Time extended to upload blocked applications: Minister Khader
Rajiv Gandhi Housing Scheme
Mangaluru, September 23: Housing and Urban Development Minister UT Khader said that if the applications of Rajiv Gandhi Housing Scheme were blocked or the beneficiaries were finding it difficult to upload them for various reasons even after laying foundation or beginning the construction work in the gram panchayat levels, the respective PDOs should verify them and take steps to upload the applications.
Speaking to reporters here on Sunday, the Minister said that following the request of the eligible beneficiaries, the PDOs should verify and upload the applications for 15 days from September 25. Earlier, the government has given time till September 20 to upload such blocked applications in the website. Total 69,000 applications were blocked for various reasons and when verified them, 18,000 eligible applications were again uploaded. Now, the time was extended for the eligible beneficiaries to get the benefit. If the beneficiaries provided information to their panchayats, the respective PDOs should verify them and submit the report immediately, he said.
In the current year, the Housing department has planned to construct 4 lakh houses in the state. Till now, priority was given to construct houses in rural areas. Now, urban areas would also be considered for the purpose, he said.
In urban areas, the local bodies should identify the places and prepare the list of beneficiaries to the department. In urban areas, it was planned to construct apartments. In city corporation limits, the government has decided to develop the layouts in private land at 50:50 ratio. The Housing Board has already approved the proposal of joint development. As per this, the government would provide basic infrastructure and market facility and 50 per cent houses constructed in the project could be sold by the land owners, the Minister said.
Sand problem
As sand mining was banned in Kerala, there was sand problem in coastal region. For money, the sand was being supplied to Kerala for high price. In view of this, the Kerala government has to find a solution for the sand problem. So, the government was advised to send the sand imported from other countries through GPS enabled lorries with police security from the ports. This would ease the sand problem in the coastal region, he said.
The Chief Minister has convened a meeting of deputy commissioners on September 24 to discuss the sand and land conversion issues and the problem could be solved, he said.
Mangaluru Dasara will get all facilities
Minister Khader said that the government would provide all needed facilities to conduct the Mangaluru Dasara in a grand manner.
Government is safe
“The coalition government has no threat. It is safe. Unable to tolerate the popularity of the coalition government due to good programmes, the opposition party has created confusion. The BJP has demanded that the government should waive off the farm loans within a week of taking over the charge. The coalition government has managed it efficiently. It has also managed the flood and natural disaster situations in Kodagu and Dakshina Kannada districts. But the power-hungry BJP has been showing its political culture for power. But the BJP would not succeed in its efforts”, he said.
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.
Iran's World Cup place in US put in doubt by Middle East war. FIFA has Iraq next in line
Geneva (AP): Iran's place at the men's World Cup in three months' time was put in doubt Monday amid an escalating Middle East conflict sparked by the soccer tournament's co-host the United States.
Iran is due to play its three group stage games in the U.S. — two in Inglewood, California, then in Seattle — from June 15-26. Cities in Canada and Mexico also will host some of the 104 games.
The U.S. and Israel have targeted Iran in coordinated attacks since Saturday that killed Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and dozens more senior officials.
It provoked an Iranian response that aimed missiles at U.S. allies including 2022 World Cup host Qatar and Saudi Arabia, which FIFA has picked to stage the 2034 edition.
“What is certain is that after this attack, we cannot be expected to look forward to the World Cup with hope,” said Iran's top soccer official Mehdi Taj, a vice president of the Asian Football Confederation.
It is unclear if the state-backed Iranian soccer federation could refuse to send its team to the 48-nation tournament that starts June 11, or the U.S. government could effectively block the team.
FIFA has declined comment since Saturday, when secretary general Mattias Grafström said it would “monitor developments around all issues around the world.”
The White House's top official overseeing World Cup preparations, Andrew Guiliani, seemed unconcerned Saturday in a social media post.
“We'll deal with soccer games tomorrow,” Guiliani wrote about Iran, “tonight, we celebrate their opportunity for freedom.”
Here is a look at the issues in play:
Asian soccer power
==============
Iran has one of the best national teams in Asia and has qualified for six of the past eight World Cups.
It is No. 20 in the FIFA world rankings of 211 teams, and has not been lower than No. 24 since the last World Cup in Qatar.
Iran was among the second-seeded teams in the World Cup draw held in Washington, D.C. in December, minutes after U.S. President Donald Trump was presented with the inaugural FIFA Peace Prize.
Though Taj and other Iranian soccer officials were denied visas to enter the U.S., the draw outcome was favorable for Iran, especially in the expanded format where most third-place teams advance to the knockout rounds.
Iran starts against low-ranked New Zealand, then plays one of the weaker top-seeded nations, Belgium, and finishes against Egypt.
Iran is likely to be supported in stadiums by its diaspora in the U.S., though residents of the Middle East nation are subject to a ban on entering the country.
Trump's government has promised exemptions from its travels bans for athletes and coaches arriving for major sports events like the World Cup.
Politics around Iran inside World Cup stadiums is nothing new. Protests over domestic issues were aired by Iran fans at the last World Cup.
The FIFA rules
===========
FIFA's World Cup regulations envisage a team withdrawing, or being excluded, from the tournament though the legal language is vague to say the least.
In that scenario, according to Article 6.7, “FIFA shall decide on the matter at its sole discretion and take whatever action is deemed necessary.”
“FIFA may decide to replace the Participating Member Association in question with another association,” the rules say.
That legal framing seems to give FIFA president Gianni Infantino wide powers to shape any decision relating to Iran.
Just 18 months ago, the decision announced by Infantino to add Lionel Messi's team Inter Miami to the 2025 Club World Cup lineup appeared to have no basis in formal tournament rules.
Consequences of withdrawingShould Iran pull out of the World Cup — still hugely speculative — its soccer federation would forfeit at least $10.5 million.
FIFA pays $9 million in prize money to each of the 16 federations whose teams fail to advance from the group stage, and all 48 qualified teams get $1.5 million “to cover preparation costs.”
The Iranian federation also would face disciplinary fines from FIFA — at least 250,000 Swiss francs ($321,000) for withdrawing up to 30 days before the tournament, and at least 500,000 Swiss francs ($642,000) if the decision is in the last month before kickoff.
Iran would risk being excluded by FIFA from qualifying for the next World Cup in 2030 as well.
Next in line
========
Iran was a fast World Cup qualifier last March, earning one of eight guaranteed places allocated to the Asian Football Confederation.
Should Iran pull out, the likely replacement from Asia should be Iraq or the United Arab Emirates.
Iraq and the UAE were effectively the ninth and 10th-ranked Asian teams through the various qualifying groups and advanced to a two-leg playoff last November.
Iraq won 3-2 on aggregate — eliminating the UAE — to advance to the intercontinental playoffs in Mexico and, on March 31, it is scheduled to play an elimination game against Bolivia or Suriname with a World Cup place at stake.
One possible element of uncertainty is the language of the World Cup tournament rules.
FIFA wrote that it can decide to replace a withdrawn team “with another association,” though without specifying the replacement must come from the same continental confederation.
