Over 200 rescued in Arunachal and Assam, flood alert in Meghalaya

As many as 19 people were airlifted by the Air Force from a flooded Arunachal Pradesh island on Friday and over 200 others rescued from Assam's Dhemaji district as Siang river, which originates in China, continued to swell due to rains in that country, officials said. A flood alert was sounded in three Meghalaya districts too. Siang river, which originates in Tibet and is known as Tsangpo in China, joins Lohit and Dibang rivers downstream to form the Brahmaputra in Assam. The 19 rescued people - cattle-herders from Assam -- were stranded for over 24 hours in East Siang district of Arunachal Pradesh and the IAF operation followed a request by the district administration, its deputy commissioner Tamiyo Tatak said. Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu personally monitored the evacuation operations from Itanagar, he said, adding Lok Sabha MP Ninong Ering and Pasighat West MLA Tatung Jamoh along with police and locals helped in rescuing the cattle. The rest, who were rescued by personnel of National Disaster Response Force and Assam State Disaster Response Force, had gone to Dhemaji adjacent to East Siang for farming.

Manohar Parrikar to return to Goa from Mumbai hospital on Wednesday

Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar, who is currently admitted to a private hospital in Mumbai for a review health check-up, will return to his home state on August 29, his office said in Panaji on Monday.

Parrikar, 62, had flown to Mumbai on August 23 and was admitted to the Lilavati Hospital there.

"Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar to return to Goa on Wednesday," the Chief Minister's Office said in a single-line statement.

Earlier this year, Parrikar had undergone treatment in the US for nearly three months for a pancreatic ailment and returned in the last week of June.

He went to the US again earlier this month for a follow-up.

He then returned to Panaji on August 22 and the next day flew to Mumbai.

Ruchi Soya second-round bidding on Jun 11; Patanjali to submit revised bid

Baba Ramdev-promoted Patanjali Ayurved, which is in the race with Adani group to acquire bankruptcy-hit Ruchi Soya, is likely to submit a revised bid tomorrow as lenders of the edible oil firm have decided to hold a fresh round of resolution process between the two contenders to maximise asset value. 

The Committee of Creditors (CoC) in its last meeting held on May 30 had set the stage for an aggressive bidding between the two suitors for Ruchi Soya to maximise the value of the assets, sources said, adding that the COC in consultation with the independent evaluator has decided to adopt a Swiss challenge. According to sources, Patanjali group has submitted its undertaking of having no objection to the 'Swiss Challenge' process adopted by the lenders. When asked about the development in the bidding process, Patanjali spokesperson S K Tijarawala said: "Whatever process is being adopted by the CoC, we will follow it."

India seeks UK help in extradition of Mallya, Lalit Modi

India on Thursday sought the help of United Kingdom forearly extradition of liquor baron Vijay Mallya and former IPL honcho Lalit Modi andin locating diamantaire Nirav Modiduring the third Indo-UK home affairs dialogue here, officials said.

New Delhi also asked London not to allow the British territory to be used for anti-India activities by Kashmiri and Khalistani separatists.

"We have sought the help of the authorities in the UK in extradition of our wanted persons. The process is on and everyone knows because of our proactive action, Mallya had to go to a court in the UK," an official privy to the two-hour long meeting here.

While the Indian delegation was led by Union Home Secretary Rajiv Gauba, the UK team was led byPatsy Wilkinson.

CM Fadnavis chairs 'war-room' meeting; reviews ongoing state projects

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis chaired a 'war-room' meeting to review the progress of various projects underway in the state here on Monday.

Among the various projects accessed by the Chief Minister were the Mumbai Urban Transport Project-3, under which a new suburban corridor linking Nerul, Belapur, Seawood, Uran is being constructed, the Wardha-Yavatmal-Nanded railway line, the Ahmednagar-Beed-Parli-Vaijnath railway line, Wadsa-Gadchiroli line and issues related to Maharashtra Samruddhi Corridor.

The official Twitter handle of the chief minister's office later gave a peek at the progress of a few Metro projects in the state.

"CM @Dev_Fadnavis also reviewed progress of irrigation projects," they mentioned in a separate tweet.

CAG raps MMRDA for non-recovery of Rs 7.7 bn dues from Reliance Industries

The Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) has pulled up the MMRDA for non-recovery of Rs 7.7 billiion dues from Mukesh Ambani-owned Reliance Industries Limited (RIL), India's largest private sector company.

The CAG report, tabled in Maharashtra Legislature today, said Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority is yet to recover Rs 8.55 billion froms RIL and Starlight Systems Private Limited, as lease premium dues on additional built up area allowed to the lessees in Mumbai's Bandra-Kurla Complex.

The report said MMRDA also gave "undue favour" to RIL by not recovering additional premium and interest to the tune of Rs 4.28 billion for delay in construction in contravention to the terms and conditions of the lease deed and the premium.

It said MMRDA has been regularly recovering full additional premium, including interest, in respect of other allottees who had delayed construction of structures within the time specified in the lease deed. Therefore, the undue favour shown by the authority to Reliance industries in this regard is inexplicable, the CAG said.

MP journalist death: CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan orders CBI probe

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Tuesday ordered a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the death of a Bhind-based journalist.

Earlier, Chouhan had assured strict action against the culprit and said, "Security of journalists is our priority and strict action will be taken against the culprit."

Sandeep Sharma, a journalist with a national news channel, who was probing a possible nexus between the police and sand mafia, was mowed down by a speeding truck in Bhind district on Sunday.

In a chilling CCTV footage that surfaced on Monday morning, Sharma was seen riding a motorcycle when a truck mowed him down.

Sharma had reportedly informed the police in the past about a threat to his life.

Meanwhile, the driver of the truck which ran over the journalist was arrested by the police on Monday night from Bhind.

Siddaramaiah doing 'disservice' to poet Kuvempu for petty gains: Amit Shah

Lauding leading Kannada poet Kuvempu for unifying people through poems, BJP President Amit Shah on Monday castigated Chief Minister Siddaramaiah for doing "disservice" to the great writer by dividing people for petty political gains.

"The kind of politics Siddaramaiah is playing is a disservice to Kuvempu's dream of building a great Karnataka. He is pitting one community against another, which is reprehensible and he will pay for this," asserted Shah at a party rally in the Malnad region.

Popularly known by his pen name Kuvempu, Kuppali Venkatappa Puttappa (1904-94) was also a novelist, playwright, critic and thinker. He lived many years at Kuppali near Thirthahalli in this district.

"I visited Kuvempu's birth and resting place at Kuppali to pay my respects. He spoke of unifying people in the country in his poems," said Shah.