Maharashtra deputy chief minister Gopinath Munde has said the government will introduce in the next session of the legislature a bill to combat superstition and prosecute those spreading it among people. Replying to a notice of urgent discussion on an alleged incident of human sacrifice in Borwand village, he said a draft bill to fight superstition was under consideration, but a comprehensive bill on the issue will be introduced in the next legislature session.

RPI (Athawale) seeks EC's recognition: Republican Party of India (RPI)'s Athawale faction has sought recognition by the Election Commission as real RPI. The RPI's general secretary Ramdas Athawale and president RS Gavai called upon the chief election commissioner MS Gill on December 23 and put their demand.

Vajpayee's birthday celebrated: Cycle rallies, medical camps and blood donation drives marked the 74th birthday of former prime minister Atal Behari Vajpayee in Mumbai on Thursday. Over 250 different constructive programmes were organised by the city unit of BJP. City BJP president Kirit Somaiya inaugurated toilet blocks in three slums and visited various hospitals in north-eastern suburb of Mulund.

Protest against port at Dahanu: Members of the Thane Zilla Parishad are up in arms against the proposed Wadhvan port at Dahanu near Thane. A resolution passed by the parishad on Thursday said the port would render thousands of farmers landless and affect over 25,000 fishermen in the region.191 gold bars recovered: Officials of Air Intelligence Unit have recovered 191 gold bars worth over Rs 93 lakh from an Air India aircraft at Sahar International Airport in Mumbai. The air intelligence unit officials while rummaging the aircraft on its arrival from Dubai recovered gold bars totally weighing 22.264 kgs on Wednesday concealed in the cavity below the washbasins of three toilets in the wind cabin of the aircraft.

Akhil Bharatiya Sena to field candidates: Underworld don-turned-social worker Arun Gawli's political outfit Akhil Bharatiya Sena (ABS) has decided to field its candidates in all the 48 constituencies in Maharashtra for the ensuing Lok Sabha elections. In a release issued in Mumbai on Thursday, the party's city unit general secretary Bharat Mhatre said by December 30 a list of the candidates will be finalised and by January 3 the Akhil Bharatiya Sena will launch a massive campaign all over the state to gather mass support. Currently, the underworld don is lodged in Amrawati jail on charges of slumlord activities.

Probe ordered into Buldana tree felling: A high-level probe would be ordered into the case of illicit felling of 3,000 trees in Buldana district, announced forest minister Ganesh Naik in the legislative assembly on Wednesday.

He also conceded a vociferous demand by members that the erring officials should be transferred before launching the enquiry. The issue about illicit felling of trees in Buldana was raised through a call attention notice given by Shrikant Sarmalkar (Shiv Sena) and others. Trucks transporting the wooden logs were intercepted at Jintur in Parbhani district.

Copyright © 1997 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.