The Delhi High Court on Monday, granting relief to app-based taxi service provider Uber whose services had been disrupted due the recent strike by drivers, restrained anyone from stopping or blocking the running of its cabs.

In an interim order, Justice Rajiv Sahai Endlaw also issued notice to the two striking drivers unions and sought their response on Uber's plea against the strike.

Taxi drivers unions, Sarvodaya Driver Association of Delhi (SDAD) and Rajdhani Tourist Drivers' Union, including others acting on their behest, were also restrained by the court from "protesting, agitating, causing commotion violence in any manner in and around (within 500 meters)" around Uber's Hauz Khas and Gurugram offices.

The court posted the matter for further hearing on February 17.

Uber in its plea has accused two drivers' unions of blocking cabs of drivers who had not joined the strike.

In its order, the court said: "Till further orders, the defendants (unions) are restrained from stopping/blocking of the cars of the driver partners of the plaintiff (Uber) or removing/ confiscating the devices installed in those cars including in any manner hampering, obstructing or interfering in the legitimate business of the plaintiff and in this regard, causing violence in any manner."

Since February 10, hundreds of app-based taxi drivers have been on strike in Delhi-NCR over several financial issues with their partners Ola and Uber.

At 15 when boys of his age are busy in games and gadgets, Shapath Bharadwaj, who created history in double trap shooting in India, follows a strict daily regime of physical, mental and technical training as he is all set to represent the country in the three World cups this year, the first one being in New Delhi.

 Having been selected for the senior Indian double trap team, Shapath had qualified in the selection trials at Patiala in November 2016 leaving the shooting fraternity astonished.

For the first time ever, a junior player, just aged 14 had made it to the senior team. He scored 122/150 and 136/150 in the selection trials which was added to his Nationals score of 136/150 as he finished second after Ankur Mittal who is his teammate besides Sangram Singh Dhaiya. 

 Shapath`s coach Yogindra Pal Singh ‘Yogi’ attributes his success to hardwork and strict training regime. 

"Shapath undergoes a tough physical , mental and technical training of the sport which has taken him so far," he said.

Shapath, however gives all the credit to coach Yogi, chief coach of junior team Vikram Singh Chopra and his mental trainer Seema Sharma, a clinical psychologist.
 
While the preparations are on in full swing at Karni Singh Shooting range of Delhi for the ISSF World cup to commence from February 23rd, Shapath  is working hard to give his best in the championship.  

He is undergoing a training camp for world cup in Delhi commenced on February 8th.
 
“We have high hopes from Shapath and are confident that he will create new records in these world cups,” said Getamber Anand, president of CREDAI (Confederation of Real  Estate Developers Associations in India) who has sponsored  the young shooter to excel his shooting skills .
 
In just a short journey of his shooting carrier Shapath has many firsts and records to his name. He holds the national record of highest score 139/150 by a junior– in and outside India, which he had scored in Porpetto , Italy last year winning an individual and team gold medals for the country.
 
“ Right now my entire focus is on the three world cups in New Delhi, Mexico and Cyprus,” says Shapath who is also preparing for his annual exams strike a balance between sports and studies.

The reason behind why the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) pitching Chief Minister Nitish Kumar as the Prime Ministerial candidate has finally been decoded. The party headed by Lalu Prasad is a coalition partner in the Nitish Kumar government in Bihar, along with the Congress.

The whole idea behind endorsing Kumar as “PM material” came to fore on Monday when a former RJD minister projected RJD chief’s deputy chief minister son Tejaswi Yadav as the successor of Nitish Kumar.

“The country will face the Lok Sabha polls in 2019 during which we will project Nitish Kumar as the PM candidate. In such a situation there will be a vacancy for the chief minister of Bihar which will automatically get filled up by Tejaswi Yadav,” former RJD minister Surendra Prasad Yadav told the media on Monday. The development comes amid the Congress trying hard to project party vice-president Rahul Gandhi for this job.

