Regional

Mumbai, Sep 14 (IANS) The Raj Thackeray-led Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) is planning to go alone in the upcoming civic elections in Mumbai and other major cities or towns in the state, a party official said on Wednesday.

MNS spokesperson Sandeep Deshpande told media persons that his party would put up candidates in the 227 wards for the BrihanMumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC).

He said the party chief has also directed that the MNS should prepare to contest all other civic bodies independently, the schedules of which are likely to be announced soon.

Though he did not cite any reasons for the proposed move, the decision could prove to be a huge dampener for Chief Minister Eknath Shinde group and Bharatiya Janata Party's Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis.

The two parties have been separately and jointly wooing Raj Thackeray hoping for a civic polls tie-up to beat the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) but with the MNS's suo moto announcement, the possibility appears remote for the present.

Late August and early September, Shinde and several BJP state and central leaders had called on Raj Thackeray amid speculation that he would meet Union Home Minister Amit Shah during his Ganeshotsav trip to Mumbai.

Though the meeting with Shah did not materialise, Raj Thackeray received Shinde and many BJP leaders during Ganeshotsav festival at his home and later reciprocated their gesture.

In June, the MNS - which has a solitary MLA supporting the Shinde-Fadnavis regime - had announced that it will contest Nashik Municipal Corporation polls solo, with the city considered its stronghold.

The party is expected to announce its tentative list of candidates for various civic bodies including BMC, NMC and others shortly, Deshpande indicated without giving details.

With this, the civic elections may witness multi-party contests in various cities with the Shinde group-BJP competing against Shiv Sena, Congress, Nationalist Congress Party, now the MNS, besides other smaller and local parties crowding the scene.

--IANS
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Guwahati, Sep 14 (IANS) The Assam government plans to convert all its secondary schools to higher secondary level, the Assembly was told on Wednesday.

Replying to a question, Education Minister Ranoj Pegu said that as per the New Education Policy, the state government has already upgraded 215 high schools to the higher secondary level.

The preparation to convert another 785 high schools to the higher secondary level is underway, he added.

The initial upgradation list was prepared by the Education Department, based on the availability of logistics, manpower, etc. and gradually, the other schools will also be upgraded, Pegu said.

The minister also said that operationalisation of classes in the newly-upgraded schools will be looked into at the district level. The required administrative machinery will be provided by the state government.

Earlier, a majority of the state government schools in Assam had classes up to 10 only while a few could take students at 10+2 level also.

The state government colleges in the state have the facility to teach higher secondary standard students.

--IANS
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Bengaluru, Sep 14 (IANS) Amid the controversy over Hindi Day celebrations in Karnataka, chief minister Basavaraj Bommai has said that a law to increase Kannada language usage is being introduced soon. Speaking in the Legislative Assembly on Wednesday, Bommai said that his government is committed to the protection and promotion of the Kannada language.

Noting that India is a union of several states with different languages and cultures, Bommai said that it is not possible to foist any language on other states. "In order to increase Kannada language usage, we are introducing a law in this very session of the House. For the first time, a law is being introduced in the Assembly that will give legal strength to the use of Kannada language."

The Kannada Language Comprehensive Development Bill is expected to give a huge boost to Kannada usage in the state.

Bommai's statement assumes significance in the backdrop of the Janata Dal (S) opposition to the alleged attempts of the BJP-led central government to impose Hindi in non-Hindi speaking states.

Ahead of the National Hindi Day celebrations on September 14, former chief minister and Janata Dal (S) leader HD Kumaraswamy had written to Bommai opposing Hindi Day celebrations in Karnataka. The party had also organised an anti-Hindi Day protest on Wednesday.

--IANS
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Bengaluru, Sep 14 (IANS) IT major Wipro stated on Wednesday that its campus in Doddakannelli locality of the city has been constructed as per the sanctioned plan.

The response comes after its name figured in the list of alleged encroachers, prepared by the city civic authority, the BBMP.

Several high profile developers, IT majors, and hospitals, are named as encroachers allegedly responsible for choking almost 700 storm water drains (SWD), as per an internal note of the BBMP tasked with clearing up the mess.

Dated August 17, the city civic authorities' note names 15 encroachments by various developers and firms like IT firms, hospitals, and educational institutions.

The BBMP list includes entities like Prestige, Bagmane Tech Park, Columbia Asia Hospital, Eco Space, Gopalan, Salarpuria, Wipro and Congress leader Haris Nalapad.

