 |
|
|
I’ll quit if CPM stops sabotage: Mamata
|
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
‘Driver did not respond’
Chidambaram regrets delay in rescue
Another mishap averted
Work pressure led to youth leader’s disappearance: Cong
Dissatisfied with mid-day meals? Call or simply SMS
The cross-talk carries on
Terror Plots
Assembly
Ruckus
Panel asks govt to drop road safety Bill
Soon, power supply from space?
Moulvi Murder
Stick to high moral values: SC to judges
Dereliction charge against FCI officials
Holbrooke in India
Interaction with Media Finally, Big B turns farmer
|
|||||||
|
I’ll quit if CPM stops sabotage: Mamata
Addressing a massive rally in Esplanade area today, Banerjee said since the inquiries had been ordered into the Gyaneshwari and the recent Uttarbanga-Vananchal train accidents, she would make no more comments but only reveal the facts that would come out of inquiries in the due course of time. Notably, the rally, in which Congress leaders too were present, was held to mark ‘Martyr's Day’ organised in the memory of 13 Youth Congress workers killed in police firing here on this day in 1993. All TMC ministers in the UPA government, MPs, MLAs and other leaders and workers were present during the rally. Slamming the CPM’s demand for her resignation, she said, “If I have to resign, then where will the CPM leaders go after killing over 60,000 innocent people during their past 34 years of rule in the state… Still, I am prepared to resign if the CPM guarantees that it will not indulge in sabotage.” "They have been planning sabotage. They are trying to ruin the (reputation of) Railways by letting cockroaches into food. It is time for the CPM to go. The Gyaneshwari Express accident took place on May 28, two before the Kolkata Municipal Corporation elections. The accident at Sainthia occurred on July 19 before our ‘Martyrs Day’ rally today. Both took place around 2:00 am.” With AICC general secretary K Keshava Rao and WBPCC president Dr Manash Bhuiya on the dais, the Trinamool supremo today virtually began her election campaign for West Bengal Assembly elections, due in 2011. Both the Congress and the TMC today solemnly resolved to fight jointly and defeat the CPM in elections. Rao said they had accepted Mamata Banerjee as the future Chief Minister and they would work together for ending the CPM’s prolonged “misrule” in
Bengal. (With PTI inputs)
|
|
‘Driver did not respond’
Sainthia, July 21 Asked if he had made any effort to apply the emergency stopper after he failed to communicate with the driver before his train collided with the Vananchal Express, he replied: “I pulled the emergency brake”. Assistant driver of the Vananchal Express Ravi Kumar, who also appeared at the hearing, said he had received clearance from the outer signal, but not from the guard of his train. “I got clearance from the outer signal, but there was no clearance from the guard and this caused delay in departure,” he said. The driver of the Vananchal Express Md Nayeem also appeared at the hearing.
— PTI
|
|
Chidambaram regrets delay in rescue
He said disaster management capacity is tested only when a disaster strikes and one has to increase one’s capacity. "I was informed that the first relief team could leave only about 2 hours and 30 minutes after the accident; the second team could only leave seven hours after the accident and they had to drive for about 220 kms which means there is a clear gap in the mobility of the disaster team. So, we need to increase our capacity to be able to move disaster relief teams quickly which means perhaps, helicopters, small planes. All this would cost money but I think capacity has to be built," the minister said. Speaking at a function organised by the National Disaster Management Authority, Chidambaram said, "I compliment the NDMA and NDRF for vastly improving our capacity in case of natural disasters like flood, cyclone or
fire...” — PTI
|
|
Another mishap averted
Mansi (Bihar), July 21 The train, with a pilot engine, was inadvertently diverted to the same track at Mansi station on which the goods train was stationery around 2.30 pm, railway officials said. The driver noticed the goods train and immediately applied brakes, they said. Later the train backed on to another track. “We consider it as a lapse on the part of the railway official manning the signal system,” East Central Railways spokesperson Dilip Kumar said. An enquiry is also being conducted into the incident.
— PTI
|
|
Work pressure led to youth leader’s disappearance: Cong
Youth Congress leaders, who met him today, said he remained disoriented and spoke in an incoherent manner and was not able to explain his 36-hour escapade in a consistent fashion. Sources in the Youth Congress say Patel in all likelihood gave in to the dual pressure being faced by the returning officers conducting the Youth Congress organisational elections in the state. On one hand is the pressure to prove oneself to the Central leadership, on the other hand is pressure from the cadres who want to have things their way. Combined with the workload of entering the data regarding members, booth information etc in their laptops and sending it off to the senior functionaries is taking its toll. Taking Nishant’s case as an indicator, Youth Congress activists hope that the Central leadership would provide some relief to the returning officers in terms of secretarial assistance so that they do not suffer breakdown like conditions. Earlier this month there was trouble in Lucknow on the second day of Youth Congress election process. During the scrutiny of forms for panchayat and ward-level polls, candidates had alleged that the returning officers from other states were purposely rejecting their forms. During the argument at the Youth Congress office in Lucknow, one of the returning officers allegedly made a communal remark and the police had to be called in to control a ruckus that followed. The Youth Congress poll is following a new pattern where each candidate is given a bar code and both form and the voter list carries their photograph. Such confrontations are putting the returning officers under tremendous pressure making it difficult for them to perform.
