Announcing the decision, Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann on Friday said, “While all other governments took five full years to keep their poll promises, our government had fulfilled its major guarantee within three months of coming to power. Every family across Punjab will get 300 units of free power each month.’’
The move will benefit 73.39 lakh consumers. Over 60 lakh consumers are estimated to consume up to 300 units of power a month.

Mann added that arrears of all electricity bills pending till Dec. 31, 2021, of all households have been waived. AAP’s national convener and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Friday tweeted to praise the Mann government’s decision. “We have fulfilled our promise. The Aam Aadmi Party does what it says. People of Punjab will get rid of expensive electricity,” Kejriwal posted.

According to sources, the final blueprint of the scheme is yet to be cleared by the state Cabinet, which is expected to meet soon. A meeting of the Board of Punjab State Power Corporation was held on Friday to finalise the details.

The earlier schemes announced by the previous governments, wherein all domestic consumers having load of up to 1 kw, and the SC, BC and BPL consumers, got 200 units of free power, will be subsumed in the new scheme.

The total power subsidy bill of the state government this year is expected to rise to Rs 15,846 crore. The state government also has to pay a power subsidy of Rs 7,117 crore from the previous years, which was not paid by the previous government. Thus the state will have to pay Rs 22,962 crore this year as subsidy which translates to 24 per cent of the state’s total revenue receipts of Rs 95,378 crore for this year.

Sarma filed the suit before Kamrup chief judicial magistrate under relevant sections of the IPC on Thursday. Recently, Sarma’s wife Riniki Bhuyan Sarma had filed a Rs 100 crore defamation suit in the court of civil judge, Kamrup (Metro), against the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader on the same issue. Last month, a war of words had erupted between Sisodia and Sarma. Referring to a media report, the AAP leader had accused the Assam CM of indulging in corruption by awarding contracts of PPE kits and other Covid-related items to his wife and son’s business partners.

Sisodia had asked why the firm linked to Sarma’s wife was awarded the contract at Rs 990 per PPE kit when another firm was given only Rs 600 for the same on the same day in 2020. Sarma was then Assam’s health minister.

Both he and his wife had dismissed the charges, and hit back at Sisodia, threatening to file a criminal defamation suit. “Stop sermonising and I will see you in Guwahati as you will face criminal defamation,” Sarma had stated. The couple said the PPE kits were gifted to the National Health Mission, Assamm and no bill was raised.

The AAP had lodged a complaint with the police in Guwahati demanding that a criminal case be registered against Sarma for his alleged involvement in the “PPE kits scam”. The party also petitioned Governor Jagdish Mukhi, demanding a probe into the case.

COIMBATORE: 16 transpersons have joined hands to form the ‘Rotaract Club of TransMom’ in Coimbatore on Thursday, with help of Tamil Nadu Rotary Club of Coimbatore Downtown.

The club aims to identify the needs of transgender community, especially in pursuing higher education and jobs.

Functionaries of Tamil Nadu Rotary Club of Coimbatore Downtown stated that this was the first such club in Tamil Nadu, and second in the country after Bhubaneswar in Odisha.

A Dhanshika, who is pursuing her post graduation and also working in a government hospital, has been nominated as the trustee of the club.

Addressing media, Dhanshika said, “When a person realises they are a transgender, they come out of home due to pressure in their family. In such situations, many of them are not in a position to continue education. We will focus on the education of transpersons, which will get them employment opportunity. Our other objective is helping transpersons secure jobs.”

Dhanshika said the club has identified six transpersons who have expressed willingness to pursue higher education.

“We have contacted higher education institutions in Coimbatore seeking support for our cause. A few colleges have come forward to give admission. Soon, the six would continue higher studies. We would also support non-members of the club,” Dhanshika said.

Rajasekhar Srinivasan, District governor of Tamil Nadu Rotary Club of Coimbatore Downtown said, “Though a club for transpersons was started in Bhubaneswar, we heard that it was not active. We started the club to serve transpersons for a long time.”

BENGALURU: Alt News co-founder Mohammed Zubair was brought to Bengaluru on Thursday by the special cell, Delhi police to recover his mobile phone and laptop, which he used for posting on Twitter in 2018 as part of investigation in the case.

