Gujarat Vadodara News

Phones, Lethal Objects, Drugs Found In Spot Inspection Across Gujarat Jails
Ndtv | 5 days ago | |
Ndtv
5 days ago | |

Ahmedabad: In a mega overnight operation, the Gujarat police conducted simultaneous searches at 17 jails across the state, during which several mobile phones, "lethal" objects and narcotic substances were recovered, officials said on Saturday.The operation, in which 1,700 police personnel were involved with several of them wearing body-worn cameras to videograph the happenings, began on Friday night. The intention behind the move was to check if any illegal activities were taking place there and also to ensure that the inmates are getting facilities they are entitled to as per the law, they said.The decision to carry out the searches was taken at a high-level meeting chaired by Gujarat Minister of State for Home Harsh Sanghavi at the Director General of Police (DGP) office in Gandhinagar Police Bhavan, they said.The places where the operation was conducted included the central jails in Ahmedabad, Vadodara, Surat and Rajkot.Minister Sanghavi and senior police officers monitored the operation live from the command and control centre in state capital Gandhinagar, while Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel inspected the operation from "CM Dashboard" as police personnel wearing body-worn cameras sent the live feed to 'Trinetra', state's command and control centre, the government said in a statement."As many as 16 mobile phones, 10 electronic items, 39 lethal objects, three narcotic substances and 519 tobacco products were recovered during the mega search operation in the prisons across the state," the state government said in a statement.Talking to reporters on Friday night, state Director General of Police (DGP) Vikas Sahay had said the raids were being carried out across 17 jails involving 1,700 police personnel to find out if any illegal activities were taking place inside the jails. Sniffer dogs were also roped in, he said.The mega surprise checking operation was started simultaneously in 17 jails after all district police chiefs and prison chiefs were connected online through video-conference, the government further said.Besides the four central jails, 11 district jails and special jails at Palara and Galpadar in Kutch were covered in the operation, it said.PromotedListen to the latest songs, only on JioSaavn.com"Apart from carrying out strict operations to eradicate the evil of contraband, it is very important that human dignity and law and order is maintained in all the prisons...The operation was also carried out with the aim to ensure that all the necessary facilities available to the inmates in the jail are properly provided," stated the release.(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

Phones, Lethal Objects, Drugs Found In Spot Inspection Across Gujarat Jails
Surprise inspection: 100 grams of ganja seized from cell in Ahmedabad’s Sabarmati Central Jail
The Indian Express | 5 days ago | |
The Indian Express
5 days ago | |

After 1,700 police personnel were deployed across Gujarat on Friday to conduct surprise checks in district jails, sub-jails and special jails, police officials in Ahmedabad said that in a significant seizure, cannabis (ganja) weighing 100 grams was recovered from the cell of a convicted criminalin Sabarmati Central Jail.According to Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP-Ahmedabad city) Neerajkumar Badgujar, the seizure was made from the cell of Akram Sheikh, a convict serving a sentence for looting. An FIR is being registered in connection with the seizure at Ranip police station under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act.The ACP added that the search operation was conducted for 10 consecutive hours – from 9 pm on Friday until 7.30 am on Saturday – with cells and barracks double-checked by a team of 45 police officers and 100 police personnel. Badgujar said the most common contraband seized included tobacco and paan masala, while others included electric hot plates and utensils for making food.Sabarmati Central Jail houses many high-profile convicts and undertrials including Uttar Pradesh gangster Atiq Ahmed, several convicted of serial blasts in Ahmedabad, TMC spokesperson Saket Gokhale and accused in the Mundra drug haul case. The ACP said “some tobacco” was seized from Atiq Ahmed’s cell. No contraband was found in the women’s barracks or from barracks wherethe 2008 serial blast convicts are housed, he added.The quantities seized have not been disclosed so far, with officials stating that they have submitted a report on the seizures to the home department. The ACP added that proceedings under the Prisons Act will be undertaken against those found to possess contraband.In Vadodara Central Jail, about 100 policemen joined three units of scrutiny officers, according to city police officials. The prison currently houses convicts of the 2002 Sabarmati Express fire in Godhra.The Gujarat DGP’s office said Saturday morning that it is collating data received from the inspections conducted at various jails and will issue details regarding the seizures once the process is completed.

Surprise inspection: 100 grams of ganja seized from cell in Ahmedabad’s Sabarmati Central Jail
Man Who Posed As PMO Official In Srinagar Faces 4 Cheating Cases In Gujarat
Ndtv | 1 week ago | |
Ndtv
1 week ago | |

