Archives for 2023

Mangaluru International Airport to re-carpet runway from Jan 27

January 2, 2023 by Nasheman

Mangaluru: Mangaluru International Airport (MIA) will carry out major rehabilitation and recarpeting work on its runway for a little over four-month period starting from January 27.

The work will take place between 9.30 am and 6 pm from Monday to Saturday on all days except Sunday and national holidays until May 31, 2023.

The airlines will be operating their schedules prior to 9.30 am and after 6 pm in the period, a release from MIA here said Sunday.

The 2,450 m long and 45-metre-wide concrete runway was opened for traffic in May 2006, making MIA the first airport in Karnataka not only to have two runways, also the first airport to have a rigid pavement or concrete runway.

This rigid pavement runway has since then undergone periodic maintenance. The scheduled rehabilitation and recarpeting will see MIA asphalt or blacktop the runway to standards specified by the regulator.

The runway will be recarpeted to improve its micro and macro texture, and other allied repairs conceptualised over the years. The recarpeting work also includes installation of the runway centreline lights which will aid the aircraft operations at night and in low visibility conditions and improvements to runway end saftey areas (RESA).

This will enhance the safety as suggested by the committee of inquiry that probed IX 1344 plane crash at Kozhikode in Kerala.

MIA has discussed the recarpeting project with the airline and stakeholders concerned prior to obtaining regulatory approvals. The airport has worked along with the airline partners to ensure that while the flight timings are altered to accommodate the all-important runway recarpeting work, there will be no cancellation of flight to any destination, both international and domestic, the release said.

Haryana Sports Minister Sandeep Singh booked for molesting woman coach

January 2, 2023 by Nasheman

Haryana Sports Minister Sandeep Singh

Chandigarh: Haryana Sports Minister Sandeep Singh has been booked on charges of sexual harassment and wrongful confinement at the complaint of a woman coach, police here said on Sunday.

The FIR against the 36-year-old BJP leader, who is also a former Indian hockey team captain and a first-time MLA, was registered on Saturday, they said.

The minister, however, has dismissed the accusations as baseless and has called for an independent probe.

“In the matter of complaint made by a lady coach of Haryana against Sports Minister Haryana, a case FIR dated 31.12.2022 under Sections 354, 354A, 354B, 342, 506 of the IPC has been registered at Police Station Sector 26, Chandigarh and is being investigated,” a police spokesperson said.

A junior athletics coach from the state had on Thursday come up with allegations of sexual harassment against the minister and filed a police complaint a day later.

The former Olympian has been booked under IPC Section 354 which pertains to assault or use of criminal force against a woman with intent to outrage her modesty, 354 A (sexual harassment), 354 B (compelling her to be naked), 342 (wrongful confinement), and 506 (criminal intimidation).

After receiving a complaint from the woman coach, Chandigarh Police had earlier said an inquiry will be conducted into the allegations against the minister.

The woman had told reporters on Friday: “I have given a complaint to SSP madam (Senior Superintendent of Police) here. I am hopeful that I will get justice and the Chandigarh Police will investigate my complaint.”

She has alleged that Sandeep Singh had first seen her at a gym and then contacted her on Instagram.

The coach claimed that the MLA from Pehowa in Kurukshetra kept insisting that they meet. “He messaged me on Instagram and said my national games certificate is pending and wanted to meet in this regard.”

“Unfortunately, my certificate has been misplaced by my federation and I have been taking it up with the authorities concerned,” the woman had said.

She, according to her complaint, agreed to meet Sandeep Singh at his residence-cum-camp office here with some other documents she had. When she went there, the minister molested her, she said.

“He took me to a side cabin of his residence… placed my documents on the side table and placed his hand on my foot. He said when he saw me for the first time, he liked me… He said you keep me happy and I will keep you happy,” the woman alleged.

“I removed his hand he even tore my T-shirt. I was crying and I raised an alarm for help and though all his staff was there, no one helped me,” she had alleged.

Asked about the allegations, Sandeep Singh had on Thursday called them baseless and called for an independent probe. “I want an independent probe. We will also get it probed because my image has been tarnished.”

The minister also said that all details of the woman’s entire life should be looked into.

Former Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda had earlier demanded an impartial inquiry into the allegations, while the Indian National Lok Dal asked the Manohar Lal Khattar government to immediately sack Sandeep Singh and set up a Special Investigation Team to probe the matter.

