Health minister to look into Ramdev medicine issue: Paswan
Kolkata: Amid a controversy over an ayurvedic medicine being sold by Ramdev’s pharmacy that allegedly promised a male child, Union minister Ram Vilas Paswan on Friday said the Union Health minister has already assured opposition MPs that the matter will be looked into. “It is a gender issue. If you are asking for only a male child, it is illegal. The health minister (J P Nadda) has said that the matter will be looked into,” he said here today while reacting to the uproar in the Rajya Sabha yesterday over ‘Divya Putrajeevak Beej’ sold by Divya Pharmacy. “However, you cannot bring this (product) under misleading advertisement,” he said. Without elaborating whether his ministry is taking any action on the medicine at a time when the NDA government was carrying out its ‘Beti Bachhao’ campaign, Paswan said if a product did not deliver what it promises, only then can it be misleading. The opposition had demanded a ban on the ayurvedic product in Rajya Sabha yesterday and sought stringent action against the manufacturers. (PTI)
Odisha govt announces raise in minimum wages of labourers
Bhubaneswar: Odisha government on Friday announced a hike in the minimum wages of skilled, unskilled and semi-skilled workers based on the recomendation of the State Minimum Wage Advisory Committee. While the minimum wage for an unskilled labourer has been raised to Rs 200 from Rs 150 per day, the semi-skilled workers will get Rs 220 each instead of Rs 170 a day, a government notification stated. The skilled worker will get Rs 240 daily, up from Rs 190 earlier. The minimum remmuneration of highly skilled workers has been raised to Rs 260 from Rs 205, it said. “The workers are in fact pilots of development. The state government is committed for their welfare,” Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik said while announcing the new minimum wages on the occasion of International Workers’ Day. The notification has given 60-day time for objections and suggestions on the announcement of minimum wages from trade unions, workers, stake holders and from the general public. The minimum wages were raised based on the recomendation of the State Minimum Wage Advisory Committee for raising the minimum wages of workers of different categories.(PTI)
Moderate intensity quake hits Andaman and Nicobar Islands
Kolkata: A moderate earthquake measuring 5.4 in the richter scale hit the Andaman Island region at about 2.29 PM on Friday. The depth of the earthquake was measured as 10 km, IMD said in a statement. Reports of damage to properties or life have not been received so far, it said. The earthquake comes within a week of the high intensity quake that hit Nepal and adjoining areas including parts of India last Saturday.(PTI)
2 guards officials arrested for accepting bribe
Indore: A Burhanpur district home guard commandant and a platoon commander were arrested here on Friday for allegedly accepting bribe from another officer here, police said. Commandant Ramesh Kumar Rajak and Platoon Commander Baburao Patil were arrested by the Lokayukta police based on a complaint by Home Guard constable Vinod Bisen, Lokayukta Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) V S Parihar. He said that Bisen approached Rajak after he failed to receive his honorarium for April. The commandant asked him to meet Patil, who in return asked the constable to shell out Rs 5,000 as bribe to receive his monthly dues, he said. Bisen contacted the Lokayukta police and lodged a complaint against them, the DSP said. A trap was laid when Bisen paid Rs 5,000 bribe to Patil at the Commandant’s office. After pocketing his cut of Rs 500, the platoon commander handed over the remaining Rs 4,500 to Rajak, Parihar said. Lokayukta police arrested Rajak and Patil. They have been under relevant sections of the Prevention of Corruption Act. Further investigations are on, Parihar said. (PTI)
Pilot slams Centre over hike in fuel prices
Jaipur: Slamming the NDA government over hike in fuel prices, Rajasthan Congress President Sachin Pilot on Friday called it “the biggest failure” of the union government. The BJP has failed to keep its promises as prices of commodities are skyrocketing day by day, he alleged. Prices of milk and milk products, fruits and vegetables and other commodities are rising while value of rupee is going down against dollar during the present BJP rule, he stated. It is the failure of the government on the economic front, he said in a statement. Petrol prices were raised yesterday by Rs 3.96 per litre and diesel by Rs 2.37 a litre. (PTI)
Youth shot dead in Samstipur
Samastipur: A youth was shot dead at Behat village under Singhia police station area in this district late last night. Police said on Friday that motorcycle-borne men attacked Ashok Das with an intention to loot his belongings. They opened fire at him when he resisted their bid. The youth died on the spot, police said adding that the criminals escape after looting his belongings. Raids were on to nab them, police said adding the body had been sent for postmortem. (UNI)
