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Priyanka Gandhi urges to allow The Truth

June 13, 2019

After the Congress party suffered severe drubbing in the Lok Sabha polls, Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi criticised party workers for not working hard enough to ensure the party’s victory in the general election. The moral of the party workers is low, after the Congress party’s poor performance in the recently concluded Lok Sabha elections. Priyanka Gandhi had accompanied her mother Sonia Gandhi for the Thanksgiving visit to Rae Bareli.

When AV spoke to Congress MLC Anant Gadgil, he said, “Priyanka has commented about the local situation of the party and not on a pan-India basis. Former prime minister Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru had said that the Congress party will only defeat itself. There are several reasons for the party’s defeat.”

“In 2011, I had written an article in a renowned Marathi newspaper mentioning that Dr. Manmohan Singh had taken the nation forward by presenting new economic policy. However, the Congress has distanced itself from poor people, SC, ST, and minorities. If this situation continues then the Congress will find itself in a difficult situation. People might blame Rahul Gandhi for the Congress’s defeat but the party had won assembly polls in four states under his leadership,” he added.

In a thanksgiving rally after the UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi won the election from Rae Bareli, a dejected Priyanka Gandhi said that she would only speak the truth. She stated, “I did not want to deliver any speech here but since I have been made to speak, let me speak the truth. The truth is that this election was won with the assistance of Sonia Gandhi and the people of Rae Bareli.”

Priyanka Gandhi who is made Congress eastern UP in-charge said that she will find out the names of workers who have failed to work for the victory of the party in the Lok Sabha polls. She said, “Everyone is aware of those who had worked hard and I will find out those names that have not worked for the party for the general elections.”

Even though Priyanka Gandhi had worked hard during the Lok Sabha polls but the party managed to emerge victorious in Rae Bareli only. To make matters worse, BJP leader Smriti Irani defeated Congress president Rahul Gandhi from Amethi which is known as the stronghold of the Congress.

BJP MLA Atul Bhatkhalkar said, “People lack confidence about the Congress party’s leadership which is responsible for the party’s defeat. Priyanka Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi are failed leaders. People were happy with the performance of the Modi government; hence, they have voted for BJP for the second time.”

Priyanka Gandhi now faces an uphill task to revive the fortunes of the Congress party in the upcoming bypolls and Uttar Pradesh assembly polls in 2022. According to sources, the weak organisational structure was responsible for the party’s defeat in the Lok Sabha elections. Priyanka Gandhi has already asked the party workers to start preparations for the upcoming bypolls on 12 seats. The party also is examining the reasons for Rahul Gandhi’s defeat in Amethi.

Political expert Abdul Wahab said, “Yes, it is true that the Congress party workers did not work which was the main reason for the party’s defeat. The VIP culture is still prevalent within the Congress. There was a lack of communication between senior leadership and the party workers. Rahul Gandhi was the lone leader who was working for the party’s development.”

“Most of the MPs and Congress president of Maharashtra have lost polls. The Congress party’s cadre too has become weak. Leaders like Radhakrishna Vikhe-Patil have switched loyalties towards BJP. The party has failed to address the internal rift prevalent within the outfit,” he added.

A report citing the reasons behind the party’s defeat was also submitted to Priyanka. The non-cooperation of Samajwadi Party and Bahujan Samaj Party grassroot level workers also is another reason behind the party’s poor showing in the Lok Sabha elections. The Congress put up a poor show in Lok Sabha polls by winning a meagre 52 seats. In Karnataka, the party won only one seat with senior party leader Mallikarjun Kharge losing by a huge margin. The Congress won only three seats in three states — Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Chhattisgarh, where it formed governments in December 2018. This time also the party won’t be able to claim the post of Leader of Opposition (LoP).

NCP general secretary DP Tripathi said, “There are several reasons behind the defeat of the Congress party. The Congress leadership has failed to inspire party workers; hence, they did not work. It is not right to blame the workers for the defeat. The organisational structure of the party is weak.”

Rahul Gandhi had offered to step down in the aftermath of the Congress party’s poor performance in the Lok Sabha polls. Rahul had submitted his resignation to the Congress Working Committee but it was rejected by the CWC. Rahul, nonetheless, was adamant on his stand to resign. Later, Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala stated that Rahul will continue to remain as the Congress President.

#MeToo crusader Tanushree Dutta’s allegation falls flat, what’s in the fate of others?

Web Team

June 13, 2019

As per information received from the police department, actress Tanushree Dutta’s allegations against veteran actor Nana Patekar have fallen flat. The Mumbai Police has informed a local court that they haven’t found any evidence to prosecute actor Nana Patekar in a molestation case lodged against him by Dutta.