Driver, conductor who saved Pant’s life will be honoured: Uttarakhand CM Pushkar Singh Dhami

January 2, 2023 by Nasheman

Driver, conductor who saved Pant's life will be honoured: Uttarakhand CM Pushkar Singh Dhami
Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh

Dehradun: Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Sunday said his governement will honour the driver and conductor of the Haryana Roadways bus who came to the rescue of cricketer Rishabh Pant during a road accident near Roorkee.

“By saving the life of the cricketer at the risk of their own lives, the Haryana Roadways driver and conductor have set an example for others.

“The state government will honour them on January 26,” Dhami said at the inauguration of a hostel here.

While going to Roorkee, his hometown, on Friday, Pant slept on the wheel and rammed his car into the divider on the Delhi-Dehradun highway.

Bus driver Sushil Kumar and conductor Paramjit, who were around and witnessed the accident, rescued Pant from the car.

They pulled him out of the car and called the police.

2023 to witness series of assembly polls, being seen as semi-finals to LS elections

January 2, 2023 by Nasheman

New Delhi: A series of assembly polls this year are being considered as semi-finals to the Lok Sabha election slated to be held in the summer of 2024.

Key states of Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh and Telangana would go for polls this year, besides states from the North-East.

The northeastern states of Nagaland, Tripura and Meghalaya will be the first to have assembly polls, most likely in February-March. The terms of their respective legislative assemblies is ending on different dates in March.

While Tripura has a BJP government, in Nagaland, the Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party is in power.

National People’s Party, the only party from the North-East to have a national party recognition, runs the government in Meghalaya.

Sources in the Election Commission had indicated in December that the elections in the three states will be held together, followed by polls in Karnataka later.

The term of the 224-member Karnataka legislative assembly ends on May 24. Polls in the BJP-ruled state to form a new assembly could be held in late April or early May.

The last part of 2023 would witness a series of assembly polls with terms of legislative assemblies of Mizoram, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Telangana ending on different dates in December this year and January 2024.

While the term of the 40-member Mizoram assembly ends on December 17, the tenures of the Chhattisgarh and the Madhya Pradesh legislative assemblies conclude on January 3 and January 6, 2024, respectively.

The tenures of the Rajasthan and Telangana assemblies end on January 14 and January 16, 2024, respectively.

Polls in these five states being held together cannot be ruled out at this stage.

Besides the nine scheduled polls, assembly elections in the union territory of Jammu and Kashmir can also not be ruled out this year.

On December 9, sources had said that elections in Jammu and Kashmir may be held in the summer of 2023 after winter conditions subside, and the timing would depend on the security scenario.

The final electoral roll of Jammu and Kashmir was published on November 25 last year paving the way for polls, the first since Article 370 provisions were abrogated and the erstwhile state was bifurcated into Union territories in 2019.

NCW received nearly 31,000 complaints of crimes against women in 2022

January 2, 2023 by Nasheman

New Delhi: Nearly 31,000 complaints of crimes committed against women were received by the National Commission for Women (NCW) in 2022, the highest since 2014.

In 2021, the NCW had received 30,864 complaints while in 2022, the number slightly increased to 30,957.

Of the 30,957 complaints, the maximum of 9,710 were related to the right to live with dignity that takes into account the emotional abuse of women, followed by those related to domestic violence at 6,970 and dowry harassment at 4,600, according to NCW data accessed by PTI.

About 54.5 per cent (16,872) of the complaints were received from the most populous state of Uttar Pradesh.

Delhi recorded 3,004 complaints, followed by Maharashtra (1,381), Bihar (1,368) and Haryana (1,362).

According to the data, the highest number of complaints related to the right to live with dignity and domestic violence were received from Uttar Pradesh.

The number of complaints received by the NCW in 2022 is the highest since 2014, when the panel had received 33,906 complaints.

As many as 2,523 complaints were received regarding the offence of outraging the modesty of women or molestation, 1,701 were related to rape and attempt to rape, 1,623 were in connection with police apathy against women and 924 complaints were related to cyber crimes, according to the data.

SC to pronounce verdict on pleas against demonetisation on Monday

January 2, 2023 by Nasheman

New Delhi: The Supreme Court is scheduled to pronounce its judgment on Monday on a batch of pleas challenging the government’s 2016 decision to demonetise currency notes of Rs 1,000 and Rs 500 denominations.

