NEW DELHI, Oct 16: The Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on Wednesday approved a ₹35,000 crore allocation for the PM Annadata Aay Sanrakshan Abhiyan (PM-AASHA). This initiative aims to ensure fair prices for farmers and stabilize market prices for consumers.

Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw announced the decision, stating that the scheme is designed to prevent farmers from resorting to distress sales during peak harvest seasons. PM-AASHA will boost self-reliance in the production of pulses, oilseeds, and other key agricultural commodities, enhance farmers’ incomes, and safeguard consumer interests.

New Delhi, Oct 16: The Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, approved a 3 per cent hike in Dearness Allowance (DA) and Dearness Relief (DR) for Central government employees and pensioners on Wednesday. This raises the DA and DR from 50 per cent to 53 per cent, with the increase retroactively effective from July 1.

The decision comes as a significant relief for nearly one crore Central government employees and pensioners ahead of Diwali, helping them cope with inflation. DA is adjusted biannually and is calculated based on the Consumer Price Index for Industrial Workers (CPI-IW), making it a key factor in determining government salaries and pensions.

In March 2024, the government had already increased DA by 4 per cent, effective from January, bringing it to 50 per cent of basic pay. Under the Seventh Pay Commission guidelines, several allowances, including House Rent Allowance (HRA), are revised automatically when DA crosses 50 per cent, which was implemented earlier this year.

While the DA and other allowances have been adjusted, there has been no corresponding increase in basic pay, as it was not recommended in the Seventh Pay Commission’s final report.

In related news, Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Dev Sai also announced a 4 per cent DA hike for state government employees, effective from October 1, raising their DA to 50 per cent of basic pay, also in time for Diwali.

Mumbai, Oct 16 – The shooters implicated in the assassination of NCP leader and former Maharashtra minister Baba Siddique reportedly acquired their firearm handling skills by watching YouTube tutorials from a rented house in Kurla, officials disclosed on Wednesday.

Baba Siddique, 66, a former Congress leader who recently joined the Nationalist Congress Party, was ambushed by three assailants in Mumbai’s Nirmal Nagar area, just outside his son Zeeshan Siddique’s office, on Saturday night.

During the investigation led by the Mumbai police’s crime branch, authorities uncovered that one of the suspected shooters, Shivkumar Gautam, who is currently at large, had gained experience with firearms through celebratory gunfire at weddings in Uttar Pradesh, according to officials.

Interrogations of the arrested suspects, Gurmail Singh and Dharmaraj Kashyap, revealed that Gautam was designated as the “main shooter” due to his proficiency in handling weapons. The pair had undergone shooting practice under Gautam’s guidance at the rented Kurla residence, where they engaged in “dry practice” (simulated shooting without bullets).

For nearly four weeks, the group relied on YouTube videos to learn how to load and unload firearms, as they struggled to find a suitable location for practical training, officials stated.

In addition, one of the alleged co-conspirators, Shubham Lonkar, had previously come under police scrutiny after being questioned in June regarding a shooting incident outside actor Salman Khan’s residence in April, believed to be linked to the Lawrence Bishnoi gang. Lonkar was arrested in January for an Arms Act violation in Akola district but was released on bail.

Since then, he had maintained contact with Lawrence Bishnoi’s brother Anmol, which kept him on law enforcement’s radar until he became untraceable on September 24.

The investigation further revealed that the accused communicated using social media applications like Snapchat and Instagram to evade detection. Lonkar, who had familiarity with mobile apps, instructed all conspirators to use Instagram for voice communication and Snapchat for text chats, leveraging its feature that automatically deletes most messages after they are viewed or expire.