The suburban Oshiwara police on Wednesday filed a ‘B Summary’ report before a metropolitan magistrate in Andheri, Deputy Commissioner of Police Paramjit Singh Dahiya told PTI.

A ‘B-Summary’ report is filed when the police do not find any evidence against the accused person to file a charge sheet and seek trial.

After Hollywood felt the heat of MeToo movement and many reports came up against popular faces of the industry, Bollywood too took up the momentum following Dutta who filed a complaint against Patekar in October 2018 accusing the actor of harassing and misbehaving with her while shooting a song on the sets of the film “Horn Ok Pleasss” in 2008.

However, Tanushree Dutta’s advocate Nitin Satpute denied receiving any official information on the police closing the case.

“I have not received any official information from Oshiwara police station about classification of offence (Summary Report) from police on behalf of Tanushree Dutta, if police files any B or C classification of summery Report, that cannot be final, we can oppose before court and after hearing if court satisfies then again it can be directed police to reinvestigation or further investigations,” Satpute said.

He further added, “Police acted negligently to protect Nana Patekar, many witnesses statement not yet recorded, one Shyni Shetty’s statement was recorded partly; police have not investigated properly and we are opposing the summary reports and also going to file a writ petition before the Bombay High Court.”

She also alleged that during the shooting of the song sequence, Patekar inappropriately touched her even after she had clearly mentioned that she will not perform lewd, vulgar or uncomfortable steps. She filed an FIR and Nana Patekar has even stepped down from his upcoming film, ‘Housefull 4’. Rana Daggubati replaced Nana Patekar in the film.

A series of allegations that came out with the MeToo campaign got hell lot of support both from the industry and other fields. However, the campaign took an uglier turn when many well-known names from the industry got exposed.

Moreover, not only the entertainment industry, women from various other fields too started voicing in public about the harassment faced by them.

While Patekar’s name was creating enough hubbubs in the media, allegations of sexual misconduct against director Sajid Khan came as a shocker. Sajid Khan was that time directing ‘Housefull 4’. Starting with Saloni Chopra, Rachel White to journalist Karishma Upadhyay, all accused the filmmaker of sexual harassment. As a result, the director was pressured to step down as the director of the film.

Vikas Bahl, the director who was praised for her award-winning women-oriented film Queen starring Kangana Ranaut, was also accused of sexual harassment by an employee of Phantom Films. The victim, in an interview with HuffPost India, put some shocking allegations on the director. She alleged that Vikas Bahl masturbated on her back and also claimed that although she reached out to Anurag Kashyap, no action was taken against him. Following that, Kashyap dissolved the Phantom films production house which had Vikas Bahl as one of the co-owners. He even changed his Twitter bio to – Ashamed.

Subhash Ghai was also accused by an anonymous girl of raping her. During a Twitter conversation with writer Mahima Kukreja, the woman who didn’t want to reveal her name said that the filmmaker harassed her while she was working on a film with him. As per the Twitter chat, Ghai even spiked her drink during a late night music session and raped her in a hotel room.

The MeToo campaign came up with its ultimate shocker when the famous ‘Bapuji’ and the Bollywood’s ‘sanskari man’, the older and famous celebrity Alok Nath became next in line. He was accused of raping the writer of Tara. It took 19 years for Vinta Nanda, to speak up against the man. In a long Facebook post, Nanda explained how he misbehaved with her which eventually led to rape.

Adding more to the list, singer Sona Mohapatra accused singer Kailash Kher of sexual misconduct. T-Series head Bhushan Kumar, Chetan Bhagat, and Rajat Kapoor were also charged with the same. It was in reports that Kapoor has been accused of asking questions such as ‘Are you as sexy as you sound?’ Not just that, he also inquired about the girl’s body measurements.

Keeping the list open, a former newspaper writer accused famous actor Piyush Mishra. If reports are to be believed, then during a house party, Piyush Mishra misbehaved with a girl. Keeping herself anonymous, she mentioned that Piyush was a few drinks down. When the actor was asked the same, he was quick to apologise if it made the “lady uncomfortable”.

How and When did all these start?

MeToo movement was founded by Tarana Burke but began as a much needed social phenomenon in October 2017 as a hashtag started by American actress Alyssa Milano who shared her story of sexual assault against Harvey Weinstein. The hashtag caught like wildfire when women from across the world began talking about their survivor stories. In India, however, this MeToo movement didn’t take flight until actress Tanushree Dutta decided to speak up once against actor Nana Patekar. What began as one woman’s story soon became a phenomenon when names of powerful men in the country started surfacing. From actor Alok Nath to journalist MJ Akbar, the movement has brought to light many stories of sexual harassment and abuse.

