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Sisodia urges Shah to stop demolition drive in Delhi

14-May-2022 419

New Delhi, (PTI) Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia has written to Union Home Minister Amit Shah urging him to stop the "destruction" ensuing in the national capital due to the anti-encroachment drive by the BJP-ruled municipal bodies.

In an online briefing, Sisodia slammed the "bulldozer politics" of the BJP and claimed that the civic bodies are planning to raze 63 lakh dwellings in the national capital.

"Of these, 60 lakh houses are in unauthorised colonies while the remaining three lakh are those where people have extended their balconies or covered them. We have learnt that notices have been sent to them," Sisodia said.

"This will lead to a huge destruction in the national capital. Almost 70 per cent of the population of Delhi will be rendered homeless," he added.

The Aam Aadmi Party will oppose the demolition drive and I have written to the Union home minister to seek his intervention in the matter, he said, adding that they are even ready to go to jail.

"I have written to him (Shah) saying that this (demolition drive) should be stopped. If bulldozers are to be used, they should be used to demolish the houses of those BJP leaders and civic body representatives who took bribes to allow such structures to be constructed," he said.

In the letter, Sisodia said there are 1,750 unauthorised colonies where nearly 50 lakh people live and 860 slum clusters which are home to around 10 lakh people.

"In Delhi, the BJP has a plan to run bulldozers on these colonies. Every day, some BJP leader reaches a colony with a bulldozer," Sisodia said in the letter written in Hindi.

"Apart from this, three lakh people residing in unauthorised and DDA colonies have been given notices for making alterations like extending their balcony or covering it. In reality, there is no house in Delhi where alterations have not been carried out," he added.

He further alleged that in the last 17 years, councillors, officials and mayors of the civic bodies took bribes to allow jhuggis and providing plots for unauthorised colonies.

Now when there is a threat to BJP's rule coming to an end in the municipal corporations, they are trying to ruin people's houses, he said.

"I appeal to you (Shah) to tell BJP leaders to not indulge in dangerous politics in the name of bulldozers and to fix accountability of those who let these illegal constructions happen," Sisodia said.

Till accountability is fixed, there should be complete stoppage of "bulldozer politics", he added.

An anti-encroachment drive in Delhi's Madanpur Khadar on Thursday sparked protests and pelting of stones where the locals claimed that legal structures were bulldozed.

AAP MLA Amanatullah Khan, who was a part of a protest in the southeast Delhi locality, was arrested on charges of rioting and obstructing public servants in discharge of their duty, police officials said.

State of economy cause of 'extreme concern': Chidambaram

14-May-2022 815

Udaipur, May 14 (PTI) Asserting that the state of the economy is a cause of "extreme concern", senior Congress leader P Chidambaram on Saturday said taking into account global and domestic developments, it may be necessary to contemplate a reset of economic policies.

Addressing a press conference, Chidambaram said a slower rate of growth has been the "hallmark" of the present government in the last eight years, and the post-pandemic recovery has been "indifferent and halting".

Chidambaram, who heads the panel on economy constituted by Congress president Sonia Gandhi to lead discussions at the three-day 'Chintan Shivir' here, also said the time is ripe for a comprehensive review of fiscal relations between the Centre and the States.

The consequences of the poorly drafted and unfairly implemented GST laws brought in by the Modi government in 2017 are there for everyone to see, the Congress leader said.

"The States' fiscal position is fragile like never before and needs urgent remedial measures," said the former finance minister, flanked by some other members of the panel such as Gourav Vallabh and Supriya Shrinate.

Noting that the Congress-led government ushered in a new era of liberalisation in 1991, Chidambaram said the country has reaped enormous benefits in terms of wealth creation, new businesses and new entrepreneurs, a huge middle class, millions of jobs, exports and lifting 27 crore people out of poverty during a 10-year period.

"After 30 years, it is felt that taking into account global and domestic developments, it may be necessary to contemplate a reset of the economic policies.

"A reset of economic policies must also address the questions of rising inequalities, extreme poverty among the bottom 10 per cent of the population, India's rank in the Global Hunger Index 2021 (101 out of 116 countries), and evidence of widespread nutritional deficiency among women and children," he said.

The external situation has added to the pressures on the economy, he noted.

