Give Indian citizenship to Tamil refugees: Demand in RS

Agencies

July 10, 2019

New Delhi, Jul 10: A demand to give Indian citizenship to Sri Lankan Tamil refugees residing in Tamil Nadu for almost three decades was made in the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday.

Ahamed Hassan of the TMC made the demand through a Zero Hour mention during the brief period that the House functioned in the pre-noon session that was marred by disruptions by opposition Congress over developments in Karnataka.

Hassan said the government has through a bill proposed to give Indian citizenship to Hindus and other persecuted minorities of Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Afghanistan. The same should be extended to Sri Lankan Tamil refugees.

"They should be given Indian citizenship or they should be rehabilitated in Sri Lanka," he said.

Abir Ranjan Biswas (TMC) raised the issue of delay by the Centre in granting formal allotment letter to West Bengal for the Deocha Pachami Harinsingha Dewanganj coal mines - the world's second largest.

He said the coal mine was allocated to the state on June 6, 2018, but despite repeated requests, a formal allotment order has not been issued.

The mine will feed coal to the state's power plants, helping boost electricity generation, he said, adding West Bengal Power Development Corporation Ltd presently gets 42,000 tonnes a day of coal supplies as against the requirement of 55,000 tonnes.

The Union Coal Ministry had on September 10, 2018, asked the West Bengal government to take certain preparatory actions, which the state complied with and filed a compliance report on September 29, 2018, he said.

But there has been a delay in making the formal allotment, he said.

K R Arjunan (AIADMK) demanded the construction of a medical college and hospital on the unused land of Hindustan Photo Films at Udhagamandalam in Nilgiris district of Tamil Nadu.

Udhagamandalam factory has been shut and its land is lying unused, he said.

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QR-code tips power Mangaluru's major drug bust: 25 arrested in 2 weeks

News Network

December 16,2025

Mangaluru, Dec 16: The Mangaluru City police have significantly escalated their campaign against drug trafficking, arresting 25 individuals and booking 12 cases under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act between November 30 and December 13. The crackdown resulted in the seizure of a substantial quantity of illicit substances, including 685.6 grams of MDMA and 1.5 kg of ganja.

The success of this recent drive has been significantly boosted by the city’s innovative, QR code-based anonymous reporting system.

"The anonymous reporting system has received an encouraging response. Several recent arrests were made based on inputs received through this system, helping police tighten the noose around drug peddlers," said the City Police Commissioner.

The latest arrests contribute to a robust year-to-date record, underscoring the police's relentless commitment to combating the drug menace.

Up to December 14 this year, the police have registered a total of 107 cases of drug peddling, leading to the arrest of 219 peddlers. Furthermore, they have booked 562 cases of drug consumption, resulting in the arrest of 671 individuals.

The scale of the seizure for the year reflects the magnitude of the problem being tackled: police have seized 320.6 kg of ganja worth ₹88.7 lakh and 1.4 kg of MDMA valued at ₹1.2 crore. Other significant seizures include hydro-weed ganja worth ₹94.7 lakh and cocaine worth ₹1.9 lakh, among others.

The Commissioner emphasized a policy of rigorous enforcement: "We ensure that peddlers are caught red-handed so that they cannot later dispute the case or claim innocence."

To counter the rising trend of substance abuse among youth, the Mangaluru City police have rolled out uniform guidelines for random drug testing across educational institutions.

As part of the drive, tests were conducted in approximately 100 institutions, screening an estimated 5,500 to 6,000 students in the first phase. 20 students tested positive for drug consumption during the initial screening.

Students who tested positive have been provided counselling and are scheduled for re-testing in the second quarter. The testing will also be expanded to students not covered in the first phase. In a move to ensure strict implementation, police personnel were deployed in mufti in some institutions. Reiterating a zero-tolerance stance, the Commissioner confirmed that random testing will continue, and colleges have also been instructed to conduct drug tests at the time of admission to deter substance abuse from an early stage.

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