L A T E S T      N E W S

Haryana Cabinet approves rules for HRTS 

CHANDIGARH: In order to ensure time-bound services of various departments to the citizens, Haryana government today approved the implementation of the Right to Services Act.

State Cabinet, under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda here today, approved the Haryana Right to Service Rules, 2014, an official spokesman said.

An eligible person shall make an application for delivery of service to the designated officer either personally or through registered post duly addressed to the designated officer or through e-disha kendras, he said.

In case of "unreasonable delay in disposal" of the applications, the Right to Service Commission would pass appropriate orders against the department concerned, he said.

The time-limit specified for delivery of service in such cases shall commence from the date when the applicant supplies the documents mentioned in the acknowledgement, the spokesman said.

He said that in case any penalty is levied by the Commission, the amount shall be deducted from the salary or remuneration of the designated officers involved in the process of providing such services.

The services covered under the rule include issuance of driving license, registration certificates of vehicles, identity cards of various social security schemes and bus passes.

The Cabinet, through another decision, decided to allow regular pay scale to the drivers and conductors of Haryana Roadways recruited after January 1, 2003, he said, adding the benefit of regular pay scale will be allowed to drivers and conductors from January 1, 2014.

The government also decided that the residents of the regularised colonies will now be able to get registries of their plots done.

There would be no ban on sale-transfer of plots in regularised colonies, the spokesman said. – PTI Reply Reply to all Forward

BRASILIA (Brazil): Neymar scored twice in the first half to lead Brazil to a 4-1 win over Cameroon on Monday, helping the hosts secure a spot in the second round of the World Cup.

Fred and Fernandinho added second-half goals for Brazil, which advanced from Group A.

Neymar opened the scoring off a low cross by midfielder Luiz Gustavo in the 17th minute, deftly side-footing the ball home from close range, then restored the lead with a low right-foot strike from the top of the penalty area in the 35th after a pass by left back Marcelo.

Midfielder Joel Matip had equalized for already eliminated Cameroon with a tap-in from inside the area in the 26th.

Fred found the net in the 49th and the substitute Fernandinho struck in the 84th. - Agencies

HYDERABAD: The Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly today adopted a resolution requesting the Centre to take all possible measures to create a corruption-free India and eradicate the menace of black money.

The state government, in the resolution adopted unanimously by the Assembly, promised to take all necessary measures to create a corruption-free AP and provide full support to the Government of India to eradicate black money.

Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, who moved the resolution, welcomed Narendra Modi government's initiatives in this regard and also suggested that the Centre should usher in economic, political and administrative reforms.

"In his first Cabinet meeting itself, Prime Minister Narendra Modi constituted a Special Investigation Team on black money. Today, the Centre has written to the Swiss government seeking names of those holding bank accounts in that country. This is a decisive action by the Modi government," the Chief Minister said.

The previous Congress-led UPA government never acted on black money as it was steeped in corruption.

"The Congress and the UPA government were steeped in corruption. They encouraged corruption and allowed black money to become a parallel economy," Chandrababu pointed out.

Corrupt people were stashing their money in tax haven countries while poor people in India were suffering from hunger. For some money has become an object of greed and lust, he remarked.

Even a nation-wide people's movement led by Anna Hazare could not move the then UPA government, he said.

"As the then Leader of Opposition, I too took part in the agitation against black money and corruption," Chandrababu recalled.

Against this backdrop, Modi government's initiatives should be welcomed whole-heartedly, the CM told the Assembly.

Otherwise, poverty eradication would not be possible, he added. 

Besides bringing black money back, the Centre should also initiate economic, political and administrative reforms.

"If required, currency notes of Rs 1000 and Rs 500 denominations should be banned. The US has already banned higher denomination currency," the Chief Minister said.

Black money and corruption could be controlled if all monetary transactions were made compulsory only through banks, he added.

Asserting that seeing a corruption-free India was the Telugu Desam Party's ultimate objective, he said they would continue the fight in this regard.

"We will bring in laws in this regard and take every step to root out corruption," Chandrababu vowed.

Leader of Opposition Y S Jaganmohan Reddy also welcomed the resolution following which it was adopted by the House unanimously. - PTI

Mexico defeats Croatia 3-1 to reach knock-out stage

RECIFE: (Brazil): Mexico score three times in the second half to defeat Croatia 3-1 and set up a clash with the Netherlands in the second round of the World Cup.

Rafael Marquez, Andres Guardado and Javier Hernandez scored the goals that left Mexico in second place in Group A behind leaders Brazil, 4-1 winners against Cameroon in the group’s other game.

Ivan Perisic scored a late consolation goal for Croatia, the first conceded by the Mexicans in their three matches in the group stage.

Mexico had more of the play and deserved their victory against Croatia, who needed to win the match in order to reach the next round. - Agencies

NEW DELHI: In a significant move, Air India has formally become part of the global airlines' grouping, Star Alliance, which would enable seamless travel to over 1300 destinations for the national carrier's passengers.

Ending a seven-year-long wait, the Star Alliance Chief Executive Board (CEB), at its meeting in London yesterday, gave an endorsement vote to induct Air India into the fold.

"We are happy to note that Air India has become part of the Star Alliance. This is one of the biggest alliances in the world", Civil Aviation Minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju told reporters here today.

Air India's revenues may increase by 4-5 per cent by joining the Alliance, he said.

With this, Air India becomes the first Indian carrier to join a global alliance, the largest one now having 27 member airlines in its fold.

A formal induction ceremony would be held here some time next month, for which Air India is getting a Boeing 787 Dreamliner and an Airbus A-320 -- signifying its international and domestic operations, painted with the Star Alliance logo and livery.

