LS members sing birthday greetings to wish Mahajan
New Delhi, April 12 (IANS): Lok Sabha members on Wednesday sang birthday greetings in the house to wish Speaker Sumitra Mahajan on her birthday. Soon after the house met for the day, members - irrespective of party affiliations - greeted Mahajan. Mahajan thanked all the members of the house for their best wishes.14,132 inmates in Delhi prisons, capacity just 7,818: govt
New Delhi, April 12 (PTI): Delhi’s prisons, including Tihar, accommodate 14,132 undertrials and convicted prisoners as against their total capacity of 7,818, the Rajya Sabha was informed on Wednesday. Replying to a question in the Upper House, Minister of State for Home Affairs Hansraj Gangaram Ahir said the prisons were crammed with large number of undertrials. Both undertrials and convicted prisoners are lodged in different barracks in Tihar Jail and there is no congestion for the latter, whereas the former are in large numbers, he said.
AMU students’ union seeks total ban on cow slaughter
Aligarh (UP), April 12 (PTI): The President of the AMU Students’ Union has demanded a complete ban on cow slaughter across the country. Its president Faizul Hasan said he would also support a “complete ban” on the closure of all export-based slaughterhouses and a total ban on all import and export of bovine meat, including buffalo meat, because it was leading to an unnecessary internal tension between different communities in the country. The AMUSU later presented a memorandum addressed to President Pranab Mukherjee to the Additional City Magistrate demanding fast track court trials of the cases of violence involving cow vigilantes.
No documentary proof for GPF advance, withdrawal: Govt
New Delhi, April 12 (PTI): No documentary proof is required for getting advance or withdrawal from General Provident Fund (GPF), Union Minister Jitendra Singh said on Wednesday. The government has with effect from March 7, 2017, simplified and liberalised the conditions for taking advance from the fund for education, illness and purchase of consumer durables. A time limit for sanction and payment of advance or withdrawal has also been fixed, said Singh, the Minister of State for Personnel. The GPF interest rate is presently fixed at par with that of PPF interest rate,” said Singh.
Nitish flags off ‘Gandhi rath’
Patna, April 12 (PTI): Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Wednesday flagged off “Gandhi rath” to spread the message of Mahatma Gandhi to the people. As part of the centenary celebration of Champaran Satyagraha, the “Gandhi rath” would reach every panchayat of Bihar for a year with a view to making people, particularly the younger generation, aware of Gandhian philosophy through audio and video presentation.
India has no plans to construct a wall along its border with Pakistan, Rajya Sabha was informed on Wednesday. “There was no proposal with the government of India to build a wall along the Pakistan border,” Minister of State for Home Kiren Rijiju said replying a written question. “The arrangements include deployment of BSF, construction of border fence, construction of border roads, installation of floodlights, construction of BOPs, introduction of hi-tech surveillance equipment, providing weapons and specialised vehicles to security forces,” he said.
The Supreme Court on Wednesday asked a Gujarat trial court to expedite recording of evidence of prosecution witnesses in a sexual assault case lodged by two Surat-based sisters against self-styled godman Asaram. Additional Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for Gujarat, said this is the same case in which two prosecution witnesses have been killed.
The CBI has arrested four directors of Surya Vinayak Industries Limited for allegedly cheating a consortium of banks to the tune of Rs 2240 crore. They have been arrested on the complaint of Punjab National Bank (PNB), the CBI sources said. It is alleged that the four accused used more than 100 shell companies for routing and diversion of bank funds, they said.
The unhygienic condition in which poultry birds are reared and transported has come under the focus of the Law Commission. A push by Union Minister for Women and Child Development Maneka Gandhi to have a relook at the various laws governing poultry birds has prompted the Law Ministry to ask the Commission to submit a report based on “existing laws and international trends relating to housekeeping and transportation of poultry birds.”
: The Public Works Department of the Delhi government has issued notice to AAP’s National Convenor Arvind Kejriwal asking him to immediately vacate the party’s Rouse Avenue office that was allotted in “violation” of rules. The move comes less than a week after Lt Governor Anil Baijal ordered cancellation of the office allotment to the AAP in the wake of a report by the Shunglu committee which pointed out “irregularities” in allotting the office.
Former Union minister and Congress leader Akhilesh Das passed away after suffering heart attack in Lucknow on Wednesday, a party source confirmed. He was 56. Das had rejoined the Congress ahead of the assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh. Das, son of former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Banarsi Das, was also a former Mayor of Lucknow. He was a General Secretary in the BSP. In November 2014, Das quit the BSP.
