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Karnataka rolls out Re 1 a kg rice scheme
Shinde: Centre to study CISF cover for shrines
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Submit all papers on allocations, SC asks govt
Ishrat case: CBI
‘silent’ on motive of Gujarat Police
A file photo of the encounter in Gujarat.
Trying to find out whether Ishrat was a terrorist: Shinde
Cong meets tomorrow to discuss Telangana issue
Delhi rape: First verdict likely today
RSS may discuss Yeddy’s re-entry into saffron fold
UAVs keep watch as Modi flags off Jagannath yatra
Devotees participate in the Jagannath rath yatra in Ahmedabad on Wednesday; and (right) Gujarat CM Narendra Modi before performing puja to kickstart the yatra. — PTI
Top-level promotions in Army’s legal branch kick up a row
Solar scam: Kerala CM rules out resignation
Kataria sworn in Puducherry Lt Governor
BJP slams UPA over falling rupee, Chinese aggression
China for freeze on infra development along LAC
India to intensify maritime cooperation with SL, Maldives
One dead, several missing in Mumbai landslide
Zubin Mehta to get Tagore Award
Tight security hassles Mumbaiites on rainy day
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Karnataka rolls out Re 1 a kg rice scheme
The “Anna Bhagya” scheme was unveiled by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah here while the district in charge ministers launched it in their respective district headquarters. The Congress had promised in its manifesto ahead of May 5 Assembly elections that rice at Re 1 a kg would be supplied to the below-the-poverty line section of the population. In view of the huge subsidy involved, the scheme has come under criticism from some quarters, including the Opposition BJP which has dubbed the programme a “hasty decision without doing homework”. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah denied the Opposition allegation that the scheme was being implemented in a hurry in view of the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections. “We haven’t taken this decision in view of the Lok Sabha poll, but in view of the Congress tradition of helping the needy,” he said. “Can a government delay pro-people schemes?” he asked. Siddaramaiah said it was important to give food to the poor. “The government is there to help the deprived and the hungry,” he said. On the criticism that the beneficiaries would become lazy, Siddaramaiah said in that case people of Tamil Nadu, Odisha and Andhra Pradesh would have become lazy because those states also were having similar schemes. “These are baseless and politically-motivated statements,” he said. Eighty-seven lakh BPL cardholders and 11 lakh Antyodaya Anna Yojana beneficiaries are covered under the scheme under which single-member cardholders will get 10 kg rice every month, two-member families will get 20 kg while bigger families will get a maximum of 30 kg rice every month. To meet the requirement, Karnataka plans to buy rice from Chhattisgarh at Rs 23.30 per kg through the national commodities exchange and central agencies. Siddaramaiah also revealed that the government had decided to give 150 ml of milk three times a week to anganwari, primary and SSLC students. He said Karnataka Milk Federation was facing difficulty in selling milk available in its kitty. “Therefore, we have decided to give it to schoolchildren,” the CM said.
The Project
* The Anna Bhagya scheme will cover 87 lakh BPL cardholders and 11 lakh Antyodaya Anna Yojana beneficiaries *
Single-member cardholders will get 10 kg rice every month; two-member families will get 20 kg; while bigger families will get a maximum of 30 kg rice every month *
To meet the requirement, Karnataka plans to buy rice from Chhattisgarh at Rs 23.30 per kg through the national commodities exchange and central agencies
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Shinde: Centre to study CISF cover for shrines
New Delhi, July 10 The CISF provides security to important industrial installations such as airports, thermal plants and public sector undertakings. The CISF Act was amended in 2009 to allow security against payment to key corporate houses such as Infosys and private oil refineries. Shinde, while addressing mediapersons here, said Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar had sought CISF cover for the temple complex for better security. “There are also requests for providing CISF cover to Shirdi Sai Temple and Jama
Masjid. We will examine and take a call on the issue,” he said. The Home Minister said many complexes across the country were vulnerable. Requests for security had been received from the Sai Baba temple, Siddhi Vinayak temple and Mahalaxmi temple, he added. On intelligence inputs, Shinde said Central agencies had informed the state police about the possibility of an attack at Bodh Gaya in October. On July 3, a Bihar DIG had conducted a security review with the local administration. Shinde said the National Investigation Agency (NIA) was looking at all possible angles, including the purported claim by the Indian Mujahideen on a Twitter account about carrying out the blasts and their possible link to the alleged atrocities on the Rohangiya Muslims in Myanmar. “I cannot say anything. The NIA has been given the task of conducting the investigation. They will do it in detail,” Shinde said. The Gaya district administration had reviewed the security of the Mohabodhi temple on July 3 and taken certain security measures for the protection of the Buddhist shrine.
