Page 16 - Gujarat

HMPV outbreak: 5 children test positive, Nadda says 'no reason to worry'

Five infants tested positive for the Human Metapneumovirus (HMPV) in Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, and Gujarat on Monday, the first reported cases of the virus in India. Union Health Minister J P Nadda sought to assuage fears, saying the government is closely monitoring the situation and there is no reason to worry. HMPV is a globally recognised respiratory virus that recently gained attention after its outbreak was reported in China. It is a viral pathogen that causes respiratory infections in people of all age groups. While the Karnataka, Gujarat, and Maharashtra governments assured that there was no cause for alarm, the Delhi government directed all hospitals in the capital to remain fully prepared to manage a potential surge in respiratory illnesses with former Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal urging the Centre to act swiftly to prevent a potential health crisis. Two cases were detected in Karnataka by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) through routine surveillance for .

Two-month-old infant in Ahmedabad hospital tests positive for HMPV; stable

A two-month-old boy admitted to a private hospital in Ahmedabad has been detected with Human Metapneumovirus (HMPV) infection, an official said Monday. The infant, who hails from Dungarpur in Rajasthan, was admitted to the hospital, located in Chandkheda locality here, on December 24 with symptoms of respiratory infection. After tests, he was found positive for the HMPV, Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation's in-charge medical officer of health Bhavin Solanki said. "HMPV (infection) was detected in the patient on December 26, but we learnt about it today as the private hospital reported it to us late," Solanki said. The patient was kept in isolation, the official said. Earlier, the child was kept on a ventilator, and his condition is stable now, Solanki said. Before this, the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has detected two cases of HMPV in Karnataka through routine surveillance for multiple respiratory viral pathogens. The Union health ministry emphasised that HMPV is alre

Woman booked for allegedly abetting husband's suicide in Gujarat's Botad

The Gujarat police have registered a case against a woman for allegedly abetting her husband's suicide after he left behind a video asking his family to teach her a lesson for causing his death, police said on Saturday. According to the police, Suresh Sathadiya (39) was found hanging from the ceiling of his house at Zamrala village in Botad district on December 30. His family members found a video recording on Sathadiya's mobile phone, in which he has urged them to "teach his wife a lesson for causing his death", an official from Botad rural police station said. Based on a complaint by the Sathadiya's father, a first information report (FIR) was registered on Friday against the deceased man's wife, Jayaben, he said. The complainant has alleged his daughter-in-law mentally harassed his son by frequently quarrelling with him and going to her parents' place every now and then. The FIR stated that Sathadiya had gone to his in-laws' place to persuade his wife to return home. But when s

Mosque trustee, 8 others held for evicting shopkeepers in Rajkot under Waqf

A trustee of a mosque in Gujarat's Rajkot city and eight others have been arrested for allegedly evicting three shopkeepers by citing a Waqf Board order, the police said on Friday. The shops, rented out by the trust to Hindu traders, are situated on the ground floor of Nawab Mosque in Danapith area. On December 31, a mob led by mosque trustee Farooq Musani allegedly broke the locks and took possession of the shops by throwing out all the merchandise onto the road, a police official said. When one of the shopkeepers, Virendra Kotecha, confronted Musani and others, they cited a Gujarat State Waqf Board order asking the mosque trust to take possession of the shops. Kotecha told reporters that his family had been running the shop since 1962, and no prior notice was served to him by the trust. Musani, on the other hand, told reporters before his arrest that the shopkeepers were evicted as per the Waqf Board's order, copies of which were given to them. State Waqf Board member Asif Sal

A burnt body and mismatched DNA: How police foiled Gujarat hotelier's plan

The Gujarat police foiled a hotelier's plan to escape his mounting debts, which led him to fake his own death with help from friends and family members in Banaskantha district

Ponzi scheme operator Zala collected Rs 450 cr from 11k investors: Police

Alleged ponzi scheme operator Bhupendrasinh Zala collected Rs 450 crore from 11,000 investors through 17 offices he set up across Gujarat between 2020 and 2024, a police official said on Monday. Zala, a resident of Himmatnagar town of Sabarkantha, was held from Mehsana district on December 27 after being on the run for almost a month. He is in police custody till January 4. During interrogation, it was revealed that Zala, through his entity BZ Financial Services, collected Rs 450 crore from unsuspecting investors by offering them unusually high returns on deposits, said Deputy Inspector General of Police (CID-Crime) Parikshita Rathod. "He opened 17 branches across Gujarat to target investors. Our investigation has found he collected Rs 450 crore in four years and then purchased movable and immovable assets worth Rs 100 crore. Moreover, he did not pay Rs 100 crore to depositors as promised," she told reporters in Gandhinagar. "So far, we have learnt that nearly 11,000 individuals ..

