Punjab civic body polls LIVE: Congress wins all 7 municipal corporations

Congress won all the seven municipal corporations in Punjab that went to the polls on February 14. Stay tuned for the latest news of the day.

5:51 PM

Congress sweeps municipal corporation polls in Punjab

The ruling Congress won six municipal corporations and emerged as the largest party in the seventh, sweeping the urban body polls in Punjab on Wednesday. The Congress won in Bathinda, Hoshiarpur, Kapurthala, Abohar, Batala and Pathankot, in the civic polls held against the backdrop of the farmers' agitation. In Moga, it needed victories in six more wards to control the municipal corporation, PTI reported on Wednesday.

 

The counting for another municipal corporation will take place Thursday. In addition, results for 109 municipal corporations are also expected. The outcome comes as a boost for the Congress, which has been backing the protest by farmers a majority of them from Punjab and Haryana against the BJP-led government at the Centre.

The Congress is also eyeing a win in the Assembly elections, which are just a year away. Punjab Congress chief Sunil Jakhar said people have rejected the negative politics of parties like the BJP, SAD and AAP.

5:30 PM

PM Modi laid foundation stone for various development projects in Tamil Nadu today

5:16 PM

Bengali actor Yash Dasgupta joins Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Kolkata

4:58 PM

SC allows Centre to file response to letter linking Chardham project and Uttarakhand disaster

The Supreme Court on Wednesday allowed the Centre to respond to the "allegations" of the Chairman of committee on Chardham project linking broadening of the road to the recent flash floods on Dhauliganga river, which damaged Tapovan hydro project in Uttarakahnd, PTI reported.

 

Attorney General K K Venugopal told the apex court that he would file response to a letter of the chairman of a high-powered committee in which several "allegations" have been made with regard to broadening of the road and the recent disaster in the state.

 

The high-powered committee is monitoring the Chardham highway project on the widening of the roads up to Indo-China border in Uttarakhand. Venugopal said that the high powered committee chairperson Ravi Chopra has on his own written a letter to the government linking the disaster with the Chardham project.

4:48 PM

India approves $1.68 billion plan to boost telecoms gear production

India's cabinet on Wednesday approved a 121.95 billion rupee ($1.68 billion) plan to incentivise local telecoms gear manufacturing over five years, a minister said.

 

The scheme is part of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's push to boost electronics manufacturing in India and to create jobs.

 

4:26 PM

Cabinet approves trade pact between India, Mauritius

The Union Cabinet on Wednesday approved signing of a comprehensive economic cooperation agreement, a kind of a free trade pact, between India and Mauritius which is aimed at liberalising norms to boost two-way commerce. The Cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi approved the signing of the Comprehensive Economic Cooperation and Partnership Agreement (CECPA) between India and Mauritius, a PTI report said.

 

The pact would cover 310 export items for India, including foodstuff and beverages, agricultural products, textile and textile articles, base metals, electricals and electronic items, plastics and chemicals, wood and its articles.

 

Mauritius would benefit from preferential market access into India for 615 products, including frozen fish, speciality sugar, biscuits, fresh fruits, juices, mineral water, beer, alcoholic drinks, soaps, bags, medical and surgical equipment, and apparel. In such an agreement, two trading partners cut or eliminate duties on a host of products besides liberalising norms to promote services trade.

4:19 PM

Feeling amazing to have my truth vindicated in a court of law: Priya Ramani

4:18 PM

Cabinet approved amendments to Juvenile Justice Care & Protection of Children Act

Union Cabinet has approved the proposal of the Ministry of Women and Child Development to amend the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015 to introduce measures for strengthening Child Protection set-up

4:17 PM

Punjab civic body polls LIVE: Congress wins all 7 municipal corporations

The Congress party has won all the seven municipal corporations in Punjab that went to the polls on February 14, claimed Sunil Jakhar, President of Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC) in a press conference on Wednesday.

 

"We want to congratulate all the workers of Punjab Government, Congress workers are behind this win, and all the people of Punjab from different sectors justified with their vote that who is good for Punjab. Those who see the old days of Punjab knew about Captain Amrinder Singh's leadership. They have voted for us," Jakhar said.

 

Jakhar further said that the people of Punjab know how to take their rights in a democratic manner.

 

"We have given a reply to Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and opposition parties with peace. Punjab knew how to take his right in a democratic manner. BJP's high command ignored people's feelings. We will work hard in future and I would like to launch campaign 2022," he added.

4:03 PM

Major tragedy averted as Army destroys suspected IED on busy highway in JK's Rajouri

A major tragedy was averted on Wednesday with the timely detection of a suspected Improvised Explosive Device (IED) planted inside a pressure cooker on a busy highway in Rajouri district of Jammu and Kashmir, a PTI report said. The suspected IED was found on the roadside at Manjakote on Jammu-Poonch highway and was subsequently destroyed by the Army's Bomb Disposal Squad (BDS), the officials said.

 

Senior Superintendent of Police, Rajouri, Chandan Kohli said, "This morning a road opening patrol of the Army found a suspicious object along the highway near Manjakote."

 

"Soon, traffic was controlled on the highway and a bomb disposal squad was called in. The suspected material, packed in a fruit packing box, has been destroyed through a controlled explosion," he said.

3:58 PM

Congress wins six of seven municipal corporations in Punjab civic body polls

Congress wins six of seven municipal corporations in Punjab civic body polls

3:42 PM

Cabinet okays Comprehensive Economic Cooperation and Partnership Agreement or free trade pact with Mauritius

Cabinet okays Comprehensive Economic Cooperation and Partnership Agreement or free trade pact with Mauritius: Govt.

3:39 PM

PLI scheme will lead to Rs 2,44,200 crore incremental production of telecom equipment: Ravi Shankar Prasad

The government expects that the scheme will lead to Rs 2,44,200 crore incremental production of telecom equipment in the country in the next five years, IT Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said.

3:38 PM

Govt approves over Rs 12,000 crore PLI scheme for telecom sector

The Cabinet has approved production-linked incentive (PLI) scheme worth Rs 12,195 crore for telecom equipment manufacturing, Union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said on Wednesday, according to a PTI report.

 

Briefing reporters after a meeting of the Cabinet, Communications Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said the government is positioning India as a global powerhouse for manufacturing, and has created a conducive environment for ease of doing business. The Cabinet has approved production-linked incentive (PLI) scheme for telecom equipment manufacturing worth Rs 12,195 crore. The government expects that the scheme will lead to Rs 2,44,200 crore incremental production of telecom equipment in the country in the next five years, Prasad said.

 

The minister said that soon the government will come up with a PLI scheme to encourage production of laptops and tablet PCs.

3:34 PM

Delhi Court acquits journalist Priya Ramani in M J Akbar defamation case

A Delhi Court on Wednesday acquitted Journalist Priya Ramani in a criminal defamation case filed by former Union Minister M.J. Akbar for accusing him of sexual misconduct. In the wake of #MeToo movement in 2018, Ramani had made an allegation of sexual harassment against Akbar, IANS reported on Wednesday.

 

Pursuant to this, he filed the criminal defamation case against her and resigned as the Union Minister.

 

The trial began in 2019 and went on for almost two years. In 2017, Ramani wrote an article for the Vogue where she described her ordeal of being sexually harassed by a former boss during her job interview for his publication. One year later, she revealed that the person alluded to as harasser in article was M J Akbar.