Yadav, who currently is a RJD legislator from Belaganj seat in Bihar Assembly said they would not tolerate any other as the chief minister of Bihar other than Tejaswi, who is suave and has experience in running the state administration as well. “PM Nitish ko banayenge aur CM Tejaswi ko,” he asserted.

The ex RJD minister made this announcement while the deputy CM was in southern Bihar town of Gaya to address a division-level public meeting which was attended by an impressive crowds comprising mostly youths.

Yadav’s demand got instant support from another party leader and Bihar disaster management Chandra Shekhar. “He (Tejaswi) is fit for the job. The ease with which he is discharging his duty without getting involved in any controversies, Tejaswi indeed deserves to be the next CM,” said the minister. He though added the deputy CM needs to gain a little bit more experience.

Last year, RJD chief Prasad himself had lent his full support to Kumar’s PM dream announcing his party would be the first to back his candidature for country’s top job.

“Yes, of course, there is no second thought on this,” was how Prasad had told the media on being asked if the RJD would support Kumar for PM. He added there wouldn’t any more pleasure than seeing someone from his own state becoming the PM.

Observers say the idea is not all of a sudden but is latent with a strong political meaning. According to them, the RJD himself can’t contest any election for his conviction in the multi-million dollar fodder scam and hence he wants to somehow put his son on the throne of Bihar.

Reports said his desire got a sudden boost after seeing Akhilesh Yadav on the throne of UP in a quiet shifting of power within the family.

Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump will probably meet in July around the G20 summit, the Kremlin announced on Monday.

"To start with, we must fix the date and time of a meeting between the two Presidents. Aides are working on this now," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told a press conference.

Peskov said a meeting between the two leaders could happen before the G20 summit, scheduled to be held in Hamburg on July 7-8, but no specific agreements had been made so far, Efe news reported.

The Kremlin has dismissed the possibility that a Reykjavik summit was being prepared, similar to the historical summit that took place 30 years ago between US President Ronald Reagan and Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev.

Last week, the Russian President stated he was willing to meet his US counterpart in Slovenia, the birthplace of US First Lady Melania Trump, after the President of Slovenia offered to host the summit.

Russian Foreign Affairs Minister Sergey Lavrov had expressed his confidence in "casting light" over a possible Putin-Trump summit after his first meeting with the new US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson.

"Both Presidents have agreed that it would be desirable to meet as soon as possible. We were tasked with finding a time and place acceptable to both. We are working on it now," Lavrov said.

Pakistan on Monday appointed Tehmina Janjua as Foreign Secretary — the first woman in the country to take up the top diplomat's post.

She will replace Aizaz Chaudhary who was appointed as the new Ambassador to Washington.

Janjua, presently serving as Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the UN in Geneva, will assume the new post in the first week of March 2017, a Foreign Office statement said.

She will be the 29th Foreign Secretary.

Janjua, a seasoned diplomat with a career spanning over 32 years, holds a Master's degrees from Quaid-e-Azam University, Islamabad, and Columbia University, New York.

She also served as spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs during 2011.

Janjua served as Ambassador of Pakistan to Italy from December 2011 to October 2015.

Her appointment belies media reports that Abdul Basit, envoy to India, was to be the top diplomat.

There can be no excuses for Paris Saint-Germain anymore as Les Parisiens know the time has come to make a mark in Europe and they have a big chance to do in a high-profile Champions League round-of-16 clash against heavyweights Barcelona on Valentine's Day in the City of Love: Paris. 

While both sides are considered contenders for club football’s most prestigious prize, Barcelona hold the clear edge in this tie and it is difficult to look past Lionel Messi and co dominating this tie.

Paris Saint-Germain

After a difficult start to the season, PSG seem to have steadied their rocking ship domestically at least, just three points behind leaders Monaco in the Ligue 1 rankings.

In Europe, things are drastically different as they finished second to Arsenal in the group-stages despite remaining unbeaten, with some draws against Ludogorets and Basel hindering their hopes of topping the group.