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COAL SCAM R Sedhuraman Legal Correspondent
New Delhi, July 10 A three-member Bench headed by Justice RM Lodha set a four-week deadline for the purpose, pointing out that the CBI had complained in its status report given to the SC that non-provision of these documents was hampering the probe. The Bench also rejected the government’s plea for letting the CBI share its probe report with the authorities for the purpose of giving permission to prosecute accused officials. There was no need for government sanction to conduct investigation or prosecute officials in cases being monitored by a high court or the Supreme Court, the Bench clarified. Further, the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) was supposed to supervise the investigations and not the government, the Bench noted. On its directive to the government to grant functional autonomy to the CBI to prevent political and other extraneous interference in the investigation of corruption cases, the Bench virtually endorsed the proposal for appointing the CBI director by a committee comprising the Prime Minister, Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha and the Chief Justice of India.
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Ishrat case: CBI ‘silent’ on motive of Gujarat Police
Ahmedabad, July 10 The CBI believed that Rana, who hailed from Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir, was actually an operative of the Lashkar-e-Toiba
(LeT), and had come to Gujarat on a “mission”. One of the police officials, who was in the Ahmedabad crime branch team which staged the Ishrat fake encounter on June 15, 2004, had told the CBI that Rana was picked up by the police in Ahmedabad on May 26 and was in the police custody since then. Contrary to earlier claims that Rana was picked up on a central intelligence bureau input, the CBI believed that the tip-off about his presence in Ahmedabad was given by Javed, alias Pranesh Pillai. Javed, accompanied by Ishrat, was in Ahmedabad on May 26 and had returned to Mumbai the same day, apparently after the arrest of Rana. Rana, during the interrogation after his arrest, had reportedly told the state police that he had crossed into India from the Bandipura sector along with over 12 other terrorists. The group had to confront firing from the Indian Army personnel on the border, following which the other members of the group got separated from him. He was hit by a bullet on his shoulder and stayed in a house of a maulvi in Jammu. Later, he had taken treatment in Srinagar and in some hospitals in Delhi incognito before coming to Gujarat. He had also told the police that Chief Minister Narendra Modi was never on his hit list but his “mission” was to attack some public places and create chaos. The crime branch police under then deputy inspector general of police DG Vanzara had deliberately spread the misleading claim that the “LeT operatives” were on a “mission” to assassinate Modi to give the Chief Minister political mileage. The CBI also believed that Rana was in contact with Javed Sheikh and had stayed at his house in
Pune. Shocked by his encounter, Javed’s father Gopinath Pillai had earlier told the CBI that his son was “working” for some senior Gujarat Police official and was giving information about the movements of the terrorists. It was possible that the Gujarat Police came to know about Rana’s arrival in Ahmedabad from Javed and picked him up. The fourth person to be killed in the same encounter, Zeeshan
Johar, was actually arrested in Ahmedabad about a month before Rana in April. The CBI believed that the state police had decided to eliminate Rana and Johar in fake encounters but did not take chance with Javed and Ishrat because they knew that Rana was already in the police custody. It is learnt that at the behest of the then Intelligence Bureau chief in
Ahmedabad, Rajinder Kumar, Javed and Ishrat were “called back” from
Mumbai, picked up at the Vasad toll plaza near Vadodara on June 12, kept in a farmhouse for two days and killed along with Rana and Johar on June 15, 2004.
