Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Sunday launched the Chief Minister’s Institutional Plantation Programme at Janata Bhawan in Guwahati on Sunday.
On the mark of Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav, the Assam government plans to plant saplings in 80,000 government offices premises from July 17 to August 15.
The Assam Chief Minister appeals to all government employees to plant 75 Amrit Briksha in each government office premise.
He also said that the state forest department must commission Drone surveys in all reserve forest areas every six months.
He directed the forest department to go after a zero-tolerance policy against encroachment encroachers.
Senior lawmaker and advocate Kapil Sibal feels that the judiciary must be more sensitive to people’s concerns over ”violation of fundamental rights” and ensure that central agencies are not misused for political reasons.
Sibal, who had quit the Congress a few months back and is presently an Independent Rajya Sabha MP, said the courts must proactively protect people’s fundamental rights and the institutions from being misused.
He said certain judgements of the courts reflect the state of the judiciary in the country.
”I think the judiciary should be more sensitive to these concerns (violation of fundamental rights) and take up the causes. There are only two institutions that can protect the fundamental rights of our citizens: the media by bringing to the fore grave issues of violations that are taking place, and the court. I have seen in the past that in some cases, that has not happened,” Sibal told PTI in an interview.
When asked whether the Opposition has failed to protect the rights of the people, he said it is the duty of the courts.
”If there is an onslaught on the institutions of this country, if those institutions are being misused for political gains, if people are being incarcerated, who must protect them? The Opposition? No. ”The institutions need protection from the courts. The courts need to be sensitive to concerns, so that agencies are not misused for political purposes. The courts must proactively protect people who are languishing in jails for implausible reasons,” he said.
Sibal, however, declined to comment on whether the judiciary has been politicised.
”I don’t want to make any comment on that. The judgements of the courts reflect the state of the judiciary…since 2014, there have been certain decisions that make me worry,” he said.
The veteran parliamentarian slammed the BJP-led Union government for trying to stifle Opposition voices in the Parliament by banning protests.
”This is unprecedented and unacceptable. Never have we seen such a situation. To peacefully protest is a democratic right. They want to stop any form of stir; this is what they want,” he said.
Demonstrations, dharnas and religious ceremonies cannot be held in the precincts of the Parliament, according to a circular issued by the Rajya Sabha Secretariat.
The directive has drawn the ire of the Opposition even as Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla has insisted that such notices are being issued for years.
Commenting on the way forward from the present situation in the country, the former Union minister said ”people’s realisation” of the need for a change to ensure a better future will change the current scenario.
”Things won’t change unless people realise that in the years to come, the nature of the State will change, and their children and grandchildren may not have the future as envisaged by them,” he said.
Regarding Opposition unity, Sibal said only time would tell how it will take shape.
He, however, ruled out that leadership would be an issue.
”Leaders always emerge. Narendra Modi emerged (as leader of BJP)…before that, we didn’t see any leaders emerging in the saffron party for many years,” he said.
When asked whether West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee can lead the Opposition, Sibal lauded the TMC supremo as a ”great fighter” but said it was for the Opposition parties to decide.
”Don’t make me comment on individuals. She is a great fighter; she has the energy of a leader, but I have no idea what happens in the future,” he said.
Rubbishing claims by certain Opposition parties that the country should learn lessons from the Sri Lankan crisis, Sibal said the economic situation in the island nation could not be compared with that of India.
”I think every country has its own environment where such things happen. I don’t think you can compare the situation in India with that of Sri Lanka. I don’t think we are in a situation where we would default on our debt. I am sure all of us – common people, businessmen and leaders — can get together to ensure that India thrives and gets stronger economically in the years to come,” he said.
Two friends riding a motorcycle were killed after a speeding truck hit their two-wheeler on the Mumbai-Nashik highway in Maharashtra, police said on Sunday.
The accident took place around 8.30 pm on Saturday near the Kharigaon toll bridge in Thane district.
The two persons on the motorcycle were heading towards Govandi in neighbouring Mumbai when the truck hit their vehicle from behind, an official from Narpoli police station said.
Both of them fell and died on the spot. The deceased have been identified as Muzammil Bharkatullah Shaikh (25) and his friend Naushad Alam Nizamuddin Ansari (25). The bodies were sent for postmortem.
The police have registered a case against the truck driver, who is yet to be arrested, under provisions of the Indian Penal Code and the Motor Vehicles Act, the official said.
Crime branch of Mumbai Police arrested two people and recovered 490 Smart Phones, 9.59 KGs of Ganja 174 bottles of liquor and two swords from Mankhurd said the police on Friday.
According to police, the accused arrested used to allegedly buy stolen phones and sell them in other states of the country.
In June 2022, Crime Branch Unit 6 constable Sambhaji Kolekar received a tip-off that a person staying in Maharashtra Nagar buys stolen or lost smartphones.
Passing this information to his superiors Inspector Ravindra Salunkhe, Incharge of Unit 6 of Mumbai crime branch formed a team to verify the tip off and understand the modus operandi of the person.
On July 15, the team raided a house and recovered smartphones including 41 iPhones, 174 bottles of country made and foreign liquor, a laptop and 2 swords, the total value of the seized property amounts to Rs 74.78 Lakh.
The officials have also arrested two accused, who were identified as Mehboob Khan (37) and Fiyaz Akbar Sheikh (31), said the police.
Amid the ongoing economic crisis, the upcoming Asia Cup 2022, which was supposed to be hosted by Sri Lanka is now likely to be shifted to UAE.
According to ANI sources in Sri Lanka Cricket Board, the country is facing a huge financial crisis and the board has finally taken a decision to shift the tournament to another country.
“Yes, we are planning to shift the tournament to UAE. We have discussed this matter with the ACC officials and soon we will officially announce this,” a source told ANI.
