Tag: points

House points to Jan. 6 committee in defending GOP’s right to subpoena ex-Bragg aide

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Bragg’s lawsuit, filed in federal district court in Manhattan, seeks a court order preventing the House from enforcing the subpoena. An initial hearing is scheduled for Wednesday.
As precedent for courts rejecting recent challenges to congressional subpoenas in recent months, the House’s brief cites the Jan. 6 committee’s litigation against four people: John Eastman, a top architect of the former president’s bid to overturn the 2020 election; Katherine Friess, a lawyer working with Trump ally Rudy Giuliani; Kelli Ward, the chair of the Arizona GOP; and Mark Meadows, former Trump chief of staff.
Pomerantz, a former assistant DA, resigned from Bragg’s office in February 2022 amid frustration at the DA’s apparent reluctance to bring a case against Trump. Pomerantz has since written a book — The People vs. Donald Trump — that describes his work on that case and offers his unvarnished views about Trump himself.
Though the court fight is laden with the Judiciary Committee’s charged political rhetoric related to Trump’s indictment in New York, it’s also a reminder that courts are generally reluctant to stand in the way of congressional subpoenas, especially in politically sensitive matters.
While Congress has some narrow limits on its investigative powers, courts generally defer to lawmakers’ broad authority to investigate anything with a conceivable “legislative purpose.” Bragg has contended that no such purpose exists behind the Judiciary panel’s bid to subpoena Pomerantz and delve into the decision-making behind Bragg’s indictment of Trump earlier this month.
The Judiciary panel, chaired by Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), also specifically argues that Bragg’s lawsuit to block the Pomerantz subpoena is barred by the Constitution’s “speech or debate” clause. That provision gives lawmakers formidable protection against attempted lawsuits by outside actors over their official work.
The Judiciary panel has contended that it wants to study the ramifications of a local criminal indictment on a former president, for both its security implications and its potential chilling effect on officeholders. Bragg’s office countered by describing that purpose as a pretense to undermine a state-level criminal probe, arguing that Congress has no jurisdiction in the area.
On Monday, Jordan’s Judiciary Committee also sought to undermine Bragg’s credibility by questioning his criminal justice policies during a “field hearing” in Manhattan. For four hours, Republicans heard testimony from victims of violent crime — including a formerly incarcerated bodega clerk and the mother of a homicide victim — who accused Bragg of failing to address their needs. Democrats at the hearing, however, claimed Jordan and his counterparts were there to do “the bidding of Donald Trump,” as Rep. Jerry Nadler put it.

During the proceeding, several Republicans, including Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.), echoed Trump’s criticism of Bragg as having been funded by billionaire Democratic donor George Soros, an effort Rep. Dan Goldman (D-N.Y.) decried as anti-Semitic.
In its court filing in the Bragg lawsuit, the Judiciary Committee repeatedly emphasized that Pomerantz’s willingness to share internal details of the Bragg office’s Trump probe in his book undercut any potential privilege claims he might make against a subpoena. Bragg, the committee noted, didn’t take legal action to block Pomerantz’s book or his subsequent media interviews about it.
The House committee also rejected Bragg’s efforts to bolster his opposition to the subpoena by citing another Trump-related matter — the Democratic push to obtain the former president’s financial records from an accounting firm.
That 2017 Democratic effort led to a Supreme Court case that described some limits on congressional efforts to obtain the personal information of a sitting president. But the House argues that the ruling has no relevance to the DA’s bid to stop a former subordinate from testifying.
For his part, Pomerantz indicated Monday that he backs Bragg’s effort to block the subpoena. He argued in a declaration filed with the court that he has no relevant knowledge to share with the committee, since he left the office long before Bragg decided to indict Trump.
He added that he’s in an “impossible position” thanks to the competing demands of Bragg’s office — which has instructed Pomerantz not to testify — and Jordan’s threat to enforce the subpoena.
“If I refuse to provide information to the Committee, I risk being held in contempt of Congress and referred to the Department of Justice for possible criminal prosecution,” Pomerantz said in a. “If, on the other hand, I defy the District Attorney’s instructions and answer questions, I face possible legal or ethical consequences, including criminal prosecution.”
Erica Orden contributed to this report.
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#House #points #Jan #committee #defending #GOPs #subpoena #exBragg #aide
( With inputs from : www.politico.com )

