Odisha CM backs PM's call for simultaneous polls in country
Bhubaneswar, June 26: Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Tuesday supported Prime Minister Narendra Modi's call for holding simultaneous parliamentary and assembly elections in the country.
"Elections are essential in democracy. We are elected to work for the people. When elections are held throughout the year, it affects the development works. Therefore, we support the suggestion of the Prime Minister for simultaneous elections. This will serve the country well," said the Chief Minister.
The Prime Minister had urged all parties to consider this suggestion of holding simultaneous polls by rising above political considerations.
Modi cited various reasons, including huge expenditure, utilisation of government staff and disruption of education, in the conduct of separate polls.
Odisha will face both general and assembly polls in 2019.
Law Commission Chairman Justice B.S. Chauhan has invited Patnaik, who is also President of the Biju Janata Dal (BJD), to attend a meeting on July 7-8 in Delhi to share valuable thoughts and suggestions on holding simultaneous Lok Sabha and Assembly polls in the country.
"I will request you to kindly participate in the interaction and share your valuable thoughts and suggestions, which could enable us in weighing the pros and cons of the subject," said Chauhan.
Sources said BJD MP Pinaki Mishra will attend the meeting.
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Man arrested with Rs 2.54-crore heroin in Mumbai
Mumbai (PTI): Police have arrested a man and seized over 500 grams of heroin worth Rs 2.54 crore in the illicit market from him in Mumbai, officials said on Friday.
The police's Anti-Narcotics Cell (ANC) made the drug seizure in Santacruz in the western suburbs. The operation was conducted by the Kandivali unit of the ANC on Thursday as part of a special crackdown against drug trafficking in the area, they said.
Acting on specific inputs, an ANC team conducted a raid in Santacruz (East) and intercepted a man. During a search, the team recovered 508 grams of high-grade heroin from his possession, an official said.
The seized contraband, a highly addictive, opioid drug derived from morphine, is estimated to be worth Rs 2.54 crore in the international market, he informed.
Following the seizure, a case was registered against the man under relevant sections of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985, and he was formally placed under arrest in the early hours of Friday.
The police are currently investigating the source of the drug and trying to identify the intended recipients of the consignment, he said.