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Trying to find out whether Ishrat was a terrorist: Shinde
New Delhi, July 10 Shinde was addressing a press conference here today where he was asked about the allegation if investigating or intelligence agency was being targetted in the case. Shinde made it clear that he will not take sides with either the IB or the CBI saying “if an agency is involved, an inquiry is going on. A decision will be taken on the basis of the inquiry”. Shinde said he was still trying to find out if Ishrat Jehan, the 19-year-old girl killed in an alleged fake encounter, was a terrorist. On being asked at his press conference if Ishrat Jehan was a terrorist, he said: “Wo to main malumat le raha hoon abhi (I am trying to get the information)”. There was a divergence of opinion between the IB, which coordinated with the Gujarat Police, and the CBI probing the incident over the issue. “I know there has been difference of opinion but we will get all the information,” Shinde said. The two agencies are at loggerheads over the developments. The Home Minister denied he had received any letter from IB Director Asif Ibrahim lodging protests against CBI investigation suggesting involvement of one of the agency’s Special Directors — Rajinder Kumar.
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Cong meets tomorrow to discuss Telangana issue
New Delhi, July 10 Reliable sources in the party today indicated that Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Kiran Kumar Reddy will make a presentation to Congress Core Group on the implications of a separate Telangana state on July 12. Also present for the meeting will be state Deputy CM Damodar Rajanarsimha and Pradesh Congress Chief Botsa Satyanarayana. The news of a fresh meeting comes barely days after Congress general secretary Digvijay Singh, newly appointed as the in charge of Andhra Pradesh, submitted his report to the party high command on the matter which has exercised the mind of the Congress for a long while now. He along with former general secretary in charge of the state Ghulam Nabi Azad will attend the core group meeting to discuss the matter. With a fresh round of presentations planned, a decision on Telangana may take a while as hinted today by Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde. The delay is happening notwithstanding government's announcement on December 9, 2009, regarding the formation of a separate Telangana state. The decision to grant statehood was stalled on December 23, 2009, following mass agitation from groups that favour united Andhra Pradesh. Within the party, there is strong division of opinion on the matter with top leaders against a separate Telangana. Asked if the talk of an early decision on Telangana was correct, a senior party leader commented, "It's more sound than fury". Meanwhile, Congress spokesperson Renuka Choudhary who hails from the state said she was not competent to comment on the status of progress on the matter. She said she was not aware whether a decision would be taken any time soon or what discussions were taking place. On a specific query regarding whether such a decision would take from the December 9 2009 announcement of the then Home Minister P Chidambaram, Choudhary said: "I cannot say." Party sources, meanwhile, indicated delays before a final decision was taken.
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Delhi rape: First verdict likely today
New Delhi, July 10 The Juvenile Justice Board presided by Principal Magistrate Geetanjali Goel concluded on July 5 its inquiry that began in March against the juvenile, who, the police claimed, was the "most brutal" of all six accused. The board had reserved the judgment after it heard final arguments from both prosecution and defence in the case. — PTI
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Amravati Conclave Vibha Sharma/TNS
New Delhi, July 10 A strong section within the party, including the newly appointed election committee chief Narendra Modi, wants Yeddyurappa by its side in order to retrieve the lost ground in the southern state. Modi is also expected to visit Karanataka in the first half of August. Those opposed to the move, and this side is headed by party patriarch LK Advani, are of the opinion that the move will not augur well with the anti-corruption plank on which the BJP wants to nail the Congress in the next General Election. Besides there are related issues, like the “unnecessary excess baggage” that the estranged leader may bring with him if he does join the BJP’s flight plan. And this issue too needs to be sorted out. Meanwhile, the decision on finalising Modi’s name as the party’s candidate for the PM post is another point of discussion at the RSS’ top brass meet in Amravati. For the BJP, the next Lok Sabha elections are crucial. The party, which has already defied former ally JD(U) on Modi and suffered embarrassment of a visible rift in the senior leadership on the same issue, is sorting out the basics regarding this with the RSS. “The Congress may opt for the snap polls so the BJP should announce his name soon to make the most of the pro-Modi wave among the party cadre,” feels the pro-Modi camp. The other side is of the view that the BJP should wait for the announcement of the elections. The RSS, which wields considerable influence over the BJP, will discuss the outline of strategies drawn by the party for the Lok Sabha polls at Manthan Shibir. Ideas floated by the BJP at its two meetings here in Delhi will be put forth for consideration of the RSS by party president Rajnath Singh. RSS’ deliberations are usually kept under tight wraps but they are expected to revolve around Sangh strategies for the forthcoming polls.