April 17, 2023
NHAI enables FASTag-based payments at forest entry points

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New Delhi: National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has enabled FASTag-based payments at forest entry points to facilitate seamless and efficient process for vehicles entering the forest areas.
Indian Highways Management Company Limited (IHMCL), a company incorporated by NHAI to carry out electronic tolling, has inked an MoU with the Nagarjunasagar-Srisailam Tiger Reserve spread across the states of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.
Officials said the initiative aims to provide a FASTag based payment system at forest entry points and will extend the benefit of collection of Ecosystem Management Coordination fee via FASTag at various entrance points of the Tiger reserve.

The FASTag system employs ‘Radio Frequency Identification’ technology to enable automatic toll payments at toll plazas and affixation of FASTag on all 4-wheelers and above vehicles have been mandated across the country.
“By enabling FASTag-based payments at forest entry points, visitors can avoid long queues and delays, allowing them to savour the natural beauty and wildlife of these areas without any hassles,” a statement noted.
This partnership between IHMCL and the Forest Department is a significant step towards promoting sustainable tourism and preserving natural resources by curbing vehicular emissions at the forest entry points.
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#NHAI #enables #FASTagbased #payments #forest #entry #points
( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

April 15, 2023
Bengaluru FC, Sreenidi Deccan share points in Super Cup opener

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Kozhikode: I-League side Sreenidi Deccan held ISL heavyweights Bengaluru FC to a 1-1 stalemate to begin their campaign in the Super Cup by sharing points here on Saturday.
First-half goals from Javi Hernandez (9th minute) and Faysal Shayesteh (21′) saw the spoils being shared at the end of what was a closely-fought match in humid conditions.
Earlier, Blues’ head coach Simon Grayson named a starting XI featuring Gurpreet Singh Sandhu in goal and a back three comprising Sandesh Jhingan, Parag Shrivas and Bruno Ramires.

Javi, who was the top scorer for Bengaluru in the 2022-23 Indian Super League, manned the midfield along with Rohit Kumar and Suresh Wangjam as the duo of Sunil Chhetri and Roy Krishna led the forward line for the home side.
Bengaluru dominated the early exchanges and didn’t take long to open the scoring, with Javi finding himself on the scoresheet.
The Spaniard saw his initial shot from the edge of the box saved by Deccan ‘keeper Aryan, and the shot-stopper then parried an attempt on the rebound by Roy Krishna before running out of luck when Javi was on point to smash home.
Carlos Vaz Pinto’s side equalized just over 10 minutes later through Shayesteh. The Afghan international picked a pass from Rilwan Hassan in the box and cut in from the left before unleashing a shot that deflected off Parag Shrivas and into the back of the net past Gurpreet.
The game continued to flow at a brisk tempo with both sides packed with intent to attack and score.

Naorem Roshan Singh and Rosenberg Gabriel were involved in an intense battle on the wings, as the two proved influential to the attacking fortunes of their respective outfits. The defensive units of both teams were kept busy in an entertaining first 45 minutes.
Bengaluru started the second period in the same vein as the first, creating more chances and carrying the threat to the opposition. But Sreenidi Deccan came knocking on the Blues’ door in the 56th minute when Gabriel’s cross from the right narrowly evaded Arijit Bogui’s head with the winger bearing down on Gurpreet’s goal.
Chances were few and far between despite the efforts of the two teams as heat and fatigue took a toll at the EMS Stadium.
Bengaluru came close to taking the lead from a late opportunity that fell to Chhetri. Roshan’s cross found the skipper at the far post, but Chhetri didn’t get enough purchase on the header.
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#Bengaluru #Sreenidi #Deccan #share #points #Super #Cup #opener
( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

