Local body polls: Voting underway at polling stations in Madurai

Residents of Vandiyur Theerthakadu near Anna Nagar, which falls within the limits of the Madurai Corporation under the Madurai East Assembly constituency represented by Registration Department Minister P Moorthy, have alleged on Thursday that their locality has been deprived of basic amenities such as electricity, drinking water and proper roads for more than four decades.

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.

As per the schedule, the draft proposal for the delimitation of wards will be published on March 12. Residents of the concerned municipal areas can submit objections or suggestions till March 19.

During his visit, Sangma directed the district administration to immediately provide food assistance to communities affected by the disturbances. Residents informed the Chief Minister that around 17 communities in and around the Araimile locality are currently facing shortages of rice and other essential commodities.

The textile industry in Bhilwara, a city renowned for its extensive fabric production, is currently facing significant challenges as the ongoing crisis in the Middle East casts uncertainty over exports and operations. The situation has escalated as the crisis in the Middle East has begun to impact local businesses. "Textile industries are facing some trouble due to the war, and if the war continues in the near future, exports from here could be affected," Jain noted. He emphasised the current predicament, saying, "Currently, export orders are on hold. They are either stalled locally or at the port, or have been put on hold by other parties."