Gems News Ind

Monday, 24 August 2020

CWC Passes Resolution After 7-Hour-Long Meeting. Read Full Statement Here

The Congress Working Committee (CWC) held a seven-hour-long virtual meeting on Monday amid a controversy over a letter written by 23 party leaders calling for sweeping reforms in the organisation. It was decided in the meeting that Sonia Gandhi will continue to lead the party.

The members of the CWC, the party’s highest decision-making body, also decided to form a committee to help Gandhi in day-to-day functioning of the organisation.

The meeting was held in the context of two emerging views in the party, one of the 23 Congress leaders seeking dissolution of powers to state units and revamping the CWC, and another of the group that has come out in support of party president Sonia Gandhi.

The Congress Working Committee [‘CWC’] takes note of the letter of Congress President, Smt. Sonia Gandhi addressed to General Secretary (Organisation) as also a letter written earlier by certain Congress leaders to the Congress President.

The CWC has extensively deliberated on the letters and, after detailed discussion, places on record the following:

First, the last six months have seen the nation in the throes of multiple crises. We have been beset by (i) the Corona pandemic that continues to claim thousands of lives, (ii) downward-spiraling economy, (iii) massive job losses and growing poverty, and (iv) brazen aggression into and occupation of Indian territory by the Chinese.

Unlock-4, Metro Services Likely to Resume; Schools to Remain Shut: Officials

After months of deliberations, the Centre is finally likely to allow resumption of metro services from September 1, when the fourth phase of unlocking economic activities will begin, people familiar with the development said.

Bars, which were also closed since lockdown came into effect on March 25, might also be allowed to sell liquor over the counter for takeaway services, the officials said.

Schools and colleges, however, will continue to remain closed but the government is considering reopening institutes like IITs and IIMs.

According to deliberations in the ministry of home affairs (MHA) and other concerned departments, cinema halls and auditoriums will also continue to remain closed for another month. There is a view in the government that even if cinema halls are allowed right now, it won’t be financially viable for them to run shows with only 25-30% capacity due to physical distancing norms.

On metro services, officials said that modifications are still being worked out in consultation with ministry of housing and urban affairs, local governments, metro rail corporations and security agencies. “The new norms being drafted by the MHA on resumption of metro rail are likely to include contact-less ticketing through metro cards, increase in the average stoppage time at each station, markings for queues across all stations to control crowds and maintaining social distancing and an overhaul in the air conditioning system inside the trains to ensure supply of fresh air,” said an official who didn’t wish to be named.

This officer said that the metro rail across the country, which has been shut since March 22, is likely to begin in a calibrated manner, similar to how railways and flight services were resumed with limited frequency and capacity.

The Unlock-4 guidelines for the same will be issued later this week and once the MHA gives the nod, respective state government can further decide how to run the metro trains and their timings, another officer said

They added that social, political, sports, entertainment, academic, cultural, religious functions and other large congregations are also likely to remain prohibited next month HT

Kim Jong Un’s health, Expert Claims North Korean Leader is Dead

The updates about the health of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un are being keenly tracked across the world. The 36-year-old, who took over the reins in 2011 has skipped several public appearances in the last few months, giving rise to speculation that something is not right.

journalist, who has extensively travelled in the Hermit Kingdom, has claims that Kim is dead. Roy Calley told some media outlets that there are such levels of secrecy in North Korea that even those living in the country do not know what the reality is.

The journalist said that the major changes being introduced by Kim - like making his sister the de facto second-in-command - point towards something major happening in the country. Hindustan Times

Warangal: Civic Body Takes Serious Note of Illegal Structures

The Warangal Urban District administration is in a mission mode to remove the illegal structures that have come up occupying the storm-water drains. The Urban Collector Rajeev Gandhi Hanumanthu who along with Municipal Commissioner Pamela Satpathy inspected the progress of removal of encroachments on Monday said that all the nalahs would be restored as per the past records.

The Special Task Force constituted for the removal of illegal structures has already conducted a review meeting with the municipal, irrigation, R&B and revenue officials, and chalked out an action plan,' the Collector said.

He expressed confidence that the task would be completed within a month. Along with the encroachments, the administration is also clearing the solid waste and thorny bushes in the nalahs, he added.

Municipal Commissioner Pamela Satpathy said that a joint survey of illegal structures is being conducted by the town planning and irrigation officials. She said that they have identified as many as 922 dilapidated buildings in the Corporation limits and majority of them were already razed.Hi

Machilipatnam Court Grant's Bail to Kollu Ravindra in YSRCP Leader's Murder Case

Machilipatnamcourt has granted conditional bail to TDP leader and former minister Kollu Ravindra. The court ordered him to stay in Vijayawada for 28 days and set up any meetings and clarified that he should not influence witnesses

The court directed that the self be quarantined. Kollu Ravindra, the A4 accused in the murder case of YSRCP leader Moka Bhaskara Rao, is currently lodged in Rajahmundry Jail. He is set to be released from jail tomorrow after being granted fresh court bail.