"The government appears clueless on the ways to deal with these developments," he added.

Chidambaram further said, "I am confident that our deliberations over three days and the decisions that will be taken by the CWC in the days and weeks ahead will make a significant contribution to the nationwide debate on the economic policies that will best serve the interests of the country and its people."

The discussions at the 'Chintan Shivir', which began on Friday, will continue on the second and third day as well and the conclusions will be recorded in the form of a declaration. A draft of the declaration will be discussed at the Congress Working Committee (CWC) meeting to be held here on the third and last day of the conclave.

Sonia Gandhi targets PM at Cong's Chintan Shivir, says minorities being 'brutalised'

14-May-2022 449

Will Congress see sweeping changes after Udaipur Chintan Shivir? | India news | Onmanorama

Udaipur, May 13 (PTI) Congress chief Sonia Gandhi on Friday launched a blistering attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, charging that it has become clear that his mantra of 'minimum government, maximum governance' means keeping the country in a permanent state of polarisation, "brutalising" minorities and "threatening" political opponents.

In her inaugural address at the party's 'Chintan Shivir' here, she urged delegates to deliberate with an open mind and send out a clear message of strong organisation and unity.

She said the Shivir is also an occasion to deliberate on the many challenges ahead of us and bring organisational changes.

It is both 'Chintan' about national issues and meaningful 'aatmachintan' (self-introspection) about our party organisation, she said.

Gandhi charged that it has become painfully clear what Prime Minister Modi and his colleagues really meany by their frequently used slogan of maximum governance, minimum government.

It means keeping the country in a permanent state of polarisation, compelling people to stay in a constant state of fear and insecurity. It means viciously targeting, victimising and brutalising minorities who are an integral part of our society and equal citizens of our republic, she charged.

It means using our societies age old pluralities to divide us and subverting a carefully nurtured idea of unity and diversity. It means threatening and intimidating political opponents, maligning their reputation, jailing them on flimsy pretexts using investigative agencies Gandhi further alleged.

She urged party leaders to keep the organisation above personal ambitions, saying the party has given us a lot and it's time to pay back.

Noting that changes in organisation are the need of the hour, she said, We need to change the way of our working

The Central government has placed a ban on wheat export with immediate effect

14-May-2022 939

MEW DELHI : The Central government has placed a ban on wheat export with immediate effect in the wake of the grave situation of less than estimated domestic wheat production and an excessive global price hike after a spike in demand following the Russia-Ukraine war.

There is just one exception mentioned in the notification that was issued late on Friday.

Earlier, the Centre had said it was happy that the farmers were getting good returns for their produce as India had exported almost 11 lakh metric tonnes (LMT) of wheat till April.

The government also claimed that it was committed to provide food security to its own population, its neighbours and also some vulnerable countries and hence brought in the amendment in relevant sections of the Export Policy.

Exports would be allowed only in case of shipments where irrevocable Letter of Credit (LoC) has been issued on or before May 13.

Since the new wheat came in the market, a large number of farmers had been selling their produce to private traders who in turn were sending it to exporters in the face of the huge demand.

Both Russia and Ukraine have been the largest exporters of wheat in the international markets. Ever since the war broke out on February 24, the supply has been disrupted with an increase in demand.

Due to massive heat waves in March and April, the estimated food grain production had revised to 1,050 LMT against the earlier estimate of 1,113 LMT.

Indian traders had been buying wheat directly from the farmers at increased prices leading to a shortfall in government procurement too.

However, Secretary Food, Sudhanshu Pandey had told media persons just 10 days ago that India had enough stocks to cater to its domestic requirement to ensure food security.

Wheat export in 2019-20 was 2.17 lakh metric tonnes that had increased to 21.55 LMT in 2020-21, which in turn increased to 72.15 LMT in 2021-22.

“This season, about 40 LMT wheat has been contracted for export and about 11 LMT has already been exported in April 2022,” Pandey had said.

IANS

Mundka blaze death toll rises to 26; more feared dead

14-May-2022 505

DELHI : As many as 26 people have been killed in a major fire that broke out in a three-storey building at the Mundka area of the national capital on Friday afternoon, a Fire Department official said.

