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15 killed, 18 injured in GAIL pipeline
blast
Rajahmundry (AP):
Fifteen persons were killed and 18 injured when a massive blaze raged through a village in Andhra Pradesh's
east Godavari district following a blast in an apparently leaking gas pipeline this morning.
"Bodies of 13 people charred in the incident were recovered from the gutted houses. Two others succumbed to their burn injuries while undergoing treatment at different hospitals," Amalapuram DSP M Veera Reddy told
PTI.
Eighteen injured people were shifted to different hospitals in the district, another police officer said, adding the deceased include five women, three girls and a boy.
The leaping flames from the state-run Gas Authority of India Limited (GAIL) pipeline at Nagram village in Mamidikuduru Mandal of the district quickly swept through nearby houses and coconut plantations, leaving behind a trail of destruction.
"The blast and subsequent blaze which started around 5 am spread swiftly engulfing houses, coconut farms and vehicles parked in the vicinity. In 15 minutes everything was gutted," the police officer said.
The fire got apparently triggered when a tea shop vendor lit up a stove, setting off a blast, IGP North Coastal Zone Atul Singh said.
A GAIL official, however, quoted its Chairman B C Tripathi as saying, "The exact cause of the blast is not immediately known. After an inquiry only we will get the details and cause of the blast." An 18-inch pipeline feeds gas to Lanco's Kondapalli power plant near Vijaywada.
Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan has ordered a high-level inquiry headed by a Joint Secretary in his ministry. The probe panel will have officials of Oil Industry Safety Directorate, NDMA and Hindustan Petroleum Corp Ltd (HPCL) as members, but GAIL and ONGC, from whose fields gas was being supplied, have been kept out of it.
The blaze occurred barely a few hundred metres from ONGC's Tatipaka Refinery located at the village.
"The gas pipeline has been shut. Fire has been controlled. This is a very serious situation and I have ordered a high-level inquiry into the incident," Pradhan, who is scheduled to visit the scene, told reporters in Delhi.
Petroleum Secretary Saurabh Chandra, GAIL Chairman B C Tripathi and ONGC Chairman D K Sarraf are scheduled to accompany him.
President Pranab Mukherjee, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Congress chief Sonia Gandhi have condoled the loss of lives in the tragedy.
Modi has announced an ex-gratia relief of Rs 2 lakh from the PM's Relief Fund for the next of the kin of those killed.
"My thoughts (are) with the families of those who lost their lives in the GAIL pipeline fire in AP. (My) prayers (are) with the injured," Modi said.
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu has also ordered an inquiry into the incident. Naidu, who is in Delhi, is rushing to the spot after cuttting short his trip.
Naidu spoke to Deputy Chief Minister N Chinarajappa and East Godavari district Collector Neetu Prasad over phone and directed them to provide best medical facilities to the injured.
Chinarajappa, who has reached the spot, said a comprehensive inquiry will be conducted into the incident.
"The state government will conduct a comprehensive inquiry. All help will be provided to the blast-affected persons," said Chinarajappa, who is also the state Home Minister.
Meanwhile, angry villagers tried to attack the local office of GAIL with stones but timely action by the police thwarted their attempts.
Some villagers alleged foul smell of gas was being felt by many since last night but officials took no action.
They complained about lax attention towards safety despite the pipeline running through residential areas of the village.
"The local residents are angry because they feel that the GAIL authorities did not bother though smell was coming from the rusting pipeline. Home Minister (N Chinarajappa) and district officials are talking to them," Finance Minister Y Ramakrishnudu said.
When asked about villagers' claim about foul smell of gas emanating from the pipeline since last night, a police officer said it needed to be verified. "A detailed probe is on," he said.
— PTI
VVIP chopper deal: CBI grills Bengal Governor Narayanan
NEW DELHI: The CBI on Friday questioned West Bengal Governor M K Narayanan as a “witness” in connection with its probe into allegations of bribery in the Rs
3,600-crore VVIP chopper deal with Anglo-Italian firm AgustaWestland.
Eighty-year-old Narayanan was asked to appear before CBI officers to record his statement in connection with the deal, as he was part of the group which had gone into the tendering procedures before purchase of the helicopters, CBI sources said.
Narayanan was the former National Security Advisor before being appointed as Governor of the West Bengal.
The sources said the need to record the statement of Narayanan as a witness was felt as he, along with Goa Governor B V Wanchoo, had participated in the meeting in 2005 that allowed key changes in the technical specifications of the chopper.
