Kolkata police register suo motu case against BLOs after protest outside CEO office

Posted on by Vividh Bharathi

Kolkata, Dec 23 (IANS) Kolkata Police have registered a suo motu case against a section of Booth Level Officers (BLOs) for allegedly attempting to forcibly enter the office of the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of West Bengal, obstructing on-duty police personnel, and damaging government property during a protest in central Kolkata.

Sources at Lalbazar (Kolkata police headquarters) said on Tuesday that the case has been registered at Hare Street Police Station under multiple sections of the law. CCTV footage from the protest site has been collected, and an investigation is underway.

The incident occurred on Monday when a group of BLOs staged a demonstration outside the CEO’s office. Police alleged that some protesters attempted to breach security by climbing over barricades. When police intervened to control the situation, a scuffle broke out. One person has been detained in connection with the incident, while three police personnel sustained injuries, sources said.

The protesting BLOs claimed that frequent changes to the Election Commission’s application since the publication of the draft electoral roll have led to confusion and mental stress among officials at the booth level.

They further alleged that while multiple directives are being issued, adequate explanations are not being provided by the Commission. According to them, errors found in the draft voter list have also caused concern among citizens.

On Monday, representatives of the BLO Rights Protection Committee had gone to the CEO’s office seeking an appointment with the Chief Electoral Officer. The alleged refusal to meet them escalated tensions, following which protesters attempted to break through police barricades, leading to the confrontation.

“A suo motu case has been registered for obstructing police duty, damaging government property, and disturbing law and order. Further action will be taken after examining CCTV footage,” a senior Kolkata Police officer said.

Notably, the BLO Rights Protection Committee has been holding a sit-in protest outside the CEO’s office for several days over their demands.

–IANS

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Steps to get Andhra Pradesh back on track yielding results: Governor

Amaravati, Feb 24 (IANS) The Andhra Pradesh government has taken significant strides in getting the state back on track from the previous misrule and misgovernance and these steps are already showing results, Governor, Justice S. Abdul Nazeer (retd) said on Monday.

In his address to the joint session of both houses of the state legislature on the first day of the Budget session, the Governor highlighted the initiatives taken by the TDP-led coalition government during the last eight months.

The Governor said the state was attracting global giants like Google, ArcelorMittal Steel Company, Tata Power, Greenko Group, BPCL, TCS, and others with massive investments. To date, investors have pledged investments of Rs. 6.5 lakh crore, with an employment potential of over 4 lakh jobs.

“As per the First advance estimates for 2024-25, Andhra Pradesh’s economy has expanded to Rs 16 lakh crore, up from Rs 14.22 lakh crore last year – an impressive nominal growth rate of 12.94 per cent. Our per capita income has also increased to Rs. 2.68 lakh, up from Rs. 2.37 lakh in the previous year. This progress is powered by strong performances across all key sectors – agriculture and allied activities have grown at 15.86 per cent, industries at 6.71 per cent, and services at 11.70 per cent,” he said.

The Governor revealed that the government revived 74 out of 93 Centrally sponsored schemes which were stopped by the previous regime, by clearing liabilities of Rs. 9,371 crores. This has triggered further releases from the Centre for current and future years.

As promised by the NDA in the Assembly elections, the capital Amaravati and Polavaram irrigation projects have been brought back on track. “The revival of the steel plant and the formation of the Railway zone are a testament to our commitment to the people of Andhra Pradesh. We have laid a strong foundation by launching 22 new policies that will drive sustained growth and prosperity,” he said.

Justice Abdul Nazeer (retd) said the government has taken decisive steps to fulfil commitments and bring tangible improvements in people’s lives which include: abolishing the Land Titling Act, enhancing social security pensions to Rs 4,000, announcing a Mega DSC for the recruitment of 16,347 teachers, strengthening the education sector, conducting a Skill Census to assess and enhance employment opportunities, reviving 204 Anna Canteens, improving rural infrastructure, mission for pothole-free roads and implementing a Free Sand Policy.

He asserted that the government is committed to strike a balance between development and welfare. Together, welfare and development create a virtuous cycle, where progress is inclusive, sustainable, and transformative.

He told the state legislature that Andhra Pradesh is working to harness the power of Artificial Intelligence to shape the future of governance, industry, and economic growth.

The government has envisioned 10 guiding principles that define the vision for a prosperous future of Swarna Andhra @2047. “By focusing on a 15 per cent plus growth rate, the state is leveraging its unique inner strengths to become a Rs 308 lakh crore economy with a per capita income of Rs 58 lakh to become ‘Wealthy, Healthy and Happy’, sustainable and most livable society, by the year 2047, marking 100 years of Independent India.”

