SC agrees to examine plea against ordinances extending CBI, ED chiefs’ tenures

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SC agrees to examine plea against ordinances extending CBI, ED chiefs’ tenures

The Supreme Court on Thursday agreed to hear a PIL against the two ordinances, which allows the Central government to extend the tenure of heads of the CBI and Directorate of Enforcement (ED) for up to five years.

Advocate M.L. Sharma, petitioner-in-person, submitted before a bench headed by Chief Justice N.V. Ramana, that the tenure of ED Director Sanjay Kumar Mishra has been extended by using powers under one of the ordinances.

The bench, also comprising justices A S Bopanna and Hima Kohli took note of the submissions that the petition has not been listed so far for hearing. After briefly hearing Sharma, the bench said: “We will list it.”

The plea claimed that Centre has misused its power under Article 123 of the Constitution, which deals with President’s power to promulgate ordinances during recess of Parliament.

On November 14, two ordinances – the Central Vigilance Commission (Amendment) Ordinance and Delhi Special Police Establishment (Amendment) Ordinance – which amended Section 25 and Section 4B of the CVC Act 2003 and DSPE Act 1946 respectively were promulgated.

The petition alleged these ordinances are “unconstitutional, arbitrary and ultra-vires” to the Constitution. The plea sought a direction from the top court to quash these ordinances.

The plea said: “By giving the government the power to extend the tenure of the heads of the two agencies to a maximum of five years, from two years, currently, the two ordinances carry the potential of further chipping away the independence of these agencies.”

The plea contended the aim of these ordinances is to circumvent the top court’s directions in a recent judgment on a petition, which challenged the retrospective change in the 2018 appointment order of Mishra as ED Director leading to extension of his tenure.

In the judgment, the top court had said the extension of tenure of officers who have attained the age of superannuation should be done in rare and exceptional cases.

Haryana to enter pact with NISG to improve functioning

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Haryana to enter pact with NISG to improve functioning

The Haryana Cabinet, presided over by Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar, on Thursday accorded approval to the state government to enter into an MoU with the National Institute for Smart Government (NISG) to enhance and improve in-house capacities of departments.

The agreement will be valid for five years from the date of signing, and may be extended further up to five years by mutual consent of both the parties.

As per the pact, the state government and NISG may nominate coordinators as nodal officers to represent the parties and promote interface so as to plan, implement, monitor and review the schedules of activities from time to time.

The NISG is a not-for-profit company set up in 2002 by the Centre on the public-private-partnership (PPP) model with Secretary, Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology as its Chairman.

BJP workers should bring those on path of adharma back on track: Nadda

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BJP workers should bring those on path of adharma back on track: Nadda

Those who are following the path of adharma, should be brought on the path of dharma, BJP national president J.P. Nadda told party workers on Thursday at an election campaign meeting in Chief Minister Pramod Sawant’s constituency of Amona in North Goa.

Nadda, who is on a two-day visit to the coastal state which is headed for polls in early 2002, also said that Goa will elect a BJP government in the upcoming elections.

“When we take Mata’s ashirvad, it is with a resolve that we are working for a satvic force and we will take the satvik shakti ahead. But Mahabharat and Ramayana also tell us that in every age, where there are those who are working for good, there are some who work for adharm,” Nadda told the meeting of BJP workers.

“We have to work to bring them on the path of dharma. Dharma as in what is right and good for society, what is the code of conduct, what is good for everyone,” the national BJP president also said.

“We want to take Goa ahead under the leadership of Prime Minster Narendra under Modi ji’s sabka saath, sabka vikas, sabka vishwvas, sabka prayas,” Nadda said.

“I am confident that you will work with a good energy and work with goodwill from society and whether it is assembly polls or other polls will ensure that the lotus is victorious,” he further said.

‘Farm Laws Repeal Bill, 2021’ cleared by cabinet

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‘Farm Laws Repeal Bill, 2021’ cleared by cabinet

The union cabinet on Wednesday cleared ‘The Farm Laws Repeal Bill, 2021′ that will repeal the three contentious farm laws, as announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on November 19.

The Bill will be introduced to repeal the Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020; the Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement of Price Assurance, Farm Services Act, 2020, and the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020.

The Lok Sabha Bulletin on Tuesday had already listed ‘The Farm Laws Repeal Bill, 2021′.

PM Modi’s announcement had come after more than a year-long farmers’ agitation where they have been demanding the repeal of the three laws along with the legal backing for Minimum Support Price among other things.

The Parliament had cleared the three farm bills last year but the Supreme Court had stayed them this January.