After allegations against Harvey Weinstein, the use of the #MeToo hashtag on social media with respect to the event spread quickly in India, where sexual harassment is commonly referred to by the word ‘eve-teasing’, a term described as misleading, tame, and diluting the seriousness of the crime. In response to #MeToo, there have been attempts to teach Indian women about workplace rights and safe reporting, as well as educating men about the scope of the problem. Some have likened #MeToo to a 2012 social movement which followed a violent gang rape in New Delhi that later resulted in a woman’s death, which caused the Indian government to institute harsher punishments for rape. Others have suggested there was underlying public anger over a Delhi rape conviction that was overturned by Judge Ashutosh Kumar a month before against filmmaker and writer Mahmood Farooqui, ruling that a “feeble no” was not enough to revoke consent because it was typical for one partner to be less willing. The case is being appealed to the Supreme Court. Activist Jasmeen Patheja, head of Blank Noise, stated #MeToo’s power is in demonstrating India can no longer ignore the scope of the problem. Kaimini Jaiswal, a lawyer at the Supreme Court of India, stressed the importance of teaching women how to read, especially in rural villages, because most women in these areas are illiterate and completely financially and emotionally dependent on a male relative.

Blogger Sheena Dabolkar’s viral #MeToo tweet resulted in the boycott of Khodu Irani’s popular Pune pub High Spirits, by several well-known performers. Several women mentioned Mahesh Murthy, which initiated a police case in January 2018. Trends Desk of The Indian Express wrote that many Indian men are speaking up as a part of #MeToo, including discussions about consent and how some men are also abused. Rina Chandran of Reuters said #MeToo is ignoring the 600,000 women in India who are currently sex workers against their will and are typically poor without education or family. (With inputs from News agency)

Final budget before assembly polls: What all can we expect in the Monsoon session?

Web Team

June 13, 2019

Minister for Finance and Planning Sudhir Mungantiwar on Wednesday informed that the state government’s hilly region development program has received Rs 31.35 crores have been disbursement aiming that these regions can meet the expenses for four months from April to July 2019.

Stating that the government resolution (GR) in this regard has been issued by the planning department, Mungantiwar said that provision of Rs 95 crores was made in the state budget for the development of hilly regions for the financial year 2019-20. He said that out of this provision, this fund was made available for the hilly region.

The minister also said that the development program in the hilly areas — Thane, Palghar, Raigad, Ratnagiri, Sindhudurg, Pune, Satara, Sangli, Kolhapur, Aurangabad, Beed, Nanded, Hingoli, Nashik, Dhule, Jalgaon, Ahmednagar, Nandurbar, Amravati, Akola, Buldhana, and Yavatmal districts — would receive a boost with this fund. This money would have to be spent by adhering to prescribed terms and conditions. The GR was issued by the planning department on Wednesday.

On the other hand, the monsoon session of Maharashtra legislature will kick start on June 17 and the budget will be tabled on June 18. After a remarkable win in the recently concluded Lok Sabah polls and keeping eyes stuck on the upcoming state assembly polls while this is going to be the last budget session before the poll arrives, the budget session is expected to see maximum populist schemes. Maharashtra Assembly elections are scheduled to be held in October this year.

Besides the government’s decision to allot money for the hilly regions that were announced in the last interim budget earlier this year and which reportedly got implemented recently, the monsoon session budget likely to have schemes favouring infrastructure development and farmers incentive.

With delayed monsoons and depleting surface and groundwater levels resulting in drought-like conditions in most parts of the country especially in Maharashtra, and the apparent failure of Jalayukt Shivar scheme, the eyes are also on the recently included Jalshakti Ministry in the central government. Budget allocation towards resolving water woes in the state will also be a significant point this time. Jalshakti Ministry is one of the manifesto promises of the ruling party that became a reality on the very day of the oath-taking ceremony of the present government.

The new Jalshakti Ministry is a conglomerate of erstwhile Ministry of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation and the Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation, and the charge of this ministry has gone to Gajendra Singh Shekhawat.

The Maharashtra government had presented an interim budget with an estimated revenue deficit of Rs 19,784 crore in February this year.

The Monsoon session will be three weeks long and there will be 15 working days. The last day of the sessions is on July 5. While June 19 and June 20 have been kept for discussion on governor’s address to both the Houses that will take place on the first day of the session, discussion on the budget will take place between June 21 and June 24. Supplementary demands will be debated on June 27.

Last year, the Monsoon session was held in Nagpur, the second capital of Maharashtra. All eyes will be on the election of deputy chairman of the Legislative Council and appointment of the Leader of Opposition in the Legislative Assembly.