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UAVs keep watch as Modi flags off Jagannath yatra
Ahmedabad, July 10 Called the Netra or "eye", the UAVs, will conduct aerial patrolling, monitor the procession and click digital photographs with the aim of ensuring fool-proof security. The 136th edition of the yatra was flagged off from a 400-year-old Jagannath temple in the Jamalpur area here. As per tradition, elephants had a first glimpse of Lord Jagannath and led the procession that passed through different parts of Ahmedabad including some sensitive areas of the city to cover a distance of 14 km. Modi, who has been anointed as the chief of BJP's election campaign committee for the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, performed the "Pahind Vidhi" (symbolic cleaning of the path for chariot of Lord Jagannath) after which the procession of Lord Jagannath, Lord Baldev and their sister Subhadra began. The BJP strongman prayed for a good monsoon for farmers and for "peace, brotherhood and growth" in the country after pulling out the chariot of Lord Jagannath from the temple. "The monsoon season has begun and with the blessings of Lord Jagannath, I pray that the entire country receives a good rainfall so that our farmers, villages and the poor can benefit," he added. According to a temple trustee, Modi performed the traditional "Pahind Vidhi" ceremony for a record 12th time. In addition to the UAVs, 20 closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras have been installed at various places. Fourteen paramilitary companies—BSF (six), RAF (four), Central Reserve Police Force (two) and Central Industrial Security Force (two)—were deployed in Ahmedabad to prevent any untoward incidents. — PTI
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Top-level promotions in Army’s legal branch kick up a row
Chandigarh, July 10 In a petition that came up for hearing today before the Armed Forces Tribunal’s Chandigarh Bench, Brig Dinkar Adeeb, among the senior-most JAG officers and till recently posted at Chandimandir, has averred that a junior officer, Brig T Parshad, was hastily granted out-of-turn relief on the eve of the selection board’s meeting and then his name was considered with a changed, improved profile, resulting in his empanelment for promotion to the rank of major general and consequently superseding those senior to him. The senior most JAG officer is a major general and there are two vacancies in this rank, one of the Judge Advocate General and the other is the newly created post of the Director, Litigation. Brig Adeeb has alleged that the selection board meeting was first postponed from May 2012 to September 2012 and then to October 18, 2012. Then suddenly, Brig Parshad, who had filed a statutory complaint against his ACR profile, was granted relief on the eve of the board’s scheduled meeting and the board was again postponed by a day wherein his changed, improved profile was considered and he was promoted. He has contended that according to the Army’s policy, no officer can be granted out-of-turn relief and relief on complaints, which have to be disposed of only on “first come first served” basis. Further, the agenda and profiles of officers are frozen 15 days prior to the selection board meeting and changes cannot be introduced just prior to the board’s meeting. Counsel for Union of India Capt Sandeep Bansal argued the promotions were done within the policy framework. He said the entire record pertaining to the matter would be produced to establish the facts.