This is Edinson Cavani’s chance to shine on the big stage and while the Uruguayan striker’s Ligue 1 record is superb, it is in Europe when he struggles. Giving him support will be the South American duo of Lucas Moura and Angel di Maria, both fine players but prone to inconsistent displays.

If PSG have a secret weapon, it could be January signing Julian Draxler, who has impressed in patches and may just make an impression coming off the bench.

They have just the one injury concern, with midfielder Javier Pastore, who will be touch and go for Tuesday’s clash but midfield strong man Thiago Motta is suspended for the first leg and his absence will be keenly felt.

Barcelona
The Catalans are heavy favourites but their record in Europe this year hasn't been outstanding either, with a defeat at Manchester City still fresh in memory. Domestically they have picked up after an indifferent start and are hot on the heels of arch-rivals Real Madrid.

Synonymous with Barcelona is their playing style, the famous ‘tiki-taka’ system, in which they essentially pass their opponents to death. However, a new moniker is coming to the fore these days and it is ‘MSN’ (Messi, Suarez, Neymar for the uninitiated). Such is the South American trio’s red-hot form over the past couple of seasons that is impossible for them not to be a focal point in any game.

Should PSG be able to cut off their supply, things can get interesting, and for that reason alone the match will be won in midfield and not in attack. The Catalans have the likes of Sergio Busquets, Andres Iniesta and Ivan Rakitic will have to remain sharp and look to quickly release Messi and co.

Apart from Aleix Vidal, who is expected to miss the remainder of the season after undergoing ankle surgery on Sunday, Barca have no serious injury issues with Gerard Pique, Javier Macherano and Arda Turan all expected to shake off minor complaints. 

Super Stat: PSG have only beaten Barcelona once in seven previous meetings, scoring 10 and conceding 15 in a five-year period!

The five-nation group of BRICS will share spatial data on natural resources from their remote-sensing satellites for utilising space assets optimally, said a top Indian space official on Monday.

"Space agencies of BRICS have agreed to share and exchange data, including images of natural resources from our remote-sensing satellites for mutual benefit," said Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) Director M. Annadurai at an international seminar on aerospace technologies here.

Five major emerging economies — Brazil, Russia, India, China and later South Africa — came together to form BRICS, which represents 43 per cent of the world population, 30 per cent of the world GDP (Gross Domestic Product) and 17 per cent of the world trade.

Though only four of them — Brazil, Russia, India and China — have remote-sensing satellites in the sun-synchronous orbit, they will give data to South Africa (SA) as it does not have a satellite of its own.

Top space officials of BRICS, including Annadurai, met at the United Nations Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space Scientific and Technical Subcommittee's 54th session at Vienna in Austria from January 30 to February 10.

"The initiative is to share the resources and bring developing nations under the umbrella of space, opening possibilities of using excess capacities in the satellites," Annadurai told about 500 delegates participating in the three-day seminar being held as part of the biennial "Aero India 2017" expo from Tuesday.

As the BRIC satellites spin around the earth in lower orbit, capturing enormous data on the planet and its resources in each country, they will share it in real time for mutual benefit.

India plans to use its Resourcesat-2A, launched on December 7 from its spaceport Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh, as part of its earth observation satellite for remote sensing data services to global users.

"As the satellite of each nation is not looking at its landmass all the time, the data from another satellite or a constellation of BRICS satellites on it will be useful for harnessing the natural resources and exchanging with each other," said another space official on the occasion.

Going forward, the space agencies of the BRICS nations plan to share similar data for tele-education, tele-medicine and a host of societal applications, utilising the excess capacity of their respective satellites for their mutual benefit.

Be it by way of jibes or by expressing concern for the future generation — celebrated names like JK Rowling, Meryl Streep, Jennifer Lopez and Stephen Fry from the US film and music industry have been unabashed in slamming US President Donald Trump during the ongoing awards season this year.