April 8, 2023
Assembly polls: Increased vigil at inter-state border points in coastal Karnataka

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Mangaluru: The Dakshina Kannada (DK) district administration has heightened vigil at the border points with Kerala to prevent flow of money and freebies to Karnataka ahead of the assembly elections next month.
Dakshina Kannada Deputy Commissioner M R Ravi Kumar on Sunday said 10 check posts have been set up at the inter-state border points with Kerala. In all, 27 check points have been set up in Dakshina Kannada including inter-district and local check posts.
He said all measures are being taken to ensure effective implementation of the Model Code of Conduct with the help of police and other departments.

A police team seized unaccounted cash from a Kerala-based man who was carrying the money without proper documents when his vehicle was intercepted at one such check post.
The Election Commission has appointed DK Zilla Panchayat CEO Kumar as the district nodal officer to ensure the code of conduct is being followed. Nodal officers have also been posted for each of the eight assembly constituencies in the coastal district.
The DC directed the owners of malls, halls, auditoriums and theatres not to allow conduct of programmes of political parties without prior permission from the district election office.
City Police Commissioner Kuldeep Kumar R Jain also warned that strict legal action will be taken in cases of violations of the Model Code of Conduct.
Police confiscated Rs 7.95 lakh cash from one Suresh, a resident of neighbouring Kasaragod district in Kerala. The money was found when the police were checking vehicles at Talapady border point between Kerala and Karnataka on Saturday.

The seized cash and the impounded car were handed over to the Election Commission officer for investigation.
A preliminary probe revealed that Suresh, who works as a fabricator, brought the cash to buy materials from Mangaluru. A case will be registered if the seized cash is found to have any link with the elections, police said.
In another incident, Bantwal rural police seized a lorry laden with rice without proper documents from Farangipet in the district on Friday night.
The police confiscated 300 bags of rice, each weighing 50 kg, totalling 15,000 kg and worth Rs 6 lakh from the accused. In addition, the lorry was also impounded, police further said
Karnataka goes to the polls on May 10 and counting will take place on May 13.
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#Assembly #polls #Increased #vigil #interstate #border #points #coastal #Karnataka
( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

April 2, 2023
Over 100 Bicycle Points Coming Up In Srinagar

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SRINAGAR: Different cycle tracks that are coming in various parts of Srinagar city will ease the traffic congestion. An official said that Srinagar city will present a different look after the completion of Smart City works. He said that over 100 cycling points will be created in different parts where people can take cycles on rent.
The official told news agency Kashmir News Trust that work is being fast-tracked on cycle tracks, smart vending zones, VMDs, and parking lots among other new projects started under the Smart City project in Srinagar.
Since 2020, work on 5-km -long cycle track is underway on the North-South corridor from Elahibagh junction to Soura junction.
‘The new cycle tracks would give cyclists a feel of the heritage and culture of Srinagar,” said the official.
Pertinently, last year, District Administration Srinagar collaborated with a Bhopal-based startup to give a boost and encourage people to use cycles on Srinagar roads. “Using cycles will not only reduce pollution but it will also ease the traffic congestion,” the official added. [KNT]

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#Bicycle #Points #Coming #Srinagar
( With inputs from : kashmirlife.net )

April 2, 2023
CAG points out several flaws in Gujarat govt’s financial management

