The Supreme Court today sought the Centre’s reply on a fresh plea of farmers’ rganisations challenging the legality of re-promulgation of the Land Acquisition Ordinance.

A bench comprising Justices J S Khehar and Adarsh Kumar Goel asked the central government to file its response to the PIL, filed by farmers body, Delhi Gramin Samaj, in four weeks.

The NDA government had recently re-promulgated the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement (Amendment) Ordinance, 2015, after it lapsed on June 4. The ordinance was first promulgated in Dcember last year, re-promulgated in April this year and
again in May.

The bench had also issued the notice to the Centre on April 13 after the ordinance was first re-promulgated. The fresh plea was to be filed as the new ordinance was issued.

Senior advocate Indira Jaising, appearing for the petitioners including Delhi Grameen Samaj, has been seeking urgent hearing.

The Delhi government will set up “aam aadmi canteens” to provide “good quality, hygienic and nutritious food” to people for up to Rs.10, it was announced on Thursday.

Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday formally approved the proposal by the Delhi Dialogue Commission (DDC), its vice chairman Ashish Khetan told the media.

The food would be sold at “reasonable rates — with the maximum amount being Rs.10”, Khetan said.

Khetan said the model was prepared after a survey was conducted in Tamil Nadu and Odisha where such canteens are operating.

He did not divulge the approximate cost of the project.

“It will be our plan to set up these canteens within the next one or two months. In the first phase, we will set up the aam aadmi canteens at hospitals, industrial areas, colleges and commercial hubs,” Khetan added.

The canteens would be run by the department of food and supplies.

Aiming to end the 25-year rule of Lalu-Nitish combine in Bihar, BJP president Amit Shah on Thursday addressed a rally in Patna launching a frontal attack on the duo.

Shah, in his rally, touched upon issues of ‘jungle raaj’, poverty and development in the state of Bihar.

The BJP leader asked the crowd attending the rally if they wish the jungle raaj to return to Bihar again by bringing Nitish and Lalu to power? Shah asked, “Tell me, if Nitish and Lalu return to power, will the jungle raaj once again come to the state?”

Asking for people’s vote, he said if people of the state wants to eradicate poverty they should bring the BJP to power in the upcoming crucial assembly elections later this year.

“Poverty doesn’t have any caste or creed, if you want to eradicate poverty you must form BJP government in Bihar,” Shah said in his address.

Making another pitch for the votes in Bihar by cashing in on the prime minister’s popularity, Shah said that Narendra Modi face is imprinted in people’s hearts.

Toeing BJP’s line of development, he said, “Solution to all problems of Bihar lies with development, if you want development you must form NDA’s government under Modiji’s leadership.”

BJP’s victory in the recently Legislative Council has also come as a boost for the party.

The party has suggested that it would not announce any chief ministerial candidate and would again rely on the appeal of Modi who is likely to hold anywhere between 15 and 20 rallies in the state, starting from July 25.

The party fears that announcement of any chief ministerial choice will antagonise other state leaders.

A 32-year-old woman in New Delhi has been arrested after an autorickshaw driver complained that she forcibly tried to have sex with him, police said on Thursday.

Another woman, said to be from Tanzania and who reportedly tried to film the act, was on the run, Inspector Vishuddhanand Jha at the Safdarjung Enclave police station told.

Driver Umesh Prasad, 41, alleged that one of the women, Renu Lalwani, hired his autorickshaw on Wednesday afternoon in Saket in South Delhi and wanted to go to Arjun Nagar, about seven kilometres away.

At Arjun Nagar, she invited the driver to her flat on the pretext of paying him.

After offering him water to drink, Lalwani suddenly locked the doors from inside and sought sexual favours from the driver which he denied, Jha said.

The woman “then offered him wine which he again refused to take. Frustrated, she forced herself on him, tore his clothes and kissed him while her roommate filmed the whole incident”, the officer said.

After about an hour, “when the two women went to the other room for a discussion, the driver jumped out of the first floor balcony and fractured his foot”, Jha said.

Police said they had arrested Lalwani and were looking for the foreigner, identified only as Hitija.

Police found four badges and four driving licenses of auto drivers from Lalwani. Police believe the women may have been trapped other drivers similarly.