Several celebrities from showbiz had been part of anti-Trump rallies and protests even before he was elected President. But some names have been more vocal on key stages such as the Golden Globes, and as seen on Sunday, at the Grammy Awards and British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) Awards stage.

Even though anti-Trump comments at the Golden Globe award ceremony were relatively restrained last month, Streep, one of the most outspoken progressives in Hollywood, mounted a powerful critique of Trump's abilities. She had rued how a person who had once mocked a disabled reporter, was sitting on the most respected seat in the US.

Her bravado earned ire from Trump who instead called her "one of the most over-rated actresses in Hollywood".

This did not go in favour of Trump, who continues to get brickbats from members of the film industry for his remark.

At the 70th BAFTA Awards in London on Sunday, host Stephen Fry, took a swipe at Trump by welcoming Streep as "one of the greatest actresses of all-time".

"Only a blithering idiot would think otherwise," Fry quipped.

Actress Viola Davis also stood by her, and said: "Anyone who labels Meryl Streep 'overrated' doesn't know anything about acting."

It was earlier reported that BAFTA heads had fears that this year's ceremony will be full of celebrities vocalising their political standpoint. And as expected, many of them spoke out.

At the red carpet, Rowling, who has been outspoken about the President in the past, was asked about the current political climate in the US.

She said: "Let's just say it's a very interesting time to be writing a franchise about the rise of a populist maniac."

"Manchester By The Sea" writer-director Kenneth Lonergan told the audience at the gala how his 15-year-old daughter had woken in tears after Trump was elected US President, but had been on five protest marches since.

"I'm very, very proud of her," he added at the BAFTA gala where he won the Best Original Screenplay for his movie.

At the Grammys, which were held here, celebrities like James Corden, Katy Perry and Lopez mocked Trump through speeches, performances and even their dressing styles.

The annual award show, which honours the best in the music industry, got political right before it started.

While gracing the red carpet, the musical group Highly Suspect made a political statement when its member Johnny Stevens wore a jacket with "Impeach" written on its back, people.com reported.

They were followed by Perry, who had supported Trump's rival Hillary Clinton during the US election. The singer donned a white pantsuit while having a band on her arms which read: "Persist".

Singer Skylar Grey also made her political agenda clear while carrying a pink LED-enabled clutch across which the words "Empowerment" and "Equality" were written.

The references to Trump and his decision to ban Muslims entering the US continued after the ceremony started.

In his opening monologue, host Corden said: "With President Trump, we don't know what comes next."

While presenting an award, Lopez said that artists' voices were needed now.

"At this particular point in history, our voices are needed more than ever. This is precisely the time when artists go to work. There is no time for despair, no place for self-pity, no need for silence, no room for fear. We speak, we write, we do language. That is how civilizations heal," she said.

Popular rap group, A Tribe Called Quest, performed its single "We the people", which included lyrics telling groups like blacks and Muslims, "You must go".

During the performance, they added: "I want to thank President Agent Orange," and made a reference to Trump's immigration order.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Monday before departing to Washington that he and US President Donald Trump have shared views on Middle East issues.

"The alliance between Israel and the US has always been very strong, and it's about to be even stronger," Netanyahu told reporters before embarking on the four-day trip to Washington.

"President Trump and I see eye-to-eye on the emanating threats in the region, and also the opportunities, and we will talk about both and also upgrading the relationship between Israel and the US," he said.

Netanyahu's schedule includes meetings with Trump, Vice-President Mike Pence, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, and Republican and Democrat leaders of the House and Senate, Xinhua news agency reported.

Ahead of the visit, Netanyahu's hard-line coalition partners pressured him to denounce the two-state solution, which the US has been supporting as the only solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

"Israel should say it loud and clear: no to a Palestinian state, yes to an extended, united Jerusalem under Israeli sovereignty," said Yisrael Katz, transportation minister and a member of the ruling Likud Party. 

Of the 18 lakh people pulled up by the government as their deposits, till December 30, didn’t match their tax-paying abilities, over 5.27 lakh Over 5.27 lakh have responded, officials said on Monday.