The post of the Deputy Chairman has been lying vacant since the term of Congress leader Manikrao Thakre came to end.

The post of the Leader of Opposition in the Legislative Assembly fell vacant after incumbent Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil of Congress resigned during the Lok Sabha elections.

Unsold Housing Inventory Overhang Hits New Low of 30 Months in 2 Years

Web Team

June 13, 2019

low hits — Image Courtesy: MagicBricks.com

Top 7 cities’ unsold inventory declines from 50 months in Q1 2017 to 30 months this quarter
Unsold inventory in Delhi-NCR drops to 50% – from 90 months in Q1 2017 to 45 months in Q1 2019
Bangalore & Hyderabad’s current inventory levels at all-time low of 15 months each
Pune’s unsold inventory at 28 months, followed by Chennai with 30 months; MMR & Kolkata with 35 months each
Top 7 cities’ cumulative unsold stock declines by 16% in 2 years – at 6.65 lakh units in Q1 2019

Indian homebuyers are gradually returning to the market and taking advantage of favourable property prices and cuts in GST and home loan rates earlier this year. ANAROCK’s most recent data reveals that residential inventory in the top 7 cities overhang plunged to 30 months’ worth in Q1 2019 against 50 months in the corresponding period in 2017.

Inventory measured in months indicates how many months it will take for the current unsold housing stock on the market to sell. At any given period, an inventory overhang of 18-24 months is considered fairly healthy.

Source: ANAROCK Research

Housing sales recorded in Q1 2017 were merely 46,000 units across the top 7 cities. Sales rose by a whopping 71% in two years to reach nearly 78,520 units in Q1 2019.

Anuj Puri, Chairman – ANAROCK Property Consultants says, “Average property prices across cities have largely maintained status quo and saw less than 2% rise in the last two years – from INR 5,480 per sq. ft. in Q1 2017 to INR 5,570 per sq. ft. in Q1 2019. While the top 7 cities saw a cumulative drop of 16% in overall unsold housing stock in the last two years, Bangalore saw the maximum decline. The city saw pent-up housing inventory reduce by a 44% – from nearly 1,18700 units in Q1 2017 to 66,820 units in Q1 2019.Hyderabad followed with a 21% decline in the same period.”

Delhi-NCR saw unsold stock decrease by a significant 18% during this period, leaving the other ‘heavyweight’ market MMR far behind. MMR cleared a mere 4% of its unsold inventory in the same period. In short, NCR has halved its unsold housing inventory overhang – from 90 months in Q1 2017 to 45 months in Q1 2019.

The current housing inventory level now stands at 6.65 lakh units across the top 7 cities – nowhere near the lowest level of 4.96 lakh units seen in 2013. However, the extremely worrisome trend of rising inventory since 2014 onwards has effectively been arrested, with data clearly suggesting a q-o-q unsold stock decline in the 7 main cities from Q1 2017 onward. In the coming quarters, a stable government at the Centre will boost buyer confidence further and increase housing sales velocity.

ANAROCK’s recent Consumer Sentiment Survey also confirms that over 60% of prospective buyers plan to take the property plunge in 2019. Apart from favourable property prices, GST rate cuts and multiple sops for first-time and budget home buyers played key roles in this improvement.

Tier 2 & 3 Cities the New Draws for over 25% Real Estate Investors

Web Team

June 13, 2019

Ahmedabad, Jaipur, Chandigarh, Nashik & Kochi top favourite among Tier 2 & 3 destinations
Bangalore 2nd-most preferred investment destination with 21% votes in favour, followed by Pune with 18%
For over 30% NRIs, Bangalore is the hot favourite investment hub
Low property prices coupled with improved infrastructure facilities in Tier 2 & 3 cities the primary investment magnets

Anuj Puri, Chairman – ANAROCK Property Consultants

The quintessential Indian’s yen for investing in real estate continues. The latest data vouchsafes the visible return of investor sentiment for real estate, and the enthusiasm is not limited to traditional property hotspots of the big cities. ANAROCK’s recent second edition of its Consumer Sentiment Survey confirms that investors are equally – if not more – upbeat on the prospects that India’s Tier 2 & 3 cities offer.

Lack of affordability in the larger cities is the primary hurdle to the largest investor base, and property investors are now looking at smaller towns and cities. However, their increasing bullishness on Tier 2 & 3 cities as against their tier 1 counterparts is not just on account of their relatively more affordable property prices, but also because of their better growth prospects.

Infrastructure – The Connecting Force

It is fairly well known that the metros are bursting at the seams and that new infrastructure – the most effective driver of real estate growth – in the larger cities is almost always ‘too little, too late’, at best retrospective, and incredibly hard to deploy. In contrast, Tier 2 & 3 cities have ample scope for Greenfield, forward-looking infrastructure development to drive employment, and therefore capital and rental value appreciation.

