1. Fireworks, Debates, Seva and Cake Cutting: Gujarat Celebrates PM Narendra Modi’s 69th Birthday
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) workers, common citizens and even district administrations chose to celebrate Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s 69th birthday in unique ways in Gujarat.
The Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation began with several services, including a water ride on the Sabarmati; while the district administration in other parts of the state picked up one or two of his pet programmes, including discouraging the use of single-use plastic as well as the Swachhta Mission.
Meanwhile, the citizens also carried out cake cutting ceremonies including a 7,000 kg cake that was cut in Surat.
(Source: DNA)
2. Gujarat Police Sub-Inspector on Duty Shoots Himself Dead
A police sub-inspector of Navsari Rural police who was on duty in Kevadia colony as a part of the security detail for Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s event allegedly shot himself dead using the service revolver of a colleague.
PSI NC Finavia (32), a native of Surat, was on duty since Tuesday morning (17 September) at point number-98, at the Kevadiya Circuit House, where he shot himself in the head around 10.30 AM.
Deputy Superintendent of Police, Amreli, RD Oza, who was the supervisor at the circuit house where the incident happened, said that Finavia, who had been reinstated just a month earlier after being suspended for negligence, had not been reissued his service revolver yet after he rejoined duty.
“He was on duty since 8 am. He approached another police sub-inspector and asked him for his service revolver to click pictures with. The other PSI and Finavia worked together at Navsari rural police and so he did not suspect anything and gave him the weapon for a photo op at the venue. But immediately after that he (Finavia) shot himself in the head. The reasons are unknown. His body was taken to Rajpipla civil hospital.”
(Source: Indian Express)
3. Gujarat High Court Admits Narayan Sai’s Appeal Against Life Term
The Gujarat High Court on Tuesday, 17 September, admitted the appeal filed by self-styled godman Asaram’s son Narayan Sai against the life imprisonment awarded to him by a Surat sessions court for rape and unnatural sex with a former disciple.
The appeal was admitted by the division bench of Justice Harsha Devani and Justice VB Mayani, which also condoned the delay of 46 days in approaching the high court. The appeal was filed by Sai last month.
Notably, convicts are supposed to file the appeal against the conviction within a period of three months of the trial court’s pronouncement of the verdict.
(Source: DNA)
4. Five of a Family Dead After Falling Into Makeshift Septic Well in Gujarat
Five members of a family died after “inhaling poisonous gases” when they entered a makeshift septic well outside their house to save another relative at Gujarwada village in Patan on Tuesday evening (17 September).
Police said that the five entered the well to save a 40-year-old woman who had first fallen into the well when its cover accidentally collapsed. Police have managed to save one man who is currently admitted in Civil Hospital in Patan in a critical state.
“The family had built the makeshift septic well and a toilet outside their house at Gujarwada village. Around 5.30 pm, Ranjan Sindhav, who was plucking leaves from a tree accidentally stepped onto the brick cover over the well, which then collapsed, and fell into the well. Her husband Ratabhai Sindhav then entered the well to save her but he also fell unconscious. Four more members of the family then stepped into the well and they also fell unconscious one by one,” said YB Barot, station incharge, Sami police station, Patan.
(Source: Indian Express)
5. Live Emissions Trading: Permits Worth Rs 2.78 L Traded in Surat
On the first day of live trading of credits as part of the world’s first Emissions Trading Scheme on particulate matter (ETS-PM) in Surat, about 88 industries traded Rs 2.78 lakh worth emission permits.
Gujarat Pollution Control Board (GPCB) put out a total of 55,993 permits to be sold on the trading platform for ETS-PM operated by the National Commodities and Derivatives Exchange e-Markets Limited (NeML). “At the end of the day, 99% of the permits on offer were sold,” NM Tab-hani, member secretary of GPCB, told The Indian Express.
ETS-PM is a market where industries can buy and sell the ability to emit particulate matter by trading permits (in kilograms) under a cap that has been fixed by the GPCB. For the current month, the regulator has fixed 280 metric tonnes as the total mass of suspended particulate matter (SPM) emissions that 155 companies that mostly use coal as fuel are permitted to emit. While 80 percent of the permits are distributed free to participating industries based on the emission sources, GPCB auctions the remaining 20 percent of permits.
(Source: Indian Express)
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