The CBI is also expected to record the statement of Wanchoo and he has been asked to appear before the agency. He was the chief of elite Special Protection Group (SPG) guarding the Prime Minister before he was appointed as Governor.
CBI had sought permission to record their statements as part of its probe into alleged Rs 360-crore bribe paid in the deal that was scrapped by the government in December last year.
CBI registered a case against former IAF Chief S P Tyagi along with 13 others including his cousins and European middlemen in the case.
The allegation against the former Air Chief was that he had reduced flying ceiling of the helicopter so that AgustaWestland was included in the bids. Tyagi has refuted the allegation against him.
However, this decision was taken in consultation with the officials of SPG and the Prime Minister’s Office, including Narayanan.
The CBI has alleged reduction of the service ceiling — maximum height at which a helicopter can perform
normally — allowed the UK-based firm to get into the fray as, otherwise, its helicopters were not even qualified for submission of bids.
CBI’s request for questioning of Narayanan and Wanchoo was earlier rejected by the Law Ministry during the UPA regime, prompting the agency to send a request to the President Pranab Mukherjee’s Secretariat seeking permission to record their statement as witnesses.
The Law Ministry had declined permission saying the two were in constitutional posts which gave them immunity from prosecution under Article 361 of the Constitution.
The agency has put the investigation in this case on a fast track and questioned several bureaucrats, including former Cabinet Secretary B K Chaturvedi and Comptroller and Auditor General Shashikant Sharma who was the then Defence Secretary.
The CBI claims the parameters regarding the height at which the helicopter can fly as well as the flight evaluation were changed in a manner that enabled AgustaWestland to clinch the deal
vis-à-vis its competitor Sikorsky.
In April this year, former Secretary (Security) at the Cabinet Secretariat Sudhir Kumar, former Inspector General, SPG N Ramachandran, who retired as DGP Meghalaya, and former Special Secretary (Acquisition) in the Defence Ministry H C Gupta were examined by the agency as part of its probe.
Kumar was Secretary (Security) during 2004-05. The Secretary (Security) looks after the administration of SPG. — PTI
Pakistan violates ceasefire, fires at forward Indian posts
JAMMU/POONCH: Barely 12 hours after exchanging sweets and pleasantries at Chamliyal Mela on
the international border in Samba district, Pakistani troops today violated the ceasefire and targeted Indian posts with automatic
and small weapons along the Line of Control (LoC) in Tarkundi area of Balakote sector in Poonch district, prompting Indian Army to retaliate effectively.
“Unsuccessful in their attempt to push a group of six ultras, Pakistani troops of 640 Mujahid Regiment initially opened small arms fire and then switched over to automatic
weapons in a bid to give a cover fire to the ultras and divert the attention of Indian troops,” said an
intelligence source.
The source said around midnight, a group of six ultras tried to infiltrate from near 479 FDL post in Tarkundi area of Balakote sector in Mendhar Tehsil of Poonch district.
“However, alert troops of 6 Rajput Regiment noticed the movement on their night vision devices and challenged the intruders. The troops opened five to seven rounds of fire and then followed a brief lull,” he said.
Around 12.30 am, the same group of infiltrators made another bid and the Indian troops again opened fire on them. This time around,
the Pakistani troops opened small and automatic weapons fire from their New Digining post on 479 FDL post and other adjoining posts of the Indian Army, said the source.
Consequently, the Indian troops responded with similar calibre weapons and the
gunbattle lasted till 1.30 am, he added.
The Indian troops not only foiled the intrusion bid but also responded in equal measure to the unwarranted act, he said.
Today around 10 am, the Army launched a search operation in the area,
while senior Army officers also rushed to the site.
The latest violation was 32nd so far this year on the LoC to the south of Pir Panjal range.
Defence spokesperson Lt Col Manish Mehta, said the Pakistan Army violated the ceasefire, opening unprovoked firing using small arms and automatic weapons in Bhimber Gali (BG) sector. They used LMG, MMG and BMG (Browning machine gun).
“But no heavy weapons were used by them this time. Our troops gave a befitting reply using weapons of similar calibre,” he said.
There were no casualties or injuries on our side, he added.
On June 17 and 18, Pakistani Rangers had violated the ceasefire along the
international border in Samba district opening fire on 6R post in Suchetgarh area.
On June 13, Pakistani troops had resorted to heavy firing of mortar shells and automatic weapons on Indian posts along the 25 km stretch of the LoC to the north and south of BG sector.
