Raipur Mar 21 PTI Chhattisgarh Panchayat and Rural Development Minister T S Singh Deo on Monday announced the suspension of 15 staffers for allegedly committing financial irregularities in works under MGNREGA in the states Marwahi forest division The minister made the announcement in the Assembly while replying to questions of Congress MLA Gulab Kamro who had alleged that gross irregularities were committed in the construction of culverts and stop dams under MGNREGA in Marwahi Forest Division in Gaurela Pendra Marwahi district Kamro said funds of over Rs 6 crore meant for materials for 33 construction works in Chuktipani Thadpathra Pakaria Keonchi Padavaniya and Teraigaon villages were drawn without carrying out the construction In his reply the minister admitted that complaints were received in this connection in July last year following which the concerned district collector reviewed the matter and based on his report a four-member inquiry committee was constituted for further investigation The inquiry committee examined 33 works and concluded violation of rules and guidelines of MGNREGA following which the collectors opinion was sought As per the collector violations were found to be committed by then Divisional Forest officer DEFO the minister said When Kamro further asked how many officials and employees were involved in the alleged irregularity and sought to know what action had been taken against them Singh Deo put the figure at 15 including Marwahi DFO Rakesh Mishra Apart from the forest department a prima facie mistake on the part of then Zila Panchayat Chief Executive Officer CEO was also found he said Singh Deo said he will write to the General Administration Department GAD to suspend the then CEO currently posted in another district and assured the House to take appropriate action over involvement of the DFO who has been retired Subsequently opposition members including BJP demanded that the minister announce the suspension of those found guilty for committing irregularities Thereafter the minister announced suspension of 14 forest officials and employees and then Zila Panchayat CEO PTI TKP BNM BNM BNM

Raipur Nov 23 PTI Chhattisgarh Health Minister T S Singh Deo on Tuesday wrote to the Centre urging it to take a decision soon on administering booster dose of COVID-19 vaccine to people in priority groups In a letter to Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya Singh Deo said several countries have been witnessing third and fourth waves of the COVID-19 pandemic and have started inoculating their people with the booster shots Experts from the country and abroad have been certifying that the level of COVID-19 vaccine-induced antibodies declines within six to nine months or lasts for nearly this period Although the immunity continues to remain the same in some cases the need for a booster dose is being felt Singh Deo said in the letter The effect of the third and fourth wave of infection is being reported in several countries of the world and many nations have started administering booster shots to their citizens the state health minister said Considering the risk of the viral spread the time has come to permit a booster dose for healthcare workers HCW frontline workers FLW immuno-compromised and people above 60 years of age he said Singh Deo urged the Union health minister to take an early decision in this regard and issue necessary guidelines for administering booster dose of the vaccine to people in the above categories PTI TKP ARU ARU

Jashpur (Chhattisgarh) [India], October 24 (ANI): Amid the ongoing political turmoil in the Chhattisgarh unit of the Congress, several party leaders and workers pushed former district unit president Pawan Agarwal on the stage and prevented him from completing his speech at a party workers conference in Jashpur on Sunday,

New Delhi [India], October 3 (ANI): Amidst the ongoing political tussle in ruling Congress in Chhattisgarh, Chattisgarh MLA Brihaspat Singh alleged that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is conspiring to destabilise the Bhupesh Baghel government but TS Singh Deo won't fall into the trap of BJP.

Raipur Sep 29 PTI As the suspense over the possibility of change in leadership in Congress-ruled Chhattisgarh continues the political heat appears to be once again escalating in the state after over a dozen Congress MLAs reached Delhi on Wednesday The political circle in the state was abuzz with speculation that the legislators have gone to express their support to Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel However the MLAs who have reached the national capital said their visit was linked with the proposed tour of former Congress chief Rahul Gandhi to the state Around 15-16 party MLAs have reached Delhi and are staying at different places Rahul jis visit to Chhattisgarh is proposed We wanted to convey a request to Rahul ji through our state in-charge P L Punia ji that he should extend a little the duration of his tour so that all the MLAs could get benefit of it said Brihaspat Singh the party MLA from Ramanujganj seat of state We have come to Delhi just to make this request and we will speak to Punia sir on Thursday in this regard Our visit should not be seen in other way he told PTI over phone from Delhi When asked whether their visit was aimed at expressing support to Baghel Singh said Our party has 70 MLAs in the 90-member state assembly of whom 60 legislators had last time told everything to Punia ji When there is blessing of the high command support of the MLAs and the chief minister is working well then no such issue of leadership change exists He also denied the alleged tussle between Baghel and state health minister T S Singh Deo and said that both the leaders had recently shared the stage and exchanged sweets He also said that they respect each other The situation in Chhattisgarh is not similar to Punjab The high command of any party would not put the entire government at stake just to make one leader happy he said without naming anyone Singh considered as close to Baghel was embroiled in a controversy in July this year when he alleged that there was a threat to his life from Singh Deo However the MLA who hails from Singh Deos home turf Sarguja later withdrew the claim The demand for a change of guard reared its head after Baghel completed two and a half years as chief minister in June 2021 Singh Deo camp claimed that the high command in 2018 had agreed to hand over the post to him after the government completed half its term Congress in-charge of the state P L Punia has time and again denied that any such deal was struck in 2018 when the party came to power by dislodging the BJP The Congress high command summoned both Baghel and Singh Deo to Delhi in August to resolve the feud It appeared that Baghel had won this round when he told reporters upon return that party leader Rahul Gandhi had agreed to visit the state on his invitation and those talking about rotating the CMs post were promoting political instability As many as 54 out of 70 Congress MLAs had visited Delhi separately when Baghel was in the national capital in an apparent show of strength on his side While both Baghel and Singh Deo have desisted from saying anything about the leadership issue since then the feud has not abated PTI TKP NP NP

