NEWS

The Andhra Pradesh government on Monday repealed the two acts on the three capital cities for the state. At the same time, it made it clear that it would soon introduce new bills on decentralisation of development in all regions.

The state government also clarified that its proposal on three capital cities would remain but new legislation would be brought after consulting all stakeholders. It did not fix any deadline on the new legislation on three capital cities.

The decision came even as the AP high court was hearing a batch of petitions challenging the proposal on three capitals. After advocate-general Subrahmanyam Sriram told the high court about the government's decision to repeal the two acts on the trifurcation of the state capital, the high court adjourned the hearing to November 29.

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convener and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Monday announced a monthly allowance of Rs 1,000 for all adult women in Punjab if AAP forms government in the state.

Addressing hundreds of women at the ‘Kejriwal di teeji guarantee, Mahilavan nu vadhaiyan’ (Kejriwal’s third guarantee, congratulations to women)’ program in Moga today, Kejriwal said the AAP would form the government in Punjab in 2022 and Rs 1,000 (one thousand) monthly will be given with guarantee to all women above 18 years of age by the AAP government.

In a relief to former Mumbai police chief Param Bir Singh, who went underground fearing arrest in criminal cases lodged against him and was subsequently declared an absconder, the Supreme Court on Monday granted him protection from arrest while asking him to join investigations after his counsel said the cop was very much in the country.

While granting relief to Singh, the court expressed deep concern over the ongoing battle between him and former Maharashtra home minister Anil Deshmukh, who is also being probed by the CBI and the ED on the allegations levelled by the senior IPS officer that the NCP functionary had asked for collection of bribes amounting to Rs 100 crore.

It said if a former police chief could not trust the force he had served, where would a common person go for justice.

After the Covid pandemic cast a shadow over Isro’s mission launches for over a year, now it is the flood situation in Andhra Pradesh that is stalling satellite launches at the SHAR launch centre in Sriharikota, a barrier island located in Nellore district of the state.

Isro sends key satellite and rocket components from its centres in Kerala and Karnataka to Sriharikota by road for assembling and launch. As many arterial roads in Nellore have to be closed due to the floods, Isro is not able to finalise its launches.

Isro chairman K Sivan told media, “We have been working on three launches, including the small satellite launch vehicle (mini-PSLV) launch, before the year ends. But due to heavy rain and floods in Andhra, we have to reassess the situation... We can decide on the three launches only when the flood situation improves.”