1. Gujarat Govt to Hire 752 Youth Ambassadors Ahead of 2019 Lok Sabha Polls
According to a Government Resolution (GR) dated December 18, the State will hire 752 individuals from the Gujarat State Youth Board (GSYB) to propagate government schemes among the masses, and relay feedback to the government on its various schemes.
GSYB comes under the State Sports, Youth and Cultural Affairs Department of the Gujarat government. The personnel will draw a salary for the task, which will cost the State Rs 4.15 crore before the polls, and Rs 12.50 crore every year thereafter.
Besides campaigning for government schemes, these ambassadors will have duties such gauging the people's opinion of the government on a weekly basis and sending a report, corralling a crowd to government functions, creating awareness on social issues, etc.
(Source: DNA Ahmedabad)
2. Government Health Set-Up in ICU Due to Poor Spending: PIL
On Wednesday, the Gujarat High Court sought a reply from the state government, state health commissioner Jayanti Ravi, and the union government, after a public interest litigation (PIL) was filed alleging lack of infrastructure and manpower in state's health set-up came up for hearing.
The petition filed by former joint director of health services Madhavji Gajera was taken up by the division bench of Acting Chief Justice AS Dave and Justice Biren Vaishnav, which directed the state and union government to file its reply on the matter by January 29.
Gajera cited the Union government's Rural Health Statistics Report-2017 and argued that poor infrastructure, shortage of manpower, lack of funds, poor management, political and bureaucratic interference, and lack of leadership in medical community, even in large government healthcare facilities, have compelled patients to rush to private health facilities.
(Source: DNA Ahmedabad)
3. Record 30,000 MoUs Likely to Be Inked at Vibrant Gujarat Summit This Year
The 2019 edition of the Vibrant Gujarat Summit (VGS) could break the record of number of Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) signed between the state government and investors. According to sources, The 2019 chapter of the VGS, to be held on January 18-20, may touch the mark of 30,000 MoUs.
Sources have said that the government has received around 25,000 investment proposals and the proposals will be accepted by the last day of the VGS. It will continue to accept new proposals after the event too, and the number of MoUs to be signed this VGS may cross 30,000.
MSME sector has received a tremendous response and there are around 17,000 MoUs coming from the same. The urban development, financial services and renewable energy sectors got the best response after MSME, as per sources.
(Source: DNA Ahmedabad)
4. Will Tell Rahul Gandhi About Thakors Being Ignored: Alpesh
Congress MLA and prominent OBC leader Alpesh Thakor on Wednesday said that he would visit Delhi again on Thursday to meet party president Rahul Gandhi and apprise him of the ‘situation’ in the state unit of the party.
Thakor wants to meet Gandhi, particularly with regard to the ‘treatment of Thakor leaders by the state leadership’, especially by Gujarat unit chief Amit Chavda and Congress Legislature Party (CLP) leader Paresh Dhanani.
Two days ago, Thakor had visited Delhi, but could not meet Rahul. Instead, he met AICC treasurer Ahmed Patel and AICC general secretary in-charge of Gujarat Rajeev Satav.
“Giving importance to only Alpesh Thakor is not enough to get the support of Thakor community. The party will have to give due importance to Thakor youths as well who had joined the party with me,” Alpesh said.
(Source: Indian Express)
5. Leopard That Had Claimed 2 Lives Dies After Being Caught
A leopard, captured by the Gujarat forest department after it reportedly attacked and killed two people in Chhotaudepur district, died of injuries at a rescue centre, officials said Wednesday. The leopard was believed to have attacked four people in separate incidents within two days, claiming two lives including a toddler.
The animal was captured Monday at Bandi in Pavijetpur taluka, said Deputy Conservator of Forest Nilesh Pandya. It was shifted to the Pavagadh rescue centre after it was tranquilised. “The leopard already had an injury on its leg. It died a day after its capture,” said Pandya.
“If no attack takes place in that area now, it will be established that it was the same leopard which had attacked humans. If attacks continue, we have to plan accordingly," said Pandya.
(Source: PTI)
6. HC Grants Bails to 5 Others, Seeks Details of Vismay’s Case
The Gujarat High Court on Wednesday, granted bail to fiver persons in connection with the prohibition case after they were nabbed allegedly inebriated from a farmhouse in Adalaj on New Year’s Eve.
The BMW Hit-and-Run case convict, Vismay Shah’s wife Pooja shah and four other friends were granted bail by the court. Vismay however was not so lucky to get a regular bail on Wednesday.
Justice AY Kogie, sought details of whether Vismay was caught for drunk driving and convicted for it n the 2013 hit-and-run case. The court has kept Vismay’s hearing for Friday; all six were given temporary bail on 4 January.
(Source: Times of India)
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