NEWS

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Monday carried out searches at seven places, including an educational institute, connected to Shiv Sena MP Bhavana Gawali in Washim in reference to an offence registered at Risod town in the district last year.

“The offence was in connection with alleged misappropriation of Rs 16 crore. Searches were conducted at seven places in Washim district in connection with the offence,” ED sources said.

Last week, senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Kirit Somaiya had told The Indian Express that action would be taken against Gawali in connection with “a Rs 100-crore fraud”.

A day after Haryana Deputy CM Dushyant Chautala said that the state government will act against the Karnal SDM for his controversial remarks, purportedly asking the police to beat up protesting farmers, Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar Monday said that “although the officer's choice of words was not correct, strictness had to be ensured at the venue (of BJP meeting), where law and order had to be maintained".

Farmer unions condemned Khattar’s “soft stance” on IAS officer Ayush Sinha’s action, and the Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) expressed “deep shock and objection against the Chief Minister’s defence of the officer”.

The Mamata Banerjee government has issued guidelines to ration dealers in the state to start a pilot project of the “Duare Ration [ration at the doorstep]” initiative from September 12.

Food and Supplies Minister Rathin Ghosh on Monday said the pilot project would involve only 15 per cent of the almost 22,000 ration dealers in the state. Based on the findings, the initiative is expected to be expanded in more areas during the festive season in October.

The scheme, a pet project of the chief minister that she had promised ahead of the Assembly elections, is likely to benefit the ruling party in regions such as Jangalmahal and north Bengal, where a large section of the population travels a long distance to collect foodgrains from ration shops.

Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai has directed officials to take steps for speedy disposal of cases of atrocities committed against SC and STs that are pending in courts.

While chairing a meeting of the State Level Vigilance and Monitoring Committee under SC/ ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act 1989 at Vidhan Soudha on Monday, Bommai directed the Principal Secretary Social Welfare to personally coordinate with Home and Law Departments to ensure there is no delay in investigation, filing charge sheet and prosecution of such cases. He also directed the officials to take steps to increase conviction rate.