West Bengal: State Election Commission records 60% voting
Workers of the ruling Trinamool Congress in West Bengal prevented voters from casting their ballot during the Kolkata civic polls on Saturday, alleged members of the Bharatiya Janata Party and Communist Party of India (Marxist). The State Election Commission said it had recorded a 60% turnout and received about 70 complaints of violence from different parties. There were also reports of booth clashes, bombing threats and intimidation. “The polls were reduced to farce as news channels were also not allowed to function freely,” said Rahul Sinha, the President of the state unit of the BJP. Added CPM leader Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee, “The Trinamool Congress let loose terror.” However, TMC leader Partha Chatterjee denied the accusations, adding that the polls took place in a democratic environment.
Maharashtra: Government discontinues guard of honour for officials
The Maharashtra government on Saturday decided to discontinue the practice of according a guard of honour to state ministers and officials during district-level visits, stating that the practice was a waste of time and resources. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis had earlier called for cutting down on additional security provided to VIPs as it put a strain on the police force.
Delhi: Government to begin public consultations on budget
The Delhi government will begin public consultations for planning the state’s budget from Sunday. The first meeting will be held in the Patparganj constituency and will be chaired by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal. Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, cabinet ministers and the MLAs whose constituencies have been chosen for the exercise will also attend the meeting. Residents of the participating constituencies will get to propose and vote on local issues to be taken up in their areas, said an official. Projects will be prioritised based on the number of votes they receive. “Delhi has been divided in 12 segments and Rs 20 crore will be allotted to each,” the official said.
Gujarat: 12 injured in ONGC fire
Twelve employees, including three technical team officials, of the Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Limited were injured when a fire erupted in a natural gas well in the Surat district of Gujarat on Saturday. Officials said the staff were trying to put a ring around the well to control the leakage of gas when a blast caused the fire to erupt. The injured were rushed to a hospital in Surat city, where their condition is reported to be critical. Meanwhile, a state official said that teams from the ONGC were attempting to bring the fire under control.
Uttar Pradesh: Varun Gandhi to hold protest for farmer compensation
Bharatiya Janata Party leader Varun Gandhi will lead a sit-in protest on April 28, demanding adequate compensation for farmers who have suffered crop losses due to unseasonal weather, said party officials on Saturday. An 11-member committee of the BJP had been formed at the district-level to assess the damage to crops in villages, said party leader Karuna Shanker Trivedi. “While the Centre has lowered the criteria for compensation, the state government is still insensitive towards farmers,” Trivedi added.
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Workers of the ruling Trinamool Congress in West Bengal prevented voters from casting their ballot during the Kolkata civic polls on Saturday, alleged members of the Bharatiya Janata Party and Communist Party of India (Marxist). The State Election Commission said it had recorded a 60% turnout and received about 70 complaints of violence from different parties. There were also reports of booth clashes, bombing threats and intimidation. “The polls were reduced to farce as news channels were also not allowed to function freely,” said Rahul Sinha, the President of the state unit of the BJP. Added CPM leader Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee, “The Trinamool Congress let loose terror.” However, TMC leader Partha Chatterjee denied the accusations, adding that the polls took place in a democratic environment.
Maharashtra: Government discontinues guard of honour for officials
The Maharashtra government on Saturday decided to discontinue the practice of according a guard of honour to state ministers and officials during district-level visits, stating that the practice was a waste of time and resources. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis had earlier called for cutting down on additional security provided to VIPs as it put a strain on the police force.
Delhi: Government to begin public consultations on budget
The Delhi government will begin public consultations for planning the state’s budget from Sunday. The first meeting will be held in the Patparganj constituency and will be chaired by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal. Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, cabinet ministers and the MLAs whose constituencies have been chosen for the exercise will also attend the meeting. Residents of the participating constituencies will get to propose and vote on local issues to be taken up in their areas, said an official. Projects will be prioritised based on the number of votes they receive. “Delhi has been divided in 12 segments and Rs 20 crore will be allotted to each,” the official said.
Gujarat: 12 injured in ONGC fire
Twelve employees, including three technical team officials, of the Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Limited were injured when a fire erupted in a natural gas well in the Surat district of Gujarat on Saturday. Officials said the staff were trying to put a ring around the well to control the leakage of gas when a blast caused the fire to erupt. The injured were rushed to a hospital in Surat city, where their condition is reported to be critical. Meanwhile, a state official said that teams from the ONGC were attempting to bring the fire under control.
Uttar Pradesh: Varun Gandhi to hold protest for farmer compensation
Bharatiya Janata Party leader Varun Gandhi will lead a sit-in protest on April 28, demanding adequate compensation for farmers who have suffered crop losses due to unseasonal weather, said party officials on Saturday. An 11-member committee of the BJP had been formed at the district-level to assess the damage to crops in villages, said party leader Karuna Shanker Trivedi. “While the Centre has lowered the criteria for compensation, the state government is still insensitive towards farmers,” Trivedi added.
