Patna: The Nitish Kumar government in Bihar on Monday tabled a Rs 3.17 lakh crore budget in the assembly, the last before the state goes to polls later this year.
Presenting the budget, Deputy Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary, who holds the finance portfolio, told the House that the total size of the budget this year was “Rs 38,169 crore more compared with the last fiscal”.
The BJP leader said the budget was based on the principle of ‘sabka saath sabka vikas’ of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and the CM’s motto of ‘nyay ke saath vikas’.
Meanwhile, the Jharkhand government on Monday tabled a Rs 1.45 lakh crore budget for the financial year 2025-26 in the state assembly.
The JMM-led coalition government had presented a budget of Rs 1.28 lakh crore for the 2024-25 financial year.
This is the first budget of the Hemant Soren-led government after it retained power in the state following the assembly elections last year.
The budget will meet the aspirations of every section of the society, including the poor, farmers, tribals and women, Kishore said.
Lord Jagannath tattoo on foreign woman’s thigh sparks outrage in Odisha, case registered
Reporters Today
Bhubaneswar: A tattoo of Lord Jagannath on a foreign woman’s thigh has triggered an outrage in Odisha, leading to the registering of a police case against her.
A photo of the woman’s tattoo, which she had inked at a parlour in Bhubaneswar, went viral on social media, triggering protests by Jagannath devotees.
A few Jagannath devotees filed a complaint with the Sahid Nagar police station on Sunday and a case was registered under Section 299 of BNS (deliberate and malicious acts, intended to outrage religious feelings of any class by insulting its religion or religious beliefs).
Following the controversy, the foreign national and the owner of the tattoo parlour have issued public apologies on social media.
With folded hands, the woman, in a video, said, “I did not want to disrespect Lord Jagannath. I am a true devotee of Lord Jagannath and I go to temple every day. I made a mistake and for this, I am very sorry. I just asked the artist to ink the tattoo at a hidden place. I did not want to create any issue. I am very sorry for this. As soon as the tattoo area heals, I will remove it. Forgive me for my mistake.”
The tattoo shop owner said the woman had approached his shop requesting a tattoo of Lord Jagannath on her thigh. The tattoo artist will either cover up the tattoo or remove it after about 25 days, as removing it now could cause infection.
IRCTC, IRFC get Navratna status
Reporters Today
New Delhi: The government has approved the upgradation of IRCTC and IRFC to Navratna Central Public Sector Enterprises on Monday, an official statement said.
Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) is a Ministry of Railways CPSE with an annual turnover of ?4,270.18 crore, PAT (profit after tax) of ?1,111.26 crore and a net worth of ?3,229.97 crore for FY 2023-24, the press note said.
It added, “IRFC (Indian Railway Finance Corporation) is a Ministry of Railways CPSE with an annual turnover of ?26,644 Cr, PAT of ?6,412 Cr and a net worth of ?49,178 Cr for FY 2023-24.”
Congratulating both the CPSEs, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw posted on X, “Congratulations to team IRCTC and team IRFC on being upgraded to Navratna status.”
