1. Ten Held for Protesting Against PM’s Event at Statue of Unity
The Narmada police arrested 10 people from Kevadia village for protesting against Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s event — with regard to land aquisition for development projects — on National Unity Day held at the Statue of Unity, on Thursday, 31 October.
According to the police, the accused villagers pushed and threatened the police personnel who had reached the village to keep a check on the law and order situation.
As per a complaint filed by a constable who was on duty in that area, he had received information about the protest and reached the village, along with his team. A group of 10 villagers were seated on a small hillock close to the Narmada river and were protesting by raising slogans, he said in his complaint.
When the policemen approached them, the villagers allegedly pushed them and threatened them to leave the village and let them continue with their protest.
(Source: The Indian Express)
2. MP-Based Firm Bags Rs 570 CR Contract for Rajkot Airport
Madhya Pradesh-based Dilip Buildcon Limited has bagged the Rs 570 crore contract for constructing a new greenfield airport, at Rajkot in Gujarat.
The company headed by Dilip Suryavanshi was declared as the “L-1 bidder” by the Airport Authority of India (AAI) for the project at Hirasar. The company, in a statement filed with Bombay Stock Exchange on Friday, stated that the project will be completed within 30 months.
Under this project, the Engineering, Procurement and Construction company will conduct detailed designing of the greenfield airport, engage in the construction of runways, taxiways, turning pads, drainage systems, firestation, commissioning of airfield ground lighting system, visual aids for navigation and bird hazard reduction systems, among other facilities.
(Source: The Indian Express)
3. Compliance Deadline Over: Surat Traffic Police Crack Down on MV Act Violators
The Surat Traffic Police has begun a crackdown on vehicles flouting the rules of the amended Motor Vehicles Act, which came into force, after two deadline extensions, on Friday, 1November.
The traffic police identified 60 locations across the city where check points were set up to nab rule-breakers. They were on their toes the whole day as hundreds of vehicles continued to violate the rules, despite the state government having extended the deadline for compliance to 15 October first and then to 31 October.
They also faced resistance in some areas from the public, which resulted in altercations.
Out of four traffic zones, the city’s traffic police booked 227 cases in Zone 1 and collected a penalty amount of Rs 93,000, while in Zone 2, a total of 553 cases were booked and a penalty amount of 2.37 lakh was collected from violators of the Act. The figures of the remaining two zones are still pending.
(Source: The Indian Express)
4. Gujarat Cricket Bodies Not Liable to Pay Income Tax: HC
The High Court has upheld an exemption granted to the Gujarat Cricket Association (GCA) and two other cricket bodies in the state from income tax, saying their activities, unlike those of the BCCI, are not commercial in nature.
A division bench of Gujarat High Court, Justices J B Pardiwala and A C Rao, last week upheld the Income Tax Appellate Tribunal's order justifying the exemption granted to GCA, Baroda Cricket Association and Saurashtra Cricket Association, as they are registered as charitable trusts under the Societies Registration Act.
"It is not in dispute that the three Associations have not distributed any profits outside the organization," the HC said"The profits, if any, are plowed back into the very activities of promotion and development.
(Source: Business Standard)
5. Mahant Who Was Lone Voter at Banej Polling Booth in Gujarat Dies
One of the country’s most famous voters, written about routinely for being the lone person to exercise his franchise at a polling booth in Banej in Gujarat’s Gir Somnath district, has died.
Mahant Bharatdas Bapu died at a private hospital in Rajkot on Friday, 1November his followers, based out of Veraval, headquarters of Gir Somnath district, said.
The Banej polling booth, part of Junagadh Lok Sabha seat, used to be set up during Gujarat and general polls only for Bapu, who used to live alone at a Shiva Temple-cum-ashram in Gir West forest division there.
“Bharatdas Bapu was undergoing treatment for a kidney ailment in a private hospital in Rajkot for the past one month. He died on Friday morning. His last rites will be performed on Saturday at an ashram near Jamvala in Gir Forest,” said a follower.
(Source: The Tribune)
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