“So far we have recovered 19 bodies and the number of casualties is likely to go up,” Delhi Fire Service chief Atul Garg told IANS.

However, Delhi Police officials maintained that till now, 14 people have been killed in the inferno while 12 people have sustained injuries. According to the police, around 60-70 persons have been evacuated from the building.

The top Fire Department official informed that they received a call about the incident at 4 p.m. from a building located near Pillar No. 544 in Mundka in west Delhi, after which 10 fire engines were immediately pressed into service.

As per visuals released from the spot, thick fumes of black smoke along with a massive blaze could be seen billowing out of the ill-fated three-storey building. The firemen used the fire truck ladder to reach out to the maximum possible height to spray water over the blaze.

The inferno is yet to be brought under control at the time of filing of this report.

Meanwhile, a senior police officer said that they also received a call about the incident at 4.45 p.m. following which the local police rushed to the spot.

“Police officers broke the windows of the building and rescued many inmates who were rushed to the hospital,” the officer said.

Based on preliminary inquiry, the police said it was a three-storey commercial building used for providing office space to companies. The fire first broke out on the first floor of the building which houses a CCTV and router manufacturing company.

The police have detained the owner of the company and his antecedents are being examined. The rescue operation is still going on.

AGENCY IN PUT

A Chhattisgarh government helicopter crashed at the Raipur airport .

13-May-2022 994

A Chhattisgarh government helicopter crashed at the Raipur airport .The incident took place during a flying practice at the Swami Vivekananda Airport in Raipur under the Mana police station limits around 9.10 p.m., said Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Prashant Agrawal.

Two pilots on board the chopper were seriously injured in the crash and immediately taken to a nearby private hospital where they were declared dead, said the SSP.

The deceased were identified as Captian Gopal Krishna Panda and Captain A.P. Shrivastava, said the police officer. The cause of the crash was not immediately known.

Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel expressed grief over the tragedy and condoled the death of the pilots. Mr. Baghel tweeted, “just got sad news about a state helicopter crashing at the airport in Raipur. In this tragic accident, both our pilots Captain Panda and Captain Shrivastava passed away. May God give strength to their family members and peace to the departed soul.”

AGENCY IN PUT

The two-judge bench ripped into the petitioner who sought opening of the 22 locked rooms

12-May-2022 639

BY AGENCY IN PUT

The Allahabad High Court’s Lucknow bench on Thursday dismissed the petition seeking opening of 22 rooms in the Taj Mahal premises.

The two-judge bench ripped into the petitioner who sought opening of the 22 locked rooms, stating that the truth about the iconic monument needs to come out, and that he has filed multiple PILs for the same.

“Tomorrow you will ask for permission to see our chambers. Please, don’t make mockery of the PIL system,” the bench said during the hearing.

The writ petition, seeking to “find the truth” behind the 22 locked rooms in the Taj Mahal, was filed last week before the Lucknow bench by Rajneesh Singh, who is the media in-charge of the BJP’s Ayodhya unit.

The petition cited the claims of some historians and Hindu groups about the mausoleum actually being an old Shiva temple. The petition has sought the Archaeological Survey of India form a special committee to examine the locked rooms and release the report to the public.

Singh said that the demand is not to make the Taj Mahal a temple but to bring out the truth of the matter for the sake of social harmony. He said that the only way to end such controversy is by examining closed rooms.

Justices D.K. Upadhyay and Subhash Vidyarthi questioned the petitioner on what his plea is. Pointing out that the petitioner wants the court to issue a writ of mandamus, they stated it can only be issued in case of infringement of rights.

“What judgment do you want us to pronounce? Who built the Taj Mahal? Don’t go into historical facts… Mandamus can only be issued when rights have been infringed. What rights of yours have been infringed?” the bench asked.

The petitioner said he is asking for a fact-finding committee to be constituted to get to the bottom of the issue and reiterated his demand to be allowed access to the 22 rooms as the “truth” needs to emerge about the Taj Mahal. Citizens need to know why multiple rooms in the monument are said to be locked due to “security reasons”, he said.

The bench responded sharply, saying: “Who are you asking the information from? If you are not satisfied that the rooms have been closed for security reasons, use your remedies in law to challenge that. Do some research first — do MA, Ph.D, enroll yourself somewhere. Don’t make a mockery of this.”