Bilaspur Sep 23 PTI A local unit of ruling Congress in Chhattisgarhs Bilaspur district on Thursday recommended the expulsion of MLA Shailesh Pandey for anti-party activities Pandey is considered to be a staunch supporter of health minister T S Singh Deo chief minister Bhupesh Baghels rival in state Congress The Bilaspur Urban Congress Committee has sent a proposal to Chhattisgarh Congress chief Mohan Markam seeking to expel Pandey who represents Bilaspur assembly segment from the party for six years a local leader said The MLA and his supporters on Wednesday created a ruckus at Kotwali police station and facilitated anti-party activities alleged local unit chief Pramod NayakOn Wednesday Pandey along with his supporters had reached Kotwali police station to oppose an FIR registered against party leader Pankaj Singh in Bilaspur for allegedly assaulting an employee of a government hospital The legislator alleged that Singh was being implicated for his closeness to Singh DeoNayak claimed that Pandeys actions amounted to a breach of party disciplinePandey said he would speak on the issue on FridayThe developments following the FIR against Singh could further intensify the ongoing tussle between the camps of Singh Deo and Chief Minister Baghel PTI COR TKP KRK KRK KRK

Bilaspur Sep 22 PTI Police have registered a case against a leader of the ruling Congress in Chhattisgarh for allegedly assaulting an employee of a government hospital in Bilaspur district an official said on Wednesday The case against Pankaj Singh former secretary of Chhattisgarh Pradesh Congress Committee CPCC was booked on Tuesday at Kotwali police station here he said The leader is said to be closely associated with states Health Minister T S Singh Deo Congress MLA Shailesh Pandey termed the action as a political conspiracy and claimed that the leader was being implicated for his closeness to Singh Deo According to police the alleged assault incident took place on September 18 at Chhattisgarh Institute of Medical Sciences CIMS hospital here On September 18 Singh had reached the hospital on the call of a patient who had come to the hospital for an MRI examination Singh had an argument with Tulachand Tande technician of the radiology department of the hospital and allegedly manhandled and abused him Bilaspur Superintendent of Police Dipak Jha said Tande later lodged a complaint in this connection and after examination of CCTV footage and recording the statements of witnesses the case was registered he said Singh was booked under IPC sections 186 obstructing a public servant in the discharge of his public functions and 353 assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty and section 3 of Chhattisgarh Medical Service Persons and Medical Service Institutions Prevention of Violence and Damage or Loss to Property Act-2010 the SP said Singh is yet to be arrested and the investigation into the matter is underway Jha said adding that further action will be taken accordingly Meanwhile Pandey who represents the Bilaspur Assembly constituency reached Kotwali police station on Wednesday along with Singh and a large number of their supporters where they raised slogans against the police for filing the FIR Talking to reporters Pandey who is also considered a staunch supporter of Singh Deo accused the police of lodging the case on the direction of the higher authorities Terming the action as a political conspiracy he said According to police the action was taken on the direction of higher officials but are not able to tell from whom they got the orders We are being harassed because we are close to Singh Deo Last year I was booked by the police while I was distributing rations to the poor during the coronavirus-induced lockdown Head of the state Congresss communication wing Shailesh Nitin Trivedi said the issue was completely non-political as the case was registered after receiving a complaint against Singh In Chhattisgarh there is rule of law and everyone is equal before the law Even the CMs father was booked and arrested by the police for allegedly giving objectionable statements against a particular community Trivedi said The FIR could further trigger the ongoing reported tussle between Singh Deo and Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel camps The two top leaders have been at loggerheads with the former apparently seeking a change in leadership citing a purported power-sharing agreement on rotating chief ministership after the party came to power in the 2018 assembly polls PTI COR TKP NP NP

pDue to the program of T S Singh Deo going to Delhi the process of discussions in the political corridors of the state has also intensifiedp

New Delhi [India], August 27 (ANI): Amid the apparent turmoil in Chhattisgarh Congress, senior leader and party's state in-charge PL Punia on Friday dismissed the reports of "tension" between Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel and senior minister TS Singh Deo.

New Delhi [India], August 27 (ANI): Amid the ongoing rift in Chhattisgarh Congress for a change in leadership, the Chhattisgarh Congress MLAs, who had arrived in the national capital on Thursday, held a meeting with Chhattisgarh Congress in-charge PL Punia at the latter's residence late night.