Despite facing the crisis, Sri Lanka had recently hosted Australia for a multi-format series. The series was highly competitive and saw good cricket from both sides. Australia won the T20I series 2- 1, the ODI series was won by Sri Lanka 3-2, while the Warne-Murli Trophy in Tests was shared after the two-match series ended in a 1-1 draw.
Sri Lanka is facing a severe shortage of fuel and other essential supplies and is in the throes of its worst economic crisis with soaring inflation. The oil supply shortage has forced schools and government offices to close until further notice.
Reduced domestic agricultural production, a lack of foreign exchange reserves, and local currency depreciation have fuelled the shortages. Sri Lanka’s multiple crises have been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic which saw the collapse of the crucial tourism industry, which provides foreign currency for imported fuel and medical supplies, and rocked by the supply chain crisis precipitated by the Ukraine war.
The economic crisis will push families into hunger and poverty – some for the first time – adding to the half a million people who the World Bank estimates have fallen below the poverty line because of the pandemic.
This economic crisis has also led to a political crisis, with people expressing their frustration against the government, which led to president Gotbaya Rajapaksa resigning from his post.
Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe was sworn in as president on a temporary basis on Friday, and Sri Lanka’s parliamentarians are due to begin the process of selecting a new president on Saturday, before taking a formal vote on July 20.
Amidst the crisis in Sri Lanka, India has extended this year alone support of over USD 3.8 billion for ameliorating the serious economic situation in the island nation as a mark of its Neighbourhood First policy.
At least eight people were killed and 30 others were injured in two separate traffic accidents that took place in Afghanistan’s Baghlan province, media reported citing health officials on Saturday.
Baghlan’s head of the information and culture directorate Malawi Mustafa Hashemi said that a bus, carrying passengers from Kabul to Balkh, collided with a truck near the city of Pul-e-Khumri at around 2 am on Saturday, TOLO News reported.
“I was sleeping when the accident happened,” said Herat resident Mohammad Nabi, who was wounded during the incident. Nabi said that he was travelling to Samangan from Kabul adding that his son and his brother were also wounded, local media reported. “During the trip, I was falling asleep and the incident happened,” said another passenger Ali Mohammad.
The officials added that the people who were injured during the incident were taken to two hospitals in Baghlan and Samangan provinces. Baghlan Hospital’s head Mohammad Anwar Wardak said, “We admitted 15 injured, including a child and a woman.
Some of the wounded were discharged.” The officials added that the incident resulted in eight casualties. At least four people were wounded when a vehicle lost its control in the Doshi district in Baghlan on Friday evening, local media reported.
In a similar incident, three people were killed in a road accident that took place in Baghlan province in May, media reported citing traffic police.
The incident took place in Baghlan-e-Markazi district, Xinhua News Agency reported quoting Qari Nazir Abidi, traffic police.
Heavy rainfall in Uttarakhand's Chamoli damages NH-7 8
Due to the heavy rainfall in Chamoli district, the road at National Highway-07 has been extensively damaged.
Traffic with caution has also been restored in two severely damaged locations of Km. 398+500(Karanprayag) and Km. 419+900(Pursari) and the contractor is in the process of restoring the road in full width.
Recent media reports have alleged that the government has engaged a blacklisted company for the execution of the prestigious Chardham Project.
National Highways and Infrastructure Development (NHIDCL) hereby clarifies that no blacklisted contractor is engaged on any of its projects and the selection of contractors for its projects are made after a prescribed due diligent process.
The companies engaged are executing a number of Central and State Government infrastructure projects.
The roads are being constructed on EPC mode in which the contractor is responsible for the restoration of defects for four years even after construction. NHIDCL is committed to building high-quality highway infrastructure in the country.
After successfully leading Bangladesh to a 3-0 win over West Indies in the ODI series, skipper Tamim Iqbal announced his retirement from the T20I format.
Tamim was adjudged as the Player of the Series after Bangladesh defeated West Indies in the third and final ODI by four wickets on Saturday.
“Consider me retired from T20 internationals from today. Thanks everyone,” wrote Tamim Iqbal on his Facebook.
Earlier in January, Tamim had announced that he would be taking a break for six months from playing in the shortest format. “My full focus will be on Tests and ODIs. We are preparing for the World Test Championship and qualification for the 2023 World Cup.
I will not be thinking about T20Is in the next six months. I hope that those playing will do so well, that the team won’t need me in T20Is. But if God forbid the team or cricket board needs me, and I am ready, I will possibly think about it,” Tamim had said. Tamim last played a T20I in March 2020 when he made 41 off 33 balls against Zimbabwe.
He also voluntarily pulled out of contention from the T20 World Cup in the UAE and gave Soumya Sarkar and Mohammad Naim an extended run as openers. Tamim was a regular in the Bangladesh T20I side from 2007 to 2018, having played 75 out of 84 possible games for the side.
He remains the only batter with a century for Bangladesh, finishing as the third highest run-scorer with 1701 runs at 24.65 average.
An Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) constable on Saturday afternoon opened fire on his three colleagues and later shot himself dead in Jammu and Kashmir’s Udhampur.
The incident took place at around 3.30 p.m. at the Devika Ghat Community Centre, Udhampur. The constable, identified as Bhupendra Singh, belonged to the 8th Battalion of ITBP. He was part of an ad-hoc battalion deployed in Jammu and Kashmir looking after the security duties.
“A constable of ITBP’s 8th Battalion was reported to have opened fire injuring his three colleagues in Udhampur, J&K. He later shot himself and died,” an ITBP statement said. “All injured have been shifted to the Hospital and are safe and a court of inquiry has been ordered,” added the statement.
As per the statement, constable Bhupendra Singh was part of the F company of the 2nd ad-hoc Battalion of the ITBP.
