While the draft Bill defines ‘Locals’ as candidates who are domiciled in the state of Andhra Pradesh, it does not elaborate on the requirements for ‘domicile’ status.

Andhra Pradesh News: The Andhra Pradesh government on Wednesday passed a Bill in the Legislative Assembly, aimed at providing 75 percent reservation for locals in industries and factories in the state.

Once passed in the Legislative Council on Thursday, the Andhra Pradesh Employment of Local Candidates in the Industries/Factories Act, 2019, seeks to reserve 75 percent of jobs for locals in all industries, including units, factories, joint ventures and projects set up under the public-private partnership model in Andhra Pradesh.

While the draft Bill defines ‘Locals’ as candidates who are domiciled in the state of Andhra Pradesh, it does not elaborate on the requirements for ‘domicile’ status.

The Bill will reportedly apply to all existing industries and factories, as well as those that are established after the Bill is approved. According to media reports, the Bill, if passed, will make Andhra Pradesh the first state in the country to have reservations for locals in private industries. In a press note, Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy said that this would be a ‘boon to unemployed youth in the state’.

Five more Bills with various provisions for the welfare of SC, ST, BC and minority communities as well as women were also introduced on Monday and passed in the Assembly on Wednesday. (Read Full Story)

Whistleblowers are calling for a CBI probe saying the number of victims of Nowhera Shaikh’s Heera Gold could be much higher.

Andhra Pradesh News: Shaba Afreen, a media professional, invested Rs 20 lakh in Heera Gold of Companies in 2016. A resident of Tolichowki in Hyderabad, and a single mother of three, Afreen in 2018 found herself on the streets along with her children, when the company stopped paying monthly dividends, and refused to let her withdraw her investment. She had fallen victim to a halal ponzi scheme that has scammed thousands of people across India and the world.

“That Rs 20 lakh was my life’s savings. It’s all gone now,” Afreen says, “I was introduced to Heera Gold by a trusted friend, who had invested Rs 1 lakh and was earning Rs 3,000 a month. I went to the Heera Gold office in Hyderabad. They painted a picture of a multinational company with investors and companies across the world. I enquired with people and they all had only positive things to say about Heera Gold.” Afreen’s, elder brother who resides in UAE invested Rs 24 lakh, and many other relatives also made hefty investments in the halal ponzi scheme.

But the last time that investors got any dividends, for their investments into Heera Gold and 15 other companies that operate under Heera Gold, was in June 2018. The Enforcement Directorate pegs the scam to be worth Rs 3,000 crore, and the number of Heera Gold victims to be around 1.72 lakh. The Hyderabad Central Crime Station (CCS) pegs the scam to be over Rs 5,460 crore and called the 15 companies floated by the Heera Gold as shell companies. However, those who are fighting the group in court and are offering legal support to the victims say the scam is worth much more, and that the number of victims could be well over a couple of lakhs in India alone. (Heera Gold scam)

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi Palaniswami was campaigning for AC Shanmugam in Vellore, which will go to parliamentary polls on August 5.

Tamil Nadu News: With less than a week left for the Vellore parliamentary polls, the ruling AIADMK and rival DMK have been heating up the campaign trail. Chief Minister Edappadi Palaniswami undertook a two-day tour of the constituency, campaigning for AIADMK alliance candidate AC Shanmugam. Shanmugam, a businessman, is also founder of the Puthiya Needhi Katchi. The Chief Minister lashed out at the DMK for the polls being rescinded in April. The Election Commission of India (ECI) had cancelled the elections in Vellore Parliamentary constituency, making it the first constituency in India where a Lok Sabha election has been cancelled because of cash for votes. The move came after cash had been seized from the properties of DMK leaders.

According to one report in The Hindu, the Chief Minister said, “In our party, even a farmer can become a Chief Minister, whereas the DMK is governed by the family members of (former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister) Karunanidhi. The AIADMK’s Muhammathjohn of Arcot and N. Chandrasekaran, who were recently elected to the Upper House, will raise their voice for the minorities and the oppressed classes in the Rajya Sabha.” Palaniswami is expected to be back for a final round of campaigning on August 2. Polls are to be held on August 5.

Meanwhile, DMK chief and Leader of the Opposition in Tamil Nadu Assembly, MK Stalin refuted allegations that his party had been responsible for the polls being cancelled. The leader has been campaigning for the DMK’s Kathir Anand, son of senior DMK leader Durai Murugan. According to one report in The New Indian Express, Stalin promised an industrial town near Vaniyambadi in order to enable employment for local youth in Vellore. “Recently, a report published in a newspaper noted that DMK had won the April Lok Sabha election with the highest voting ratio in the country. This fact clearly suggests that Tamil Nadu people are with DMK,” he said. (Read Full Story)

As per reports, the tiger population in Kerala has increased from 136 in 2014 to 190 in 2018.

Kerala News: In what can be seen as a positive sign as far as the tiger population in Kerala is concerned, the Tiger Census data released by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday announced that there has been a 40% increase in the population of the big cat in the jungles of the state in the past four years. As per reports, the tiger population in Kerala increased from 136 in 2014 to 190 in 2018.