The case
Brig Dinkar Adeeb has petitioned before the Armed Forces Tribunal that a junior officer, Brig T Parshad, was hastily granted out-of-turn relief on the eve of the selection board's meeting and then his name was considered with improved profile, resulting in his empanelment for promotion to the rank of major general and consequently superseding those senior to him
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Solar scam: Kerala CM rules out resignation
Thiruvananthapuram, July 10 “I am not a person who wants to cling to power at any cost. But, if I resign now, I will be doing injustice to truth,” Chandy, in the eye of a storm triggered by the scam, told reporters after a cabinet meeting here today. Confident of overcoming the present crisis, he said it was now a political issue and “we will fight it out.” “Party high command, state congress party, ministry and ruling UDF is united on this issue,” he asserted. Chandy said the charges against him were part of a political conspiracy by the CPM-led LDF opposition, because all their agitations against the UDF government after it came to power failed to click. The conspiracy started after the arrest of a personal staff in the Chief Minister’s office, he said. “After that the LDF thought, it was a chance to target me and the UDF government,” he said adding, “we will not yield to their political designs”. On the 12-hour bundh called by the opposition today demanding his resignation, Chandy said it was a challenge to people and government would not tolerate violence on the pretext of agitation. Chandy also rejected the statement of the complainant in the solar case, Sreedharan Nair, that he had met the chief minister and discussed solar project. Investigation into the case was progressing in the right direction and “all accused in the case would be brought before law,” he said. The scam pertains to alleged cheating of several persons to the tune of crores of rupees by one Saritha Nair and her accomplice Biju Radhakrishnan by offering solar panel solutions. An actress Shalu Menon has also been arrested in connection with the case. It took a serious political turn with the arrest of one of Chandy's close personal aides, who has alleged links with the accused. Two other employees in his personal staff have also been removed in connection with the scam. — PTI
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Kataria sworn in Puducherry Lt Governor
New Delhi, July 10 Among other who attended the function were actress and former MP Vijayanthimala, former Punjab finance minister Surinder Singla, Mohinder Singh Kaypee and Choudhary Lal Singh, both MPs, Rana Gurjeet Singh, a former MP. Besides, local MLAs, officials and French Consul General in Puducherry Pierre Fournier were among those present on the occasion. Kataria, a former Rajya Sabha MP and former president of Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee, reportedly said that his main task was to work together with the elected ministry and there would be no room for corruption. He would work to ensure speedy development of Puducherry, particularly in infrastructure sector.
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BJP slams UPA over falling rupee, Chinese aggression
New Delhi, July 10 But the saffron party remained nonchalant on Congress’ latest move, the National Food Security Ordinance, a direct contrast to the hyperactive mode that the grand old party has adopted on the “game changer” proposition ahead of the general election. “People are not interested in the food Bill when crucial issues such as corruption, price rise and terrorism are staring at the country,” a senior BJP leader observed. So while the Congress is arranging a meeting of its chief ministers this week to implement the order, the BJP appears to be in no such hurry. The saffron party believes the states ruled by it - Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh - are already giving similar schemes to the poor and will wait for the Parliament session to tear apart the Congress’ largesse. In the meantime, it will concentrate on targeting the government on the “sorry state” of the Indian economy and issues such as corruption, price rise and terrorism issue. Senior BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad hit out at the UPA for “seriously hurting national pride” through gross mismanagement of the economy. “This drastic fall is directly related to the gross mismanagement of Indian economy by the present UPA government. The UPA has sought to mainly manage the economy upon foreign investment which is by nature fragile. This excessive dependence on uncertain foreign investment has created its own complication. If foreign money can come easily it can go away swiftly as well,” Prasad said. “Indians are not investing in India because the atmosphere is not conducive. There is corruption, indecision, overwhelming uncertainty and policy paralysis,” he said. He sought an explanation from the government on Chinese aggression along the Line of Actual Control on the south-eastern edge of Ladakh. BJP sources said despite the hype created by the Congress, the coming session may see some dramatic developments such as the Samajwadi Party walking away from the coalition. “It is quite likely that the SP will walk out of the coalition to protect its vote bank. It would be interesting to see which way Mayawati (BSP) and Ajit Singh (RLD) go. The BJP will highlight shortcomings of the food Bill in Parliament and also portray the ordinance route as an anti-middle class move among urban voters,” a source said. Terming the ordinance promulgated by the Cabinet to implement the food Bill a “cruel joke” on democracy, BJP president Rajnath Singh had last week said his party would not oppose the passage of the Bill in Parliament but seek amendments to it. “We will not oppose it (the Bill) in the forthcoming monsoon session of Parliament but want certain amendments made,” he had said.