The infrastructure thrust in these cities is also supported by Government initiatives like Smart Cities and AMRUT, which have seen a much better uptake in smaller cities. When fully implemented these initiatives will have a huge impact on the respective cities’ real estate market. Already, many Tier 2 & 3 cities offer superior rental growth prospects due to better job opportunities.

ANAROCK’s Consumer Sentiment Survey – H1 2019 indicates that nearly 26% of property investors prefer Tier 2 & 3 cities. The top favourite real estate investment hotspots among these smaller cities include Ahmedabad, Jaipur, Chandigarh, Nashik and Kochi. Bangalore and Pune were the other hot favourite investment destinations, garnering 21% and 18% up-votes respectively.

In contrast to previous years, investors are becoming increasingly comfortable with betting on the real estate markets of other cities than the ones they live in. Also, given the survey’s wide bandwidth of respondents, it is evident that Tier 2 & 3 cities’ real estate is attractive to investors with both big and modest budgets and risk appetite.

The reasoning among all classes of investors remains uniform – these cities’ affordable property prices, growing infrastructure and faster adoption of Smart City concepts present a compelling investment rationale. However, the survey also reveals that the smaller cities that Tier 1 city-based investors prefer the most are still those closest to their own cities of residence.

In Chennai, 21% of respondents want to invest in nearby Tier 2 & 3 cities such as Vellore, Coimbatore, Mahabalipuram, etc., followed by Bangalore as their second choice.
In Delhi–NCR, nearly 12% prefer to invest in nearby cities like Sonipat, Jaipur and Chandigarh, followed by Bangalore and MMR respectively.
In MMR (no surprise here) Pune is the first choice, followed by Bangalore and select Tier 2 & 3 cities

The preference of investors based in Tier 2 & 3 cities presents a sharp contrast – 40% of respondents from these cities prefer to invest in the top 7 cities:

28% in Bangalore
25% in Delhi-NCR
17% in Pune, and
12% in MMR.

Tier 2 & 3 Cities – The Future Growth Engines

In the initial leg of this Government-driven mission, the ‘Smart City’ tag allotted to several smaller towns and cities itself opened up opportunities in their respective real estate markets, with housing sales seeing some traction even during the lull period.

As per ANAROCK data, Lucknow saw overall housing sales rise by 19% in 2018 against the previous year. Ongoing infrastructure developments including Metro deployment, increased connectivity to the national capital via Agra Expressway, and huge employment-driven inward migration from nearby smaller towns and villages boosted Lucknow’s housing market considerably.

Investors are also aware that more and more private equity investors have been turning their focus on Tier 2 & 3 cities in the last four years. As per ANAROCK’s latest PE report Private Equity in Indian Real Estate, nearly USD 1.37 bn were pumped into real estate markets across various smaller cities, including Bhubaneshwar, Chandigarh, Ahmedabad, Mohali, Indore and Amritsar, between 2015-2018.

Given that PE players have matchless due diligence protocols, it is fairly easy to follow the leaders as they tap into the potential of India’s upcoming real estate goldmines.

Get Live Updates on Cyclone Vayu directly from IMD

Web Team

June 13, 2019

Indian Meteorological Department today on Twitter shared links for any assistance and information regarding the ‘severe’ Cyclone Vayu which was expected to hit Gujarat early on Thursday; however, as per the updated information from the concerned department, Cyclone Vayu will not hit Gujarat as it changed its trajectory overnight and moved further into the sea.

However, the coastal areas in the state and the neighbouring states are continued to be on high alert as strong winds and rough seas are expected for the next 24 to 48 hours. As a precautionary measure, more than three lakh people were evacuated from the coastal district and the union territory of Diu on Wednesday. Reports suggest that as many as 52 teams of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) have been deployed for rescue and relief operations. Prime Minister Narendra Modi also tweeted to say that the centre was constantly monitoring the situation. Apart from the NDRF, the Coast Guard, Army, Navy, Air Force, and the Border Security Force too have been put on high alert.

“To view latest Bulletins related to Cyclone VAYU Kindly Visit

Click here https://www.rsmcnewdelhi.imd.gov.in/imag …/bulletin/indian.pdf,” the weather department’s twitter handle @Indiametdept shared today in the afternoon.

As per hourly bulletin published by India Meteorological Department Earth System Science Organisation (Ministry of Earth Science) on “very severe Cyclonic storm Vayu over North East and adjoining East Central Arabian Sea”, the cyclonic storm remained practically stationary and lay centered at 11.30 hrs IST of today, June 13, 2019, near LAT. 20.5n and long. 69.3e over northeast and adjoining east central Arabian sea about 170 km south-southwest of Diu, 120 km southwest of Veraval (Gujarat) and 130 km nearly south of Porbandar (Gujarat).