According to a report in The New Indian Express (TNIE), the population of tigers in Kerala has been on a steady rise since 2006, when the state was reported to have only 46 tigers. But in 2010, the population rose to 71 and in 2014, the numbers reached 136. As per the report, a survey conducted by the Forest Department under the Tiger Monitoring Programme had concluded that there were 176 tigers in Kerala in 2016.

The tiger population in the state may have found a safe place in the forests of Wayanad wildlife sanctuary, as it has been reported that the sanctuary houses around 80 of the total tiger population in the state at the moment. BN Anjan Kumar, the Chief Conservator of Forests (Wildlife) was quoted by TNIE to have said that, “The tiger population in Wayanad has been thriving thanks to our conservation efforts. Apart from anti poaching drive, we have introduced a habitat management initiative, where invasive plant species are weeded out.

He also added that they have taken steps for the voluntary relocation of the people living in the forest area. Anjan Kumar said that the Forest department had to relocate four tigers in the last two years for straying into human settlements. (Read Full Story)

Quite a few busy junctions in Thiruvananthapuram city are devoid of the much needed traffic lights or traffic police.

Kerala News: The Sri Mulam Club junction in Thiruvananthapuram has three roads joining it – from Vazhuthacaud, from Vellayambalam, and from Cotton Hill. The last said is a school – one of the oldest in the city. Mornings and evenings, when the school starts for the day and ends, girls in green and white uniform are everywhere on the road, or in the vehicles picking up or dropping them. And Vazhuthacaud being a busy centre of sorts, there are all kinds of commuters at all times. The only problem is, the traffic light at this junction has been defunct for a long time.

“It’s been off for some time,” says Renjith Kumar, CI (North) of Thiruvananthapuram Traffic Police, vaguely. He can’t give the exact reason, but there is a traffic policeman deployed at that point, at all times, he says. “He is supposed to be there from 8 am to 8 pm,” Renjith says.

However, the chaos at this junction is not unique.

There are certain traffic points identified by the police for deploying traffic personnel. Renjith provides a list of these points, but it doesn’t include the Tennis Club junction in Kowdiar, which is crowded through the day, with three roads joining it – from Vellayambalam, from Kowdiar, and from Devaswom Board.

“We haven’t got reports of any traffic blocks in that junction, neither of accidents. The accidents that happen in the Vellayambalam-Kowdiar stretch are mostly due to rash driving, young people racing their cars and bikes because the road is good,” Renjith says. The stretch is notorious for over-speeding and several infamous accidents – including the one that killed Adarsh, the 24-year-old son of the SP Grand Days hotel owner. (Read Full Story)

Politicians cutting across party lines mourned coffee king Siddhartha’s loss and expressed their condolences.

Karnataka News: As police in Mangaluru confirmed the death of coffee king and business tycoon VG Siddhartha on Wednesday morning, tributes began to pour in for the business leader from politicians cutting across party lines.

Siddhartha, who is the son-in-law of former Union Minister and BJP leader SM Krishna, had gone missing in Mangaluru on Monday night near the Nethravathi river. According to the city police, the body was found on the bank of a river close to an ice plant at Hoige Bazar, over 9 kms away from the Nethravathi bridge at 6:30 am.

His body will be taken to his village in Chikkamagaluru district where both his parents continue to live.

Former Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah tweeted, “Very sad to know about the unfortunate death of Shri. V G Siddhartha. His contribution to Karnataka & India through his entrepreneurship shall be an example & always be remembered. My deepest condolences to Shri. S M Krishna and family members & well-wishers of Siddhartha.”

Mourning the loss, former Karnataka CM HD Kumaraswamy said, “I am shocked to hear the news of the death of businessman and close friend Siddhartha. Siddhartha, a friend of the last 25 years, had introduced Karnataka’s coffee industry to the world. Thousands of employees were accommodated in their organizations. With his death Karnataka has lost a great businessman,” he said. (Read Full Story)

VG Siddhartha, who is also the son-in-law of former Union Minister SM Krishna, had gone missing near the Nethravathi river in Mangaluru on Monday night.

Karnataka News: Coffee Day founder VG Siddhartha’s body was recovered at 6.30am on Wednesday morning, after he went missing in Mangaluru on Monday. A massive team of 100 firefighters, 100 policemen, 50 divers, 50 fishermen and 30 boats were involved in the search operations. His body is being taken to Wenlock Hospital for post-mortem.

Siddhartha, who is the son-in-law of former Union Minister and BJP leader SM Krishna, had gone missing in Mangaluru on Monday night near the Nethravathi river. According to the city police, the body was found on the bank of a river close to an ice plant at Hoige Bazar, over 9kms away from the Nethravathi bridge.

A fisherman named Ritesh on a trawler boat found the body when he cast his net into the waters. Since the police had informed fishermen to keep an eye out, Ritesh suspected that the body could have been Siddhartha’s and immediately informed a local resident (Ashwath), who subsequently intimated the local corporator Diwakar Pandeshwar and then the trio informed the local police.

Based on the dress description, shoes, the police said they were able to identify the deceased. “The facial features of the victim were still identifiable. It helped us to identify him,” a police official said. Congress MLA UT Khader told the media that his friends had helped identify the body. (Read Full Story)