Hyderabad: Union Com-merce and Industry Minister Nirmala Sitharaman yesterday filed her nomination for Rajya Sabha from Andhra Pradesh. The BJP leader submitted her papers to Andhra Pradesh legislature secretary, who is the returning officer. Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, and BJP presidents of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana units K Haribabu and G Kishan Reddy respectively accompanied her. Naidu, whose Telugu Desam Party (TDP) is backing Sitaraman’s candidature, said it was a matter of pride that she will be representing the state in Rajya Sabha. June 23 is the last date for filing nomination for the election to be held for the lone seat on July 3. The vacancy was caused by the death of former Andhra Pradesh chief minister N Janardhana Reddy on May 9. Sitaraman, who was inducted in the union cabinet last month, has to be a member of either of the two houses of parliament within a period of six months.
DMK suspends 33 party officials
Chennai: The DMK yesterday temporarily suspended 33 party officials including former union minister S S Palanimanickam and has issued notices to explain why they should not be removed from the party. A statement issued here by party general secretary K Anbazhagan said that the suspended members have to give their explanation in a week’s time. If they do not give any explanation within the stipulated time then it would be construed that they do not have anything to say and they would be dismissed, it said. Out of the 33, three are district secretaries including Palanimanickam who was heading the party’s Thanjavur unit. Following its rout in the general elections, the DMK, based on the recommendations of a committee, decided to carry out internal restructuring by increasing the number of district units to 65. The party drew a blank in all the 40 constituencies (39 in Tamil Nadu and one in Puducherry).
‘No visa-free entry for Bangladeshis’
New Delhi: There is no move to make provisions for visa-free entry of Bangladeshi nationals into India, a source in the external affairs ministry said yesterday. “We have seen reports in the press regarding a ‘decision’ on visa-free entry for Bangladeshi nationals. We would like to clarify that no such decision has been taken by the government nor is any such move under consideration,” the source said. The clarification was issued after Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi Thursday objected to allowing visa-free entry to Bangladeshi nationals below 18 and above 65 years of age. There had been reports in the media that the government was contemplating visa-free entry for Bangladeshi nationals to India.
Bengal to have 3 medical colleges
Kolkata: West Bengal will have three new medical colleges on public-private partnership model, a official said here yesterday. The medical colleges will come up near Tollygunge in Kolkata, Krishnanagar in Nadia and Cooch Behar town in Cooch Behar district respectively. The Camellia Group will join hands with the state government for the projects at Krishnanagar and Cooch Behar, while the Techno Group will be the partner in Kolkata, state Health Secretary Malay De said at a programme here.
IANS