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Gandhinagar: The Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) has pointed out several flaws in the financial practices of the Gujarat government and said there was a need to formulate a realistic budget based on the needs of the departments.
The “State Finance Audit Report of the CAG for the year ended March 31, 2022” was tabled on the floor of the Gujarat Assembly on Wednesday, the last day of the month-long budget session.
Pointing out that financial accounts of 2021-22 were “affected” as capital expenditure was overstated and revenue expenditure understated, the CAG said, “The state government needs to formulate a realistic budget based on the needs of the departments and their capacity to utilise the allocated resources.”
“An appropriate control mechanism may be instituted by the government to enforce proper implementation and monitoring of budget so that large savings within the grant or appropriation are controlled, and anticipated savings are identified and surrendered within the specified timeframe,” it added.
The national auditor observed that though departments demand additional funds for different schemes and activities; they “finally end up spending less than the original budget provision and the supplementary provision or parts thereof. As a result, the unutilised funds cannot be made use of”.
The CAG noted that some departments could not utilise more than 50 per cent of the original provision (Rs 50 crore or more), leading to savings of Rs 3,528.83 crore at the end of the year in 21 schemes.
As per the Gujarat Budget Manual-1983, rush of expenditure, particularly in the closing months of the financial year, is a breach of financial propriety, the CAG said.
However, the CAG report revealed that expenditures in March were significantly higher than that of other months during the financial year 2021-22.

In some cases, CAG noted that 50 per cent of the total expenditure for a particular work was spent in March, while nominal funds were spent in the three previous quarters.
The CAG also noted that under 124 sub-heads, 100 per cent expenditure (Rs 4,747.17 crore) was incurred in March 2022.
“Thus, contrary to the spirit of financial regulation, substantial expenditure was incurred by the state government at the end of the financial year, indicating inadequate control over expenditure and poor budgetary management,” it added.
The CAG found a major flaw in the allocation of funds by the Health and Family Welfare Department in running “HLT 29 Epidemics Diseases Programme” in the state.
Though non-communicable diseases (NCD) do not come under epidemics, a provision of Rs 50 lakh was made under HLT 29 for NCD in 2019-20, 2020-21 and in 2021-22.
“Similarly, a budget provision of Rs 20 lakh was made under HLT 29 for Thalassemia every year during 2019-20, 2020-21 and 2021-22 though it is not an epidemics/communicable disease. Provision for NCD and Thalassemia could have been made under the general planning instead of under HLT 29 epidemics,” said the CAG.
The CAG also pulled up the Finance Department over the issue of “non-submission of information as well as accounts regarding grants and loans paid to various institutions”.
“Non-submission of 4,563 Utilisation Certificates amounting to Rs 10,309.47 crore within the specified period not only weaken the financial accountability mechanism but also indicate failure of the departmental officers to comply with the rules and procedures to ensure timely utilisation of grant for the intended purpose,” it said.
Non-submission of accounts by autonomous bodies and authorities violated the prescribed financial rules and directives. These point to inadequate internal controls and deficient monitoring mechanisms of the state government, the report said.
The CAG further suggested that the “state government needs to institute a rigorous monitoring mechanism to ensure that the Departments comply with the prescribed rules and procedures regarding submission of utilisation certificates”.
According to the CAG, Article 205 of the Constitution of India states that no money shall be drawn from the Consolidated Fund except under appropriation made by law by the state legislature.
However, “excess expenditure of Rs 14,367 crore pertaining to the period from 2007-08 to 2011-12 and 2013-14 to 2021-22 had escaped legislative oversight, as it was pending regularisation as per Article 205”, the auditor noted, adding that excess expenditure over provision vitiates the system of budgetary and financial control.
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#CAG #points #flaws #Gujarat #govts #financial #management
( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

March 29, 2023
Eastern Ladakh row: India, China discuss proposal for disengagement in remaining friction points