Cases has been filed against the alleged conman in Gujarat.Ahmedabad: Alleged conman from Gujarat Kiran Patel, held in Jammu and Kashmir for posing as a top official of the Prime Minister Office (PMO), has been booked by the Ahmedabad cops on cheating and criminal conspiracy charges for trying to usurp a senior citizen's bungalow in Ahmedabad using the same tactic, said an official on Thursday.Patel, a resident of the Ghodasar area of the city, was arrested by the Jammu and Kashmir police earlier this month from a five-star hotel in Srinagar after the authorities grew suspicious about his activities.On Wednesday, the Ahmedabad city crime branch lodged a case of cheating (Indian Penal Code section 420), criminal breach of trust (406), criminal conspiracy (120-b) and personating a public servant (170) against the alleged conman, said Deputy Commissioner of Police, Crime, Chaitanya Mandlik.Patel's wife Malini Patel has been shown as a co-accused in the FIR (first information report), he said."As per our information, four FIRs related to cheating have been registered against Kiran Patel in different police stations of Gujarat in the past. Since he is in judicial custody, we will try to bring him here through a transfer warrant," Mr Mandlik said.In the latest FIR, it is alleged that Patel tried to grab a bungalow in a posh locality in Ahmedabad by winning the trust of its owner through false claims of being a "Class 1 officer in the PMO" and having close relations with politicians.The complainant, 63-year-old Jagdish Chavda, owns a bungalow in the Shilaj area but wanted to sell it because of personal reasons. Patel approached Chavda in February 2022, claiming to be a real estate agent, and told the owner his property would fetch a good price if it was renovated.To win Chavda's trust, Patel then identified himself as a "Class-1 officer in the PMO" as well as a partner in a cafe chain. When Chavda agreed for the bungalow's renovation, Patel, his wife Malini and an interior designer started the work and took Rs 35 lakh in installments from him, the FIR said.As renovation was underway, Chavda shifted to his friend's residence in the Shela area. After some time, Chavda learnt that Patel and his wife had put their own name plate outside the bungalow and also did a house-warming ritual as if they were the owners.When confronted, the Patel couple left the bungalow without finishing the renovation work, following which Chavda and his family moved back into the house, according to the police.In August 2022, Chavda, through a court notice, learnt Patel had filed a civil suit claiming ownership of the property, said the FIR.In August 2019, a city-based decorator had lodged a complaint in Vadodara against Patel and two others for allegedly duping him of Rs 1 crore.As per the FIR registered at the Raopura police station in 2019, Patel along with two event organisers - Dipesh Sheth and Dhara Sheth - had approached the complainant, Paritosh Shah, to decorate Navlakhi ground in Vadodara for a Navratri event held in October 2018.While the trio paid nearly Rs 50 lakh to Shah in various installments for the work done, they started giving excuses to clear the remaining bill of Rs 1 crore, as per the FIR.At one point, Patel even threatened Shah with dire consequences claiming he was politically well connected. When the trio refused to pay the pending money, Shah lodged a complaint with the Raopura police in August 2019.A similar complaint of cheating and breach of trust was registered against Patel in Bayad town of Arvalli district in August 2020.As per the FIR registered by the Bayad police, Patel along with his brother Manish Patel and the latter's wife Darshna had convinced three persons of Bayad to invest their savings in tobacco and cattle feed business for good returns.In all, the accused took Rs 1.75 crore from one Ashish Patel and two of his friends by promising high returns on their investments, said the police document.PromotedListen to the latest songs, only on JioSaavn.comWhen cheques given by the accused got dishonoured, complainant Ashish Patel and others sought their money back, following which, the trio returned nearly Rs 50 lakh, but refused to pay the remaining sum of Rs 1.25 crore, said the FIR.(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Man Who Posed As PMO Official In Srinagar Faces 4 Cheating Cases In Gujarat
No Death Due To Seasonal Influenza, Prepped For Any Situation: Gujarat
Ndtv | 1 week ago | |
Ndtv
1 week ago | |

A health worker collects blood sample to check for H3N2 virus in Ahmedabad (AFP)Gandhinagar: Gujarat has not reported any casualty due to the seasonal influenza subtype H3N2 so far and the health administration is fully prepared and equipped to handle any situation that arises in the future, the state government told the legislative Assembly on Friday.Under Rule 116 of the Assembly, which deals with matters of "urgent public importance", Congress MLA Arjun Modhwadia and three BJP legislators sought the state government's response about H3N2 influenza and steps being taken to contain the spread.State Health Minister Rushikesh Patel in his reply said no one has died due to the new variant in Gujarat so far.Referring to a 55-year-old woman who died due to flu-like symptoms in Vadodara earlier this week, Patel said she was a "comorbid" patient, who was suffering from two or more ailments."No one has died due to H3N2. The woman who died in Vadodara was comorbid and her treatment started a little late. She could have been saved if her treatment had started sooner. There is no need to compare H3N2 with coronavirus. The treatment of this viral infection has been available in the country and in Gujarat since many years," Patel said.As per the 'Gujarat Epidemic Response Management System Portal', the state has reported 80 cases of H1N1 and two cases of H3N2 seasonal flu between January 1 and March 13, the minister said.Oseltamivir, the drug recommended by the WHO for the treatment of H3N2, is available at all government-run hospitals and health centres, he said.PromotedListen to the latest songs, only on JioSaavn.com"Moreover, we have a huge stock of 2.74 lakh tablets of Oseltamivir in our warehouses at present. There is no need to panic. We have made preparations to tackle this infection from village to city level. Infected patients are given medicines at our hospitals free of cost," Patel said.(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

No Death Due To Seasonal Influenza, Prepped For Any Situation: Gujarat
Home Minister Amit Shah To Visit Gujarat On March 18-19
Ndtv | 2 weeks ago | |
Ndtv
2 weeks ago | |

