Political News

Raigarh. Early this morning, police received information about the body of a young man lying in a field in Paraskol village under the jurisdiction of Kharsia police station. The deceased was identified as Anil Kumar Chauhan (35 years), son of late Pyarelal Chauhan, a resident of Paraskol village. Upon receiving the information, under the direction of the Senior Superintendent of Police, Sub-Divisional Police Officer (Kharsia) Prabhat Patel, Station House Officer (Kharsia) Inspector Rajesh Jangde, the FSL unit, Kharsia police station staff, cyber cell staff, and the dog squad reached the spot. The deceased’s sister, Khushboo Chauhan (23 years), stated that yesterday evening her brother had gone to another village with a friend where they ate and drank together. Around 9–10 p.m., she heard shouting and commotion from the direction of the road but did not pay attention. This morning, upon receiving information that her brother’s body was lying in the field, she went to the spot and found injury marks on his stomach, neck, and other parts of the body caused by a sharp weapon. A murder case has been registered against unknown accused at Kharsia police station. After completing the inquest proceedings, the body has been sent to Kharsia Hospital for postmortem. Kharsia police have detained suspects for questioning and are conducting a thorough investigation from all possible angles. TAGS: Raigarh, Kharsia, Murder Case, Dead Body Found, Police Investigation

New Delhi: For the second time in less than a year, the disbursal of stipends under the Maulana Azad National Fellowship (MANF) has stalled, with scholars across universities reporting delays of three months. Last year, after more than seven months of non-payment, the Ministry of Minority Affairs had said pending stipends were released following approval from the finance ministry in July. The release came after several Opposition MPs wrote to Minority Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju and Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman seeking clearance. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi also met MANF scholars and wrote to Rijiju flagging their grievances. The present disruption comes amid an ongoing re-verification exercise by the ministry, which has linked tighter scrutiny of minority welfare schemes to concerns over duplication and alleged misuse flagged in recent years. A ministry official told ThePrint that several states, including Assam, West Bengal, Punjab and Uttar Pradesh, as well as Jammu and Kashmir (a Union Territory) have either flagged duplication concerns or are conducting police inquiries. The official added that the finance ministry’s approval for MANF was granted for a limited period and that further releases were contingent on reports from states, which the minority affairs ministry had not yet received.

Raipur, Sep 23 (PTI) Chhattisgarh State Waqf Board chairman Dr Salim Raj has urged Muslim youth to refrain from participating in ‘garba’ dance and other religious events during the ongoing nine-day Navratri festival, and called for upholding peace and harmony in the state. He, however, said that if any Muslim brother or sister wishes to participate in such an event, respecting the attire and tradition, and with permission from the organising committee, there should be no objection.

Twelve Naxalites carrying a collective bounty of Rs 46 lakh surrendered before the police in Chhattisgarh’s Bijapur district on Thursday, a senior official said. The cadres, including eight women, belonging to the ‘south sub zonal buro’ of Maoists, turned themselves in before senior police officials here under the Bastar police’s ‘Poona Margem’ (from rehabilitation to social reintegration) initiative, Bijapur Superintendent of Police Jitendra Kumar Yadav said.  They were also impressed by the state government’s surrender and rehabilitation policy, the official said. Of them, Somadu Madkam (42), a divisional committee member and in charge of the Katekalyan area committee of Maoists, Hungi Kunjam (19), and Payaki Kunjam (22), both party members of different units, carried a reward of Rs 8 lakh each. Three other cadres carried a bounty of Rs 5 lakh each, one cadre Rs 2 lakh and five cadres Rs 1 lakh each, he said. They also surrendered an AK-47 rifle, two Self Loading Rifles (SLRs), 250 gelatin sticks, 400 detonators, one plastic drum filled with gunpowder and one bundle of cordex wire, the official said. All the surrendered Naxalites will be provided an immediate assistance of Rs 50,000 each and will be further rehabilitated as per the government’s policy, he added. In Bijapur, 888 naxalites have shunned violence and returned to the mainstream, while 1,163 were arrested and 231 killed in separate encounters since January 1, 2024, the official said. Inspector General of Police, Bastar Range, Sundarraj Pattilingam, said the Maoist organisation is rapidly heading towards its end. Due to the establishment of security camps in remote and inaccessible areas, improved road connectivity, continuous successful anti-Naxal operations, and the effective reach of the government’s development schemes, the outlawed organisation’s base area has been continuously shrinking, he said. Appealing to the remaining Maoist cadres to surrender, the IG said the path of violence leads only to destruction, suffering and darkness, while the ‘Poona Margem’ campaign paves the way for peace, a dignified life and a positive future. “Lay down your arms and return to the mainstream. The responsibility for your secure future and building a new life rests with both the government and society,” he added. With this surrender, more than 220 Naxalites have laid down their arms so far this year in the state. On January 15, as many as 52 Naxalites surrendered in Bijapur district. More than 1,500 Naxalites surrendered in the state last year. The Centre has resolved to eliminate Naxalism from the country by March 31 this year.