“Over 5.27 lakh taxpayers, of the 18 lakh to whom the I-T department had sent SMS and e-mail, responded on e-filing portal under Operation Clean Money,” officials said.

Meanwhile, the income tax department reiterated that for the remaining taxpayers, who have been asked to explain the large deposits, the time to respond is till February 15.

Post-demonetisation, the government had set December 30 as the deadline to deposit and exchange the old Rs.500 and 1,000 notes.

The high-value notes ceased to be legal tender from November 8 midnight, a few hours after Prime Minister Narendra Modi made a dramatic announcement about their spiking.

The transactions under the tax lens include cash deposits of Rs.2.5 lakh or more in a savings bank account and sale or purchase of immovable property valued at Rs.30 lakh or more.

The reason behind the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) pitching chief minister Nitish Kumar as the Prime Ministerial candidate has finally been decoded.

The RJD headed by Lalu Prasad is a coalition partner in the Nitish Kumar government in Bihar, along with the Congress.

The whole idea behind endorsing Kumar as “PM material” came to fore on Monday when a former RJD minister on Monday projected RJD chief’s deputy chief minister son Tejashwi Yadav as the successor of Nitish Kumar.

“The country will face the Lok Sabha polls in 2019 during which we will project Nitish Kumar as the PM candidate. In such a situation there will be a vacancy for the chief minister of Bihar which will automatically get filled up by Tejashwi Yadav,” former RJD minister Surendra Prasad Yadav told the media on Monday. The development comes amid the Congress trying hard to project party vice-president Rahul Gandhi for this job.

Yadav who is currently a RJD legislator from Belaganj seat in Bihar Assembly said they would not tolerate any other as the chief minister of Bihar other than Tejashwi who is suave and has experience in running the state administration as well.

“PM Nitish ko banayenge aur CM Tejashwi ko,” he asserted. The ex RJD minister made this announcement while the deputy CM was in southern Bihar town of Gaya to address a division-level public meeting which was attended by an impressive crowds comprising mostly youths.

Yadav’s demand got instant support from another party leader and Bihar disaster management Chandra Shekhar. “He (Tejashwi) is fit for the job. The ease with which he is discharging his duty without getting involved in any controversies, Tejashwi indeed deserves to be the next CM,” said the minister. He though added the deputy CM needs to gain a little bit more experience.

Last year, RJD chief Prasad himself had lent his full support to Kumar’s PM dream announcing his party would be the first to back his candidature for country’s top job.

“Yes, of course, there is no second thought on this,” was how Prasad had told the media on being asked if the RJD would support Kumar for PM. He added there wouldn’t any more pleasure than seeing someone from his own state becoming the Prime Minister.

Observers say the idea is not all of a sudden but is latent with a strong political meaning. According to them, the RJD himself can’t contest any election for his conviction in the multi-million dollar fodder scam and hence he wants to somehow put his son on the throne of Bihar.

Reports said his desire got a sudden boost after seeing Akhilesh Yadav on the throne of UP in a quiet shifting of power within the family.

She is a transgender with a huge difference. True to her name, Kajal Mangal Murti is proving to be the attractive eyeliner for her community and the society at large. She has been fighting a battle for mainstream jobs for her community and has also been indulging in philanthropy.

Sharing her journey, Kajal said, "I visited my parents after 18 years. My father could not come to terms with the fact that I am a transgender. After his death our family was wrecked”.

Kajal is the one who is now financially supporting her aged mother and the family of her
drunken brother. A firm believer of the role of education in changing one’s life, she is
making sure her brother’s children receive proper education.

“My mother is no more apologetic of my existence. In fact, she glorifies me now saying that God should bless every mother with a child like me," Kajal said.

"When a family can capitulate a rapist, a murderer, a handicapped, a
thief or even an alcoholic as a part of it, then why can they not respect a transgender as one of them? Why can we not be an IPS or an IAS officer?" she asked.

