Latest News: Gadkari to make EV mandatory for govt officers; Goyal condemns WB bomb attack

Gadkari to make EV mandatory for govt employees

Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari on Friday said that he will make electric vehicles mandatory for officials of his department. The idea behind this initiative is to encourage the use of electric vehicles rather than those running on petrol and diesel. The union minister said that if 10,000 electric vehicles are brought into use in Delhi, then about Rs 30 crores per month spent on fuel will be saved and it will reduce pollution.

Read: 'Electric Vehicles Mandatory For Govt Officials': Gadkari At 'Go Electric' Campaign Launch

Piyush Goyal condemns attack on TMC minister

Terming the recent bomb attack on a West Bengal minister at a railway station as 'unfortunate', Union Railway Minister Piyush Goyal on Friday hit out at Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee-led state government and called for an end to the "atmosphere of violence" in the state. The railway minister stated that he hopes serious attempts will be made to put an end to the atmosphere of violence so that the people of West Bengal can live in peace, and the state moves forward on the path of development. "We will have to work together to fulfil the aspirations of the people of the state," he added. 

Read: Piyush Goyal Condemns Bomb Attack On TMC Minister; Says 'atmosphere Of Violence Must End'

Gurudwara body chief asks PM to allow Sikhs to visit Nankana Sahib 

The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) chief on Friday wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah, urging them to allow Sikh pilgrims to visit the Nankana Sahib gurdwara in Pakistan. The Union Home Ministry had on Thursday denied permission to 600 Sikh pilgrims intending to visit Pakistan citing the security situation and the COVID-19 pandemic in that country. A group of pilgrims were set to travel to Pakistan from February 18 to February 25 to mark the centenary of the martyrdom of Sikhs and Saka Nankana Sahib.

Read: 'Allow Sikhs To Visit Pak's Nankana Sahib': Gurdwara Body Chief Writes To PM Modi, HM Shah

Rahul Gandhi questions govt officials on OROP

A day after a heated argument between Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and Chairman of Parliamentary Panel on Defence, Jual Oram, the former sought clarifications from the government representatives on the review of One Rank One Pension (OROP), that is pending since June 2020. The pension allocation for defence personnel has been reduced in the budget that was announced by Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman recently. The Congress leader in the Parliamentary Standing Committee meeting on Friday questioned the top officials of the Ministry of Defence (MoD) as to "why the budget allocation has been reduced?" PTI reported. 

Read: Rahul Gandhi Questions MoD Officials On OROP, Budget Allocation For Defence

Sri Lanka approaches India for support

On Friday, ahead of next week's UNHRC sessions, Sri Lanka has officially sought India's support on the island nation's rights and accountability record, a top foreign ministry bureaucrat said, according to PTI. Foreign Ministry Permanent Secretary Jayanath Colombage said India was the first country that Sri Lanka had turned to for support. Sri Lanka's record in human rights and related accountability will be probed during the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) session in Geneva.

Read: Sri Lanka Approaches India For Support Ahead Of UN Human Rights Council Sessions In Geneva