Raipur: Education is the true foundation of social development. Whether it's the art of living, business, agriculture, or any other field, education is the first step to success in every field. Chief Minister Vishnudev Sai said this at the swearing-in ceremony of the Chhattisgarh Pradesh Sarva Ravidas Samaj, held in the farmers' auditorium of the Indira Gandhi Agricultural University.

Earlier there was one medical college, now there are 15 medical colleges.

Chief Minister Sai said that the state government has been continuously striving to improve the level of education since its inception. While there was only one medical college at the time of the state's formation, today there are approximately 15 medical colleges operating in the state. Similarly, the establishment of prestigious national and international institutions such as IIT, Triple-IT, IIM, Law University, AIIMS, and CIPET in Chhattisgarh has provided significant opportunities for local youth.

Society should be strong and united

Chief Minister Sai said that a strong and organized society is the need of the hour, as an organized society plays a decisive role in nation-building. Citing Prime Minister Narendra Modi's motto of "Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas, and Sabka Prayas," he said that the state government has been working in the interest of all sections of society for the past 23 months in accordance with these guiding principles.

Chief Minister Sai said that the state government has taken several important steps in recent months, which include steps like Krishak Unnati Yojana for farmers, Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana to provide pucca houses to every family, Mahatari Vandan Yojana to provide financial security to mothers and sisters, teacher rationalization to ensure availability of teachers in remote areas.

In the last 24 hours, the maximum temperature of the state was recorded at 29.6 degrees Celsius in Durg, while the minimum temperature was recorded at 5.2 degrees in Ambikapur.

Raipur Municipal Corporation arranged for bonfires

Korba. A massive fire broke out at a bike warehouse in the district last night, causing significant damage. By the time the fire was brought under control, 25 bikes and other items stored in the warehouse had been completely destroyed. It is estimated that the loss in this accident is in the millions of rupees. The incident occurred late last night at the Ishwar Auto Parts warehouse located near the Pondi-Uporda bus stand in the Bango police station area.

According to preliminary information, some unknown individuals set fire to nearby garbage overnight. The fire gradually grew and spread to the warehouse. Within a short time, the fire took a serious turn. Upon receiving information about the incident, Bango police arrived at the scene and began efforts to extinguish the fire.

Firefighters from the Katghora Municipality and the Irrigation Department arrived at the scene. After considerable effort, the firefighters brought the fire under control, but by then, all the bikes and other items stored there had been completely destroyed. This resulted in significant financial losses for the shop owner.

The fire caused panic among nearby businesses and local residents. However, people breathed a sigh of relief after the fire was brought under control. Police say that the exact cause of the fire will be determined only after a detailed investigation. If any mischievous elements are found to be involved, action will be taken against them.

Bhilai.  Kumhari police have solved the case of the 14.6 lakh rupee robbery from a worker loading cash at a Hitachi ATM. The cash loader misled the police for hours by filing a false report of being robbed, but the truth came out during questioning and investigation. Now, the applicant has become the accused and has been taken into custody by the police.

In fact, upon receiving information about the large sum of money being looted, SSP Vijay Agarwal, ASP City Sukhnandan Rathore, and Kumhari police immediately arrived at the scene. During the initial investigation, the police became suspicious of several facts in the robbery story, and ultimately, it was revealed that the entire story was false. When the robbery was proven to be fake, the police heaved a sigh of relief but also registered a case against the accused and initiated action.

This is how a fake drama of robbery was done

SSP Vijay Agarwal stated that on December 6th, around 7:30 pm, Kumhari police received information that three unidentified youths had stolen a bag containing ₹1.46 million (146,000 rupees) near the Global School in Kapsada village. The complainant, Ashish Rathore (34), a resident of Charoda, stated that he works as a cash loader at Hitachi ATM booths and was carrying the money. He claimed that he was traveling with his nephew, Manish Rathore, on a motorcycle with him to load cash at the Hirapur Tendu ATM in Raipur, after which he was going to deposit cash at ATMs in Murmunda and Dadar. When three youths stopped the vehicle, brandished a knife, snatched the bag containing the money, and fled into the fields. According to him, the bag contained ₹860,000 for the Murmunda ATM and ₹600,000 for the Dadar ATM.