Several right-wing organisations claim Taj Mahal to be Tejo Mahalaya, a Hindu temple.

Section 144 has been re-imposed in the riot-hit Khargone district of Madhya Pradesh

12-May-2022 677

Bhopal : Section 144 has been re-imposed in the riot-hit Khargone district of Madhya Pradesh as a preventive measure.

No rallies, processions, Jagarans, shobha yatras, or political demonstrations will be allowed in the district till July 10, according to a notification issued jointly by the district administration and the police on Wednesday.

It came a week after the administration removed the curfew in the riot-plagued region, claiming that things had back to normal. Section 144 was last invoked on April 11, a day after communal violence erupted in the district during the Navratri festival.

Restrictions were reinstated a day after a group of Muslim women staged a rally accusing police of harassing women and arresting people without appropriate evidence. A group of Muslim ladies protested at the SP office on Tuesday, alleging that police had arrested youngsters and senior persons.

“Police are storming Muslim homes and detaining men and children. They are also harassing ladies. We are in a terrifying scenario “a Muslim woman told journalists

While Muslim women have accused police of harassing them in the pretext of arrests and searches, ASP-Khargone, Neeraj Chaurasia, has promised appropriate action. Chauaria further stated that the administration is currently working to restore peace in Khargone, which was recently the scene of sectarian clashes.

Notably, 182 people have been arrested in 72 cases related to the violence thus far. SP Siddharth Choudhary, who was shot in the leg, was among the injured. For the firing incident, police detained a man named Mohsin aka Waseem.

On the festival of Ram Navami on April 10, communal conflicts erupted in Khargone, resulting in violence, including arson and stone-pelting. A curfew was quickly imposed.

(with inputs from AGENCY)

Arrested Jharkhand (IAS) Mining Secretary Pooja Singhal in a money laundering case

12-May-2022 634

Ranchi ; arrested Jharkhand Mining Secretary IAS Pooja Singhal in a money laundering case linked to alleged embezzlement of Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) funds and other suspicious financial transactions.

Singhal, a 2000-batch IAS officer, was taken into custody under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) after two consecutive days of questioning by the ED’s Ranchi zonal office.

During questioning, Singhal was “evasive” in her replies, leading to her arrest, sources said.

The ED will produce her before a local court here seeking her remand to subject her to custodial interrogation.

Singhal reached the ED’s office in the Hinoo area of Ranchi at 10:40 AM for the questioning and was arrested at 5 PM. Singhal was at the ED office for about nine hours on Tuesday where her statement was recorded under

PMLA.

The statement of her businessman husband, Abhsihek Jha, too has been recorded in the case on at least three occasions, the sources said.

This is the second arrest in this case after Suman Kumar, a chartered accountant and financial advisor allegedly linked to the couple, was held by the ED last week on May 7, a day after the agency searched their premises and some other locations in different States.

The money laundering investigation against Singhal and others relate to a case in which former Jharkhand Government junior engineer Ram Binod Prasad Sinha was arrested by the agency on June 17, 2020 from West Bengal.

He was booked under the PMLA in 2012 on the basis of State Vigilance Bureau FIRs against him.

Sinha was booked by the Vigilance Bureau under Indian Penal Code sections relating to cheating and provisions under the Prevention of Corruption Act for allegedly defrauding public money and investing it in his own name as well as in the name of his family members while working as junior engineer from April 1, 2008 to March 21, 2011.

The said fund was earmarked for the execution of the Government projects under MGNREGA (Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act) in Khunti district.

Sinha told the ED that “he paid five per cent commission (out of the defrauded funds) to the district administration”.

During the period, the ED had alleged, charges of “irregularities” were made against Singhal while she served as the deputy commissioner/district magistrate of Chatra, Khunti and Palamu between 2007 and 2013.

The agency, during the May 6 raids, seized over Rs 17 crore cash from CA Suman Kumar’s premises. The total cash seizure in this case including all locations is Rs 19.31 crore, officials had said.

The city got drenched with 38 mm of rainfall triggered by the raging cyclone Asani today

12-May-2022 785

The city got drenched with 38 mm of rainfall triggered by the raging cyclone Asani today while the weather department has issued a yellow warning for five districts of the state for tomorrow.