4 die after inhaling toxic gas at chemical unit in Gujarat's Bharuch

Four workers died after inhaling toxic fumes following a gas leak at a chemical plant at Dahej in Gujarat's Bharuch district, police said on Sunday. The company said all four were given immediate medical care but could not be saved. It has announced Rs 30 lakh ex gratia to the kin of each victim. A company employee and three contractual workers fell unconscious after poisonous fumes leaked from a pipe at a production unit of the Gujarat Fluorochemicals Limited (GFL) on Saturday night, Dahej police station inspector BM Patidar said. They were rushed to a private hospital where all four of them died, he said. The bodies were sent for postmortem and further probe into the incident was underway, the official said. The deceased have been identified as Rajesh Kumar Maganadiya (48), (hailing from Bharuch), Mudrika Yadav (29) (from Adhaura in Jharkhand), Suchit Prasad (39) and Mahesh Nandlal (25) (both from Sonbhadra in Uttar Pradesh), police said. In a media statement, GFL said the inci

Reliance's first-ever refinery at Jamnagar completes 25 yrs of operations

When Reliance founder chairman Dhirubhai Ambani wanted to pursue his long-cherished dream of setting up a refinery, he was offered land in the barren and desolate region off Jamnagar

Gujarat CM launches 'SWAR' platform to overcome language barriers

SWAR (Speech and Written Analysis Resource) platform was launched on the occasion of Good Governance Day on December 25

Sebi punctures Bharat Global's 10,000% stock rally over fake disclosures

Shares of the Gujarat-headquartered company surged over 10,000 per cent in the 12-month period ending November as it announced forays into market-fancied sectors

Double engine govt becoming symbol of good governance, says PM Modi

PM Modi further lauded CM Bhajanlal Sharma for 'giving new momentum and direction to Rajasthan's development'

Guj properties law: Presumption of constitutionality attached to enactment

There is a presumption of constitutionality attached to every enactment, the Supreme Court on Monday said and dismissed a plea against a Gujarat High Court order refusing to suspend certain provisions of a 1991 state law over properties in disturbed areas. While hearing the challenge, Justices Dipankar Datta and Prashant Kumar Mishra, asked, "How can, by an interim order, certain provisions be suspended?" "There is a presumption of constitutionality attached to every enactment," it observed. The high court on October 28 rejected an application seeking suspension of certain provisions of the Gujarat Prohibition of Transfer of Immovable Property and Provisions for Protection of Tenants from Eviction from Premises in the Disturbed Areas Act, 1991. The law prohibits the transfer of immovable property in the disturbed areas of the state. The high court noted as far as the relief prayed for the suspension of certain provisions of the 1991 Act -- vires of which were challenged in the wri

Ambuja Cements commissions 200 MW solar power project in Gujarat

Ambuja Cements, part of Adani Group firm, on Friday announced the commissioning of a 200 MW solar power project in Khavda, Gujarat, to supply green power to 20 cement plants. The Khavda project is part of Adani Cements' plan to have 1 GW of renewable power from solar and wind projects, along with 376 MW from WHRS (Waste Heat Recovery Systems). "The balance 806 MW capacity from this project is at various stages of commissioning and expected to start transmitting in phases between March 2025 and June 2025," said a statement. Of the remaining 806 MW capacity from this project, 156 MW of wind power from Khavda and a further 300 MW of solar power from Rajasthan are expected to be commissioned by March 2025 in phases. The balance of 350 MW of solar power is expected to be commissioned by June 2025. This will "positively impact the company's EBITDA" as this development leads to an impressive 70 per cent savings compared to current power cost, it added. The company is spending around Rs