Home Minister Amit Shah will be on a two-day visit to Gujarat on March 18 and 19. (File)New Delhi: Union Home Minister Amit Shah will be on a two-day visit to Gujarat on March 18 and 19 during which he will attend a host of programmes, including a dairy industry convention and convocation of two universities, officials said on Wednesday.Amit Shah will also offer prayers at the Somnath temple, the officials told Press Trust of India.On March 18, the Home Minister will attend the 49th dairy industry convention organised by the Indian Dairy Association in Gandhinagar, attend a meeting of the district development coordination and monitoring committee (DISHA) and launch a free food campaign at the Gandhinagar civil hospital, officials said.Amit Shah will also inaugurate the Nardipur pond and lay the foundation stone and e-inaugurate various development works of Vasan pond and Kalol before attending the convocation of Maharaja Sayajirao University in Vadodara, officials said.On March 19, the home minister will inaugurate the APMC Kishan Bhawan at Junagarh besides laying the foundation stone of the headquarters of the Junagadh district bank.He will also offer prayers at the Somnath temple, launch Somnath Trust's mobile app and e-launch various development works, officials said.PromotedListen to the latest songs, only on JioSaavn.comIn the evening, Shah will attend the convocation ceremony of the Gujarat central university. (Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Home Minister Amit Shah To Visit Gujarat On March 18-19
DJ music menace: Cops flooded with plaints across Gujarat
Times of India | 1 month ago | |
Times of India
1 month ago | |

VADODARA/AHMEDABAD/RAJKOT/SURAT: DJ music blaring through giant speakers is the latest and the most rampant offence committed across the state. The raucous decibel levels have forced citizens to seek help from the police, flooding the control room with complaints of blaring music, especially during the ongoing wedding season.Ahmedabad city police received 10,277 complaints about noise pollution in 18 months since January 2021. However, apart from two vehicles being seized, no action was taken against any person responsible for the disturbance.When the high court inquired about the implementation of a Gujarat Pollution Control Board's notification issued in December 2019 mandating sound limiters in sound systems, the Ahmedabad police filed five FIRs in January 2023 exactly on the same day it had filed an affidavit in the HC. On January 20, the Ahmedabad police commissioner sought to curb noise pollution in public places and roads by imposing restrictions, besides asking religious places to keep their sound systems not so loud that the sound could travel beyond their premises.While it prohibits mike systems and instruments in public spaces, this circular mandates permission to play music and use public address systems. It permits the use of the mike system on certain conditions only. Vadodara police got 400 calls from citizen in just one week For religious places, the Ahmedabad police circular says, "In temples, churches, and mosques, the sound of the mike system/instrument should be limited in such a way that it does not go beyond the premises."Barodians aren't spared too and in the past few months, about 50 per cent of the calls that the Vadodara police control got daily were about raucous DJ music being played in the urban areas.In fact, in just seven days the Vadodara city police control room has received over 400 calls from distressed citizens complaining about ear-splitting DJ music. Concerned over the spike in DJ music menace, the police have begun filing complaints against the DJs and seizing the music systems. "It has become a big cause of concern in the city areas. We get dozens of complaints every day," said Shamsher Singh, the city police commissioner.A senior police official said that the number of complaints has shot up due to the big DJ systems now being played in the wedding processions. "DJs are hired for even paltry events. It is giving citizens sleepless nights," he added."The police have filed about four cases every day in the past four days and even seized the music systems," said a police official.Vadodara-based advocate Shailesh Amin had even written a letter to the police department and raised the issue of noise pollution and health hazards caused by DJ music. Citing the Supreme Court order, he urged the cops to not allow loud music in public places after 10 pm. The noise pollution rules allow 55 decibels in the daytime in residential areas and at night 45 decibels. Rajkot city police control room receives an average of six complaints daily. Cops say that music menace becomes unbearable in February during the wedding season.In Surat,cops control room receives around 250 calls daily of which 20 are for loud DJ music, mostly played in the night.(With inputs from Nimesh Khakhariya in Rajkot, Saeed Khan in Ahmedabad and Yagnesh Mehta in Surat)

DJ music menace: Cops flooded with plaints across Gujarat
MoUs for Rs 9,852 crore inked under Atmanirbhar Gujarat scheme
Times of India | 1 month ago | |
Times of India
1 month ago | |

GANDHINAGAR: MoUs worth Rs 9,852 crore were signed in a single day on Monday, as industries pledged investments in manufacturing, chemicals and agrochemicals, pharmaceuticals, farm equipment, hydrogen and electric autorickshaws under the state government’s Atmanirbhar Gujarat scheme for assistance to industries.An official statement said 18 MoUs for investments to start industries at different places in the state were signed in a single day in the presence of the CM. “These 18 MoUs will result in a potential investment of Rs 9,852 crore and 10,851 proposed employment opportunities. Of these, MoUs worth Rs. 5,733 crores have been signed with the participation of foreign investors,” the statement added.Garden Silk Mills Pvt Ltd signed an MoU to set up a plant for Rs 2,533 crore to produce fully drawn yarn, textured yarn, and polyester chips at Jolva village in Palsana taluka of Surat. The unit will provide employment opportunities to 1,450 people, the release said.Asian Paints will start a VMV manufacturing plant at Dahej in Bharuch district with a capital investment of Rs 2,100 crore, and the plant will employ 350 people. Mankind Life Sciences Pvt Ltd will invest Rs 1,100 crores at Vadodara and create about 1,000 proposed employment opportunities.The government statement said all these units for which MoUs were signed will become operational by 2025. Under the MoUs, industrial units will be set up in Vadodara, Ahmedabad, Bharuch, Surat, Kutch and Sabarkantha.

