News in brief from across Gujarat

Gandhinagar: A high-power meeting to be chaired by Chief Minister will take decision on phase-wise reopening of schools, said Education minister Bhupendrasinh Chudasama who reiterated that schools will be reopened for sure.

– Gujarat government arm, Gujarat Gas has cut discount on gas supplied for ceramic industries in Morbi by Rs. 4 per cubic meter. It’s worth noting that just before the recently held by-poll of Morbi assembly seat, the government had announced cut in the rates of industrial gas supply in Morbi. However post election and its result in favor of ruling BJP, the company has withdrawn Rs. 4 discount announced earlier citing hike in gas prices internationally which is usual every winter.

– A local court in Ahmedabad has rejected regular bail plea filed by former minister of state for Home, Vipul Chaudhary who is main accused in Dudhsagar dairy bonus scam.

– Rs. 25 crore Amrapali under bridge on Raiya road in Rajkot will be inaugurated and opened for traffic next month, said Municipal Commissioner of Rajkot.

– A 17-year old Brain dead girl Nandini, resident of Halol in Central Gujarat, thanks to support of her parents, donated seven organs to different hospitals. Vadodara Police created green corridor for fast movement of organs to local airport from where organs were taken to Ahmedabad, Mumbai and Delhi by two chartered planes. While lungs were taken to Mumbai based Forties hospital, Kidneys and eyes were taken to Kidney and Eye hospitals in Ahmedabad. Heart was taken to AIIMS Delhi.

– Sweepers working with Amdavad Municipal Corporation today went on strike over their ten pending demands and also protesting an attempt of suicide by their union leader yesterday outside one of AMC offices. Sweepers in one of Municipal Zones are seeking job benefit for their family members.

– Ghuma based Kabir Mandir Mahant was kidnapped last evening by land mafias. Police has nabbed 7 accused in this case. It is learnt that Mahant’s ashram owns 35 bigha land worth billions of Rupees. Land mafias are harassing him for last years and pressurizing him to sell his land. Last evening at around 5 pm, three persons in a Bolero car identified themselves as police men and picked up him. He was taken to one Jignesh Shah who pressurized him to sell the land. As the matter was picked up by media and there was uproar, Shah and others released Mahant at around 9.30 pm at Shilaj circle. Menace of land mafias is so odious that Bhavnagar based Raghuvirsinh Jadeja has allegedly done fake banakhat of Mahant’s land.

– Night curfew in cities in Gujarat is likely to be extended in the month of January. The Gujarat High Court has today endorsed the night curfew orders and observed that it has helped in reducing the cases of Covid19.

– The Central Bureau of Investigation has registered a case on a complaint from Canara Bank (lead bank) on behalf of a consortium of 4 member banks against a private company and others including its Directors, unknown public servants & unknown others. It was alleged that, during the period 2017 to 2019, the accused entered into a conspiracy to cheat a consortium of banks including Canara Bank to the tune of Rs. 121.05 crore(approx) by way of forgery and diversion of funds. The company was allegedly enjoying credit facilities. It was further alleged that the company maintained accounts in private banks without obtaining a No Objection certificate from consortium member banks and also indulged in fraudulent practices to siphon off funds of the banks. The account became NPA, thereby causing an alleged loss of Rs 121.05 crore (approx) to the consortium. Searches are being conducted today at 05 places including official & residential premises of the accused at Surat and Navsari in Gujarat which led to recovery of incriminating documents/articles.Investigation is continuing.

-Gujarat has recorded 990 new cases of Covid19 in a day as per the State health department bulletin today. There are now total 10,841 active cases in the State. The State has witnessed total 2,39,195 Covid cases so far including 2,24,0092 discharges and 4,262 deaths.

– A group of Residents from Bhayli area in Vadodara today presented a memorandum to the district collector protesting allotment of EWS (Economically Weaker Section) affordable housing units to Muslims. Bhayli residents have said that theirs is a Hindu locality and therefore Muslims should be allotted residential units elsewhere. The residents also demanded imposition of disturbed area act in Bhayli in order to prevent any such allocation in future too in their area.