Controversy erupts as Ayodhya Development Authority denotifies Army training land
Ayodhya: A controversy has emerged following the Ayodhya Development Authority's (ADA) decision to denotify land previously used for Army training and practice in Majha Jamthara village. The land, which was reportedly purchased by several high-profile individuals, including the Adani Group, Baba Ramdev, and Sri Sri Ravishankar, is now earmarked for the development of a temple museum.
Advocate Praveen Dubey, who brought the issue of encroachment in 14 villages (5,419 hectares) around the Army cantonment to the Lucknow Bench of the Allahabad High Court, expressed shock over the denotification of Majha Jamthara while the case was still pending. Dubey emphasized that the encroachment posed significant security concerns, noting that some Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders had constructed commercial establishments on this land.
Divisional Commissioner Ayodhya, Gaurav Dayal, clarified to The Hindu that the denotified land never belonged to the Army. He stated that the area, a mix of nazul and private ownership, had been regularly notified for Army firing practice every five years upon the recommendation of the District Magistrate. However, no firing has occurred in the location for decades. According to Dayal, the area is designated for parks and open spaces in the notified Master Plan of the ADA.
Dubey further mentioned that despite the denotification, private landowners would not be permitted to conduct commercial activities as the designated land use remains for parks and open spaces. The government's plans to build a massive temple museum on the site have also been confirmed.
Congress leader Pawan Khera criticized the BJP-led state and central governments, accusing them of using religion as a cover to benefit a select few. "Land notified as a buffer zone for Army Training is first bought by Adani, Ravi Shankar & Baba Ramdev and is then denotified by the Governor," Khera wrote on social media platform X, questioning the motivations behind the decision.
Do you want to know what they actually do while hiding behind religion and nationalism?
— Pawan Khera 🇮🇳 (@Pawankhera) August 5, 2024
Land notified as buffer zone for Army Training is first bought by Adani, Ravi Shankar & Baba Ramdev and is then de notified by the Governor. https://t.co/eOr0BfTSN5
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Anbumani asks PM Modi to ban sale of cigarettes for those born after 2009
Chennai (PTI): PMK leader Anbumani Ramadoss on Saturday urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to take legislative measures to prohibit smoking and the sale of cigarettes to individuals born on or after January 1, 2009, thereby creating a smoke-free generation.
Anbumani, former Union minister for health and family welfare, said, "Once implemented, it (ban on cigarettes) will ensure that future generations are legally prevented from ever accessing tobacco products", he said in a letter to Modi.
"I write to you with a deep sense of urgency and responsibility, drawing your kind attention to a critical public health issue that continues to endanger the lives of millions of Indians, particularly among the younger generation who are affected by cigarette smoking", he claimed.
Stating that India unfortunately bears a disproportionately high burden of tobacco-related morbidity and mortality, he said, adding that, according to global health estimates, nearly 267 million Indians, approximately one in five citizens, use tobacco.
"Each year, tobacco consumption directly accounts for over 1.35 million deaths, while exposure to second-hand smoke contributes to a total of approximately 2.3 million deaths annually", he said, adding, "these figures are alarming and reflect a public health crisis of immense magnitude".
He pointed out that Scientific evidence unequivocally establishes tobacco use as a leading cause of cancer and numerous non-communicable diseases, including cardiovascular ailments, chronic respiratory diseases such as COPD, and multiple forms of malignancies. "In India alone, tobacco is responsible for nearly 40–50 per cent of all cancer cases, with over 4.7 lakh deaths annually attributed to tobacco-induced cancers", he added.
"In this context, I strongly urge the Union government to consider enacting a transformative law similar to that of the United Kingdom, that permanently prohibits the sale and consumption of tobacco products for individuals born on or after a specified year (such as 2009). Such a generational ban would mark a decisive step towards eliminating tobacco use in India over time", he said.