MoUs for Rs 9,852 crore inked under Atmanirbhar Gujarat scheme
Class XII student drowns while taking selfie in Vadodara
Times of India | 1 month ago | |
Times of India
1 month ago | |

VADODARA: Taking a selfie with the sun turned tragic for a Class XII student who drowned in a canal in the Chhani area of the city.Fire brigade officials said while his friend was rescued by a local, the boy drowned in the deep water. A team of fire brigade has been hunting for Dev More, who studies in Class XII of a local school. More and his friend Prabhdev Singh, a Class IX student, stay in the same locality. They were out cycling on the banks of the canal in Chhani at about 6.30 pm. "They were standing on the parapet of the canal and some passers-by said that they were clicking selfies. A car went past them in speed following which the duo lost balance. They both slipped in the canal and were swept away by the water current," said Harshvardhan Puar, fire station officer. A local labourer jumped into the canal and pulled out Singh. But More couldn't be traced following which the fire brigade was called for the rescue operation."We have been trying to trace More for the last 24 hours. But it seems he got dragged away too far by the water current or his body may have got entangled in some object below the water surface," Puar added. More's father works as a security guard at a university. Locals said the parapet on the water canal is low in height and a lot of people often walk on it or try to click photos. "It's very dangerous. If anyone slips in the canal, then it's difficult to save the person. People should keep a safe distance from the canal," Puar said.

Class XII student drowns while taking selfie in Vadodara
Water from 18km away to keep grass green at Gujarat’s Kotambi stadium
Times of India | 1 month ago | |
Times of India
1 month ago | |

VADODARA: Soon, cricket buffs from the city will watch international cricket matches from the stands in the newly-built international cricket stadium at Kotambi on Halol Road. While cricketers will get to play on the lush green grass of International Cricket Council (ICC) standards, it will cost the Baroda Cricket Association (BCA) a bomb to merely maintain the grass at the international stadium campus being built at cost of about Rs 200 crore.The association will be spending crores of rupees over and above the Rs 200 crore to just arrange for enough water. A BCA official said that the association plans to lay 18-kilometre-long pipeline from Narmada water canal to the stadium to meet the water requirements.When the land for the stadium was bought in Kotambi village on Halol Road some years ago, BCA had no idea that the underground water there wasn’t suitable for maintaining the high-quality grass on the cricket ground. Even the industries in that area have to buy water from tanker suppliers,” said a BCA official.With the possibility of a borewell ruled out, the association had the option of buying water from tankers or getting water from the Narmada canal. “We decided to opt for laying the pipeline and get water from Narmada canal as it will be cost-effective in the long run as compared to buying water from tankers. Installing a water softener plant to use the underground water too wasn’t feasible,” said Sheetal Mehta, BCA vicepresident.The BCA had been trying to get permission from the government to buy water from the canal for nearly a year and it finally got the go-ahead. The ground would need nearly two lakh liters of water daily for about nine months a year except for the monsoon. The association will be spending about Rs 18 crore on laying the pipeline and once the water supply starts, it would be paying over Rs 30 lakh per year to Gujarat Water Supply and Sewerage Board (GWSSB) just towards Narmada water charges. And, the government increases the water charges every year. The sprawling international stadium campus will have three cricket grounds of which two are of international level. Over 35,000 spectators will watch the cricket matches from the stands in the stadium which will also house state-of-art facilities including a gymnasium and training centre for the players.

Water from 18km away to keep grass green at Gujarat’s Kotambi stadium
FASTag not working at toll plaza? Can’t charge double fee
Times of India | 1 month ago | |
Times of India
1 month ago | |

VADODARA: Your vehicle's FASTag didn't work at the toll plaza on the highway? You don't need to pay double the toll fee.A consumer forum in Vadodara has said that the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) toll plaza cannot charge double the toll fee if the FASTag pasted on any vehicle is non-functional.Dhaval Soni, member, Vadodara District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission, has ordered NHAI to return Rs 145 to city resident Dinesh Dhanani who filed a complaint after being charged Rs 290 at the Surat-Hazira NH toll plaza. Dhanani was travelling from Songadh to Surat in November 2021 but his FASTag couldn't be scanned at the toll plaza.The toll employee told Dhanani that either the FASTag was dysfunctional or it wasn't having sufficient balance. Dhanani showed the employee that the FASTag had sufficient balance but the latter compelled him to pay Rs 290 which was double the normal toll of Rs 145. Dhanani then approached the consumer forum.He contended that the FASTag was issued by the government and it couldn't be scanned due to a system error at the toll plaza.'User can't not be pushed at mercy of toll employee'He also contended that he could have been permitted to pass through the toll plaza with zero transaction receipt. The NHAI admitted that the FASTag was not functional but said that it was the responsibility of the issuer's bank. The opponent also argued that the FASTag wasn't used or scanned at any toll plaza despite being issued in December 2020.Dhanani relied on a notification dated May 7, 2018, which states: "If a vehicle user with a valid, functional FASTag or any such device with sufficient balance in the linked account crossing a fee plaza installed with electronic toll collection infrastructure, is not able to pay user fee through FASTag or any such device owing to malfunctioning of the electronic toll collection infrastructure, the vehicle user shall be permitted to pass the fee plaza without payment of any user fee."The NHIA argued citing a notification dated May 15, 2020, regarding the National Highway Fee Determination of Rates and Collection Amendment of Rules 2008 that a vehicle not fitted with FASTag or a vehicle without a valid or functional FASTag entering the FASTag lane shall pay a fee equivalent to two times of the fee applicable.The forum observed that FASTag may be the need of the hour but at the same time, it has to be ensured that the user of the toll road is not pushed at the mercy of the toll employee. The NHAI cannot shirk its obligation by saying that (FASTag) functioning was the responsibility of the issuer bank.The forum further said that there must be a remedy for FASTag being non-functional, and since it is permanently pasted on the vehicle, even the manufacturer or issuer bank wouldn't be in the position to test it after its removal from the vehicle. NHAI could have recovered the normal toll and issued a manual receipt but it couldn't produce any evidence to show that the FASTag was non-functional at that time.The forum ordered NHAI to pay Rs 145 with 9% interest to the complainant along with Rs 500 towards litigation costs and compensation for the agony to the complainant.