Gujarat faces alarming malnutrition rate despite Rs 2,879 cr central aid

Gujarat continues to grapple with high malnutrition rate and widespread anaemia, despite receiving Rs 2,879 crore from the Centre under the Poshan Abhiyaan

Juniper Green signs pact to procure 1GW solar modules from First Solar

Juniper Green Energy on Tuesday said it has signed a pact with First Solar for the procurement of 1 GW of solar modules. The Gurgaon-based renewable energy company plans to deploy these modules in the coming financial year for its projects across Rajasthan, Gujarat and Maharashtra, a company statement said. According to the statement, Juniper Green Energy has inked a landmark agreement with First Solar, Inc. for the procurement and supply of 1 gigawatt (GW) of its advanced Series 7 FT1 cadmium telluride (CdTe) thin film photovoltaic (PV) modules. Under this agreement, First Solar will supply the high-efficiency solar modules over a two-year period, the statement said, adding that it is one of the largest such agreements for domestically-produced modules. "We're excited to partner with First Solar, as this collaboration is expected to ensure a reliable supply of modules for a vital segment of our development pipeline. Sourcing our modules from First Solar enhances our domestic conte

'Drunk' man threatens to assassinate PM Modi, nabbed by cops in Ajmer

A 37-year-old man was held from Ajmer in Rajasthan for allegedly sending a message to the Mumbai traffic police helpline threatening to harm Prime Minister Narendra Modi, an official said on Monday. Jharkhand resident Mohammad Nadim Baig Mirza was held by a team of Worli police, the official added. "Our probe has found Mirza, who works as a turner in a private firm, was angry as its owner asked him to go home for coming to work after consuming alcohol. In anger, he sent the threat message against the PM to the Mumbai traffic police helpline on Saturday. A case was registered at the time with Worli police station," the official said. "He was tracked down with the help of technical support and arrested from Ajmer. He has been served a notice to remain present in court. Further probe is underway," the official added.

Five cubs born under Vantara's cheetah conservation program in Jamnagar

As per Vantara's objectives, these cubs will soon be rewilded to help restore India's biodiversity

Gujarat first state to telecast live court proceedings on YouTube: CM Patel

The Chief Minister said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has prioritized digital infrastructure for transparent, efficient and good governance and that the Gujarat High Court has worked as an example

Coast Guard rescues 12 Indian crew members of sunken ship with Pak's help

The Indian Coast Guard has rescued 12 crew members of a merchant vessel from the country which sank in the north Arabian Sea during its voyage from Porbandar in Gujarat to Bandar Abbas port in Iran, officials said on Thursday. The vessel 'MSV Al Piranpir' sank on Wednesday outside Indian waters, within Pakistan's search and rescue region. Hence, the Indian Coast Guard carried out the rescue operation in collaboration with the Pakistan Maritime Security Agency (PMSA), the ICG said in a release. "This humanitarian search and rescue mission saw a close collaboration between the Indian Coast Guard and PMSA, with both nations' maritime rescue coordination centres (MRCC) maintaining continuous communication throughout the operation," it said. The merchant vessel left for the Iranian port from Porbandar on December 2 with general cargo. On its way, it reportedly sank in the morning hours of Wednesday due to rough seas and flooding, said the release. A distress call was received by the In

Dearness allowance of Gujarat govt employees, pensioners hiked by 3%

The Gujarat government on Wednesday announced a hike in dearness allowance (DA) for its around nine lakh employees and pensioners by 3 per cent to 53 per cent of the basic pay, a decision which will come into effect retrospectively from July 1, 2024. The finance department issued a resolution raising the DA from the current 50 per cent to 53 per cent of the basic pay under the Gujarat State Services (Pay Revision) Rules, 2016, benefiting over nine lakh employees and pensioners. Arrears for the period July to November will be disbursed along with the December salary and pension in January 2025, it said. All state government and panchayat employees, teaching and non-teaching staff in secondary and higher secondary schools, and staffers in aided non-government schools who are covered under the 7th Pay Commission will benefit from the hike. With appropriate modifications, the benefit will also be available to primary teachers and employees on deputation or transfer in panchayats who ..