According to the office of the India Meteorological Department in Kolkata, heavy rainfall of 70 mm to 110 mm is likely to occur tomorrow at one or two places over East Midnapore West Midnapore, North 24-Parganas, South 24-Parganas and Nadia districts of Gangetic West Bengal. The five districts of Gangetic West Bengal have been issued a yellow warning for tomorrow.

The weather department officials are expecting the severe cyclonic storm to weaken and turn into only a cyclonic storm by the next morning. The system is to lose intensity further and get reduced to a depression by the morning of 12 May.

However, even though West Bengal was largely spared by the cyclone today, some parts of the state are expected to have rainfall till the next few days. The Regional Meteorological Centre has also given a forecast of light to moderate rain and thunderstorm over the districts of Gangetic West Bengal till 12 May.

Meanwhile, a high-level meeting of the officials of the state fire and emergency services department on the preparedness of the cyclone was held at Bikash Bhawan today. The department alerted all its fire stations particularly in coastal areas. Control rooms were opened and leaves of all employees were cancelled

AGENCY IN PUT.

Active COVID-19 cases in country dip to 19,067

12-May-2022 758

New Delhi, May 12 (PTI) With 2,827 new coronavirus infections being reported in a day, India's tally of COVID-19 cases rose to 4,31,13,413, while the active cases dipped to 19,067, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Thursday.

The death toll climbed to 5,24,181 with 24 fatalities, the data updated at 8 am stated.

The active cases comprise 0.04 per cent of the total infections, while the national COVID-19 recovery rate was 98.74 per cent, the ministry said.

A decrease of 427 cases has been recorded in the active COVID-19 caseload in a span of 24 hours.

The daily positivity rate was recorded at 0.60 per cent and the weekly positivity rate at 0.72 per cent, according to the ministry.

The number of people who have recuperated from the disease surged to 4,25,70,165, while the case fatality rate was 1.22 per cent.

The cumulative doses administered in the country so far under the nationwide COVID-19 vaccination drive has exceeded 190.83 crore.

India's COVID-19 tally had crossed the 20-lakh mark on August 7, 2020, 30 lakh on August 23, 40 lakh on September 5 and 50 lakh on September 16. It went past 60 lakh on September 28, 70 lakh on October 11, crossed 80 lakh on October 29, 90 lakh on November 20 and surpassed the one-crore mark on December 19.

The country crossed the grim milestone of two crore on May 4 and three crore on June 23 last year.

The 24 new fatalities include 17 from Kerala, two from Uttar Pradesh and one each from Delhi, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jhakhand and Maharashtra.

A total of 5,24,181 deaths have been reported so far in the country including 1,47,850 from Maharashtra, 69,342 from Kerala, 40,105 from Karnataka, 38,025 from Tamil Nadu, 26,184 from Delhi, 23,513 from Uttar Pradesh and 21,203 from West Bengal.

The ministry stressed that more than 70 per cent of the deaths occurred due to comorbidities.

"Our figures are being reconciled with the Indian Council of Medical Research," the ministry said on its website, adding that state-wise distribution of figures is subject to further verification and reconciliation.

Markets fall for 5th day; Sensex cracks 817 points in early trade

12-May-2022 713

Mumbai, May 12 (PTI) Benchmark indices continued their downtrend for the fifth session on the trot on Thursday, with the Sensex tumbling nearly 817 points in early trade, tracking weak global trends and selling in index majors Reliance Industries and HDFC Bank.

Unabated selling by foreign institutional investors also weighed on the sentiment.

The 30-share BSE Sensex was trading 816.78 points lower at 53,271.61. The NSE Nifty declined 234.05 points to 15,933.05.

From the Sensex firms, UltraTech Cement, Tata Steel, Bajaj Finance, M&M, IndusInd Bank, HDFC Bank, Bajaj Finserv and Larsen & Toubro were among the major laggards.

In contrast, Power Grid emerged as the only gainer.

Elsewhere in Asia, markets in Tokyo, Hong Kong and Seoul were trading lower, while Shanghai quoted marginally higher.

Stock exchanges in the US had ended lower on Wednesday.