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New Delhi: India and China on Wednesday held diplomatic talks in Beijing and discussed proposals for disengagement in the remaining friction points along the LAC in eastern Ladakh in an “open and constructive manner”, but there was no indication of any breakthrough.
During the meeting held under the WMCC framework, the two sides agreed to hold the 18th round of military talks at an early date to achieve the objective in accordance with the existing bilateral agreements and protocols, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said.
The Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination on India-China Border Affairs (WMCC) was established in 2012 as an institutional mechanism for consultation and coordination for the maintenance of peace and tranquillity in the border areas.
“The two sides reviewed the situation along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in the Western Sector of India-China border areas and discussed proposals for disengagement in the remaining areas in an open and constructive manner, which would help in the restoration of peace and tranquillity along the LAC in Western Sector and create conditions for the restoration of normalcy in bilateral relations,” the MEA said.
“To achieve this objective in accordance with the existing bilateral agreements and protocols, they agreed to hold the next (18th) round of the Senior Commanders meeting at an early date,” it said in a statement.
The MEA said the two sides agreed to continue discussions through military and diplomatic channels.
“The 26th meeting of the WMCC was held on 22 February 2023 in person in Beijing. This was the first WMCC meeting since the 14th meeting held in July 2019, to be held in person,” it said.
The Joint Secretary (East Asia) from the Ministry of External Affairs led the Indian delegation. The Chinese delegation was led by the Director General of the Boundary and Oceanic Affairs Department of the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The 17th round of military talks was held on December 20 but there was no indication of any forward movement in the resolution of the remaining issues.
A joint statement released after the talks had said that both sides exchanged views in an “open and constructive” manner to resolve the “relevant issues” and described the talks as “frank and in-depth”.
The WMCC meeting in Beijing came a week before the G20 foreign ministers’ meeting in Delhi. Chinese foreign minister Qin Gang is expected to attend the meeting on March 1 and 2.
In line with a decision taken at the 16th round of military talks, the two sides carried out disengagement from Patrolling Point 15 in the Gogra-Hotsprings area in September last year.
India has been maintaining that its ties with China cannot be normal unless there is peace in the border areas. The eastern Ladakh border standoff erupted on May 5, 2020, following a violent clash in the Pangong lake area.
The ties between the two countries nosedived significantly following the fierce clash in the Galwan Valley in June 2020 that marked the most serious military conflict between the two sides in decades.
As a result of a series of military and diplomatic talks, the two sides completed the disengagement process in 2021 on the north and south banks of the Pangong lake and in the Gogra area.
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#Eastern #Ladakh #row #India #China #discuss #proposal #disengagement #remaining #friction #points
( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

February 22, 2023
Vergne tops Hyderabad E-Prix, Mahindra complete homecoming with points finish

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Hyderabad: The seasoned Jean Eric Vergne of DS Penske won an action-packed Hyderabad E-Prix here on Saturday, marking a successful return of a high-profile motorsport event in India.
The 33-lap electric race had thrills both on and off the track.
The organisers raced against time to get the Hyderabad Street Circuit ready for Formula E’s debut in India but in the end, they pulled off the event amid a lot of fanfare.
Vergne held off a strong challenge from Envison Racing’s Nick Cassidy to cross the chequered flag in the first place despite having less than 0.5 percent energy left in the car.
Antonio Felix Da Costa of Porsche gained from a 17-second penalty handed out to Sebastian Buemi for ‘over power’ to secure the final spot on the podium.
Mahindra Racing, in their first home race, recovered from an ordinary qualifying session earlier in the day to seal a points finish via Oliver Rowland.
Rowland finished sixth from 10th on the grid while di Grassi came 14th from 17th on the grid. Loss of energy in the final moments of the race cost Mahindra a double points finish.
Jake Hughes’ crash on lap on Lap 23 brought out the safety car, contributing to a thrilling finish.
Mitch Evans of Jaguar Racing bagged the pole position but a collision with his teammate Sam Bird on Lap 13 effectively endws the race for the Tata Group-owned team.

