Hooghly (West Bengal) [India], March 23 (ANI): Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate from Chuchura assembly seat Locket Chatterjee has designed handwritten posters along with her supporters for campaigning in the upcoming elections in West Bengal.
“It reminds us of our past when we did not have access to printed posters,” Chatterjee told ANI.
The BJP candidate used ‘alta’, a bright red dye for designing the posters.
“Amra Sonar Bangla Gorbo (we will form Sonar Bangla). BJP aschhe, TMC jachchhe (BJP is coming, TMC is going),” reads one of the posters.
Chatterjee will take on TMC’s Asit Mazumdar, a two-time MLA from Chuchura. The polling for the Chuchura assembly constituency will be on April 10 in the third phase of the West Bengal elections.
Notably, Locket Chatterjee is a sitting MP from Hooghly whom BJP has fielded in the upcoming West Bengal Assembly polls along with several other MPs.
Elections to the 294-member state Assembly will be held in eight phases starting from March 27 with the final round of voting taking place on April 29. The counting of votes will take place on May 2. (ANI)

Hyderabad (Telangana) [India], March 23 (ANI): A Hyderabad based startup, ‘The Phi Factory’ aims to bring a change in the Small and Medium Enterprises (SME) in terms of innovations and technology in India.
Praveen Kumar Gorakavi, a scientist and an inventor along with Dr Meghana Reddy, a Bachelors holder in Medicine and Surgery have established this start-up in 2018.
Praveen said that with this startup, they wanted to make India a self-reliant country in terms of technology and innovations.
Praveen told ANI, “In order to provide advanced innovation technologies to Indian based SMEs, we have set up this platform, ‘The Phi Factory’.”
“As many SMEs in India does not have access to advanced technology, they are forced to install and use foreign technology. I wanted to change this which is why the Phi Factory was set up,” he said.
The Phi factory as its first product developed GFP, a paper additive used in corrugated boxes (commonly known as cardboard boxes) which reduced the weight of boxes by almost 20 per cent, cost per box by 9 per cent.
He further claimed that they were able to save three fully grown trees for every ton of paper produced.
“The innovation was beneficial to both the economy and the environment. After the innovation, we observed that for the last two years, we were able to supply 2,500 tons of paper, and thus saving 7,500 fully grown trees, which would amount to a small-sized reserve forest,” he said.
Under the roof of the Phi Factory, Praveen and Meghana were able to innovate various technologies some being commercial technologies while others for a social impact.
In one of their recent innovation, they were able to build a typewriter called braillers for visually impaired people.
Dr Meghana Reddy, the Co-Founder of The Phi Factory said that for every four commercial innovations, one innovation will be done aiming a positive social impact. She said, “Though there are many companies that produce ver expensive and heavy to carry braillers that cost from about Rs 60,000 to Rs 70,000 and weigh about 5 kgs, we have developed braillers that cost around Rs 10,000 and weighs around one kilogram.”
Praveen, before starting his start-up has developed various technologies in collaboration with a lot of Multi-National companies. “I have a track record of developing and commercializing 28 technologies alongside various multi-national companies,” he said.
“My works and innovations are reaching millions across the globe on day to day basis,” he claimed.
Praveen said that he had invented a low cost, low weight artificial limb when he was 13 years.
He has received the ‘Bala Shree Award’, the highest honour in the nation for children under 16 years of age and has also been listed in ‘Forbes 30 Under 30’ a list issued annually by Forbes magazine. (ANI)

Gwalior (Madhya Pradesh) [India], March 23 (ANI): At least 13 people were killed after a bus and an auto-rickshaw collided with each other in Madhya Pradesh’s Gwalior district on Tuesday morning.
“The head-on collision took place in Purani Chhawani area of Gwalior,” the police said.
The police further informed that nine women and the auto-rickshaw driver died on the spot, while those injured were rushed to a nearby hospital with severe injuries.
Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has paid condolences to the deceased and has also announced compensation to their families.
“I am saddened by the untimely loss of precious lives in the deadly collision between bus and auto in Gwalior. I pray to God to grant the departed souls a place at his feet and their relatives to bear this tragedy. Om Shanti!” Chouhan tweeted in Hindi.
“I and the people of the state are with bereaved families in this hour of grief. They should not consider themselves alone. The state government will give Rs four lakh to the families of each deceased and Rs 50,000 to those injured,” he added. (ANI)

