Parliament extends President's Rule in Manipur by six months
New Delhi, Aug 5 (PTI): Parliament on Tuesday approved a statutory resolution to extend President's Rule in Manipur for another six months beyond August 13.
The resolution, which was passed by the Lok Sabha last week, was approved by the Rajya Sabha, amid uproar by Opposition members over the issue of electoral rolls revision in Bihar.
As Opposition MPs continued their protests on SIR, Deputy Chairman Harivansh said it was a "constitutional obligation" to pass the resolution.
"It's a statutory resolution. All of us, as MPs, have to follow constitutional provisions. These have a time limit within which it has to be disposed of..." Harivansh said.
He then asked YSRCP member Subhash Chandra Bose Pilli to speak on the resolution. Opposition MPs however started raising slogans against the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls exercise with TMP MPs raising slogans while standing next to the YSRCP member.
BJD MP Muzibulla Khan said, "When Manipur law and order situation was bad, Article 356 was imposed. Today, the situation of law and order in Odisha is bad..."
"Double engine government in Manipur failed.... Has the situation improved after so many months of President's Rule or not? Minister should inform us... The Centre should take responsibility, removing an elected government and imposing President's Rule repeatedly is also not good," he said.
Moving the resolution for passage in the House, Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai said a rift was formed between two communities in Manipur due to a court order.
"A rift was created between two communities in Manipur due to an order of the High Court related to a dispute on reservations. Those who say it is religious violence are wrong..." Rai said amid continued uproar by Opposition MPs.
Rai also said Home Minister Amit Shah had undertaken a tour of violence- affected areas in Manipur. "He (Shah) met high level officials, security forces, civil society members..." Rai said, claiming that the northeast has witnessed widespread development under the Narendra Modi-led government.
He also said since the President's Rule was imposed in Manipur, only one incident of violence has been reported.
The Rajya Sabha later approved the resolution with a voice vote.
The House also passed another resolution by voice vote that sought to amend the Second Schedule to the Customs Tariff Act, 1975. The resolution was moved by Minister of State for Finance Pankaj Chaudhary.
Manipur was put under President’s Rule in February this year after Chief Minister N Biren Singh stepped down, nearly two years after the ethnic conflict began in the state between the valley-based Meitei community and the hills-based Scheduled Tribe Kuki-Zo group of communities.
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Karnataka govt directs municipal corps to regulate, prohibit pigeon feeding
Bengaluru (PTI): The Karnataka government has issued directions to municipal corporations across the state to regulate and prohibit feeding pigeons in public places, citing serious public health concerns.
Deputy Secretary to Government V Lakshmikanth has written to the Urban Development Department requesting it to issue directions to the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) and all municipal corporations to take immediate steps to implement the measures.
In an official note dated December 16 issued by the Health and Family Welfare Department and released to the media on Wednesday, the department said uncontrolled feeding of pigeons in public places has resulted in large congregations of birds, excessive droppings and serious health concerns, particularly respiratory illnesses linked to prolonged exposure to pigeon droppings and feathers such as hypersensitivity pneumonitis and other lung diseases.
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"The commissioner, the Greater Bengaluru Authority and the Commissioners and chief officers of other municipal corporations shall take necessary action to mitigate the causes of dangerous disease spread by pigeon and enforce specified guidelines in their respective jurisdiction," the note said.
According to the department, these include a prohibition on feeding pigeons or causing pigeons to be fed in areas where it may cause nuisance or pose a health hazard to the public. Pigeon feeding shall be permitted only in designated areas in a controlled manner, subject to certain conditions.
"The designated areas may be selected in consultation with stakeholders. The responsibility for upkeep of the designated areas and compliance to the directions shall be taken up by some charitable organisation or an NGO. The feeding in designated areas shall be permitted only for some limited hours in the day," it said.
The note further stated that authorised officers of local authorities shall issue on-the-spot warnings and may impose fines for violation of the order, or lodge complaints to prosecute offenders under Sections 271 (Negligent act likely to spread infection of disease dangerous to life) and 272 (Malignant act likely to spread infection of disease dangerous to life) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.
It also directed local authorities to conduct public awareness campaigns, including the display of signboards, banners and digital messages, explaining the health hazards associated with pigeon droppings and feathers, the content of the regulatory directions and penalties for violations, and alternative humane methods of bird conservation that do not endanger public health.
