1. 204 Lions Died in Gir in Last Two Years: Gujarat Govt
Over 200 lions died in the Gir forest region in the last two years, the Gujarat government told the legislative assembly on Friday.
Only 27 of these deaths were because of "unnatural" causes such as getting hit by a train or falling into a well, it said.
To a query by Congress' Bhagabhai Barad, forest minister Ganpat Vasava, in a written reply, said 110 lions and 94 cubs died in 2017 and 2018. Of the 110 adult lions, 43 died in 2017 and 67 in 2018. Thirty-eight cubs died in 2017 and 56 in 2018, the reply said.
(Source: The Times of India)
2. Over 2 Lakh Teachers Protest in Gujarat, 250 Detained
A day after Gujarat State Road Transport Corporation (GSRTC) employees proceeded on mass casual leave over wage issues, hundreds of primary school teachers in the state followed suit on Friday.
Over two lakh teachers on Friday went on mass casual leave and also tried to protest outside the Gujarat Assembly, where the last day of the session is underway.
Officials said that almost all primary schools in the state remained closed on Friday because of the teachers' stir.
"We have detained some 250 teachers and are trying to evict others from the area outside the Assembly," Gandhinagar Range Inspector General Mayanksinh Chavda said.
(Source: Asian Age)
3. Shops, Food Joints in Gujarat Cities Can Now Operate 24x7
The Gujarat Assembly on Friday cleared a Bill that allows shops and food joints in urban areas to operate 24 hours and also those situated on national highways, inside bus stations and hospital premises.
The Gujarat Shops and Establishment (Regulation of Employment and Conditions of Service) Bill of 2019 was passed with a majority vote in the Assembly.
The Bill was opposed by the Congress, but it was eventually approved given the BJP's comfortable majority in the House.
The move will increase business and create more employment opportunities, the government told the Assembly.
(Source: PTI)
4. PM to Lay Foundation Stone of India's Longest LPG Pipeline on Sunday
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will on Sunday lay the foundation stone of the country's longest LPG pipeline that will cater to cooking fuel needs of a fourth of the country's population, said Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.
State-owned Indian Oil Corp (IOC) is laying an LPG pipeline from Gujarat coast to Gorakhpur in eastern Uttar Pradesh to cater to growing demand for cooking gas in the country. IOC plans to import LPG at Kandla in Gujarat and move it through the 1,987-kilometre pipeline to Gorakhpur via Ahmedabad (in Gujarat), Ujjain, Bhopal (in Madhya Pradesh), Kanpur, Allahabad, Varanasi and Lucknow (in Uttar Pradesh).
"The pipeline possibly is the longest LPG (liquefied petroleum gas) pipeline in the world," Pradhan said adding the pipeline would be laid at a cost of Rs 9,000 crore.
(Source: PTI)
5. Over 400 Fishermen From Gujarat Are In Pakistan Jails: Government
The Gujarat Government informed the Legislative Assembly on Thursday that more than 400 fishermen from the state are lodged in jails in Pakistan at present.
Fishermen from the state are often apprehended by the Pakistan Maritime Security Agency for allegedly crossing into that country's waters.
To a question by Congress MLA Chirag Kalaria, fisheries minister Purshottam Solanki said in a written reply that as of 31 December 2018, 433 fishermen from Gujarat were in Pakistani jails.
(Source: NDTV)
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