Latest news with #Visavadar
Indian Express
2 days ago
- Politics
- Indian Express
Eco sensitive zones, crop insurance: Italia meets Gujarat CM, flags five major concerns
Newly-elected Visavadar MLA and Aam Aadmi Party leader Gopal Italia on Tuesday met Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, for the first time since being sworn in, according to a statement issued by the party. During the meeting, Italia reportedly raised five questions concerning his constituency and the broader population across the state, the party said in a statement. 'I presented five policy issues of the Visavadar-Bhesan constituency before the Chief Minister. The biggest issue of our area is the eco-sensitive zones, which affects a total of three districts, 15 talukas and 196 villages… and is very disturbing to the farmers who are opposing it. I presented a reference from the Assam government that has abolished eco-zones. If this can be done in Assam, it can be done in Gujarat too,' AAP quoted Italia as saying. Italia reportedly also discussed the Chief Minister Kisan Sahay Yojana for farmers during the meeting. 'Under this scheme, farmers who have suffered crop damage will be given compensation but this scheme has not been implemented yet. If people, mobiles, houses, cattle are insured, then why not farmers'crops? According to this scheme, a compensation of Rs 20,000-25,000 per hectare, per farmer, has been planned, but this scheme has not been implemented,' said the statement The third issue, AAP said Italia raised was that the Town Planning scheme was being 'wrongly' implemented in the new municipal corporations. '…nowhere in the Town Planning law is it written that 40% land should be deducted or government reserved plots should be kept… Since the TP law is not being implemented properly, rainwater gets filled in most of the cities, sewers overflow, and traffic and parking problems arise. The draft TP that has been in place for years is not being implemented in the final TP. Instead of the original land of the farmers, plots are allotted in some other place and court cases go on for years,' the statement said. The fourth concern was that the 'production of renewable energy is increasing in Gujarat but no property tax is being levied on solar farms and windmills'. The fifth concern discussed by the MLA was that since cattle did not have land to graze their cattle, they were forced to do so on government land. Italia said he suggested the government give these herders a land on rent to graze their cattle.
Indian Express
09-07-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
Bar Associations in Gujarat condemn denial of entry to advocate Italia at Rajpipla court
The Bar Associations of Gujarat — Gandhinagar, Navsari, Bharuch, Deesa, Wankaner, and Gariyadhar — on Tuesday passed a resolution condemning an incident of alleged denial of entry to Visavadar AAP MLA and Advocate Gopal Italia at a Rajpipla court on Sunday. The associations have written to the Bar Council of Gujarat, the Chief Minister, Home Minister and the Bar Council of India seeking disciplinary actions against the police officers who denied him entry, asking them to ensure such incidents do not happen in future. AAP MLA from Dediapada, Chaitar Vasava, was arrested by the Narmada police on Saturday evening, and was produced before the Rajpipla court on Sunday. Italia had reached the court to represent his client Vasva. The police officers deployed at the main entry gate of the court allegedly stopped Italia from entering the premises. An argument ensued between the two sides. Sources said that people present outside the court recorded the incident on their phones and shared it on social media platforms. The policemen, however, allowed Italia to enter the court complex later. After coming across the video on social media, Bar Association presidents and committee members from Gandhinagar, Deesa, Wankaner, Gariyadhar, Navsari and Bharuch held a meeting and passed a resolution, condemning the act done by police. Demanding a reply from the state government on the issue and a PIL in the Gujarat High Court, their letter also mentioned that, as per The Advocates Act, a lawyer is considered a court officer and should not be stopped by anyone from entering the court complex. The Indian Express has accessed these resolutions. Talking to The Indian Express, Bharuch District Bar Association president Pradyuman Sindha said, 'We condemn the incident of Rajpipla, as police were seen stopping a lawyer from entering the court complex. The Bar Council of India has granted us the licence, and it is our right to enter the court complex; nobody can stop us. The court complex is our second house. In a letter sent to the Bar Council of Gujarat, the Chief Minister, Home Minister, and the Bar Council of India, we requested (them to ensure) that such incidents do not happen again, and if they do, we would urge lawyers to carry out a protest against the police. We have also demanded strict disciplinary actions against the policemen deployed at the main gate of Rajpipla court. We also want actions against top officials who might have sent directions to the policemen.'