"Asian stocks fell Thursday after elevated US inflation bolstered the case for aggressive monetary tightening and sparked a slide on Wall Street," said Deepak Jasani, Head of Retail Research, HDFC Securities.

Meanwhile, international oil benchmark Brent crude declined 1.19 per cent to USD 106.22 per barrel.

Continuing their selling spree, foreign institutional investors offloaded shares worth Rs 3,609.35 crore on Wednesday, according to stock exchange data.

In the previous trade, the BSE Sensex ended at 54,088.39, lower by 276.46 points or 0.51 per cent. The NSE Nifty dipped 72.95 points or 0.45 per cent to settle at 16,167.10.

"Indian markets are seeing turbulent swings as investors continue to be concerned about rising interest rates, fears about slowing economic growth, and additional tightening measures in China," said Mohit Nigam, Head - PMS, Hem Securities.

V K Vijayakumar, Chief Investment Strategist at Geojit Financial Services, said, inflation continues to be a major headwind for markets.

"Consumer inflation in the US in April coming at 8.3 per cent reinforces market's concern about aggressive rate hikes by the Fed and the possibility of a US recession in 2023," he added.

Even though domestic institutional investors (DII) buying is more than foreign institutional investors (FII) selling now, that is not enough to lift sentiments in the market since the macro headwinds are strong, Vijayakumar said.

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Will end Shiv Sena's corrupt rule: Navneet, Ravi Rana

11-May-2022 722

New Delhi, May 11 (PTI) Independent lawmakers Navneet Rana and Ravi Rana, facing sedition charges after a row over reciting Hanuman Chalisa, on Wednesday welcomed the Supreme Court's stay on the controversial law and accused Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray of invoking the British-era' legislation to target members of the scheduled caste community.

Addressing a press conference here, the Rana couple also declared that they would work towards uprooting Shiv Sena's rule of corruption in the upcoming election to the Mumbai municipal corporation, one of the richest civic bodies in the country with an annual budget of over Rs 30,000 crore.

Mumbai Municipal Corporation has been under Shiv Sena rule since 1996.

Navneet Rana, the Lok Sabha member from Amravati, said she would lead the chanting of Hanuman Chalisa at the Hanuman temple in Connaught Place in the national capital on Saturday and pray for Maharashtra's "rescue" from the rule of the Shiv Sena-led coalition government.

Thackeray is also scheduled to address a public meeting in Mumbai on Saturday.

Flanked by her husband Ravi Rana, the independent MLA from Badnera in Maharashtra, Navneet hit out at the chief minister for targeting Lilavati Hospital, where she had undergone a medical check-up soon after her release on bail.

The Rana couple was arrested on April 23 under IPC Sections 153 (A) (promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, etc), and 124-A (sedition) after they announced that they will recite Hanuman Chalisa outside Thackeray's residence in suburban Bandra.

The Supreme Court on Wednesday stayed all proceedings in sedition cases while directing the Centre and states to not register any fresh FIR invoking sedition charges until the sedition law is "under reconsideration".

Navneet Rana also slammed Shiv Sena leaders Kishori Pednekar, the former Mumbai Mayor, and Manisha Kayande for publicly discussing her medical reports with doctors at the Lilavati hospital.

The British brought sedition laws to target freedom fighters. A sedition charge was imposed on us just for reciting Hanuman Chalisa. We got justice from the Supreme Court today. I thank the court, the law minister, and the prime minister for this, Navneet Rana said.

She also accused the Shiv Sena of betraying the BJP after the 2019 Maharashtra assembly elections in its lust for power.

You betrayed BJP because of your lust for power. You got votes after using Prime Minister Modi's name and photos. You betrayed the ideology of Shiv Sena founder Bal Thackeray, Ravi Rana said.

Bal Thackeray must be lamenting at the turn of events in Maharashtra what his son has done just to get hold of power, he said.

Cyclone Asani weakens as it approaches Andhra coast

11-May-2022 935

New Delhi, May 11 (PTI) Severe Cyclone Asani weakened to a cyclonic storm on Wednesday as it barrelled towards north coastal Andhra Pradesh and came within 34 km of Narsapur in the state, packing wind speed of 85 km per hour and bringing heavy rains to the region, the weather office said here.

The weather system was expected to move away from the coast and further weaken into a depression by Thursday, it said.

