Odisha CM launches 19 industrial projects worth Rs 2,675 cr
Bhubaneswar, May 28: Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Monday launched 19 industrial projects with an investment of Rs 2,675 crore, which will create employment opportunities for 8,953 persons.
The Chief Minister performed the ground-breaking ceremony for 12 new industrial projects and inaugurated seven projects through video conferencing here.
Patnaik said that two of the projects for which the ground-breaking ceremony was organised on November 16, 2017, were inaugurated on Monday and would go into production in about six months time.
"This underscores the number one position of the state in the country in terms of Investment Implementation Rate," he added.
"Odisha has a vision of becoming the most preferred investment destination in the country. Towards that end, we have devised the Odisha Industrial Development Plan Vision 2025 to set up more manufacturing industries in focus sectors with an investment of Rs 2.5 lakh crores, generating employment for 30 lakh people," said the Chief Minister.
In the aftermath of the Make in Odisha Conclave 2016, the first ground-breaking ceremony was held in November, 2017 for 15 manufacturing units with investments worth Rs 11,690 crore with scope to generate 8,187 jobs.
"The Make in Odisha Conclave in 2016 was an important milestone in our journey of industrial development and helped generate investment intents in diverse sectors, other than the traditional areas of mines, metals and energy," said Patnaik.
"To ensure that the investments intents received during the conclave are converted quickly, my government has worked with a dedicated focus to ensure that all required support such as land, utilities and Departmental clearances are made available to them expeditiously," he added.
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South Korean court issues warrants to detain impeached President Yoon, search his office
Seoul (AP): A South Korean court issued warrants on Tuesday to detain impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol and search his office and residence over his short-lived declaration of martial law.
The country's anti-corruption agency said it is investigating whether his declaration amounted to rebellion. But experts still say there is little chance of detention or searches unless Yoon is formally removed from office.
The Seoul Western District Court issued warrants to detain Yoon and to search the presidential office and residence in central Seoul, according to a statement from the Corruption Investigation Office for High-Ranking Officials, which is leading a joint investigation with police and military authorities.
Under South Korean law, the leader of a rebellion can face the death penalty or life imprisonment if convicted. Yoon has presidential immunity from most criminal prosecution, but the privilege does not extend to allegations of rebellion or treason.
Yoon's powers have been suspended since the opposition-controlled National Assembly voted to impeach him on December 14 over his imposition of martial law, which drew hundreds of troops and police officers into Seoul streets.
Yoon has argued his decree was a legitimate act of governance, calling it a warning to the main liberal opposition Democratic Party, which he has called “a monster” and “anti-state forces” that has used its legislative majority to impeach top officials, undermine the government's budget, and which he claims sympathises with North Korea.
The Constitutional Court is to determine whether to dismiss Yoon as president or reinstate him.
Experts said Yoon is likely to ignore the warrants. He's ignored repeated requests by investigative authorities to appear for questioning, and the presidential security service has blocked attempts to search his office and residence citing a law that bans raids on sites with state secrets.
A lawyer for Yoon rejected the anti-corruption agency's request for warrants on Monday, arguing it lacked legal authority to investigate rebellion charges.
The anti-corruption agency said it has no immediate plans on how to proceed with the warrants.
“Unless Yoon voluntarily lets them detain him, there is no way to detain him,” said Choi Jin, director of the Seoul-based Institute of Presidential Leadership. “Should investigators have hand-to-hand fights with the security service?”
Choi said that investigators were still likely to visit Yoon's residence to show they are strictly and fairly carrying out their work.
Park Sung-min, president of Seoul-based political consulting firm MIN Consulting, said the push for an arrest warrant is likely an attempt to pressure Yoon to cooperate with investigations.
Former President Park Geun-hye, who was thrown out of office in 2017 following an impeachment over a corruption scandal, also refused to meet with prosecutors while in office. She underwent questioning by them and was arrested after the Constitutional Court removed her from office.
Yoon's imposition of martial law lasted only six hours but triggered huge political turmoil, halting high-level diplomacy and rattling financial markets. Despite Yoon's deployment of troops and police, enough lawmakers managed to enter the assembly chamber to overturn it unanimously.
Yoon's defence minister, police chief and several top military commanders have already been arrested over their roles in the martial law enactment.
Yoon has claimed he wasn't trying to stop the functioning of the assembly, saying that the troops were sent to maintain order, and also denied planning to arrest politicians. But comments by now-arrested commanders of military units sent to the assembly have contradicted this claim. Kwak Jong-keun, the commander of the Army Special Warfare Command, testified at the National Assembly that Yoon called on troops to “quickly knock down the door and drag out the lawmakers who are inside".
Kwak said he did not carry out Yoon's orders.
The country's political crisis deepened last Friday, when the Democratic Party and other small opposition parties voted to impeach acting President Han Duck-soo as well over wrangling over his refusal to fill in three justice seats at the Constitutional Court. Observers say adding more justices could affect the court's ruling on Yoon's impeachment.
The deputy prime minister and finance minister, Choi Sang-mok, has become South Korea's new interim leader.