This is how the police became suspicious

In fact, nephew Manish was said to be with Ashish at the time of the incident, but Manish was not present at the scene. It was claimed that the motorcycle had fallen, but neither the bike nor Ashish's body bore a single scratch. During interrogation, contradictions in the statements continued to emerge. When these points came to light, the police brought Ashish to the police station for questioning. Under rigorous questioning by SSP Vijay Agarwal and ASP Sukhnandan Rathore, Ashish finally broke down and admitted that the entire robbery story was false.

Bilaspur.   The Chhattisgarh High Court has reprimanded the state's Panchayat and Rural Development Department for delaying the appointment of a village panchayat secretary. A single bench of Justice Narendra Kumar Vyas ordered the department's director, Priyanka Thawait, to appear in person tomorrow, December 8, at 10:30 am and provide an explanation.

Asif Raza filed the petition in this case. On February 22, 2024, a division bench of the High Court ordered in the writ appeal that Asif Raza be considered for appointment to the post of village panchayat secretary, without affecting the employment of candidates already appointed and already enrolled.

Petitioner's counsel Sushobhit Singh told the court that despite this clear order, the state government is waiting for the approval of the Finance Department and Asif Raza is being repeatedly made to run from Raipur to Baikunthpur.

The court expressed displeasure, asking why the Finance Department's approval was needed when the High Court order was in place? And even if it was, why had it not been obtained since the February 22, 2024, order?

The court has listed the matter for tomorrow, December 8, and has also directed to send a copy of the order to the Chief Secretary, Chhattisgarh Government for information, so that he can see how the system is working.

Raipur. The process of purchasing paddy at the support price is continuing at a rapid pace in the state. According to the report released at 10 am on December 5th, more than 22 lakh 39 thousand 433 lakh metric tonnes of paddy has been purchased in the paddy procurement campaign that began on November 14th of last month.

So far, 439,511 registered farmers have sold paddy. Markfed has released ₹5,277 crore for payment to farmers through a bank-linked system for paddy purchases. This year, 273,096 farmers have registered for the current Kharif season, covering an area of ​​3151,771 hectares.

Paddy procurement is continuing in all the districts of the state. Till now, Mahasamund district is on the first position by purchasing the highest quantity of paddy, i.e. 15 lakh 19 thousand 650 quintals. Gariaband district is on the second position by purchasing 6 lakh 73 thousand 495 quintals of paddy. Similarly, Bilaspur district has achieved the third position by purchasing 6 lakh 73 thousand 65 quintals of paddy. However, Kanker district remains on the fourth position by purchasing 6 lakh 15 thousand 431 quintals of paddy. The districts which have purchased more than five lakh quintals of paddy include Dhamtari and Mungeli districts, while the districts which have purchased more than four lakh quintals of paddy include Surajpur, Balodabazar-Bhatapara, Bementra, Balod and Kondagaon.

Till now 8 lakh 97 thousand 779 tokens have been issued to the farmers. Whereas 50 thousand 234 tokens have been issued to the farmers for paddy purchase on the coming day 8th December. Farmers are getting a lot of convenience from the Token Tuhar App online system started this year. Farmers are satisfied with all the necessary arrangements being made by the committees. State and district level teams constituted by the state government are strictly monitoring the illegal transportation, storage and sale of paddy in the border areas of the state as well as in the state.

It is noteworthy that as per the instructions of Chief Minister Vishnu Dev Sai, along with the purchase of paddy, the payment of support price to the farmers has also been started. The Chhattisgarh government has already given a bank guarantee of Rs 26,200 crore to Markfed for payment of the price of paddy purchased from the farmers of the state. Adequate arrangements have been made in all the centres to ensure that the farmers do not face any problem in selling the paddy. Officers have been posted in all the centres to monitor the arrangements for paddy procurement. Senior administrative officers of the state level and district level officers are continuously visiting and taking stock of the paddy procurement and the arrangements at the centres.