A five-judge Constitution bench headed by Justice S A Nazeer, who will retire on January 4, is likely to pronounce its verdict on the matter on January 2, when the top court will reopen after its winter break.

According to Monday’s cause list of the top court, there will be two separate judgements in the matter, which will be pronounced by Justices B R Gavai and B V Nagarathna. It is not clear whether the two judgements will be concurring or dissenting.

Besides Justices Nazeer, Gavai and Nagarathna, the other members of the five-judge bench are Justices A S Bopanna and V Ramasubramanian.

The top court had, on December 7, directed the Centre and the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to put on record the relevant records relating to the government’s 2016 decision and reserved its verdict.

It heard the arguments of Attorney General R Venkataramani, the RBI’s counsel and the petitioners’ lawyers, including senior advocates P Chidambaram and Shyam Divan.

Calling the scrapping of the Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 currency notes deeply flawed, Chidambaram had argued that the government cannot on its own initiate any proposal relating to legal tender, which can only be done on the recommendation of the RBI’s central board.

Resisting the apex court’s attempt to revisit the 2016 demonetisation exercise, the government had said the court cannot decide a matter when no tangible relief can be granted by way of “putting the clock back” and “unscrambling a scrambled egg”.

The RBI had earlier admitted in its submissions that there were “temporary hardships” and that those too are an integral part of the nation-building process, but there was a mechanism by which the problems that arose were solved.

In an affidavit, the Centre told the top court recently that the demonetisation exercise was a “well-considered” decision and part of a larger strategy to combat the menace of fake money, terror financing, black money and tax evasion.

The Supreme Court has heard a batch of 58 petitions challenging the demonetisation exercise announced by the Centre on November 8, 2016.

Tripura: BJP ally IPFT’s founder N C Debbarma passes away

January 2, 2023 by Nasheman

Agartala: Senior Tripura minister and BJP’s ruling ally IPFT’s founder-president N C Debbarma on Sunday died following a massive cerebral stroke.

The veteran tribal leader was 80, and is survived by his wife, four sons and three daughters.

The state revenue and forest minister was not keeping well for the last few months as he was suffering from chronic diabetes, Indigenous People’s Front of Tripura (IPFT) spokesperson Amit Debbarma said.

He suffered a massive cerebral stroke on Saturday and was admitted to a state-run hospital here, where he underwent surgery but breathed his last at 2.45 pm on Sunday, the spokesperson said.

Debbarma floated IPFT in 2009 after his retirement as the director of All India Radio (AIR), Agartala.

He forged a political alliance with the BJP ahead of the 2018 assembly elections and toppled the Manik Sarkar-led Left Front government, which was in power for 25 years at a stretch.

The IPFT, under his leadership, won eight of the nine ST-reserved constituencies in the last assembly election.

Debbarma, along with Mevar Kumar Jamatia, was inducted into the cabinet of Biplab Kumar Deb.

Chief Minister Manik Saha expressed deep condolence over Debbarma’s death.

“I am deeply saddened by the passing away of a senior member of the state cabinet — NC Debbarma and my deepest condolence to the bereaved family. May his departed soul rest in peace,” he said in a Facebook post.

No merger of Karnataka’s dairy brand Nandini with Amul: CM Bommai

January 2, 2023 by Nasheman

Bengaluru: Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Sunday ruled out the merger of Karnataka’s popular dairy brand Nandini with Amul after a row broke out over Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s comments on the state’s milk cooperative.

He was replying to a query on Congress state president D K Shivakumar’s apprehension that Nandini could be merged with Gujarat’s Amul based on Union Home and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah’s visit to Nandini’s facility in Mandya.

Bommai said Nandini will always maintain its separate identity in “the coming hundreds of years”. “The merger of Nandini with Amul is a wrong imagination. What to say about those who comment on based on their whims and fancies?” the Chief Minister told reporters here.

Shah had clearly said that Nandini and Amul to cooperate in the area of technology and marketing, Bommai added.

“Shah had said these two big companies should complement each other but that does not mean there should be a merger. The Nandini brand will remain as a separate entity permanently for hundreds of years,” Bommai said.

The Chief Minister said Shah had stated there will be benefits if both of brands worked together in some sector.

