National

HP CM Accuses BJP of State’s Debt Crisis; Opposition Walks Out in Protest

Published

1 year ago

March 21, 2025

Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukkhu has criticized the former BJP government, claiming it has trapped the state in debt. While addressing the assembly during the budget discussion for the 2025-26 financial year on Friday, Sukkhu alleged that the previous administration received Rs 68,000 crore from the Centre as a revenue deficit grant and GST compensation but failed to use these funds to pay off debts or fulfill employee dues, instead wasting them on election-related incentives.

The Chief Minister stated that his government has borrowed Rs 29,046 crore over the past two years, of which Rs 12,266 crore went toward interest payments on existing debts and Rs 8,087 crore was allocated for loan repayments. This has left just Rs 8,693 crore for developmental projects, he noted.

Sukkhu mentioned that the proposed capital expenditure for the next fiscal year is Rs 3,976 crore, with the potential for this amount to increase as more resources become available. He anticipates that by the end of the year, capital expenditure will surpass Rs 5,000 crore.

He also pointed out that the previous BJP government accrued loans totaling Rs 40,352 crore during its five years in office without addressing the dues owed to employees and pensioners. Sukkhu emphasized that his administration is committed to good governance and has worked to reduce unnecessary spending over the last two years.

The opposition BJP, however, challenged the Chief Minister’s statements regarding the state’s debt. Leader of Opposition Jai Ram Thakur attempted to respond, but was not permitted to speak by the Speaker, resulting in a brief uproar and subsequent walkout by the opposition.

During his address, the Chief Minister announced several initiatives, including plans for a compassionate appointments policy to be introduced within a month, an increase of Rs 1 lakh in the discretionary grant for MLAs, budget provisions for developing Renuka Ji as a tourist destination, and the merging of the civil wing of the electricity board with other departments.

National

Delhi Techie Found Dead During Honeymoon Trip

Published

1 day ago

June 17, 2026

Namma Kudla

National: A 27-year-old IT professional from Delhi was found dead at a homestay in Mussoorie, Uttarakhand. The woman, P Radha Gayatri, had gone on a honeymoon trip with her husband.

According to police, the couple checked into a homestay on June 14. Her husband said they had consumed alcohol and went to sleep late at night.

The next morning, he found Gayatri unconscious on the floor. Police said she was lying in a pool of urine, and blood was coming from her nose. She was declared dead at the scene.

The body has been sent for a post-mortem examination. Police are investigating the case and waiting for the autopsy report to determine the cause of death.

National

Pakistan Ranked World’s Most Polluted Country in 2025

Published

5 days ago

June 13, 2026

Namma Kudla

Islamabad: Pakistan has been ranked as the most polluted country in the world in 2025, according to a new report released by Swiss air quality monitoring company IQ Air.

The report found that Pakistan’s average PM2.5 pollution level was 13 times higher than the safe limit recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO). PM2.5 refers to tiny harmful particles in the air that can enter the lungs and cause serious health problems.

IQ Air said that only 13 countries and territories met the WHO air quality guideline of less than 5 micrograms of PM2.5 per cubic meter of air in 2025. This was an improvement from seven countries in 2024.

The report also revealed that 130 out of 143 monitored countries and territories failed to meet the WHO standard.

Bangladesh was ranked as the second most polluted country, while Tajikistan secured the third position. Chad, which was the most polluted country in 2024, ranked fourth in 2025.

Experts said that Chad’s lower ranking may be linked to missing pollution data. In March 2025, the United States ended a global air quality monitoring program due to budget cuts. The program had collected pollution data from US embassies and consulates around the world.

Christi Chester Schroeder, the lead author of the report, said that the loss of data makes it difficult to know the true pollution levels in some countries.

Because of data shortages, Burundi, Turkmenistan and Togo were not included in the 2025 report.

The report also identified Loni in India as the world’s most polluted city. The city recorded an average PM2.5 level of 112.5 micrograms per cubic meter. Hotan in China ranked second with 109.6 micrograms.

According to the report, the 25 most polluted cities in the world were all located in India, Pakistan and China.

Only 14 percent of cities worldwide met the WHO air quality standard in 2025. This was lower than the 17 percent recorded in the previous year.

The report noted that large wildfires in Canada increased air pollution levels across the United States and even affected parts of Europe.

Countries that met the WHO air quality guideline in 2025 included Australia, Iceland, Estonia and Panama.

Meanwhile, Laos, Cambodia and Indonesia reported significant improvements in air quality. Experts said wetter and windier La Niña weather conditions helped reduce pollution levels in these countries.

Mongolia also recorded a 31 percent drop in average PM2.5 levels during the year.

Overall, 75 countries reported lower pollution levels in 2025, while 54 countries experienced an increase in air pollution, according to the IQ Air report

National

Indian Air Force AN-32 Transport Aircraft Crashes

Published

5 days ago

June 13, 2026

Namma Kudla

Dispur: An Indian Air Force (IAF) AN-32 transport aircraft crashed at the Air Force Station in Jorhat, Assam, on Saturday. The aircraft caught fire after the crash.

According to reports, the AN-32 aircraft went down within the premises of the air base. A fire broke out immediately after the accident.

Rescue and firefighting teams rushed to the spot and launched an operation to control the flames. The fire was brought under control after their prompt response.

The exact cause of the crash is not known yet. Authorities are investigating the incident.

So far, there have been no reports of any deaths or injuries. The Indian Air Force has confirmed the accident and said that more details will be shared after a complete assessment of the situation.

Further information is awaited.