Strict vigilance is being maintained to ensure that no irregularities occur in the procurement of paddy at the support price in the state. Officers have been deployed at checkpoints to prevent the influx of paddy from outside. Surprise checks are also being conducted on transporters at various locations.

 ​​Chief Minister Vishnu Dev: Education is the real foundation of social development. Be it the art of living, business, agriculture, or any other field, education is the first step to success in every field. Chief Minister Vishnudev Sai said this at the swearing-in ceremony of Chhattisgarh Pradesh Sarva Ravidas Samaj, held in the farmers' auditorium of Indira Gandhi Agricultural Universi

Earlier there was one medical college, now there are 15 medical colleges.

Chief Minister Sai said that the state government has been continuously striving to improve the level of education since its inception. While there was only one medical college at the time of the state's formation, today there are approximately 15 medical colleges operating in the state. Similarly, the establishment of prestigious national and international institutions such as IIT, Triple-IT, IIM, Law University, AIIMS, and CIPET in Chhattisgarh has provided significant opportunities for local youth.

Society should be strong and united

Chief Minister Sai said that a strong and organized society is the need of the hour, as an organized society plays a decisive role in nation-building. Citing Prime Minister Narendra Modi's motto of "Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas, and Sabka Prayas," he said that the state government has been working in the interest of all sections of society for the past 23 months in accordance with these guiding principles.Chief Minister Sai said that the state government has taken several important steps in recent months, which include steps like Krishak Unnati Yojana for farmers, Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana to provide pucca houses to every family, Mahatari Vandan Yojana to provide financial security to mothers and sisters, teacher rationalization to ensure availability of teachers in remote areas.

Appointment letters to 10,000 youthChief Minister Sai said that so far, more than 10,000 young people have been issued appointment letters in various departments. He said that the Chhattisgarh Public Service Commission examinations were conducted with complete fairness, which has instilled new confidence in the youth.

Chhattisgarh Leather Craftsmen Development Board Chairman Dhruv Kumar Mirdha, Sarva Ravidas Samaj Chhattisgarh State President Vijay Mehra, Raipur Division Commissioner Mahadev Kanware, Dilip Vasnikar along with a large number of public representatives and dignitaries were present in the program.

Raigarh: Thousands of villagers have been protesting for the past two days against the upcoming public hearing of Jindal Power Limited, scheduled to be held on December 8 in the Tamnar area of ​​the district.

Villagers have once again rallied to protest the proposed public hearing for the coal mine (Gera Palma Sector-1). Braving the bitter cold, thousands of villagers from the Tamnar region are staying awake all night under the open sky in Dhorabhatha Maidan to protest. The villagers say they will not allow a public hearing tent to be set up in their area, nor will they allow company or administration officials to come there.

Struggle to save water, forests and land

The villagers say they are fighting to protect water, forests, and land, and will continue to oppose public hearings in their area based on their strategy. The opening of several mines in their area has already caused displacement, employment, and environmental damage. Furthermore, if Jindal acquires the mine, 15 to 20 surrounding villages will be severely affected. The villagers fear losing their ancestral land and village, and they are not being informed about adequate employment and displacement compensation.

Bilaspur.   The Chhattisgarh High Court has reprimanded the state's Panchayat and Rural Development Department for delaying the appointment of a village panchayat secretary. A single bench of Justice Narendra Kumar Vyas ordered the department's director, Priyanka Thawait, to appear in person tomorrow, December 8, at 10:30 am and provide an explanation.

Asif Raza filed the petition in this case. On February 22, 2024, a division bench of the High Court ordered in the writ appeal that Asif Raza be considered for appointment to the post of village panchayat secretary, without affecting the employment of candidates already appointed and already enrolled.

Petitioner's counsel Sushobhit Singh told the court that despite this clear order, the state government is waiting for the approval of the Finance Department and Asif Raza is being repeatedly made to run from Raipur to Baikunthpur.

The court expressed displeasure, asking why the Finance Department's approval was needed when the High Court order was in place? And even if it was, why had it not been obtained since the February 22, 2024, order?

