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Internal security to top BJP agenda
Woman attempts self-immolation
Give licences to employers of maids, says NCW
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BMC Poll
UK-UN mission lauds India’s AIDS response
Mamata puts off two-day strike
Terror alert in Mumbai
TN pulls out of talks
Kishau Dam to be completed early
F-16, F-18 to feature in
Aero India
Antony for quick
response to soldiers’ problems
Ban on soft drinks in schools, colleges
Pak eyeing to gain foothold in valley, says Governor
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Internal security to top BJP agenda
Lucknow, December 20 Addressing mediapersons at the BJP headquarters, he said terrorism would receive high priority during the forthcoming meet. Commenting on the BJP executive being held in Uttar Pradesh after 15 years, he said the venue was self-explanatory in an election year. “Recent results of local body elections have made it clear that the people are fed up of the Samajwadi Party misrule and are ready for a change”, he said. Criticising the UPA and Samajwadi Party governments for appeasement of minorities, Mr Joshi said their party was not against Muslims, but was against vote-bank politics. Refusing to comment on the controversy regarding the NDA prime ministerial candidate, he maintained that there should be no confusion after BJP president Rajnath Singh’s clarification that Mr Atal Behari Vajpayee was the BJP candidate. Giving Lucknow University vice-chancellor R.P Singh a pat on the back, Mr Joshi said what he did to purge anti-social elements from the university was praiseworthy, as per the recommendations of the Lyngdoh committee report. Satish Misra adds from New Delhi: Determined to emerge as a major player in the coming Assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh, the three-day national convention of the BJP, beginning at Lucknow from Friday, is going to launch a bitter attack on the UPA government’s “divisive and Muslim appeasement” policies The one-day national executive session will adopt two resolutions on the economic issues and the UPA’s divisive and Muslim appeasement policies. Though around 2500 top leaders are going to deliberate on the economic and various other issues, Assembly elections in Uttaranchal and UP are going to dominate the discussions. The party leaders and managers feel that the BJP can win over 150 Assembly seats which means that no government can be formed without it. On December 24, the BJP’s Uttar Pradesh unit is going to hold a massive rally which would be addressed by Atal Bihari Vajpayee. It is virtually going to be the launch of the BJP's election campaign.
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Woman attempts self-immolation
New Delhi, December 20 She was saved by the intervention of a television journalist. Ms Lakshmi Kumari asked Mr Deora why her plea of restoration had not been heeded to. She insisted on immediate relief, saying the family home in Aligarh was due to be auctioned. When Mr Deora, who had met her seven times, pleaded that this was not the forum for raising a personal issue, she broke down and poured petrol on herself. A half empty bottle of kerosene and a matchbox were recovered from her. Mr Deora said the IOC had sealed the petrol station, at Jattari in Agra, allotted to Harinder’s father under the defence quota, on finding adulteration in fuel sold on January 27 and April 26 this year. She had leased out the petrol station to Mr H.P. Singh against rules and according to her, he had committed irregularities in connivance with local IOC officials. Mr Deora said he had ordered the matter to be referred to the CBI for investigation and an inquiry be initiated against the IOC officials concerned.
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Give licences to employers of maids, says NCW
New Delhi, December 20 After holding a two-hour consultation here with women activists, representatives of the Delhi Commission for Women and anti-trafficking voluntary organisations, the NCW said it had been receiving complaints about young domestic workers being kept in small flats in cramped and unhygienic conditions by placement agencies. NCW chairperson Girija Vyas told mediapersons here today that it cannot be denied that domestic workers were being trafficked. She said the Commission had taken serious cognisance of the conspicuous absence of officers from the Social Welfare Department of Delhi Government during its meeting.