He noted that Andhra Pradesh’s vast coastline, abundant natural resources, and skilled workforce position it uniquely for growth in sectors like renewable energy, green hydrogen, semiconductor manufacturing, and high-value exports. The state must continue fostering innovation, investing in infrastructure, and creating a business-friendly environment that attracts both domestic and global investors.

He also emphasised the need to ensure that growth is sustainable and inclusive. Andhra Pradesh’s development cannot come at the cost of its environment or at the risk of widening social disparities, he added.

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Telangana BJP’s election committee meets to decide candidate for Jubilee Hills bypoll

Hyderabad, Oct 10 (IANS) The process to finalise the candidate of the BJP for the upcoming bye-election to Jubilee Hills Assembly seat entered the final phase on Friday.

The election committee of the BJP’s Telangana unit held a meeting on Friday to finalise three names. The list will be sent to the party’s central leadership, which will announced the candidate.

Presided over by the state BJP president N. Ramchander Rao, the meeting was attended by Union Minister for Coal and Mines G. Kishan Reddy, MP K. Laxman and the party’s state general secretary Chandrasekhar Tiwari.

Ramchander Rao presented the report of the three-member committee, which shortlisted five names.

The election committee will select three names in the order of priority and forward it to the party high command.

M. Dharma Rao, a member of the three-member committee, said that the BJP candidate will be announced in a couple of days.

The panel constituted by state BJP chief consulted 44 leaders from the division level and above and forwarded six shortlisted names to the state leadership. The list was presented before the election committee on Friday.

The names of Lankala Deepak Reddy, who was the party candidate from the same constituency in 2023 elections, Juturu Keerthi Reddy and Veerapaneni Padma are likely to be sent to the high command.

The list prepared by the three-member committee included backward classes leader Akula Padma and Atluri Ramakrishna.

The ruling Congress party and Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) have already announced their candidates for the November 11 bye-election.

While the Congress party has named Naveen Yadav as its candidate, the BRS had decided to field Maganti Sunita, wife of Maganti Gopinath, whose death necessitated the bypoll.

In the 2023 elections, Gopinath of BRS had scored a hat-trick by defeating former Indian cricket captain and Congress candidate Mohammed Azharuddin by 16,337 votes.

In a multi-cornered contest, Gopinath had secured 80,549 votes while Azharuddin had polled 64,212 votes.

BJP’s L. Deepak Reddy was at third position with 25,866 votes. The All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) headed by Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi had also fielded its candidate but he finished poor fourth with just 7,848 votes.

As per the schedule announced by the Election Commission of India on Monday, the official notification for the bye-election will be issued on October 13, while the last date for filing nominations is October 21. Scrutiny of nominations will be held on October 22, and withdrawal of candidature will be allowed until October 24.

Counting of votes will take place on November 14, and the election process will be completed by November 16, 2025.

–IANS

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Poonch boosts dairy sector with inauguration of automatic milk collection units

Poonch, March 5 (IANS) In a significant move to further the Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of doubling farmers’ incomes, the District Development Deputy Commissioner of Poonch, Vikas Kundal, inaugurated two Automatic Milk Collection Units (AMCU) on Wednesday.

The units, established under the Dairy Development initiative, aim to boost the dairy sector in Jammu and Kashmir’s Poonch district.

The inauguration took place in Tehsil Haveli, with one unit at the Khanetar Dairy Cooperative Society Kanuiyan Poonch and the other at the Sai Baba Self Help Group, Bandi Chechian Poonch. The ceremony was attended by Sheikh Mohammad Younis, Chief Animal Husbandry Officer, Poonch, and Vikas Kundal, who cut the ribbon to mark the occasion.

Vikas Kundal highlighted the importance of the initiative, praising local dairy farmers and self-help groups for their dedication. He emphasised that the establishment of these units was a major step towards realizing the Prime Minister’s goal of increasing farmers’ income and improving milk production, thus uplifting rural livelihoods.

Vikas Kundal added that milk, being perishable, required proper storage and quality maintenance.

“We have provided equipment and fertilisers to ensure the quality of the milk is preserved. Our aim is to store milk for longer periods, fulfilling the Prime Minister’s dream of doubling farmers’ income,” he said.

Haji Barf Din, the head of the unit, expressed his gratitude for the introduction of these facilities in Poonch, a remote and border area. He explained that the automatic collection system would ensure that milk and its products remain safe for up to 48 hours.

“I want to express my gratitude to PM Modi. We’ve been waiting for this for a long time. However, we are facing one issue — we don’t have the necessary licenses and dealerships. If we are granted these, we could bring cattle from Haryana. With these resources, we can improve our situation and work towards eradicating poverty,” he concluded.

–IANS

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