1. Cyclonic Circulation Triggers More Unseasonal Rains in Gujarat
Spelling more trouble for the farmers already reeling under crop losses due to the recent unseasonal showers in Gujarat, several parts of the state were once again lashed by rains in 24 hours till Thursday evening,14 November, due to an 'induced cyclonic circulation', officials said.
As per the latest data shared by the Gujarat government on Thursday, isolated places in Saurashtra, Kutch and north Gujarat region received light to moderate rainfall in the last 24 hours (ending 8 pm on Thursday).
According to the officials of the MeT Centre, some more rain is expected on Friday, 15 November in these regions.
"Unseasonal rain in some parts of Gujarat can be attributed to an 'induced cyclonic circulation' over southwest Rajasthan. This system would bring rain at isolated places in Saurashtra, Kutch and north Gujarat on Friday too. Weather would become clear after 16 November," Director of the MeT centre, Jayanta Sarkar, said.
(Source: The Times of India)
2. No RTO Checkposts in Gujarat From 20 Nov; ITIs to Issue Learner’s Licence
The Gujarat government on Thursday announced that it would abolish Regional Transport Office (RTO) checkposts in the state from 20 November and issue learners’ driving licences at industrial training institutes (ITIs) and polytechnic colleges from 15 November.
Chief Minister Vijay Rupani said the abolition of checkposts was aimed at ease of doing business, reducing traffic congestion and curbing corruption, while replacing the tax and exemption fees collection from transporters through an online system. The CM said that Gujarat would probably be the first state to launch such a system.
The move to issue learners’ licences from ITIs and polytechnic colleges was to ease the backlog at 36 regional transport offices (RTOs) in the state, he said.
Gujarat has 16 checkposts at its borders with Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Mahrashtra where the RTO officials collect the taxes and exemption fees manually. Annually, the RTO checkposts earn around Rs 300 crore.
(Source: The Indian Express)
3. People’s Dreams to Be Realised With SC Verdict on Ayodhya: CM Rupani
Chief Minister Vijay Rupani on Thursday said the expectations and dreams of Hindu community members are going to be realised with the Supreme Court verdict on Ram temple in Ayodhya.
Addressing a gathering in Surat at the Diwali Sneh Milan programme, Rupani said, “When the Congress was in power at the Centre, they would say that Muslims will have the first right to every government resource and they continued doing vote bank politics.”
Claiming that the Narendra Modi government has made its schemes and policies keeping the poor and the last man of the society in mind, Rupani said, “Narendra Modi said that his government stood for the poor… We are not doing vote bank politics, we are doing politics of uniting people and treating all the country men as equal.”
(Source: The Indian Express)
4. Man Involved in Two Gang Rape Cases Arrested
The Ahmedabad Crime Branch on Thursday arrested a 45-year-old man for allegedly being involved in two cases of gang rape near Narmada canal in Kadi town under Mehsana on Thursday,14 November.
According to police, the accused Akbar Sandhi Dafer alias Lulo (45), a native of Viramgam in Ahmedabad, and two of his accomplices allegedly gang-raped two women on 27 and 30 October near the Narmada canal area route in Kadi area of Mehsana. In both the cases, the gang targeted women accompanied by their male partners, who were subdued by them before attacking the women.
(Source: The Indian Express)
5. Rajkot: 3 Yrs After Health Officer Quits, RMC Accepts His Resignation
More than three years after Dr Vijay Pandya resigned as Medical Officer of Health (MoH), Rajkot Municipal Corporation (RMC) approved his resignation and released him from service on Wednesday, 13 November.
“Since a vigilance inquiry is going on against him since 2015, his resignation was kept pending. However, MOH is a very important post for RMC…we need an officer on that post. Therefore, we have…approved his resignation,” Rajkot Municipal Commissioner Udit Agrawal told The Indian Express on Thursday, 14 November.
Dr Pandya had resigned in March 2016. However, following a complaint that the MOH had not followed norms in procurement of saris for ASHA workers, a vigilance inquiry was launched against him. Months later, he put in his papers. “Since he has already stopped working for the RMC, we have decided that his post-retirement benefits would be subject to the outcome of the inquiry,” Agrawal further said.
(Source: The Indian Express)
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