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BMC Poll Shiv Kumar Tribune News Service
Mumbai, December 20 According to the spokespersons of both parties, Hindutva will be an important plank in the civic polls though local issues would also feature in the campaign. Both parties will play up the statement attributed to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh that Muslims should have the first right on national resources. The delay in the execution of Afzal Guru convicted in the Parliament attack case will also feature prominently in the polls. Sources in both parties say the presence of the three leaders on a single platform would be part of their efforts to highlight Mumbai's battle with terrorism. Both parties will play up the serial bomb blasts on Mumbai's local trains. Dissension and absence of known leaders will make the civic polls an uphill task for both the Shiv Sena and the BJP. A number of Shiv Sena leaders in Mumbai have joined rebel-turned-Congressman Narayan Rane and Thackeray's estranged nephew Raj. The BJP itself is faced with the absence of its charismatic leader Pramod Mahajan. The Congress and the NCP are working hard to put together an alliance to contest the February 1 civic polls.
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UK-UN mission lauds India’s AIDS response
New Delhi, December 20 During their four-day India visit, AIDS leaders from the United Kingdom and the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) met senior leaders of political parties in India, senior parliamentarians and students and representatives from NGOs and from the donor community. The joint mission between the United Kingdom and UNAIDS presented an opportunity to discuss collaborative sustainable financing and technical support mechanisms and the issue of resource alignment in the context of the nation's new AIDS programme. The delegation also reviewed the United Nations plan to support the next phase of the national response, the British High Commission here said. On a one-day site visit to Patna, UNAIDS' Executive Director and DFID's Permanent Secretary noted the significant progress made in this province since their last visit, including the establishment of India's first 'Legislative forum on HIV and AIDS' to raise AIDS awareness among policy makers in the state and build capacity to fight AIDS. India is the world's second-most populous country and is experiencing highly varied HIV epidemics which appear to be stable or diminishing in some parts while growing at a modest rate in others. An estimated 5.7 million people are currently living with HIV in India, of which almost 30 per cent are women. The predominant route of HIV transmission is through unprotected heterosexual sex (86 per cent). According to the National AIDS Control Organisation (NACO), one third of reported AIDS cases in India are among young people aged 15 to 29 years. India has stepped up its AIDS response under the chairmanship of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. A comprehensive, coordinated multi-sectoral response, under the National AIDS Control Programme Phase III, will be ready for roll out in early 2007.
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Mamata puts off two-day strike
Kolkata, December 20 “We have postponed the 48-hour strike, but whether we will go for it again will depend on the government’s decision on our party’s demand for returning forcibly acquired farm land at Singur”, Ms Banerjee said. She said she would continue her indefinite fast, which entered the 17th day, till the state government returned the forcibly acquired farm land at Singur to the farmers. The decision came within an hour of the Calcutta High Court directing the party to call off the strike. — PTI
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Terror alert in Mumbai
Mumbai, December 20 The alert was issued after a Mumbai resident employed at a five-star hotel in Dubai overheard some customers talking in Pushto about several important locations in the city. Sources said the person immediately called the Mumbai police control room and alerted the police about possible terror attacks. A general description of the persons in the Dubai hotel have also been sent to the investigators. Police Commissioner A. N. Roy who has been briefed about the call is said to be personally inspecting security.