In 2013, 12 troopers were killed and 41 others injured in ceasefire violations and firing by Pakistan on forward posts, civilian areas and patrolling parties along the Indo-Pak border.
The truce violations last year were a record 149. — TNS
DU scraps FYUP, reverts to three-year
format
NEW DELHI: Under pressure from the UGC to act on its directive, Delhi University today scrapped its controversial four-year undergraduate
(FYUP) programme and reverted to the previous three-year structure.
In a statement, DU Vice-Chancellor Dinesh Singh asked principals of various colleges affiliated to the
university to start admissions for the new session.
"In line with the directive of the UGC, the university has decided to roll back the
FYUP. Consequently, the admission process shall be conducted under the scheme of courses that were in force in the academic session 2012-13 in all the colleges of the University of Delhi," Singh said.
The decision puts an end to the uncertainty over the admission process for 2014-15, which was triggered due to the stand-off between DU and UGC over
FYUP.
Over 2.7 lakh students have applied for admission to more than 54,000 seats in 64 colleges of the varsity.
The admissions were to begin on June 24 but have been delayed due to the stalemate.
Singh said DU recognises the need of the hour and it is of "paramount importance" to protect the interests of the students by ensuring the start of the admission process.
"It is expected that the principals of our colleges shall assist in devising and ensuring a speedy completion of the admission process," he said.
Meanwhile, Union Human Resources Development Minister Smriti Irani today refused to be drawn into a controversy over the four-year undergraduate programme of Delhi University, citing constitutional obligations.
"There have been persistent attempts on me to speak on a constitutional issue which is not proper. Kindly do not compel me to breach constitutional propriety," Irani told reporters
in Bhopal when asked about the controversy over FYUP in DU.
The Minister was talking to reporters after interacting with the students of Government Model School, which is also the alma mater of Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh
Chouhan.
Despite persistent efforts, she refused to say anything further on the issue.
The UGC had set a deadline till yesterday morning for Delhi University to roll back the controversial four-year undergraduate programme and start admission for the old three-year structure.
Following the stalemate on the issue, the admission process in the DU was deferred for the time being. — PTI
Never proposed ban on sex education, Vardhan clarifies
New Delhi: Under attack over his views on sex education in schools, Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan today dismissed reports that he has proposed such a ban.
Reacting to media reports that he has proposed a ban on sex education in schools, he said the views expressed on his website in this regard was entirely his own. He said he made these views in the context of the UPA government's 2007 decision to introduce Adolescence Education Programme in its original form.
The Minister, who is currently on an official visit to Unites States, said, "I am a medical professional who has embraced rationalism and I whole-heartedly support pedagogy that is scientific and culturally acceptable." "Anything abrasive to common sensibilities and articulated as such by responsible persons should be discarded and replaced by consensually accepted learning processes," he said.
Vardhan said as a the chief ministerial candidate of his party in the 2013 elections, he had full right to make transparent his agenda for education among other subjects of governance.
Value-based school learning processes are common in all countries and he had intended implementing such a format in Delhi's schools, he said.
"Crudity and graphic representation of culturally objectionable symbols as manifested in the UPA's so called sex education programme cannot be called sex education. Every education system must strive to have an ideal curriculum and to that extent my stand is valid," the Minister said.
"Sex education that builds societies free of gender discrimination, teenage pregnancy, HIV-AIDS proliferation, pornography addiction etc. should be the goal," he added. —PTI
Slimani’s heads Algeria to their first-ever Round of 16
CURITIBA (Brazil): For the Algeria squad, this has been a tournament of breaking new ground.
First, Algeria won its first World Cup match since 1982 — a 4-2 victory over South Korea, and then on Thursday it qualified for the knockout stages for the first time.
Islam Slimani’s 60th-minute headed equaliser was enough to gain his team a 1-1 draw against Russia and the one competition point it needed to place second in Group H behind Belgium.
Now, Algeria has another 32-year anniversary on its radar.
On Monday, the Algerians will meet Germany in the Round of 16 in Porto Alegre.
The teams haven’t met since 1982 when Algeria beat West Germany, one of the tournament favorites, with Lakhdar Belloumi memorably stroking home the winner. Though it went on to win another game in that tournament, Algeria failed to qualify for the second round of the World Cup after West Germany and Austria played out a result that suited both of those teams.
The European teams, meeting a day after Algeria had won its last group game, knew that a 1-0 win for West Germany would put both through to the second round at Algeria’s expense.
