INSTANT TRIPLE TALAQ ORDINANCE TO BE REISSUED; GOVT HIKES DA

NEW DELHI: The Union government on Tuesday said it will bring back for the third time a controversial ordinance to criminalise the Islamic practice of instant divorce, one of four executive orders that will be issued since related bills failed to clear the last session of parliament that ended a week ago.

The government also cleared an increase of 3% in Dearness Allowance paid to central government employees – experts said both moves can potentially help the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party government in the run-up to the Lok Sabha elections due this summer.

The Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Ordinance, 2019, which makes Triple Talaq (divorcing by pronouncing the word talaq thrice) illegal, void and punishable by a jail term of three years for the husband, will be in force till at least the election period.

A bill to make such provisions a law did not clear parliament amid strong protests from opposition parties, who see it as an attempt to score political points at the cost of the liberty of Muslim men by criminalising a civil offence.

NEWDELHI: The government Tuesday approved construction of a Rs 30,274 crore worth Regional Rapid Transport System (RRTS) to connect the national capital with Meerut through Ghaziabad.

The decision was taken during the Cabinet meeting here.

“The Cabinet has approved construction of Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS) covering a distance of 82.15 kilometres,” Finance Minisgter Arun Jaitley said after the meeting.

Of the 82.15 kms, 68.03 kms would be elevated and 14.12 kms would be underground.

The project cost would be Rs 30,274 crore, he said. Meerut and Ghaziabad are in Uttar Pradesh.