A Bangladeshi ship with 16 persons on board was on Saturday captured by the Coast Guard and Orissa coastal police personnel from Balaramgadi area off Bay of Bengal coast, nearly 350 km from here. According to Balasore district superintendent of police Rajesh Kumar, some local fishermen spotted the Bangladeshi vessel near Balara-magadi fishing zone and tried to confront the sailors in the foreign ship for trespassing into Indian waters.
“Apprehending trouble ahead, the crew members of the Bangladesh vessel tried escape by opening fire at the Indian fishermen. The locals then retreated to the shore,” said Mr Kumar.
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280 ‘unwanted’ maha girls renamed
Mumbai, Oct. 22: As many as 280 girls were renamed in Satara district on Saturday as part of the administration’s campaign to end the practice in rural Maharashtra to name a girl child as “Nakusha” (unwanted). “The government identified girls named “Nakusha” in Satara district and organised a renaming ceremony,” district collector N. Ramaswami said over phone. “Some girls were renamed Aishwarya, while others got names like Pooja, Neeta, Asha. The new names were chosen by the family, either the parents or in some cases, by the grown up girls themselves,” he said. The function was organised by the zila parishad (ZP) of the Western Maharashtra district. NCP MP Supriya Sule was among those present. — PTI
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Gadkari: will contest next lok sabha polls
Age Correspondent
mumbai, Oct. 22
BJP national president Nitin Gadkari on Saturday ruled himself out of the race to become Prime Minister, but said that he would contest next Lok Sabha election. Mr Gadkari spoke to journalists during his customary Diwali get-together. He said, “I have no ambition of becoming the PM. I was elected the national president of the party and that itself was a big honour. Even now, I am leading the country as the BJP president. Beyond this, I have no desire for any other leadership.”
However, Mr Gadkari added that he would like to represent the BJP in Lok Sabha. “I will contest the next general election and serve my party in Lok Sabha,” he said.
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‘Govt mulling model bill for lokayukta’
Age Correspondent
New Delhi, Oct. 22
Union minister of state of personnel and training V. Narayanasamy on Saturday said the government is considering a “model bill” to bring uniformity in the selection process of the Lokayukta. Speaking at the valedictory session of two-day biennial conference of CBI and anti-corruption bureax of states, he said, “Lokayukta will be a model bill so that the state can bring uniformity in the law. In the selection process, they are involving the political people. We will ensure that there should be an independent process for the selection”. He said despite PM writing personal letters to all CMs, only 22 have constituted the Lokayukta while the rest are being persuaded.