The wind speed of the cyclone nearly at that time was reportedly at 135-145 kmph gusting to 160 kmph. Veraval and Porbandar show 24-hour pressure fall of 5.9 and 4.8 HPA and wind direction/speed ESEly/20 and NNEly /25 kts respectively.

The report also forecasted that Vayu is very likely to move north-northwestwards for some time and then northwestwards skirting the Saurashtra coast affecting Gir Somnath, Diu, Junagarh, Porbandar, and Devbhoomi Dwarka with a wind speed of 135-145 kmph gusting to 160 kmph from the afternoon of June 13, 2019.

#CycloneVayu UPDATE- #TEAMNDRFINDIA
52 Teams Ready to meet any evatuality. #BeAlert#BeSafe
#NDRF4INDIA @satyaprad1 @PIBHomeAffairs @ndmaindia pic.twitter.com/r286q2SJVd

— NDRF (@NDRFHQ) June 13, 2019

Vayu brings Gujarat on high alert: Citizens on tenterhooks as a 1998 cyclone took 10,000 lives

Web Team

June 13, 2019

Gujrat on hig aler, Cyclone Vayu, Cyclone in Gujrat — Image Courtesy: Moneycontrol

It is a major relief for millions of people in Gujarat as severe Cyclone Vayu which was set to make landfall on Thursday along the Gujarat coast, has changed its course and moved into the sea. According to the Indian Meteorological Department, Cyclone Vayu has changed its trajectory overnight and is now moving further into the sea. However, it has warned that the cyclone can cause substantial damage even without hitting the ground, asks citizens to remain alert. In spite of this, the region will experience the effect of strong winds and heavy rains. In 1998, a severe cyclone had killed 10,000 people and over 11,000 animals in Gujarat. It had damaged the port city of Kandla.

It is worth mentioning that Cyclone Vayu is the second deadliest cyclone to hit the state since 1998 that had ravaged port town Kandla killing 1,241 persons. This is also the second severe cyclonic storm to hit the country this year. Earlier in May the eastern coast of India was hit by Cyclone Fani, leaving a trail of destruction in Odisha. Cyclonic storm Fani left 64 persons dead and at least 241 people injured last month. The worst-hit Puri and Khurda districts of the state are yet struggling to come back on the track.

The secretary at the Ministry of Earth Sciences M Rajeevan told PTI, “Cyclone Vayu may not make landfall. It will only skirt the coast. It has made a small deviation. But, its effect will be there with strong winds and heavy rain,”

The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) tweeted, “ Cyclone ‘VAYU’ over the Arabian Sea at 0530 hrs IST of today, the 13th June 2019 about 150 km south-southwest of Diu, 110 km southwest of Veraval (Gujarat) & 150 km south of Porbandar (Gujarat).To skirt Saurashtra coast with wind speed 135-145 kmph from today afternoon.”

Gujarat is still on alert. Nearly 3 lakh people from low-lying areas had already been evacuated and shifted to safer locations before the arrival of the cyclone. The Indian Army, Navy, and NDRF were put on standby for any emergencies. They continue to be on alert even after the threat of the cyclone has reduced.

Meanwhile, flight operations from Ahmedabad to Porbandar, Diu, Kandla, Mundra, and Bhavnagar, continued to remain cancelled for Thursday. Many trains are also cancelled.

Prior to this, the 1998 Gujarat cyclone was a deadly tropical cyclone that killed at least 10,000 people in India. It made landfall on June 4, 1998, and dissipated on June 10, 1998. Over 11,000 animals were killed. Over 162,000 structures were damaged or destroyed throughout the affected area and damages amounted to Rs 120 billion.

The 2015 Gujarat cyclone, officially referred to as Deep Depression ARB 02, brought heavy rains to Gujarat in June 2015. It made landfall on 22 June 2015 and dissipated on 24 June 2015. Following heavy rains, Gujarat was affected by floods. The flood is also known as the June 2015 Gujarat flood or 2015 Amreli flood. The floods resulted in at least 81 deaths. The wildlife of Gir Forest National Park and the adjoining area was also affected. The Gir Forest National Park and adjoining area housing Asiatic lions, an endangered species with only 523 living individuals documented in May 2015, was severely affected. The carcasses of 10 lions, 1670 Nilgai, 87 spotted deer, nine black bucks, six wild boars and some porcupines were also recovered.