The court has listed the matter for tomorrow, December 8, and has also directed to send a copy of the order to the Chief Secretary, Chhattisgarh Government for information, so that he can see how the system is working.

India-US trade deal: New Delhi. Hopes of reaching agreement on a trade deal between India and the United States have increased. A team of US officials is scheduled to arrive in India next week to finalize discussions on the first phase of a bilateral trade agreement. It should be noted that India's exports declined for the second consecutive month in October, following the imposition of 50 percent US tariffs.

India-US trade deal: Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump has repeatedly indicated that the trade agreement between the two countries is moving in the right direction and could be finalized soon. Therefore, this trade deal could be important for both countries on the economic front.

India-US trade deal: Three-day meeting to be held on December 10–12

A three-day meeting will be held from December 10th to 12th to finalize the India-US trade deal. The meeting will be led by the Deputy United States Trade Representative. The meeting is expected to discuss several key issues related to the trade deal, as well as the US tariff reductions, in detail.

India-US trade deal: Previously, on September 16th, US officials visited India for talks, but that round of talks yielded no concrete results. This is the US team's second visit, which has raised hopes once again.

India-US trade deal: Positive signals from both countries

Positive signals are continuously emerging from both countries. While US President Trump recently stated that "a good deal is going to be locked in very soon," India's Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal also spoke about advancing trade talks in September. It is believed that this time, along with the trade deal, important discussions may also take place on tariff-related issues.

India-US trade deal: Six rounds of talks so far

It should be noted that negotiations on an India-US trade deal have been ongoing since February, and approximately six rounds of meetings have taken place between the two countries, but a final decision has not yet been reached. Despite this, both sides have maintained a positive stance. The current India-US trade deal aims to increase bilateral trade from $191 billion to $500 billion by 2030.

Raipur. A new case has been registered against officials and activists of the Chhattisgarhi Kranti Sena in Raipur. This action was taken in connection with the Chhattisgarh Identity Protection Rally held on December 5th.

Authorities had not obtained permission for the rally, and a complaint was filed by private citizen Ganesh Jaiswal. The complaint stated that the rally caused traffic jams and inconvenienced pedestrians.

The incident occurred in the Azad police station area. Based on the complaint, a case has been registered against Jai Johar Chhattisgarh Party's convener Lalit Baghel, Anil Dubey, and several other officials and workers. Police have launched an investigation and, given the seriousness of the matter, are gathering details and video footage from the scene.

According to the complainant, the rally was held to protest the arrest of Amit Baghel in the Devendra Nagar area on charges of hate speech. Officials and workers of the Chhattisgarhiya Sarva Samaj Sangathan gathered at Guru Ghasidas Complex, Aamapara, and were scheduled to submit a memorandum to the Raj Bhavan.

However, due to lack of permission from the administration, the police stopped the protesters. Activists then began protesting by sitting on the streets. Based on complaints of road blockages and disruption of normal life, the police registered a case.

The police have clarified that the case will be investigated impartially and statements will be taken from all parties. The sole purpose of the action in this case is to maintain law and order. Officials of the Chhattisgarhiya Kranti Sena are currently avoiding arrest and are indicating their cooperation with the police.

This rally and the subsequent case filed highlights the administration's crackdown on political activities and movements of social organisations in Chhattisgarh, and increases the importance of the permission process for such events in the future.

Raipur: The first meeting of the newly appointed district and city presidents of the Congress was held at Rajiv Bhawan in the capital city of Raipur.

The meeting discussed the progress of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) campaign of the electoral roll, participation in the 'Vote Chor, Gaddi Chhod' mega rally to be held in New Delhi on December 14, holding of monthly meetings and strategies to strengthen the organisation.

State Congress President Deepak Baij, Leader of Opposition Dr. Charandas Mahant, former Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel, AICC Secretary and Chhattisgarh Co-incharge Jarita Letphlang, Vijay Jangid, former Deputy Chief Minister T.S. Singhdeo, former Minister Ravindra Choubey and other senior leaders were present in the meeting.

