Chandigarh, July 30 (IANS) The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) on Tuesday expelled eight leaders, comprising Bibi Jagir Kaur and Prem Singh Chandumajra, from the primary membership of the party for indulging in anti-party activities.

It also removed seven leaders as ‘halka in-charges’ and announced that these vacancies would be filled soon after taking detailed feedback from party workers.

A decision to this effect was taken by the party’s disciplinary committee headed by senior leader Balwinder Singh Bhundur at a meeting here.

The expelled leaders were Gurpartap Singh Wadala, Bibi Jagir Kaur, Prem Singh Chandumajra, Parminder Singh Dhindsa, Sikander Singh Maluka, Surjit Singh Rakhra, Surinder Singh Thekedar and Charanjit Singh Brar.

The seven constituencies which have fallen vacant after the expulsion of their constituency are Nakodar, Bholath, Ghanuar, Sanour, Samana, Garhshankar and Rajpura.

Giving details, Bhundur said it was revealed during introspection that these eight leaders had actively colluded with the party’s “enemies to create divisions in the party and weaken it.”

“It was also felt that these leaders have willfully damaged the image of the party as part of a wider conspiracy,” he said.

He said the decision to expel the leaders had been taken after careful consideration.

“They were given ample opportunity to discuss their issues in the party forum. The working committee meeting of June 26 had also through a resolution appealed to them to discuss their misgivings in the party forum but they refused to do so.”

Bhundur said instead of showing restraint the party leaders increased the scope of their anti-party activities in a planned manner and made it clear that they did not have any faith in the party organisation.

–IANS

vg/dan

Mumbai, July 30 (IANS) The Nationalist Congress Party will commemorate the birth anniversary of Sahityaratna, Lokshahir Annabhau Sathe on August 1 across Maharashtra.

A grand event will be held at his birthplace in Wategaon, informed NCP state president and MP Sunil Tatkare.

Annabhau Sathe is a leading figure of Dalit literature and he played a crucial role in the Samyukta Maharashtra Movement.

The NCP’s move is aimed at luring the Dalit community ahead of the upcoming Assembly election especially after it voted against the MahaYuti during the general elections fearing change in the constitution and end of reservation.

Tatkare said that on August 1, at Annabhau Sathe’s birthplace in Wategaon, a Granth Dindi procession will be held from his home to the memorial.

“In this procession, the complete works of Annabhau will be honoured in a traditional parade. In the courtyard in front of Annabhau’s memorial, the Granth Dindi will be welcomed with performances of renowned powadas composed by Annabhau, and tributes will be paid to him,” said Tatkare.

Additionally, on August 2, a state-level brass band festival will be held on the premises of the Zilla Parishad School in Satara, where renowned band groups from across the state will participate. The NCP will honour these artists with mementoes and certificates of appreciation.

Annabhau Sathe’s birth anniversary will also be celebrated at village, taluka, and district levels across the state.

–IANS

sj/dan

Jaipur, July 30 (IANS) Rajasthan Assembly Speaker Vasudev Devnani on Tuesday expressed his annoyance as state government officials were missing during the session when questions regarding their departments were being asked.

The Speaker said that action would be taken against officials who remain absent during Assembly proceedings.

“It is necessary for the officials of the departments whose questions are being asked to stay present in the officers’ gallery,” the Speaker said.

On Tuesday, during the question hour, officials of some departments including the Gaupalan Department were absent when Gaupalan Minister Zoraram Kumawat was answering the questions.

After the minister’s answer was completed, the Speaker expressed displeasure and said that no official of the Gaupalan Department is present.

“The Parliamentary Affairs Minister should ensure that the officials of the departments whose questions are being asked remain present. Give me the list of the departments whose officials are not present today, I will take action,” the Speaker said.

After the Speaker’s displeasure, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Jogaram Patel said that everyone will follow your orders.

He said that officers shall stay in the gallery every time and no officer will leave.

The Speaker further expressed displeasure over the withdrawal of questions by MLAs.

“When questions have to be withdrawn, why do you ask them? This time proposals have come to withdraw questions from 7-8 MLAs of the ruling and opposition parties. From now on, permission to withdraw questions will not be granted,” he added.

–IANS

arc/dan

Kolkata, July 30 (IANS) Another loophole in the recruitment of primary teachers in state-run schools in West Bengal has surfaced with the West Bengal Board of Primary Education (WBBPE) admitting in the Calcutta High Court on Tuesday that no ‘additional panel’ was created for recruitment of primary teachers in 2016.

In 2016, as many as 42,000 candidates cleared the recruitment examination for primary teachers in West Bengal. As per norms, the board was supposed to create an additional panel, which is somewhat similar to a ‘second list’ in any competitive examination.

Those securing positions in the ‘main panel’ like the ‘first list’ opt out, and the vacant positions are filled by the best eligible candidates from the ‘additional panel’.

After a detailed hearing, the single-judge bench of Justice Amrita Sinha directed the board to submit an affidavit on the matter by August 20.

The court was hearing a petition filed by a candidate who appeared for the recruitment examination in 2016. Since his name was not on the main panel, he moved the Calcutta High Court seeking publication of the list of the additional panel.

The board’s counsel, however, informed the court that since no additional panel was created in 2016, there was no possibility of publishing the same.

The counsel for the petitioner claimed that since the recruitment in 2016 was not made strictly on the basis of merit, the board refrained from creating the additional panel.

–IANS

src/arm

New Delhi, July 30 (IANS) The Supreme Court on Tuesday dismissed a review petition filed against its April 26 verdict refusing mandatory cross-verification of the votes cast in Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) with Voter-Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) slips.

After perusing the review petition, a bench headed by Justice Sanjiv Khanna said that no case for review was made out as he dismissed the plea.

“We have carefully perused the review petition, as also the grounds in support thereof. In our opinion, no case for review of the judgment dated 26.04.2024 is made out. The review petition is, accordingly, dismissed,” added the bench also comprising Justice Dipankar Datta.

In a detailed order passed on April 26, the top court said that while it acknowledged the fundamental right of voters to ensure their vote is accurately recorded and counted, the same cannot be equated with the right to 100 per cent counting of VVPAT slips, or a right to physical access to the VVPAT slips, which the voter should be permitted to put in the drop box.

It had said that giving physical access to VVPAT slips to the voters is “problematic and impractical”, and will lead to “misuse, malpractices, and disputes”.

The Supreme Court had also rejected the submission to return to the ballot paper system as “foible and unsound”, adding that the weakness of the ballot paper system was well-known and documented.

It had passed two directions not because it had any doubt, but to only further strengthen the integrity of the election process.

First, all Symbol Loading Units (SLUs) will be sealed on or after May 1 on completion of the symbol loading process and will be kept in the strong room at least for 45 days post declaration of results.

Second, the burnt memory of microcontrollers in 5 per cent of the EVMs per Assembly segment of a parliamentary constituency will be checked and verified by a team of engineers from EVM manufacturers post announcement of results on a written request made by the candidates securing second and third-highest votes within seven days from the date of the declaration of results

It had said that the District Election Officer in consultation with the team of engineers will certify the authenticity and intactness of the burnt memory or the microcontroller.

The review petition, filed under Article 137 of the Constitution, claimed that there were “mistakes and errors apparent on the face of the impugned order”, adding that the judgment was liable to be reviewed.

–IANS

pds/arm