|
|
|
M’rashtra treated us as political prisoners: Naidu
Hyderabad, July 21 “The Maharashtra government did not treat us as elected public representatives. It only treated us as political prisoners,” Naidu said, addressing a dharna organised by the party in front of Mahatma Gandhi statue on the state Assembly premises here today. The dharna was organised denouncing the Maharashtra government's “misbehaviour” against Naidu and TDP legislators during their detention when they went to inspect the controversial Babhli irrigation project. “They tried to physically and mentally intimidate us. They tried to torment us in all ways possible. I have not come across such an atrocious situation in my 32-year political career,” he said. Hitting out at Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister K Rosaiah, the TDP chief said: “He is the most inefficient CM the state has ever had. He is so shameless that he remained a silent spectator when his fellow legislators from the state were treated so inhumanly by the neighbouring state”. Rosaiah has no authority to continue in his position, the TDP chief said.
— PTI
|
|
|
Dissatisfied with mid-day meals? Call or simply SMS
In a major development, the HRD Ministry has asked the state governments to adopt zero tolerance towards delay and poor quality of mid-day meals, and told them to set up grievance redressal mechanisms to ensure people could air views about the government’s ongoing schemes. The move is in line with the Administrative Reforms Commission’s recommendations (contained in the 12th report) that mandates all government organisations to develop mechanisms of feedback receipt to know what the public thought of government services. The Mid-day Meal (MDM) scheme, which commenced 15 years ago, has been wrought of late with problems of quality becoming a norm in many places. As many as 11 crore children of classes I-VIII consume mid-day meals daily in government schools. Under the new Central guidelines, the states would be required to set up a grievance redressal cell at the headquarters and deploy officers at district-level besides publicising their contact numbers. A call centre is to be established at the state headquarters to register and distribute complaints of people. In small states and districts, a toll free number attended full-time during working hours has been mandated. “Arrangements can further be made to receive complaints through post or SMS,” the ministry guidelines to Principal Secretaries of states say. All grievances would have to be redressed within three days, and the grievance redressal cell of the state would be required to send the action taken report back to the call centre within two days. In five days, all MDM related grouses would have to be closed.
|
The cross-talk carries on
“Well, in hindsight, I think Pillai could have waited till I came back to issue a statement. Perhaps it would have been wiser if that statement had not been made just on the eve of my visit,” the minister said. In an interview to CNN-IBN, Krishna went on add: “When two foreign ministers are meeting after the Mumbai attacks, there was a special significance of the meeting. Everyone who is privy to whatever was happening in the Government of India ought to have known the right kind of atmosphere from India’s side should have been created for the talks to go in a normal manner but unfortunately this episode happened.” He also cautioned Qureshi not to mistake his “civility” as a weakness. “I think we can put forward any contention, any position with the most forceful way but there has to be dignity, there has to be civility, and civility is certainly not weakness.” That the Home Ministry was not in tune with the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) over the engagement with Pakistan was quite evident even before Krishna left the country’s shores last week for his ‘peace mission’ to Islamabad. The MEA is cut up that the Home Ministry has still not shared with it the details of the confessions made by terror suspect David Coleman Headley to Indian investigators linking the ISI with the Mumbai mayhem. The Home Secretary’s statement is also said to have contributed to the stalemate at the Islamabad meeting.
|
|
Terror Plots
New Delhi, July 21 District and Sessions Judge SP Garg, however, denied the plea of National Investigation Agency to issue warrants against JuD chief Hafiz Saeed and Lashkar's operation commander Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi, saying it was not required as a Mumbai court had already issued NBWs against them and this was sufficient for getting red corner notices issued against them. Garg issued NBWs against Major Iqbal and Major Sameer Ali along with Lashkar operatives Sajid Majid, Syed Abdur Rehman and Illyas Kashmiri.“I issue NBWs against the five accused persons. The warrants are returnable on October 7,” said the court. The NIA has charged the accused with planning terror strikes in the key metros. The NIA had stressed the need for NBWs against Lakhvi and Saeed on the grounds that their role was not confined to 26/11, trial for which is on in a Mumbai court, and further probe was required pertaining to national security.
