India Roundup: Free electricity, farmers protest, COVID cases
Free Electricity
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has launched the PM Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana, a rooftop solar scheme aimed at providing free electricity to 1 crore (ten million) households. With an investment exceeding Rs 75,000 crores (about $9 million), this initiative will offer up to 300 units of free electricity monthly. The central government will ensure no financial burden on the people by providing significant subsidies directly to their bank accounts and offering highly concessional bank loans. Urban Local Bodies and Panchayats will be encouraged to promote rooftop solar systems, aiming to increase income, reduce power bills, and generate employment opportunities, reports local media Times of India.
Farmers protest
Chaos at the Shambhu border as protesting farmers broke through police barricades in an attempt to cross over, leading to clashes with the Haryana police who detained several farmers. Farmers from Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, and Rajasthan have converged at the Punjab-Haryana Shambhu border, prompting authorities to block all routes into Delhi with barricades and nails to prevent further incursions, local media The Statesman reports. The farmers demand a minimum support price (MSP) for their produce, an assurance made by Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the repeal of the three contentious farm laws in November 2021.
Temporary jail
The Delhi government has rejected the Centre's proposal to repurpose the Bawana stadium into a temporary jail ahead of the farmers' march to the national capital. Minister Kailash Gahlot, in a letter to Chief Secretary Naresh Kumar, emphasized solidarity with the farmers' cause, highlighting their constitutional right to peaceful protest and the genuineness of their demands. He urged the Central Government to engage in dialogue with the farmers and address their grievances rather than resorting to arrests, local media Daily Pioneer reported.
COVID cases
India has witnessed four COVID-19-related fatalities along with 123 new positive cases between February 12 and February 13, as reported by the Union Health Ministry. The death toll has now reached 533,466 with two deaths in Delhi, and one each in Maharashtra and Gujarat. The total number of Covid cases in the country has risen to 450,273,048, including cases of the JN.1 Covid variant. Karnataka reported 39 new cases, followed by Maharashtra with 28, and Chhattisgarh with 13. Additionally, five cases were recorded in the national capital. 114 individuals have recovered from the disease, contributing to a total recovery tally of 44,493,006, reports local media The Statesman.
India-Qatar partnership
India and Qatar maintain historically close and friendly relations, with ties deepening in recent years, according to Prime Minister Narendra Modi. In a statement ahead of his visit to Doha, Modi expressed anticipation for a meeting with Qatar's Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, recognizing Qatar's remarkable growth and transformation under his leadership, local media New Indian Express reported. Modi's visit to Qatar follows his two-day trip to the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The announcement of his visit coincided with the release of seven out of eight Indian Navy personnel who had been sentenced to death in Qatar.