In 2017, very severe cyclonic storm Ockhi devastated parts of Sri Lanka and India. In its entirety, Cyclone Ockhi left a trail of massive destruction in Sri Lanka, Lakshadweep, South India, and The Maldives, as it strengthened from a depression to a mature cyclone. Though it rapidly weakened during its final stages over the Arabian Sea, it caused heavy rainfall along the western coast of India, particularly in Maharashtra and Gujarat. Ockhi caused at least 245 fatalities, including 218 in India and 27 in Sri Lanka, and the storm left at least 550 people missing, mainly fishermen.

Gujarat in constant touch with Odisha

The Gujarat government is in constant touch with Odisha in view of the eastern state’s successful handing of similar calamities like cyclone Fani in May this year and cyclone Titli last year. According to sources, Gujarat chief secretary JN Singh called up his Odisha counterpart AP Padhi and sought Odisha’s advice on how to tackle the cyclonic storm on a war-footing. Padhi said, “Gujarat chief secretary had called me up and discussed the measures to be taken ahead of the landfall. We have offered all kind of help to Gujarat. However, the Gujarat chief secretary has said that they will seek further help if required keeping the situation in view.” The Odisha government offered all help to Gujarat, which has launched a massive evacuation exercise to shift people from low-lying areas of Saurashtra and Kutch regions.

Here is a list of Dos and Donts to keep people safe and alert during the tough times.

During/after the cyclone (if indoors)

Switch off electrical mains, gas supply.
Keep doors and windows shut.
If your house is unsafe, leave early before the onset of the cyclone.
Listen to a radio/transistor.
Drink boiled/chlorinated water.
Rely only on official warnings.

During/after the cyclone (if outdoors)

Don’t enter damaged buildings.
Watch out for broken electric poles, wires, other sharp objects.
Seek a safe shelter ASAP.

For fishermen

Keep a radio set with extra batteries handy.
Keep boats/rafts tied in a safe place.
Don’t venture out to sea.
Avoid listening to rumours at such times.

Congress cutting a sorry figure

Jayanthy Subramaniam

June 13, 2019

rahul gandhi column — Image Courtesy: newsclick.in

Ever since election debacle, the age-old Congress party is cutting a sorry figure and now struggle to stand one in the aftermath of the drubbing it faced in the mandate. The debacle is their own making as the party could not project what they proposed to do and instead of showering abuses on PM Modi and Shah and that move boomeranged.

The party was destined to lose and instead of consolidating party’s position, the party cadre passed on the abuses on India’s successful Prime Minister like their party President and that was the beginning of the end. Now, the party cadre felt that it is important to protect the unity and integrity of the party and as the Congress President, it is his duty to ensure this. The Congress seems to be in a state of confusion and uncertainty ever since Rahul Gandhi told the Congress Working Committee (CWC) on May 25 that he would step down as party chief and his position was ‘non-negotiable.’

Dynastic political power is an integral part of Congress and it will have to continue. Both Moily and Prof. Sriprakash Singh have hit the nail on the head while observing that Congress President Rahul Gandhi should keep the party presidentship with himself and decide on who will lead the party ahead putting thereby the indecision looming large over the grand old party following his decision to step down to an end and also to save the party from fragmental crisis.

The veteran Congress leader’s assertions come in the backdrop of open factional fights in States like Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Haryana, and desertions in Telangana, and Maharashtra. When the leadership does not act, all these things will happen. The Congress president needs to quell such indiscipline with an iron hand. The only way forward is for Gandhi to continue in his post or he himself appoints an executive working president. This way, the new leader will have acceptability,

This is only excused doing round since long that only family person from Gandhi can keep unity is wrong. Kennedy family in the USA is not there. There are so many young talented in congress so using this tool will bring no results. Let him step down. The present BJP is ultra strong. It is a blessing in disguise for the party in power at present. More you oil Rahul and Sonia for the party leadership, more there is the wreckage of the ship in the Bay of Bengal. That is what needed. Common people can breathe properly and peacefully in a Congress-free India.

Rahul was vehemently criticising the move of their leaders to bring their sons of the soil to the fore. In a rare outburst, Rahul blamed the senior leaders including Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath, and former Union Minister P Chidambaram for putting personal interests above the party’s as their sons were contesting the Lok Sabha election.

Some are born Leaders, Some achieve Leadership and some have Leadership thrust upon them. Rahul Gandhi seems to be in the third category. He should allow Congress to grow and flourish on its own. Congress does not need only Gandhis to reign over. It can be achieved with restructuring cadre base, bringing internal democracy, listening to the grievances of marginal Karyakartas and of course reaching out to the common people. The picnic part-time politics won’t work anymore for Rahul and Priyanka. If they can’t dedicate, they should leave it to others to take over. The ivory tower approach needs to be changed. India needs a stronger opposition to run this country swiftly and efficiently and not to mention to hold the Government responsible and accountable. In all, Congress is cutting a very sorry figure.