However, Wipro has set the record straight with its statement on Wednesday. The company indicated that its campus mentioned in the BBMP list is as per sanctioned plans.

"Wipro abides by the laws of every jurisdiction where it does business and adheres to the highest standards of integrity. The Wipro campus in Doddakannelli is as per sanctioned plan. We have not received any notice from BBMP."

Over the past two days, civic authorities have embarked on a demolition drive of the alleged encroachments which are said to have led to blocking of storm water drains which ultimately resulted in massive flooding and water logging of several localities in the Magadevapura zone of the city. The area is hub of tech companies.

--IANS
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Lucknow, Sep 14 (IANS) King George's Medical University (KGMU) in Lucknow has finalised a proposal to set up a 500-bed emergency facility under Trauma Centre Phase II project.

The new facility is expected to ease the burden on the existing 150-bed Trauma Centre that treats 450-500 emergency patients daily.

According to an official spokesman, the proposed centre will be an expansion of the existing facilities with more diagnostic labs and OTs. It will be able to provide better and timely treatment to emergency patients coming from all over the state.

The proposal, approved by the executive council, will now be sent to the government for further action.

According to the draft of the new facility, it will be established after demolishing the old nursing hostel.

It will have seven storeys apart from two-storey basement for parking and diagnostic labs and other amenities.

In the front portion of the ground floor, there will be 80-bed facilities along with a radio diagnostic centre. The first floor will have a 60-bed ward with at least 12 OTs. The third floor will have 80 beds for trauma surgery patients followed by the fourth floor with 60 beds for orthopaedic patients.

The fifth floor will have 40-bed ICU and 20 HDU beds, while the sixth floor will have super speciality facilities such as plastic surgery, vascular surgery, ophthalmology, destitute ward and ENT among others.

Office lounge, seminar centre and house stores will be established on the seventh floor.

KGMU vice chancellor Lt Gen (retd) Prof Bipin Puri said, "The proposed Phase II will have complete pathological and radiological facilities under one roof while emergency services to seriously ill old patients will continue in the old building of Trauma Centre Phase-I."

The work will start soon after the government's nod, he added.

--IANS
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Chennai, Sep 14 (IANS) Tamil Nadu police have courted controversy over providing protection to history-sheeter Naresh Babu during his marriage.

Police were present in every nook and corner of the wedding hall when Naresh Babu walked up the dias for the rituals.

As per police, he was given protection as a rival gang had plans to eliminate him during his wedding. Apparently, Naresh Babu (35) of Nadvarupettu has several criminal cases pending against him at Somangalam police station and on his wedding day, a rival gang was planning to kill him.

A large number of police from Kancheepuram station were seen frisking the guests who were arriving at the high-profile wedding.

Naresh Babu was allegedly involved in the recent beheading in the Somangalam police station limits a month ago and there was a death threat to him from the rival gang. He married a woman from Kodambakkam.

All the vehicles that arrived at the wedding hall were checked to prevent any goon entering the hall in plain clothes and attacking the groom.

Sources in police told IANS that Naresh Babu was asked to wind up the celebrations before 10 p.m. and that bloodshed be avoided.

However, police said that no unwanted element was present in the wedding hall as maximum precautions were taken to prevent any untoward incident.

--IANS
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Panaji, Sep 14 (IANS) Reacting sharply to the political development in Goa, wherein eight Congress MLAs joined BJP, Goa Forward Party President and MLA Vijai Sardesai said that BJP has purchased them like sacks of rice and MLAs have allowed them to be purchased like cattle.

"This act of betrayal has taken place on the Hindu auspicious period of Pitru Paksa, even God will not bless them. The MLAs are purchased like sacks of rice and these MLAs have allowed them to purchase, how one purchase cattle," Sardesai said.

"These MLAs have destroyed democracy and sentiments of the public. They had pledged before all religious places (that they will not leave Congress party) and now this betrayal of people is witnessed by all. These MLAs have no future. Chief Minister Pramod Sawant has failed in all aspects and he wants to run government by purchasing MLAs," Sardesai said.

"There will be no opposition leader as they (Congress) don't have number. This was part of killing democracy, process of which Sawant has completed. Now BJP has to check who original BJP leaders are," Sardesai said.

"We often see political defections as betrayal of the people's mandate, but it's much more than that. It's a betrayal of the people, subversion of the political and democratic process, the repudiation of their own parentage, and the denigration and mockery of God," Sardesai said.

