deploying technologies aimed at preventing sandalwood theft would be borne by KSDL.
Further, with a view to encouraging sandalwood cultivation, four farmers who have supplied the highest quantity of sandalwood to KSDL will be honoured with awards on the occasion of the birth anniversary of Nalwadi Krishnaraja Wadiyar on June 4, he said.
On the same occasion, police personnel and forest officials who have made notable progress in apprehending sandalwood thieves and registering cases, along with members of the public who have provided credible information leading to such action, will also be recognised and rewarded, the minister added.
Patil observed that farmers cultivating sandalwood trees on their lands have been facing increasing threats due to theft in recent years. Illegal felling and theft of sandalwood trees have continued for decades.
Although stringent laws are in place to curb such activities, the number of cases resulting in convictions remains very low, he noted.
"In this context, it becomes the responsibility of the organisation to extend both legal and technical support to farmers and encourage them to take up sandalwood cultivation on a larger scale," he said.
According to him, over the past three years, KSDL has procured 174.5 metric tonne of sandalwood directly from farmers across the state and transferred Rs 6.08 crore to their respective accounts.