A four-member team of the Intelligence, Fusion & Strategic Operations (IFSO) Special Cell of Delhi Police landed at the Kempegowda International Airport (KIA), Bengaluru in the forenoon and drove Zubair to his residence from where they recovered his electronic gadgets.

They were provided local assistance by Bengaluru City police. “The electronic gadgets will be sent for forensic examination to the Central Forensic Science Laboratory, Rohini,to retrieve old and deleted files,” said sources.

The team has left for Delhi with Zubair, they added. Zubair was arrested on June 27 on charges of allegedly hurting religious sentiments following a complaint by a social media user who referred to the former’s tweet from 2018. The police had registered an FIR against Zubair in connection with the complaint under Sections 153-A (promoting enmity between different groups) and 295-A (malicious acts, intended to outrage religious feelings) of the Indian Penal Code. Meanwhile, the Twitter handle, which had flagged Zubair’s tweet, has been deleted.

MUMBAI: Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde has said his elevation to the top post is due to the masterstroke by BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis.

“”People thought that the BJP was desperate for power. But truly, this is a masterstroke by Devendra ji. To hand over power to another person despite having larger numbers (of MLAs) requires a big heart.”

“”With his decision, the people of the state and the country got to see a new example of this large-heartedness,” Shinde said after he and Fadnavis were sworn in as CM and Deputy CM respectively at Raj Bhavan Thursday evening. The party with the most numbers has the claim to the chief minister’s post. But in this case, I would like to thank PM Narendra Modi, Amit Shah, J P Nadda and especially Devendra Fadnavis, who showed a big heart and gave this chance to a Shiv Sainik,”” Shinde told a TV channel.

Shinde said the previous stint of Fadnavis as chief minister will come in handy as he leads the state.

“Fadnavis joined this ministry due to the directives of his (party) seniors.

“I am happy for this because his experience will come in handy in speeding up developmental works in the state,”” Shinde said.

Shinde was given a warm welcome by the rebel Shiv Sena MLAs and other legislators in the wee hours of Friday when he returned to a luxury hotel near here, where they are staying, after taking oath for the top post.

Shinde flew to Goa from Mumbai and arrived at the hotel located at Dona Paula near here around 1.30 am.

The Maharashtra legislators have been camping at the hotel since Wednesday night after their arrival from Guwahati.

While Shinde had arrived with them, he went to Mumbai on Thursday and was sworn in as the 20th chief minister of Maharashtra, while BJP stalwart Devendra Fadnavis took oath as the deputy chief minister.

When Shinde returned to the hotel after the swearing-in ceremony, the rebel Sena MLAs and independent legislators were seen hugging him and raising slogans in his support.

They also raised slogans hailing Sena founder Bal Thackeray and late party leader Anand Dighe.

A few women legislators, who are also part of the faction, welcomed him with traditional rituals.

Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant, who was also at the hotel when Shinde arrived, offered a bouquet of flowers to congratulate the latter.

A video of the welcome given by the MLAs also went viral on social media.

Ever since the news of Shinde’s appointment as the new Maharashtra chief minister broke, the MLAs were in a jubilant mood.

They broke into a dance in the lobby of the hotel on Thursday when they heard that Shinde was going to be the next CM.

A video showed rebel MLAs dancing to the tune of Marathi songs.

Shinde’s swearing-in ceremony was screened live on a big screen at the hotel on Thursday evening.

Sources said that after his arrival, Shinde held an informal meeting with the MLAs.

Referring to her apology for the Prophet remarks, the apex court also said that it was too late and her comment led to unfortunate incidents.

“These people don’t have respect for other religions,” the court said on the suspended BJP leader’s plea to club FIRs against her for Prophet remarks.

“Remark against Prophet were made either for cheap publicity, political agenda or for some nefarious activities,” it said further.

The court also refused to entertain her plea to club FIRs in various states for her remark and allowed her to withdraw the petition.

“What has Delhi police done? Don’t make us open our mouth? What was the TV debate for? Only fan an agenda? Why did they choose a sub judice topic?,” said Justice Surya Kant.

“There must be a red carpet for you there,” the apex court bench remarked when Sharma’s lawyer informed it that she is joining the investigation and not running away.