Came with hope in 2014, trust in 2019 and guarantee in 2024: PM Modi
Nalbari (Assam) (PTI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday asserted that he went to people with hope in 2014, trust in 2019 and guarantee in 2024.
Addressing an election rally at Borkura ground here, the Prime Minister said there is ''Modi's guarantee across the country and I am giving the guarantee of fulfilling all these guarantees''.
"The North East is a witness to Modi's guarantee as the Congress had only given problems to the region but the BJP has made it a source of possibilities,'' the Prime Minister said.
''Congress fuelled insurgency but Modi embraced people and brought peace in the region. What could not be achieved in 60 years of Congress rule, Modi achieved it in ten years'', he added.
He said that birth celebrations of Lord Ram are being held in Ayodhya after 500 years with a 'Surya Tilak' ceremony.
''We cannot join the celebrations in Ayodhya, but let us participate in the event by switching on our mobile flashlights and sending light and prayers to Lord Ram'', he said.
''A new atmosphere is prevailing in the entire country as we celebrate the birth celebrations of Lord Ram in his own temple after 500 years and this is a culmination of centuries of devotion and generations of sacrifice'', he added.
The Prime Minister said free ration will continue to be provided to all without discrimination for the next five years.
Free treatment of up to Rs five lakh under Ayushman Bharat for people aged 70 and above will be also given so that it doesn't become a burden for the family but ''this son of yours (Modi) will take care of your medical costs''.
During the next five years, three crore new houses will also be constructed for the poor, he said.
''The NDA government believes in 'Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas' and ensures that each citizen gets the benefits they are entitled to without any discrimination'', he added.
Referring to the abolition of 'triple talaaq', Modi said this has freed the Muslim women. ''We made a law against it which benefitted not only the Muslim sisters, but their entire family as triple talaq had destroyed the lives of many women and their families,'' he added.
He said Muslim women in Assam have also benefited from the law.
"Assam has also witnessed unprecedented development during the last ten years and when the intentions are right, the results are also good'', he said.
''Congress for its own benefit had deliberately neglected the region so that they could indulge in corruption and loot. This situation has, however, been changed and the region is reaping the benefits of 'Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas'', he claimed.
Recently, the Prime Minister had laid the foundation of a semiconductor testing facility in Assam which will provide over 15,000 jobs to the youth.
''This has been a historic and unprecedented step. Assam will soon be recognised as a semiconductor hub'', Modi said.
The electricity bill of the people will also come to zero as they will be provided with solar panels while over 3 crore women associated with SHGs will be made 'Lakhpati Didis', he added.
All the promises made in the manifesto will be fulfilled and these will benefit the poor, deprived, dalits, farmers and the tea garden workers.
The Minimum Support Price (MSP) for farmers has been raised in Assam and they will continue to get the benefits of the PM Kisan Samman Nidihi.
"For me, your dreams are my promises. Each moment is dedicated to you, your dreams and the country'', he added.
Modi was here to campaign for NDA candidates of three constituencies - Asom Gana Parishad's Phani Bhushan Choudhury who is contesting from Barpeta, United People's Party, Liberal (UPPL)'s Jayanta Basumatary from Kokrajhar and BJP's Bijuli Kalita Medhi of Guwahati, who all were present at the rally.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
SC stays CBI probe into West Bengal govt officials' role in teacher recruitment scam
New Delhi, Apr 29: The Supreme Court on Monday stayed a Calcutta High Court order directing the CBI to probe the role of West Bengal government officials in a teacher recruitment scam. It, however, refused to stay for now the cancellation of the appointment of over 25,000 teachers and non-teaching staff.
The top court was hearing a plea by the West Bengal government against a high court order invalidating the appointment of 25,753 teachers and non-teaching staff made by the School Service Commission (SSC) in state-run and state-aided schools.
A bench of Chief Justice DY Chandrachud, Justice JB Pardiwala and Justice Manoj Misra, however, refused to stay the high court order cancelling the appointments and said it will hear the matter on May 6.
Observing that taking away the jobs of about 25,000 persons is a serious matter, the top court asked if it is possible to segregate the valid and invalid appointments on the basis of the material available and who the beneficiaries of the fraud are.
"We will stay the direction which says the CBI (Central Bureau of Investigation) will undertake further investigation against officials in the state government," the bench said.
Calcutta High Court had said the CBI would undertake further investigations with regard to the persons in the state government involved in approving the creation of supernumerary posts to accommodate illegal appointments.
If necessary, the CBI will undertake custodial interrogation of such persons involved, it had said.
Challenging the order, the state government, in its appeal filed before the top court, said the high court cancelled the appointments "arbitrarily".
"The high court failed to appreciate the ramification of cancelling the entire selection process, leading to straightaway termination of teaching and non-teaching staff from service with immediate effect, without giving sufficient time to the petitioner state to deal with such an exigency, rendering the education system at a standstill," the plea said.
Calcutta High Court last week declared the selection process as "null and void" and directed the CBI to probe the appointment process. It also asked the central agency to submit a report within three months.
"All appointments granted in the selection processes involved being violative of articles 14 and 16 of the Constitution of India, are declared null and void and cancelled," the high court said in its April 22 order.
The high court said those appointed outside the officially available 24,640 vacancies, appointed after the expiry of the official date of recruitment, and those who submitted blank Optical Mark Recognition (OMR) sheets but obtained appointment to return all remunerations and benefits received by them with 12 per cent interest per annum within four weeks.
Observing that it had given "anxious consideration to the passionate plea" that persons who obtained the appointments legally would be prejudiced if the entire selection process was cancelled, the bench said it hardly had any choice left.
The high court held that all appointments involved were violative of articles 14 (equality before law) and 16 (prohibiting discrimination in employment in any government office) of the Constitution.
"It is shocking that, at the level of the cabinet of the state government, a decision is taken to protect employment obtained fraudulently in a selection process conducted by SSC for state-funded schools, knowing fully well that, such appointments were obtained beyond the panel and after expiry of the panel, at the bare minimum," the high court had said.
It said unless "there is a deep connection between the persons perpetuating the fraud and the beneficiaries" with persons involved in the decision-making process, such action to create supernumerary posts to protect illegal appointments is "inconceivable".
The division bench had also rejected a prayer by some appellants, including the SSC, for a stay on the order and asked the commission to initiate a fresh appointment process within a fortnight from the date of the results of the ongoing Lok Sabha elections.
The bench, constituted by the high court chief justice on a direction of the Supreme Court, had heard 350 petitions and appeals relating to the selection of candidates for appointment by the SSC in the categories of teachers of classes 9, 10, 11 and 12 and group-C and D staffers through the SLST-2016.
In its 282-page judgment, the high court had said retaining appointees selected through "such a dubious process" would be contrary to public interest.