Nandini or Amul can exchange their best practices and expertise in specific areas such as technology or administration, Bommai said.

“The Union Minister’s statement must not be misunderstood and politicised. As a Chief Minister, I am saying that the Nandini brand will be a separate identity forever,” he told reporters.

BJP Shivajajinagar Candidate Ravi Kumar Patel. Man with Strength & Confidence”

January 2, 2023 by Nasheman

By: Rizwan Asad/Faizan Rizwan

He is an Enthusiastic professional, responsible person and computer literate with proven leadership abilities in working as a team, handling multiple tasks, great adaptability to any enterprise’s environment.

Ravi Kumar Patel was born in a non-political, agricultural & prestigious KEMPEGOWDA’S family in Bangalore, the founders of Bangalore. He is a live example of what one can achieve through sheer determination and hard work. His calm demeanor portrays his inner strength

Graduated in B.A LL.B, University Of Bangaloren on April 24, 1961 to Sri. M. Krishnappa and Smt. Savithramma, He is the youngest of their children.

Obtained Masters in Public Administration, University Of Bangalore.

Ravi Kumar Patel with his enigmatic personality has earned the love & affection of the people of Bangalore. He worked aggressively for the upliftment of the common man addressing several issues affecting the society at large for over nearly three decades. He displayed leadership instincts very early in his childhood. Another major influence in his life was Swami Vivekananda who advocated the principles of unity, nationalism, discipline, the power of collective struggle of whole-heartedly supporting a cause one believes in.

“The greatest threat to our planet is the belief that someone else will save it. “His mission is to create a cleaner and greener environment by converting solid waste into green renewable energy, thus asserting “Swacha Bharat Drive”. As the Chairman of Swatch Bharath Green Solutions he aims to achieve efficient treatment of solid waste in 1000 local bodies by 2019 through a community led effective, sustainable & environment-friendly waste management systems which aligns with the global waste objective of the producer being the consumer.

ISKCON Bangalore has initiated a mid-day meal scheme which is sponsored by Govt. of India on a magnanimous scale under his leadership called Akshaya Patra Scheme feeding 50 lakhs children from the lower strata of the society who are the pillars of the nation.

“Sanathana Dharma Puraskar 2014” was awarded by “Save Temple Organization, USA” in recognition of his outstanding contribution to propagate Sanathana Dharma and Indian Vedic Heritage and to save ISKCON temple in Bangalore. He has worked with Global Hindu Heritage Foundation to revive and propogate ancient heritage temples in Karnataka.

Under the aegis of Govt. of India Planning Commission he has facilitated training of 4 lakh unskilled labors in joint venture with Construction Industry Development Council of GOI. Also contributed in developing 2-tier cities in Karnataka under the able leadership of vice chairman Planning Commission of Govt. of India.

Significant achievements

– Played a key role in the Tourism and Rural Development, in NDA regime under the guidance of Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee, then prime minister of India

– Mr. Ravi Kumar Patel has travelled extensively across the world representing India and its young leadership in various fortes. Some of the key delegations that he was part of include

a. Visited Canada, on an exchange program, on the invitation of Canadian council for young political leaders during which he meticulously studied various aspects of Canadian political system

b. Visited Israel with the Farmer’s delegation which focused on the promotion of agricultural and marketing for Agricultural products

c. Visited Nepal in 1991 to study youth policies

d. Visited China, Malaysia, and Singapore to participate in the international conferences on terrorism organized by respective nations

e. Business Delegation for solid waste management with Shri. Hari Khoday M.D of Khoday group of companies along with Hon’ble Chief Minister Shri Jagadish Shettur

He has also been conferred many awards for his outstanding contribution towards the enrichment of social and political aspects.

Social Activities

•President, Ashirwaad Charitable Trust, Bangalore

•Patron, Sparsh n’ Charities, Bangalore

•Mahadharmadhikari, ISKCON Bangalore

•Member, Karnataka Planning Commission, Government of Karnataka during the year 2010-13

Actively organized free medical camps, sponsoring heart surgeries, and providing medical aid and scholarships for the deserving poor. Establishing a center of revival, propagating and perpetuating the country’s invaluable cultural heritage. Responsible for establishing free Homeopathy clinic in Bangalore, where consultation and distribution of medicine is FREE FOR ALL. Also conducted Yoga and Health camps.