It is very likely to move nearly northwards for next few hour and recurve slowly north-northeastwards along Narsapur, Yanam, Kakinada, Tuni and Visakhapatnam coasts during noon to evening on Wednesday and emerge into west central Bay of Bengal off North Andhra Pradesh coasts by night, the India Meteorological Department said in its national bulletin.

It is likely to weaken gradually into a depression by 12th May morning, it said.

The weather office has been monitoring the cyclonic storm since the first signs of its formation emerged last week. It has issued 30 national bulletins since May 7, predicting the track of the cyclone and alerting civic administrations about the possible damage it could cause.

The weather office had asked fishermen to suspend fishing operations in the region as sea condition is likely to be high over west central and adjoining northwest Bay of Bengal till Wednesday evening and very rough to rough over the same region thereafter Thursday.

It said storm surge of height about 0.5 m above astronomical tide is likely to inundate low lying areas of Krishna, East & West Godavari districts of Andhra Pradesh and Yanam of UT of Puducherry.

According to the weather office, the cyclone could damage thatched huts, cause minor damage to power and communication lines, harm paddy and other standing crops in Krishna, East and West Godavari, and Vishakhapatnam districts of Andhra Pradesh, and Yanam in Puducherry.

Congress leader Sukhram passes away

11-May-2022 576

New Delhi, May 11 (PTI) Veteran Congress leader from Himachal Pradesh and former Union minister Sukh Ram died early Wednesday at a Delhi hospital. He was 94.

The Congress leader, who was airlifted and admitted to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Delhi on May 7 after suffering a brain stroke in Manali in Himachal Pradesh, died at the hospital at 1:35 am, hospital sources said.

Sukh Ram's grandson Aashray Sharma said his body will be kept at Seri Manch in Himachal Pradesh's Mandi to enable people to pay their last respects on Thursday.

"Goodbye grandfather, the phone won't ring now (alvida dadajee, abhi nahi bajegee phone ki ghanti)," Sharma said in a Facebook post around 2 am on Wednesday.

In another post, Sharma said Sukh Ram's body will reach his home city Mandi on Wednesday at 6 pm.

Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur expressed condolences over Sukh Ram's demise.

In a tweet in Hindi, he said, "I am grief stricken to hear the news of death of former union minister and veteran leader from Mandi Pandit Sukh Ram Jee."

His contribution to politics was very vital and will be always remembered, he added.

"May Ishwar provide place to his departed soul at His feet and his bereaved family get strength to bear the irreparable loss," he added.

Thakur had on May 7 provided a state helicopter for airlifting the veteran political leader to Delhi for treatment.

Sukh Ram was the Union minister of state communications (independent charge) from 1993 to 1996. He was a member of the Lok Sabha from the Mandi constituency.

He won five assembly elections and was thrice elected to Lok Sabha.

In 2011, Sukh Ram was sentenced to five years imprisonment for corruption during his tenure as communications minister in 1996. His son Anil Sharma is a BJP MLA from Mandi.

Born on July 27,1927, Sukh Ram had represented the Mandi assembly seat from 1963 to 1984. During his tenure as state animal husbandry minister, he was credited with bringing cows from Germany which led to an increase in income of farmers.

He was elected to the Lok Sabha in 1984 and served as a junior minister in the Rajiv Gandhi government. Sukh Ram served as minister of state for defence production and supplies, planning and food and civil supplies.

While Sukh Ram represented the Mandi Lok Sabha constituency, his son Anil Sharma contested and won the assembly seat in 1993. The Congress leader had won the Mandi Lok Sabha seat in 1996, but he and his son were expelled from the party after the telecom scam.

Subsequently, they floated the Himachal Vikas Congress Party, which entered into a post-poll alliance with the BJP and joined the government.

In 1998, Sukh Ram contested the assembly elections from Mandi Sadar and won by a huge margin. His son Anil Sharma was elected to the Rajya Sabha in 1998.

Sukh Ram along with his grandson rejoined the Congress right before the 2019 Lok Sabha elections to get a Congress ticket for Aashray Sharam but he could not win.

Sukh Ram's other grandson Aayush Sharma is an actor and married to Bollywood superstar Salman Khan's sister Arpita.