FASTag not working at toll plaza? Can’t charge double fee
Civic Body In Gujarat To Reduce "Dog Tax" After Response From Pet Owners
Ndtv | 1 month ago | |
Ndtv
1 month ago | |

has decided to reduce the tax amount to Rs 1,000 for three years for a pet. (Representational)Vadodara: With the Vadodara Municipal Corporation's move to collect "dog tax" getting a poor response, the civic body has decided to reduce the amount from the next financial year and make the process easier for pet owners to increase compliance, officials said on Sunday.However, some of the pet dog owners believe the civic body should not collect such a tax because it does nothing for the benefit of the animals.Leader of opposition in the VMC Ami Ravat said the civic body intends to collect Rs 1 crore as dog tax, and it should provide the canine owners free veterinary service and frame a dog-keeping policy for better regulation of the pets.The VMC has decided to reduce the tax amount to Rs 1,000 for three years for a pet from Rs 500 per year charged earlier and provide a provision of online registration, officials said.The money thus collected will be primarily used to sterilise stray dogs, VMC's standing committee chairman Hitendra Patel told PTI.He said there are an estimated 8,000-9,000 pet dogs, or 300 to 350 in each of the 19 wards in the city, but only a few of the owners have come forward to pay the dog tax, with the collection remaining negligible."We have reduced the amount of tax to Rs 1,000 for three years. We have also made the provision of online registration for the dog owners. We have reduced the burden on dog lovers. They should contact us with issues affecting them so we could resolve them," he said.The issue is not just about collecting tax from the canine lovers, but also to "establish a dialogue" with them by encouraging them to come forward and get their pets registered, Patel said."We carried out sterilisation of street dogs and spent Rs 40-50 lakh per year. We will use the income collected from dog tax for good works and will proceed through a dialogue with owners," he said.The money collected as tax will be used in reducing the cases of street dogs biting people by caring for such animals, he said."People have not come forward for this despite our efforts in the past. We want more people to come forward. And this way, street dogs should be treated in such a way that the number of dog bite cases are reduced," he said.Vadodara resident and pet owner Devangi Dalvi termed this a "negative development" for city's dog lovers.The administration does nothing for pet dogs. It takes steps for street dogs, but even that is not enough. There have been incidents of violence against street dogs, but no action has been taken, she claimed."I believe the government should not collect tax from dog owners, because it does nothing for the benefit of such dogs. If you do something for such dogs, then you can collect tax. Tomorrow they may demand tax on feeding pigeons. I do not think this is right," she said.Ami Ravat said the VMC plans to collect Rs 1 crore as dog tax and this will mean registration of 20,000 dogs.PromotedListen to the latest songs, only on JioSaavn.com"I have demanded that against this registration, you should give them some services. The civic body should give the pet dog owners the facility of veterinary service at a civic hospital in the city. They should have a dog-keeping policy. There were a few cases of pet dogs biting people and police took no action, nor did we have a policy on this," she said.(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)Featured Video Of The DayDemolition Drive In Delhi's Mehrauli Continues Amid Protests

Civic Body In Gujarat To Reduce "Dog Tax" After Response From Pet Owners
No road, no stretcher: Tribal woman delivers in ambulance
Times of India | 1 month ago | |
Times of India
1 month ago | |

VADODARA: Her sudden labour pains on Wednesday sent the entire family of Manjula Dungra Bhil into a tizzy. The reason being, no ambulances can reach their house in Chhota Udepur's Kukarda village in Naswadi taluka. But the crisis in hand was real and with no time to spare, the family quickly arranged for a makeshift cloth stretcher and helped the woman writhing in pain to sit on it and take her to the pucca road trudging through hilly terrain for almost 3-odd kilometres to reach the ambulance. But luck was on Manjula's side as after travelling for half-a-kilometre, the troupe came across a private vehicle which drove her to the 108 ambulance. "Our house is located in the interior amid the hilly terrain. It is impossible for the vehicles to reach our locality as there is no motorable road," Manjula said. "I was in pain and sitting on the cloth stretcher was even more difficult as it moved like a swing," the woman said, adding that the delay in reaching the ambulance may have hastened the delivery process. "I delivered my baby in the ambulance itself," said the mother of a healthy newborn. Locals said that they face this problem every time someone falls ill or has some medical emergency in their area owing to lack of a pucca road. People more often than not are forced to walk for quite a few kilometres in the hilly and arduous treks to reach a vehicle. "Matters only worsen during the rains with floodwater everywhere," a local rued.

