It is time for “Makhana”
An interesting alert came from Union Agriculture Minister’s media team: Union Agriculture and Farmers Welfare and Rural Development Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan went into a pond in Darbhanga and held discussions with Makhana producing farmers.
It didn’t stop here. Another alert said this was to understand the process of Makhana cultivation and to know the difficulties faced in Makhana production and ask for suggestions from farmers.
All this was being done to understand the challenges before constituting the Makhana Board as proposed in the Budget.
He was also quoted as saying that Makhana is a superfood, a storehouse of nutrition and is not easily produced. One has to come to Bihar and see how much trouble one has to endure to produce Makhana, he was quoted as saying.
Well rightly so… besides the timing couldn’t have been more perfect — State elections knocking at the door, right!
Aiyo Oyo
Notwithstanding the recent controversy over Maha Kumbh, corporates will do better minding their business rather than meddling with people’s sentiments. Ritesh Agarwal-led hospitality player Oyo Rooms was trending in social media with the “BoycottOyo” tagline.
The cheap room provider gave an advertisement in regional media stating “Bhagwan Har jagah hai (God is there everywhere). Aur Oyo bhe (And so is Oyo).”
One outraged user wrote: “Oyo has attacked Hindu sentiments. How dare they compare themselves with God. Apologise immediately and remove the ridiculous ad else Oyo will face protest in every city.” Oyo seems to have been caught on the wrong foot.
Development sans politics
VD Satheesan, the opposition leader in the Kerala Assembly, has made a fervent appeal to the political parties in the State to eschew their differences in the matter of investments and economic growth. Speaking at the Invest Kerala Global Summit, he promised the cooperation of the opposition United Democratic Front to the ruling Left Democratic Front to promote the State as an investor-friendly destination.
However, Satheesan also said that the ruling dispensation should show the same spirit when they become the opposition.
He also cited that the State is largely free from the scourge of ‘hartals’ in the past few years thanks to the UDF.