Police have arrested three people in connection with the June 29 murder of YSRCP leader Moka Bhaskara Rao. Kollu Ravindra's follower was also in it. The information they provided revealed that Kollu Ravindra was involved in the case. The police registered a case against Ravindra and arrested him. He was later shifted to Rajahmundry Jail.Hans India

Fake Goodman Held in Hyderabad Two Years After Sexually Assaulting Woman

A self-styled fake godman who was at large for two years has been arrested by the Cyberabad police. The accused was identified as FS Jalaluddin Arshad Kundmir.

Jalaluddin Arshad Kundmir, a resident of Abbu Salaam colony in Rein Bazaar had sexually assaulted a woman two years ago who approached him to seek his blessings and solutions for her health issues.

The police said that the accused told the woman and her husband to visit his house at midnight and took the woman inside a room on the pretext of healing. He offered her sedatives and sexually assaulted when she was unconscious.

When she woke up, the woman realized that she was sexually assaulted and told her family. Based on the complaint registered by the woman, the police registered a case. However, the accused fled Hyderabad.

The police finally nabbed him in Karnataka when the accused visited his home. The accused was produced before the court and sent to judicial remand. Hans India

Khammam: Woman Delivers Baby at Home After Four Hospitals Deny

A woman gave birth to a baby at her home in Khammam after four hospitals denied to admit her. The incident occurred at Khammam town. Getting into details, the woman identified as Lalitha was shifted to a district government hospital after she developed pains.

However, the staff denied admission due to the unavailability of doctors and she was then shifted to a private hospital.

The doctors identified that she was suffering from breathlessness and referred to a hospital in Warangal suspecting COVID-19 infection. A hospital was locked while doctors at two other hospitals refused to attend her fearing of COVID-19 infection.

Having no option left, family members of the woman brought back her home where she delivered a baby. As the baby weighed less than the normal weight, parents took the newborn to the government hospital but were denied admission. Ramesh, father of the newborn alleged that it was sad as no hospital admitted her wife and baby.

The family requested the government to ensure the doctors are available at the hospitals all the time during the crisis. Hans India

KTR Meets Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh, Urges Rrvival of Warangal Airport

Municipal Administration and Urban Development Minister KT Rama Rao on Monday met Union Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri in Delhi on the balance money releases of Rs 2,537 crores to Telangana ULBs under Amrut, SBM and other schemes.

Speaking to media later, the minister said that they have had key discussions on the developments being made in the state including the new municipal act, implementation of Pattana Pragathi and other schemes.

KTR said that he appealed to the union minister on the release of funds i.e, around Rs 217 crore under Swacch Bharat scheme, Rs 351 crore under Amrut scheme and Rs 783 crore under 15th finance commission grants to the Hyderabad and cities. Besides, the funds to be released to the state, the revival of Mamunuru airport in Warangal has also brought to the notice of the minister and also requested to include Warangal under Udan scheme for which he reacted positively, said the minister.

"Union Minister has agreed for the revival of Warangal airport and assured to send a team for the survey," KTR said. The minister said that a meeting was scheduled in the March on the survey over the proposed six airports in Telangana. The six airports proposed are at Warangal, Adilabad, Jakranpally (Nizamabad), Bhadradri-Kothagudem, Basanth Nagar (Ramagundam)

Nagarjuna Sagar Dam Gates Thrown Open, No Visitors Allowed

The authorities of Nagarjuna Sagar Dam on Thursday opened the 4 gates of the project at 11 am on Friday to release water in view of heavy flood inflows into the reservoir from the Srisailam Project.

According to the project engineers the current water level in the reservoir was 576 feet as against its full storage level of 590 feet and the reservoir will reach its full capacity of 590 feet by Friday morning.

Meanwhile, Suryapet district police and revenue authorities and Nandikonda Municipality have decided not to permit the visitors to watch the release of water.

“There is a chance for the spread of coronavirus due to cool weather conditions if people arrived at the place in large numbers. Hence, people would not be allowed to watch the release of water,” the authorities said.

Ranjan Gogoi Tipped to Be BJP Assam CM Candidate

Ranjan Gogoi, former Chief Justice of India (CJI) is tipped to be BJP's chief ministerial candidate in Assam for Assembly polls 2021, according to Ex-Assam chief minister Tarun Gogoi.

Meanwhile, Peasant body Krishak Mukti Sangram Samiti on Saturday announced that it will launch a political party to fight the Assam assembly election in 2021 and its jailed leader Akhil Gogoi will be its chief ministerial candidate. Addressing a press conference here, the KMSS leadership said the proposed party's name will be announced by Gogoi once he is released from jail.

"We have prepared ourselves to form a new political party. It will be a regional party. People from all tribes, castes, communities, religions and languages will be a part of this party," KMSS President Bhasco De Saikia said. The new outfit will be a non-compromising political force and it will not be named after KMSS' earlier venture Gana Mukti Sangram-Asom.PTI