Kajal said instead of becoming a husband, a wife or parents, one should be capable of taking care of 100 people. She has filed a petition in Punjab and Haryana High Court for the rights of transgender.

"It is not for myself, but for the better future of all the transgender community," Kajal says.

One of her disciples is doing a Masters in Human Resources and another one is completing Bachelors in Technology degree.

She also helps in the marriage of poor girls.

"Because of the non-acceptance of the society, I had to go through the dreaded worst. A transgender has to choose from three options for survival prostitution, begging or badhai (singing praises)," Kajal said, adding, "I have done all. Many leave their children who are born like us on our doorsteps in the darkest hours. When the sun rises, they indulge in
philanthropy. I request parents to love the soul of their children and not be ashamed of their body".

The Supreme Court (SC) will on Tuesday pronounce its Judgment in the disproportionate assets case involving former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister late J Jayalalithaa, AIADMK General Secretary VK Sasikala and others.

The verdict on Karnataka government's appeal is crucial as according to reports, Tamil Nadu Governor C Vidyasagar Rao is waiting for the Judgment in the case before calling her to form the government and end the ongoing political turmoil in the state.

The Karnataka government has challenged a May 11, 2015 Karnataka High Court order acquitting late Chief Minister J. Jayalalithha, Sasikala and her two relatives V.N. Sudhakaran and Elavarasi for allegedly amassing disproportionate assets to the tune of Rs 66.65 crore during Jayalalithaa's first term as Chief Minister (1991-1996).

The verdict on the Karnataka government's plea was reserved on June 7, 2016. 

The high court by its verdict had reversed a September 27, 2014 trial court Judgment which had sentenced Jayalalithaa to four years in jail and imposed a Rs 100 crore fine after a trial that lasted for 18 years.

Sasikala, who was elected General Secretary of AIADMK following the death of Jayalalithaa in December 2016, was elected leader of the legislature party on February 5.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who is set to formally launch Kalimpong as a new district on Tuesday, said three more districts will be created in the state in the coming days.

Banerjee, who is on her second trip to the hills this year, said Burdwan district's Asansol and West Midnapore district's Jhargram sub-division would become separate districts by April.

"I am in the hills because Kalimpong is becoming a new district. In April, Jhargram and Asansol will become districts," she said.

The Trinamool Congress supremo also said there were plans to upgrade the Sundarbans, world's biggest mangrove delta, into a separate district.

"After the work for the creation of these three districts is over, Sundarbans will also become a district," Banerjee said.

Sundarbans, home to the endangered Royal Bengal tiger, comprises areas in both India and Bangladesh.

The Indian part of the Sundarbans runs through North 24 Parganas and South 24 Parganas districts.

Although Himachal Pradesh’s vegetable production is higher than the national productivity, marketing of the produce of small and marginal farmers is hitting it from making a benchmark.

According to the data available with the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) Himachal Pradesh, the vegetable production in the state is 19.5 tonnes per hectare, which is higher than the national productivity that is 17.5 tonnes per hectare during 2015-16.

The revenue generated annually through vegetable production is to the tune of Rs.3,000 crore.

Analysing information collected from the Departments of Horticulture and Agriculture, NABARD revealed that at present the area under vegetable farming in the state is 75,000 hectares and production is 16 lakh tonnes, with annual growth rates of 6.5 per cent in the area and 7.4 per cent in production.

On the other hand, the state already has earned the sobriquet of ‘fruit bowl’, witnessed a total fruit production of 9.29 lakh MT in 2015-16, with apple comprising about 84 per cent with a production of 7.77 lakh MT.

The annual gross domestic income from horticulture witnessed in 2015-16 was Rs.5000 crore with 5.62 lakh farmers engaged in horticulture and an annual employment generation of 1,000 mandays.

NABARD Himachal Pradesh Regional Office, Shimla Assistant General Manger (AGM) Kuldeep Chand, who prepared a presentation for development of horticulture and agriculture in the state has underlined the need of improvement in marketing of both the horticulture and vegetable produce, which is the main problem to small and marginal farmers.

