Mahayuti used its stint in power in Maharashtra to push corporate cronies' interests: Congress
New Delhi(PTI): The Congress on Sunday accused the Mahayuti government in Maharashtra of using its stint in power to push corporate cronies' interests ahead of the well-being of the state's people and forests.
Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh alleged that in November 2023, a major advisor to Adani Green Energy Limited (AGEL) was appointed to an Expert Appraisal Committee (EAC) of the Centre that approves proposals for hydroelectricity projects, like those made by AGEL.
Soon after, in December 2023, the residents of more than 100 villages in Kolhapur rose up in protest against AGEL's Rs 7,000-crore Patgaon Pumped Storage Project, he said.
Since Kolhapur has been struggling with low rainfall and limited availability of water and no public meetings were held before the project was granted permission, locals are concerned about the impact it would have on the worsening water situation, Ramesh said on X.
"Worryingly, this is just one of three Adani projects that have received approval in ecologically sensitive areas of the Western ghats," he said.
According to experts, environment ministry officials have "selectively interpreted the law" to allow these "red category" projects in sensitive areas, the Congress leader said.
Adani's own environmental evaluations had warned of significant damage to forests during construction but the projects were approved anyway, Ramesh claimed.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Mahayuti's brazen manipulation of the legal process clearly has severe repercussions for local communities and the local environment, he said.
"It is telling that the Mahayuti has used its stint in power to push corporate cronies' interests ahead of the wellbeing of Maharashtra's people and forests," Ramesh alleged.
The ruling Mahayuti alliance comprises Eknath Shinde's Shiv Sena, the BJP and the Ajit Pawar-led NCP. The opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) comprises the Congress, the Shiv Sena (UBT) and the Sharad Pawar-led NCP (SP).
The remarks of the Congress leader came ahead of the polling for the 288-member Maharashtra Assembly on November 20.
The votes will be counted on November 23, a day before the current Maharashtra Assembly completes its term.
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Several Indians inducted into Russian Army remain missing: Report
New Delhi: In a concerning development, several Indians who were illegally enlisted in the Russian Army and forcibly sent to the war zone on the Russia-Ukraine border are reportedly still missing.
According to a report published by The Hindu on Sunday, citing communication from the Ministry of External Affairs and statements from the families of two missing men, Mohammad Amin Sheikh, a 65-year-old resident of Kupwara in Tangdhar, Jammu and Kashmir, said that his 27-year-old son, Zahoor Sheikh, last contacted the family on December 31, 2023.
Amin Sheikh mentioned that his son said that he was going for training and would not be available for the next three months on phone. “But when we started getting news about the deaths of Indians in Russia in January, we got worried and called on his number. We could not reach him. We are yet to hear from him,” Sheikh, a retired Inspector from the Public Health Department in Jammu and Kashmir, was quoted as saying by the publication.
Last week, Mohammad Amin Sheikh and his two other sons travelled to New Delhi to seek answers from the Ministry of External Affairs and the Russian Embassy after the Indian Embassy in Moscow failed to give them information about Zahoor Sheikh.
“We submitted a petition at the Russian Embassy,” 31-year-old Aijaz Amin, Zahoor Sheikh’s elder brother, told The Hindu. “They said they are looking into the matter. The MEA officials said that at least 15 Indians are still missing and though the Russian government is cooperative, their commanders on the ground are not responsive,” he added.
Zahoor had travelled to Russia after he came across a YouTube video promising the job of a security helper in Russia. Instead, he was reportedly deceived into joining the Russian Army.
Similarly, 30-year-old Mandeep, from Jalandhar in Punjab, has been missing since March. His brother, Jagdeep Kumar, also arrived in Delhi, looking for answers from the government about his sibling's whereabouts.
“We last spoke on March 3. He initially went to Armenia and was supposed to go to Italy from there in search of work. Instead, he was tricked by an agent to go to Russia and was forced to join the Russian Army. He was sent to the war zone after a few days of training,” Kumar told The Hindu.
Kumar said he met officials from the External Affairs Ministry in the capital city, who told him that at least 25 Indians were reported missing in Russia.
