1. Businesses in Gujarat Cities Can Stay Open 24x7
Following Maharashtra’s footsteps , the Gujarat government has decided to amend its shop and establishment act, to enable businesses stay open 24x7. The government also plans to do away with annual renewal of license.
The government also announced that it will push for more reforms such as making it mandatory to introduce crèche facilities in establishments which employ more than 30 women.
According to Deputy Chief Minister Nitin Patel, the move will benefit some 7 lakh businesses and it will improve employment rates as well, since the shops and establishments will need to hire people round the clock.
(Source: Times of India)
2. Gujarat: AMC Budget Revised to Rs 8,000 Crore
The Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation has finalised its Rs 8,051 crore budget for 2019-20. This year, the total budget is 15 percent more than last year's budget. While presenting the budget standing committee chairman Amul Bhatt said the budget will focus on the development aspect of city.
Earlier on 22 January, Municipal Commissioner presented his draft budget of Rs 7,509 crore in which Bhatt made revision and made changes worth Rs 542 crore. The chairman has given many themes to his budget 'Smart city – Green City – Clean City – My Dream City – Amdavad'.
"Ahmedabad is grown engine of Gujarat and model for development for many cities and state. Being the only heritage city of the country, with this budget we will explore new parameters of development," said the chairman while presenting budget.
(Source: DNA Ahmedabad)
3. Human Trafficking Case: Two Auto Drivers Arrested
Police arrested two more suspects in the human trafficking case which surfaced after Isanpur police arrested two suspects on Sunday. The two arrested on Tuesday, 5 February are Anand Sharma of Morena in MP and Shailendra Shivram of Bhind MP.
The police say they were conduits in the gang that had kidnapped the minor girl in 2016, who was later rescued on Sunday, 3 February. The arrested duo have been living in the city for the past eight years
According to zone 6 police, so far four persons have been arrested . Sharma and Shivram’s medical test revealed that the duo are HIV (+) and this could also mean that the minor girl could be infected if she was raped by the arrested auto drivers.
(Source: Times of India)
4. Gujarat High Court Notice to State over Ill-Effects of Mining in Jamnagar
The Gujarat High Court on Wednesday issued a notice to the state forest and mining department, as well as the Central Pollution Control Board, after a public interest litigation (PIL) pointing out the ill-effects of black trap mining on the local environment and health of people in Miyatra village of Jamnagar, came up for hearing.
According to the petitioner Bahadursinh Jhala, the mining activities for extracting black trap has resulted in environmental and soil degradation.
He has claimed that the mining activities has affected the health of a population of around 3000 people, affected the water in Vijarkhi Dam located 450 meter from the mining area — the only source of water in the area, and also affected the wild animals in the forest located at a distance of 200 meter.
(Source: DNA Ahmedabad)
5. Bullet Train: Farmers Hold Protest Demanding Better Compensation
Around 800 farmers, affected by the Mumbai-Ahmedabad Bullet train project, held a protest march on Wednesday, 6 February at Navsari in Gujarat demanding better compensation for their land.
The Gujarat High Court is expected to pronounce its judgment on petitions filed by farmers challenging the land acquisition process for the high-speed rail project Thursday.
The march at Navsari, 280 km from here, was organized by the Gujarat Khedut Samaj which has been opposing the ambitious project, launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2017.
"We will give our lives, not our land" read banners at the rally, which saw a high number of women participants. Farmer leader Jayesh Patel said they wanted compensation as per the market value of the land and not the 'Jantri' (official) rate fixed by the government.
(Source: PTI)
6. Gujarat High Court Stays Destruction of Mangroves Along Victor Port
The Gujarat High Court on Wednesday, 6 February, imposed a stay on the illegal destruction of mangroves cover along the coastline near the villages of Victor, Pipavav, Behrai, Karthivadar, Datardi, Khera, Chanch, and Patva, of Amreli district by private companies.
The stay was granted by the division bench of Acting Chief Justice AS Dave and Justice Biren Vaishnav during the hearing of a public interest litigation (PIL) filed by a certain Ajay Shiyal. The court also sought a reply from the state government, as well as two companies — Om Sai Navigation Private Limited and Gujarat Heavy Chemicals Limited, which have allegedly cut down a large number of mangroves, by February 18.
(Source: DNA Ahmedabad)
7. Jal Sanchay 2.0 to Begin from 15 Feb Across Gujarat
The Gujarat government on Wednesday, 6 February decided to begin the second spell of Sujalam Sufalam Jal Sanchay Abhiyan drive this year, ahead of monsoon season. The drive is aimed at water conservation through deepening of lakes, tanks and reservoirs. The cabinet of the state government resolved to initiate the drive from 15 February onwards across the state.
Deputy chief minister Nitin Patel said, "The cabinet has decided to run the Jal Sanchay Abhiyan drive this year too. It will start a bit earlier as compared to last year and that is from 15 February. The government and other stakeholders can contribute to this drive as it had happened in the previous year too."
"The drive runs on a Public Private Partnership mode and contribution from the government shall remain 60% of the expenditure of the work while 40% share will be from people's contribution," Patel added.
(Source: DNA Ahmedabad)
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