Highlighting the horticulture scenario, he maintained that in Himachal Pradesh per capita cultivated land is only 0.12 hectares (1.5 bighas) and the per capita irrigated land is a meagre 0.02 hectare (0.25 bighas).

This situation necessitates a cropping pattern that would ensure a highest income per unit area/labour/ investment for which horticulture, vegetables, floriculture, mushroom, bee keeping, are options, stated NABARD.

While, 57 Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs) have been promoted in the state, solution is also to form more FPOs and a state policy for promotion of FPOs needed, suggests NABARD.

Furthermore, suggestions point out improvement of productivity, quality improvements of horticulture produce, diversification of the horticulture industry, modernization of the nursery production programme, introduction of improved fruit varieties, change of medium and high density plantations, integrated pest management (IPM) and Biological control, use of IT solutions for reaching out to farmers and efficient use of water and to create Controlled Atmospheric Storages.

Creation of scientific post harvest management infrastructure, value addition and diversification in processing industry, market promotion through branding, advertisement and exports are other recommendations.

Barring stray incidents, the first phase of polling in the three-tier panchayat elections concluded peacefully in Odisha on Monday.

The poll witnessed about 71 per cent voter turnout across the state with Sonepur district recording highest polling of 84.3 per cent and lowest in Balangir district with 60 per cent, state Election Commissioner R.N. Senapati said.

The Election Commissioner said his office had received information about some minor incidents including booth capturing, ballot box looting and boycotting of votes at some places.

"We will hold re-polls after getting detailed information from the respective district collectors," said Senapati.

People were seen standing in serpentine queues to cast their vote. The balloting began at 7 a.m. and continued till 12 p.m.

The election was held in 65 blocks of 29 districts to elect their representatives in 188 Zilla Parishad seats, 1,506 Sarpanch seats, 1,506 Samiti member seats and 20,369 Ward Members seats.

After the polling got over, the counting of votes began in the presence of agents of different political parties.

The official announcement of the names of the winning Ward Members and Sarpanches will be made on February 23 and Zilla Parishad members and Panchayat Samiti members on February 25.

Adequate security arrangements were made at the booths to avoid untoward incidents. Special arrangements were made in the Maoist prone districts, Senapati said.

Necessary arrangements were made for installation of CCTV cameras and conduct videography in hyper-sensitive and sensitive booths.

The panchayat polls are being held in five phases across the state. The remaining four phases of the rural polls will be held on February 15, 17, 19 and 21.

Barring stray incidents, the first phase of polling in the three-tier panchayat elections concluded peacefully in Odisha on Monday.

The poll witnessed about 71 per cent voter turnout across the state with Sonepur district recording highest polling of 84.3 per cent and lowest in Balangir district with 60 per cent, state Election Commissioner R.N. Senapati said.

The Election Commissioner said his office had received information about some minor incidents including booth capturing, ballot box looting and boycotting of votes at some places.

"We will hold re-polls after getting detailed information from the respective district collectors," said Senapati.

People were seen standing in serpentine queues to cast their vote. The balloting began at 7 a.m. and continued till 12 p.m.

The election was held in 65 blocks of 29 districts to elect their representatives in 188 Zilla Parishad seats, 1,506 Sarpanch seats, 1,506 Samiti member seats and 20,369 Ward Members seats.

After the polling got over, the counting of votes began in the presence of agents of different political parties.

The official announcement of the names of the winning Ward Members and Sarpanches will be made on February 23 and Zilla Parishad members and Panchayat Samiti members on February 25.

Adequate security arrangements were made at the booths to avoid untoward incidents. Special arrangements were made in the Maoist prone districts, Senapati said.

Necessary arrangements were made for installation of CCTV cameras and conduct videography in hyper-sensitive and sensitive booths.

The panchayat polls are being held in five phases across the state. The remaining four phases of the rural polls will be held on February 15, 17, 19 and 21.