(The views expressed by the author in the article are his/her own.)

Letters to the Editor: 13 June, 2019

Web Team

June 13, 2019

Offering freebies is insult to today’s women

Offering free public transport to women by the Delhi State government headed by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal is a poll gimmick before elections. This is an insult and disrespect to the fair sex who are being used in dirty politics by the Chief Minister who is trying to woo women voters with freebies when he has nothing to show by way of achievements during his tenure. We are today living in an era of equality and women in no way are inferior to men. Services that come without cost are not just unreliable but undesirable as well. Security for women is a major concern in Delhi and free transport would mean compromising on safety as security services costs a lot of money.

Mumbai doesn’t need such gimmicks and people would rather prefer to pay for their travel but expect quality commuting in the bargain. Politicians should behave rationally and election tantrums to please voters should be avoided as citizens have become educated today. People expect good governance and not freebies as the parliamentary elections just gone by is an example where leaders who gave false promises were rejected by the people.

S.N. Kabra

Abolition of bank charges a right step

The Reserve Bank of India has taken a practical step in right direction by waiving bank-charges for Real Time Gross Settlement RTGS and National Electronic Funds Transfer. It is noteworthy that money-transfer through cheque-clearing costs much costlier to banks than electronic-transfer of RTGS and NEFT. To further encourage cashless transactions, transaction-charges on payments received through credit or debit cards should be totally abolished. Banks issuing credit-cards can be compensated by government through funds saved by abolition of various incentives announced at time of demonetisation on November 8, 2016 like on purchase of petrol-diesel through cards. It is also time to abolish penalty for not having some stipulated Minimum-Balance in banks at a time when government encourages even zero-balance accounts.

Cashless-transactions can be further encouraged by imposing cash-withdrawal limit for individuals to say rupees 48,000 per month and by introducing seven-day working of all banks for twelve hours daily in two shifts by giving bank-employees two weekly holidays by rotation like is being done even presently by some smaller banks of private-sector.

Subhash Chandra Agrawal

Reduction in repo rates should be passed to existing loan takers

Reserve Bank of India has announced further cut in repo-rate to 5.75-per cent making it lowest since the year 2010. However banks and Non-Banking-Financial-Companies luring new loan-takers by offering competitive lower interest-rates, is not passing benefit of reduced repo-rate to existing loan-takers. RBI should make it compulsory for all banks and NBFCs to pass on benefit of lower interest-rates because of cut in repo-rate to existing loan-takers without being asked for.

It is also time to discourage loan-business by imposing a total ban on financing of NBFCs by banks. It is not fair that NBFCs are financed by banks for money-lending business instead of banks directly giving loans without involving NBFCs as middle-agencies. There should be a total ban on telephone-calls encouraging people to avail loans. Foreclosure-charges on every type of loan should be totally abolished to allow loan-takers happy exit from loans. It should be ensured that interest-rates for education-loan should be lowest even lower than that for home-loans.

Some highest limit of interest-rate should be fixed for loans either by banks or private individuals, firms, agencies etc. Even abnormally high interest-rate of about 48-per cent per annum on credit-card defaults or accepting provision of boldly-written Minimum-Amount-Payable on credit-card statements should be covered by suggested highest interest-rates.

Madhu Agrawal

Maharashtra is facing severe drought

Maharashtra state is in the grip of drought and it is better than late that both Uddhav Thackeray and Aaditya Thackeray have decided to visit drought hit areas in the state. The state is facing drought situation with over 75 per cent hit by severe drought due to lack of monsoon rains for the last five years. There will be no dearth of issues for the state government in this peculiar situation. In these districts, the yield in 141255 hectares was badly hit as the rain was below average. Apart from that Yavatmal, Chandrapur, Jalgaon, Dhule, Satara and Sangli are suffering for decades and this year the situation is becoming bad to worse. It is time to rush up aid and Sena the coalition partner of BJP in Maharashtra must act swiftly. The mission by Sena leaders may yield fruitful results if the aid reaches farmers in time.

Chitra Rugmini

Today’s Hindi films lack substance

These days, Hindi films have little substance. They are full of sex and violence. Gone are the days when we had good productions such as Aar Paar, Howrah Bridge, Chalti ka Naam Gaadi, Prem Kahani, Gharonda, Geet Gaata Chal, Do Phool, Rajnigandha and Chhoti Si Baat.

Jubel D’Cruz

(The views expressed by the author in the article are his/her own.)

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