Mamata to meet Modi today

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Mamata to meet Modi today

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who is on a four-day visit to the national capital, will meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi at 5 p.m. on Wednesday.

The Chief Minister would be discussing several important issues like the extension of the territorial area of the Border Security Force, the recent political violence in Tripura and the dues of the state which according to the Trinamool government are pending with the Central government.

Banerjee had earlier criticised the Centre and the BJP government in Tripura for unleashing violence on the Trinamool Congress and had said that she would talk to the Prime Minister on this issue.

Speaking to the media before going to Delhi on Monday evening, the Chief Minister had said: “I shall speak to him on the extension of jurisdiction by the BSF. They are bulldozing the states in the name of cooperative federalism. This cannot continue. I shall speak to the Prime Minister about it,” she had said.

She had expressed her displeasure regarding the recent violence in Tripura just before the civic polls.

“Where did the Human Rights Commission go?” she asked. The whole country has witnessed the assassination of democracy in Tripura. In such a BJP-ruled state, people are suffocating. Why there is no word about the Human Rights Commission and Article 355 in our case in Tripura. What has happened now?” she asked.

The Chief Minister went on to say, “How many letters have been sent to the Tripura government from the Union Ministry of Home Affairs. They used to send letters to us regularly. In our state there was an election. So many leaders came here regularly. We did not stop anyone. Why is this happening in Tripura?

Bannerjee, who had gone to Delhi on November 25, is likely to return to Kolkata on Thursday.

Modi speaks to K’taka CM over rain situation

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Modi speaks to K’taka CM over rain situation

Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Tuesday stated that Prime Minister Narendra Modi called him up to take updates on the situation in the state due to heavy downpour for the past 15 days.

Bommai said that Prime Minister Modi was concerned about the losses caused due to incessant rains. “He took information on the existing situation of all districts, about crop loss and damages to houses across the state,” he said.

“Prime Minister Modi was concerned about the situation in Bengaluru. He discussed short term and long term plans for the city and relief measures initiated,” Bommai explained.

Bommai also stated that Home Minister Amit Shah has also called him up on the flood situation in Bengaluru and other parts of the state. “Both Prime Minister Modi and Amit Shah have assured all the help from the centre to tackle the situation,” he said.

Bommai visited ‘Kendriya Vihar’ apartment in Yelahanka layout of Bengaluru, which houses more than 600 flats, and took stock of the situation. Bommai stated that he had already ordered to provide Rs 1 lakh compensation immediately to houses damaged and Rs 10,000 to those whose houses have been inundated.

He had also ordered a plan to extend the storm water drain from present 8 feet to 30 feet. “The existing 8 feet storm water drain has also been encroached and the BBMP Commissioner has been instructed to initiate action.

The government will take up a drive to vacate encroachments of storm water drains. Firstly, encroachments by rich people will be cleared and later encroachments by poor will be vacated after shifting them to other locations.

Owaisi trying to save his close ones who infiltrated from Pak: BJP

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Owaisi trying to save his close ones who infiltrated from Pak: BJP

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Monday said that by opposing the implementation of Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and National Register of Citizens (NRC), MIM chief and Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi is “trying to save his close ones who had illegally infiltrated into the country from Pakistan”.

Demanding withdrawal of CAA, NRC and National Population Register (NPR), Owaisi has threatened a “massive protest” against the implementation of the three laws.

Reacting to this, BJP’s minority morcha national president Jamal Siddiqui told IANS “everyone must know that Owaisi’s close associates from Pakistan who had illegally entered the country and now he is trying to save them”.

“Owaisi knows that by implementing the NRC, these illegal infiltrators will be caught and he will be exposed in front of the country. Earlier he supported such acts and now is doing to protect illegal residents,” he said.

Siddiqui claims that the majority of Muslims are in favour of implementation of NRC along with CAA.

“Nationalist Muslims, who are in majority in the country, are of the view that the NRC must be implemented so that ‘deshbhakto ki pahchan’ (identification of patriots) can be done. The nationalist Muslims of the country also want implementation of CAA. Muslims also want to know who residents of this country are and who are not.

“Muslims also know the intention of people like Owaisi and others behind their opposition against CAA, NRC and NPR,” Siddiqui said.

On Owaisi’s demand to withdraw CAA, NRC and NPR on lines of the Centre’s decision to repeal the three farm laws, Siddiqui said: “Prime Minister Narendra Modi always listens to ‘Mann Ki Baat’ of farmers but he never listens to ‘Mann Ki Baat’ of people who are not dishonest. He will ensure punishment to the people whose intent towards the country is not honest.”

