Cyclone 'Gulab': Deep depression intensifies

Former Andhra Pradesh Minister Gudivada Amarnath on Thursday said that the YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) has filed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) challenging the land policy of the state government, alleging that large extents of valuable public land are being allotted to a few real estate companies at very low prices.

The attached properties are in the form of land parcels situated in Goa, Kerala, Karnataka, Punjab, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Jharkhand, Maharashtra, Delhi, West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh, and Rajasthan.

In a post on X, Stalin stated that he had written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the relevant Union Ministers regarding the issue. He added that the state government held a consultation meeting yesterday under the leadership of R Sakkarapani to discuss strategies for addressing the gas shortage.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday outlined a dual approach to energy security: boosting domestic infrastructure for wider access and promoting self-sufficiency to cut reliance on imports.

Union Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas, Hardeep Singh Puri, informed the Lok Sabha on Thursday that the country is successfully navigating the major disruption in global energy supplies following the West Asia conflict.

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu advised district collectors to be proactive in attracting investments to promote industries for wealth creation.

BJP MLA and West Bengal Assembly Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari on Thursday expressed confidence that the Trinamool Congress (TMC) would be defeated in the upcoming West Bengal Assembly elections.

According to sources, the meeting involved extensive discussions on around 160 Assembly constituencies across the state. During the deliberations, the party is learnt to have finalised candidates for nearly 145 seats, out of 294 assembly seats in the West Bengal Legislative Assembly, marking significant progress in the selection process.

The West Bengal government on Thursday provided officers of requisite seniority for being appointed as Returning Officers for the forthcoming Assembly Elections, on the insistence of the Election Commission of India.

In an 'X' post, TMC said the government has "ek hi naara, line mein rahe desh bechara," pointing to past governmental measures including demonetisation, the COVID-19 vaccine rollout, the Special Identification Registration (SIR), and now the LPG shortage. The party described demonetisation as a "Tughlaqi farman" that forced ordinary citizens to wait in serpentine queues outside banks and ATMs for days to access their own money. The post also highlighted the 2020 COVID-19 oxygen crisis, when families stood in long lines outside hospitals and suppliers as the public health system collapsed.