“So happy for the team. It has been a very difficult three races and I could not be more proud of my team because we never gave up. We have a good car, may be not best at the moment but we never give up and keep working hard,” said race winner Vergne.
A sizeable crowd turned up to watch the electric cars vrooming around the heart of the city, covering Hussain Sagar Lake, NTR Gardens and NTR Park.
FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem made a statement by turning up for the first world championship status race in India in 10 years.
The other special guests included the great Sachin Tendulkar, Shikhar Dhawan, Yuzvendra Chahal and Sports Minister Anurag Thakur.
It was not a surprise to see Tendulkar in the pit-lane as he was also in attendance in the first ever Formula 1 race in India back in 2011. His love for motor racing is well documented.
Renewable energy major Greenko organised the event with the support of Telangana government.
In the qualifying held before the race, Evans saw off Maximilian Guenther (Maserati MSG Racing) and Buemi (Envision Racing), and topped Group A to fire him into the Final.
Vergne made it through after thinking he was all done in the Quarters when Jaguar’s Sam Bird beat him on-track.
Track limits came into it in a big way, though, and the Brit had his time removed, much to his frustration, as did Rene Rast (McLaren) and Edo Mortara (Maserati MSG Racing) in the fourth Quarter-final.
All that meant the Frenchman was promoted to the final, and ultimately second on the grid – beaten by the smallest deficit this season.
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#Vergne #tops #Hyderabad #EPrix #Mahindra #complete #homecoming #points #finish
( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

February 11, 2023
Haj Policy-2023 Announced: 25 Embankment Points To Be Set Up Across Country; VIP Quota Abolished

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SRINAGAR: Announcing the Haj-2023 policy for this year’s holy pilgrimage, the Haj Committee of India (HCoI) today said that this year there will be 25 Haj Embankment points while as Haj application forms will be made available after three days and there will be no fee for the same.
Quoting Member HCoI, Er Aijaz Hussain news agency KNO reported that after a crucial meeting of HCoI, it was decided that this year there will be 25 embankment points for the pilgrims across the country and Haj application forms will be made available within three days. He said that pilgrims above “70 years of age will be given top priority for the sacred journey.”
Er Aijaz also said that HCoI also announced to abolish the VIP quota under which dignitaries were entitled to accommodate five to ten pilgrims under the quota. “There will be no VIP quota henceforth,” Er Aijaz said.
Pertinently, after thorough discussions between HCoI and the Saudi Government, it was decided that this year over 1,75000 pilgrims will perform the holy pilgrimage of Haj 2023.
Er Aijaz said that additional embankment points will help facilitate the pilgrims smoothly across the country. On January 10, India had signed the bilateral agreement with the Saudi Government to fix the total number of pilgrims this year. Er Aijaz said that HCoIs endeavour this year will be to make Haj2023 cheaper compared to previous years and ensure more and better facilities to pilgrims at both holy cities of Makah and Madina.

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#Haj #Policy2023 #Announced #Embankment #Points #Set #Country #VIP #Quota #Abolished
( With inputs from : kashmirlife.net )

February 6, 2023
Haj policy-2023 announced: 25 Embankment points to be set up across country; VIP quouta abolished

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Srinagar, Feb 06: Announcing the Haj-2023 policy for this year’s holy pilgrimage of Haj, the Haj Committee of India (HCoI) today said that this year there will be 25 Haj Embankment points while as Haj application forms will be made available after three days and there will be no fee for the same.
Talking to news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), exclusively, Member HCoI, Er Aijaz Hussain said after a crucial meeting of HCoI, it was decided that this year there will be 25 embankment points for the pilgrims across the country and Haj application forms will be made available within three days.
Er Aijaz also said that HCoI also announced to abolish the VIP quouta under which dignitaries were entitled to accomodate five to ten pilgrims under the quota. “There will be no VIP quouta henceforth,” Er Aijaz said.
Pertinently, after thorough discussions between HCoI and Saudi Government, it was decided that this year over 1,75000 pilgrims will perform the holy pilgrimage of Haj 2023.
Er Aijaz said that additional embankment points will help facilitate the pilgrims smoothly across the country. On January 10, India had signed the bilateral agreement with the Saudi Government to fix the total number of pilgrims this year. Er Aijaz said that HCoIs endeavour this year will be to make Haj2023 cheaper compared to previous years and ensure more and better facilities to pilgrims at both holy cities of Makah and Madina—(KNO)
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#Haj #policy2023 #announced #Embankment #points #set #country #VIP #quouta #abolished
( With inputs from : roshankashmir.net )

February 6, 2023