Rewa (Madhya Pradesh) [India], March 19 (ANI): In an unusual way to extending support to farmers’ protest against the Centre’s farm laws, a couple tied the knot on Thursday at an agitation site in Rewa.
Speaking to reporters after marriage, the groom, Sachin Singh said: “The farmers’ agitation is going on since January 3. Farmers have been demanding the repeal of three black laws as they are not in the interest of farmers. Farmers will organise every function here. Birthdays have also been celebrated here. We will not leave until these laws are repealed.”
Sachin’s father Ramjit Singh who is affiliated with Madhya Pradesh Kisan Sabha said they wanted to strong message to the government that they will not leave the site until farm laws are repealed.
“We wanted to give a strong message to the government that we will not leave this site until we win this fight,” said Ramjit Singh.
Farmers have been protesting against the three newly enacted farm laws — Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020; the Farmers Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Act 2020 and the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020. (ANI)

Pune (Maharashtra) [India], March 19 (ANI): The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) has suspended BIS licences of four water bottle manufacturers allegedly after people associated with them abused BIS officials in Pune for drawing water samples for quality check.
According to an official release, Pune Branch Office had drawn, among others, market samples of packaged drinking water as per the instructions received from the New Delhi Head office.
“Some members of Maharashtra Bottled Water Manufacturers Association visited Bureau of Indian Standards, Pune branch office, situated at Market Yard, Pune, on 03 March 2021 under the pretext of meeting the Head, BIS, Pune office. Immediately after meeting the Head in his cabin, they picked up the altercation, abused officers and started arguing why market samples of packaged drinking water were drawn? They were informed that the samples were drawn as per the instructions of the Head office and as per terms and conditions of the operation of BIS Certification Mark Licence Scheme,” it said.
A few of the members misbehaved and threatened BIS officers to cause physical harm if market samples are continued to be drawn.
“They were not in a mood to listen and a few of them misbehaved and threatened BIS officers to cause physical harm if market samples are continued to be drawn. They also damaged some of the market samples of packaged drinking water under the custody of BIS, Pune office,” the release said.
“As their behaviour amounted to obstructing officers from discharging duties, BIS has taken action against the miscreant for violation of BIS Act,2016 and suspended their BIS licences, i.e., Shivanjali Aqua, Savvy Pure Aqua Pvt. Ltd., Savvy Pure Aqua, Unit-2 and Ravi Foods and Beverages and also issued notices for cancellation of their licences,” it said. (ANI)
The Bureau of Indian Standards is the National Standards Body, working under the aegis of the Ministry of Consumer Affairs Food and Public Distribution, Government of India. (ANI)

Chandigarh [India], March 19 (ANI): Highlighting that his government was totally opposed to the Centre’s farm laws, Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Thursday urged the Government of India not to stand on ego and prestige but to immediately scrap these legislations and bring in new laws after fresh discussions on the issue with the farmers.
The Chief Minister also declared, “we will go to the Supreme Court if the President does not given assent to the State Amendment Bills”, which unfortunately the Governor is still sitting on instead of forwarding them for presidential approval, even though the Vidhan Sabha had unanimously passed the Bills, with all parties voting for them, according to a release by the Chief Minister’s Office.
It was tragic, however, that the Akalis and AAP had later started playing political games on the issue, he added.
Addressing media persons on the completion of four years of his government, the Chief Minister declared that he could not see any middle path to break the stalemate between the farmers and the Government of India.
“The Centre should scrap the Farm Laws, sit with the farmers and make new legislations in their place. What’s the use of making it a prestige issue? There are poor farmers sitting out there, with women and elderly.
He pointed out that Punjab alone has lost 112 farmers’ lives since the agitation began. “The Constitution has been amended more than 100 times in the past, so why can it not be done again to scrap these laws?” he asked.
The Chief Minister said he failed to understand why the central government was trying to break the age-old time-tested relationship between farmers and Arhtiyas.
The new laws are not an improvement on the existing system but will destroy the farming sector, he said, asking where the poor farmers (comprising 75% of Punjab’s farmers) would go in case of need once the Arhtiyas are replaced by big faceless corporates. (ANI)

Amritsar (Punjab) [India], March 19 (ANI): Amid surging COVID-19 cases, a night curfew has been imposed in Amritsar as a precautionary measure against the virus.
The city reported 230 fresh cases of COVID-19 on March 18.
“The Chief Minister has ordered a curfew in the city between 11 pm and 5 am,” said Assistant Commissioner of Police (Central) Parvesh Chopra.
Ahead of Holi celebrations, shopkeepers in Amritsar said their businesses are adversely affected due to rising cases of COVID-19.
Punjab reported 2,387 new COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours, informed the state health department on Thursday.

Meanwhile, Jalandhar District Collector Ghanshyam Thori and Ludhiana District Collector Varinder Sharna on Thursday imposed a night curfew in the respective districts from tonight. The curfew will remain imposed from 9 pm to 5 am until further orders.

With the fresh COVID-19 cases, the total number of cases in the state now stands at 2,05,418. (ANI)

Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India], March 19 (ANI): Karnataka Congress chief DK Shivakumar has called a meeting of senior party leaders, MPs and MLAs on March 20.
This comes after the party announced names of candidates for by-elections on Maski and Basavakalyana Assembly seats and Belagavi Lok Sabha constituency.
Congress President Sonia Gandhi has approved the candidature of Ashok Managoli, Mallamma and Basavanagoud R. Turvihal for by-elections in Sindgi, Basavakalyan and Maski constituencies respectively.
Polling for bye-elections of Maski and Basavakalyana Assembly seats and Belagavi Lok Sabha constituency will be held on April 17. The counting of votes will take place on May 2.
The Election Commission of Indian has not yet announced the bypoll in Sindagi constituency. (ANI)

Hyderabad (Telangana) [India], March 19 (ANI): Telangana Congress Legislative Party (CLP) Leader Batti Vikramarka on Thursday said the state government is taking around Rs 50,000 crores as loans every year and claimed that Telangana may land into a “debt trap” if this continues.
“In 70 years in the combined Andhra Pradesh, the total loan amount was Rs 70,000 crores. But this Telangana Government, on the other hand, is taking around Rs 50,000 crores as loans every year. The state is already in Rs 3,50,000 crores debt and if this continues, then by 2023-2024 Telangana State would be in debt of Rs 5,50,000 crores,” Vikramarka told ANI.
“This is going to add on a severe burden on the people of Telangana. If the state government takes loans over and again, the state will end up landing into a debt trap,” he added.
Slamming the state government over the budget, the Congress leader said there is nothing for the common people in the budget.
“There has been no allotment of money for the ‘KG to PG’ scheme of the state government. Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao, on one hand, said that the state government doesn’t have any money due to Corona when asked about the unemployment allowance scheme. But on the other hand, his finance minister has presented a state budget of Rs 2,30,825.96 crores,” Vikramarka said. (ANI)