Deepak Baij urged everyone to remain active, follow the directives of the AICC and PCC, and intensify the fight against the corrupt government on public issues. He directed them to form a social media team, appoint cells, and participate with more comrades in the Delhi rally.

Leader of Opposition Dr. Charandas Mahant stressed on recovery from farmers in paddy procurement, coordination with Mahila Congress, NSUI and Youth Congress, strengthening Seva Dal at the district level and taking the ideas of Rahul, Sonia and Priyanka Gandhi to the public.

Former Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel stressed the need to remain active in the SIR process, address the issue of deletions, and continue the fight against the BJP government's policies. He urged continued action on issues such as land registry fees, increased guideline rates, lathicharges on traders, and property tax increases.

AICC Secretary Jarita Letphlang and Joint Secretary Vijay Jangid directed to hold regular meetings at the district, block and division level and maintain coordination with Mahila Congress, NSUI, Youth Congress. Present at the meeting were Kumar Shankar Menon from Raipur City, Rajendra Pappu Banjare from Raipur Rural, Sumitra Ghritalhare from Balodabazar, Sukhchand Besra from Gariaband, along with other district presidents and State Congress General Secretary Deepak Mishra, Sakleen Kamdar and Communication Department President Sushil Anand Shukla.

Jashpur. On Sunday early morning, near Patratoli in Duldula police station area on Katni-Gumla NH-43, a car collided with a roadside trailer, due to which it was completely destroyed and five youths travelling in it died a painful death. All the deceased were residents of Khatanga village in Duldula area and were close friends.
It is said that the accident was so horrific that the speed of the car number CG 10 AD 7771 was so high that it got crushed like a toy and hit the trailer (NL 01 AB 1953) standing on the roadside from behind. The sound of the collision was so loud that people nearby got scared. By the time help arrived, all five youths travelling in the car had stopped breathing.According to information, all the deceased were residents of Khatanga village in the Duldula area and were close friends. They were returning home after enjoying a fair held in the Asta police station area. The deceased include Radheshyam Yadav, son of Ramprasad Yadav, Uday Kumar Chauhan, son of Krishna Chauhan, Sagar Tirkey, son of Raphael Tirkey, Ankit Tigga, son of Dilip Tigga, and Deepak Pradhan, son of Amar Pradhan.The most painful image of this accident is from Deepak Pradhan's home. Deepak was the sole support of his family. The news of his death has brought a mountain of grief upon the family. Radheshyam Yadav's brother, Maheshwar, said with a choked voice that they were together until late at night, but fate denied them the chance to see the morning sun. Duldula police arrived at the scene, pulled the bodies from the wrecked car, and sent them for post-mortem examination.

Jagdalpur. During patrolling, the Kotwali police station of Bastar district headquarters received information that a person named Harish Mandan and Vinayak Swami were running illegal betting and gambling behind Jamal Mill. On receiving the information, the accused Harish Mandan was taken into custody and during investigation, action was taken by seizing 3 betting slips and betting amount of Rs 700 from his possession. The accused Vinayak Swami was also taken into custody and action was taken by seizing 4 betting slips and betting amount of Rs 3200 from his possession.

Sukma. Maoist Jailal, carrying a bounty of Rs 25 lakh, and his wife Bheeme, carrying a bounty of Rs 8 lakh, surrendered before Sukma and Andhra Pradesh police. Both were involved in the district's biggest Naxalite incidents, Tadmetla (in which 76 CRPF jawans were martyred) and Jhiram Ghati attack (in which several top Congress leaders were killed). 
Darbha division in-charge Jailal alias Dirdo Vijja and his wife, Malanger area committee in-charge Madvi Gangi alias Bheeme, surrendered before SP Amit Bardar and ASP (Naxal) Sukma Rohit Shah at Alluri Sitarama Raju district headquarters in border Andhra Pradesh on Sunday.

