16 Indian crew members of cargo ship return home after over 9 months of detention in Africa
New Delhi, Jun 11: Sixteen Indian crew members of a cargo vessel who were in detention for over nine months in Equatorial Guinea and Nigeria have returned to India following the government's lengthy negotiations with the authorities concerned, official sources said on Sunday.
Oil tanker MT Heroic Idun and its 26 crew members, including 16 Indians, were in detention since August last year.
They were initially detained in Equatorial Guinea and subsequently in Nigeria. The ship and crew were accused of various crimes, including oil theft.
"Following lengthy negotiations, all charges against the crew were dropped and the ship was released on May 27 after paying the fines. The Indian crew members have now returned to India," said a source.
The sources said the Indian Mission officials remained in regular touch with the crew and undertook consular access on numerous occasions.
"From the outset, the government of India, through its missions in Equatorial Guinea and Nigeria, and in bilateral meetings, took up the matter with the respective foreign authorities at various levels," said a source.
"They were pressed for early resolution of the issue and repatriation of the Indian crew members," it said.
Following interventions with the Nigerian government, the crew was allowed to remain on board the ship with the provision of regular food, instead of being taken to a detention centre, the sources said.
The crew members were also allowed periodic contact with their families.
The Indian Mission worked with the shipping company for legal representation to be arranged for the crew, they said.
"It was highlighted to the Nigerian authorities that there had been no oil theft; necessary permissions had apparently been accorded; and that the crew was not privy to the decisions of operations," the source said.
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13 portfolios for Delhi CM Atishi, Bharadwaj in charge of 8 departments
New Delhi, Sep 21: Delhi Chief Minister Atishi will retain all the 13 portfolios, including education, revenue, finance, power and PWD, that she held in the previous government headed by Arvind Kejriwal.
A proposal from the chief minister for allocation of work among the ministers of her cabinet has been approved by Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena, officials said on Saturday. Atishi's predecessor Kejriwal did not hold any portfolio.
Atishi, the eighth chief minister of Delhi, has retained four ministers from the previous government -- Saurabh Bharadwaj, Gopal Rai, Kailash Gahlot and Imran Hussain. First-time MLA from Sultanpur Majra Mukesh Ahlawat is a new member in her cabinet.
Bharadwaj will retain his previous portfolios and also have the charge of the social welfare and cooperative departments that were earlier held by Raaj Kumar Anand, who resigned in April.
His other portfolios include health, urban development, irrigation and tourism. Bharadwaj will have eight portfolios, the highest after the chief minister.
Ahlawat has been given the charge of the labour, gurdwara elections, welfare of SCs and STs and land and building departments.
Rai has retained the development, general administration department, environment and forest portfolios that he also held in the Kejriwal government.
Gahlot has also been given his previous portfolios -- transport, home, administrative reforms, women and child development.
Hussain will continue to hold the food and supply and election portfolios.
The allocation of work by the chief minister, approved by the LG, was gazette notified by the General Administration Department.
"In exercise of powers conferred under Rule 3 of the GNCTD (Allocation of Business) Rules 1993, the Lieutenant Governor of Delhi, in consultation with the chief minister, is pleased to allocate the portfolios to the ministers," read the notification.
"The allocation of business to the ministers is approved, in so far as, such business relates to matters with respect to which the Council of Ministers is required under Article 239AA of the Constitution to aid and advise the Lieutenant Governor in the exercise of his functions, in accordance with Rule 3 of the GNCTD (Allocation of Business) Rules, 1993 and subject to The GNCTD Act, 1991," it added.