"The people will not forget that the chief minister who would consider himself to be victorious in this dirty bargain has miserably failed in every constitutional and administrative duty he's been assigned including the proper governance of the state, protection of life and property of its citizens," He said.

"We will, as a party, fight this political plague that has destroyed Goa, and appeal to true Goemkars to reject these traitors with the contempt they deserve from our civilised and discerning society, and brand them as enemies of the people and God," Sardesai said.

--IANS
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Porbandar, Sep 14 (IANS) Gujarat Anti Terrorist Squad and Indian Coast Guard (ICG) have seized 40 kg heroin valued at Rs 200 crore from a Pakistani fishing boat and arrested six persons in this connection near the International Maritime Border Line (IMBL).

During the intervening night of September 13 and 14, on a specific intelligence input, the ICG strategically deployed two fast interceptor class of ships, C-408 and C-454 for patrolling in areas close to the IMBL.

During midnight, the Pakistani boat was observed moving suspiciously in Indian waters, 5 nm inside notional IMBL and 40 nm from Jakhau.

On being challenged, the Pakistani boat over boarded a consignment and started evasive maneuvering, the ICG said in a statement.

The consignment was skillfully recovered by one of the two ICG ships and found to be a drug haul.

"On visual examination, the drug is believed to be heroin with quantity approx. 40 kg and market value of Rs 200 crore. The other ICG ship, braving very rough seas in pitch dark night and marginal weather conditions, maneuvered and stopped the boat," the ICG added.

The boat is being brought to Jakhau for further joint investigation by all agencies.

This is the fifth such joint operation by the ICG and ATS, Gujarat in the last one year in which huge quantity of narcotics is seized and those involved in the crime are arrested.

--IANS/
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Bengaluru, Sep 14 (IANS) Amid the raging controversy over celebration of Hindi Day, the Janata Dal (S) led by former Karnataka chief minister observed an "anti-Hindi Day" protest on Wednesday.

The Janata Dal (S) legislators participated in the protest event held at the Gandhi statue located near the Vidhana Soudha. The protestors sang Kannada songs to express their opposition to celebration of Hindi Day in Karnataka.

Speaking on the occasion, HD Kumaraswamy accused the BJP-led central government of constantly trying to impose Hindi on the country. "Even 75 years of independence, there are people who speak languages other than Hindi," he pointed out.

In other parts of the city too, pro-Kannada activists held anti-Hindi protests. Kannada Rakshana Vedika held a protest meet at Freedom Park on Wednesday.

In Karnataka, the celebration of Hindi Day has become a bone of contention between the ruling BJP and the opposition Janata Dal (S) after HD Kumaraswamy had written to chief minister Basavaraj Bommai against holding celebrations. Even as it has been declaring its pro-Kannada credentials, the ruling party has been coming out in support of Hindi Day celebration too.

--IANS
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Kolkata, Sep 14 (IANS) A special court of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) at Asansol in West Bengal's West Burdwan district on Wednesday issued arrests warrant against 15 individuals in connection with an ongoing probe in the multi-crore coal smuggling scam.

Besides the names of certain individuals directly involved with the illegal coal trade, some factory owners are in the list against whom arrest warrants have been issued as beneficiaries of the scam.

On July 19 this year, the CBI submitted its charge sheet in the case at this special court. The charge sheet named 41 individuals, which included 15 persons against whom arrest warrants were issued on Wednesday afternoon.

The other named in the charge sheet included the prime accused Anup Maji alias Lala, the latter's absconding associates Binoy Mishra and Ratnesh Verma, four notorious coal mafias, namely Jaideb Mondal, Narayan Chanda, Nirad Mondal and eight former and present officials of the Eastern Coalfields Limited (ECL), among others.

Although Binoy Mishra is currently absconding and is believed to have taken shelter at Vanuatu Islands, his brother Bikash Mishra is currently in judicial custody at Presidency Central Correctional Home. The CBI had also arrested eight former and present ECL officials.

However, the prime accused Anup Maji alias Lala has managed to escape arrest because of a shield from the Supreme Court. However, he had been questioned a number of times by the CBI sleuths.

The sleuths of Enforcement Directorate (ED), which is conducting a parallel probe in the matter, have questioned Abhishek Banerjee, Trinamool Congress's national general secretary and nephew of chief minister Mamata Banerjee in the case. Abhishek Banerjee's wife, Rujira Narula Banerjee and sister-in-law Maneka Gambhir have been questioned by the ED. A number of Indian Police Service (IPS) officers from the state have also been questioned in the case.

--IANS
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