Bahu Balli: ‘World’s first’ bamboo crash barrier set up in Maha

Gadkari calls it

Yeddiyurappa faction. But the BJP high command does not want to take the risk of angering Yeddiyurappa, who is said to have influence over 100 of the state’s 224 assembly seats. Yeddiyurappa also has a significant impact on more than 500 Lingayat Maths in the state. The state’s 17 per cent Lingayat votes prove to be decisive in elections here. When PM Modi reached Shivamogga in Karnataka last week, it was his 5th visit to Karnataka this year, where Modi also addressed a big rally. Yeddiyurappa was also seen with the PM at the inauguration of the Shivamogga airport before the rally. Moreover, Modi showered praises on the 80-year-old Yeddiyurappa and wished him a healthy life, which shows that BJP High Command has firm faith that only Yeddiyurappa can reverse their electoral streak in Karnataka.

The Congress may have rekindled a new wave of hope in Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal in these by-elections, but the talk of the town is about the party’s resounding defeat in the Northeast. The party expected that after Rahul Gandhi’s ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’, the party would perform brilliantly in the three recent assembly elections in the Northeast, but its opposite happened. Anyway, the big leaders of the party including the Gandhi family did not take the elections in the Northeast seriously and did not even bother to campaign there. As a result, in Meghalaya, where the Congress won 18 out of 60 seats in the 2018 elections, this time, it came down to 5. Even after alliance with the Left in Tripura, it could win only 2 seats while in Nagaland the Congress party got swept away. Now the party leaders are saying that from now on the Congress is going to put its full strength in Karnataka and Madhya Pradesh, where it is confident of forming the government. The party has left Rajasthan to Gehlot and is sure of making a comeback in Chhattisgarh.

BJP’S MAHARASHTRA CONCERN!

Even as the BJP basks in celebration of its victory in two northeastern states and is set to be part of the Conrad Sangma govt in Meghalaya, the party’s performance in recent bypolls has been worrying. Especially in Maharashtra’s Kasbapeth by-election, it had to face defeat after 27 years, and that too at a time when assembly polls are to be held next year. This is a Brahmin-dominated seat where Dy CM Devendra Fadnavis had thrown all his might, yet the seat was wrested from BJP’s hands by MVA alliance. In struggle to prove Shinde’s Shiv Sena as real, BJP’s ground in Maharashtra has started to rupture a bit. Even though the ‘arrow & bow’ symbol has been snatched from Uddhav’s group & handed over to Shinde, Uddhav still proves to be the real shooter.

WILL NOOSE TIGHTEN AROUND SISODIA?

In the coming days, the investigating agencies may tighten the noose around former Deputy Chief Minister of Delhi Manish Sisodia. Sources say that the investigating agencies have found some strong evidence against Sisodia in the espionage case. The CBI has started preparing its latest charge sheet regarding this. In favour of Manish Sisodia, the way ‘I love you Manish Sisodia’ campaign is being sponsored among the children of government schools in Delhi, parties like BJP and Congress have attacked AAP, and said that ‘ The AAP government is playing with the feelings of innocent school children.’ CBI sources also claim that ‘Sisodia’s men are threatening the witnesses and showing them fear of the Punjab Police.’ Some leaders are also raising questions that ‘why the mastermind of the liquor scam and the manager of the party fund has been spared as this AAP leader is one who may have the most information about the matter.’

BJP’s FOCUS ON ‘LOST’ SEATS IN 2019 LS POLLS

BJP has no equal in castes handling. Till now saffron strategists have proved to be the uncrowned king of social engineering, but when this saffron caravan reaches western UP, it commits a big mistake there. To win the Khatauli by-election, Jayant Chowdhary had bet on his late grandfather Chowdhary Charan Singh’s ‘Majag’ (Muslim, Jat and Gujjar) formula and bagged this seat. Jats and Gujjar castes may have worked together in BJP’s favour in recently concluded district panchayat elections in UP, but when it came to become president of district panchayat, in this saffron period, Jats won the battle. Nearly 80 Jats were made president in 90% of districts and Jats were also given prominence in those districts which were Gujjar dominated areas. It is said that there is a lot of anger in Gujjar community over it. On the other hand, BJP’s focus is on those 14 seats in UP which it lost in 2019 LS elections. The BJP has formed a team under the leadership of Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnav, which is engaged in grass-root investigation as to why BJP had to face defeat here in 2019 polls. This team is working especially hard on seats of Bijnor, Saharanpur and Nagina. Out of this Bijnor’s seat was won by Maluk Nagar of BSP and it is being said about him that he is in constant touch with BJP. BJP is still trying to woo Jayant Chaudhary, but he knows that ‘how does saffron party deal with smaller parties’ as what better example can be given than Lok Janshakti Party?

