With cheetahs in MP's Kuno National Park, job opportunities in Sheopur to grow: CM Chouhan
Sheopur (MP) (PTI): Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has said the release of cheetahs into the Kuno National Park (KNP) has increased the chances of generating job opportunities in Sheopur district.
He was speaking at the foundation stone-laying ceremony for the construction of a medical college building costing Rs 768 crore and other developmental works in the presence of union ministers Narendra Singh Tomar and Jyotiraditya Scindia on Sunday.
"Cheetahs have arrived in Sheopur (KNP) on the initiative of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. This has increased the possibility of employment opportunities in Sheopur," he said.
Chouhan said that the women's self-help groups (SHGs) are also getting motivated to run homestays in villages.
Two cheetahs, out of the total eight brought from Namibia in September last year, were released into the wild in the KNP on Saturday, almost six months after their arrival in the country. Another batch of 12 cheetahs - seven males and five females were brought to the park from South Africa on February 18 this year, taking the total of these animals there to 20.
Tomar said that after the construction of this medical college building and once it starts its operations, there will be no dearth of medical facilities in Sheopur and the residents here will not be dependent on adjoining cities.
Scindia said a broad-gauge line is being laid between Gwalior and Sheopur under the first phase and it will be extended to Kota in the second phase.
"This will ensure the development of the region," he said.
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Modi should leverage his ties with world leaders to de-escalate war in West Asia: Omar Abdullah
Jammu (PTI): Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Monday said India can play a meaningful role in de-escalation in West Asia, given Prime Minister Narendra Modi's strong relations with the warring countries and their neighbours.
He said Pakistan was leveraging ties with Iran and the United States, and that any effort towards ending the war should be welcomed.
"As I said in the House (Assembly), we would like the war to end as soon as possible. The role that the prime minister can play may not be possible for anyone else because of his good relations with all these countries," Abdullah told reporters on the sidelines of a function here.
He, however, said any escalation would not be easy to manage.
"Any such move by US President Donald Trump, despite the long history of Iran resisting external domination, would not be easy," the chief minister said.
Asked about Pakistan mediating in the war, he said, "I will simply say that if any country can play a role in preventing this war, no one should have any objection to it."
He added, "I will repeat what I said … our prime minister has good and close relations with all countries — whether it is Israel, the United States, Iran, or the countries around Iran. If those relationships can be used to make some progress and help ease the situation, it would be a good thing."
Abdullah said attacks by terror groups like Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed in India, as suggested by a report from the United States, are not unlikely.
Meanwhile, he asserted that any efforts to end the war, be it from Pakistan, must not be resisted.
"Pakistan is using its good relations with Iran and the United States to its advantage, and it has done so. How can we object to that? If that angle helps in stopping the war, would you want them not to act and let the war continue? We want the war to stop. If any country can play a role in that, it should. And if we can play an even better role, then we should do so," he said.
On unemployment in J-K, the chief minister said the issue cannot be resolved overnight, and government jobs alone are not the solution.
He stressed the need to explore alternative avenues, highlighting the importance of Mission Yuva in promoting entrepreneurship.
"Mission Yuva provides not just funding but also support in preparing DPRs and post-startup assistance, such as marketing. In just nine months, distributing Rs 1,000 crore and approving numerous schemes is a significant achievement," he said.
Abdullah credited the coordination between the government and Jammu and Kashmir Bank for the scheme's progress.