New Delhi:  In a major step toward strengthening regional infrastructure, South Eastern Coalfields Limited (SECL) Raigarh Area has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the district administration of Raigarh for the repair and strengthening of the high-level bridge over the Mand River on the Kharsia–Chhal Road. Under its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiative, SECL has sanctioned ₹84.48 lakh for the crucial infrastructure project aimed at restoring the structural integrity of the bridge and ensuring safer transportation for residents and businesses. Key Lifeline Between Kharsia and Chhal-Dharamjaigarh The Kharsia–Chhal Road serves as a vital connectivity corridor linking Kharsia with Chhal-Dharamjaigarh and nearby regions. The high-level bridge across the Mand River plays a central role in facilitating daily commuting, goods transportation, and commercial activities. However, the deteriorating condition of the bridge had begun to hamper smooth movement, affecting both public safety and regional trade. Recognizing the urgency, the district administration recommended immediate repair and reinforcement measures.

Thousands of villagers in Raigarh’s Tamnar block protest against Jindal Power’s proposed coal mine, accusing the administration of holding a secret, illegal public hearing without Gram Sabha approval. Backed by political and social activists, they resist land acquisition amid environmental concerns, alleging intimidation and demanding cancellation and FIRs against officials. Raipur: The ongoing public resistance against new coal mining projects in Chhattisgarh has been intensified on Monday after the Raigarh District Administration was accused of conducting a “fake” public hearing to favor the proposed coal mine project of Jindal Power Limited (JPL).Thousands of residents from 14 villages in Raigarh’s Tamnar block have been protesting for several days against JPL’s proposed mine, enduring severe cold while gathered in the Dhaurabhantha area.Allegations of Illegal Proceedings A public hearing for the Gare-Pelma Coal Block Sector-1 was officially scheduled for today, but villagers have consistently demanded its cancellation since December 5th.

A major land scam has been uncovered in Chhattisgarh’s Raigarh district, where officials inflated compensation amounts for land acquisition under the Gare-Pelma coal block project. Instead of the approved ₹100 crore, ₹415 crore was disbursed by manipulating records and misrepresenting land details. Former SDM Ashok Kumar Marbal, along with six other officials, has been suspended, and an FIR has been filed against them. There is an old saying that if you want to see someone’s status, give him power. Something similar is being seen in the state’s officials, who are leaving no stone unturned to score a four whenever they get a chance. We are talking about the Bajramunda compensation scam, in which the then SDM Ashok Kumar Marble has been suspended. After the news of Rs 415 crore being distributed instead of Rs 100 crore in Bajramunda compensation, the state government took action and is preparing to hand over the investigation of the entire case to the Economic Offences Investigation Bureau (EOW). Earlier, the then Raigarh Collector Kartikeya Goyal found 7 people guilty in this case, and ordered to register an FIR against all of them. But the process of registering an FIR in Gharghodha is still going on. Earlier, the government has given approval to register a case in EOW. Serious negligence written in the order The Under Secretary of General Administration has clearly written in the suspension order that Ashok Kumar Marble has committed serious negligence while being the SDM of Gharghodha. Therefore, he is suspended from the post of Deputy Collector of Sarangarh-Bilaigarh with immediate effect. During the suspension period, he has been attached to Raipur Commissioner’s Office.