No road, no stretcher: Tribal woman delivers in ambulance
"Bullet Train Project At Fast Pace": Railways Minister Tweets Image Of New River Bridge
Ndtv | 1 month ago | |
Ndtv
1 month ago | |

320 metre long bridge over the Par River.Union Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw has shared a few pictures of the newly constructed river bridge on the Mumbai-Ahmedabad High Speed Rail (MAHSR) corridor.The connecting bridge was created on Gujarat's Par River. It is 320 metres long and consists of eight full-span girders, each 40 metres long. "Bullet Train project at a fast pace. Construction done 320m long bridge over Par River," the minister captioned the photo.#BulletTrain project at fast pace.Construction done✅ 320m long bridge over Par River. pic.twitter.com/vnHvbkYEqB— Ashwini Vaishnaw (@AshwiniVaishnaw) February 8, 2023As per its official website, the high speed trains on the Mumbai-Ahmedabad High-Speed Speed Rail Corridor will operate at a speed of 320 Km/hr covering a distance of 508 Km and stopping at 12 stations. There will be 35 trains per day in one direction, with a frequency of 20 minutes in peak hours and 30 minutes in non-peak hours. This distance will be covered in 1 hour and 58 minutes with limited stop service (in Surat and Vadodara), and 2 hours and 57 minutes with all stops service. The operational control centre for the MAHSR corridor will be located at Sabarmati.PromotedListen to the latest songs, only on JioSaavn.comMr. Vaishnaw regularly interacts with his social media followers and shares interesting images and messages. He posted a picture of a baby last week that showed the infant curled up on a quilt and gazing out of a train window on Twitter. The minister then asked his followers if it looked like a train coach or a plane seat."Baby on Board! Plane seat or train seat?" Mr Vaishnaw said in his tweet.Baby On Board!Plane seat or train seat?Guess ⁉️ pic.twitter.com/x5snDfHADb— Ashwini Vaishnaw (@AshwiniVaishnaw) February 3, 2023The photo gained enormous attention, amassing several likes and over four million views.Featured Video Of The DayPM Modi Inaugurates 3-Day Global Investors Summit In Uttar Pradesh

"Bullet Train Project At Fast Pace": Railways Minister Tweets Image Of New River Bridge
Gujarat’s tobacco acreage up by 116% in 19 years
Times of India | 1 month ago | |
Times of India
1 month ago | |

AHMEDABAD: In Gujarat — which has the ignominy of being known as the oral cancer capital of India — farmers in North and Central Gujarat are raking in the moolah from tobacco. Tobacco was sown on 63,800 hectares in 2004, and this number has risen to 1.38 lakh hectares for the 2023 winter crop, a 116% increase. Gujarat accounts for 48% of the country’s total tobacco production of 8 lakh tonnes. Experts say there are many factors for this, tobacco is a cash crop and keeps away wild animals such as nilgai and wild boar which may graze on and destroy food crops. The greater availability of water has also increased tobacco acreage. According to figures from the agriculture department, the acreage sown with tobacco was 68,200 hectares in 2003-04, and rose to 92,900 hectares in 2013-14 and to 1.38 lakh hectares as of January 2023. The figures show that till 2013-14, about 95% of tobacco was grown in the Charotar region — Anand, Kheda and Vadodara districts. However, in 2013-14, it started to be grown in North Gujarat, which now accounts for 30% of tobacco acreage, mainly in the districts of Mehsana, Banaskantha, Patan and Sabarkantha. In Central Gujarat, 96% of the area sown with tobacco is in Kheda and Anand districts. Bhikhu Patel, president of the Gujarat Tobacco Merchant (Farmers) Association, says tobacco cultivation in Gujarat is rising because the crop never fails and doesn’t need pesticides as tobacco itself is a natural pesticide. “As the population grows, consumption of cigarettes and other tobacco products is also rising. Tobacco is also used in the pharma and cosmetics industries,” he said. While Anand and Kheda dominated earlier, Banaskantha, Sabarkantha and Mehsana are fast catching up. The work of the Tobacco Research Institute in Kheda is also helping farmers. An agriculture department officer said, “While tobacco sells for Rs 6,500 to Rs 7,500 a quintal, wheat sells for Rs 2,800 to Rs 4,000 a quintal.” D H Rabari, Kheda district agriculture officer, said “Tobacco farming keeps wild and domestic animals away because of the bitter taste of the leaf. Damage to the crop from grazing animals is minimal compared to other crops. More farmers are opting for tobacco while rotating their crops.” He added that Vijapur in North Gujarat is fast turning into a trading hub for tobacco, despite the vast area under tobacco cultivation in the Charotar region. M S Prajapati, Patan district agriculture officer, said, “Returns from tobacco are higher than other rabi crops. The greater availability of water in North Gujarat has led farmers to shift to tobacco. Earlier, canal bed irrigation was only available in Charotar. The crop grown here is used in the bidi, cigarette, pharma, and cosmetic industries and as an insecticide.

Gujarat’s tobacco acreage up by 116% in 19 years
Except Gujarat, Amul milk prices soar across country
Times of India | 1 month ago | |
Times of India
1 month ago | |

Vadodara: The Gujarat Co-operative Milk Marketing Federation (GCMMF) that markets dairy products under brand name Amul revised prices of milk across all variants and all markets in the country except Gujarat from Friday morning.This is the second consecutive time that the home-grown dairy giant has increased milk prices in the country but spared consumers in Gujarat. With the latest price revision, all the variants of Amul milk have now become dearer by Rs 2 per litre in Delhi-NCR, Mumbai, Kolkata and all key markets in the country.In October last year too, Amul had increased prices of its full cream variant – Amul Gold – but spared consumers in the state where elections of the state assembly elections were due. GCMMF’s in-charge managing director Jayen Mehta told TOI that the price hike was very much required given the overall increase in input cost as well as increase in fodder prices. “Our member milk unions are already paying around 18 % more milk procurement prices to farmers,” said Mehta, adding that the hike in milk prices is not effective in Gujarat. Citing an example, Mehta said that milk unions of Gujarat which were paying Rs 670 per kilo fat as procurement price to farmer-members are now paying Rs 800 per kilo fat. Last year, it was twice that GCMMF had revised milk prices in Gujarat – with the first one being in March and second one in August 2022. After the last price hike in August, price of Amul Gold stands at Rs 62 per litre, Amul Taaza at Rs 50 per litre and that of Amul Shakti at Rs 56 per litre in Gujarat. Outside Gujarat, price of Amul Gold now stands at Rs 66, Amul Taaza at Rs 54, Amul cow milk at Rs 56 whereas price of Amul A2 buffalo milk is Rs 70 per litre.