Officials stated that the ongoing anti-Naxal operations in Sukma and the establishment of new camps have increased pressure on the organization, leaving the two men with the only option of rehabilitation. Police stated that the two men will be given full benefits of the government's rehabilitation policy, and other Maoists have been urged to abandon violence and participate in development.
Jayalal, active for four decades,
had been associated with the Maoist organization for the past 40 years. He joined the Naxalite organization in 1994 as a Bal Sangam (a member of the Naxalite movement). He subsequently served as a CNM member, LOS commander, section commander, military commander, and finally as SZCM. He was a key participant in the 2010 Tadmetla attack, the 2013 Jhiram incident, the 2020 Minpa incident (17 soldiers martyred), the 2021 Tekalgudam incident (22 soldiers martyred), and the 2024 attacks on the Dharmapenta and Tekalguda camps. His wife, Bheeme, had been active in the organization
for 20 years
. She was involved in the Tekalguda incident and handled levy collection from contractors, businessmen, and politicians around the district headquarters. She had considerable influence in the Keralapal, Badeshetty, and Neelavaram areas.

Kondagaon. As soon as it was reported that the decapitated body of a young man was found in the forest of village Chanabhari of Vishrampuri police station area of ​​the district on Sunday, the police along with the forensic team arrived at the spot and seized the body. 
According to the information received from the Kondagaon police, the villagers who went to graze cattle in the forest of Chanabhari from Govindpur, a dependent village of Kosmi under Vishrampuri police station area of ​​Kondagaon district, saw a decapitated body. As soon as the body was found, the police reached the spot and identified the body as Lachidar Pandey, who had left his house three days ago to go to the market and did not return. The family searched a lot, but there was no trace of him. The family has also filed a complaint in the police station. The body has been sent for post-mortem. Kondagaon police is investigating all aspects of the case by interrogating the family members and other people.

 Accurate weighing, timely payment and micro ATM facility provide great relief to farmers
Mungeli. With an aim to provide better and transparent procurement system to farmers, paddy procurement is going on in a well-organized, fair and completely farmer-friendly environment in Mungeli district under Kharif marketing year 2025-26. Paddy is being procured at the support price as per the prescribed time-table in 105 procurement centers of 66 primary committees of the district, in which all necessary facilities have been made available keeping the interests of farmers paramount.

Token system, high quality checks, electronic weighing machines, drinking water, shade, adequate seating arrangements and security arrangements have been ensured at all procurement centres, so that farmers are getting the benefit of a queue-free, smooth and transparent process without long waits. Along with the purchase of paddy, micro ATM service has been made available at the procurement centres, where farmers are getting their money immediately through ATM card or cheque book, which has ensured speed and transparency in payments.Mr. Bharat Purle, a farmer from Kapuwa village, who came to sell paddy at the Geedha procurement center, reported that he had sold over 66 quintals of paddy this year. He praised the procurement process, saying that this year's procurement center system is more transparent and streamlined than before. Selling paddy at the procurement center is convenient and easy. The token system has eliminated the hassle of standing in lines. Electronic weighing machines ensure accurate and fair weighing. The payment process has also become much faster and smoother than before. Withdrawing money from the micro ATMs installed at the committees is hassle-free. He further explained that the procurement of 21 quintals per acre and the support price of 3100 rupees per quintal has provided a strong financial base for farmers. Furthermore, the procurement process has improved further due to the faster paddy lifting process.

Balrampur. In order to keep the rice procurement system transparent and safe in the district, the district administration is continuously monitoring illegal rice transport. In this connection, information was received that rice was being brought illegally in a truck from Uttar Pradesh. Taking immediate action by the administration, a truck full of illegal rice was caught.
According to information received from the district administration, truck number CG 29 AF 0480 was loaded with about 400 sacks of illegal paddy, which was being brought into the district limits without valid documents. The administrative team reached the spot and stopped the truck, checked the contents and seized the paddy and handed over the vehicle to the respective police station. Sub-Divisional Officer Shri Neer Nandeha said that illegal activities are being monitored at every level during the paddy procurement season in the district. Surveillance at check posts has been further strengthened. He said that strict action will be taken by keeping a constant watch on illegal transportation and storage activities. The district administration has appealed to the citizens that if any illegal transportation or buying and selling of paddy is seen anywhere, then report it immediately so that timely action can be taken.