CM Yogi Denies Permission To Ex-IAS Officer To Resume Career

by Pabitra Mohan Senapaty

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS

The Yogi Adityanath government has put brakes on the possibility of former IAS officer Abhishek Singh returning to his job.

Lucknow, June 13: The Yogi Adityanath government has put brakes on the possibility of former IAS officer Abhishek Singh returning to his job.

The 2011 batch IAS officer, Abhishek Singh, resigned from his job in October 2023 and was preparing to enter politics. He was keen to contest from the Jaunpur Lok Sabha seat and was even confident of getting a BJP ticket. He issued full-page advertisements before the elections were announced and started a free bus service to Ayodhya for the local people.

However, he failed to get a ticket in the elections and his hopes were dashed.

Abhishek Singh was suspended in 2023 on charges of being absent without leave. Abhishek Singh was earlier suspended in October 2014 as well. During the suspension, he was associated with the Revenue Board.

After he failed to get a ticket in the elections, Abhishek Singh gave an application seeking permission to withdraw his resignation and seek reinstatement. However, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has turned down his plea.

Incidentally, this is not the first time that Abhishek Singh has played truant.

In 2020 he worked on singer B Praak's song 'Dil Tod Ke'. Then he also worked on Jubin Nautiyal's album 'Tujhe Bhoolna To Chaha'. After this, he appeared in season 2 of Netflix's web series Delhi Crime. He did a short movie 'Chaar Pandrah' and in March last year, he acted in singer Harrdy Sandhu's song 'Yaad Aati Hai'.

He did not get the required success in films and returned to his career.

Abhishek Singh is the husband of Durga Shakti Nagpal, the IAS officer who hit the headlines for her crackdown on the mining mafia during the Akhilesh government.

--IANS

Process For Choosing Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee President Begins

by Pabitra Mohan Senapaty

Bhubaneswar, Oct 18: The All India Congress Committee (AICC) has started a process of selecting a leader for the post of Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC) president, which has been lying vacant for a few months following the general elections.

The AICC has entrusted Charan Das Mahanta, the Congress Legislature Party (CLP) Leader of Chhattisgarh, with the responsibilities of preparing a report on the organizational work and leadership regarding the Pradesh Congress Committee. He has been advised to coordinate with senior leader Meenakshi Nataranj and visit Odisha at the earliest.

AICC general secretary KC Venugopal has written to Charan Das Mahanta in this regard.

The PCC headed by Sarat Pattanaik was dissolved on July 21 after the dismal performance of the Congress in the general elections in Odisha. After that, the AICC formed a steering committee to manage party affairs in the State.

Delhi Chokes As Air Quality Deteriorates

by Pabitra Mohan Senapaty

New Delhi, Oct 18: Delhi's air quality is deteriorating rapidly and the average Air Quality Index (AQI) stood at 293 on Friday.

In several parts of the national capital, the AQI has fallen into the 'severe' category, posing significant health risks. People are experiencing difficulty in breathing due to the hazardous air.

According to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), as of 9 a.m. on Friday, Delhi's average AQI stands at 293. Meanwhile, in the surrounding NCR areas, Faridabad recorded an AQI of 194, Gurugram 196, Ghaziabad 247, Greater Noida 296, and Noida 242.

In several parts of Delhi, the AQI levels are hovering between 300 and 400, indicating severe pollution. Notable areas include Wazirpur (379), Vivek Vihar (327), Shadipur (337), Rohini (362), Punjabi Bagh (312), Patparganj (344), Narela (312), Mundka (375), Jahangirpuri (354), Dwarka Sector 8 (324), Bawana (339), Anand Vihar (342), and Alipur (307).

Rahul, a Delhi resident sharing his concerns, stated that pollution levels have significantly risen in recent days. He expressed frustration, saying that every year, the government makes lofty promises to control pollution but no effective action is taken. He is experiencing breathing difficulties, eye irritation, and sore throat, prompting him to wear a mask while outdoors.

"Pollution has made it extremely hard to breathe," he said.

In order to curb increasing pollution, the Delhi government has implemented GRAP-1. Chief Minister Atishi and Environment Minister Gopal Rai had a meeting with officials regarding the increasing pollution in Delhi. After this meeting, it was told that 99 teams would inspect the construction sites to check dust pollution. 200 anti-smog guns from PWD, 30 from MCD, 14 from NCRTC and 80 from DMRC will also be deployed.

Apart from this, the Delhi government has appealed to people not to burn crackers, and if any pollution-causing activities are done anywhere, then they should inform on the Green Delhi app.

--IANS

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Amitabh Bachchan Regrets Not Working With Meena Kumari

by Pabitra Mohan Senapaty

Mumbai, Oct 18: In the upcoming episode of ‘Kaun Banega Crorepati 16’, Amitabh Bachchan reflected on his illustrious career and expressed a heartfelt regret about never having the opportunity to work with the legendary actress Meena Kumari.

Big B also reminisced about the actress Waheeda Rehman's iconic close-up in the film ‘Pyaasa’, which left a lasting impression on him. During a conversation with Vidya Balan and Kartik Aaryan, Amitabh voiced his regret at not having worked with Meena Kumari while discussing the 1962 cult movie ‘Sahib Bibi Aur Ghulam.’ Big B said, “I never got the opportunity to work with Meena Kumari ji. In 'Sahib Biwi Aur Ghulam,’ there’s a song - ‘Na jaao saiyaan’ where she performed so gracefully that I found myself watching her continuously. The art of sitting in one place quietly, singing the song and coupled with her radiance, the effects used to be marvellous.

They used to take long shots back then and I think that was the beauty of it all. Unlike today, every shot ends in just a few words. And Waheeda Rehman Ji, she is my absolute favourite actress.” Talking about Waheeda Rehman, the megastar spoke about how that particular shot in the song captured such exquisite emotion and artistry, truly showcasing her brilliance.

Amitabh shared, “What a beautiful shot it was; it took two or three takes to light up that close-up. These days, it all happens so quickly, but back then, it was never like that.” Big B’s anecdotes left Vidya Balan in awe as she exclaimed, “I would love to have been born in that era and be your heroine." Kartik then chimed in, saying, "Sir, I would love to be your heroine as well! (laughs).” The episode featuring ‘Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3’ actors Kartik and Vidya will air on Sony TV on October 18.

--IANS

CM Yogi Denies Permission To Ex-IAS Officer To Resume Career

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