Except Gujarat, Amul milk prices soar across country
  • Amul milk costlier by Rs 2 across all variants, except in Gujarat
  • Times of India

    VADODARA: The Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation (GCMMF), which markets its dairy products under the brand name Amul, revised milk prices by Rs 2 across all variants and all markets in the country, except Gujarat, from Friday. This is the second consecutive time that the dairy giant has hiked milk prices in the country, but spared consumers in Gujarat. In October last year, it had increased prices of its full cream variant, Amul Gold, except in the western state where assembly polls were due. GCMMF’s in-charge managing director Jayen Mehta told TOI that the price revision was mandated by the increase in fodder prices and overall input cost. “Our member milk unions are already paying around 18% more procurement prices to dairy farmers,” said Mehta. He said milk unions of Gujarat, which were paying Rs 670 per kilo fat as procurement price to farmer members, were now paying Rs 800.

Gujarat’s Ankleshwar chicken breed gets genetic makeover
Times of India | 2 months ago | |
Times of India
2 months ago | |

VADODARA: A couple of years ago, this indigenous chicken breed of Gujarat was facing a crisis of sorts. Poor egg production and slow growth had started adversely impacting the population of Ankleshwar chicken breed. But thanks to the intervention of scientists, the 'desi' chicken breed has undergone a genetic improvement in its makeup. With the help of the National Bureau of Animal Genetic Resources (NBAGR), Karnal, Haryana, the Anand Agricultural University (AAU) has got success in conserving the indigenous breed.In fact, genetically improved Ankleshwar chickens have been provided to local poultry farmers to conserve the original breed. AAU also won an award for conserving this native breed. "We have received ICAR-NBAGR, Karnal sponsored breed conservation award 2022 for Ankleshwar chicken," Dr K B Kathiria, vice-chancellor of AAU who as director of research and dean of P G Studies had initiated the project to conserve the breed. "Ankleshwar and Busra chicken are the only local breeds of Gujarat that are registered with the NBAGR - the nodal agency for registering breeds in the country. Of the two, Ankleshwar chicken is exclusive to Gujarat while Busra is found both in Gujarat and Maharashtra," said Dr F P Savaliya, principal scientist and head of poultry research station (PRS) at AAU. "After carrying out a survey, we had got the Ankleshwar chicken as an indigenous breed in 2004-05," he said. "In 2012, we collected the fertile eggs from the breeding tracts of Ankleshwar breed from Narmada and Bharuch districts. These fertile eggs were artificially incubated and chicks were generated at PRS. "From this base population, a genetically improved breeder stock was established and conserved under a planned scheme of our university and also under a ICAR sponsored all India coordinated research project," Savaliya said. After carrying out few generations of purification and improvement, the breed was conserved ex-situ, meaning the breed was preserved other than their breeding tract. Since then, 60,000 chicks of this genetically improved breed were supplied yearly to needy rural poultry farmers. Earlier, the hen used to produce 80-90 eggs. "But with genetic improvement and balanced diet, one hen produces 140-150 eggs up to 64 weeks of age. This naturally helps in improving the income of poultry farmers," Savaliya said. The university has also carried out in-situ conservation of the breed for which chicks of the genetically improvised breed were provided to 50 beneficiaries in Umarvada village of Ankleshwar taluka so that the farmers can themselves breed the chicken. "Being a dual type of breed, this chicken is used both for egg and its meat," he said.

Gujarat’s Ankleshwar chicken breed gets genetic makeover
  • Gujarat’s Ankleshwar chicken breed gets genetic makeover
  • Times of India

    Vadodara: A couple of years ago, this indigenous chicken breed of Gujarat was facing a crisis of sorts. Poor egg production and slow growth had started adversely impacting the population of Ankleshwar chicken breed. But thanks to the intervention of scientists, the ‘desi’ chicken breed has undergone a genetic improvement in its makeup. With the help of the National Bureau of Animal Genetic Resources (NBAGR), Karnal, Haryana, the Anand Agricultural University (AAU) has got success in conserving the indigenous breed. In fact, genetically improved Ankleshwar chickens have been provided to local poultry farmers to conserve the original breed. AAU also won an award for conserving this native breed. “We have received ICAR-NBAGR, Karnal sponsored breed conservation award 2022 for Ankleshwar chicken,” Dr K B Kathiria, vice-chancellor of AAU who as director of research and dean of P G Studies had initiated the project to conserve the breed. “Ankleshwar and Busra chicken are the only local breeds of Gujarat that are registered with the NBAGR — the nodal agency for registering breeds in the country. Of the two, Ankleshwar chicken is exclusive to Gujarat while Busra is found both in Gujarat and Maharashtra,” said Dr F P Savaliya, principal scientist and head of poultry research station (PRS) at AAU. “After carrying out a survey, we had got the Ankleshwar chicken as an indigenous breed in 2004-05,” he said. “In 2012, we collected the fertile eggs from the breeding tracts of Ankleshwar breed from Narmada and Bharuch districts. These fertile eggs were artificially incubated and chicks were generated at PRS. “From this base population, a genetically improved breeder stock was established and conserved under a planned scheme of our university and also under a ICAR sponsored all India coordinated research project,” Savaliya said. After carrying out few generations of purification and improvement, the breed was conserved ex-situ, meaning the breed was preserved other than their breeding tract. Since then, 60,000 chicks of this genetically improved breed were supplied yearly to needy rural poultry farmers. Earlier, the hen used to produce 80-90 eggs. “But with genetic improvement and balanced diet, one hen produces 140-150 eggs up to 64 weeks of age. This naturally helps in improving the income of poultry farmers,” Savaliya said. The university has also carried out in-situ conservation of the breed for which chicks of the genetically improvised breed were provided to 50 beneficiaries in Umarvada village of Ankleshwar taluka so that the farmers can themselves breed the chicken. “Being a dual type of breed, this chicken is used both for egg and its meat,” he said.

