1. Gujarat Objects to SC Parting with Report on Encounter Killings
The Gujarat government on Monday, 3 December, objected to the Supreme Court handing copies of the Justice HS Bedi Report on encounter killings to the kin of the victims.
According to advocate Anand Yagnik, who appeared for the relatives of Samir Khan –who was killed in an encounter on October 2002 – when the SC took up the matter for hearing, solicitor general Tushar Mehta appeared in court and took exception to copies of the report being given to parties.
The top court has been hearing two PILs filed in 2007 by veteran journalist BG Verghese and poet and lyricist Javed Akhtar, seeking directions for an independent probe so that the truth may come out about the encounters that took place between 2002 and 2006. The matter will be next hear on 12 December.
(Source: The Times of India)
2. HC Drops EC as Party from Plea Challenging Chudasama’s Win
The Gujarat High Court ordered that the Election Commission of India (ECI) be removed as a party respondent from a litigation that challenges the victory of state education minister Bhupindersinh Chudasma in the 2017 state Assembly Elections by a slender margin.
In November, the Supreme Court rejected Chudasama’s application demanding the dismissal of the petition filed in the Gujarat High Court by the Congress candidate from Dholka, Ashvin Rathod, challenging his 2017 poll victory by 327 votes.
In October, the Gujarat High Court had rejected Chudasama’s plea with the observation that there are at least three accusations in Rathod’s petition which merit a trial. Rathod has claimed that Chudasama won by 327 votes while the returning officer mysteriously rejected 429 votes polled through postal ballots.
(Source: The Times of India)
3. Gujarat Loses Top Spot in E-Way Bills in November
Gujarat was on the top across the country in generation of e-way bills, ever since the process was made mandatory from April 2018 onwards. However, in November, Gujarat lost its top spot to Maharashtra and experts claim its because of Diwali holidays and subdued movement of goods.
According to the commercial tax department, around 26.08 lakh e-way bills were generated in Gujarat in November, which was marginally lower than 26.13 lakh e-way bills generated in Maharashtra.
The data also suggests that movement of goods dropped by an estimated 37.4 percent in November against an estimated 41.63 lakh e-way bills generated in October.
(Source: The Times of India)
4. 19 Candidates File Nomination for Jasdan By-Polls
Nineteen candidates have filed nominations for the all important Jasdan By-polls which will be held on 20 December. On the last day of filing nomination, Congress candidate Avsar Nakiya and seven independent candidates filed their nomination forms, said S Murli Krishna, Gujarat’s Chief Electoral Officer.
All nominations will be scrutinised on Tuesday, 4 December, and 6 December is the last day to withdraw nominations. The by-election was called after sitting MLA Kunvarji Bawaliya switched sides from the Congress to join the ruling BJP on 2 June after he resigned from the assembly.
Bavaliya has been fielded for the seat by Rajkot BJP and his main opponent for the race is Congress candidate Avsar Nakiya.
(Source: The Times of India)
5. Statue of Unity Now Getting 30,000 Daily Visitors
The 182-metre tall Statue of Unity dedicated to Sardar Patel in Gujarat's Narmada district is becoming one of the country's top tourist spots and is now attracting about 30,000 people every day, senior state officials said Monday, 3 December.
Both Gujarat Chief Secretary JN Singh and the state's Principal Secretary (Tourism) S J Haider put the figure of daily visitors at the site over the past few days at 30,000. United States Consul-General Edgard Kagan visited the memorial on Monday.
Kagan spent time at the viewing gallery, located at a height of 153 metres, and took in the expansive view offered from there of the Sardar Sarovar Dam as well as the Vindhya and Satpura mountain ranges, said officials. "The statue is very impressive and I'm happy to learn the purpose behind its construction," Kagan said after the visit.
(Source: PTI)
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