COVID-19, IAS, Urmila Matondkar, BJP, Dharmendra Pradhan, MNM, shiv sena, Security check, farm law, All India taxi protest

1 December 2020

• Govt. plans to clarify misconceptions on-farm laws in farmers meet 

  As the farmers have agreed to hold talks with the Central government, a group of cabinet ministers will clear their misconceptions about the 3 farm laws enacted in September during the Monsoon Session of Parliament. It is learnt that the government currently has not decided to roll back the three farm laws which farmers allege are "anti-farm" and "black laws": The Farmers Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020, The Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement of Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, 2020, and The Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020. 

   

• All India Taxi Union threatens to go on strike if the demands of agitating farmers not met within 2 days 

  The All India Taxi Union on Monday threatened to go on strike if the demands of the farmers, protesting against the Centre's new farm laws at different border points of the national capital, are not met within two days. President of the Union, Balwant Singh Bhullar, said they are giving two days to the central government to meet the demands of the farmers. 

• Former IAS officer Santhosh Babu joins Kamal Haasan's MNM party 

  Former IAS officer Santhosh Babu on Tuesday joined Makkal Needhi Maiam floated by actor turned politician Kamal Haasan. Babu has been made the party's General Secretary-Headquarters. Speaking to the media here, Kamal Haasan said that Babu who had taken voluntary retirement after serving the Tamil Nadu government will handle the party's information technology, data, research and other issues. 

• After getting 'ticket' to the legislature, Urmila Matondkar joins Shiv Sen

   In Indian politics, prominent personalities or leaders usually first join a party and then are rewarded with a ticket for legislatures or parliament. In what is said to be an unprecedented change from the norms, Bollywood actress Urmila Matondkar got a 'ticket' first and then officially joined the Shiv Sena, in the presence of senior leaders, here on Tuesday. Shiv Sena President and Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray accorded Matondkar a warm welcome to the party fold while his wife Rashmi Uddhav Thackeray tied her a thread, 'Shiv Bandhan' symbolizing her ties with the new party. 

   

• Security checks cause traffic snarls on Delhi-Gurugram border 

  Given the farmers' Delhi Chalo march to protest the Centre's farm laws, the national capital's police on Tuesday intensified vehicle checking at the Delhi-Gurugram border which resulted in massive traffic congestion. Enormous traffic snarls were witnessed on the National Highway 48 and around 2-km-long queues of vehicles were seen during the rush hour. The national capital's police have put up barricades on the border and only two lanes were opened for the traffic entering Delhi. 

• Railways Get environmental clearances for Mumbai-Ahmedabad Bullet train 

  The Indian Railways has got all the requisite wildlife, forestry and coastal regulation zone clearances in Gujarat and Maharashtra for the 508-km Ahmedabad-Mumbai High-Speed Rail Corridor, officials said on Tuesday. Addressing a virtual press conference here, Railway Board Chairman and CEO, V.K. Yadav said, "Requisite Wildlife, Forestry and Coastal Regulation Zone clearances in the state of Gujarat and Maharashtra have been obtained." He said that out of 1,651 utilities, 1,070 have been shifted for the High-Speed Train Corridor. 

• Dharmendra Pradhan inaugurates & dedicates to the Nation MNGL’s 100th CNG station 

  Union Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas & Steel Dharmendra Pradhan today inaugurated & dedicated to the Nation MNGL’s 5 stations through Video Conference, which takes the company’s CNG stations to one hundred. The Minister also inaugurated the commencement of civil work at LNG/CNG station at Pathardi, Nashik, Maharashtra, CNG supply to buses in Nashik, and CNG distribution through the award of Mobile refuelling Unit (MRU) at Pune.