Gujarat: Junior clerk exam paper leaked, ATS begins probe; 15 arrested
Times of India | 2 months ago | |
Times of India
2 months ago | |

AHMEDABAD: The Gujarat government on Sunday morning cancelled the competitive exam for the Panchayat Junior Clerk recruitment a couple of hours before it was scheduled to be held due to the paper leak from a coaching centre in Atladra in Vadodara.At least 9.53 lakh candidates registered for the exam for 1,181 posts which was to be conducted from 11am by the Gujarat Panchayat Service Selection Board (GPSSB) at 2,995 centres across the state.This is not the first time that a competitive exam paper has been leaked in Gujarat. Since 2014, at least 13 exam papers ranging from the chief of Gujarat Public Service Commission (GPSC), Lok Rakshak Dal (LRD) to junior clerk of GPSSB have been leaked.Gujarat Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) on Saturday night caught at least 15 persons in connection with the case including two who were earlier caught by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in 2019 for manipulating online entrance exam of BITS, Pilani.“We have got a tip off about the paper leak on Saturday night after which we raided a coaching centre in Atladra in Vadodara and found a hard copy of the question paper,” said the ATS officer.The ATS team held at least 15 persons in the case including the main accused Bhaskar Chaudhary, who runs a coaching class at various places in Bihar, Ketan Barot, who runs various coaching classes in Vadodara and Ahmedabad, and Pradip Nayak, who runs a coaching class in Odisha, said the officer.At present, various teams of the Gujarat ATS have been conducting raids at five different places in the country and at two places in Gujarat. The ATS officers did not divulge details of the raids claiming it may hamper the investigation.“The Government had instructed police and agencies to keep a close vigil over the persons who were involved in illegal activities like providing the competitive exam papers in lieu of money. We came to know Saturday night only that someone had managed one hard copy from the printing press. After which we raided a coaching class in Atladra of Vadodara and caught the accused. We also recovered the hard copy of the exam paper from Pradip Nayak,” said an ATS officer.Meanwhile, the board in its statement informed the candidates not to go to the examination centres.“The junior clerk (administrative/accounting) exam was to be conducted in different districts between 11 am and 12 noon on January 29. As per the information received from the police early Sunday morning, they detained a suspect and upon his interrogation seized a copy of the question paper from his possession,” the board said in the statement.It said that the examination will be conducted afresh at the earliest, for which the board will issue a new advertisement.

Gujarat: Junior clerk exam paper leaked, ATS begins probe; 15 arrested
  • Gujarat Paper Leak: 15 Arrested From Vadodara With Question Papers
  • Ndtv

    15 accused have been arrested from Vadodara with question papers.Ahmedabad (Gujarat): The Gujarat Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) on Sunday arrested 15 accused from Vadodara with question papers after the Panchayat Junior Clerk recruitment exam which was scheduled for 11 am today was postponed due to a paper leak in Jamnagar, police said.Superintendent of Police (SP) Gujarat ATS Sunil Joshi said, "Gujarat ATS was continuously keeping a watch on people who were related to previous paper leak incidents. 15 accused have been arrested from Vadodara with question papers. It is a very organised inter-state gang. The government decided to cancel the exam. Further investigation is underway.""We had to ensure that the future of the students is not compromised. The exam should be conducted in a fair and transparent manner. The Gujarat Police and Gujarat ATS worked with a proactive approach after being instructed by the state government," the official added.Earlier, the Gujarat Panchayat Service Selection Board, Gandhinagar, has said that the exam will be held afresh at the earliest, the date of which will be announced shortly."In the larger interest of the candidates, it has been decided by the board to 'postpone' the competitive examination to be held on 29-01-2023 at 11-00 am, which all the candidates are requested to take note of. Every candidate is advised not to go to the examination centre for the above reasons. The sadar exam will be held afresh at the earliest, the date of which will be announced by the board shortly," the board has said."On the basis of the information received by the police, a suspect Isam was arrested and a copy of the question paper of the above examination was found from him. Criminal police action and further investigation is being done," it added.PromotedListen to the latest songs, only on JioSaavn.comStudents and their parents who had reached the Jamnagar centre for the exam expressed disappointment and anger while demanding strict action by the government against the culprits.A total of 26,882 students were registered for the exam in Jamnagar, while more than 7,00,000 people were expected to sit in the examination across the state.