Cabinet okays hike in SC/ST quota

Bengaluru The Karnataka Cabinet on Saturday accorded its formal approval to increase the Scheduled Castes and Tribes (SC/STs) quota in the state. Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister J C Madhuswamy said the Cabinet's decision would be implemented through a government order, and the modalities be explained in the order, which is expected to be issued in 2-3 days. The Bommai government was under tremendous pressure from SC/ST lawmakers to implement the commission's report.

Mission Rozgar will give wings to dreams of youth, says Yogi Adityanath

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath announced that over 5.5 lakh (550,000) youngsters have been given jobs in the state with fairness and transparency in the past six years. He also praised the state's progress in providing employment opportunities to the youth, with 43 candidates from the Mukhyamantri Abhyudaya Coaching Scheme having been selected through the UPPSC. He also highlighted the 'Mission Rozgar' scheme, which is set to give wings to the dreams of the youth, and the state government's initiatives to reduce unemployment rate from 18-19% to 3-4%. He also inaugurated the ?e-adhiyachan portal?.

Nakodar trader’s killer: Gangster Purewal booked for extorting ₹ 25 lakh from businessman

US-based gangster Amandeep Singh Purewal and his gang of seven have been booked for extorting ?25 lakh from a Nakodar-based businessman. Five of the seven were already in jail for the double murder of a cloth merchant and his PSO last year. Police have recovered the amount and registered two FIRs against the gang.

Ludhiana: Martyr Sukhdev’s ancestral home soon to be a museum

The 200-year-old ancestral home of martyr Sukhdev in Ludhiana, neglected for years, has been renovated and beautified to turn it into a museum. A heritage wall depicting the biography of Sukhdev and a several-foot-wide porch are currently being constructed. A Havan Yagya ceremony was held to mark 'Shaheed Diwas' with political personalities from different parties in attendance. The Central and state government had announced grants for the rehabilitation of the memorial in 2013 and 2018 respectively, and the project is now nearing completion.

50,000 boxes of fresh alphonso stock spread Gudi Padwa cheer

On Gudi Padwa day, Navi Mumbai's APMC market received a stock of 50,000 boxes of fresh Alphonso mangoes, three times the amount received last year. Most of the boxes were from Maharashtra, with the rest from the south of India. Prices range from Rs 1500-4500 per box, lower than last year. The supply is expected to decrease in April, with prices becoming more reasonable from May 5.

Ludhiana police cracks whip on ‘underperforming’ SHOs, one transferred

The Police Department has taken action against 'underperforming' SHOs, transferring police station incharge Satpal for 'average performance' to the Police Lines. More transfers are on the cards. The Commissioner of Police has mentioned the reason behind the transfer and shuffled some SHOs. Sub-Inspectors have been transferred to the Child and Women Cell Zone 4.

Pune civic officers to attend legal conference

Supreme Court and High Court judges will attend a legal conference organised by the Pune Municipal Corporation and Indian Law Society's Law College on March 26. The conference will provide information on legal issues related to the Municipal Corporation Act, 1949 and help staff carry out civic responsibilities.

Ludhiana mayor to present MC budget on March 24

At the meeting of the municipal corporation today, the outgoing mayor will present the budget for the upcoming financial year. Councillors will discuss delay in execution of development projects, higher allocation for construction of roads and increase in income targets from advertisement, building and property tax. The budget will receive ?610 crore as a share of GST from the state government and ?115 crore by recovery of property tax. A major chunk of the budget ?565.30 crore will go towards salaries.

Fire ravages Samrala grocery store godown

A fire engulfed a grocery store in Samrala, causing lakhs of rupees worth of raw products to perish. Fire officials believe a short circuit caused the blaze, which took five to six tenders to put out. Water pipe leakage hindered the fire brigade's emergency operation, damaging the pipes in the process. Fortunately, no loss of life or injury was reported.

2015 Kotkapura firing: HC grants pre-arrest bail to former DGP Saini, two others

The Punjab and Haryana High Court granted anticipatory bail to former DGP Sumedh Singh Saini, suspended IGP Paramraj Singh Umranangal and ex-SSP Charanjit Singh Sharma in the 2015 Kotkapura police firing case. They have been told to appear before the trial court within 15 days and not be arrested till the next hearing on May 30. A chargesheet had been filed by the Punjab Police SIT naming former CM Parkash Singh Badal, his son Sukhbir and five police officers.

PSPCL suspends 3 officials for ₹4-crore fraud in Raikot

PSPCL suspended three officials, including an AAE, for allegedly embezzling material worth ?4 crore and providing illegal power connections. An inquiry has been marked against them and investigations revealed material was drawn for domestic connections totaling 700 over two years. PSPCL is further investigating all 700 connections and taking further action accordingly.

Punjabi varsity grant cut: Protesters march towards health minister’s residence

For 11 days, protesters from student unions, teaching and non-teaching staff, pensioners and other groups have been marching towards the residence of Punjab health minister Balbir Singh to demand an increase in the annual grant for Punjabi University, Patiala from ?164 crore to ?360 crore. The protesters have been met with no response from the Punjab government and have blocked roads and staged dharnas to express their concerns.

Pune commissioner instructs completion of pre-monsoon works before stipulated time

PMC begins monsoon preparedness drive early this year to avoid waterlogging like in 2022. Municipal Commissioner Vikram Kumar recently held a meeting with all department heads and warned them against delaying pre-monsoon works. Road-digging works must be completed by April 30 and CCTV cameras are being installed at waterlogging-prone spots. Desilting of Jambulwadi, Pashan and Katraj lakes is also being done to reduce pressure on streams.

2015 Kotkapura firing case: Badals submit bail bonds in Faridkot court

Former chief minister Parkash Singh Badal and Shiromani Akali Dal president Sukhbir Singh Badal have submitted bail bonds of ?5 lakh each in the 2015 Kotkapura firing case, accepted by the Faridkot court. The chargesheet filed by the ADGP LK Yadav-led special investigation team (SIT) has named the Badals and five police officers. SAD leader Bikram Singh Majithia said the SIT officers worked on the directions of the government and accused CM Bhagwant Mann and speaker Kultar Singh Sandhwan of vendetta politics. Other four police officers failed to appear in the court.

CM Sukhu blames BJP for Himachal’s ‘precarious’ fiscal health

Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu blamed the previous BJP government for leaving Himachal Pradesh in a debt trap of ?75,000 crore and ?11,000 crore liabilities. He claimed that the BJP regime had not released arrears of the Sixth Pay Commission and DA amounting to ?990 crore. In response to the budget discussion, Sukhu announced schemes to reduce the debt burden and develop the state. The opposition, dissatisfied with his response, walked out of the House.

Martyrs’ Day: Heroes of freedom struggle remembered with music and film screenings

To commemorate the death anniversary of Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev Thapar and Shivaram Rajguru, a programme titled 'Bhagat Singh se Dosti' was held in Lucknow. The event included renditions of patriotic songs, and the screening of a short film on Bhagat Singh's life. Poet and activist Deepak Kabir spoke about the need to revisit the revolutionaries' scientific and revolutionary ideas. The programme concluded with the lighting of candles and a promise to keep alive the ideals of the revolutionaries.