|
Assembly
Ruckus
New Delhi, July 21 Interestingly, while publically condemning such incidents, many politicians believe that such behaviour goes down well with “the public back home”. “I have decided that I will never even rush to the Well (in the House) to protest. But some politicians believe that unruly behaviour in the House is a good way to score brownie points with the electorate,” says an MP. Meanwhile, the Congress has been demanding the resignation of the Punjab Speaker, following a charge-sheet filed against him by the CBI for illegal recruitment of officials when he was a minister. Tewari had earlier asked the BJP, the coalition partner in Punjab, to press for withdrawal of Kahlon from the Speaker’s post and asked: “Otherwise, will the BJP which regularly preaches ethics in politics snap ties with the SAD?” Kahlon, a former Punjab minister for rural development and panchayat institutions, faces charges under various sections of the IPC and the Prevention of Corruption Act. The CBI had filed a charge-sheet against Kahlon and a number of present and former IAS and state cadre officers for their suspected involvement in rigging the selection of 909 panchayat secretaries during the SAD regime.
|
|
Panel asks govt to drop road safety Bill
In what could be a setback for the Road Transport and Highways Ministry, the panel, in its report submitted to Rajya Sabha Chairman Hamid Ansari and Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar, today said the proposed board sought to be set up under the Bill did not have a holistic perspective and was hence incomplete. Road Transport and Highways Minister Kamal Nath introduced the “National Road Safety and Traffic Management Bill” in the Lok Sabha on May 4. The Bill proposes the creation of National Road Safety and Traffic Management Board and had been referred to the Standing Committee on Transport, Tourism and Culture, which was scheduled to submit its report within two months. “The Bill has no relevance. We have strongly recommended its withdrawal,” Chairman of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Transport, Tourism and Culture Sitaram Yechury told reporters after submitting the report to the presiding officers of the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha. He said the proposed board not only lacked teeth but was limited to safety concerns on the national highways that accounted for only 2 per cent of country’s road network, while 70 per cent of the accidents took place on other roads. Advisory in nature, it lacked powers for effective coordination among various agencies of the Centre and state governments, besides there was no dearth of agencies looking into the road safety issues, the panel said. In what was an indictment for the ministry, the panel also felt there should not be any board just for placement of retired bureaucrats. Yechury said the qualifications required for the board”s chairperson had been diluted. “The committee is surprised to note that while the members of the board will be having requisite experiences, the chairperson will be simply having adequate knowledge and professional experience in administration and road transport,” he said.
|
|
Soon, power supply from space?
Naik’s research paper on the topic, which he presented recently at the conference of International Space Development Programme held at Chicago, has been widely acclaimed. The former ISRO scientist, while addressing a press conference here to announce an international conference on space to be held at a school in Panchkula, said: “The fact that solar energy can be tapped in space and can be converted into electricity and then transmitted to earth as radiowaves or microwaves first came out way back in 1980. But the process is very costly and therefore even the scientists in the US left the topic then. “However, now after so many years, in-depth studies to find out its feasibility are going on in various countries. I am confident that if I am given a chance, I will prove it with a simple article like a transistor.” “I haven’t talked to the officials at ISRO yet, but I will definitely attempt convincing them,” he said. “I’m in the process of finalising my presentation to ISRO.” Naik, who has played a key role in India’s satellite programme and has launched more than 15 satellites, said: “ISRO
has already launched almost 15 foreign satellites for other countries and
is in the process of expanding further.” Answering a query related to India’s missile programme being a spin-off of its space programme, Naik said: “For this, the defence has to develop a mechanism for facilitating the re-entering capability of missiles. The technology used for satellites cannot be used for missiles as satellites do not have the re-entering capability,” he added.
|
|
Moulvi Murder
New Delhi, July 21 Relying on his confession, corroborated by a prosecution witness, the trial court convicted Ishfaq under Section 3(3) of the Terrorists and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act (TADA) and Section 302 of the IPC. He was sentenced to life term under the IPC and five years under TADA. “We are fully satisfied that the confession was indeed made by the appellant and the details given in the confession and the meticulous planning that went behind committing murder of Moulvi Farooq, which has been reflected in the confession, not only render it voluntary, but truthful also. We are thoroughly convinced that this confession is not only a good, voluntary and truthful confession, but a reliable one also and the trial court has committed no mistake whatsoever in relying upon the said confession,” an apex court Bench comprising Justices VS Sirpurkar and MK Sharma ruled. The way Ishfaq himself had worked for the success of the conspiracy, the way he handled guns and accompanied two other assailants to the house of the victim and the manner in which the plan was executed “convince us that the (trial court) order is absolutely correct,” Justice Sirpurkar, who wrote the verdict for the Bench, ruled. Ishfaq had also confessed to his involvement in five bomb blasts in Delhi and to his visits to Pakistan, including Lahore and Muzzaffarabad, to meet other members of the group on a fake passport. He had also brought weapons from Pakistan after receiving training in terrorist activities there.