Qualification for the second round in Brazil finally allows the team from north Africa to move on from one of the World Cup’s most contentious episodes.
And the relief was certainly evident in the celebrations on the pitch.
Qualification prompted mass celebrations in the packed Algerian section in Arena da Baixada in Curitiba, and on the pitch among the players. Even the combative coach, Vahid Halilhodzic, was hugging staff and players and shaking his head in apparent disbelief.
“I’m very proud of what we achieved tonight,” Halilhodzic said. “I think Algeria played a heroic match and our qualification is perfectly deserved.”
Algeria had to come from behind to get through. Russia, needing a win to advance, went on the attack from the start and dominated the first half with its intricate and swift passing movements through midfield. The Russians took the lead in the 6th minute when Alexander Kokorin powerfully headed in a left-foot cross from Dmitry Kombarov.
Slimani’s equaliser came after Russia goalkeeper Igor Akinfeev failed to catch a swinging left-foot free kick from Yacine Brahimi. That was the second costly error that Akinfeev has made in the tournament for Russia, though there were indications on the TV broadcast that a green laser was being shone toward the goalkeeper just before the free kick was taken.
Russia coach Fabio Capello said his goalkeeper was “blinded by the laser beam.”
Halilhodzic said he saw nothing.
“I think it’s something that we can discuss in a restaurant, in a bar, now let’s talk about a game that was very demanding,” he told a post-match news conference.
Halilhodzic said he told his team at halftime not to panic after Russia’s strong start to the game. Before Algeria’s equalizer, Russia had chances to double its lead. The most notable chance came in the 26th minute when Oleg Shatov weaved through the Algeria midfield but his right-foot shot drifted wide of the Algeria post.
In the second half, midfielder Sofiane Feghouli, man-of-the-match Slimani, and Brahimi all worked hard to help neutralize much of Russia’s attack.
“During the first half Russia used its experience, the way they controlled the game, the way they organized themselves, my players were a bit naive but once again this Algeria team has a lot of margin to progress and I suspect that we can go a lot better maybe in the next round against Germany,” he said.
History could be on his side. As well as beating West Germany in 1982, Algeria won their previous encounter in 1964. — AP
Following exit, Russia now sets sights on
2018
Curitiba (Brazil): Russia has at least one thing going for it after failing to qualify for the knockout stages of the World Cup following a 1-1 draw with Algeria.
The Russians won't have to qualify for the next World Cup. That's because Russia will host the quadrennial event.
Whether Fabio Capello will be leading the team into the tournament four years from now remains open to question after the team's failure to progress from Group H.
In his post-match news conference, Capello gave no indication of quitting but he acknowledged there may be doubters.
Asked whether he would stay, he said: "If they still want me, yes." Capello, renowned as a coach at club level, signed a lucrative contract extension earlier this year that should keep him in the role through 2018.
The Italian coach dismissed suggestions that he has a poor record in international football.
Capello, who coached England to the second round in South Africa before a 4-1 thumping at the hands of Germany, pointed out that he has done a "good job" getting Russia to qualify for its first World Cup in 12 years.
Like four years ago, Capello bemoaned the quality of the officials. In 2010, England was denied an equalizing goal against Germany when the officials failed to spot that a Frank Lampard shot bounced well behind the goal-line after hitting the bar. The incident reopened the debate over goal-line technology, which is now being used in Brazil.
Capello said Algeria's goal came from a free kick that shouldn't have been awarded, following an earlier foul on a Russian player, and that goalkeeper Igor Akinfeev had been put off by a laser beam fired into his eyes during that free kick.
Islam Slimani's headed equalizer in the 60th minute came after Akinfeev failed to get to the swinging left-foot free kick from Yacine Brahimi.
"If there is something that I need to complain about in this World Cup it is the treatment we had from the referees," he said. "I've always kept my mouth shut, now it's over." Capello said his team played to plan in the match against Algeria, which Russia had to win to qualify for the second round. The team started strongly and was purposeful in attack until Algeria leveled.
"I can't say there were any mistakes today, there just weren't," he said.
Capello indicated that he would be happy for more of his players to gain experience abroad as the country prepares to host the 2018 World Cup. The whole Russian squad was entirely made up of players playing in the domestic league.
"When you play matches in international cups you glean a lot of experience, experience acquired abroad can help you," he said. "It can instil great competitiveness, we always play among ourselves." AP
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