1. 20% Rise in Sale of Eco-Friendly Ganesh Idols in Surat: Samiti
The umbrella body for issuing permissions to Ganesh pandals in the city, Surat City Ganesh Samithi said that there has been a 20% rise in the sale of clay idols this year.
In 2018, out of the 69,000 Ganesh idols, around 50 per cent were made of clay. In 2017, out of 58,000 idols, 40 per cent were clay-based. This year, around 70 per cent of over 72,000 Ganesh idols in the city are made of clay, Anil Biscuitwala, a samiti official, said. Owing to growing awareness among the masses about celebrating an eco-friendly festival, the demand for clay-based idols has increased, he added.
Rural Development Department officer Hasmukh Trivedi said, “We have increased the number of stalls selling clay-made idols from 51 in 2018 to 67 this year. We have observed that over 75 artisans in Surat have shunned plaster of paris and adopted eco-friendly ways of making idols.”
(Source: The Indian Express)
2. BJP Corporator, 4 Others Attack Man With Rod
A 36-year-old man was brutally beaten up by five men including a BJP corporator on Bopal-Ghuma road. In the incident, the victim sustained several injuries and was rushed to the hospital.
As per police officials, the incident took place at around 11 am inside the Arohi club. The victim Snehal Patel who has a construction business and is also the chairman of the Shivalik Society. The society committee members had organised a meeting in the Arohi club to discuss society related issues on Sunday, 1 September.
The committee members Shankar Patel, Harshad Patel, Jayesh Patel, Dharmesh Patel and others were present. During the meeting, the accused identified as Suresh Patel and Mahesh Patel (Bhopal Ghuma BJP Corporator) abusing Snehal for his shabby work. As the two continues with the yelling, Snehal left the room.
Meanwhile, the Suresh and Vikash Patel followed him and attacked him from behind. Taking advantage of the situation, Mahesh Patel grabbed an iron rod from nearby and started hitting him. In the incident, Snehal sustained serious injuries on the head.
(Sources: DNA)
3. Supreme Court Relief for Farmers Battling Limestone Mining by Ultra Tech
The Supreme Court on Monday, 2 September set side an order of the National Green Tribunal (NGT) by which the latter refused to condone the delay in filing of an appeal by villagers of Talaja and Mahuva taluka in Bhavnagar district against the environmental clearance granted to Ultra Tech Cement Limited for limestone mining in the villages of Kalsar, Dayal, and Kotda of Mahuva. The apex court has remitted the matter back to the green court.
In January, during a protest, farmers were brutally beaten up and slapped with grave charges by the police, resulting in one of the victims approaching the Gujarat High Court against the atrocities on them. The high court has already issued a host of directions including transfer of the probe in the issue to CID crime and a magisterial inquiry against the erring police officials.
The villagers preferred an appeal before NGT challenging environmental clearance granted to the company on 25 January. The principal bench of NGT passed an order dated 2 February and dismissed the appeal on the ground of delay. The farmers claimed that authorities are not providing them the copy of the environmental clearance.
(Source: DNA)
4. GLDC Official Booked for Disproportionate Assets
The anti-corruption Bureau (ACB) booked a field assistant of the Gujarat Land Development Corporation (GLDC) based in Chhota Udepur, for allegedly siphoning government allotted funds and owning disproportionate assets worth Rs 2.8 crore.
According to ACB officials, field assistant with GLDC, Jayanti Patel and his wife Nanda Patel — both residents of Chhota Udepur — have been booked under the Prevention of Corruption Act (1988) for owning disproportionate assets worth Rs 2,80,98,801, amounting to 59 per cent of his total assets.
These include unaccounted cash, funds transfer and disproportionate assets including land plots, houses, four-wheelers and a JCB machine. The accused had allegedly mentioned his elder son, who is currently studying in the United States, as a contractor with GLDC and transferred funds worth Rs 1.5 crore.
(Source: The Indian Express)
5. Court Rejects Police Plea to Add Rioting, Attempt to Murder Charges to FIR on Restaurant Brawl
The magistrate court of Ahmedabad Rural on 28 August rejected a police application seeking addition of sections of unlawful assembly, armed rioting and criminal conspiracy to an FIR lodged last Monday 26 August.
The FIR lodged at the Anandnagar police station on August 26 alleged that three unknown persons had driven to a local city restaurant – Marutinandan – at Anandnagar at around 12:15 am and despite the restaurant staff informing them that it had closed for the day, the three insisted on being served food. When refused, a fight allegedly broke out when the three allegedly hit the complainant, Lala Joshi, on his head with a wooden stick and also verbally abused him.
The FIR that had stated only three persons as accused, had booked them under IPC sections 323 (punishment for voluntarily causing hurt), 294 (b) (utterance of obscene word) and 506 (2) (punishment for criminal intimidation). However, two days after the FIR was lodged, in the wee hours of 28 August , the Anandnagar police arrested eight people, including the three mentioned in the FIR.
(Source: The Indian Express)
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