The Andhra Pradesh government on Wednesday ordered a high-level probe into the gas leak in a garment factory that left over a hundred hospitalised in the Anakapalle district.

Andhra Pradesh Industries Minister Gudivada Amarnath announced the decision to conduct the probe and said the company will remain closed until the investigation in the leakage concludes.

He pointed out that it was the second instance of gas leakage in the past two months. As many as 121 women workers were affected and are being treated in various hospitals in the Anakapalle district after the accident at the factory.

Earlier in June, about 178 women workers fell sick after a gas leak at a laboratory in the Atchutapuram area of the state’s Visakhapatnam, following which the government set up a joint committee to ascertain the cause. It was suspected that leakage of air conditioning gas was the cause.

Speaking about the latest incident, the minister said the cause of the gas leakage was yet to be ascertained and the police and pollution control board teams were investigating the matter.

According to the Vishakhapatnam district officials, 53 people were admitted for treatment in a government hospital, while 41 others were undergoing treatment in other hospitals of the district.

Amarnath said some samples were also sent to the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) for a more detailed examination.

Earlier, the District Medical and Health Officer of Anakapalle, Hemanth had said that most of the patients complained about difficulty in breathing, nausea, and vomiting.

As per the reports, initially, about 50 people were shifted to hospital after they fell ill on Tuesday due to the gas leakage that took place at Brandix premises, after which the employees ran out gripped by panic.

The Centre on Wednesday told the Supreme Court that freebies promised by political parties before polls is an “economic disaster”. The apex court suggested an expert body comprising representatives of Niti Ayog, Finance Commission, RBI, political parties and other stakeholders, should examine the pros and cons of freebies, while acknowledging that it is a serious issue.

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, representing the Central government, said the populist announcements distort the informed decision making of the voter and a voter would know what’s going to fall on him. Mehta said, “This is the way, we are heading towards economic disaster”. Mehta suggested that the Election Commission of India (ECI) should apply its mind on the matter, and they can have a relook. The ECI’s counsel said that its hands were tied by a judgment of the apex court on freebies.

A counsel, involved in the matter, suggested if there’s a model manifesto where they say that there’s no harm, and if the political parties declare the debt of the state.

A bench headed by Chief Justice N.V. Ramana said these are all empty formalities. Mehta reiterated, “We are heading towards economic disaster”.

The Chief Justice said this is a serious issue and the ECI and the Central government cannot say that they cannot do anything in the matter. He said the government and the ECI have to consider the issue and give suggestions. The Chief Justice sought suggestions from senior advocate Kapil Sibal, who was present in the courtroom for another matter.

Sibal suggested that ECI should be kept out of the matter, as it is a political and economic issue, and there should be debate in Parliament on it.

The bench, also comprising justices Krishna Murari and Hima Kohli, said no political party would like to take out freebies, and all want freebies.

The bench noted that these are all policy matters and everyone should participate in the debate. “We’ll say Finance Commission, political parties, Opposition parties, all of them can be members of this group. Let them have a debate and let them interact. let them give their suggestions and submit their report”, noted the bench. A counsel suggested that RBI should also be included in the process.

The top court asked the Centre, ECI, petitioner and Sibal to give suggestions within a week on the composition of an expert body that will examine how to regulate freebies and give report to Centre, ECI and to the court. The bench scheduled the matter for further hearing next week.

The top court was hearing a PIL by advocate Ashwini Upadhyay against the announcements made by political parties for inducing voters, through freebies, during elections.

Upadhyay argued that ECI should debar state and national parties from making such promises.

New Delhi, August 3: At least 30 Afghan Sikhs including children and infants, fleeing from the Taliban are scheduled to arrive in Delhi on Wednesday as religious persecution escalates in Taliban-ruled Afghanistan.
A non-scheduled commercial flight from Kabul, operated by Kam Air is set to arrive at Indira Gandhi International Airport in Delhi. After their arrival, the entire group will leave for Gurdwara Sri Guru Arjan Dev in Tilak Nagar of the national capital, Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) said.
Religious minorities in Afghanistan, including the Sikh community, have been repeated targets of violence in Afghanistan after the Taliban took control of the country.
SGPC in coordination with the Indian World Forum and the Government of India are evacuationg distressed Afghan minorities – Hindus and Sikhs.
On July 14, a total of 21 Afghan Sikhs, including an infant, were evacuated from Kabul to New Delhi on Kam Air, the largest private Afghan airline.
Over the past month, 32 Afghan Hindus and Sikhs have been evacuated from Afghanistan.
There were about 700 Hindus and Sikhs in Afghanistan in 2020, but a large number of them left the country following the Taliban’s takeover on August 15, 2021.
It is pertinent to mention that 110 Afghan Hindus and Sikhs are still remaining in Afghanistan and there are 61 e-visa applications pending with Government of India for issuance.
SGPC provides humanitarian assistance to Afghan minorities by paying for their airfare.
SGPC will also provide aid to legitimate persons seeking rehabilitation in India. They are likely to be rehabilitated by World Punjabi Organisation , Sobti Foundation and other social organisations.
There were a spate of attack on Sikhs in Afghanistan recently.
On June 18 this year, Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISKP) attacked Karte Parwan Gurdwara in Kabul which claimed the lives of about 50 people.
In October, last year 15 to 20 terrorists entered a Gurdwara in the Kart-e-Parwan District of Kabul and tied up the guards.
In March 2020, a deadly attack took place at Sri Guru Har Rai Sahib Gurudwara in Kabul’s Short Bazaar area in which 27 Sikhs were killed and several were injured. Islamic State terrorists claimed responsibility for the attack.

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Tuesday said it has attached 75 immovable properties including 67 windmills valued at Rs 113.32 crore belonging to the Chennai-based Surana Group of Companies in connection with three cases of Rs 3,986 crore bank fraud.

The ED had initiated money laundering investigation on the basis of three FIRs filed by the CBI, Bengaluru against Surana Industries Limited, Surana Power Limited, Surana Corporation Limited and others.

The ED learnt during the investigation that these three companies of Surana Group had defrauded the banks by floating a web of shell companies wherein they appointed its employees, relatives as directors and proprietors, partners and indulged in paper transactions with them without actual movement of goods.

The ED also found in the investigation that Surana Group have companies in Cayman Islands as well as British Virgin Islands in the name of dummy directors and siphoned off money to park in those companies.

For this purpose, they established four companies in Singapore and exported goods to them and the money receivable from them were written off in the book of accounts in India.

Further, some of the diverted funds were used to purchase movable, immovable properties in the names of various benami companies.

These actions of the promoters of the Surana Group led to the accounts becoming irregular which ultimately led to accounts becoming NPA and leading to an amount of Rs 3,986 crore as the principal outstanding amount to the banks.

Based on the investigations conducted, Dinesh Chand Surana, MD of Surana Industries Limited and Surana Power Ltd, Vijay Raj Surana, MD of Surana Corporation Limited and two dummy directors of shell companies viz. P Anand and I Prabhakaran, were arrested on July 12.

During the course of Investigations, it was revealed that 67 windmills of Surana Group which were being auctioned by banks to recover their dues were again purchased in the name of one benami company.