Punjab was on high alert after a bomb blast occurred at the state police intelligence headquarters in Mohali

10-May-2022 859

Chandigarh: Punjab was on high alert after a bomb blast occurred at the state police intelligence headquarters in Mohali, on Monday night.

"Some suspects taken into custody," Punjab Police DGP Viresh Kumar Bhawra said at meeting headed by Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann. Further details are awaited.

According to initial reports, panic gripped the area after an explosion occurred at the Punjab police intelligence HQ located in sector 77, near Sohana eye hospital, around 7:45 pm, although no damage was reported.

Stating that forensic teams had reached the spot, police that it initially appeared that a rocket propelled grenade hit the building though there was no report of major damage or injury to anyone so far. However, the entire area had been cordoned off and an alert sounded in the state, the police said.

A rocket-propelled grenade (RPG) is a shoulder-fired, anti-tank weapon system that fires rockets equipped with an explosive warhead. Officers on the site said the weapon was ‘made in China’ as per the lot number written on it, reported The Indian Express.

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Tuesday said police are investigating the explosion at the Intelligence Wing headquarters of Punjab Police in Mohali and stressed that anyone trying to disturb peace in the state will not be spared.

A rocket-propelled grenade hit the headquarters near here on Monday night, shattering windowpanes on one of the floors of the building. No one, however, was injured in the explosion.

"The Punjab Police is investigating the explosion in Mohali. Anybody who tries to spoil the atmosphere in Punjab will not be spared," said Mann in a tweet in Punjabi.

AGENCY IN PUT

Cyclone Asani nears east coast, starts losing steam: IMD

10-May-2022 801

Bhubaneswar, May 10 (PTI) Severe cyclone Asani neared the east coast, packing gale-force winds up to 105 kmph, amid indication of gradual weakening on Tuesday, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said.

The cyclone, which was moving at a speed of 25 kmph on Monday, has slowed down to 5 kmph as it lays centered around 300 km southeast of Kakinada in Andhra Pradesh and 510 km south-southwest of Gopalpur in Odisha.

The system is expected to recurve on Tuesday night and move parallel to the coast in the north-northeast direction.

"The severe cyclonic storm has already started losing steam and it will further weaken into a cyclonic storm during the next 24 hours as it nears the coast and makes the recurve," Bhubaneswar Regional Meteorological Centre Director H R Biswas said.

He said the gale-force wind speed will decline to 80-90 kmph by Tuesday night and to 60-70 kmph by Wednesday evening.

The MeT Department has warned fishermen against venturing into deep sea till Thursday, as Odisha braced for heavy rain in the coastal areas. Rainfall was recorded in Ganjam, Puri and Khurda on Tuesday morning.

The weatherman has predicted heavy rain in parts of coastal Odisha from May 10-12. Special Relief Commissioner P K Jena said local authorities have been put on alert to face heavy rain and water-logging and asked to undertake evacuation of people from 15 blocks in four coastal districts.

The Ganjam district administration has closed all beaches including Gopalpur for visitors for two days.

Sea condition is likely to remain very high on Tuesday, and become very rough on May 12 before improving thereafter.

Under the influence of the cyclone, Odisha and West Bengal had received heavy to moderate rainfall on Monday.

NIA detains Chota Shakeel's associate Salim Fruit in Mumbai after raids at multiple places

10-May-2022 524

Mumbai, May 9 (PTI) The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Monday morning detained gangster Chhota Shakeel's aide Salim Qureshi aka Salim Fruit in Mumbai after conducting raids at over 20 places here and in adjoining Thane district against associates of fugitive underworld don Dawood Ibrahim, an official said.

The NIA picked up Qureshi, the husband of Shakeel's sister-in-law, from his residence in Bhendi Bazar area of south Mumbai, he said.

The central agency conducted raids at a housing society in Mumbai's Nagpada area, Bhendi Bazar, Santacruz, Mahim, Goregaon areas of Mumbai, Mumbra in Thane and other places against associates of Dawood Ibrahim.

Several hawala operators and drug peddlers were allegedly associated with Ibrahim, official said.

In February this year, the Enforcement Directorate had questioned Qureshi as part of its probe in a money laundering case linked to Dawood Ibrahim.

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