Siddiqui also alleged that Owaisi is trying to create disturbance in the country.

“With his malicious intention, Owaisi is not only disturbing the social harmony but also creating internal disturbance in the county. He is trying to save illegal residents who support him. He will not succeed in malicious agenda. No one in the country supports his views,” he added.

Gujarat Gram Panchayat elections on Dec 19

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Gujarat Gram Panchayat elections on Dec 19

The Gujarat State Election Commission (SEC) on Monday declared elections for 10,879 Gram panchayats, including division elections in villages and by-elections of other gram panchayats. The elections will be held on December 19 and the results will be declared on December 21.

Informing the media on Monday, Sanjay Prasad, the SEC commissioner said, “The notifications for the elections will be issued on November 29 for all the elections and the last day of filing nominations is December 4. The scrutiny of the nominations will be carried out on the December 6 and the last day for withdrawal of application forms will be on December 7. Polling will be held on December 19 from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.”

The commissioner further said that the entire polling process will be declared complete on December 24. If required, re-polling will be held on December 20. The Commissioner also declared the polling dates for the division and by-elections for other gram panchayats.

“The polling for general elections will be for 10,117 villages consisting of 88,211 wards. Division elections will be for 65 villages and bypolls will be for 923 wards of 697 villages,” added Prasad.

“The elections will be held through ballot as the required number of Electronic Voting Machines (EVM) is not sufficient,” added Prasad.

The Panchayat elections will be held in total 27,085 polling centres and a total of 54,387 ballot boxes will be required. There are a total of 2,06,53,374 voters registered out of which 1,06,46,524 are male and 1,00,06,850 are female.

BJP’s election in-charges to visit poll-bound Uttarakhand next week

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BJP’s election in-charges to visit poll-bound Uttarakhand next week

The BJP election in-charges for Uttarakhand will be visiting the hill state next week to review the party’s poll preparedness.

Uttarakhand Assembly polls will be held in February-March next year along with Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Manipur and Goa. A senior Uttarakhand BJP leader told IANS that election in-charge Pralhad Joshi and two co-incharges– Lok Sabha member Locket Chaterjee and national spokesperson Sardar R P Singh– will be visiting the hilly state next week.

“Pralhad Joshi and others are likely to visit Uttarakhand on November 24 to meet the state leadership. They might also visit different parts of the state to take first hand information of the ground situation,” he said.

It is learnt that the three leaders will be interacting with state leaders to know the current ongoing party works and activities. “Central leaders will be reviewing progress of work since their last visit in September and discuss the current position of preparedness,” he said.

As per party sources, the central leaders will be attending several meetings to take direct feedback from workers and leaders about the functioning of the state unit and government.

Recently, Prime Minister Narendra visited Kedarnath where he inaugurated and laid the foundation stone for multiple key infrastructure projects. He also reviewed the executed and ongoing infrastructure works in the state.

Last month, union Home Minister Amit Shah visited Uttarakhand and launched the party’s election campaign in a rally in Dehradun. Shah also reviewed the preparation at a meeting at party state unit headquarters Dehradun.

During his visit, Shah also inaugurated the Mukhyamantri Ghasiyari Kalyan Yojana (MGKY) of the Uttarakhand government. Earlier this week, BJP chief J. P. Nadda was on a two-day visit to Uttarakhand to review party poll preparedness. He held several organisational meetings to take stock of the ground situation.

In August, Nadda had visited the hill state to take stock of BJP poll preparedness and attended around a dozen meetings. In the run up to the Assembly polls scheduled in February-March next year, the BJP state unit has launched several campaigns to strengthen its organisational structure at ground level like forming a 21-member committee at each polling booth and their verification.

The BJP has set a target of winning more than 60 seats in the upcoming state Assembly elections.

Stalin launches Tamil Nadu State Child Policy

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Stalin launches Tamil Nadu State Child Policy

In order to ensure a safe environment for children and provision of nutrition, education, healthcare for them, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin on Saturday launched the Tamil Nadu State Child Policy.

According to the government, the policy has been formulated taking holistically the needs of the children like their growth targets in their various stages, nutrition, education, healthcare, safety and non-discriminaton based on their sex.

The government said Rs 207.59 crore has been paid as solatium to 6,493 children who had lost both or one of their parents to Covid-19.

Stalin also launched the Forensic DNA Profile Search Tool that would enable restoring the lost children to their parents, identification of inter-state criminals, identification of bodies and others.

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