...AND FINALLY ADANI’S BAILOUT FORMULA

A recent picture of a lady officer from a major city in UP is going viral on social media these days, in which she is seen on a flight in an expensive ‘Burberry’ shirt and jacket and in her hands is an expensive ‘Rolex Rose Gold’ watch. Apparently, the initial price of this watch is above Rs 40 lakh.

T he trusted people of the ruling Central government are involved in getting Gautam Adani out of his current crisis. Ever since the report of the American research firm ‘Hindenburg’ came out on January 24, the crisis of the Adani Group has been increasing continuously. A very reliable source related to the government claims that ‘Gautam Adani has been advised to sell some of his big companies and pay the money to the government and creditors immediately. This process should start at least from March itself. ‘ The same source claims that in this episode, Adani can sell two of his cement companies ACC and Ambuja Cement to Kumar Mangalam Birla and reduce his liabilities with the amount received from this deal. Sources are sure that even Kumar Mangalam Birla will not face any financial problem in buying these two companies, because the reputation of these two companies is such that any bank will be happy to give loan in their name.

First India Bureau Nagpur: Union minister Nitin Gadkari on Saturday said a 200m bamboo crash barrier has been installed on a highway connecting Chandrapur and Yavatmal districts in what he termed to be the “world’s first” such exercise.

In a tweet, Gadkari said, “An extraordinary accomplishment towards achieving #AatmanirbharBharat has been made with the development of the world's first 200-meterlong Bamboo Crash Barrier, which has been installed on the VaniWarora Highway.” Calling it a “remarkable achievement” for the country and its bamboo sector, the Minister of Road Transport and Highways said this crash barrier--christened “Bahu Balli”--ad-

This barrier is made using the Bambusa balcooa species. The malleable culms are then treated with creosote oil and coated with recycled High-Density Polyethylene. This achievement is re markable for the bamboo sector and India as a whole, as this crash barrier offers a perfect alternative to steel and addresses environmental concerns and their aftermath.

18 Bangladeshi nationals held for illegal stay in Thane

Thane (PTI): Police have arrested 18 Bangladeshi nationals, including 10 women, from Thane district after they were found living illegally in the country, an official said on Saturday.

The arrest was made by the Navi Mumbai police during the intervening night of March 01 and 02, he said.

“The police had received a tip-off that some Bangladeshi nationals will gather to celebrate the wedding anniversary of one of them at a building in Navi Mumbai’s Ghansoli area. Acting on it, the of- ficials of Navi Mumbai police’s crime branch raided the premises at night,” the official of Rabale police station said. Ten women and eight men were held during the operation as they were found residing in the locality since the last around one year without any valid documents like visa and passport, he added. An offence under the Foreigners Act, 1946 and also the Passport (Entry into India) Rules, 1950 was registered against them and investigation is on, the police said. dresses environmental concerns, while offering a perfect alternative to steel.

“It underwent rigorous testing at various government-run institutions, such as the National Automotive Test Tracks (NATRAX) in Pithampur, Indore, and was rated as Class

1 during the Fire Rating Test conducted at the Central Building Research Institute (CBRI) in Roorkee. Additionally, it has also been accredited by the Indian Road Congress,” the minister said in another tweet. Gadkari said the recycling value of bamboo barriers is 50-70%, while that of steel one is 30-50%.

“This barrier is made using the Bambusa balcooa species. The malleable culms are then treated with creosote oil and coated with recycled High-Density Polyethylene. This achievement is remarkable for the bamboo sector and India as a whole, as this crash barrier offers a perfect alternative to steel and addresses environmental concerns and their aftermath,” he said.

Furthermore, it is a rural and agriculturefriendly industry in itself, making it an even more significant milestone,” Gadkari added.