Indian Express
29-06-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
Arrested in Gujarat MGNREGA ‘scam', who are Congress vice-president Hirabhai Jotva, son Digvijay
Following the arrest of the sons of BJP minister Bachubhai Khabad, the police on Friday arrested state Congress vice-president and OBC leader Hirabhai Jotva and his sarpanch son Digvijay in connection with the alleged Rs 7.3 crore MGNREGA scam. A native of Supasi village of Gir Somanth district, 58-year-old Jotva is seen as one of the most popular faces of the Congress in Saurashtra. A farmer by profession, with a degree in Arts from Saurashtra University, Jotva also owns various businesses like transport, animal husbandry, petrol pump and has also dabbled in construction. Claiming that Jotva's opinion on candidate selection 'was always sought by the party's state and central leadership', Junagadh district Congress chief and Jotva's close aide Bharatbhai Hirpara said, 'We have been friends since our childhood days. Jotva's father Arjanbhai was also a Congress worker. Jotva began his political career as a sarpanch and went on to win the taluka panchayat and district panchayat elections. He has also served as the Leader of the Opposition in the Junagadh district panchayat.' Jotva also unsuccessfully contested the Keshod Assembly seat in the 2022 polls and the Junagadh Lok Sabha seat last year. Digvijay, on the other hand, won the sarpanch polls from Supasi village in Gir Somnath, a post once held by Jotva, just last week. Sources close to the Jotva family said that both Digvijay and his elder brother Abhay completed their studies in London. Dijvijay returned to India only a couple of years ago and joined the family business of public development works. Abhay is also a Congress leader and is currently the Leader of the Opposition in the Gir Somnath district panchayat. 'After I completed my studies, I told my father that I wanted to return and join politics. He told me it was very difficult and warned me of legal challenges and said I might even have to go to jail. I told him I was prepared for everything… I am sure my father and brother will come out clean,' said Abhay, adding that party workers have approached him, offering their help. Jotva and Digvijay duo are alleged to be sleeping partners in Jalaram Enterprise and Murlidhar Enterprise, the firms that bagged contracts under the MGNREGA scheme to undertake works in Bharuch, and are accused of direct involvement in the irregularities that are currently being probed. According to the FIR, between 2021 and 2025, both enterprises secured contracts for road construction and other works across 56 villages of three talukas – Jambusar, Amod and Hansot. The police allege that most of these works were not complete, while poor quality material was used in others. The police said that around 250 people were questioned and 500 bank accounts were checked before arresting the duo. State Congress spokesperson Manish Doshi said Jothva was a very respectable leader. 'He was facing considerable pressure from the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and BJP during the recent Visavadar bypoll. BJP MP Mansukh Vasava has alleged the involvement of government officials as well as political leaders in it. The BJP top brass in Bharuch is involved in the scam. After the arrest of Khabad's sons, the police have changed the direction of the probe by targeting Congress leaders. The true nature of the scam will be revealed only if there is a free and fair investigation. We have demanded the setting up of an SIT,' he said.
New Indian Express
26-05-2025
- Politics
- New Indian Express
EC declares five Assembly bypolls across four states
NEW DELHI: The Election Commission of India on Sunday announced the schedule for holding Assembly bypolls to fill vacancies from two segments in Gujarat and one each in Kerala, Punjab and West Bengal. Voting for the same will take place on June 19 and counting on June 23. In Gujarat, the bypoll to the Kadi seat was necessitated following the death of sitting MLA Karsanbhai Punjabhai Solanki. Another bypoll to the Visavadar seat in the state is taking place due to the resignation of sitting member Bhayani Bhupendrabhai. The byelection to the Visavadar seat is likely to be a triangular contest, with the AAP already announcing its candidate and Congress stating that it would go solo in the bypoll. In Kerala, the byelection will be held in Nilambur to fill the vacancy created by the resignation of PV Anvar, an LDF-backed MLA, in January this year. He was appointed convenor of the Kerala unit of the Trinamool Congress (TMC). The ruling Left Democratic Front and Opposition UDF in Kerala are working overtime to fix their candidates for the seat. Further, in Punjab, the byelection will be held in Ludhiana West as the seat fell vacant because of the demise of Gurpreet Bassi Gogi. Likewise, the byelection to the Kaliganj Assembly seat in West Bengal has been necessitated due to the death of sitting Assembly member Nasiruddin Ahamed. He died of a cardiac arrest in February this year. Earlier, on May 23, in line with various initiatives aimed at enhancing voter initiative and streamlining poll day arrangements, the ECI had issued two more comprehensive instructions for providing mobile deposit facilities for voters outside the polling stations and rationalising norms for canvassing, according to an official statement.