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TN pulls out of talks Chennai, December 20 He said the all-party meet, besides authorising him to hold talks with his Kerala counterpart V.S. Achuthanandan, had resolved that the state could approach the apex court if the talks did not yield results, to implement its orders, allowing the water storage level to be raised from 136 feet to 142 feet. The meeting also decided to request the apex court to issue a directive to Kerala to extend all help to complete works on strengthening the Mullaperiyar dam. “The Centre should take action to implement such an order”, he said. On divergent views expressed by political parties in Tamil Nadu on the issue, he said it was difficult to satisfy those bent on opposing any steps taken by his government, just for the sake of opposing it. Kerala's irrigation minister and Tamil Nadu's public works minister met in New Delhi to resolve the issue, but in vain. Kerala had argued that a new dam could be built to replace the existing one, but Tamil Nadu had rejected the idea and stuck to its earlier stand that the storage level should be raised from 136 feet to 142 feet, as per the Supreme Court order. Mr Karunanidhi pointed out that the Supreme Court, while permitting the state to raise the dam to 142 feet, had expressed satisfaction about the safety of the dam and ruled that its present strength was enough to raise the level up to 142 feet. The apex court had also specifically restrained Kerala from obstructing further strengthening works on the dam, he said. The apex court had advised both states to hold talks and resolve the issue, but Mr Karunanidhi was severly criticised by the AIADMK and the MDMK, which alleged that he was cowing down before Kerala instead of implementing the then court order, which allowed Tamil Nadu to raise the water level. The CM’s office said he would not visit New Delhi tonight, but no reason was cited. He was scheduled to meet Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Congress president Sonia Gandhi and other UPA leaders. |
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Kishau Dam to be completed early
New Delhi, December 20 The meeting presided over by Water Resources Minister Saifuddin Soz was held to review the implementation of various projects-- Renuka, Kishau and Lakhwar-Vyasi dams on the Yamuna. Haryana’s Irrigation Minister Ajay Singh Yadav said the reduction in the time of completion of Kishau Dam would reduce overall construction cost and the basin states would get benefits. It was also decided that the states would share water and power from all the three projects in the ratio of their shares in the Yamuna waters as finalised between Haryana, Delhi, HP, UP and Rajasthan in May 1994, a release by the Haryana Government stated. Haryana has been making consistent efforts to expedite the construction of storage dams on upper reaches of the Yamuna . There was unity of views among partner states on various issues and it was felt that some arrangement like the BBMB could be worked out for managing and utilising the water and power potential of the Yamuna.
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F-16, F-18 to feature in
Aero India
New Delhi, December 20 Addressing the media to give out the details of the Aero-India 07, Secretary, Defence Production, K.P. Singh, said here today that this increased participation from companies around the world was the result of the ongoing changes in procurement procedures and restructuring of the system with special emphasis on the private sector participation. More than 450 foreign and Indian companies will participate in the five-day event starting February 7, which is a 40 per cent increase over the participation in the fifth edition of Aero India in 2005. He told reporters that US companies manufacturing F-16 and F-18 fighter jets will take part in the event for the first time, along with some topmost helicopter manufacturing firms. These planes would also form part of the air displays to be held at the Yelahenka air base everyday during the Aero-India. Similarly, Russia, one of the most trusted defence partners of India, will come to Bangalore with their frontline fighter jet MiG 29 M, besides Sweden fielding its Grippen jet and France displaying the Falcon jet. Touching upon the subject of opening up of the defence sector to the private sector, the senior bureaucrat said private companies were now allowed to manufacture all weapon systems except small arms. Moreover, the international companies knew that India was a choosy customer and, therefore, these companies would be displaying only the best products. According to details, more than 180 Indian companies comprised the 450 firms participating in the event.
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Antony for quick
response to soldiers’ problems
New Delhi, December 20 Pointing out that problems soldiers faced at their homes were being transferred to the frontline, he said it was in national interest that the district machinery responded to their domestic woes. The minister suggested that a mechanism to monitor the redressal of grievances of services’ personnel and members of their families be set up. He requested that instructions be given to district collectors, superintendents of police and other officials to be more pro-active to problems of soldiers and their next of kin.
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Ban on soft drinks in schools, colleges
Bangalore, December 20 The government has issued a notification in this regard six days after the Karnataka High Court had upheld its earlier ban on the sale of soft drinks in education institutions but struck down the ban on these in public places. Accordingly, the government has amended its earlier notification of August 14 which had banned the sale and distribution of soft drinks in public places like schools, colleges, bus terminus, hospitals and government offices after a report by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), a Delhi-based NGO, that products manufactured and sold by Pepsico and other companies contained high levels of pesticide residues. The ban had been challenged in the high court by Pepsico which claimed the government had no authority under the Prevention of Food Adulteration Act 1954 and the Karnataka Prevention of Food Adulteration Rules 1986 to ban the sale of any article.
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Pak eyeing to gain foothold in valley, says Governor
New Delhi, December 20 “The proposal of joint control or joint supervision is an effort to seek entry for gaining foothold in Kashmir when efforts to do so through wars or terrorist violence had not succeeded,” General Sinha told newspersons.
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Newborn found in dustbin Rapist nabbed after 8 yrs |
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