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China defends its move in Chumar sector along LAC
Beijing, July 10 "I have seen the relevant reports but I am not aware of the specific situation", Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying told a media briefing when asked about the incident that took place ahead of Defence Minister AK Antony's visit here last week. "Chinese defence forces have been patrolling along the Chinese side of the LAC", she said. "The general situation in the border areas is stable. We have the consensus that pending the final settlement of the boundary question, none of us (none from India or China) should change the status quo along the LAC", she said, indirectly asserting that neither side should resort to any infrastructure development. "China would like to make joint efforts with the Indian side to safeguard peace and tranquillity of the border areas", Hua said. The incident took place on June 17 when the People's Liberation Army (PLA) troops intruded into the Chumar sector in Ladakh and took away a camera installed at the Indian border post.’ The camera which was removed was reportedly returned on July 3, a day ahead of Antony's visit, the first by an Indian Defence Minister since 2006. Antony held talks with Chinese Premier Li Keqiang, his Chinese counterpart General Cheng Wanquan and Special Representative of the India-China border negotiations Yang Jiechi on July 5 and 6. Before that Yang and National Security Advisor (NSA) Shivshankar Menon held the 16th round of border talks on June 28 and 29 after which both sides spoke of positive progress. Antony said despite the pleasantries, he had free and frank discussions covering virtually all aspects of the boundary problems, including the April 15 Depsang Valley incursion in which, Chinese troops pitched tents. — PTI
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China for freeze on infra development along LAC
New Delhi, July 10 In the proposal, which is in the form of a paragraph in the BDCA, the Chinese side has said there should be a freeze on development of infrastructure in any 'disputed area', they said. India is set to reject the proposal in its response expected to be conveyed to China by the end of this month, the sources said. India is in the process of major infrastructure building exercise along the LAC and the Chinese proposal appears to be aimed at scuttling that. The BDCA was proposed by China during the Defence Secretary-level talks earlier this year. Sources said the proposed pact would be a "comprehensive" one encompassing some of the protocols and agreements signed by the two countries in the past. The border pact is aimed at avoiding flare ups on the boundary between the two countries. Other proposals made under the pact include non-tailing of troops if noticed during patrolling along the disputed LAC and to not fire at each other under any condition. India and China have held several discussions on the BDCA during the recent past but after incursion by Chinese troops in Ladakh region of Jammu and Kashmir in April, the movement on the proposed act has increased. During Defence Minister AK Antony's recent visit to China, the two sides agreed to conclude negotiations on the pact at an early date. After Antony's talks with Chinese leaders, the two sides agreed on a slew of confidence building measures, including having greater frequency of meetings at the border and increased exchange of visits of both young and senior armed forces officials. India and China have also agreed to resume their Army-to-Army exercise to be held in China in October this year in the Chengdu military region. The two countries have also agreed to further strengthen the existing agreements and protocols between the two sides and emphasised the importance of enhancing mutual trust and understanding between the two militaries for maintaining peace and tranquility on the border. — PTI
India to reject proposal
* China has made the proposal to put a freeze on infrastructure development along LAC as part of the Border Defence Cooperation Agreement which is under negotiation between the two countries *
India is in the process of major infrastructure building exercise along the LAC and the Chinese proposal appears to be aimed at scuttling that *
Sources said India is set to reject the proposal and the response is expected to be conveyed to China by the end of this month
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India to intensify maritime cooperation with SL, Maldives
New Delhi, July 10 Under the trilateral initiative, the three South Asian countries will take collaborative measures in the areas of maritime domain awareness, strengthen coordination of maritime search and rescue, promote maritime oil pollution response cooperation, expand ‘dosti’ (friendship) exercises and share information on illegal maritime activities and piracy. The breakthrough came at the two-day meeting on trilateral cooperation on maritime security held among the three countries in the Lankan capital of Colombo. The Indian side was represented by National Security Adviser (NSA) Shivshanker Menon, The Maldivian side by Defence and National Security Minister Mohamed Nazim and the Lankan side by Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa. New Delhi’s move is clearly aimed at countering Beijing’s bid to spread its strategic footprint in the region. New Delhi has been concerned ever since China was awarded the Hambantota port development project in Lanka. Much to India’s discomfort, Beijing also inaugurated its embassy in the Maldives in 2011 and has since then been eyeing for some key infrastructure projects in the Indian Ocean archipelago.
