HC raps AAP govt for urinal constructed below transformer
New Delhi: The Delhi High Court has rapped the AAP government and North Delhi Municipal Corporation for constructing a public urinal under a power transformer and putting the life of users under ‘extreme danger’. ‘This is incredible,’ a bench of Acting Chief Justice Gita Mittal and Justice Anu Malhotra said and asked, ‘How can you do this?” “Don’t you have experts, who can assist you? Is there any building bye-law or not for the city,’ the bench asked. The court asked the authorities to produce before it their proposed plan on the next date of hearing on May 18. ‘You are directly putting the life of users under extreme danger,’ it said and added that the project may be put on hold for some time. “Safety and security of people are under question. Mere digging has started. It would be better to stop the project for some time,” the court said. The court also issued notice to the government and North Delhi Municipal Corporation and sought their replies. A residents welfare association (RWA) of Sultanpuri here has moved the court seeking direction to the authorities to restrain them from constructing a public urinal under the power transformer in the locality. (PTI)
TN asks Madras HC to modify order on liquor shops
Chennai: The Tamil Nadu government on Wednesday urged the Madras High Court to modify its recent order restraining it from relocating or opening liquor shops in residential areas. Seeking modification of the May 8 order, AAG Venkatramani said the government’s revenue has been affected and there is a huge loss to the exchequer. The special mention was today made before the bench, comprising Justice K. Kalyanasundaram and Justice S.M. Subramaniam. The court had restrained the government from relocating liquor shops to residential areas, saying the sentiments of people, mostly women, agitating on the issue should be accorded paramount importance as they were the victims of liquor consumption. The court had also said the state-run TASMAC liquor shops should not be opened wherever there was a ‘grama sabha’ resolution against their location in villages or town or any local body. (PTI)
‘Akbar, Babar were invaders’: Yogi praises Maharana Pratap
Lucknow: Akbar, Aurangzeb and Babar were ‘invaders’ and the youngsters should follow the path shown by leaders like Maharana Pratap, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has said. He said the problems of the country will vanish if this truth is accepted. Adityanath was speaking at an event held here on the occasion of the 477th birth anniversary of Maharana Pratap yesterday. “Maharana Pratap, Guru Gobind Singh and Chhatrapati Shivaji are our role models, and we must follow the path shown by them. Youngsters must learn a lesson from the self-respect and strength of character from Maharana Pratap. Akbar, Aurangzeb and Babar were invaders. The sooner we accept the truth, all the problems of our country will vanish,” he said. (PTI)
Maharashtra govt bans junk food in school canteens
Mumbai: The Maharashtra government has banned the sale of junk food in school canteens across the state. Instead of junk food, students would be served with vegetable ‘khicdi’, ‘rajma-rice’ and ‘idli-vada’. These healthy alternatives will replace pizza, noodles and pastries in school canteens. The decision has been taken with a view to control childhood obesity. (UNI)
Odisha Assembly to elect new Speaker on May 16
Bhubaneswar: The Odisha Legislative Assembly will meet here on May 16 next to elect a new speaker following the resignation of Niranjan Pujari who was inducted into the council of ministers of the Naveen Patnaik government as a cabinet minister. Assembly Secretariat sources here said state Governor S C Jamir has fixed the date and time for the election of the new Speaker. The meeting will be held on May 16 at 1500hrs to elect the new Speaker. In the 147 member house, the ruling BJD has 117 members, Congress 16, BJP 10, CPM and the Samata Kranti Dal one each and Independent two. A special session of the state Assembly is scheduled to be held on May 18 and 19 next to pass the GST bill which has already been passed by the Parliament. (UNI)
13-year-old ‘husband’ kills in-law over marital issues
Jamui: In a fit of rage on refusal of his wife to go with him to in-laws house from her parents’ home, a 13-year-old husband beat up 11-year-old boy Nitish Kumar causing his death on the spot at Sijhua village under Laxmipur police station area in the district today. Police said here that a 13-year-old boy Tetra Koda, native of Samuhadih village, was married to 11-year-old girl Urmi Koda, of Sijhua village last year. When Tetra reached in-laws house and requested his wife to go his home, she refused while her father also did not show any interest in obliging his son-in-law, by persuading his daughter. The scene took ugly turn when Nitish also asked the desperate young husband to wait for three more days before his demand would be accepted. (UNI)