NEWS

New Delhi: Government is planning to auction over 9,400 enemy properties worth over 1 lakh crore rupees, with the home ministry starting the process of identifying all such estates. 

The move comes after the amendment to the 49-year-old Enemy Property (Amendment and Validation) Act. The change in the law ensured that the heirs of those who migrated to Pakistan and China during Partition and afterwards will have no claim over the properties left behind in India.

A Home Ministry official said that in a recent meeting Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh was informed that the survey of 6,289 enemy properties has been completed and that of the remaining 2,991 properties which are vested with the custodian will be completed. 

New Delhi: Union minister Jitendra Singh has sought to play down the "Kashmiri militants are martyrs" remarks of a PDP MLA, terming it as a "stray comment".

Aijaz Ahmed Mir had stoked a controversy when he described Kashmiri terroristsshot dead in encounters with security forces as "martyrs" and "brothers" and also cautioned against glorifying their killings.

"If a stray comment is made by a stray person, it is not to be given any importance. But as far as we are concerned, a terrorist is a terrorist and a terrorist only," Singh told reporters in Jammu in reply to a question seeking his reaction over the remarks.

New Delhi: Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh has said that issues related to forest and environmental clearance continue to dog strategic projects and the central government will expedite the process of giving nod to them.

Inaugurating the 43rd annual day function of the Military Engineer Services (MES) and Builders Association of India, Singh also said there is no shortage of funds for development of infrastructure along the border areas.

The government will expedite forest and environmental clearance issues which still continue to dog such strategic projects, Singh was quoted as saying in an official release.

New Delhi: Union Minister of State for Home KirenRijijuhas said embattled liquor baron Vijay Mallya's defence team is raising issues to delay his extradition from the UK to face charges of fraud and money laundering amounting to Rs 9,000 crores.

Rijiju, who is in the UK for talks on security issues, said the Indian government is confident about its evidence in the case and satisfied with the cooperation from the UK side on extradition matters.

"The defence lawyers are just raising issues to delay matters ... We have done all the homework and whatever was necessary from our side. The authorities in the UK have responded positively and we are working in tandem on all pending extradition cases," he told reporters at a briefing in London.