Guwahati (Assam) [India], March 23 (ANI): The Bharatiya Janata Party on Tuesday released its manifesto for Assam Assembly polls and promised to work on a corrected National Register of Citizens (NRC) for state’s protection.
The manifesto, released by BJP National President JP Nadda, promised to protect “genuine Indian citizens and to detect infiltrators” to ensure the Ahom civilization stays safe.
“We will work on a corrected NRC for Assam’s protection. We will protect genuine Indian citizens and detect infiltrators to ensure the Ahom civilization stays safe. To protect Assam’s political rights, we will speed up the delimitation process,” the BJP chief said while releasing the manifesto.
The manifesto also promised to build big reservoirs around the Bramhaputra River to conserve extra water under the “Bramhaputra Vision” to save people from floods.
“30 lakh deserving families will be paid financial support of Rs 3,000 per month under Orunodoi Scheme,” the manifesto said.
Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar, Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal and state Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma were also present at the event.
Earlier on Saturday, Congress released the party’s manifesto ahead of the state Assembly elections in which the party has promised to defend the “idea of the state of Assam”.
Elections for the 126-seat Assam Legislative Assembly are scheduled to take place in three phases from March 27 to April 6. The results will be announced on May 2. (ANI)

Kochi (Kerala) [India], March 23 (ANI): The Enforcement Directorate (ED) approached the Kerala High Court on Tuesday seeking a CBI probe in the case registered by the Crime Branch of Kerala Police against ED officials on the basis of the revelations in the leaked audiotape of Kerala gold smuggling case accused Swapna Suresh.
The ED sought the court to quash the FIR against its officials and alleged that a conspiracy has been hatched to sabotage the Gold Smuggling Case.
According to the case, the ED officials pressurised Swapna to give a fake testimonial against Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan in the case.
The Crime Branch submitted an FIR in the Ernakulam First Class Judicial Magistrate Court on March 19.
Swapna Suresh is also a prime accused in the Dollar Smuggling Case.
She has made crucial statements in the Kerala High Court about Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, his connections with the previous Consul General of UAE, and illegal monetary transactions, an affidavit submitted before the Kerala High Court by the Customs department said.
The affidavit also made statements against Kerala Assembly Speaker P Sreeramakrishnan and ministers of the state cabinet.
The Kerala gold smuggling case pertains to the smuggling of gold in the state through diplomatic channels. It had come to light after 30 kg gold worth Rs 14.82 crore smuggled in a consignment camouflaged as diplomatic baggage was busted by the Customs in Thiruvananthapuram on July 5, 2019.
It is being probed by Enforcement Directorate, National Investigative Agency (NIA) and Customs department.
During the probe of the Kerala gold smuggling case, the dollar smuggling case came to light. The case pertains to the smuggling of $1.9 lakh by UAE Consulate employee and Egyptian national Khalid Ali Shoukry through the Thiruvananthapuram airport in August 2019. (ANI)

New Delhi [India], March 23 (ANI): Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Tuesday left for Guwahati to address election meetings in Lumding and Hojai assembly constituencies of Assam.
“Leaving for Guwahati. Looking forward to addressing election meetings in Lumding and Hojai assembly constituencies of Assam. @BJP4Assam,” he wrote on Twitter.
Earlier on Monday, Union Home Minister Amit Shah met Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) workers in Guwahati ahead of the Assam assembly elections.
Besides Shah, BJP president JP Nadda and Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh were also present at the grand meeting.
Elections for the 126-seat Assam assembly are scheduled to take place in three phases from March 27 to April 6. The results will be announced on May 2.
BJP is contesting the polls in alliance with Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) and United People’s Party Liberal (UPPL). On the other hand, Congress has formed a coalition with Bodoland People’s Front (BPF), AIUDF, Anchalik Gana Marcha (AGM) and the Left parties. (ANI)