NEWS

In view of the growing popularity of a wide variety of traditional regional handicrafts following the launch of One District One Product (ODOP) scheme, the Uttar Pradesh government is building the state’s first handicrafts park in Sector 29 of Yamuna Expressway Industrial Development Authority (YEIDA).

A total of 76 industrialists have acquired land at the park, spread over an area of 50 acres, to set up their factories at the cost of Rs 403 crore. The factories being set up at the park will provide permanent employment to 22,144 people.

The maiden handicrafts park of UP will feature workshops, factories and outlets making, showcasing and selling the wide ranging handicrafts of the state to the domestic and global visitors, aiming at conserving the traditional crafts, providing employment to thousands of artisans of the state and boosting the handicrafts sector’s contribution to the state’s economy.

BJP national spokesperson Guru Prakash Paswan Wednesday said Bihar Leader of Opposition Tejashwi Prasad Yadav should apologise for “likening” SCs and STs to birds and animals while speaking on the caste census demand after the all-party meeting with the Prime Minister.

On Monday, after the meeting, Tejashwi had asked why there couldn’t be a caste census when even “pashu-pakshi” were counted in the country.

Paswan said: “Tejashwi likened SC/ST to birds and animals by drawing comparison. It is demeaning, derogatory and offensive. He must apologise.”

The Unnao district administration has written to the Uttar Pradesh government recommending to change the name of Miyaganj block — a gram sabha in the district — to “Mayaganj”.

Speaking to mediapersons on Wednesday, Unnao District Magistrate Ravindra Kumar said, “A proposal was presented by Miyaganj gram panchayat to change the name to Mayaganj. The proposal came through the Chief Development Officer and the local SDM. We have forwarded the proposal to the government for further action.”

Many news organisations have reported that, three anonymous Urdu-speaking men barged into an office of a travel agency in Kabul issuing Indian visas on behalf of the Indian mission in Afghanistan and took an unknown number of Afghan passports with stamped Indian visas, putting Indian security officials on high alert. 

On August 15, the day the Taliban gained control of Kabul and Afghanistan, the incident occurred. 

For the facilitation of Indian visas for Afghan nationals, the private travel firm collaborates with the Indian embassy in Kabul.