Countering China
* New Delhi's move is clearly aimed at countering Beijing's bid to spread its strategic footprint in the region *
New Delhi has been concerned ever since China was awarded the Hambantota port development project in Lanka *
Much to India's discomfort, Beijing also inaugurated its embassy in the Maldives in 2011 *
The country has since then been eyeing for some key infrastructure projects in the Indian Ocean archipelago
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One dead, several missing in Mumbai landslide
Mumbai, July 10 “Around 8 am, the hillock on which the slums stand caved in and buried five huts,” an officer at the Antop Hill police station said. While several people were pulled out by local residents, many remained trapped under mud and slush. The police said they recovered the body of Ramavatar Kewat (40) from the debris. Another person, Salim Shaikh (27), was pulled out alive and taken to the Sion Hospital in critical condition, the police said. Personnel from the fire brigade, the disaster management team of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation and other agencies were trying to rescue at least four others who may have been trapped in the debris. Fire brigade officials said heavy overnight rain had loosened the soil on the hillock where trees had been felled. “As the roads were narrow in the slum, we could not take fire tenders to the affected area. Digging has been going on manually,” a fire department official said. Civic officials said the slum cluster on Antop Hill came up illegally and violated safety regulations. But these were not demolished because of political interference.
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Zubin Mehta to get Tagore Award
New Delhi, July 10 A four-member jury led by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and comprising Chief Justice of India Justice Altamas Kabir, Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha Sushma Swaraj and Gopalkrishna Gandhi unanimously selected Mehta to be the second recipient of the Tagore Award, 2013 in recognition of his outstanding contribution to cultural harmony, a statement from the Culture Ministry said. The annual award was instituted by government of India during the commemoration of 150th birth Anniversary of Rabindranath Tagore. The first Tagore Award was conferred on sitar maestro Pandit Ravi Shankar in 2012. — PTI
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Tight security hassles Mumbaiites on rainy day
Mumbai, July 10 At major railway stations, bus terminus and entry points into Mumbai passengers and vehicles were stopped for checking delaying office-goers. “We have increased ‘naka bandis’ and checking of passengers as a precautionary measure following the bomb blasts at Bodh Gaya,” Joint Commissioner of Police (Crime) Sadanand Date said. Police personnel were seen manning metal detectors at several train stations and passengers carrying heavy bags were picked out at random and their belongings rummaged by the Railway Protection Force. At many places commuters already delayed by slow moving vehicles following heavy overnight rain were seen arguing with security personnel. Announcements are also being made inside Mumbai’s local trains asking passengers to check the overhead luggage racks and the space under their seats for suspicious objects. Security was also tight at the airport and bus stations. Officials said they have also identified a number of religious places in Mumbai as potential targets for terrorists. Many of these places including the famed Siddhivinayak Temple in Central Mumbai have already installed CCTVs and employ private security agencies to keep an eye on visitors. According to police security has been tightened in Mumbai after a post on social networking site Twitter threatened to carry out bomb blasts in Mumbai on July 12. Police say, past incidents of terror bombings across Mumbai during the rainy months have also put the authorities on their guard. Officials say, the general level of alertness is lower during the rains as people grapple with the vagaries of the weather and its impact on public transport. Reports say the post on Twitter dated July 5 claimed responsibility for nine blasts. “Hamara Agla Target Mumbai Hai. Rock Sago Toh Rock Lo, 7 days Left,” the post reportedly read. Investigators say the account purportedly owned by the Indian Mujahideen was a fake. However on the ground, the authorities said they were not taking any chances. The Anti-Terror Squad of the Mumbai police has been put on alert, state home department officials revealed.
Security beefed up
* Security has been tightened in Mumbai after a post on social networking site Twitter threatened to carry out bomb blasts in Mumbai on July 12 *
Investigators say the account purportedly owned by the Indian Mujahideen on which the threat was made was fake. However, the authorities said they were not taking any chances *
The Anti-Terror Squad of the Mumbai police has been put on alert
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The Congress government in Karnataka today launched its ambitious scheme of supplying rice to nearly one crore poor families across the state at Re 1 a kg. The scheme will entail an additional expenditure of around Rs 4,200 crore a year.
New Delhi, July 10
While
the chargesheet filed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in the Ishrat
Jahan fake encounter case is silent about the “motive” of the Gujarat Police
for the cold-blooded killings, it is believed that the Mumbra college girl and
Javed Sheikh were eliminated because they were witness to the arrest of Amjad
Ali Rana.
Deployed for the first time to monitor a religious procession, two unmanned aerial vehicles
(UAV) hovered over the skies of Ahmedabad today as Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi performed rituals amid tight security to flag off the traditional Jagannath rath
yatra.
Bangalore, July 10
