Bihar bans sale of more tobacco products
Patna:Bihar Chief Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi Friday announced a ban on the sale of select tobacco products in the state to battle cancer. But there is no ban on cigarettes, bidis and khaini.Manjhi said the government had decided to ban tobacco products such as pan masala, zarda and sugandhit supari. “Tobacco products are not only harmful and dangerous for health, they are the main cause of increasing number of cancer cases in Bihar,” he said at a function. “In view of this, the government is taking a decision to ban the sale of tobacco products,” Manjhi said. The Bihar government had banned gutka some two years ago. Earlier, Manjhi said the tax on tobacco products would be doubled from 30 percent to 60 percent to decrease their consumption. At present there is a 30 percent tax on tobacco products, barring khaini and bidis, in the state. Raw tobacco was last year exempt from taxes to help thousands of farmers who grow tobacco. (IANS)
10 TDP legislators suspended from Telangana assembly
Hyderabad:Ten legislators of opposition Telugu Desam Party (TDP) were suspended from Telangana state legislative assembly for one day Friday as they stalled the proceedings to demand debate on the suicides by farmers. Speaker Madhusudhana Chary announced suspension of 10 members including TDP’s floor leader E. Dayakar Rao. Legislative Affairs Minister Harish Rao moved a resolution for suspension of the legislators as they did not allow the speaker to conduct the proceedings as per the listed agenda. The resolution was adopted with a voice vote. The suspension came after the speaker had to adjourn the house twice due to pandemonium. Demanding that the house immediately take up debate on suicides by farmers and the electricity crisis, the opposition legislators trooped into the well and stalled the proceedings. Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao said his government is ready for debate on all issues. (IANS)
HC puts off petition of terminated MLAs for Monday
Patna:The case of disqualification of four rebel JD(U) MLAs from Bihar Assembly was on Friday taken up by the Patna High Court which adjourned the matter for Monday. As the petition of the four legislators came up for hearing in the court of Justice Jyoti Sharan, Additional Advocate General Lalit Kishore urged the court to adjourn the hearing. The plea of Kishore representing Parliamentary Affairs minister Shrawan Kumar, who is also Chief Whip of ruling JD(U), was accepted and the hearing was put off for coming Monday. Speaker Uday Narayan Chaudhary had on Saturday last ordered termination of membership of Gyanendra Singh Gyanoo (Barh), Neeraj Singh Babloo (Chhatapur), Ravindra Rai (Mahua) and Rahul Sharma (Ghosi). The four had challenged the order in the HC. (PTI)
Two children drown as boat capsizes in UP
Lucknow:Two children were drowned and 10 went missing when a boat capsized in the Ganges river in Rae Bareli, UP, police said Friday. Police told IANS that the incident took place at Saraini at Chamrauli ghat when hundreds of people were taking bath. A boat full of children was crossing the river when it turned turtle. Divers started their search for the missing children but prospects of finding them are bleak, an official said.(IANS)