The move would help Air India passengers to access the alliance's global network of over 21980 daily flights to 1,328 airports in 195 countries.

The member airlines of Star Alliance together own a total of 4,338 aircraft and fly over 640 million passengers a year, many of whom can also earn and burn frequent flyer miles on the entire alliance network.

On its behalf, Air India would provide seamless connectivity to the passengers of Star partner airlines throughout its pan-India network.

Star Alliance members include major airlines like US carrier United, Singapore Airlines, Lufthansa, Air China, Air Canada, Swiss, Austrian, All Nippon Airways, Thai and Turkish Airlines. - PTI

New Delhi: The crisis in Delhi University over continuing the Four-Year Undergraduate Programme deepened today after reports of the resignation of Vice Chancellor Dinesh Singh which remained unconfirmed.

In the midst of a battle with the University Grants Commission, which had asked the university to roll-back the four-year course and revert to three-year structure, DU's media coordinator Malay Neerav sent an SMS to mediapersons in the afternoon that said "VC has resigned".

When contacted, Malay said "I have been given only this much to reveal. I do not have any more details." But he remained inaccessible after reports emerged that the VC has not resigned indeed.

When news of resignation spread, celebrations broke out in the university campus with students and teachers opposed to the FYUP dancing to beat of drums and distributing sweets among themselves.

The HRD Ministry, whose senior officials maintained that no resignation has been received by them, went into discussion with UGC officials to work out a solution for the impasse following the Commission's ultimatum to the DU to wind up the four-year course.

The deadline expired yesterday but the DU failed to send its compliance report to the UGC on restoring the three-year course. Yesterday, the Principals' Association of the DU decided to defer the admission process that was to start today covering over 2.70 lakh applicants clamouring for over 54,000 seats in 64 colleges.

Meanwhile, the supporters of the besieged Vice Chancellor met him and claimed that he has not resigned.

Madhu Kishwar, journalist-activist and supporter of the VC, claimed after a meeting with him that he has authorised her to tell the media that he has not resigned.

Pro VC Sudhish Pachauri, who was also against the VC quitting the post, said he has not resigned, a stand that was also echoed by the VC's lawyer.

The lawyer said they would challenge the UGC's directive in the court because it does not have the power to "control" a University. - PTI

PATNA: The then station house officer of Shastri Nagar police station here Shamse Alam was today sentenced to death by a local court for a fake encounter in which three students were shot dead claiming them to be dacoits, 12 years ago.

Seven others, including a police constable Arun Kumar Singh, were sentenced to life imprisonment till death.

The order was passed by the Fast Track Court-I judge Ravi Shankar Sinha who on June five had held the two, Alam and Arun Kumar Singh, guilty of murder.

Six others, Kamlesh Kumar Gautam, Raju Ranjan, Soni Rajak, Kumod Kumar, Rakesh Kumar Mishra and Anil were pronounced guilty of attempt to murder.

The six were shopkeepers of Sammelan Market under Shastri Nagar police station area who had brutally beaten up the three students Vikash Ranjan, Prashant Singh and Himanshu Shekhar, following a scuffle between them and a telephone booth operator over paying a STD bill on December 28, 2002.

Alam who had arrived at the spot with the constable after being informed shot dead the three students in the head and in a police report had claimed them to be dacoits.

A total of 33 witnesses were examined by the court during the protracted trial.

Alam was denied bail by various courts since his arrest in the case in 2003.

The case was first investigated by the local police, then the CID and subsequently handed over to the CBI, which assisted in the trial. - PTI 

Govt mulls LPG, kerosene price hike in small doses 

New Delhi: After diesel, the government is considering raising cooking gas (LPG) and kerosene rates in small doses of Rs 5 per cylinder and Rs 0.50-1 a litre every month to wipe out Rs 80,000 crore subsidy on the two fuels.

The previous UPA government had in January 2013 decided to raise diesel prices by up to 50 paisa litre every month.

But for aberrations on two occasions, the monthly increases have taken place regularly to trim subsidy on diesel to an just Rs 1.62 a litre. This too looks set to be wiped off to make the fuel deregulated or free, with the new government continuing with the UPA decision.

Following the diesel model, the oil ministry is now proposing monthly increases in LPG and kerosene rates, sources privy to the development said.

Subsidy on LPG currently is a staggering Rs 432.71 per 14.2-kg cylinder and at Rs 5 per month increase it will take 7 years to wipe out the subsidy.

Sources said the ministry is of the view that the monthly increases can be as high as Rs 10 if the political leadership takes a stand.

On kerosene, the subsidy currently is Rs 32.87 per litre and at Re 1 hike per month it would take more than two-and-a- half years to wipe out the subsidy.

Fuel subsidy, they said, is the biggest drain on the exchequer. In the current fiscal, subsidy on diesel, LPG and kerosene is estimated at Rs 115,548 crore. Of this, LPG accounts for Rs 50,324 crore and kerosene Rs 29,488 crore.

This subsidy is met through a combination of direct cash dole from the budget and contribution by state-owned firms like ONGC.

In 2013-14, the government paid Rs 70,772 crore in cash subsidy while upstream firms shelled out Rs 67,021 crore. In the previous year, the government payout was Rs 100,000 crore and upstream contribution Rs 60,000 crore.

For diesel, the subsidy estimated is Rs 35,736 crore but this will come down if the monthly increases continue as planned, sources said.

Petrol price was deregulated in June 2010 and retail rates have more or less moved in tandem with the cost.

With the beginning of monthly increases in January, subsidy on diesel tripped to less than Rs 3 a litre in May last year before a fall in rupee value led to it widening to Rs 14.50 per litre in September, 2013. PTI