QAhmedabad: GCTOC in Force From 1 Dec; Sena Parks Bullet Train
Catch the latest news from Ahmedabad.
1. New Guj Anti-Terror Law to Come Into Force From 1 Dec
A controversial Gujarat anti-terror law, which recognises intercepted telephonic conversations as a legitimate evidence among other provisions, will come into force from 1 December, a state minister said on Wednesday, 27 November.
Earlier this month, President Ram Nath Kovind had given his assent to the Gujarat Control of Terrorism and Organised Crime (GCTOC) Act, which had thrice failed to get the nod of his predecessors since 2004.
The controversial legislation, passed by the BJP-ruled state in March 2015, was formulated to deal with terrorism and organised crime such as contract killing, ponzi schemes, narcotics trade, extortion rackets, cyber crime, land-grabbing and human trafficking.
Talking to reporters, Minister of State for Home, Pradeepsinh Jadeja, said, "We will start the implementation of the GCTOC Act from 1 December. A notification in this regard will be issued soon."
(Source: Business Standard)
2. Mumbai-Ahmedabad Bullet Train Not Our Priority: Sena Leader
A Shiv Sena leader said on Wednesday that Mumbai-Ahmedabad Bullet train – a pet project of Prime Minister Narendra Modi – was not a priority for his party which would be heading the new government in Maharashtra.
Sena leader Deepak Kesarkar, a minister in the previous BJP-Sena government, also questioned the need for Bullet train. Prime Minister Modi and his Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe laid the foundation stone of the ambitious Rs 1.08 lakh crore project here on 14 September 2017.
Speaking to a news channel, when asked about the project, Kesarkar said, "If you have to spend Rs 3,500 (estimated cost of the Bullet train ticket) for a journey from Ahmedabad to Mumbai, (then) there is the option of flight.
It was okay when Gujarat and Maharashtra were one state and Mumbai was the capital. You needed that connectivity. I can't say if this is needed in present times. We are not opposing anything, but our first priority is farmers," he said.
(Source: The Times of India)
3. Four Minor Students From Nithyananda's Gurukul Produced in Gujarat HC
Four minor students of a `Gurukul' run by godman Nithyananda were produced before the Gujarat High Court on Wednesday, 27 November after their parents alleged that they had been held `hostage' by the police.
The Gurukul-cum-Ashram (a residential school) is situated at Hirapur village on the outskirts of the city. As the habeas corpus petitions came up for hearing on Wednesday afternoon, Justice S R Brahmbhatt asked police to immediately produce the four students – two boys and two girls.
The four teenage students were produced before the court in the evening.
A habeas corpus petition is filed to obtain a direction from the court to the authorities to produce someone who has gone missing or is suspected to have been held in captivity illegally.
The parents claimed that they were not allowed to meet their children by the Ahmedabad district police, who are probing a complaint filed by another parent that his two daughters were held captive by the Ashram authorities.
(Source: New Indian Express)
4. Gujarat Cong Seeks Guv Intervention in Education, Job Issues
The Gujarat Congress on Wednesday sought Governor Acharya Devvrat's intervention on a range of issues, including the BJP government's decision to "close" around "6,000 schools" and making graduation as the minimum criteria to fill up Class 3 vacancies in departments.
A Congress delegation met the governor at the Raj Bhavan in Gandhinagar and raised these issues.
The opposition party's delegation, led by state Congress president Amit Chavda, handed over a memorandum to Devvrat and urged him to take up these matters with the BJP government in Gujarat.
Referring to a recent decision by the government to merge schools having very less students, the Congress said the decision would eventually lead to the "closure" of around "6,000 government-run primary schools" in rural areas.
(Source: Business Standard)
5. BASF India to Double Production Capacity for Polymer Dispersions at Dahej
BASF India announced that the company plans to double its capacity for polymer dispersions with a new production line at its site in Dahej, Gujarat.
Through this investment, the company aims to provide a reliable supply of high-quality dispersion solutions to customers in the fast-growing Indian and South Asian markets.
The company had started the production of polymer dispersions in Dahej, Gujarat in October 2014 and currently operates one production line at the plant. The proposed investment will expand production capacity of dispersions for the construction, coatings, paper and adhesive markets and the enhanced production line will serve growing demand in South Asia, with operations beginning by 2021.
(Source: PTI)
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