|
|
Stick to high moral values: SC to judges
New Delhi, July 21 Dinesh Chandra Pande, the affected judge who had joined service in 1982, was found to have a bank balance disproportionate to his known sources of income, but he claimed he received income from his 37 acres of agricultural land. The apex court, however, did not accept this contention as he had not disclosed any such income to the inquiry officer or in his income tax return.
|
|
Dereliction charge against FCI officials
New Delhi, July 21 Probing recent reports about damage to wheat stocks at some FCI godowns, the inspection team comprising senior officers of the Department of Food and Public Distribution found that nearly 350 tonnes of grain worth about Rs 50 lakh had been damaged at three godowns in Uttar Pradesh. “The team has observed spoilage of wheat stocks at these depots and serious dereliction of duty by concerned FCI Officers. The approximate quantity of grain damage is 30 tones at Hapur, 15 tones at Orai and over 300 tones at Harduaganj costing nearly Rs 50 lakh,” officials said. “The Ministry had taken cognisance of the report submitted by the team and instructed FCI Chairman Siraj Hussain to take immediate penal action against the officers as well as initiate corrective action for improving storage conditions at the three depots and also at other FCI facilities throughout the country,” they added. The government has also directed action against those FCI officers who had willfully submitted a wrong report regarding damage to the wheat stocks at Orai and Harduaganj depots. The FCI has suspended the area manager, depot manager and the manager (quality control) of these depots and also sought an explanation from executive director (north) and general manager (UP) in this regard. Instructions have also been issued to all general managers to do a spot inspection of wheat and rice stocks in their jurisdiction.
|
|
Holbrooke in India
New Delhi, July 21 Shortly after his arrival, Holbrooke met National Security Adviser Shivshankar Menon. His visit comes a day after an international conference in Kabul cleared the handing over of security of the violence-hit nation to domestic forces by 2014. He will meet Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao tomorrow. The visit assumes significance as it does against the backdrop of Pakistan's prominent role in reintegration plan of Afghan government.
|
|
|
Interaction
with Media New Delhi, July 21 The written circular, issued two days ago by AICC media department head Janardan Dwivedi to all party office bearers and working committee members, asked them to interact with the media whenever necessary and only on areas of their responsibility. “As per organisational norms, all important office-bearers should express their views publicly or interact with media, whenever necessary, only on subjects concerning the areas of their responsibility. Please ensure that this norm is adhered to at every level in the party,” the circular said. Although oral orders to this effect have been issued in the past, this is possibly the first time that a written directive has been sent to party leaders. It can be safely assumed that the letter has not been sent to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and other working committee members like Union minister Pranab Mukherjee and AICC general secretary Rahul Gandhi, a host of other senior leaders who have received this letter are furious at this treatment. They wondered if this diktat would also extend to External Affairs Minister SM Krishna for his critical comments on Home Secretary GK Pillai since it did not strictly pertain to his ministry. While Dwivedi refused to be drawn into this controversy, saying it was an “internal party matter”, the missive is clearly provoked by party general secretary Digvijay Singh’s recent public statements on the handling of the Naxal problem. In fact, Digvijay Singh has been on target for some time now. Two months ago when he had written a column in the Economic Times accusing Chidambaram of being intellectually arrogant and adopting a counterproductive policy on Naxal violence, a similar oral diktat was issued by Dwivedi.
|
|
|
Lucknow, July 21 Amitabh bought the land in Muzzaffarnagar village on Sitapur road for Rs 1.55 crore. In the same village, Abhishek Bachchan and Amitabh’s wife Jaya, too, bought the land and were awaiting the lapse of the ‘no objection’ period before the land title could be officially transferred in their names, the naib tehsildar of Kakori, Vishwamitra Singh, said. The Bachchans have bought total six hectares land worth over Rs 3.82 crore. His first attempt to become a farmer by acquiring land at Daulatpur village in Barbanki district had run into rough weather due to forged documents allegedly being used in the deal. — TNS
|
|
| HOME PAGE | |
Punjab | Haryana | Jammu & Kashmir |
Himachal Pradesh | Regional Briefs |
Nation | Opinions | | Business | Sports | World | Letters | Chandigarh | Ludhiana | Delhi | | Calendar | Weather | Archive | Subscribe | Suggestion | E-mail | |
Kolkata, July 21
New Delhi, July 21
Lucknow, July 21
New Delhi, July 21
New Delhi, July 21
New Delhi, July 21
Chandigarh, July 21